Managing a health and social cae orgainsation Essay

Managing a health and social cae orgainsation - Essay Example In this context, identifying appropriate management practices for the particular sector can be a challenging task. This paper presents a series of management theories that could be effectively used in the health and care industry. Reference is also made to the ethical and legal issues that tend to appear in the particular sector, at the level that these issues set limits to the freedom of the industry’s employees to take initiatives. It is proved that, like in all sectors, in the health and social care industry the use of appropriate management practices is quite necessary so that the industry’s organizations are able to face market challenges. In any case, before applying any management theory in one of the industry’s organizations it is necessary to take into consideration the ethical implications of the particular initiative. 2. Management and health and social care organizations 2.1 Models and theories of management relevant to a health and social care enviro nment Different views seem to exist in the literature in regard to the involvement of management theories in the health and social care industry. In general, the necessity of these theories for the industry’s organizations is not doubted. Still, oppositions have been developed as to which of existing management theories are most appropriate for the health and social care sector. ... asis is given on hierarchy, as it results to ‘different levels of responsibilities and rights among the members of the organization’ (Harris 2005, p.63). The bureaucratic theory is based on a series of rules, that need to be followed in all organizations that adopt the particular style of management: a) the hiring of an individual to a specific position is depended on his skills; the power of each employee as ‘a member of the organization is related to his position in the organizational hierarchy’ (Harris 2005, p.63); b) following the procedures is of critical importance; no employee has the right to take initiatives, unless they are within the context of the power given to the employee as member of the organization; (Harris 2005, p.63) the activities of individuals, as members of the organization, ‘are predictable’ (Harris 2005, p.63), meaning that there is a routine in regard to the tasks assigned to each individual; this routine cannot be cha nged unless it is ordered by the employer (Harris 2005, p.63). Another management theory that it is widely used in organizations operating in the healthcare sector is the institutional theory. The particular theory is based on the idea that organizations operate in environments that are characterized by ‘a series of myths, such as rules of professional conduct or ethical standards, to which organizations have to conform’ (Shortell and Kaluzny 1997, p.21). At this point, a key difference seems to exist between the common organizational environments, also characterized as ‘technical environments, and the institutional environments’ (Shortell and Kaluzny 1997, p.21). The former tend to press the organizations for continuously increasing their profits (Shortell and Kaluzny 1997, p.21). The latter require that the

Appropriateness Of Tesco Enterprises Information Systems Information Technology Essay

Appropriateness Of Tesco Enterprises Information Systems Information Technology Essay The world is fast becoming a global village. The systems used to collect informations yesterday are different from those used today. More advanced and competitive information system are being produce everyday. Every business no matter how small, like a small retailer store, depends on high technology to store data. To them now it is a living tool and the still keep their doors open to welcome new form of change in information systems. Information system has now become the bread of life in every organizational operation. This paper is going to expatiate more on how information system operates to enhance business in our world today. Tesco enterprise will be use as the yard stick to better understand the development of Information systems. Findings 2.1 Information Systems. Definition. According to Kenneth and Jane Laudon, Information systems can be defined technically as a set of interrelated components that collect to retrieve process, stores, distributes information to support decision making and control on an organization. Information systems are the systems of persons, data records and activities that process the data of information in a given organization, either through manual processes or automated processes. This system is consist of people, procedures, softwares, hardwares and data that helps in effective decision making. Philip Kotler says A marketing information system consist of people, equipments and procedures to gather, sort and analyze, evaluate and distribute needed, timely and accurate information to marketing decision makers. According to Erik BOHLIN, Stranford L. LEVIN, Nakil SUNG, Chang-HO YOON (2004), the effect of information technology systems on globalization, innovation, growth and productivity are immense. Information technology system has contributed immensely to the globalization of production and capital markets by reducing cost of information and communication. They stated that technology has made it easier for multinationals and other companies to spread production facilities all over the world, to coordinate international marketing campaigns and to ease collaboration in projects taking place in different continents. There are various types of information systems such as Office Information system, database management system, Decision supporting system and transaction processing system. Information systems are normally created to perform task for which the human brain can not handle well enough some of these task are controlling many business processes simultaneously, performing complex calculations and storing large amount of information. Many businesses invest huge amounts of money in information systems for the following reasons; For rapid production of goods and services To develop excellent and effective communication skills. Improve decision making Have operational excellence For competitives advantages For survival Customer and supplier intimacy. It saves time and money and makes life easy and comfortable. Levels of management. There are three hierarchical levels of management on an organization; the senior level management, the middle level management and the operational level of management. Senior Level Management. This is the highest level of management. They are concern with making good and effective decisions for the development of the enterprise. They supply answers to questions about the long term plans of the company such as what kind of products will the company be producing in the next five years or what method will they apply to improve their business. There are many kinds of information systems that managers at this level can use in order to ease the work and quickly too, some of the systems are seen as follows: Executive Support System. (ESS) It is a reporting software which helps senior managers transform data into useful summarize reports. It allows them quick assess to reports coming from different levels and different departments in the company such as staffing, billing, cost allocation, scheduling and many others. ESS is most useful to senior managers like Chief Executive Officers in order to enable the make decision easily. ESS forecast the future. ESS relies highly on information MIS and DSS database for decision making. It can not work in isolation less the company becomes dysfunctional. Middle Management. The main duty of the managers at this level is to monitor the activities of the subordinates, collect information from junior management and reassemble them and give the feedbacks or report to those at the senior management team. Their reports help in strategic planning thus leading to effective decision making to achieve their objectives. They are responsible for implementing the senior managers policies and plans to the workers. They also need to ensure that employees are well motivated and should act responsibly in maintaining company values. Management Information System (MIS) This system is meant to serve mostly middle managers. It helps them regulate the various operations in an organization. It helps in the internal control procedures. MIS are distinct from regular information systems in that they are used to analyze other information systems applied in operation activities in the organization. OBrien, J (1999). MIS as a system : It is a system that makes available the right information to the right person (senior managers) at the right time, place, form and at the right cost. It monitors daily sales, profit and lost accounts. It gathers feedbacks and current reports. It also answers all day to day questions about the company. Inputs of MIS: Customer Relationship Management (CRM), this a process created to handle the companys relationship or contact with its customers. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). This is a system that helps managers coordinate all the resources information and functions of a business. Transaction Process Management (TPS). It records all daily routines in a company. Recommended softwares for MIS: Database retrieve application Service control manager- a component of Microsoft Windows operating System. Software Configuration Management (SCM) used to track down and control changes in softwares. Decision Support System (DSS). It a group of information systems that support businesses and organizations in decision making activities. It helps most the middle class managers to make quick and effective decisions. It helps middle managers compile important information from a combination of business models, raw data, personal knowledge or documents to solve problems and then take decisions. Functions of DSS. It helps to solve unpredicted problems such as non-routine issues. Deducts external information like price change, government change in tax. It gathers and inventory of current information assets including legacy, dataware house and data marts. It produces comparative sales figures different periods. Finally it presents revenue figures base on new products sales assumptions. Fundamental Components. Knowledge base User interface The model ( decision content and user criteria). Holsapple and Whinston (1996) classify DSS in to six frame works Text-oriented DSS Database-oriented DSS Spreadsheet-oriented DSS Solver-oriented DSS Rule-oriented DSS Compound-oriented DSS DSS support base system can be divided into three categories; Personal support Group support Organization support First line managers as operational managers. They control the day to day services in an organization. They focus on manageing the processes to produce and distribute products and services to customers. Transaction Process System. This system serves the operational level managers. It helps them trace the daily routine in the company for example sales entry and delivery. It also helps the managers to monitor status of operations in relation to external environment. 3. Appropriateness of TESCO Enterprise Information Systems. TESCO plc is Britains largest retailer enterprise. Tesco provides grocery homeshopping services, consumer goods, telecommunication and financial services online. Online shopping is a highly use information system in Tesco. This information system is the direct buying of goods and services over the internet or other computer networks. Through this system, many businesses have developed due to online competition services. There are other websites besides Tesco that offer hosting services for online stores and small retailers these are Yahoo, Amazon.com and eBay. A collection of online stores are known as Virtual Shopping Malls. Become.com helps online shoppers make the ideal decision on shopping online. That is their mission. Security Measures Definition These are steps taken to protect information and information systems from unauthorized users, access, disclosure disruption, modification and destruction. Security measures are meant to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Tesco has securing tags on its products. This is due to the rise of shoplifting caused by the economic crisis in the country. This was decided by the management team. Many UK businesses whether big or small, depend greatly on American District Telegraph (ADT) or simply ADT, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and Digital Video Recorders (DVR) as a source of integrated electronic security system. Tesco is one of those convenience supermarkets that depend highly on the services provided by the above security systems. These security systems provide fast alarm responses to burglary, fire attacks, violence and unnecessary disturbances in Tesco. These security systems reduce a safe and convenient environment for Tesco customers. They help reduce crime wave, protect people and property. Tesco also applies the use of security codes in their online services. This is to ensure that the online customer placing the order is actually in possession of a credit/ Debit card and that the amount of money in the card is legitimate. All these procedures is to prevent Credit/ Debit card fraud Also to trace and track down thieves who are in possessions of other peoples cards through well advance information technology. BMT Micro security software makes sures no database after online transaction is stored during online payment so hackers will not find their way easily into peoples accounts. That is why codes are needed so is will be hard for them to trace. Card Security Code (CSC) or Card Verification Value is another security feature for credit/debit transaction online providing online security against fraudulent cards. Recommended information security. Unified Threat Management (UTM), this is to prevent intruders and softwares from affecting Tesco delicate networks less the loose their data informations. Antivirus is also needed to check Tesco computers for the presence of virus that may crash the computers and loss database information that have not yet been processed. These antivirus needs constant updates. . Cloud Computing Cloud computing is the latest internet base computer system whereby shared resources such as softwares and information are provided to computers. It describes a new suppliement, consumption and delivery Information Technology model services based on the internet. It helps provides easy access to remote computing site provide by the internet. It is a less expensive form of computing. It avoids capital expenditures on hardwares, softwares and services because the pay only provider for they use. Consumption is billed on subscription basis with no upfront cost. Benefits: Low barrier to entry. Share infrastructure and cost Low management overheads Immediate access to a broad range of applications. The contract can be terminated at any time. According to Nicholas Carr, the strategic importance of information technology is diminishing as it has become standardized and less expensive. Issues against Cloud Computing. Although cloud computing is a less expensive system of computing, enterprises may pay more on operating expenses. Cloud computing has been highly criticized for its lack of privacy between users and their hosting companies. They hosting companies may monitor at will the communication and data stored in their systems. For example the National Security Agency (NSA) that works with American Telephone and Telgraph (AT T) and Verizon Communications, monitors all their phones which make people insecure for lack of privacy. There is no security in cloud computing but the Cloud Computing Alliance has been form to promote security assurances. Tesco is not using cloud computing services. But they can subscribe for it so as to spend less on information technology system. Conclusion. From the above information, we have seen how important information systems are in the development of an organization as it is being applied at every managerial level in a business. So it is recommended that business owners should continue searching for more advance information systems that will help ease their supply and distribution chain. Recommendations. Information system is the only way for businesses to survive the pressure and competition that they are facing. If there is a any business that has not yet be highly connected to advance information systems, then that business should make a strategic plan about implementing cloud computing for a start because it is less expensive and will help the business save for future unforeseen circumstances. References OBrien, J (1999) Management Information Systems- Manageing Information Systems in the Internet work Enterprise. Boston. Irwin MC Graw-Hill. ISBN 0071123733. Kenneth and Jane Laudon, Managing the Digital Firm, 8th Ed. Kotler, Philip, Keller, Kevin Lane (2006), Marketing Management, 12th edition. Pearson Education. Erik BOHLIN, Stranford L. Levin, Nakil SUNG, Chang-HO YOON (2004) Global Economy and Digital Society. Elsevier , Amsterdam. Nichlas Carr, (2008) Clouds and Storms.

