Monday, September 30, 2019

Research Proposal †Brief Provisional Title Essay

Brief Provisional Title: To what extent does media reporting, during a two-month period in 2000 contribute to the vigilantes towards paedophiles. The main aims of the dissertation: It can be suggested amongst academic literature that much of the heightened attacks against paedophiles is media generated, generally the media is perceived as instigators of provoking and motivating heightened anxiety and vigilantes amongst the public domain (refer to Kitzinger, 1999b and Soothill, 1991). Ultimately it can be claimed that tabloid newspapers have led the way in the construction of the personification of paedophiles, often portraying them as ‘perverts’, ‘evil’ and ‘beasts’, reinforcing the public’s beliefs that paedophiles are somewhat a different species apart from ‘ordinary’ people. It can be platitude amongst academic commentators â€Å"that the newsprint media do more than merely reflect social reality† (Greer, 2003, P.44 ), the media can be accused of amplifying a moral panic or even cultivating a mob rule mentality through such conceptualisations. The print media potentially play an active role in criminological theory, too exemplify labelling theory. The labelling theory focuses on the premise that crime and criminal behaviour is a social process, that of the relationship between an individual who is defined as deviant and those who have the power to label such individual as deviant. These general propositions attribute the media as an important factor in such process, thus helping to construct the paedophile with a hate figure identity. The process by which labelling occurs has social and psychological implications on those who are labelled, which in my research is paedophiles. Embedded within such theory exists the belief that such individuals who are labelled are likely to incorporate the label within their self-image and such stigmatisation is likely to affect how they are treated by others in the future. Indeed Spencer, 1999 proclaims that â€Å"where paedophiles are hounded out, they will go underground† (Spencer , 1999, P.178). Such a theory will be applied into my dissertation to attempt to explain whether the labelling of paedophiles by the print media contribute to the vigilantes towards paedophiles. However throughout my research process there existed an identifiable relationship between the failures of legislation, in accordance to the protection of children and vigilante attacks towards paedophiles, as â€Å"people seem to have lost confidence in the system and have decided to take the law into their own hands† (David, 1997, P.20). But such a relationship will not be acknowledged within my research, as my aim is to examine the way in which paedophiles are represented and labelled through print media reporting. Examining such relationship between legislation and vigilante attacks would inevitably result in me exploring outside the realm of my research question. The central research question I wish to explore is: â€Å"To what extent does media reporting, during a two-month period contribute to the vigilantes towards paedophiles?† My initial hypothesis is that negative labelling of paedophiles perceived through the print media structure individuals perceptions. There also exists a certain complicity towards the way in which the print media reinforces or contributes people’s actions to act violently towards paedophiles. Reasons for undertaking research: Although I have never worked with sex offenders or with victims who have experienced such abuse, the desire to focus my dissertation on paedophiles originated from the tragic death of Sarah Payne in July 2000 by Roy Whiting, a previous convicted sex offender. What jilted my interest was the profound response of the public and media, which triggered a campaign for the implementation of ‘Sarah’s Law’. Such a campaign resulted in the actions of the Sunday newspaper, the News Of The World publicly naming and shaming convicted paedophiles. To me this is detrimental not only to children but also to paedophiles are they are likely to pose a greater risk to children. A great concern of mine is the way in which paedophiles are stereotypically represented by the media, as it notably feeds the hysteria of public fear and incites such hostility for lynch mob frenzy. Methodology and methods: To investigate the way in which paedophiles are portrayed in the print media and does such portrayal reinforce violent behaviour, I wish to examine both written text and visual images, thus resulting in my methodology consisting of a qualitative approach. My methodology will allow me to explore the ideological themes and stereotypical language embedded within such press report, evaluating whether conceptualisations of the paedophile incite a violent mentality. The source of documentation I wish to analyse in my methodology, will be from national newspapers from the year 2000, such as the News Of The World, The Sun, the Daily Mail and The Guardian, which will consist of a time framework of two months, preferably being the months July and August. I wish to explore these specific months as the newspaper, the News Of The World, in the summer of 2000 undertook such initiative to publicly name and shame convicted paedophiles. Examining newspapers during this period will inevitably provide me with a rich source of information to evaluate and analyse. Due to my study concentrating on a limited time framework and a specific theme it is fair to illustrate that my study will not represent the norm of the print media in relation to the way in which paedophiles are ascribed with such label, my study will only represent a fragment of the print media. However my intentions from my findings is to elucidate the representation of paedophiles within the print media and provide a rigorous analysis concerning the way in which the media militates violent behaviour towards paedophiles. Thus in relation to my research there may exist some difficulties I may encounter these may include, with respect to a paedophile report, me questioning to what extent a report featured in a newspaper is actually valid, which could result in my findings representing a misinterpretation of paedophiles. With respect to resources, I may encounter difficulties in relation to gaining access to newspaper articles from the year 2000. Some articles can be gained from UWCN Library but other articles from newspapers such as the News Of The World and The Sun may result in me researching beyond the UWCN library to libraries such as Cardiff or even paying to order back issues from the internet. Bibliography: David, M. (1997). Child Protection, Moral Outrage or Mob Rule? Community Care. 7 August, PP. 20-21. Greer, C. (2003). Sex Crime And The media, Cornwall: Willan Publishing. Kitzinger, J. (2002). The Ultimate Neighbour Form Hell? Stranger Danger And The Media Framing Paedophiles. In: Jewkes, Y and Letherby, G. Criminology: A reader, London: Sage Publications. McDonald, l. (2001). Sex Offender, The Home Office And the Sunday Papers, Journal of Social Welfare and family Law 23 (1), PP. 103-108. Reiner, R (2002). Media Made Criminality. In: Maguire, M and et-al. The Oxford Handbook Of Criminology, Oxford university press. Thomas, T. (2002). Sex Crime, Sex Offending And Society, Cornwall, Willan publishing. Tierney, J. (1996). Criminology, Theory And Context, England: Longman. White, R and Haines, F. (1996). Crime and Criminology, An Introduction, Oxford University Press.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Positive and Negative Reinforcements

Positive and Negative Reinforcement Positive Reinforcement Positive and Negative Reinforcement What are Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcemens? Positive and negative reinforcement are used in most of the three theories. Negative reinforcement is used in behaviorism, where it involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus when a desired behavior occurs. Positive Reinforcement is a technique used to increase desired behavior and is used in operant conditioning.Positive reinforcement is offering of desirable effects or consequences for a behavior with the intention of increasing desired behavior. Positive and Negative reinforcement are used or used in the theories of learning whether it is innate or learned behavior (King 2010). Positive Reinforcement and Skinners experiment Skinner experimented using positive reinforcement, with a rat and came to the conclusion that with a stimulus or positive reinforcement a rat can learn to receive food by pressing a bar. With Skinners exp eriments with the rat he discovered law of effect.Skinners approach to operant conditioning involved the â€Å"Law of Effect† stating that behavior followed by positive outcomes is strengthened and that behaviors followed by negative outcomes are weakened. This means that positive outcomes for behaviors are strengthening to an individual and negative outcomes weaken the behavior of the individual, therefore receiving a positive reinforcement or reward will increase the likelihood of the behavior occurring (King, 2010). Shaping Shaping is one of the first steps of operant conditioning, which is rewarding approximations of a desired behavior.An example the book gives is a rat can be shaped or trained to press a bar to eat. It is not likely for the rat to receive food when being placed in the â€Å"Skinner box†. The experimenter began to give the rat food pellets when the rat is close to the bar. The rat begins to gain the reward and continues to press the bar, which is P ositive reinforcement. Later the experimenter only rewards the rat with a pellet when rat is 2inches from the bar. After rewarding for being within 2inches the rat will have to touch the bar for reward, leading to the rat, pressing he bar and receiving food. When the rat presses bar that’s where reinforcement comes in, which is the process by which a rewarding stimulus or event following a particular behavior increases the probability that the behavior will happen again, the rat now sees that if it presses the bar it receives food, therefore the rat continues to press the bar to receive food. The behavior continues to happen due to the stimulus of food, which is reinforcement (King, 2010). Positive and Negative Reinforcement There is positive and negative reinforcement within operant conditioning.Positive reinforcement is getting a positive result from the stimulus; in turn a negative reinforcement is a behavior of doing something due to a negative stimulus. There are two typ es of reinforcement primary and secondary reinforcement. Primary reinforcement is innate which is not learned or conditioned Secondary reinforcement (King, 2010). Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction The next 3 key concept of classical conditioning is generalization, discrimination, and extinction. First is generalization which is performing a positive reinforced behavior in a different situation.An example of generalization is having three classes and deciding to study for one of the classes every night. Eventually an individual will begin to study every night in all three of their classes. The second discrimination is responding appropriately to stimuli that signal that a behavior will or will not be reinforced. The book gives an example of a restaurant that gives student discounts if the student shows there student identification card and how if someone who is not a student shows their identification card might get a puzzled look.The last is extinction, which is a decre ase in the frequency of a behavior when the behavior is no longer reinforced. Extinction is without the same stimuli and the reinforcement ceases to exist (King, 2010). Schedules of Positive and Negative Reinforcement The patterns that determine when a behavior will be reinforced positively or negatively are schedules of reinforcement, which can be negative and positive reinforcement. The four different types of schedules are; variable interval, fixed interval, variable ratio, and fixed ratio. Variable-interval is a timetable where behavior is reinforced after a certain amount of time has went by.A fixed interval applies to procrastination which is when the first behavior is reinforced after a fixed amount of time has passed. An example of fixed interval is a kindergartener that does not get a bad check mark all week receives candy at the end of the week. A fixed ratio reinforces a behavior after a set number of behaviors. Fixed ratio can be applied to the lottery, because you never know when you will win. The last is variable ratio that is when behaviors are rewarded an average number of times but on an unpredictable basis (King, 2010). Punishment Punishment is a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur.Operant Conditioning consists of two types of punishment positive and negative. Positive punishment is presentation of an unpleasant stimulus following a given behavior in order to decrease the frequency of that behavior. Yelling at your child until they clean their room would be an example of positive punishment, because if they clean their room the yelling will stop. Negative punishment is the opposite the removal of a positive stimulus following a given behavior in order to decrease the frequency of that behavior. Negative reinforcement can be telling your child if you don’t clean your room I will be taking your phone away.You will be removing the cell phone if they don’t clean their room, therefore it is more likel y for that child to clean their room. Both positive and negative reinforcement are used in punishment (King, 2010). Positive, Negative Reinforcement, and Timing Whether positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement timing is an important aspect in reinforcement and punishment. Immediate reinforcement is better than delayed reinforcement because delayed reinforcement means that an individual has to wait for their reward (reinforcement) and for young children that can be hard to comprehend.Immediate punishment is more effective with young children because if you delay their punishment the child is more likely to act that behavior again. The last type is immediate with delayed reinforcement and punishment. The book Experience Psychology gives an example of the three; â€Å"an individual putting off going to the dentist to avoid a punisher, such as pain, but waiting could contribute to greater pain later. Applied behavior analysis is applying operant conditioning to change human beh avior. This analysis looks for rewards that are creating bad behavior and enhances rewards to gain good behavior. King, 2010). † Three Theories Together Behaviorism, operant conditioning, and classical conditioning are different theories on how individuals learn and use positive or negative reinforcement. Behaviorism focuses on observable behavior solely, uses negative reinforcement and that is what makes it different from the other theories. Classical conditioning has two stimuli; (King, 2010) an example of classical conditioning is a child smelling a beautiful flower and is stung by a bee within the flower.Classical conditioning uses negative reinforcement, because it teaches the child that that flower caused the pain and they are more likely not to touch the flower again. The child associates the pain with the flower and is now fearful of the flower. Each theory has good and bad points, but my thought is behavior is learned with rewards, therefore human behavior is better w ith some sort of reward such as positive or negative (reinforcement) (King, 2010). Conclusion Positive and Negative Reinforcement Positive and negative reinforcement are used in behaviorism, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning.Many believe one works better than the other, but it depends on the situation whether negative or positive reinforcement will be used. I believe that Positive reinforcement is the best, because getting a reward makes an individual more likely to increase the desired behavior. Negative reinforcement to me can be stressful to an individual, because if they don’t do what they are supposed to do something could be taken from them (King, 2010). References King, L. (2010) Experience psychology: McGraw-Hill, Avenue of Americas. New York, NY 10020. (p. 167-177).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

