Against Banning Full-Face Veils Essay

Mirayda Martinez Against Banning Full-Face Veils Banning Full-Face Veils would not only make Muslim women feel vulnerable to men as a sexual desire, it would also make them feel betrayed by the country or state they live in. Being told what to wear is like being told what to eat or who to hang out with, it is unjust. Muslim women should be able to dress how they would like without being Judged or assaulted by anyone. The veil helps assure the women that they are not being looked at as a desire and in a way, wearing the veil helps make them feel closer to God. Enforcing laws against Full-Face Veils would be amiss because it would e stripping them of freedom of expression and religion. First, Muslim women should not be Judged by what they wear Just because it is different from the culture and beliefs of everyone else. It is not a crime to be different, but then why do some women get assaulted and harassed for wearing a veil? Just because they do not believe in the same religion as other people does not mean they should get treated any differently than others. Muslim women should be entitled to wear whatever they want to, even if it is a Full-Face Veil that covers them from top to bottom. For some omen, veiling is an expression of their religious beliefs, and is no less or more a part of their religious observance than praying five times a day or fasting during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer in Islam. † Veiling is a way women express their religious belief and should not get treated any less important than fasting or pra ying towards Mecca; it should get treated with the same respect. Second, the veil is very important.

Analysis Of Club Meds Essay

Club Mediterranee was created in 1950 under the law of 1901, through the initiative of a former member of the Belgian water polo team, Gerald Blitz. The idea came to him following a visit to his sister in 1949 at the Olympic Village of Calvi, in Corsica. It was formed along a quite singular concept, that of offering â€Å"all inclusive â€Å"holidays. Sixty years later, Club Med annually welcomes over 1.7 million guests from all over the world, to around 90CM villages in seaside and mountain locations. To cater its guests, also called GM’s (â€Å"Gentils members† or gracious members). Each holiday village has its own structure that is exclusive to club med: the structure is composed of the following The Gentils Organisateurs (GO’s) or gracious organizers. A staff category, including entertainers, group leaders, but also others. Job functions including heads of maintenance, swimming instructors, cooks, human resource directors and many others The gracious employees (GE) who include the waiters and gardeners and usually come from the country hosting the club. Both gracious organizers and gracious employees may be seasonal workers or permanently employed depending on the length of the time that the club has been open. Pillars behind the club’s performance The club has a unique type of staff organization, which is part of the unchangeable pillar of the club. It has exceptional quality of its locations, which distinguishes it from its competitors making the club to be more successful. The club has also managed to find and secure the most beautiful and well-preserved sites in the world, thus contributing to an added competitive advantage. The club ranks its villages in five categories (tridents) according to their locations, their infrastructures and the services offered. Their establishment of the villages ranges from simple huts to a 5-trident establishment. The villages with huts and those currently classified up to three tridents are scheduled to gradually disappear, making a way for additional up-market villages, more in keeping with the club’s new strategy. The first Club Med village was a temporary tent located in the Alcudia in the Balearic Islands. To help him launch his first session, he sought assistance from his friends who he had managed during the pre-war sports. On the club’s first season, they operated on a leased plot near Palma. The tents and the basic cooking necessities were bought in an American army surplus store in Germany. Blitz idea was to involve guests in the successful running of the village. This concept facilitated meeting people and abolishing financial and class barriers for the duration of the holiday through a multitude of activities, sports and excursions. This eventually led for Blitz contacting the Trigano et Fils for additional materials, tents and camping equipment. This eventually led to him meeting Gilbert Trigano his elder brother, a few years later they joined forces and in 1963, he actually became the chairperson and the managing director. (Zaleznik, 1997). In 1952, club med also built its first village with huts in Greece. The construction of a number of further hut villages followed, then more robust constructions in bricks and mortar, more similar to hotels. The first club was built in Agadir under the encouragement of King Hassan II. In 1960, the club almost went bankrupt under the management of the burner. It was saved by Edmond de Rothschild, who came to own 35% shares. In 1966, for the first time, the club was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. At the beginning of the seventies, the club’s finances were still wanting and Gilbert Trigano, the manager at the time had to seek a considerable injection of new capital. This was when nine new