Reconstruction of the South :: essays research papers

President Abraham Lincoln envisioned a conservative plan for the reconstruction of the south. Under Lincolnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s plan, as soon as ten percent of the voters in a southern state whom have voted in 1860 and had taken an oath of loyalty to the United States, they could then elect constitutional conventions. These conventions, upon adopting new state constitutions and abolishing slavery they would then be readmitted to the union. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln would change polices towards reconstruction of the south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  President Lincoln was succeeded by his vice president Andrew Johnson. Johnson was a southern democrat who believed in the union, however, he did not believe in black equality. Johnson believed that the planter class in the south had led their section of the country to ruin. As far as blacks were concerned, they were an inferior race to be held in some sort of subjugation to the dominant white population of the south. His attitude ran into a head on collision with that of the radical republicans in congress led by Thaddeus Stevens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  President Johnson tried to enforce Lincolnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Ten Percent Plan. That as soon as ten percent of the population of any southern state took an oath of loyalty to the union and adopted a constitution that abolished slavery they would be readmitted to the union. The radical republicans in congress totally disagreed with Johnson. Many of the southern states in 1865 under presidential reconstruction adopted what was known as black codes. These codes restricted blacks from any participation in the rights of citizenship. Blacks were confined to an inferior position, they were not legally slaves anymore, but they had no rights of citizenship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When congress reconvened in December of 1865, they refused to accept the delegations from southern states. The radical republicans in congress designed a serious of acts known as the reconstruction acts to implement their program in the south. These acts included the Freedmanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Bureau that helped the free slaves adjust to a free society. Also, the Civil Rights Act, which guaranteed blacks both the right to vote and the right to hold property. President Johnson vetoed all the reconstruction acts of congress and congress under the domination of the radical republicans overrode his vetoes. This gridlock between the presidential power and congressional power set the stage for an impeachment in 1868.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Presidential reconstruction under Andrew Johnson was an attempt to rob blacks of their rights that they had won during the Civil War. Reconstruction of the South :: essays research papers President Abraham Lincoln envisioned a conservative plan for the reconstruction of the south. Under Lincolnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s plan, as soon as ten percent of the voters in a southern state whom have voted in 1860 and had taken an oath of loyalty to the United States, they could then elect constitutional conventions. These conventions, upon adopting new state constitutions and abolishing slavery they would then be readmitted to the union. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln would change polices towards reconstruction of the south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  President Lincoln was succeeded by his vice president Andrew Johnson. Johnson was a southern democrat who believed in the union, however, he did not believe in black equality. Johnson believed that the planter class in the south had led their section of the country to ruin. As far as blacks were concerned, they were an inferior race to be held in some sort of subjugation to the dominant white population of the south. His attitude ran into a head on collision with that of the radical republicans in congress led by Thaddeus Stevens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  President Johnson tried to enforce Lincolnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Ten Percent Plan. That as soon as ten percent of the population of any southern state took an oath of loyalty to the union and adopted a constitution that abolished slavery they would be readmitted to the union. The radical republicans in congress totally disagreed with Johnson. Many of the southern states in 1865 under presidential reconstruction adopted what was known as black codes. These codes restricted blacks from any participation in the rights of citizenship. Blacks were confined to an inferior position, they were not legally slaves anymore, but they had no rights of citizenship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When congress reconvened in December of 1865, they refused to accept the delegations from southern states. The radical republicans in congress designed a serious of acts known as the reconstruction acts to implement their program in the south. These acts included the Freedmanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Bureau that helped the free slaves adjust to a free society. Also, the Civil Rights Act, which guaranteed blacks both the right to vote and the right to hold property. President Johnson vetoed all the reconstruction acts of congress and congress under the domination of the radical republicans overrode his vetoes. This gridlock between the presidential power and congressional power set the stage for an impeachment in 1868.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Presidential reconstruction under Andrew Johnson was an attempt to rob blacks of their rights that they had won during the Civil War.