P.O.S essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

P.O.S 2 - Essay Example Benefits of the POS System The POS system being online will ensure that all across the Wal-Mat store there will be real and up dated POS solutions. In addition, since the POS system is custom made it will be custom made and thus compatible with most of the programs and hardware, which are to be installed. Furthermore, it will ensure that there is less inventory shrinkage. This is because through POS system it will be easier to keep track of obsolete and damaged inventories. Because of the effectiveness with which customers are served, it will ensure and lead to more customer service efficiency, customer satisfaction and customer retention and loyalty. It will facilitate timely and accurate reports as well as fast and effective analysis of sales date which is paramount to management information for decision-making process. In addition, the online POS software package will offer the advantage of management through remote access i.e. while in different store and while on leave. Moreover , having installed POS system Wal-Mat can easily expand in case of increased customers. This is because it only needs to mount new computers and other relevant hardware to create a new service station. The other minor benefits that Wal-Mat will get by setting up the POS will be prevention of theft, accuracy, and effective inventory management. ... Furthermore, with the retail POS system Wal-Mat will experience potential security risks with regard to software corruption by viruses, credit cards, and debit cards. Moreover, considering that the POS system is custom made, with the software applications used there will be need for regular updates to the system that may be done at an extra cost. POS Contingency Measures Since running of the POS system will be dependent on the electricity for smooth running, implies that in case of power outages the business will stop. These business standstill means loss of revenue, dissatisfaction of customers and under utilization of resources. Wal-Mat to combat electricity failures has bought and installed a diesel driven generator with the capacity to run the POS system for more than 12 hours. In addition, UPS s- uninterruptible power supply - have been fitted on every computer. This is to ensure smooth transition and business continuation while switching to the generator. Wal-mat has also set u p another back-up server computer in another independent location that store up real-time transactions happening in the main business stalls. This is meant to militate against any outages of the POS system in case of fire breakout in the main business area. In addition, after every 1 hr of the normal business hours, it is a requirement that there be a print out of sales receipts for every one hour. This is to ensure that in case of failure of the two back-up servers there can be hardcopy back up to mitigate it. Weakness and Recommendations to POS System Due to the continued high customer satisfaction, there has been an influx of new clients to our business, which has resulted to slower than normal

Friday, September 27, 2019

Efficiency and Collaboration Proposal Coursework

Efficiency and Collaboration Proposal - Coursework Example However, it is not denied that Microsoft Excel can be used in various others ways like inventory, financial worksheets, etc. But Microsoft Access is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) application which is primarily meant for maintaining records whereas Microsoft Excel’s primary function is to act as a tool for data analysis. As it is necessary to maintain records of personnel working in the organization, an application is essential which can be used to enter the records and provide reports based on various parameters, Microsoft Access is flexible and useful when compared to Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Office is a easiest tool for documentation, tables, analysis, making presentation, maintaining records and getting reports. All the applications in MS Office package are flexible with each other that the data can be imported and exported to different applications. Similarly, all the data existing in MS Excel can be imported in MS Access through Import Option available in MS Access. This not allow the data to imported but it actually imports the data head-wise as it was entered in Excel thus eliminating the problem of entering the data again in Excel. The main benefit of MS Access is that value can be given to the parameters and based on these values data can be entered and reports can generated. Additionally, it offers the flexibility to design report based on our conditions. Such reports can help the organizations in decision making process. Party Plates can use MS Access to its fullest extent as possible to derive data as per its requirement and generate reports to make necessary changes in its strategy. Information pertaining to personnel’s can be obtained category wise to determine the payment policies, costs, products, sales data, etc. Such detailed data will help the sales department in taking decisions regarding the strategy formulation in times of crisis. As the competition is intense in the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Graphics Innovations and Satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Graphics Innovations and Satisfaction - Essay Example In most cases, satisfaction is obtained when one perceives a product or an issue to have value and to address their problems. This may not be attained using words, and calls for a more powerful tool that would influence people’s perceptions as required. Therefore, graphics are the best mode of passing information or changing the perception of people to bring about a feeling of satisfaction and value. Mora & Ledesma (2011, 2) argue that interactive dynamic graphics are an ideal way through which lecturers have used to pass information in multivariate data analysis especially to psychology students. The use of these graphics according to Mora & Ledesma provides insights into procedures that do not easily stem from the formulae. Dynamic graphics are especially more effective in presenting these ideas, and lead to more satisfaction among the audience. Since these multivariate data are difficult to express in words, observation of graphical dynamics offer a more informative way in which these concepts are derived. This leads to more satisfaction or the students are more informed through the graphic representation work. It would follow that, if graphics lead to more informed perception; advancement and innovation in the field of graphics would therefore lead to more informed perception in all angles of life as these would interact with the audience perception at the psychological level to present the required information. Therefore technological advancement would lead to more satisfaction among the audience, and has a great influence on the choices and perceptions that are made by the audience. Gray & Wilkins (2005, abstract) elaborate that a project carried out to investigate the use of a set of core tactile and large print diagrams with supporting materials for degree level psychology courses, revealed that when the pack was used in a class of 22 blind and virtually impaired psychology students, it proved to be a useful resource. An in-depth follow-up in psy chology books and curriculum therefore was carried out to enhance the use of a â€Å"psychology Core Graphics Resource Pack.† These were designed with the students and experts well involved in the process. The use of large graphics, core tactile and other images proved to be an important resource among the virtually impaired students, and this later lead to efforts in making these graphics and disseminating them in large scale to be used by the relevant schools. It was through the advancement of the previously used graphics that the classes were satisfied and able to learn effectively through improved graphics, which explains the importance of graphics in satisfaction. With more innovations and advancement in this field, the graphics would therefore lead to more satisfaction in meeting the learning objectives of the blind in general. The most revolutionary field that portrays the satisfaction that may result from innovations in graphics is the film industry. Parsons (2010, 60 ) explains the various ways in which computers are currently used to create amazing graphics in the film industry. The film industry has influenced the lives of many in the current world, and as Parsons elaborates, it is just the use of graphics that are well designed and integrated though highly innovative software. These can be done at the comfort of the seat by anyone as far as the software and the knowledge to create these graphics is available. The result

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Reading and lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reading and lives - Essay Example In my own opinion, I also think reading and writing have some benefits in our lives. For example, people can learn new knowledge to enrich their lives. Even though, people might have different cultural background, reading and writing can also help them change their lives and help them get better. As such, the main idea going to be presented in this paper is related to the aspect of how reading and writing can transform our lives. To a certain extent, reading can be viewed as a hobby but it can help people change their destiny. In addition, a good study environment can help people develop a habit of reading. In the article, â€Å"The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me† by Sherman Alexie, it can be noted that his father liked to buy books which meant that Alexie had many books to read. When he was young, he did not know a lot of words. Consequently, Alexie improved his vocabulary through reading a lot of books. For example, when he read Superman, a comic book, he assumed some words or dialogue that Superman could say to help him read the book. I think that it is a good and easy way to help people to understand books. On the other hand, Alexie said that some people thought that Indian children were expected to fail in the non-Indian world. However, he did not agree with that argument. Instead, he refused to be a failure. Alexie spent a lot of time reading, even just for a few minutes. In additio n, Alexie read a book everywhere, in the car, shopping mall and bookstores (50 Essays 15-18). Finally, he became a writer and he wrote novels, short stories and poems. From Alexie’s experience, I believe that reading is the cornerstone that helps people to develop their talents. Some people have different opinions of other individuals who come from other countries. In the article mentioned above, Alexie is portrayed as an Indian child. He mentions that his classmates who

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Research Paper - Essay Example Arrest, detention and seizure are governed by stringent regulations and limitations which, according to Pilon (2000) are primarily intended to protect the citizenry against unreasonable searches, unjustifiable detentions and importantly, against the possibility of law enforcement’s abusing its powers. It is in relation to the stated that Turkey stands in direct contrast to Canada. This Eurasian nation has been cited for human rights abuses on countless occasions and both Amnesty International and the European Commission for Human Rights have repeatedly shed light on abuses vis-Ã  -vis all of search, seizure and detention (ECHR, 2003; U.S. Department of State, 2007). A comparison of the arrest, detention and seizure framework in Canada and Turkey will serve to underscore the imperatives of limiting police authority through the clear explication of the citizenry’s civic rights for the prevention of abuses which translate into nothing less than inexcusable miscarriages of justice. The rules which govern arrest, detention and seizure in Turkey are grounded in the country’s constitution. The Turkish Constitution clearly outlines the civic rights of the citizenry and outlines the limitations on police authority. As Kinzer (2002) explains, arbitrary arrests are prohibited with no statements of exception. Law enforcement must have a clear reason for arresting citizens and must establish, before a judge that the citizen in question has violated the laws of the nation and accordingly, that there are legitimate grounds for the issuance of an arrest warrant. If a warrant is granted, law enforcement has the legitimate right to take the suspect into custody where he/she may be detained for a maximum period of 7.5 days. This period can only be renewed if law enforcement uncovers evidence pertaining to the detained suspect’s highly probable culpability in a crime. Not only that but law enforcement must