shareholders, including Gianni Agnelli gained a majority of the company’s capital. His participation led to the opening of the first village in Italy. He remained in possession of 23.9% of the capital up to until 2004. A major innovation was introduced afterwards with the first †˜Mini Club Med† a special children’s club catering to all ages, from babies to teenagers. This formed a strong pillar of the enterprise and that is even today, an important criterion for comparing with the competitors. The club later launched a public promotional campaign, which led to the opening of a new club in Brazil in 1979 preceded by the USA during the following year. Four years later the club opened premises in Wall Street, where its shares were listed. In 1980’s the club launched its first sailing ship the â€Å"Club Med I†, and two years later, they launched â€Å"Club Med II†. They also acquired an airline afterwards. Due to these acquisitions, the club started experiencing crisis due to a drop in guest numbers and also its debts increased which three years later, Gilbert Trigano decided to hand over the leadership to his son, Serge. The leadership by Serge ended with huge losses up to 113 million euros in 1996 and 150 million euros in 1977. He was replaced by Phillipe Bourguignon whose ambition was to transform a company of holiday villages to a company of services. There followed the launch of a new promotional campaign that also marked a key date in the history of Club Med (Spring, 2002). In the 20th century, there began renovation of the villages and more competitive price positioning. A number of innovations emerged with the creation of Med World, a venue for concerts and evening entertainment, where the guests could meet up before or after their holidays. In 2001, Oyyo Club concept was created and it aimed at a younger population (18-25 years). In the same year, the Gymnase club was acquired and turned into the Club Med Gym. This year the club was debuted on the internet. The years 2000 resulted in both extreme sailing competitions and participation in hypermarkets through a range of sportswear. Club’s Current Operations                      In 2000, the turnover had grown by 28% compared to the previous years and the operating profits rose to 103 million euros. However the villages were disinfected in the year 2002/2003 leading to a deficit of 6 million euros. This led to the replacement of the manager, Pierre Bourguignon by Henri Giscard d’Estaing. An upheaval occurred later in the shareholding structure. The club sold 28.9% of the share stock to the Accor group, which led to the launch of a new strategy: to make Club Med the leader in up-market, convivial and multi-cultural holidays. This meant that the club would no longer be a mass package holiday organization aiming for high volumes, but rather high-end organization reflecting its exceptional locations. It would continue to be convivial and multicultural. This global strategy is reflected in villages created to be refined in the fact that the villages are now designed by renowned architects and designers, generosity in the attention given to the children with supervision, entertainment and ensured activities for all groups and offering the guests a choice in their preferred means of transport, offering a choice in the wide range of activity options, between sports course spa treatment weeks etc. This strategy led to the abandonment of villages that did not correspond to the new strategy (villages with huts to those with 2 tridents) in order to concentrate on the three and four tridents that offer a return on investment of 9 to 15%. The club sold some of its villages and this enabled it to clear debts and was able to finance the success of the remaining villages. Between 2004 and 2008, over 50 villages were closed down and 20 new ones opened. Today, Club Med manages 80 villages around the world. Club Med communicated its new strategy by launching a new advertising and communication campaign in 2005, under the signature: â€Å"There is still so much world to discover† (Discover new worlds, discover new people), also called the â€Å"Faces Campaign†. It was aimed showing in concrete terms that Club Med had evolved and positioned itself towards the top end of the market. In 2007, a new advertising campaign reinforced their upmarket positioning with the signature. This promotional campaign sought to show tangible proof of this up scaling. The second event was the launching of the first 5-trident Club with the opening of a second village in Mauritius. Classification of the villages reached a new standard, demonstrating the determination to aim higher end of the market. 