Critical Analysis on Bonded Labour System Analysis Act, 1976

Critical Analysis on Bonded Labour System (abolition) Act, 1976 SALIENT FEATURES OF THE BONDED LABOUR SYSTEM (ABOLITION) ACT, 1976 †¢ This Act provides for the abolition of the system of bonded labour. It freed unilaterally all the bonded labourers from bondage with simultaneous liquidation of their debts. †¢ The Act does away with every obligation of a bonded labourer to repay any bonded debt; it also dispenses with the future liability of repaying a bonded debt.The law provides that (a) no suit or other proceedings shall be instituted in any Civil Court for the recovery of any bonded debt (b) every attachment made before the commencement of the Act for the recovery of any bonded debt shall stand vacated and (c) such movable property shall be restored to the bonded labourer. †¢ The district and sub-divisional magistrates have been entrusted with certain duties/responsibilities towards implementation of statutory provisions.Under Section-13 of the Act, Vigilance Commit tees are required to be constituted at the district and sub-divisional level for implementation of the provisions of the law. They are composite bodies with representatives from different cross sections of the society and have a life of 2 years. †¢ Registers containing the names and addresses of all freed bonded labourers, their vacation, occupation and income, details of the benefits received are required to be maintained under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Rules. The Act provides for imprisonment up to 3 years and fine up to Rs. 2000/- to whoever compels any person to render any bonded labour and whoever advances any bonded debt. An offence detailed surveys in their States. The same information was submitted to the Supreme Court by the State Governments in the form of affidavits in 1997. ?One ILO project namely â€Å"Prevention of Family Indebtedness with Micro Finance Scheme and Related Services† is being implemented in three States, namely Andhra Pradesh, Tami l Nadu and Karnataka.The objective of the project is to induce existing micro finance institutions to develop, test and offer savings and loan products, particularly tailor-made for vulnerable families at the risk of getting into debt traps. The prime focus of the project is on preventing marginal families from falling into debt bondage and also to ensure sustainable rehabilitation of freed bonded labourers. Based on its experience, a model could be considered for replication or application in other parts of the Country. Liability to repay bonded debt to stand extinguished.On the commencement of this Act, every obligation of a bonded labourer to repay any bonded debt, or such part of any bonded debt as remains unsatisfied immediately before such commencement, shall be deemed to have been extinguished. After the commencement of this Act, no suit or other proceeding shall lie in any civil court or before any other authority for the recovery of any bonded debt or any part thereof. Ever y decree or order for the recovery of bonded debt, passed before the commencement of this Act and not fully satisfied before such commencement, shall be deemed, on such commencement, to have been fully satisfied.Every attachment made before the commencement of this Act, for the recovery of any bonded debt, shall, on such commencement, stand vacated; and, where, in pursuance of such attachment, any movable property of the bonded labourer was seized and removed from his custody and kept in the custody of any court or other authority pending sale thereof, such movable property shall be restored, as soon as may be practicable after such commencement, to the possession of the bonded labourer. Property of bonded labourer to be freed from mortgage, etc.All property vested in a bonded labourer which was, immediately before the commencement of this Act under any mortgage, charge, lien or other encumbrances in connection with any bonded debt shall, in so far as it is relatable to the bonded d ebt, stand freed and discharged from such mortgage, charge, lien or other encumbrances, and where any such property was, immediately before the commencement of this Act, in the possession of the mortgagee or the holder of the charge, lien or encumbrance, such property shall (except where it was subject to any other charge), on such commencement, be restored to the possession of the bonded labourer.If any delay is made in restoring any property, referred to in sub-section (1), to the possession of the bonded labourer, such labourer shall be entitled, on and from the date of such commencement, to recover from the mortgagee or holder of the lien, charge or encumbrance, such mesne profits as may be determined by the civil court of the lowest pecuniary jurisdiction within the local limits of whose jurisdiction such property is situated. Authorities who may be specified for implementing the provisions of this Act. The State Government may confer such powers and impose such duties on a Dis trict Magistrate as may be necessary to ensure that the provisions of this Act are properly carried out and the District Magistrate may specify the officer, subordinate to him, who shall exercise all or any of the powers, and perform all or any of the duties, so conferred or imposed and the local limits within which such powers or duties shall be carried out by the officer so specified.Vigilance Committees. Every State Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute such number of Vigilance Committees in each district and each Sub-Division as it may think fit.Each Vigilance Committee, constituted for a district, shall consist of the following members, namely: — (a) the District Magistrate, or a person nominated by him, who shall be the Chairman; (b) three persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes and residing in the district, to be nominated by the District Magistrate; (c) two social workers, resident in the district, to be nominated by the District Magistrate; (d) not more than three persons to represent the official or non-official agencies in the district connected with rural development, to be nominated by the State Government; (e) one person to represent the financial and credit institutions in the district, to be nominated by the District Magistrate. Act to have overriding effect. The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any enactment other than this Act, or in any instrument having effect by virtue of any enactment other than this Act. Agreement, custom, etc. , to be void. – On the commencement of this Act, any custom or tradition or any contract, agreement or other instrument (whether entered into or executed before or after the commencement of this Act), by virtue of which any person, or any member of the family or dependant of such person, is required to do any work or render any service as a bonded labourer, shall be void and inop erative. CONSTRAINTS Bonded Labour System is a dynamic problem; it can occur and reoccur at any point of time in any industry or occupation. †¢ Once the bonded labourers are identified and released, in case they are not immediately rehabilitated, they become even worse off as compared to the situation when they were bonded and were at least able to survive by getting two square meals. †¢ Contrary to the traditional perception that bonded labour is confined to the agricultural sector alone, it can also occur and reoccur in any form of economic activity such as, agriculture, brick-kiln, stone quarries, carpet weaving, pisciculture, etc. , CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL PROVISIONS The Constitution of India guarantees to all its citizens- justice, social, economic and political, freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, equity of status and opportunity and fraternity, dignity of individual and unity of the Nation. †¢ Under Article 23 of the ConstitutionTraffic in human beings and beggar and other similar forms of forced labour are prohibited and any contravention of this provision shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law. †¢ Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Ordinance was promulgated. Which was later on replaced by the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. CENTRALLY SPONSORED PLAN SCHEME FOR REHABILITATION OF BONDED LABOURIn order to assist the State Governments in their task of rehabilitation of released bonded labourers, the Ministry of Labour launched a Centrally Sponsored Scheme since May, 1978 for rehabilitation of bonded labourers. Under this Scheme rehabilitation assistance of Rs. 20,000/- per freed bonded labour is provided, which is shared by the Central and State Governments on 50:50 basis; in the case of the Seven North Eastern States, 100% central assistance if they express their inability to provide their share. The Scheme also provide for financing of the following activities. †¢ Rs. 2. 00 lakh pe r sensitive district can be provided to concerned state government to conduct survey for identification of bonded labour once in three years. †¢ Central assistance of Rs. 10. 00 lakhs every year can be sanctioned to every tate government to undertake awareness generation activities relating to bonded labour system. †¢ Rs. 5. 00 lakh per year can be sanctioned to every state government to study impact of existing land-debt related issues affecting bonded labourers and the impact of poverty alleviation programmes and financial assistance provided by various Government sources so far. Besides above the States Governments have also been advised to integrate/ dovetail the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for rehabilitation of bonded labour with other ongoing poverty alleviation schemes such as Swaran Jayanti Gram Swa Rojgar Yojana (SJGSRY), Special Component Plan for Supreme Court, Tribal Sub-Plan etc.Accordingly, the rehabilitation package provided by the concerned Stated Government s for the freed bonded labourers includes the following major components: (i) Allotment of house-site and agricultural land; (ii) Land development; (iii) Provision of low cost dwelling units; (iv) Animal husbandry, dairy, poultry, piggery etc. ; (v) Training for acquiring new skills; developing existing skills; (vi) Wage employment, enforcement of minimum wages etc. ; (vii) Collection and processing of minor forest products; (viii) Supply of essential commodities under targeted public distribution system; (ix) Education for children; and (x) Protection of civil rights.INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION AND FORCED/ BONDED LABOUR †¢ There are two ILO Conventions, Convention No. 29 concerning Forced or Compulsory labour (1930) and Convention No. 105 concerning Abolition of Forced Labour (1957). Government of India has ratified both the Conventions. †¢ Before the 89th Session of the International Labour Conference (June 2001) the Director General of ILO submitted a global repor t on ‘Stopping Forced Labour’. This report contained references regarding incidences of bonded labour in India on the basis of survey conducted by the Gandhi Peace Foundation and National Labour Institute and also the estimates of some other NGOs.The Gandhi Peace Foundation and the National Labour Institute conducted a survey in 1978-79, which had estimated the number of bonded labour as 2. 6 million. This survey was based on a random sample drawn from a total of 4,50,199 villages in the ten selected States. Finally, 1000 villages from out of the 4,50,000 villages were selected. Every 450th villages in the census list of villages of each State starting with a random number was selected for the survey. The findings of the survey in respect of the above 1000 villages were multiplied by 450 to find out the total number of bonded labourers in ten States. Since the methodology adopted by the Gandhi Peace Foundation was not scientific the Government have not accepted their es timates.The need for having authentic data on number of bonded labourers in India was emphasized. It was urged that comprehensive and authoritative survey might be conducted in this regard. †¢ From the Government side, it was stated that the Government has strong will and intent to abolish and totally banish the bonded labour system from every nook and corner of the country. It was indicated that the Government of India’s estimates of bonded labour, as also reported in the following pages, were based on the information submitted by the concerned State Governments after conducting detailed surveys in their States. The same information was submitted to the Supreme Court by the State Governments in the form of affidavits in 1997. One ILO project namely â€Å"Prevention of Family Indebtedness with Micro Finance Scheme and Related Services† is being implemented in three States, namely Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The objective of the project is to induce e xisting micro finance institutions to develop, test and offer savings and loan products, particularly tailor-made for vulnerable families at the risk of getting into debt traps. The prime focus of the project is on preventing marginal families from falling into debt bondage and also to ensure sustainable rehabilitation of freed bonded labourers. Based on its experience, a model could be considered for replication orapplication in other parts of the Country.

Sample Cover Letter

Sample Cover Letter #1 Your Name Address City, State ZIP Code Phone Date Name/Address of Person Receiving your letter Dear Person’s Name: I am very interested in the Fitness Director position opening at the Los Gatos Sports and Wellness facility. I have a strong educational background and several professional health and fitness experiences which I feel uniquely qualify me for this job opportunity. I am currently a certified personal trainer and am completing my degree in Exercise Science at the University of New Mexico. My education and professional background has provided me extensive organizational and managerial experience.For instance, in my internship at CitiWorld I helped to established the fitness class program, market it, and was closely involved in designing the assessment and prescription exercise system now utilized. My Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science is a comprehensive education in anatomy, kinesiology, management concepts in sport and fitness settings , worksite wellness, fitness assessment and prescription, stress testing, EKG, and athletic training. I have also taken courses related to fitness for special populations, such as the elderly.I enjoy working in the fitness industry and feel I am most capable of developing great rapport with the people I help. I am reliable and dependable and take great pride in my performance as a professional. I am committed to working hard and seeing the challenges I accept lead to successful outcomes. In addition, I am an energetic team player who works well with co-workers and colleagues. Thank you for providing this opportunity. I would enjoy being a part of your organizational team and look forward to speaking with you in the near future. Sincerely,