Monday, September 23, 2019

Project management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project management - Coursework Example Fixed costs are not controllable since even if a firm does not generate revenues it must pay its fixed costs. Variable costs are cost that change depending on the volume of sales. An example of a variable cost is cost of goods sold. Variables costs are controllable because project managers can implement strategies to lower variable costs such as changing suppliers to reduce the cost of materials. Two additional categories of costs are direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are costs that are directly attributed to the production output. Some examples of direct costs are materials and direct labor. Indirect costs are costs that are not associated with the production of a firm. Examples of indirect costs include supervisor salaries, indirect labor, and supplies used (Referenceforbusiness). Other cost categories are period and product costs Period costs are costs that are identified with a specific period of time, while product costs are necessary for producing a finished good. The dif ferent types of costs help project managers differentiate among the types of costs that affect a project. Work Cited Page Referenceforbusiness.com. 2011. â€Å"Costs† 17 May 2011.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Examine how far television is a global and globalising media form Essay

Examine how far television is a global and globalising media form - Essay Example A particular popular program can be watched by many people at one time unlike newspapers where people scramble for the copies or a radio where you listen without seeing. Television combines both visual and audio content. This has led to its tremendous success as a mass communication medium (Waisbord, 2000). Television has become a global means of communication, meaning that people can now communicate to each other all over the world, all with the aid of technology. Globalization has made it possible for all the television industries in the world communicate more effectively. This communications have made possible by the presence of well laid structural connections among the different communication systems used by television stations all over the world. This interconnections between the different television stations in the world has created an international business hub, all governed with the same business principals and goals (Jensen, 2000). . The technologies include the use of sate llites to relay information to the different TV station worldwide. For example the launch of AMOS-5 satellites located at 17Â °E by space com was a major boost to TV industries in Africa.AMOS-5 provides high-quality broadcast and communication services to Europe, the Middle East, the U.S. East Coast and Africa. Other satellites have all been put in place with companies such as Switzerland media all with the aim of relaying information to its client and doing business. The dynamics in the TV world are reflected in the approval of television formats. On the surface international airing of the different format does not only suggest a well incorporated economy with the industries, in also includes a well regulated content. All the media houses are therefore able to sale almost the same idea to its audience. These enable the audience watch different programs at different channels at the same time, and with the help of technology; television companies have successful reached their market (Whannel, 1993) . A company like coca cola is popular all over the world. Toyota pick-ups have roamed in the streets of African. TV programs and series such prison break have been aired all over the world. This can therefore be deemed as the golden age for business, commerce and trade. Never before, in the entire history of the world has there been such an opportunity to sell as many commodities to individuals as there is right now globally. Marketing strategies have been put in place but thanks to television and the entire media that marketing has been made easier promoting a company’s sales. Trade has also been conducted between state thanks to TV and the media as a whole (Jesus,1993) . Television programming goes beyond commercial relationships(Waisbord, 2000). Other key sector such as politics, antinational identification and transnational organizations are also affect. Television programming has an especially important role in shaping social meanings as communication co ntent dictates the way local and global mass media will affect people’s social experience. These include programs like news and report. Television coverage of political and social is a decisive factor for formation of opinion in democratic states. Reports and news should therefore be exact, truthful and reliable. Different debates on television have influenced public opinion in different angles. Reports on political private life has

Saturday, September 21, 2019

To get any object Essay Example for Free

To get any object Essay With your experiment you dont mention anything about controlling or measuring the force. All you have measured is the (average) period of the object moving in a circle. From this you can calculate the average speed and acceleration. To turn this into an investigation you would need to measure the force pulling the bung into the circular path. i. e. the tension in the string. At the moment, if you put more effort in the bung will go faster, even if you dont change the radius of the circle, or the mass of the bung. One way to do this would be to include a spring of suitable strength into the string and you could possible measure the extension of the spring as you twirl it around to estimate the force. Another method Ive seen used is to have the string pass through a tube. On the bottom end of the string you attach a weight. You twirl the bung around above your head whilst holding the tube until the forces are balanced. If you spin it too slowly the weight drops down, if you go too fast it rises up. You need to adjust the speed of spinning until the weight balances at the correct point. Results: There is a fairly simple formula for cicular motion. F = (m X v2) / r F = force (Newton) m = mass of bung (kg) v = speed of bung (m/s) r = radius of circle (m) You must make sure you use the correct units (m not cm, kg not g) to get the formula to work correctly. The Force is constant: 90 gram = 0. 9 Newton approximately. The mass of the bung is also constant. You can work out the speed using the formula: speed = distance / time distance = circumference of circle X 10 time = time for 10 complete revolutions. Analysis: Circumference of circle = 2 X pi X r If you rearrange the circular motion formula you get: v2 = (F/m) X r F/m is a constant. Conclusions : So a graph of V2 (on the y axis) plotted against r (x axis) should give you a straight line. The gradient is equal to (F/m). it is a straight line which means the graph and the results are correct and they are ok and you will be able to use these for a future reference when explaining the stuff in the anlysis. Another method Ive seen used is to have the string pass through a tube. On the bottom end of the string you attach a weight. You twirl the bung around above your head whilst holding the tube until the forces are balanced. If you spin it too slowly the weight drops down, if you go too fast it rises up. You need to adjust the speed of spinning until the weight balances at the correct point.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Case Study: Harold Shipman