2007-2008: there were challenges like unfavorable environment that included soaring of petrol prices and a financial crisis. The club had also to face a decreasing accommodation capacity due to the ne w focus on certain villages and reduced opening periods of the 2 and 3-trident villages. It also succeeded in escaping from debts in this year with net profit of 1 million euros after four years of losses. The shareholding base was still fluctuating with the Accor group selling a large percentage of its holdings, remaining with less than 9 % and still it was planning to discontinue its investment. The company is having difficulty in realizing profits since they increased their tariffs, which eventually led to a rapid loss of customers. Up to the year 2009, the group was still in deficit due to real estate charges connected to the closure of certain villages. The commercial potential of Club Med remains essentially in Asia. The Asian market represents a large share of the 60 million potential customers worldwide. The transformation of the club into a global specialist in all – inclusive, up-market and multicultural holidays is real as the chairperson, Henri Giscard d’Estaing is confident in the strategies that he applied. The club is now offering the most accessible, up-market holiday. Asia was responsible for the club’s turnover in 2006-2007, whereby it was estimated that 26 million out of the 60 million potential customers are Asians. Despite the unfavorable environmental context in Asia, i.e. The tsunami of 2004, an outbreak of avian flu and terrorist at tacks, the customers in this region continue increasing.The developers of the internet; greater customer loyalty and a lengthening of the average duration of stays have boosted the levels of growth in Asia. The club also has extended to china and in 2006, they opened a new agency in Canton, thus consolidating its commercial development strategy with the Chinese, as they were the population that was spending an increasing amount of time and money on holidays. Although the club is investigating all opportunities for development, including extending to other countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, the management is also counting on the Asians travelling outside of their home zone. Although the Asian continent has as many cultures as it has countries, it seems to share the same attitudes concerning holidays. Studies carried out has shown that behavior is very similar across the continent, in particular with regard to Club Meds population. To achieve the Asian market targets, the club involves two aspects: The first is the duration of the holidays: Asians do not have many days’ holidays and they therefore spend only four or five days in the club on average. This holiday consumption necessarily influences the club’s occupation rates. Another aspect is the lifestyle adopted by the Asians. They appreciate all activities including archery, kayaking, aqua gym etc. They are always happiest indoors with the air conditioning. They thus adore Club Med as it offers all these activities and adds the karaoke. Studies have been done to investigate on the ways to attract customers worldwide and preserve the current ones with the primary family target implied to goods and services. These are: The offer must be refined in the right locations, high quality villages, a dedicated team, and a high cuisine as well. Studies also show the importance of the all-inclusive formula with the need to suit the whole family, and a flexibility of services to match the inclinations of all. Rooms’ should be extremely comfortable and with modern communication facilities. CITATION Chr97 l 1033 (Clayton, 1997) Club Med is not faced with direct competition in terms positioning. In Asia, for example, the competition is situated essentially on the traditional luxury market. However, sometimes the competition is local. For example, although in Bintan, Club Meds major competitor is Banyan Tree. In order to satisfy customer demand and potential customers while at the same time affirming its new strategy, Club Med has orchestrated its actions around innovation, renovation and service. Club Med has invested over 50 million euros in the renovation of its villages in the Asia-pacific area, where it has ten villages after having closed down five that no longer met the standards of top-end establishments. Apart from the village and room aspect, the activities and the organization have also been reconsidered according to customer expectations. The children’s supervised entertainment and activities, one of the pillars of Club Med has been systematically reconsidered and more widely deployed. Other infrastructures for catering to children have been set in place or renovated. A baby Club Med has been opened in Bali together with a password for teenagers and the renovation of the Petit Club Med and Mini Club Med. Apart from the children’s supervised activities and entertainment, the upscaling of service is particularly demanding in Asia, where regional standards are higher than the rest of the world. The club has used local advertising, communications systems to market their operations. Making the transition from a volume culture to a valuable culture is not without repercussions on the employees’ attitudes. This is the reason why Club Meds human resources have been closely linked to its strategy, which is reflected in the Club’s drive to attract and keep talented employees. Leading to several, initiatives being implemented in terms of recruitment, training and career management. GM Feedback, a major indicator of strategic success is the level of satisfaction shows that the criterion â€Å"Intention to return† is particularly high in Asia overall, which is encouraging for future years. This intention is because of the excellent marks given by customers to the criteria of child supervision/ entertainment, the general atmosphere and the GO teams. In order to measure the impact of the changes, The Research Pacific Group carried out a study. Although criticism persists, it tends to focus on three dimensions: the price, now considered too high: the comfort of the rooms, that could be still improved, and the lack of freedom. (Franco, 1972) The study essentially highlights is the enthusiasm