LawOrder Svu Essay Example

LawOrder Svu Essay Example LawOrder Svu Essay LawOrder Svu Essay The Role of Science in a media Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Science plays a major role in the story line of NBC’s police-procedural drama, Law amp; Order: Special Victims Unit; more specifically, forensic science. From beginning to end, the characters depend on the use and their understanding of forensic science to uncover the mysteries of each examined case. The advancements in technology along with the psychological approach used by detectives to solve each case make the serious and critical role that science plays more than evident to the audience. Law amp; Order: Special Victims Unit series premiered on the NBC network in the fall of 1999 as the first spin-off of the successful crime drama, Law amp; Order. Law amp; Order: SVU instantly took off and, over time, became the highest rated series of all the Law amp; Order series. SVU was the first of the Law amp; Order franchise to win an Emmy in 2006 along with numerous other nominations and awards. Since then, the series has been recognized as the highest-rated scripted drama of the NBC network to date. The series is centered around a hardworking police unit focused on solving the most complicated of sexually-based crimes. The use of science is heavily relied upon in order to solve the mysteries that come along with these intricate plots, and is most often the determining factor of these cases. As in the same fashion as the other Law amp; Order series, the cases examined by SVU are often â€Å"ripped from the headlines† of real newspapers and are loosely based on real crimes that received media attention. The show follows the detectives of the 16th precinct of the New York Police Department as they go about solving each individual case story. Because the show is based on sexually-charged offenses, many of the scenes are located in or guided off of details and evidence found in the hospitals and medical examiner’s office. The information given by officials in these fields is most significant when the detectives are seeking the facts of these cases. Without the assistance of forensic science and medical evidence to distinguish facts from circumstantial evidence, many of the cases would go unsolved. Thus, the role that science plays in this media cannot to be overlooked. There are two characters that were casted in the show purposefully for their scientific value. Before being officially added to the cast, Medical Examiner, Melinda Warner was just a reoccurring character all throughout the first season. After producers realized the need for the role, Tamara Tunie was cast as Warner in season two. B. D Wong was also hired and was casted as Dr. George Huang, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) forensic psychiatrist and criminal profiler. He was initially a working on loan to the Special Victims Unit, before becoming a permanent character. Using their knowledge of science, these two characters fill in the gaps of the cases that otherwise would be left unknown and/ or misunderstood. The character of Dr. Melinda Warner is relied upon to help detectives find scientific evidence to support their cases. The products of her labor are what end up dictating the outcome of any case. When it comes to cases that the show deals with, in fiction and in real life, the court relies upon the story that only biological evidence can tell. Subtly, this makes Dr. Warner the most important character and factor of the show. What makes her a significant and special character is that she is the one character of the show that can provide strict facts on these cases while the other characters rely on reasoning and critical thinking skills to piece the cases together. All investigations involving a deceased victim begin with a visit to Dr. Warner after she’s had a chance to examine the victim. At the top of each of these episodes, Dr. Warner is found in the lab using equipment and her knowledge of the many different subdivisions of forensic science to create a clearer picture of what may have happened to detectives. Remarkably, Dr. Warner seems to be exceptionally educated in whatever subdivision of forensic science is thrown her way. From forensic anthropology to DNA analysis and even forensic optometry, there seems to be nothing Dr. Warner can’t figure out on her own! The findings that she reports to the lead detectives of the show, Benson and Stabler, lay down the groundwork for how they proceed to build their case. Special Agent George Huang, M. D. is equally a powerful player on the Special Victims Unit team. His vast knowledge of forensic psychology and psychopathology lends him a preternatural ability to understand, empathize with, and predict the actions of suspects as well as victims. (Wikipedia) His extensive knowledge in the fields of theology, ethnic studies, and forensics make him a definite secret weapon when it comes to the battle of solving and even understanding the most complicated and confusing of cases. The insight given by Dr. Huang is incomparable to any other member of the unit in assessing the best ways to deal with those directly involved in the cases, such as the victims, suspects and the perpetrators. Many times, his psychological insight is relied upon to determine the motives and next move of a serial-criminal/offender. With the help of Dr. Huang, detectives are equipped with the necessary underlying information needed to be able to prevent another crime from occurring and even catch a criminal in the act. Detectives of the show also look to Dr. Huang’s scientific expertise in diagnosing mental illnesses and in helping them to deal with victims and/or witnesses who have suffered some kind of psychological trauma but are needed in building the detectives’ cases. The weight of Dr. Huang’s medical opinion is so valuable that he and the detectives often bump heads when he sometimes agrees with the diagnoses of mental illness provided by defense attorneys and their psychiatrists. Because the unit trusts his opinion, it makes it harder for the Assistant District Attorneys who work with the precinct to prosecute criminals. The scientific contributions of both Dr. Melinda Warner and Dr. George Huang are different in nature but both significantly valuable in breaking cases. Dr. Warner’s reliance on lab work establishes her as the bearer of truth while Dr. Huang’s perception of psychopathology is not only respected, but, is trusted just as sacredly. The role of science is apparent throughout the entire backdrop of the series. Perhaps, not as blatantly or consciously as Dr. Melinda Warner and Dr. George Huang, all four of the lead detectives involved in the cases use a scientific approach in breaking cases. Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler use as much forensic psychology as they’re able to each time they meet up with those involved in the crimes being investigated. Sometimes, they don’t seem to reach the same conclusion on the sincerity of those involved and this occasionally results in some internal conflict amongst them. Detectives John Munch and Odafin Tutuola spend majority of their time inside the precinct with the use of real technology in efforts to break cases. Somehow they always manage to get their hand on some breakthrough technological evidence, usually computer based. They use the help they receive from computer specialists and sometimes even hackers to shed light on enigmas of cases needing clarification. Irrefutably, science is used in almost every aspect of Law amp; Order: Special Victims Unit. The writers depict science and the evidence it provides as the authority figure of each episode. Without systematically depicting the use of the characters’ knowledge of technology and forensic science to piece together the cases, there’d be no way that the show could conclude in such a clear and comprehensible way as it has for the past twelve seasons. Green, Susan; Dawn, Randee (2009), Law amp; Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion, Dallas: BenBella Books Bible, Stephanie, Michael Nicastro, and Chris Todd. A Brief Background of Forensic Science. VizProto HOME. Web. lt;http:www. //vizproto. prism. asu. edugt;. Amirall, Jose R. and Kenneth G. Furton. The Evolution, Practice and Future of the Use of Science in the Administration of Justice. Standardization News. Vol. 23, Number 4. April 1995 Law amp; Order: SVU. Wikipedia. Web. lt; wikipedia. org/gt;. Forensic Science. Wikipedia. Web. lt; wikipedia. org/gt;.

A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essays

A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essays A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essay A critical review of the role of coordinated sport science Essay A critical review of the role of coordinated sports science support and its importance to elite level performance Sport today has changed greatly from 40 years ago where love for the sport and intrinsic rewards were the main motivations (Green Holmium, 2010). In the present day with mass exposure and popularity of elite level sport along with big financial rewards and losses at the highest levels (Yardman Jones, 2011), and increased level of performance in sport (Collins, Moore, Mitchell Lappers, 1999) coaches are under pressure to deliver successful performance results (Richardson, Anderson Morris, 2008). With this level of investment and interest from the masses, fulfillment professional careers for athletes have been created who dedicate their lives to their sports, putting their bodies and minds on the line and increasing risk of negative health effects (Handstand Wadding, 2009). According to Pipe (2001), it is sport coaches and sport science support (ASS) responsibility to act as an athletes advocate and reduce these negative health effects, protecting their health and well-being. Southeast (2012) highlighted that margins between podium places are getting narrower and the increased need to look at all options to find improvements, squiring specialist sport science skills to be able to measure, interpret and improve particular areas. This pressure from dedication levels of athletes, financial rewards/ loses, smaller winning margins and exposure by the media and the public that stresses the importance of the athlete receiving the most thorough and professional service possible. To provide this service, coaches and sporting organizations are increasingly seeking ASS (Lees, 2003; Collins et al. 1999), and ultimately enhancing athletic performance (Williams Kendal, 2007; Hooper, 2006). Due to the above- mentioned issues it is essential to consider the most efficient and effective way for coordinated ASS to work, however with coordinated ASS certain issues may arise having negative effects of athletic performance and athlete well-being (Collins et al. , 1999). In the following text the author will, define and critique the different coordinated ASS approaches, review the issues and areas that may impede efficiency and finally conclude and provide recommendations for the application of coordinated sports science support. An interdisciplinary approach is where a number of sport science personnel (SSP) room different areas of sport science integrate and work together in a coordinated manner to problem solve (Burrito, Moore Wilkinson, 1994). Elite level sport is based upon a number of multi-factorial variables (Meyers, Laurent, 2010) that can be measured, analyses, interpreted and ultimately manipulated to promote increased performance. Interdisciplinary ASS can produce a vast range of in depth information and data (Knudsen, 2011), which in turn means that appropriate and specific training regimes and strategies can be implemented in order to increase performance coaching team must have knowledge of how different variables inter-link and be able to consider how manipulation of one variable may affect another. For example the use of a head guard in boxing from a biomedical perspective would have a positive effect because it would decrease punch force however from a psychologists perspective this could grant a false sense of security, having a negative effect (Burrito et al. , 1994). As well as being able to interpret these risk and benefits the coaching team must be able to assess their significance, priorities and contextual in order to Justify implementation of manipulations (BASES, [n. ]). An interdisciplinary ASS approach requires a number of team-wide skills in order for it to be successful, they are; Bridge building the linking of knowledge from different spinelessness, Restructuring methodologies, theories and practices transferred into different spinelessness and Integration the application of a number of spinelessness (BASES, [n. D. ]), without these skills a support team would move towards a multidisciplinary approach. Multidisciplinary is defined by Burrito et al (1994) as a number of SSP working in parallel rather than in symbiosis, Corner (2010) supports this and adds that each SSP as a clear role definition, specific task and hierarchical lines of authority. Within Interdisciplinary approach there is little or no communication among each susceptible, as a result there is little overlap (Corner, 2010), which means SSP from a particular discipline may be unaware of detrimental effects caused in another discipline when interventions/ strategies are implemented in his field of expertise. Whilst both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches are products of an input from more than one discipline, the principle difference is the integrative approach of the interdisciplinary sports scientist as opposed to scientists working in parallel often associated with multidisciplinary (Dandles, 2011). Interdisciplinary approach is having a single sub discipline that works in isolation to the other sub disciplines; interdisciplinary approaches are often undertaken during research, but are not always appropriate when holistic athlete centered approach is desired (Burrito et al. , 1994; BASES , [n. D. ]). Interdisciplinary approach is similar to multidisciplinary in that it has no or little overlap between disciplines, reducing role conflict to an extent. Another benefit as noted by Jones (2006) is that each specific aspect of sport science can be taken into account and can be assessed in a thorough manner. The main difference between interdisciplinary and other approaches is that because the SSP work in relative isolation to the others alliances and allegiances tend not to be as prevalent. These alliances and allegiances can produce subgroups and isolates, decreasing productivity (Slinkier et al. , 2012). Therefore, Reid et al. 2004) suggested an optimum group number should be five or less to maintain the best mix of commitment and collaboration. Within all of these approaches there exist a number of possible issues that may increase athlete stress and in turn decrease athletic performance, this section will look at some of these issues. Fletcher, Wanton Mealier (2006) identified fi ve performers: factors intrinsic to the sport (e. G. Training schedules); roles in the sport organization (e. G. Lack of role acceptance); sport relationships and interpersonal demands (e. G. Conflicts with coaching staff; athletic career and performance development issues (e. . Selection); and organizational structure and climate of the sport (e. G. Result vs. Placement focus), all of which can be influenced by ASS. Within all teams, particularly at an elite level there are substantial organizational and team dynamics (Collins et al. , 1999), an understanding of these dynamics are crucial for most effective work (Arnold, Moore Burrito, 1998). Figure 1 shows the organization of most elite level support teams, the dashed line is knows as the us and them divide with anyone above the line having or perceived to be having power to influence selection (Collins et al. 1999). Anyone above this line with perceived power and influence will experience high levels of impression management fro m athletes, particularly at elite level where benefits of selection are so high (Leary, 1994). Impression management is altering ones interactions in order to protect or improve ones position and the most common occurrence of impression management is limiting information on the status of and injury/fitness in order to improve chances of selection (Collins et al. , 1999). Some athletes may even take impression management to the next step and exploit certain members of the support team as a naive conduit in order to use their link to and influence on selection in order to improve chance of selection (Collins et al. 1999). Once being identified as on the them side of the us and them divide, SSP will in one way or another receive limited and well managed information, however Leary (1994) notes that this is neither dishonest nor devious but rather is an inevitable feature of group dynamics. Being on the or being perceived to be on the us side of the divide SSP will gain trust and improve SSP athlete relations. However in order to be perceived as on the us side of the line the SSP must work in total confidentiality or they will seem to have influence on selection by passing information onto management and therefore being placed in the them category and experiencing more impression management. Therefore in order to be considered us SSP must regard the athlete as the client and exhibit total confidentiality (Klein et al. 2012). However by maintaining this patient confidentiality the SSP may mean withholding information from management that the athlete does not wish to be disclosed, which could put the SSP reputation and Job at risk, highlighting an issue with patient confidentiality (Collins et al. , 1999). Confidentiality is crucial to the SSP athlete allegations, however if an athlete is unfit to play the SSP may struggle to deal with this issue without breaking confid entiality. SSP also recognize the pressure to divulge information applied by management as they have a responsibility to management as ultimately they pay their wages (Collins et al. , 1999). SSP have varying codes of conduct when it comes to confidentiality; for example traditionally banishments and physiologists share information with coaches, whereas psychologists must protect all psychometric data (Collins et al. , 1999). Depends on their philosophy and will be influenced by whom they see as the client, he athlete or the management. Collins et al. 1994) identified two separate approaches to confidentiality depending on who is regarded as the client; firstly the athlete client approach where the SSP will work in total confidence and only divulge permitted information; and secondly the management client approach where the SSP will field athletes who are fit to partake. Both approaches do however have implications, being management client based and removing an athlete from events technically s tands the SSP liable for causing loss of earnings or restricted trade (Collins et al. , 1994). Being athlete client based causes issues with confidentiality as discussed in the previous paragraph. Contrasting philosophies can cause conflict within a ASS team, for example a SSP who has an athlete centered philosophy may want extended rest period after big competitions whereas a SSP with a result based philosophy may disagree with this and want them back training as soon as possible. This highlights the need to consider philosophy when recruiting SSP into a ASS team in order to reduce conflict, however some may argue that the more qualified the better, regardless of their philosophy. Conflict is a regular and expected consequence of ASS (Collins et al. , 1999; Reid, Stewart Throne, 2004), and is often born from different conclusions of the same problem from different sub disciplines. To avoid this conflict some may support a indiscipline approach, however conflict is often key to making informed, correct Judgments being made to improve athletic performance, furthermore it facilitates SSP self critiquing and questioning of practice (Ride et al. , 2004). The author will now consider ways to combat these afore mentioned issues. Due to each discipline having varying codes of conduct when it comes to confidentiality Collins, et al. , 1999), athletes are often left unsure on information handling procedures and roles (Moore Abbott, 2012) and SSP are left in a difficult position. To combat this all disciplines should have a standardized level of confidentiality through their professional associations, currently only the Charted society of physiotherapy has a cross discipline code of conduct (CUPS, [n. . ]). Athletes should have to sign an athlete charter which presents the scope of data confidentiality and whose interests are being met by each role so that the athlete clearly knows how the information he gives will be used and to what extent it will be confidential (Collins et al. , 1999). In order to reduce conflict within ASS group member philosophies must be considered, however at an elite level it is usually results based, therefore t he most qualified/successful SSP may be employed. ASS group size can also be considered to reduce conflict, but at elite level it is unlikely to reduce the size of the support team, reducing performance, purely to reduce chances of conflict. Although these things can be done to reduce conflict, as pointed out by Ride et al. (2004) some conflict can e a positive. Bigger the group the more conflict (Ride, 2004) an interdisciplinary approach allows for integrated and coordinated problem-solving resulting in a higher quality of collaboration and team performance (Mackinac Rodgers, 2000; Norwalk, 2003). Therefore an interdisciplinary approach must be adopted in order to produce the highest performance levels. Athlete charters and universal codes of conduct should be used to clarify confidentiality levels and reduce issues in this area. Conflict is expected in ASS and some conflict is good however ASS team philosophies should be noninsured in order to reduce it and make sure the entire team has the similar aims. Due to the nature of sport, impression management will always be present, therefore SSP must be aware of this.