Case Study: Harold Shipman Shipman began practicing as a doctor in 1974, at the Abraham Ormerod Medical Practice in Todmorden. He was there until 1975 when his partners discovered that he had been obtaining drugs dishonestly for his own use. In 1976 he pleaded guilty to three offences of obtaining pethidine by deception, three offences of unlawful possession of pethidine and two further offences of forging a prescription he was sentenced in Halifax Magistrates court to pay a fine and compensation. In August 1992,he began working as a solo practitioner at a surgery in Hyde he continued to work as a single-handed practitioner until his arrest in September 1998. In July 1998 the Greater Manchester Police began an inquiry into Kathleen Grundys death, a patient of Dr Shipman, the inquiry was rapidly widened to include the deaths of Shipmans other patients. On Monday, 31st January 2000 the jury at Preston Crown Court convicted Harold Shipman of 15 murders and of forging a will. Case Study Mrs Kathleen Grundy was a widow and lived by herself she was in remarkably good health for her age. She undertook work for many Charitable organisations and had a healthy social life. She spent the evening before her death with a friend and was in normal health when she went home. Mrs Grundy died on 24th June 1998 at the age of 81. Shipman forged a certificate and passed of her death being due to old age. Later scientific analysis of her body tissues in August 1998 showed that she had died of morphine poisoning. In the few days before her death, Shipman had persuaded Mrs Grundy to take part in a research project into the ageing process, allegedly to be conducted by Manchester University. It emerged later that this was a hoax so he could obtain a sample of her signature, which he used in an attempt to forge a will. This also created an excuse to visit her at home. She visited him on 23rd June, to have her ears syringed and told her that he needed a blood sample for the research project which must be taken early in the morning. He arranged to visit her at about 8.30am the next morning. The following day she was due to attend Werneth House but she did not arrive. Friends and colleagues there became concerned as this was out of character for Mrs Grundy and two of them, Mr John Green and Mr Ronald Pickford, went to her house at about midday. They found her lying on the sofa fully dressed. Her body was cold and it was established she was dead. The door to the house was unlocked. They summoned Shipman to the house. Following a perfunctory examination of the body, he said ‘cardiac arrest’, following the test he had a brief discussion with someone in the coroner’s office and it was agreed that a certificate which stated the cause of death to be ‘old age’ would be acceptable. There was no record kept of the conversation with the coroner’s office. When Shipman had left the house Mr Green informed the police, as he was unable to contact Mrs Grundy’s daughter Mrs Angela Woodruff. The officers concerned spoke to Shipman later and he informed them he had called on Mrs Grundy earlier that day because she had been unwell. He did not mention the fact that he had called to take a blood sample. Shipman also told them he had spoken with the coroner’s office and was going to issue a certificate stating that Mrs Grundy had died of natural causes. The police officers took a quick look at the body and on seeing nothing suspicious took no further action. The day after the death Shipman spoke to Mrs Woodruff. He told her that he had seen Mrs Grundy on the day before her death just for ‘a routine thing’. He was vague and mentioned she had chest pains possibly due to indigestion. Shipman said that he had arranged to collect a blood sample the next morning, when he arrived she was not yet dressed. He then said that some old people complain of feeling unwell a few days before they die and then just die. He inferred that this had happened to Mrs Grundy. He handed Mrs Woodruff the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) and said that he had certified the death as being due to old age. Mrs Woodruff’s suspicions were not aroused until she was contacted by the Hamilton Ward legal firm handling her mother’s will. Her own law practice in Warwickhad usually dealt with her mother’s legal affairs. The original will had been lodged with the firm in 1986. Hamilton Ward received a new will the same day that Mrs Grundy died. The new will was badly typed. Mrs Woodruff told the Shipman trial in October: â€Å"My mother was a meticulously tidy person. The thought of her signing a document which is so badly typed didn’t make any sense. The signature looked strange, it looked too big. The concept of mum signing a document leaving everything to her doctor was unbelievable.†[1] The police arranged for the exhumation of Mrs Grundys body. The exhumation was vital because forensic evidence was needed to verify the case of death. Dr Rutherford an expert witness pathologist was instructed to conduct the post-mortem examination. The post-mortem was crucial as it would establish time and cause of death, one would also know if Shipmans version of events are true. The results of the post-mortem examination found no natural explanation for Mrs Grundy’s death therefore not supporting Shipmans account. Also questions that were left unanswered for example why had this happened to someone who had been in good health, had been answered. Scientific analysis of the body tissues revealed levels of morphine consistent with the administration of a fatal dose. Dr John Grenville also provided a report and said that there were a number of false entries in the medical records which had been created after the death to give credibility to Shipman’s stories. Firstly that Mrs Grundy was under the weather when he saw her on 23rd June and secondly that Mrs Grundy had been abusing drugs and might have administered the morphine herself. This evidence was very valuable as it proved medical records had been doctored in order to cover Shipmans back. Forensic evidence proved that Shipman forged Mrs Grundys will this was one of the main reasons as to why suspicions were aroused in the first place. Shipman wanted to obtain the whole of Mrs Grundy’s estate, leaving nothing to her daughter and grandchildren. He drafted the will using his own old-fashioned Brother portable typewriter. When the police came to Shipman’s premises and took possession of the typewriter the will was immediately linked to him. This was important as tests would be able to show that if the will had been produced from Shipmans type writer the paper could be matched as well as the ink and tracks that had been used, this evidence would be enough to prove that it had come from that specific printer. Although this evidence was valuable shipman could still argue that someone else had used his type writer. Overall the final product looked painstakingly unprofessional and suspicion would be aroused immediately. Expert hand writing evidence proved them to be forgeries. Shipman forged Mrs Grundy’s signature and dated the will 9th June 1998. On that day he staged a ‘signing and witnessing’ event in his consulting room and must have prepared a document for Mrs Grundy to sign which purported to provide for her consent to take part in some medical research supposedly to be conducted by Manchester University. This document required that Mrs Grundy’s signature should be witnessed by two others, who also had to sign and provide their names, addresses and occupations. While Mrs Grundy was at Shipman’s surgery on 9th June, Shipman appears to have obtained her signature on this document and then called two patients from his waiting room into the consulting room where they completed and signed the witnesses’ part of the document. Shipman must have used this document to copy the three signatures as well as he could. The document would have been valuable to shipman as he had no other means of looking at Mrs Grundys signature. Forensic evidence showed the Shipman had forged the signature as it did not match the style of Mrs Grundys writing and it was blatantly obvious that it was a copy due the fact that Shipman had to break off as he kept looking at the original signature to copy it, it was also noted that the signature Shipman forged was allot bigger than how Mrs Grundy would normally sign. There were clear conclusions drawn from the Forensic evidence as the post-mortem that Mrs Grundys death was a clear case of morphine poisoning. Even without this evidence there were a number of questions that did not add up for instance this was a sudden death of an elderly person in good health. There was no explanation for her death. Mrs Grundys door was unlocked this was also unusual for her as her neighbours mentioned the fact that she was a security conscious person, Shipman implied that Mrs Grundy left the door unlocked after letting him out this vital piece of evidence was a major blow to shipmans case as he had been unable to leave the security system in the condition relatives and friends would have expected it to be. Even though Shipman had altered Mrs Grundys medical records to show she was unwell just before her death and that he suspected she had been abusing drugs her medical records still showed she had been in good health and had no potentially fatal conditions that would harm her. Also the cause of death being ‘old age’, left unanswered question and was quite an inappropriate case of death for a person who had been in such good health. On the 31st January 2000, after six days of deliberation the jury found Shipman guilty of killing 15 patients by lethal injections of diamorphine, and forging the will of Kathleen Grundy. He was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences and it was recommended that he never be released. Shipman also received four years imprisonment for forging the will. Two years after his conviction, Home Secretary David Blunkett confirmed the judge’s recommendation that Shipman never be released. Shipman was officially struck off by the General Medical council in Februaury 2002 he consistently denied his guilt, disputing the scientific evidence against him. He never made any statements about his actions. His defence tried, but failed, to have the count of murder of Mrs Grundy, where a clear motive was alleged. Shipman subsequently committed suicide at Wakefield Prison by hanging himself from the window bars of his cell using bed sheets. He was found in his cell at 6:20 am on 13 January 2004, on the eve of his 58th birthday, and was officially pronounced dead at 8:10 am. Bibliography Crime scene to court second edition, Edited by .P.C.White http://www.the-shipman-inquiry.org.uk http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/gx/shipman.htm http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-180566187.htm [1] Mrs Woodruffs evidence in court Royal Ahold: An analysis Royal Ahold: An analysis ROYAL AHOLD: 1. Introduction Headquartered in the Netherlands, Royal Ahold is one of the worlds largest international retail grocery and food service companies. At its peak in 2001, Aholds reported sales and profits were â‚ ¬66.6 billion and â‚ ¬1.1 billion and it operated 5,155 stores in 27 countries with nearly a quarter of a million employees. Ahold was started as a family firm in 1887 by the Heijn family. It was a family-controlled business, operating primarily in the Netherlands for over 100 years. The company went public in 1948. In 1989, Ahold underwent a major transition from a family-controlled to a management controlled firm. This transition resulted in a phenomenal period of success for the firm. It generated over a 1,000% return for its shareholders and had a market capitalization of â‚ ¬30.6 billion by November 2001. In February 2003, Ahold witnessed a reversal of fortunes and suffered a complete meltdown. The firm was in a complete disastrous state with nothing going in their favour: a failed strategy, an accounting scandal, the firing of professional management, and litigation filings from all parts of the world. Shareholders lost most of their returns generated since 1989. Ahold scandal gave Europe a reason to believe that corporate governance and accounting problems were not restricted U.S. only. Ahold became â€Å"Europes Enron† (The Economist, March 1, 2003). It caused Dutch and European policymakers to rethink their approach to corporate governance and accounting policy. The Royal Ahold scandal, along with the accounting fraud at the giant Italian firm Parmalat, caused the European Union (EU) to impose more extensive and rigorous regulation on the financial reporting system and independent audit function within its member nations. The Royal Ahold debacle also reignited the debate re garding the need for more uniform accounting and auditing standards around the globe. In the Netherlands, a committee on corporate governance was installed on March 10, 2003 (Tabaksblat Committee, 2003) to restore the lost confidence in public companies. This report aims at studying the inter-relationships between the lack of corporate governance and of accounting transparency which led to the downfall of Ahold. The subsequent policies and strategies of the firm which aimed at reviving the firm are also aptly covered in the report. 2. The Growth Story: Expanding Boundaries Over the years, Ahold evolved from a single grocery store in 1887 to a food company with a dominant position in the Netherlands. By the mid-1970s, Royal Aholds management realized that for the company to continue to grow it could not limit its operations to The Netherlands. Since the Netherland market was already dominated by Royal Ahold, the companys top executives, who had long been known for their conservative operating and financial policies, announced their plan to expand its operations into other countries. Royal Aholds expansion efforts got off to a slow start but then accelerated rapidly in the 1990s after the company hired a new management team. Until the late 1980s, members of the Heijn family had occupied the key management positions within the firm. In 1987, two grandsons of Albert Heijn, served as Royal Aholds two top executives. Later in 1987 when the brothers retired, a professional management team was hired to replace the Heijn brothers. The team recognized that the quickest way for Royal Ahold to gain significant market share in the grocery retailing industry outside of The Netherlands was to purchase existing grocery chains in foreign countries. To finance their growth-by-acquisition policy, Royal Aholds new executives raised large amounts of debt and equity capital during the 1990s. By 2000, Royal Ahold had purchased retail grocery chains in Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Portugal, Scandinavia, South America, and the United States. This aggressive expansion campaign m ade Royal Ahold the third largest grocery retailer worldwide by the turn of the century. At the time, only U.S.-based Wal-Mart and the French firm Carrefour SA had larger annual retail grocery sales than Royal Ahold. Royal Ahold completed its most ambitious acquisition in 2000 when it purchased U.S. Foodservice, a large food wholesaler headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Although Royal Ahold had previously purchased several retail grocery chains along the eastern seaboard of the United States, including New England-based Stop Shop, U.S. Foodservice was easily the largest U.S. company it had acquired. The U.S. Foodservice acquisition was also important because it signalled the companys commitment to becoming a significant participant in the food wholesaling industry. In 2003, after purchasing two smaller U.S.-based food distributors, Royal Ahold ranked as the second largest food wholesaler in the United States—Houston-based Sysco Corporation was the largest. In fact, the three U.S. acquisitions caused food wholesaling to be the companys largest source of revenue, accounting for slightly more than one-half of its annual sales. The companys more than 4,000 retail grocery stores located in 27countries accounted for the remainder of its annual sales. 3. Problems Due to Expansion The aggressive growth strategy adopted by the new professional management gave rise to a number of unexpected and unanticipated problems. Among these the major problems were caused primarily due to the expansion in the global regions. The differences in the cultural norms hampered the ability of the management to manage its worldwide retail grocery operations. As the firm ventured into new markets, especially the markets outside of Western Europe and the United States, it faced new challenges in the face of wide range of laws, regulations and cultural differences. The management team also faced difficulty in dealing with human resource policies regarding hiring, appraisal, and other employee benefits. The policies which were successful in The Netherlands failed to live up to the expectations of the new managers and employees in the countries of Asia, Latin America and South America. Furthermore the cultural norms of grocery shopping among the consumers in global markets also exacerbated the misery of the firm. Some consumers out rightly rejected the â€Å"Dutch: idea and way of organizing the grocery store. The consumers also did not appreciate the idea of â€Å"foreign invader† replacing the local grocery stores which existed there for years. 4. Response towards the Problems and Further Issues Since the problems were primarily the result of cultural and social issues, the management at Ahold decided upon the strategy of using the management personal of the local grocery chains and retaining them when those chains were acquired by Ahold. The new mangers were empowered with the authority to make major decisions. The Royal Ahold ambitious plan to become a major player in the wholesaling segment of the huge food industry in the US gave rise to new problems. Most of the company officials were unfamiliar with that segment. Therefore they adopted the â€Å"hands-off† mindset to the acquisition and depended primarily on the executives of U.S. Foodservice who were retained following the buyout to oversee the subsidiarys day-to-day operations. But the firm adopted a policy of following the same rigorous performance standards that were imposed on the companys domestic operations. The companys established goal of 15% annual growth rate in profits was used to decide upon the annual sales targets for each of the companys operating unit in Netherland and also at global locations. The units were pressurised to achieve their target and there were significant rewards on meeting the specified targets. But due to increased competition and the relatively lower profit margins within the food industry prevented many of those units from achieving the annual earnings goals that had been assigned to them.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­5. Accounting Issues During the fiscal 2002 audit of Royal Ahold, Deloitte Accountants uncovered evidence suggesting that the companys consolidated revenues had been inflated and overstated. When Royal Ahold invested in a foreign company, it often acquired exactly a 50 percent ownership interest in the given company. Nevertheless, Royal Ahold would fully consolidate the companys financial data in its annual financial statements.Dutch accounting rules at the time permitted a parent company to fully consolidate the financial data of a joint venture company if the parent could control that firms operations. Such control could be evidenced by a more than 50 percent ownership interest in the joint venture company or by other means. Royal Ahold persuaded their Deloitte auditors by providing them with â€Å"control letters† officially signed by the officials of joint venture companies. This was accomplished by taking the officials to their side by bribing them. Further in order to placate the companys executives, the Royal Aholds management team signed â€Å"side letters† addressed to the companys executives of the JV. These letters affirmed that the decision making was mutual rather than by Ahold exclusively. Thus for Dutch accounting purposes, the joint ventures operating results should have been â€Å"proportionately consolidated† in Aholds annual financial statements. Apart from such improper accounting, Royal Ahold was also accused of not sharing the full information among the stakeholders. It did not reveal its obligations to purchase the ownership interests of certain investors in those companies. This was because of the default on the part of the joint venture companies to pay off their outstanding debt. Fraudulent Accounting at U.S. Foodservice Deloitte Accountants U.S. affiliate, Deloitte Touche, audited the financial statements of U.S. Foodservice after that company was acquired by Royal Ahold in 2000. Before the acquisition, KPMG was its auditor. Deloitte uncovered anomaly in the account books which distorted the consolidated net income of Ahold group. Subsequent investigation revealed that US food Service had misrepresented their financial statements for several years before the acquisition. The misrepresentation was because of improper accounting of the â€Å"promotional allowances.† Since the food wholesaling industry is intensely competitive, so the profit margins on their sales are relatively small. This led to the concept of â€Å"promotional allowances† (refund on purchases) being paid to food wholesalers by their suppliers or vendors. Another common practice or rather malpractice was â€Å"front-loading† promotional allowances. This means accounting for all the allowances prior to its actual period. The absence of proper internal controls over promotional allowances provided an opportunity for dishonest employees to overstate those allowances for accounting purposes. 6. The Aftermath In 2003 when the company issued the restated financial statements for the preceding there years, the fraud was uncovered. The net income figures for the years 2000, 2001 and 2003 had been overstated by 17.6%, 32.6% and 88.1% respectively. The corresponding figures for the reported revenues were 20.8%, 18.6% and 13.8%. Soon after the disclosures were made the regulatory agencies, law authorities, investment companies and other stakeholders began seeking more information regarding the fraud. Following the public disclosure both Dutch and U.S. law enforcement authorities filed criminal charges against the company and several of its former executives. Upon investigation, the responsibilities for the fraud lay on the top executives of the firm. The so called â€Å"professional management† which replaced the Heijn-family management in the 1990s were the forces responsible for the crisis. They over estimated their growing potential and set unrealistic targets at the company level. These targets where passed on to the individual units which were pressurised to achieve these unrealistic targets by hook or by crook. This was further enhanced by a significant level of rewards attached to the meeting of targets. Role of the Auditor Though it was because of the Aholds auditor Deloitte that the crisis was finally ended, but it cane under severe criticism for letting this fraud flourish to the extent it had reached. There were many lawsuits filed against Deloitte for the shear reason of negligence on their part which required them to prove their integrity. The loosely organized operating units under Ahold group made the auditing task a tough one. Regulatory Bodies The following controversy also revolved around the inefficiency and loopholes of the present in the regulatory system. The Ahold case re-affirmed the need for cooperation among the different regulatory bodies across countries. This was evident in the wake of rapid globalization which had taken place in the 1990s. Also the need for a common framework of regulations was further enhanced to maintain the comparability aspect of the account books across globe. 7. The Verdict The fraud charges against the Royal Ahold corporate house were finally settled in September 2004. The verdict required the firm to pay a fine of 8 million Euros. Further after investigation the Royal Aholds former executives (CFO and CEO) were found guilty and were penalized as well as were sentenced to four to nine months of imprisonment 8. The Road to Recovery program Press release is issued by Royal Ahold N.V â€Å"Our highest priority now is to rebuild the value of our company. We will do everything in our power to create a company of which you can once again be proud. Reinforcing accountability, controls and corporate governance Ahold is replacing a decentralized system of internal controls that had many weaknesses with a one-company system with central reporting lines. Internal audit will not only report to the CEO, but also to the Audit Committee of the Supervisory Board. In addition, Ahold has nominated Peter Wakkie to the position of Chief Corporate Governance Counsel on the Executive Board, to serve as the driving force behind improved internal governance policies and practices, for legal compliance as well as conformance to ethical and social standards. †