of potential customers for Club Med, in that the mentality that Club Med is a rather old-fashioned type of resort, but rather as the ideal holiday venue for the family, where a multitude of activities and discover a special atmosphere. Another study endeavored to measure t he perception of Club Med via an internet buzz, Club Med is ranked third among the island’s resorts, in the Indonesian islands of Bintan. This position was won thanks to the service, children’s services, the GO team and the variety of activities offered. This position clearly shows that Club Med has joined the upper crust with its luxury hotels, and is confirmed by another example in Bali where Club Med has been ranked fifth. This satisfactory ranking was made possible thanks to service in a broad sense, which includes cleanliness, the GO team and the activities offered. Recent figures published show that turnover has increased 1.9%, in spite of a context of economic crisis affecting all operators in the sector. Business is growing in all zones; while the capacity, as scheduled, has been decreased by 3.1%. Asia recorded 5.2 % (highest growth), Although Club Med benefits globally from the region’s economic dynamism, and it is nevertheless slowed down by up scaling operations that have been accompanied by an 11% average increase in price. The new strategy is attracting new customers, from the point of view of quality; the â€Å"family† strategy engaged by Club Med is working since recruitment is made essentially on this target, with 63% of the Asian clientele structure made up of families (Hart, 1990). Issues And Recommendations In Club Med                      Throughout the past sixty years, Club Med has never really had a chance to profit from a break and the relaxation it succeeds in offering its own guests. The geopolitical climate has often caused difficulties, like the Gulf War of 1990-1991 or the terrorist attack of Bali in 2002, but it also evident that the company has created its own problems. The consistency and coherence of the current strategy are the first for close to 15years and there has been criticism and more obstacles than in any other company (E, 1985). Club Med has an aura of great brand, out of the ordinary, enthusing the public and at the same time receiving all sorts of more or less negative comments. The fame enjoyed by Club Med since its beginning has never weakened and both the customers and the non –customers all over the world have heard about the Club Med and are capable of saying a few words about it. Evidently, this has contributed to its international recognition bu t it has also complicated its task since it has been trying to effect a repositioning; changing mentalities is a longer and more complex task than changing strategy. Three principle challenges seem to stand out for the future of Club Med: environmental, political and organizational. The first challenge is environmental. The whole history of Club Med has been intimately linked to natural disasters, pandemics and financial crises. For example, in Asia the region has suffered from Tsunami, an outbreak of avian flu and terrorist attacks. This is the law of tourism, but it has affected Club Made even more now than in the past, since it’s owns the majority of its villages and its overheads weigh heavily on its balance sheet. This challenge is particularly taken into account in the new strategy where the type of clientele targeted is, for example less sensitive to the financial hazards. Moreover, all new constructions are realized taking into account the possible risks of a Tsunami or an earthquake in areas at risk (WILEY, 1983). Another challenge is political in two senses. The first is connected to the environmental aspect. The challenge of political decisions in the countries where Club Med is active is considerable. The prevailing laws, local requirements and legal obligations to make the taking of risks inevitable in emerging countries, risks that will necessarily have an impact on the financial results. At the same time, by not taking these risks, the Club may be exposing itself to overtaking by the competition that could undermine its historic position as the pioneer. (Hart, 1990) The second sense of the political challenge lies in its singular position in France. Since the club’s activities have been in the headlines, with the opening of villages to movements of capital in its shareholding structure, the worlds of business, politics and the media have been taking an inordinate interest, more so than they would have done for any other company of this size. Club MED has often taken advantage of t his position, which has frequently enabled it to build villages in areas where building permits are difficult to obtain, but at the same time every strategy, it advances is commented, analyzed, dissected and criticized before the new village has been opened. The Club Med also face the organizational challenge, which gives rise to a number of problematic issues. The first is that of resources and ambitions. Club Med is striving to become the world leader of â€Å"all- inclusive† top end, convivial and multicultural holidays. The product it is developing today seems to fit this strategy, but the question remains whether the club has sufficient resources to realize its ambitions, and whether it has the resources to undertake a planetary strategy with the financial capacity of a large SME. Given its large size, it’s also questionable whether the