Corroboratively vs. Collaboratively

Corroboratively vs. Collaboratively Corroboratively vs. Collaboratively Corroboratively vs. Collaboratively By Maeve Maddox A reader has brought my attention to an odd use of the word corroboratively in a job description for a communications specialist position: Work corroboratively as a member of an integrated contractor team Like the reader, I believe that the recruiter was reaching for the adverb collaboratively, which is the word used to describe the action of working with others in a cooperative manner. In my search for additional examples of this misuse, I did not find many, but corroboratively, often spelled â€Å"corrobatively,† does appear in other job descriptions published by recruiters, including several from the UK and one from Australia: You will work corroboratively with the Directors and other Managers Work corrobatively [sic] to support recovery process A marketing site provided another: I think probably this has [a lot] to do with the niche and how much [revenue] is in it for them, and is used corrobatively [sic]. The verb corroborate means â€Å"to strengthen or confirm.† It cropped up frequently in the old Perry Mason television series: Can you corroborate his alibi? If it please the Court, we have corroborating evidence. The adverb form corroboratively is rarely used, although I did find it in two or three difficult-to-follow interpretations of the Book of Revelation in which the prophecies are seen as an indictment of the petroleum industry: all prophecy is corrobatively [sic] linked into the energy business I’m not certain, but I think this example may have something to do with the idea that the Bible provides supporting evidence for the writer’s views. So far the rogue use of corroboratively in the sense of cooperatively or collaboratively is rare, but errors travel quickly in cyberspace. Beware. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†The Four Sounds of the Spelling OUPreposition Review #1: Chance of vs. Chance for

Integrating Strategy, Management and Change (Strategy Development) Research Paper

Integrating Strategy, Management and Change (Strategy Development) - Research Paper Example Academic researchers have pointed out significance of performance measurement in terms of both practical and theoretical perspective. The concept of performance measurement is multidimensional because the model incorporates not only accounting literature but other management fields like operation & production management, marketing and strategic management also. Organizational theory model played crucial role in developing performance measurement models such as Key Performance Indicator, Balance Scorecard and Performance Prism. Problem with the literature review of performance measurement is isolation because of disparate and fragmented findings of research scholars. Researchers have tried to create a link between Organizational effectiveness (OE) and performance measurement but unfortunately only a few of them have succeeded. Academic scholars have argued that organizational effectiveness plays cordial role for designing non financial elements of performance measurement tools. In 200 0, Flamholtz and Aksehirli proposed a relationship between financial aspect of performance measurement and organizational success model. They analyzed both financial and non financial elements of balanced scorecard in order to test the hypothesized relationship. They tested eight pairs of companies of various industries and Average Return on Equity was used as an indicator of financial performance. They used Friedman two way variance analysis and found statistically significant relationship between financial aspect of performance measurement and organizational success model (Flamholtz, 2003, pp. 15-26). Two Theoretical Perspectives for Strategic Performance Measurement Multidimensionality of performance always creates rift for deploying strategic performance measurement models. Multidimensionality of performance is exemplified due to involvement of complex financial and non financial elements. There is a common belief in the field of performance measurement that if the new models su ch as Balance scorecard or Performance prism are implemented, there will be overall organizational performance improvement (Bourne et al., 1999, pp. 373-95). Unfortunately the belief is partially true because impact of performance management is very much influenced by organizational objective. The study will be incomplete without mentioning impact subsystems in performance measurement. Researchers have pointed out that deploying enterprise strategic performance management is far more effective in comparison to strategic performance measurement. In 2005, Neely has argued business leaders need to adopt dynamic, flexible and capable strategic performance measurement model in order to cope with dynamics of external environment (Neely, 2005, pp. 1264-77). In 1993, Platts has presented a holistic approach of strategic performance measurement in terms of virtuous cycle of learning organization. Research scholars (Slack,

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Urban Change and Conflict - Essay Example In a perfect world, the movie would exist uniquely as a representation of darker days long since past. However, ‘Selma’ displays the evolution of urban change and conflict while gleaming a spotlight on the slow growth of that which has not changed. The movie’s story offers a blueprint not only on the past events, but of the way forward in terms of urban change and conflict. The movie ‘Selma’ of course did not happen in a vacuum. The mass movement against Jim Crow apartheid, for the right to vote and equal rights in public accommodations, had been growing for almost a decade, ever since the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. However, the early 1960s witnessed the Freedom Rides and lunch counter sit-in movement against segregation on interstate bus transportation1. This movement for equity and democratic rights was made possible by the struggle of the working class of the 1940s and 1930s that preceded it. The Urban crisis is jarringly evident in the shattered storefronts and fire-blemished African apartments in the movie. Rates of poverty among these black residents are very high. With a few expectations, most of them have witnessed loss of manufacturing job and the arrival of a low-wage service sector. Most of the streets that are revealed in the movie have ghettos that are characterized by extreme spatial isolation and segregation. This means that central-city residence, joblessness, race, and poverty were intertwined in the urban areas. It can be noted that patterns of racial and class segregation in the cities in America had continued and hardened. As evident from the movie, racial conflict and tension as a tenacious refrain in the people living in the urban areas. Discrimination by race and color was a key fact of life in the urban areas of America in the 1950s and 60s.

People , placed and Environment portolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

People , placed and Environment portolio - Essay Example The relationship of people with their environment is not same in all places. Some places & its environment are harsh for human sustainability whereas some places are most suitable for living. This Portfolio is an endeavor to portray the relationship of people of different places with their environment, with the shift in their location. The places vary from Asian countries like Tibet to countries in the American continent like USA. It depicts the way in which the environment determines the different aspects of their life like population growth, nourishment & economic development of the whole community etc. It describes how people are in different types of relationship with the environment & the way their dependency, wellbeing, etc. varies with the change in location. In the present age, human beings have started to affect the environment enormously through their actions. The environment is harmed considerably by the actions of people. But the harm the environment suffers, through the actions of people varies from place to place. Fig. 1 Nomads of Tibet Fig. 2 People of New York City Fig. 3 People in Sahara desert Fig. 4 Earthquake in Sumatra Fig. 5 â€Å"Java Rice Paddy Workers† Fig. 6 People in Sumatra In Fig. 1 the image of a Nomad of Tibet is given. The population of the area is low due to its rugged relief, creating obstacles in the construction of roads, railways & communication (Richabraj). The nomads come out in the warm weather & roam in mountain pastures with their herds of yaks and sheep. In the cold weather they go to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet for many reasons (Tibetan Nomads: A focus on the Tibetan culture). Thus, this people completely depend on nature for their survival. In Fig. 2 we can see an image of New York City, a highly industrialized city of a developed country. Environment is most suitable in all aspects due to its location. But unlike the developing countries the city causes pollution & thus harms the environment. In Fig. 3 we can see the inhabitants of Sahara Desert, which has a population of only 2.5 million despite its area of 3.5 million. It has one of the harshest environments. The majority of the population being Nomads move from place to place in search of better living conditions (The Living Africa: The People). In Fig. 4 we can see people in Sumatra trying to rescue survivors from a house destroyed by earthquake. These people are tormented by the environment through its natural disasters. Yet, the desire for survival impels these people to fight with the environment. In Fig. 5 we can see workers in Java Island of Indonesia. The Java islands of Indonesia have fertile soil, as such agriculture flourished, making the area densely populated (Richabraj). Thus the environment is perfectly suitable for human beings over here & less industrialization does not allow the environment to be harmed. We can call this a healthy relationship of people, place & environment. In Fig. 6 we can see migrating people of S umatra. Due to the environmental conditions they are forced to migrate in search for a better place. They don’t harm the nature by themselves but instead they are being ruled by the forces of nature. Works Cited Richabraj. â€Å" Elaborate relationship between man and environment?† Wikianswers.com. N.d. Web. 25th Feb 2011. â€Å"Tibetan Nomads: A