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Philosophy of Education Essay -- Education Teacher

My beliefs and values about early childhood education is based upon understanding that all children are unique individuals who need a caring, nurturing, and secure environment in which to grow and develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Children under the age of three are in critical stages of development, it is my belief that a quality child care environment will have a positive impact on a child’s development and make a significant difference in the life of a child and his or her family. My philosophy of early childhood education and the elements I believe are necessary in developing a developmentally appropriate child care environment is rooted in my views and beliefs about experimentalism, progressivism, multiculturalism, and the influence of philosophers such as Dewey, Piaget, Montessori, and Vygotsky. Furthermore, I believe young children will thrive and grow in developmentally appropriate child care programs that possess the following elements: (1 ) teachers who see themselves as intentional, responsive and respectful facilitators of learning, (2) the ability to build a community of learners, (3) implement an effective curriculum that allow children to explore their natural curiosity about the world. Although there are many educational philosophies, the two that most inspire my belief about early childhood education are experimentalism and progressivism. John Dewey’s experimentalism â€Å"saw thinking and doing as a unified flow of ongoing experience† (Gutek, 2009, p. 81). I view the world as an ever-changing place; therefore, I believe in teaching children to solve problems by examining and making discovers based on real life experiences. In combination with my experimentalist view, I value aspects of p... ...hildhood teachers, I will continue to encourage them to grow as professionals to ensure they are providing a caring, nurturing, and secure environment that promotes growth and development in young children. My philosophy of early childhood education is reminds me of why I do the work that I do. I remember that children are active, curious individuals that will grow up to be active, curious, and hopefully productive members of society. It all begins at birth. Works Cited Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood programs. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Gutek, G.L. (2009). New perspectives on philosophy and education. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson. Mooney, C.G. (2000). An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erickson, Piaget & Vygotsky. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Clothing Or Concept :: essays research papers

IZOD: Clothing or Concept Every day, billions are spent on advertising with the intention of selling some product of one kind or another. Every day, even more people come in contact with these ads and are affected by them. As the number of ads continues to rise, the percentage of those that are misleading and manipulative also increases. As a result, we have become more skeptical about what we see and hear, and we have begun to acquire distaste for the marketing world. The IZOD â€Å"Extreme Leisure† clothing ad is a perfect example of why this distaste for today’s marketing industry is ascending at such a dramatic rate. The image that IZOD portrays is one of popularity, fun, sex appeal, and excitement (â€Å"Extreme Leisure†), and is presented in such a way as to mislead the reader into believing that he will attain this image by wearing IZOD clothing. This misrepresentation occurs in many ways within the ad. The ad’s picture shows a group of male and female friends all sitting around socializing, drinking beer, laughing and smiling, all with a whole-hearted carefree attitude, all while wearing IZOD clothing. In fact, they aren’t just socializing, but are also playing strip poker. This is where the sex appeal comes in; â€Å"Hey, wear IZOD clothing and you’ll be in this situation too—half naked women, beer, and more fun than you can handle.† Yeah right. Reality check! Although consciously we know this to be untrue, this concept is what the ad inscribes into the reader’s brain, and is what the reader walks away with - a pretty sleazy deceit. IZOD’s ad also promotes not only immoral acts, but a theme that is damaging to society. Firstly, it promotes immoral acts by making a connection between fun and happiness to nudity and sex appeal. By showing only partly dressed men and women in a festive environment, the ad sends the message that this is the â€Å"cool† thing to do. If you want to be in with the â€Å"in† people, this is the way to go. Have fun! This way of thinking is the wrong message to send and is a negative side effect of this ad. Second, is the alcohol issue: IZOD’s ad backs one of the most hazardous ideas of our time--that beer means fun. IZOD not only illustrates this with beer drinking taking place, but also comes out and says it in plain English.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