club is capable of succeeding on the three great markets of Europe, Asia-pacific and America. No holiday village operator could succeed and its competitors are often regional operators. With this, there arises a significant question of whether the club will have to give way to a worldwide operator in the short term to medium term as Accor did. This is hastened by the fact that the clubà ¢â‚¬â„¢s capital is fluctuating thus making it an easy prey for tourism experts and others. This last challenge seems to be the most complex to resolve. The problem of service issue in the club’s upscaling operation and the general size of the club is questionable. There has been many cases of failures in the leadership. CITATION Zal97 l 1033 (Zaleznik, 1997) As in the year during the management by Serge Trigano, the club was operating at losses and this eventually led to its slow growth to the upscaling market. The decisions made by the managers also were wanting as in the case of the increase in the tariffs, which eventually led to a hemorrhage of customers. The club, after the closure of some of its villages, it started operating at losses due to the huge real estate charges involved. The decision taken to launch an airline also affected the club negatively as they recorded a loss of 60 million euros. The strategy adopted in the year 2000, although it managed to bring in a huge turnover, there were attached costs penalizing Club Med and its customers found difficulty in recognizing exactly where the club stood in the club stood in the market. This led to losses in that business year. The disinfection of villages in the year 2002/2003 led to difficulties within the club and they recorded tremendous deficits. During this period, the club also lost the majority of its shareholders. During the year 2007-2008, Club Med had to adjust to an unfavorable environment. Soaring petrol prices followed by a financial crisis. The club also faced a decreasing accommodation capacity due to its decision to focus on certain villages and reduced opening periods for the 2- and 3- trident villages. During this period, the shareholding base continued reducing as their main shareholder; the Accor group sold a large percentage of its holdings and was still planning to continue its divestment. The club also has another major weakness: its focus is entirely on the Asian market. It is developing strategies and making acute efforts to improve their position in the Asian market. This has minimized their profits. If the club would target, setting up villages in many parts of the world they would be at a better competitive advantage to its competitors. Understanding what Club Med has become through its new strategies is a main challenge. The club explains its concepts and how it operates in Asian markets. This is usually in conflict as these same Asians have prospects of what they would like to see. I.e. Their needs and expectations are not e European the same as those of the European counterparts regarding the fundamental criterion of the quality of service provided. Recommendations                      Effective use of technology, which can be done in terms of two methods, which are Promotion, and online marketing. In regards to promotion, Club Med can offer package deals to the customers in which each package deal comes with its own unique set of activities, perfect location, breath-taking cuisines and culture friendly yet involved. In the case of online marketing since advertisement is only done locally, Cub Med can target the international community since this era we are is digitally driven. Online marketing would draw untapped enthusiasm from tourist seeking thrill and social travelling. Experiencing other cultures would be the main attraction since it has numerous tridents that offer different reception of cultures. Globalization has made it possible for the introduction of a small representation of culture in different countries such as the presence of china town in the New York. Club Med could benefit from representation of other tridents in the same tridents since its focus is in Asia. Club Med can represent the other tridents in the Asian one enough to create a need of satisfaction. This could help market the other tridents. Club Med can also reduce their tariffs imposed on the customers. This would lead to increased customer turnover and eventually they would register enormous profits. They should also adopt an efficient product mix to attract the number of potential shareholders. The club could also work on improving their infrastructure for catering for all age groups. They could provide better communication appliances in the customer’s rooms to make them comfortable. This would satisfy their customers and thus no chance of losing them to their competitors (E, 1985). Club Med could also channel its efforts to target on a larger market scope rather than coming up with strategies to favour the Asian continent. They should establish various villages in many places in the world. This would ensure that they get a high turnover. Their forthcoming tridents should be located in environmentally viable locations to minimize the chances of disasters and events like terrorist attacks. They should also have some basic guidelines that every decision made by any director should be first screened, voted in by the majority shareholders, vetted and test for market efficiency. This would reduce the chances of managers making ambiguous decisions and coming up with inappropriate strategies that would lead to huge losses, which strains the recovery. To effectively cater for the Asian community, which lacks holidays, Club Med could come up with a strategy that would introduce festivities, such as Cultural nights, music festivals, amongst others. This would influence the preferences of the Asian community positively in hindsight during holidays. They should also seek to renovate their villages and add to them many ideas of interactive workshops with babies and parents. This would ensure that they are at par with the local com petition. (WILEY, 1983) References Clayton, C. (1997). The Innovator’s Dilemma. New York: Havard Business School Pres. E, M. (1985). Competitive Advantage. Free press. Club Mà ©diterranà ©e. (N.