Film Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Film Review - Assignment Example Based on a true story, Missing weave the incident that took place in Chile in 1973. An American freelance journalist Charles Horman (John Shea) with his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) is in Chile as the opportunity presents them with the condition of military coup to report on, during and after the regime of Salvador Allande. As the time nears for the couple to leave Chile to return to America, Charles is been abducted by the military, which hints the involvement of the American army – a place where they should not be present. The following events depict the father of Charles, a conservative business man trying to locate his son and get out of the jungle of lies and deception portrayed by the US embassy with his daughter in law. Like every film produced to date, Missing contains a theme, targets a specific audience and has few editing shortcomings. The theme of the movie can be describes as addressing the controversy that had resulted as a result of Charles Horman execution back in 1973 and to clearly portray the involvement of US government in the scenario. For instance, in the start of the movie Gavras educate the people that the proceeding scenes are accounted for and are documented too; this implies that whatever will be shown in the movie cannot be questioned and the scenes are shot after authorizing the incident. So, we can harmlessly assume that the Gavras hinting that the US government was involved and the embassy played a part in approving or commanding the execution of Chalres Horman is correct. But then, this particular controversy clearing scenes opened new questioning from the public as well as the government. People tends to get more involved in a movie if the movie is based on a real incident, as this flick by Gavras falls in the same category the audience targeted by the director was the American citizen, because of the fact that the main victim of the movie was an American and this topic had been controversial for a long period of

PRJ1 Security Tool Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Film Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Film Review - Assignment Example Based on a true story, Missing weave the incident that took place in Chile in 1973. An American freelance journalist Charles Horman (John Shea) with his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) is in Chile as the opportunity presents them with the condition of military coup to report on, during and after the regime of Salvador Allande. As the time nears for the couple to leave Chile to return to America, Charles is been abducted by the military, which hints the involvement of the American army – a place where they should not be present. The following events depict the father of Charles, a conservative business man trying to locate his son and get out of the jungle of lies and deception portrayed by the US embassy with his daughter in law. Like every film produced to date, Missing contains a theme, targets a specific audience and has few editing shortcomings. The theme of the movie can be describes as addressing the controversy that had resulted as a result of Charles Horman execution back in 1973 and to clearly portray the involvement of US government in the scenario. For instance, in the start of the movie Gavras educate the people that the proceeding scenes are accounted for and are documented too; this implies that whatever will be shown in the movie cannot be questioned and the scenes are shot after authorizing the incident. So, we can harmlessly assume that the Gavras hinting that the US government was involved and the embassy played a part in approving or commanding the execution of Chalres Horman is correct. But then, this particular controversy clearing scenes opened new questioning from the public as well as the government. People tends to get more involved in a movie if the movie is based on a real incident, as this flick by Gavras falls in the same category the audience targeted by the director was the American citizen, because of the fact that the main victim of the movie was an American and this topic had been controversial for a long period of

Nitrogen is a part of chlorophyll Essay Example for Free

Nitrogen is a part of chlorophyll Essay Experiment- Using the fertilizer is important for many gardeners as it helps their plants to grow strong and healthy plus fertilizers can be fairly expensive and not all work as predicted, also Gardeners only get one chance at either growing their crop or plants so it is essential for them to get the fertilizer right. This experiment will focus on 6 major fertilizer brands to find out which is the best- Research- Nitrogen (N) Nitrogen is a part of all living cells and is a necessary part of all proteins, enzymes and metabolic processes involved in the synthesis and transfer of energy. Nitrogen is a part of chlorophyll, the green pigment of the plant that is responsible for photosynthesis. Helps plants with rapid growth, increasing seed and fruit production and improving the quality of leaf and forage crops. Nitrogen often comes from fertilizer application and from the air (legumes get their N from the atmosphere, water or rainfall contributes very little nitrogen) Phosphorus (P) Like nitrogen, phosphorus (P) is an essential part of the process of photosynthesis. Involved in the formation of all oils, sugars, starches, etc. Helps with the transformation of solar energy into chemical energy; proper plant maturation; withstanding stress. Effects rapid growth. Encourages blooming and root growth. Phosphorus often comes from fertilizer, bone meal, and superphosphate. Potassium (K) Potassium is absorbed by plants in larger amounts than any other mineral element except nitrogen and, in some cases, calcium. Helps in the building of protein, photosynthesis, fruit quality and reduction of diseases. Potassium is supplied to plants by soil minerals, organic materials, and fertilizer. Calcium (Ca) Calcium, an essential part of plant cell wall structure, provides for normal transport and retention of other elements as well as strength in the plant. It is also thought to counteract the effect of alkali salts and organic acids within a plant. Sources of calcium are dolomitic lime, gypsum, and superphosphate. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and Calcium are all the essential nutrients usually added to help aide in the plants growth as when the plant grows it absorbs large proportions of each nutrient meaning that there will be near to none left, ending in a stunted growth, Gardeners and farmers add these nutrients to the ground to ensure there will always be enough for when the plant grows, the acidity of the soil is another reason why nutrients are added because the higher the acidic level of the soil the more nutrients will be lost. All fertilizers have a controlled release which ensures that they will last longer. Information on Fertilizers used- Urea- Urea has the highest concentration of nitrogen that a fertilizer can offer, it is composed of 50% Nitrogen, as it is usually Nitrogen that is absorbed the most by plants during growth. It is one of the basic fertilizers as it only offers one nutrient to the plants. Osmocote- Osmocote offers the most diverse and wide range of nutrients to plants, Osmocote is composed of Nitrogen, Sulphur, Phosphorus, Potassium and Calcium and also contains organic seed growing mix to help with faster seed growth. It also contains a wetting agent which ensures that it will stay moisturized for longer. Nitrophoska- Nitrophoska is the most environmentally friendly of all the fertilizers as the components wear off over a certain time into the soil leaving no traces or harm to the environment, it also is one of the few fertilizers that can be used on any plant. Nitrophoska contains Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. NPK Fertilizer- NPK fertilizer is the most commonly used and manufactured fertilizer as it contains the three essential nutrients for plant growth Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus. Due to its high domestic demand many plants are also able to have NPK Fertilizer used on them. Blood and Bone- Blood Bone Based Fertilizer contains 65% blood and Bone meal with added animal manure (Nitogen-5. 4: Phosphorus4. 0: Potassium-0. 4). Blood and Bone contains the most organic matter of all the fertilizers, which gives the plant a larger leaf growth and can be used on a wide range of plants and trees. Control- A controlled test with only garden soil and no fertilizer to test and compare to the other fertilizers. Why choose Granular? Another important thing that needs to be discussed is why use Granular fertilizer out of a whole range of other fertilizer types. Reasons- Granular fertilizer can be weighted or measured more easily to ensure that one test doesn’t receive more fertilizer then the one next to it. Granular fertilizer is the cheapest form of fertilizer and it is ideal for indoor and pot plants. Granular fertilizer contains the most nutrients that a fertilizer can offer giving it the advantage over other fertilizers and saving on buying extras, Granular fertilizers also come wetting agents which ensures that it has water for longer. Granular fertilizers are much less harmful as they don’t contain micro bacteria or other harmful substances. And Granular fertilizers offer the widest variety to choose from giving the buyer of an option of what type of fertilizers to buy and which ones will suit their plants. Granular fertilizers are also time released, meaning that it allows nutrients to flow out of the granules and into the soil over time, meaning that the plant will have a constant supply of food and nutrients. Granular fertilizer were chosen to be used for this experiment as they offered a wider variety of advantage for plant growth, to wetting agents and that it was easiest to measure/ weight to give a fairer test. Bibliography http://feeco. com/2011/12/07/npk-fertilizer-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work/- Information given on NPK fertilizer and its components, benefits and other facts. http://www. grahamturf. com/main/reference/images/liquid_vs_granular. pdf- Information about Granular Fertilizers, what they are good for, which plants they are good for and what they are made of. Http://www. incitecpivot. com. au/entec_nitrophoska_blue. cfm- Information given about Nitrophoska fertilizer and its components, benefits and other facts. http://www. incitecpivot. com. au/zone_files/PDFs/Urea_Factsheet.pdf- Information given about Urea fertilizer and its components, benefits and other facts. http://www. ncagr. gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/nutrient. htm- Information given on the essential nutrients needed by plants and how the plants benefit from those nutrients. Http://www. scottsaustralia. com. au/media/MSDS/Osmocote-Plus-Organics-Plant-Starter-(120840)-1010. pdf- Information given on Osmocote fertilizer and its components, benefits and other facts. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Fertilizer- Information on common fertilizers, their purpose and what they contain and why they contain it, basically a fact sheet on fertilizers http://www. yates. com. au/commercial/products/plant-food/organic-based/blood-bone-based-fertiliser/- Information given on Blood and Bone fertilizer and its components, benefits and other facts. Aim- To find out which common household granular fertilizer, and state which fertilizer those with phosphorus, nitrogen or other, promotes the fastest and healthiest growth in plants/grass in a controlled amount of time consisting of six weeks, by measuring and recording the growth of each plant over an allocated time period, and to record nutrients and water levels left in the plants every Week, to determine which fertilizer is the best.