How to Support Individuals With Specific Communication Needs

Support individuals with specific communication needs Unit 4222-324 (HSC 3029) 1 – Understand specific communication needs and factors affecting them 1. Explain the importance of meeting an individual’s communication needs Individuals who have communication problems need support to enable them to express themselves effectively. It is therefore important for the carer to be aware of the individuals preferred method of communication and also to support the individual to use their preferred method. Individuals have the right to communicate through their chosen method and their choice should be acknowledged and respected by supporting them. The individual’s right are particularly important when using specific communication methods and language because it’s their major way of communicating their needs and preferences. Communication is a basic human right. Without communication the individual is unable to realise or exercise their rights. Under the Human Rights Act 1998 all individuals have the right to ‘freedom of expression’. If unable to communicate they would be denied these rights. 2. Explain how own role and practice can impact on communication with an individual who has specific communication need As a carer it is your role and responsibility to support individuals to express themselves. The way in which you can do this is by assessing their needs, access information regarding their communication needs, providing the appropriate support, aids or equipment, encouraging and motivating communication, working with others and by monitoring the effectiveness of that support. Without the appropriate support the individual would be unable to express their needs or how they are feeling which can lead to both emotional and physical difficulties. By fully supporting individuals with specific communication needs you are able to support their rights. 3. Analyse features of the environment that may help or hinder communication It is difficult and frustrating to communicate effectively when there is background noise, therefore arranging the environment to aid communication is very important step to achieving effective communication with ndividuals. As a carer you should arrange the individual’s environment to facilitate effective communication and promote understanding. This can be done by ensuring privacy and going into a quiet room Some factors that can hinder good communication are:Poor lighting, individuals with poor sight are unable to see youBackground noise from the TV, radio, other individualsObstacles between you as a care worker and the individual eg furnitureInsufficient distance between you and the individual, leading to you encroaching on their personal space.4. Analyse reasons why an individual may use a form of communication that is not based on a formal language system Sensory disabilities Hearing loss Sight loss Learning disabilities Down’s syndrome Autism Physical disabilities Cerebral palsy Mental health problems Dementia Other mental health problems 5. Identify a range of communication methods and aids to support individuals to communicateBritish sign language (BSL)Picture exchange communication systems (PECS)Talking microwavesHearing aidsInterpreterTranslatorAdvocate1. Describe the potential effects on an individual of having unmet communication needs. Behaviour – If an individual is not supported to communicate effectively they can become increasingly withdrawn, depressed and isolated. This may affect their self-esteem and they may begin to develop feelings of frustration and uselessness. Their behaviour may change as they vent their frustrations with acts of anger or even violence. Others may become confused, angry and frustrated. These effects include:Physical and emotional problemsDepression Isolation, becoming withdrawn from othersFrustrationLow self esteemLoss of confidenceA feeling of uselessness2 – Be able to contribute to establishing the nature of specific communication needs of individuals and ways to address them 2.1 Work in partnership with the individual and others to identify the individual’s specific communication needsTalking to the individual or observing the individual interacting with others.Accessing previous records after permission has been sought from the appropriate person.Talking to colleagues who know the individual. Talking to family membersTalking to other professionals2.2 Contribute to identifying the communication methods or aids that will best suit the individual By observing the individual when they are communicating with you or others you will be able to identify the methods or aids which will best suit the individual. You may have noticed that the individual appears hard of hearing. You would then arrange a hearing test for the individual to establish if they have a problem and obtain equipment in the form of hearing aids, if needed. 2. Explain how and when to access information and support about identifying and addressing specific communication needs. During an initial assessment an individual’s ability and communication methods are established. This is done when an individual arrives into care. Everyone involved in the care of this service user is made aware of their needs and preferences regarding communication and any changes are recognised during reviews and shared with the team to ensure the individual’s needs are met. 3 – Be able to interact with individuals using their preferred communication 3. prepare the environment to facilitate communication 3.2 Use agreed methods of communication to interact with the individual 3.3 Monitor the individual’s responses during and after the interaction to check the effectiveness of communication By observing an individual’s communication cues (non-verbal signal used with or without speech to indicate the individual’s thoughts and feelings) and exercising effective listening, you will be able to determine if the individual has understood the communication. By asking closed questions you will be able to confirm that they have understood what has been said. Also by asking them to repeat what you have discussed you will be able to confirm their understanding. 3.4 Adapt own practice to improve communication with the individual. use closed questions to obtain yes or no answersuse open questions to encourage a more in-depth answeravoid asking too many things at once to prevent confusionallow the individual time to respondnot interrupt the individual whilst they are communicating or anticipate their responseshow the individual that you are interested in them.Use appropriate body language such as nodding, smiling and leaning towards the individual.Avoid using jargonBe aware of the different meanings of words e. g. Jam, could mean a preserve or could mean a blockage as in traffic jam.Keep communication simple4 – Be able to promote communication between individuals and others 4.1 Support the individual to develop communication methods that will help them to understand others and be understood by them As a carer you should encourage and motivate individuals to communicate by providing the correct support, aids and equipment. It is your responsibility to ensure that the individuals you provide care for and others involved in the individuals’ lives are able to communicate effectively. For communication to be effective everyone involved will need to have the same understanding of the communication method used. When supporting individuals with their communication you may need to support others with whom that individual wishes to communicate. This could include other carers, family, friends, peers or professionals. 4.2 Provide opportunities for the individual to communicate with others 4.3 Support others to understand and interpret the individual’s communication 4.4 Support others to be understood by the individual by use of agreed communication methods. For communication to be effective all the people involved will need to have the same understanding of the communication method used. When supporting individuals with their communication you may need to support others with whom that individual wishes to communicate. Support may involve the use of human aids, symbolic aids and technical aids. You will need to explain the appropriate communication method and also show the others how the communication aids work. Wherever possible the support given should encourage the individual to do as much of the communicating as independently as possible. 5 – Know how to support the use of communication technology and aids 5.1 Identify specialist services relating to communication technology and aids Aids and equipment are often provided through the social services department of your local council. The National Health Service (NHS) Hospital Eye Service can also prescribe a range of aids for people with partial sight. All blind and visually impaired people are entitled to a health and social care assessment from their local council. This means someone from social services  will assess their needs to make sure you get the equipment and services that are right for them. The local social services department can put them in touch with a rehabilitation worker, who can help individuals to communicate more easily 5. Describe types of support that an individual may need in order to use communication technology and aids Support may be provided in various forms. Some users will require regular support and advice with regard to use of the communication aid. Support can also come from within the user’s own family. It is important to identify the level of support each individual user has within their own environment. Family members can be of great help in supporting the user especially in the initial stages of using the communication aid. In order to ensure that the user obtains the maximum benefit from the new technology, training must be provided. The most important training needs for the user is competence in the use of the communication aid. This should consist of instruction in the operation of the particular communication equipment as well as maintenance and charging of the equipment if necessary. It may be important to provide training to all the carers, or it may be appropriate to select a few to be trained to deal with different aspects of the communication aid and its use in the environment. Explain the importance of ensuring that communication equipment is correctly set up and working properly. As a carer it is important that you ensure any equipment the individual use’s to communicate with, is available, working and is in a safe condition. With regards health and safety, electrical communication equipment should be checked by a qualified and approved electrician to ensure it is fit for use. The equipment should have a label attached to it stating when the equipment was tested, who by and when the next check is due. 6 – Be able to review an individual’s communication needs and the support provided to address them 6.1 Collate information about an individual’s communication and the support provided The initial assessment will be carried out as stated earlier collating all risks and preferences from the individual. This information together with the communication method the individual prefers and any aids which they use to support their communication will then be written into the individuals care plan so that any changes to the base line can be monitored. This record should include the nature of their communication differences, how they show themselves and ways which you have found are effective in overcoming the differences. 6.2 Contribute to evaluating the effectiveness of agreed methods of communication and support provided The agreed methods of communication and support are only effective for as long as the individuals communication skills remain the same. If their skills change then so do their support needs. As a carer you will be expected to recognise and report on changes to the individual’s communication skills. 6. Work with others to identify ways to support the continued development of communication. It is important that everyone involved in the care of the individual works as part of a team to establish the best support for that person. When changes occur it is important that the correct help and support is obtained immediately so that the individual does not feel frustrated or isolated by being unable to communicate effectively. Significant changes in an individual’s ability to communicate should be referred to the speech therapist or GP involved in the individual’s care for professional investigation and monitoring.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Environmental program Essay

Superfund is an environmental program formed to address abandoned hazardous waste sites. It is also established by the amended Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980. The law was enacted in the height of the discovery of dumps of toxic wastes in the 1970. The law permits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up such hazardous locations and to require responsible companies/persons to do clean up or compensate the government for EPA-initiated cleanups. The Superfund cleanup procedure is intricate. It starts on the assessment of the sites and placing them on the National Priorities List, then conduct cleanups on them. Located at 4109 West Linebaugh Avenue in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, the Southern Solvents, Inc. served as a delivery and trade point for tetrachloroethylene. The chemical, which is also known as perchloroethylene or PCE was stored in four aboveground storage tanks in the facility from 1977 to 1985. The facility distributed the chemicals for dry cleaners located within the area. From 1985 to 1989 the facility was leased to P. J. ’s Spa and recently leased to a commercial painting company. The whole property of Southern Solvents, Inc. is about 100 feet wide and 185 feet deep. When the company is still in operations, the aboveground tanks were individually filled from tanker tanks that brought the chemicals to the facility. One former tank had a capacity of 3,000 gallons while the size of the other three is still unknown. It is believed that leaks and spills of tetrachloroethylene happened while the tanks are being filled and emptied. The tetrachloroethylene that spilled and leaked was not contained and eventually goes down into the nearby sandy soil. In 1988, when the facility’s drinking water well and several private drinking wells nearby, it was positive contamination of tetrachloroethylene and related compounds of trichloroethylene and 1,2-dichloroethan. The Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services advise instantaneously the residents within the area to stop using water from these wells and supplied bottled water to owners and tenants in the area. The Florida Cites Water Department and the Northwest Hillsborough County Utilities have four wells that draw water from an aquifer within 4 miles of Southern Solvents facility. They provide water supply to more than 46,000 people in St. Petersburg, Hillsborough County, and nearby communities. As early as 1994, EPA conducted preliminary assessment of the site and its threat to the community. On July 27, 2000, Southern Solvents site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). Various studies then undergoes since the signing of the Superfund Contract that commits the State for 10 percent of the cost for the clean up. Until now, there are only initial steps of chemical oxidation studies and soil vapor extractions are done into the site. Reference: Environmental Protection Agency, Florida. (2009, March 20). Southern Solvents. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. dep. state. fl. us/waste/quick_topics/publications/ wc/sites/summary/141. pdf Environmental Protection Agency, United States. (2009, January 30). Superfund. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. epa. gov/superfund/about. htm

Sunday, September 15, 2019

William Butler Yeats

To Yeats, his ideas of the Irish politics of his time were never far from his modernist poems. He makes the political world seem a place of passion and contradictions, like art, requiring of us not to understand history in moral terms, such as â€Å"good and bad† but, rather, in seemingly emotionally artistic terms, like â€Å"pity† or â€Å"terror. † For example, in the poem, â€Å"Easter 1916,† Yeats fixes on the horror and captivation of the considerably devastating event of the Irish uprising. In the first stanza, the line â€Å"Being certain that they and I/ But lived were motley is worn,† signifies and emphasizes Yeats strong idea of â€Å"Irish-ness†. It is as if these men and women that he speaks of, such as Pearse and MacBride, share essentially nothing with him, nothing with each other really, except for their Irishness – the â€Å"motley† that they wore and their passion for Irish Independence – their â€Å"hearts with one purpose alone†. He recognizes and glorifies their â€Å"number in the song,† their part in the war and this brings in a technique in which Yeats quite often used which was that of encompassing classical allusions within his poetry. For example, the line, â€Å"This man had kept a school/and rode our winged horse† invites the image of Pearse, the man, riding Pegasus, a mythical beast or, it transforms Pearse into an ancient Irish hero, Cuchulain. By using classical allusion, Yeats is effectively ascending his characters into an almost intangible and iconic state. They are more than human and thus glorified, which is then ultimately sculpting Irish politics into an almost mythical state. In addition, the paradoxical line, â€Å"a terrible beauty is born,† returns in the poem like an impersonal chorus, suggesting an almost strangely impersonal event. The line, â€Å"All changed, changed utterly/ a terrible beauty is born† is a lyrically artistic buildup of stress that becomes almost chime- like in the poem, calling and announcing the coming of the birth of a new and terrible age.