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://medlibrary.org/medwiki/Club_Mà ©diterranà ©e Destination News – Hotel, Resort & Spa North America. (2009, September 21). Airguide Online. Franco, V., & Perl, M. (1972). The Club MediterraneÃŒ e (Abridged. Ed.). London: Shepheard-Walwyn. Hart, C. (1990). Club Med (A) (Rev. 11/15/90. ed.). Boston, Mass.: President and Fellows of Harvard College :. Pavlovic, T. (n.d.). Club Mà ©diterranà ©e: One of the most optimal formulas of club vacation in sport and recreation tourism. Journal of the Geographical Institute Jovan Cviji?, SASA, 203-211. WILEY, J. (1983). Noel Managing Strategic change:Technical,political,and cultural dynamics. New York. Zaleznik, A. (1997). Managers and leaders . New York: Havard Business Review. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://inpublic.globenewswire.com/2013/06/25/Club Mà ©diterranà ©e Gaillon Invest improves the terms of its offer on the securities of the company HUG1711730.html Source document

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of conducting personal Essay

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of conducting personal communication in the public sphere - Essay Example An increasing number of people are using social networking websites in order to supplement personal communication. In this context, it can be stated that one of the most popular social networking websites Facebook provides the capability to organize and communicate in an effective manner. Simultaneously, Facebook also provides the capability to express the thoughts of people and to categorize them independently (Westling, 2007). Thesis Statement Considering this aspect, the essay is based on analyzing the vital aspects of conducting personal communication through Facebook. The objective of the essay is to understand the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing an online public sphere medium i.e. Facebook for conducting personal communication. Statement of Intent The essay will intend to address the facet of personal communication in traditional era as well as in present era. Besides, the essay also intends to discuss the suitability of internet as a public sphere medium. Personal Co mmunication Strategies in Past and Present There is a huge dissimilarity between personal communication strategies of past and present times. The actual dissimilarities have been observed due to the evolution of technology. In order to clarify the perspective, it can be depicted that traditionally, the common personal communication techniques were letter writing or telephone conversation among others. The personal communication techniques have evolved from letter and telephone to mobile communication and internet communication technologies. Mobile phone technologies are continuously being updated and developed with new features and devices and internet communication technologies such as social networking sites are continuously accumulating new applications and functionalities. Social networking websites in a sense is a grouping of every internet communication method. In social networking websites such as Facebook, people can create accounts and communicate with other people. It also provides the opportunity to stay up-to-date about the activities of friends and send information either publically or privately. In recent times, the popularity of social networking has increased dramatically where Facebook leads the competition with millions of active users. According to the research conducted by United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in 2000, the introduction of internet and social networking websites has increased the communication level. The level of information exchange through this new medium has far surpassed the traditional communication media such as telephone, face-to-face conversation and meeting among others. This trend represents financial benefits particularly to the poor nations. The present personal communication strategy of using social networking websites provides the opportunity for exploring new customs of other nations and also helps to enhance the knowledge (Serbanescu, 2011). Internet as Public Sphere Public sphere is partic ularly vital for communication in current civilization. It acts as a medium in which people can communicate effectively regarding important matters along with permitting people to inform about vital aspects. Considering the significant role played by internet, several researchers have framed normative theories which demonstrate how public sphere can be organized in order to ideally accomplish its roles. One of the most conspicuous