The Sociological Imagination Of Individual Problems Sociology Essay

The Sociological Imagination Of Individual Problems Sociology Essay This assignment will explore C. Wright Mills concept of a sociological imagination when looking at the problems of the individual, and explain how this theory might assist social workers. It will then look at a contemporary social problem encountered by social workers, in this case poverty. It will explore and discuss by reference how three sociological theories (Marxism, Feminism and Functionalists) offer useful insights into the socially constructed nature of poverty. C. Wright Mills (1916 62) had a vision of reforming society and popularising sociology with his theory of the sociological imagination, Slattery (1991). Leon-Guerrero (2005:2) explains The sociological imagination links our personal lives and experiences with the social world. It is the ability to look further than the individuals personal issue, recognising and linking macro scale environmental factors (economic, political and other societal institutions). Mills (1959:12) argued that this theory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is the idea that the individual can understand his own experience and gauge his own fate by locating himself within his period, that he can know his own chances in life by becoming aware of those of all individuals in his circumstances. Mills is supported by Cunningham and Cunningham (2008) who argue, instead of focusing on the individuals inability to cope as the main problem; step back and look at the bigger picture. Cunningham and Cunningham (2008) support this by using a n example of someone experiencing depression post redundancy. They argue that instead focusing on the individuals failure to cope; the problem could exist due to social structures within the macro environment, such as, current economic or political conditions. Cree (2000) adds that the failure by social workers to make such links will result in oppressive practice. Additionally, Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:7) argue learning to think sociologically is one of the most important skills a social worker can bring to their practice as it enables social workers to step back from taken for granted assumptions about social life and to critically unpack these assumptions (2008:7). This is further supported by Leon-Guerrero (2005:14) By continuing to develop a sociological imagination and recognising the larger social, cultural and structural forces, we can identify appropriate measures to address these social problems. In summary, the sociological imagination is able to assist social workers by allowing them to reject common sense explanations for the consequences of social actions. It enables practitioners to develop skills which help them to work in an anti-oppressive manner. Fundamentally, it helps distinguish between individuals private problems and wider social problems; one cannot be properly understood without the other. The contemporary social problem to be discussed is poverty, as this an ongoing social issue that is common amongst service users. Consequently, a large amount of social work practice takes place around poverty. This is supported by Smale et al (2000:18)  Those who use, and are required to use, social work services continue overwhelmingly to be poor and disadvantaged. Social workers have been criticised for their lack of knowledge surrounding poverty. Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:32) who argue The relationship between poverty and social work is not new, yet it is one that remains understated and implicit in social work training courses and practice. Becker (1997:114) claims Social workers have little understanding of the complex processes that generate and maintain poverty; they have limited insight into how their political and welfare ideologies and attitudes to poverty affect their daily practice with poor people; they have failed to place poverty on the agenda for social work theorising, education, policy and practice. Krumer-Nevo et al (2009:225) (16/12/09) takes this further, arguing despite the profound commitment of social work towards people living in poverty, the social work profession has failed to develop practice based on awareness of poverty. Sociologists have favoured two definitions of poverty; these are Absolute and Relative poverty. Giddens (2006) suggests the concept of absolute poverty is grounded in the idea of subsistence the basic conditions that must be met in order to sustain a physically healthy existence. People who lack these fundamental requirements for human existence such as sufficient food, shelter and clothing are said to live in poverty. Relative poverty emphasises the disparities within society. Leon-Guerrero (2005:224) refers to this as a situation whereby some people fail to achieve the average income and lifestyle enjoyed by the rest of society. Leon-Guerrero (2006) suggests that the construction of social problems arise from social conditions that lead to negative consequences for both the individual and the social world. Moulder (2000:2) claims sociologists came to define social problems as problems that concern large numbers of people, have social-structural causes, and require social-structural solutions. Poverty has many negative factors that affect individuals and society, this is supported by a report conducted on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions called Living with Poverty (2009:10) (2310/09), which claims the impact that poverty can have on peoples lives shows that the experience of poverty is almost always overwhelmingly negative, and can have psychological, physical, relational and practical effects on peoples lives. These findings are supported by Beresford et al (1999). For a social problem to become defined as an actual problem it must have both objective and subjective realities. The objective reality comes by acknowledging that a social condition does exist. Leon Guerrero (2006) states A social condition does not have to be personally experienced by every individual in order to be considered a social problem. The objective reality of a social problem comes from acknowledging that a social condition does exist. Poverty can be seen through media, charities campaigning to help the less privileged in Britain and even on the streets in the forms of homelessness and big issue sellers. A report by Hirsch (2008) (3/12/09) estimated that child poverty costs around  £25 billion a year in losses, stating Child poverty imposes huge costs on those affected but it is also costly to us all. This suggests everyone is affected by poverty, as taxes are used to eliminate poverty. According to the report Poverty and Wealth across Britain 1968 to 2005 (1997:14) Ove r the past 15 years, more households have become poor, but fewer are very poor. Although the number of extremely poor has decreased there was still a systematic rise in poverty defined as breadline poverty. A report by Kempson (1996:1) (3/12/09) further identified that One in four of the British population live in homes with less than half the average disposable income. This report also identified issues that showed people living in poverty were suffering from a variety of shortcomings including poor health, underprivileged housing, and unemployment. A subjective reality addresses how a problem becomes defined as a problem, Leon-Guerrero (2005:6). This is through powerful groups who look at tackling such problems, such as, government and media. This process is what is known as social construction. Giddens (2006:154) Rather then assuming that social reality objectively exists, social constructivists work to document and analyse the processes through which social reality is constructed, such that the construction then serves to confirm its own status as social reality. Poverty has been termed a social problem in society by the UK government. The Department of Work and Pensions (2009) have clearly stated The Governments target is to halve child poverty by 2010 and be on the way to eradicating it by 2020. This message is supported and reinforced through various forms of media and charities who work towards this goal. Leon-Guerrero (2005:6) in discussing social problems states they become real only when they are subjectively defined or perceived as problematic. This assignment will now explore functionalism, Marxism and feminist theories in relation to poverty. Functionalism was developed by Emile Durkheim (1858-1917).Leon-Guerrero (2005:10) asserts Functionalists use a macro perspective focusing on how society creates and maintains social order. According to Durkheim, society can be viewed as an organic object; every aspect of society is co-dependant and contributes to society as a whole. Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:12) uses a biological analogy to explain functionalism Just as biologists understand the ways in which different bodily organs such as the heart, the brain, the kidneys, the lungs and so on, perform a specific function to keep the human body alive, so with society, its different components work in harmony with one common end à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ . The body is termed as whole organism with each function depending on the other to ensure healthy functioning. In social terms these organs can be used to describe social institutions and the relationship they have with different institutions. Slattery (1991:63) also uses a similar anal ogy to describe this theory: It functions like any other natural organism as a system of independent parts the economy, the family, the government and so on held together by not a central nervous system but a central value system, a set of sociological guidelines called norms based on underlying moral consensus, or collective consciousness. Giddens (2006:21) states Functionalism emphasises the importance of moral consensus, in maintaining order and stability in society. This is achieved through shared values and beliefs, learned through socialisation. Social control is desirable and change tends to be seen as disruptive. Social problems are seen a result of deviance; this is due to lack of conformity, failing to conform to the norms of society. Acknowledging that poverty does exist within the social structure, functionalists believe that poverty is a beneficial function to society. Leon-Guerrero (2005:228) argues that Functionalists observe that poverty is a product of our social structure he further adds that poverty is seen as a natural consequence of system stratification. This refers to technological advances which have left behind a workforce of unskilled workers. This theory implies that inequality is both natural and essential, as it provides an incentive for people to work harder and better themselves. This is s upported by Davis and Moore (1945) who argue, social inequality is thus an unconsciously evolved device by which by which societies ensure that the most important positions are conscientiously filled by the most qualified persons cited in Best (2005:9). Poverty is regarded on a macro scale in terms of the benefits it provides for society as a whole, rather than for the individuals in poverty. It would provide jobs for those who are tasked to alleviate such problems such as social workers. Theresa Funicello (1993) cited in Leon Guerrero (2005:230) observes The poverty industry once again substituted its own interests for that of poor people. Parsons (1953) backs this up, arguing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that lack of equality of opportunity would clearly have an impact on an individuals opportunity to make a contribution to the organisation or the wider social system cited in Best (2005:27). H. J. Gans (1971), argued that poverty exists because it is functional for society, cited in Leon Gurre rro (2005:228). Gans (1971:2-4) (18/10/09) claimed the existence of poverty ensures that societys dirty work will be done, and poverty creates jobs for a number of occupations and professions that serve or service the poor, or protect the rest of society from them. Furthermore the poor can be identified and punished as alleged or real deviants in order to uphold the legitimacy of conventional norms. Gans believes poverty will be eliminated only when it becomes dysfunctional for the affluent or powerful, or when the powerless can obtain enough power to change society. In summary, Functionalists seem to justify the social status quo and the effects of poverty on individuals/society. The poor are seen as less able and deviant as they do not conform to societys norms. Taking into consideration the current economical state, the recession has lead to unemployment, forcing more people into poverty; functionalists would agree that institutes were not working together, and that this was just a temporary problem. The role of a functionalist social worker would be to support deviant service users back into societys norms. The ideas of Karl Marx (1818-93) contrast sharply with those of Comte and Durkheim, but like them he sought to explain the changes that were taking place in society during the time of Industrial Revolution, Giddens (2006:14). Marxism is a conflict theory, and like the functionalists they too view society on a macro scale. However, Marxists argue that society operates in a permanent state of conflict at all levels as a consequence of the clash of interests between two classes (bourgeoisie and proletariat). Leon-Guerrero (2005) suggests that conflict theorists believe poverty exists due to class division in society; it helps those in power to maintain and expand their position leaving little to share with others. Marxists would argue that poverty is caused by capitalism, which concentrates wealth in the hands of the ruling class. According to Best (2005) the bourgeoisie were the owners of capital (rich) who employed the proletariat, who had only their labour to sell (poor). Marists bel ieved that the bourgeoisie exploited and made profit from the proletariat by not paying them full value of their work. By accepting a low wage is creating a conflict of interest, as one social group is benefiting on the back of another social group. Giddens (2006:16) argues that the conflict occurs due to inequalities between the classes, The relationship between classes is an exploitive one, since workers have little or no control over their labour and employers are able to generate profit by appropriating the product of workers labour. In an article Poverty in the Big Issue, Searing (2007) claims poverty is structurally constructed as a result a modern capitalist society. Poverty and inequality seem to be an intrinsic part of modern capitalism. She argues This Labour government, by continuing the neoliberal, modernising agenda of the previous government, regards poverty and inequality as the inevitable price to be paid to maintain competitiveness in the global economy. Searing (2007) also believes that social class plays a big part in society, arguing Social work may endorse anti-oppressive ideas but class inequalities, which give rise to and perpetuate income inequalities, remain as wide as ever. Clearly, anti-oppressive practice is at its weakest when it comes to the issue of class. Furthermore, she asserts that The social class a child is born into is a major determinant of their life chances. Searing (2007) argues that the UK government chooses to minimise the part played by social and economic factors, outside the control of the individual, in causing poverty and implies that in most cases personal inadequacy is at the root of peoples failure to remain independent and self-supporting. In summary, Marxists believe that the source of poverty lies within societal structures and the existence of poverty are beneficial to the ruling class. As long as there is poverty, capitalism will exist. Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:22) state as a Marxist social worker you would help people to adjust to their difficulties, by providing services, or a listening ear; and in doing so, structural problems become individualised with attention shifted away from the real cause. This is backed by Payne (2005: 231) who suggests that social workers are seen agents of class control enhancing the oppression by capitalist societies of the working class. They simply enable the capitalist system to reproduce itself in the next generation by helping people to cope with the difficulties of the system. There are different views of feminism. Dealamont (2003:17) identifies three feminist perspectives, liberal, Marxist and radical, all of which were developed in the early 1970s. Chafetz (1988) cited in Dealamont (2003:18) argued that all feminist theories were defined so that gender is a central focus where gender is systematically related to social contradictions, inequalities and pressure points, additionally it can be used to challenge, counteract or change situations in which women are devalued or disadvantaged. This is supported by Trevithick (2005). Feminists would argue that women are more likely to experience poverty than men due to their disadvantageous position in society, Taylor (2002:179). Neubeck and Cazenave (2001) agree, arguing that the government is moving towards maintaining a patriarchal society where the male continues to dominate the welfare policy. Moore (1998:27) asserts Majority of people in poverty are women and the economic and welfare systems conspire to keep them there. They argue that the government Need to recognise this and alter the system to give woman the chance to escape from poverty. Furthermore, feminists argue that women earn less and have less sexual power in society. Glendinning and Miller (1995) agree with these arguments stating women are more likely to live in poverty because they are seen as secondary workers whose main role is seen as domestic. Additionally, More women than men rely on benefits as their main source of income; lone parents are vulnerable to poverty, and a large majority are women. The majority of pensioners are also women cited in Haralambos and Holborn (1995:145). During the early 1970s the media and government created an image of women where they were portrayed to be abusing the welfare system, aimed at mainly single mothers these women were believed to be having more children to avoid having to work and gain more financial benefits (Leon-Gurrero 2005). Feminists theories of poverty tend to highlight that women are overly represented in figures of poverty. This is because of their weaker position in society, their weaker economical position. Moore (1998:70) argues that the proportion of children and population living in poverty are likely to be women, as they form the majority of the elderly, the disable, single parents and the low paid. If you look at benefits figures it shows the vast majority of people claiming benefits in this country would be women, because they head single parent families and women tend to earn less. This is supported by Moore (1998:70) who states, As single parents, women are unable to work. So statistically in old day s, women were more likely to encounter poverty. Moore (1998:71) states Since the 1970s there has been a rapid increase in the number of lone-parent families in the UK. Additionally, Today, more then one in every six families is headed by a lone mother. This is caused mainly by the growth in the divorce rate and by the increase in lone parenthood (that is women having and raising children on their own). These arguments are supported by an article by the BBC News website (2008) Womens low pay behind poverty, which argues 40% of households are now headed by single mothers, and this has concerning implications for tackling child poverty. Moreover, The TUC said that mothers were being trapped in part-time, low-paid jobs. More than 75% of part-time workers were female. The gender pay gap for full-time workers was 17.2%. It further adds that Women in Britain were more likely to be poor than others in Europe from the moment they conceived. Haralambos and Holborn (1995:145) support this, arg uing household incomes are not distributed equally. Women tend to have smaller independent incomes than men and there is no guarantee that they will share fully the income of their husbands or partners. Moore (1998:70) argues that the proportion of children and population living in poverty are likely to be women, as they form the majority of the elderly, the disable, single parents and the low paid. Radical Feminists argue that women form the majority of the poor because they are restricted by family as It is generally regarded as the womans role to take primary responsibility for the care of their family Moore (1998:95). They see the nuclear family as a major contributor towards womens oppression. Both Giddens (2006) and Haralambos and Holborn (1995:592) support this argument stating the family is often seen by radical feminists as the key institution producing womens oppression in modern societies. Radical feminists also argue political and economic power is in the hands of men. As a result of this, decisions about economic matters, as well as about issues of health and welfare, reflect the interests of men, and may well harm women. This situation of male power is known as patriarchy, Moore (1998:23). This is supported by Leon-Guerrero (2005:230) who claims Feminist scholars argue the welfare state is an arena of political struggle. The drive to maintain male dominance and the patriarchal family is assumed to be the principal force of shaping the formation, implementation, and outcomes of the U.S. welfare policy. Radical Feminists believes that poverty is caused by gender, men forever superior and women relentlessly submissive. Regrettably with the perpetual fragmentation and modification society is experiencing this theory is old-fashioned. Relationships are not always, heterosexual and same sex relationships have been thriving. However, Liberal feminists would agree with radical feminists that the role of the nuclear family is repressive towards woman, but they argue that patriarchy is not the cause of womens oppression. This is supported by Giddens (2006:468) who claims liberal feminists look for explanations of gender inequalities in social and cultural attitudes. Additionally Cunningham (2008:97) also states that liberal feminists believe that the roots of womens oppression lie with the irrational prejudice, stereotyping and outdated attitudes and practices that lead to sex discrimination occurring in all spheres of life. Furthermore, Giddens (2006:470) suggests liberal feminists tend to focus their energies on establishing and protecting equal opportunities for women through legislation and other democratic means. Liberal feminists work to bring about change through legislation, such as, equal pay act as opposed to radical feminists who try to defeat the system. Finally, Cunningham (2008:99) states that liberal feminists argue Women lose out on the ability to develop their talents; business loses out because it fails to harness the potential and ability of 50% of the population, and men lose out because they are denied the opportunity to develop close ties with their children. This assignment has explored Mills theory of a sociological imagination and how it may assist social workers when considering the problem of an individual. Furthermore, it has looked at how three different sociological theories can offer useful insights into the socially constructed nature of poverty. It will now focus on the impact of these theories upon social work practice. Sociologists have made a significant contribution towards the understanding of poverty, through their theories. Mills (1959:8) stated Social work is fundamentally about values and about value-judgements. Sociological knowledge can provide us with a framework for anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive practice, by giving us the analytical tools with which to begin to explore the relationship between individuals and society Mills theory of sociological imagination is one which does not have a bias and can be applied readily to any case. This theory enables social workers to see the bigger picture and protect service users against anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice. Cree (200:5) argues that this is the reason social workers need a sociological imagination. Moreover, Cree (200:209) argues that sociological theories do not provide all the answers to social problems but, the questions themselves lead to the potential development of sensitive, anti-oppressive practice. Sociology theories inform social workers of differing views on the existence and continuation of poverty. The contribution of liberal feminists has raised positive awareness that changes in the social structure can bring about positive chance in the social structure. Giddens (2006:26) states What sociology gives is as an awareness of cultural differences that allow us to see the social world from many perspectives. Giddens (2006:27) asserts that There is often a connection between studying sociology and the prompting of a social conscience. This is supported by Cree (2000:7) who argues sociology offers social work the opportunity to explore meanings beneath taken-for-granted assumptions about behaviour, action and social structure. It offers a knowledge and value base which is not rooted in individual pathology but instead seeks to understand individuals in the context of the broader structures that make up their lives (including social class, gender, age, race, and ethnicity) and th e historical movement within which they are living. Additionally, Domenelli (2002:4) asserts Social workers have a responsibility to challenge this grotesque image of poor people and, besides bringing to public notice the strengths of those who battle to transcend social exclusion, to work to empower those who are engulfed by the weight of circumstances in which they are embedded. Moreover, Promoting social justice and human development in an unequal world provides the raison dà ªtre of social work practice, and is a key way of discharging societys contract in assisting vulnerable people in its midst. In order for practitioners to practice anti-oppressively, Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:48) suggest a task-centred approach. This offers a very practical model which is potentially very empowering. Dominelli (2002) agrees with this approach, arguing that social workers and service users should work together to achieve positive change. Additionally, Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:4 8) argue Practice is based on the premise that the service user will work in partnership with the social worker and learn new methods that will equip them in the future. In this sense, workers could adopt a very practical way to address some aspects of poverty. They further suggest that this still doesnt go far enough, as this method of practice is based upon an individual approach and doesnt address the bigger picture. Possibly combining task-centred working with other more radical methods of working might address this. Thompson (2006:26) asserts In order to understand how inequalities and discrimination feature in the social circumstances of clients, and in the interactions between clients and the welfare state, it is helpful to analyse the situation in terms of three levels. These three levels (P,C and S) are closely interlinked. This is further supported by Cree (2000:208) who confirms that inequality and oppression exist at both individual and structural levels. Therefore its i mportant for social workers to understand this model as it provides grounds for challenging inequalities. Trevithick (2005:284) supports this, arguing this approach emphasises the importance of social, economic and political solutions to social problems, thereby shifting the onus of blame from the individual without denying responsibility. In summary, by developing and using our sociological imagination and being aware of theoretical perspectives and approaches to practice, ensures the necessary steps to guard against anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice. WORD COUNT: 2200