Music History Medieval -> Baroque Notes

Music History 1st year midterm notes Chapter V: The Middle Ages and the Evolution of Polyphony Early Middle Ages (5th-10th century) High Middle Ages (1 lath-13th century) Late Middle Ages (14th-1 5th century) Composers: Hildebrand of Binge (1098-1179) Songs composed Plainchant Sequence: Combat Aspect About: -German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian, and visionary -had visions and later recognized as a gift from god. -was sent to the church in god's service, due to her visions or political position. -elected magistrate in her community in 1136 -wrote 69 musical compositions music composed is very monophonic.Banter De Vendor (1130? – 1200?) Court Music: La Dough Vote -a troubadour and secular composer -his composition/writing style helped establish the classical form of courtly love poetry -is French -approximately 45 of his composition and works survived. Pertain/Pertain the Great (End of 12th Century – Beginning of 13th Century) Organza Music: Alleluia: Diffuse e st. gratin -European Composer (believed to be French) -pioneered the style of organza triplet/quadrupled (3/4 part harmonies) -his works are preserved in the â€Å"Magnums Libber† Gallinule De Mach Nova)Songs Composed Polyphonic Progression: Dame, De quiz touted ma Joke event Quant en mom -Medieval French poet and composer -part of the musical movement known as Ears Nova -helped developed the motet and secular song forms -survived the black death/plague -composed 400 poems, 235 ballades, 76 rounded, 39 varietals, 24 alas, 10 complaint's and 7 chansons royals. -majority of his poems reflect on the conventions of courtly love. Chapter VI: The Renaissance Began in Italy after late middle ages and spread to the rest of Europe Cultural movement that spanned from 14th-17th centuryThe printing press was developed which helped spread this movement. Gallinule Duffy (1397-1474) New Attitudes: Eve Maria Stella -Netherlands composer of the early renaissance -most famous and influential c omposer in Europe in the 1 5th century -printing press allowed for his works to spread rapidly -wrote 7 complete masses, 28 individual mass movements, 15 chants, 3 magnificent, 15 antiphons, 27 hymns, 22 motets, and 87 chansons.Joaquin des Perez High Renaissance Style: Panged lingua Mass, Keri Panged lingua Mass, from the Gloria Music As Expression : Mille Regrets Netherlands composer of high renaissance -wrote both sacred and secular music -wrote 18 masses, 100 motets, 70 chansons -traveled a lot -a humanist composer, uses word painting Giovanni Pepperoni dad Palestinian (1525-1594) Late Renaissance Style: Pope Marcella Mass -Italian Renaissance Composer -Incidentally enough, was born in a town called Palestinian -under the influence of the European style of polyphony -choir master and composer -wrote 105 masses, 68 offertories, 140 madrigals, 300 motets Thomas weeks (1576-1623) Secular Music Style of Renaissance: As Vests was from Lattes Hill English Composer -Became organist of W inchester College and Chester Cathedral 1 598 -wrote many many madrigals -works consisted heavily on vocal compositions -most anthems written are verse anthems Chapter VI': The Early Baroque Period From 1600-1680 Period of artistic style and development of exaggerations and motions Encouraged by the roman catholic church Giovanni Gabriele (1554-1612) Renaissance to Baroque Progression: O magnum mysteries -Italian composer and organist -Influential musician in the shift of Renaissance to Baroque -born in Venice -became organist of SST. Marks Basilica in 1585Later Medieval Polyphony Anonymous: Round: Summer is legmen In CD 1:5 -repeating motifs everywhere -Early medieval English round or paragons (I. E. Row row Row your boat) Mach: Dame, De quiz touted ma Joke event CD 1:6 Mach: Quant en mom -French -Motet -lots of dissonance -floats melody Chapter VI: The Renaissance Ears Nova: 14th century -age of exploration -age of humanism -focus of human life and accomplishment, of appreciation in the beauty of a life – secular movement develops New Attitudes Duffy: Eve Mans Stella CD -very arrogantly decorated -floats modal melody -in Gregorian style -Latin The High Renaissance Style – blend of homophony, and imitative counterpoint. – has rich harmonic textures – usually in chapel onlyJoaquin: Panged lingua Mass, Keri CD 1:8 -very implicates -repeating motifs in other voice parts -ends palpably Joaquin: Panged lingua Mass, from the Gloria CD 1:9 -repeating motifs in other parts in specific order -pneumatic Music as Expression Joaquin: Mille Regrets CD 1:10 -very intimate and sad -unresolved ending -word painting used heavily -motifs taking turns in other parts Late Renaissance Music Palestinian: Pope Marcella Mass CD 1 -solid chord structures -every part is equally as important The Motet Secular music of the Renaissance Wilkes: As Vests was from Lattes Hill CD 1:12 -English -very secular heavily polyphonic, pneumatic -word painting heavily emph asized -danceable Instrumental Music: Early Developments Anon: Gaillardia Daphne CD 1:13 -triple time -dance rhythms Anon: Kemps Gig CD 1:14 -fast and with dance rhythms -duple time Dance Stabilization Basso Continuo: Chords that are written specifically for an instrument that fills in the harmonic textures. -allows soloists to sing more freely Castrate: Male singers who were menstruated so that they could sing soprano parts. -aristocrats of opera -very very wealthy From Renaissance to Baroque G.Gabriel': O magnum mysteries CD 1:15 -homophobic full, rich chords and structures Style Features of Early Baroque Music Opera – tells a story – all dialogue is sung Monteverdi: Coronation of Poppa CD 1:16-17 -Italian -Homophobic -has aria -dialogue in song -telling a story Purcell: Dido and Names CD 1: 18-19 -very sad -minor key going chromatically down -repeats base motif over and over again but becoming more decorative as the song progresses -Italian on 18 -English on 19 The Rise of Instrumental Music Foreseeable: Suite (Cannons, Ballet, Corrected, and piccalilli) CD 1:20-23 -very dance like -only played by instrument -sounds like an organ

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Nursing and nutrition

IntroductionIn different healthcare institutions the question of feeding patients, particularly those who are seriously sick and expected to die soon, raises questions of moral and ethical nature thus making a decision making process very difficult for the caring staff. Such questions may include:–  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How can decisions of giving or withholding feeding and hydration be made?–  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What values and assumptions underlie these decisions?–  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Which courses of action are in the patient's ‘best interest', and how is this ‘interest' determined?–  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How and when, if ever, should a decision not to feed or hydrate be made?–  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Can so basic a provision as food and water ever be considered as optional care?In most of the healthcare institutions whether they are hospitals or senior homes, the decision making lies within the practice of the nurses who are usually faced with dilemmas. While doctors are more advanced in professional knowledge they rarely find themselves in the difficult situation of making the decision of withholding nutrition or giving it. However, there is sometimes a differentiation between nutrition as part of the care given to the patient and nutrition as a biological life sustaining process:â€Å"In modern practice there is often an underlying tension between two different understandings of ‘nourishing' the patient. First, nourishing as an intrinsic part of giving care, which falls within the realm of nursing. Second, nourishing as a biological and technical process, a life-sustaining treatment under the control of the medical or nutrition team (from which the nurse may be excluded).† (Hunt, 1994)Yet the daily practice and the roles of nurses and doctors indicate that the nurses find themselves in the dilemma of making the decision more than other medical staff. In many cases where the withholding of nutrition is legally right and in the interest of the patient, the nurse still finds herself in the ethical and professional dilemma. She is not given the opportunity to discuss her opinion or given any information. As a result whatever decision she makes may be taken as wrong regardless of the fact that she was partially ignorant.The dilemma is even more difficult when considering nutrition as a basic need or a medical treatment. For a seriously sick person one may accept withholding medication or a technological device that prolongs life unnecessarily, but it is not easy to withhold nutrition which is the basic need for healthy and unhealthy persons.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Dresser asks, ‘Ought we to regard tube and intravenous feeding as forms of medical treatment, or should we classify them with more basic sorts of care?'† (Dresser, 1985)The decision of withholding nutrition or hydration is a difficult ethical questi on that poses emotional stress on the nurses. Withholding medication or technological devices is justifiable and there is enough professional and legal guidance for healthcare staff to follow. Indeed, â€Å"Food and water are so central to an array of human emotions that it is almost impossible to consider them with the same emotional detachment that one might feel toward a respirator or a dialysis machine† (Lynn & Childress, 1983)In this research I am going to study this issue in order to confirm or rule out the possibility of establishing a professional guidance that assists the nurses in decision making. This is expected to relief them from a lot of stress and confusion that are imposed as a result of dealing with the issue on personal terms rather dealing with it objectively according to professional guidance and standards.The proposal for this research will be studied under the following headings:1.    Description of a case study2.    Literature review3.      Pro posal4.      Summary and ConclusionsDescription of a Case StudyA case study either from literature or from the records of healthcare institution is expected to illustrate the extent of the problem and its importance. In addition this will emphasise the roles of nurses, relatives and patients in the decision making process. It would also highlight the difficulties facing nurses at different stages of care giving for seriously sick persons.  At this stage of building the skeleton of this research paper very little can be said about the case study until one has been adopted.Literature ReviewThe literature generally confirms the importance of the problem and has been addressing the issues related to the problem of nutrition for sometime now. While it is suggested in the literature that in some cases of chronically ill persons the provision of nutrition is burdensome rather than beneficial, it is agreed that the interpersonal and inter-professional tensions of nurses are ignored. ( Hunt, 1994) It is also pointed out that the stressful environment in which nurses provide their professional care sometimes result in burnouts.The burnout case â€Å"evolves by a process involving three stages: (a) an imbalance between resources and demands, (b) the immediate short-term emotional response to the imbalance, and (c) changes in attitude and behavior such as negativism and emotional detachment† (Riordan & Saltzer, 1992). However, it is also indicated that there are personal differences here: while one may react to stressors by becoming a burnout another with personal hardiness may find the stressors only minor irritants. Riordan and Saltzer (1992) assert:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Current literature points unanimously to a proactive approach in preventing burnout. This preserves organizational integrity by maintaining human resources and supplying cost-effective care while maintaining quality† (Riordan & Saltzer, 1992).There are a number of suggestions for reducing stress and assisting nurses to cope with the environmental difficulties, though no specific guidelines or procedures are given for dealing with the problem of nutrition and hydration.  It is also indicated in the literature that nutrition and hydration in some terminal cases may only prolong the biological life which is thought to be burdensome for some patients and their families. As Hunt (1994) asserts: â€Å"Feeding may in some circumstances prolong the process of dying and may cause avoidable suffering to the dying patient.†While generally the decision of using nutrition support for the terminally ill people is discussed as a problem facing nurses, some scholars relate the decision to dietitians.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Clinical guidelines for nutrition support indicate that dietitians should be members of institutional ethics committees and should have an integral role in institutional policy development concerning nutrition support at the end of lifeâ€Å" (Langdon et al, 2002)To put it in a nutshell the literature review confirms the dilemma facing healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, and families in dealing with the decision of providing nutrition and hydration or withholding it for chronically ill people whose illness is diagnosed as terminal. It is also confirmed that the decision making involves personal feelings, ethics, and sometimes legal consideration. Yet there are no clear professional guidelines that streamline the decision making in this issue in the professional practice. Rather there are observations of some acceptable practices.Sometimes the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary is used as a means of reaching decision.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"However, there appears to be an increasing opinion that artificial feeding can be viewed as a'heroic' method of treatment and is morally optional (Meyers and Grodin 1991, Hoefler and Kamoie 1994, Singer 1995, Gillick 2000).This optional treatment is referred to as ‘extraordinary' and is more likely t o be invasive, artificial or complex. Nevertheless, the Hastings Centre guidelines, cited in Meyers and Grodin (1991), stated that decisions over whether to provide artificial nutrition and hydration cannot be made solely on the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary methods of treatment. Despite this, Solomon et al (1993) demonstrated that 74 per cent of health professionals continued to use this distinction in termination of treatment decisions. It would also seem that the decision was significantly influenced by whether it was a decision to withdraw treatment or simply not initiate it in the first place. The Hastings Centre guidelines stipulate that this distinction should not be a consideration (Meyers and Grodin 1991)† (Young et al, 2002).The problem of decision making in providing or withholding nutrition and hydration in the case terminally ill people is a dilemma for nurses until some professional steps are identified to make the decision an objective one made on the basis of professional judgement   rather than being a personal one affected by personal feelings, ethics, beliefs etc.ProposalSince the aim of the study is to justify a professional basis for decision making, in this study we will attempt to investigate the possibility of establishing professional guidelines that may relief the burden on nurses. This will involve identifying criteria that make withholding nutrition more beneficial to the patient than prolonging his biological life. It should also be essential to identify professional means that enable healthcare staff to decide that a patient is not making any sense of life and advise families accordingly to participate in decision making. This should be important especially when the patient is suffering pain or given morphine regularly.In order to be able to design a professional tool or procedure that assists nurses in decision making through this study or alternatively recommend further research on this issue, the study will be a non-experimental one designed to elicit the RN’s attitudes towards nutrition of chronically ill patients using survey instrumentation.The sample will be full time RNs employed by a healthcare region in hospitals and nursing homes of the region. It is advisable to include also a sample of dietitians working in the same healthcare institutions. The RNs involved need to be well informed about the study and its aims and should be positively motivated to participate in the study.It is also important for the study to be approved by a professional body that confirms the study question and methods are ethical.  The instruments of the study should be designed in a way that they measure the attitude of the study sample towards giving or withholding nutrition and hydration for a variety of terminally ill patients. It is also important to determine the internal consistency reliability for the questionnaires and structured interviews.Summary and ConclusionsThese will follow na turally from the analysis of data and discussions and will eventually constitute a recommendation: either a draft of a guideline for assisting nurses in decision making or alternatively suggestions for further research in order to identify a suitable professional tool for relieving the burden on nurses.ReferencesI am not going to list the references now since this is just a skeleton to discuss with your supervisor; unless you deem it necessary.  The word count may not be exactly 3500, but I think what has been written here is enough for your purposes. As soon as you give feedback on this I will start work on the proposal. Nursing and nutrition IntroductionIn different healthcare institutions the question of feeding patients, particularly those who are seriously sick and expected to die soon, raises questions of moral and ethical nature thus making a decision making process very difficult for the caring staff. Such questions may include:How can decisions of giving or withholding feeding and hydration be made?What values and assumptions underlie these decisions?Which courses of action are in the patient's ‘best interest', and how is this ‘interest' determined?How and when, if ever, should a decision not to feed or hydrate be made?Can so basic a provision as food and water ever be considered as optional care?In most of the healthcare institutions whether they are hospitals or senior homes, the decision making lies within the practice of the nurses who are usually faced with dilemmas. While doctors are more advanced in professional knowledge they rarely find themselves in the difficult situation of making the decis ion of withholding nutrition or giving it. However, there is sometimes a differentiation between nutrition as part of the care given to the patient and nutrition as a biological life sustaining process:â€Å"In modern practice there is often an underlying tension between two different understandings of ‘nourishing' the patient. First, nourishing as an intrinsic part of giving care, which falls within the realm of nursing. Second, nourishing as a biological and technical process, a life-sustaining treatment under the control of the medical or nutrition team (from which the nurse may be excluded).† (Hunt, 1994)Yet the daily practice and the roles of nurses and doctors indicate that the nurses find themselves in the dilemma of making the decision more than other medical staff. In many cases where the withholding of nutrition is legally right and in the interest of the patient, the nurse still finds herself in the ethical and professional dilemma. She is not given the oppor tunity to discuss her opinion or given any information. As a result whatever decision she makes may be taken as wrong regardless of the fact that she was partially ignorant.The dilemma is even more difficult when considering nutrition as a basic need or a medical treatment. For a seriously sick person one may accept withholding medication or a technological device that prolongs life unnecessarily, but it is not easy to withhold nutrition which is the basic need for healthy and unhealthy persons.â€Å"Dresser asks, ‘Ought we to regard tube and intravenous feeding as forms of medical treatment, or should we classify them with more basic sorts of care?'† (Dresser, 1985)The decision of withholding nutrition or hydration is a difficult ethical question that poses emotional stress on the nurses. Withholding medication or technological devices is justifiable and there is enough professional and legal guidance for healthcare staff to follow. Indeed, â€Å"Food and water are so central to an array of human emotions that it is almost impossible to consider them with the same emotional detachment that one might feel toward a respirator or a dialysis machine† (Lynn & Childress, 1983)In this research I am going to study this issue in order to confirm or rule out the possibility of establishing a professional guidance that assists the nurses in decision making. This is expected to relief them from a lot of stress and confusion that are imposed as a result of dealing with the issue on personal terms rather dealing with it objectively according to professional guidance and standards.The proposal for this research will be studied under the following headings:1. Description of a case study2.   Literature review3.   Proposal4.   Summary and ConclusionsDescription of a Case StudyA case study either from literature or from the records of healthcare institution is expected to illustrate the extent of the problem and its importance. In addition this will em phasise the roles of nurses, relatives and patients in the decision making process. It would also highlight the difficulties facing nurses at different stages of care giving for seriously sick persons.At this stage of building the skeleton of this research paper very little can be said about the case study until one has been adopted.Literature ReviewThe literature generally confirms the importance of the problem and has been addressing the issues related to the problem of nutrition for sometime now. While it is suggested in the literature that in some cases of chronically ill persons the provision of nutrition is burdensome rather than beneficial, it is agreed that the interpersonal and inter-professional tensions of nurses are ignored. (Hunt, 1994)It is also pointed out that the stressful environment in which nurses provide their professional care sometimes result in burnouts. The burnout case â€Å"evolves by a process involving three stages: (a) an imbalance between resources an d demands, (b) the immediate short-term emotional response to the imbalance, and (c) changes in attitude and behavior such as negativism and emotional detachment† (Riordan & Saltzer, 1992). However, it is also indicated that there are personal differences here: while one may react to stressors by becoming a burnout another with personal hardiness may find the stressors only minor irritants. Riordan and Saltzer (1992) assert:â€Å"Current literature points unanimously to a proactive approach in preventing burnout. This preserves organizational integrity by maintaining human resources and supplying cost-effective care while maintaining quality† (Riordan & Saltzer, 1992).There are a number of suggestions for reducing stress and assisting nurses to cope with the environmental difficulties, though no specific guidelines or procedures are given for dealing with the problem of nutrition and hydration.It is also indicated in the literature that nutrition and hydration in some t erminal cases may only prolong the biological life which is thought to be burdensome for some patients and their families. As Hunt (1994) asserts: â€Å"Feeding may in some circumstances prolong the process of dying and may cause avoidable suffering to the dying patient.†While generally the decision of using nutrition support for the terminally ill people is discussed as a problem facing nurses, some scholars relate the decision to dietitians.â€Å"Clinical guidelines for nutrition support indicate that dietitians should be members of institutional ethics committees and should have an integral role in institutional policy development concerning nutrition support at the end of lifeâ€Å" (Langdon et al, 2002)To put it in a nutshell the literature review confirms the dilemma facing healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, and families in dealing with the decision of providing nutrition and hydration or withholding it for chronically ill people whose illness is diagnosed as terminal. It is also confirmed that the decision making involves personal feelings, ethics, and sometimes legal consideration. Yet there are no clear professional guidelines that streamline the decision making in this issue in the professional practice. Rather there are observations of some acceptable practices.Sometimes the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary is used as a means of reaching decision.â€Å"However, there appears to be an increasing opinion that artificial feeding can be viewed as a'heroic' method of treatment and is morally optional (Meyers and Grodin 1991, Hoefler and Kamoie 1994, Singer 1995, Gillick 2000). This optional treatment is referred to as ‘extraordinary' and is more likely to be invasive, artificial or complex. Nevertheless, the Hastings Centre guidelines, cited in Meyers and Grodin (1991), stated that decisions over whether to provide artificial nutrition and hydration cannot be made solely on the distinction between ordinary and ex traordinary methods of treatment. Despite this, Solomon et al (1993) demonstrated that 74 per cent of health professionals continued to use this distinction in termination of treatment decisions. It would also seem that the decision was significantly influenced by whether it was a decision to withdraw treatment or simply not initiate it in the first place. The Hastings Centre guidelines stipulate that this distinction should not be a consideration (Meyers and Grodin 1991)† (Young et al, 2002).The problem of decision making in providing or withholding nutrition and hydration in the case terminally ill people is a dilemma for nurses until some professional steps are identified to make the decision an objective one made on the basis of professional judgement   rather than being a personal one affected by personal feelings, ethics, beliefs etc.ProposalSince the aim of the study is to justify a professional basis for decision making, in this study we will attempt to investigate t he possibility of establishing professional guidelines that may relief the burden on nurses. This will involve identifying criteria that make withholding nutrition more beneficial to the patient than prolonging his biological life. It should also be essential to identify professional means that enable healthcare staff to decide that a patient is not making any sense of life and advise families accordingly to participate in decision making. This should be important especially when the patient is suffering pain or given morphine regularly.In order to be able to design a professional tool or procedure that assists nurses in decision making through this study or alternatively recommend further research on this issue, the study will be a non-experimental one designed to elicit the RN’s attitudes towards nutrition of chronically ill patients using survey instrumentation.The sample will be full time RNs employed by a healthcare region in hospitals and nursing homes of the region. It is advisable to include also a sample of dietitians working in the same healthcare institutions. The RNs involved need to be well informed about the study and its aims and should be positively motivated to participate in the study.It is also important for the study to be approved by a professional body that confirms the study question and methods are ethical.The instruments of the study should be designed in a way that they measure the attitude of the study sample towards giving or withholding nutrition and hydration for a variety of terminally ill patients. It is also important to determine the internal consistency reliability for the questionnaires and structured interviews.Summary and ConclusionsThese will follow naturally from the analysis of data and discussions and will eventually constitute a recommendation: either a draft of a guideline for assisting nurses in decision making or alternatively suggestions for further research in order to identify a suitable professional tool for relieving the burden on nurses.ReferencesI am not going to list the references now since this is just a skeleton to discuss with your supervisor; unless you deem it necessary.The word count may not be exactly 3500, but I think what has been written here is enough for your purposes. As soon as you give feedback on this I will start work on the proposal.