Contract Law and Case Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Emerging Market Firms Investing in Each Other's Home Essay

Emerging Market Firms Investing in Each Other's Home - Essay Example This paper illustrates that maintaining circulation of finances among countries with emerging markets becomes more beneficial to the countries that these locked out from the game. These emerging markets come about as a result of an increase in population and advent of technology, an attempt to pull up the economy by developing nations call for resources. These need for resource create the emerging markets. Developing countries with emerging markets firms tend to invest in each other home with the reason of being cautious about the situation of the local economy in the prescience of foreign firms from the developed world. Sauvant argues that developed nations make efforts towards attracting developing nations into signing business deals. Developing nations with emerging markets are always wary of multinational companies which may pose a risk of extinction to the local firms. More benefits may be realized when emerging markets are exploited by countries with the similar situation so as to have positive development at a relatively similar pace. Development of multinational enterprises will tend to follow the same procedure of having emerging markets as a preference. Most investors would prefer to make multinational deals with nations that have the potential of emerging markets. Operating at the relatively same level of financial ability becomes the driving force. The establishment of enterprises in other countries will follow the emergence of markets for the products which would come from either side. Prospects of emerging fields becoming the new battleground may be realized. For this reason, the impact is always felt on trading partners regionally and in countries which are distantly positioned. For this reason, there has been a record of an increasing number of countries receiving a pull into the economic orbit. According to Kathleen, emerging markets and its leaders sought to create second tiers with a massive flow of investment realizations. Scramble for resou rces creates more pressure hence expectations are made on the first mover longer steps over the emerging heroes. The competition will be realized among emerging markets in regions such as the Middle East and Africa through their government.

Key features of the organizational structure and business operations Essay

Key features of the organizational structure and business operations of banks - Essay Example It is also visible that the employees' activity is customer-oriented. All the employees are busy - they work with the clients, advise them how to act better in different situations and are oriented for their needs satisfying. The organization structure of the bank is typical for such business: the employees work under the manager's control, and the staff of the bank fulfills direction functions and is responsible for appropriate functioning of the bank. If I owned this business I would give make the consulting office functions wider, and pay more attention to the quality of the work with clients, as well as to the betterment of connections between the manager and the customers of the bank. In addition to that it needs to note that the bank inside is rather clean and well-maintained: the working process is appropriately organized and meets the highest business standards in the bank field. A car lot I have visited is a large area with numerous amount of cars presented for clients. The employees of the car lot are dressed in special cloths reflected the firm brand. The great amount of consultants provides the functioning of the car lot. ... But those who answer the clients' questions consult them rather well and show much knowledge in the car field. The business has strict organizational structure, but sometimes the functions of the employees are mixed: both the manager and the consultants work with the documentation and don't always pay appropriate attention to the customers' needs, but basically the business process runs rather well. The car lot is rather clean, but sometimes the employees who are responsible for the clearness of the store don't do their duty well: dirt is visible in some places. But if I owned a car lot I would improve the organizational system of my business: I would make the assortment of production wider; the management functions should be more centralized, and the head manager of the car lot should concentrate his activity upon better communication with clients - he should try to satisfy all their needs and pay more time and attention to better organization of the business operations of the car l ot. 3. Court. I have visited a set of courts which are used for business. The employees of the courts are clean dressed and they have all their equipment necessary for the work. The employees' functions are strictly determined, and it is seen that they do their functions rather well. But it needs to note that the manager is not visible in the court - just sometimes he directs the employees' working process, but most part of his time he spends for different kinds of activity which is not directed to the working process functioning. But in spite of that the employees of the court are mostly customer-oriented and do their duties rather well: they help customers to choose the right sport

4G Wireless Networks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

4G Wireless Networks - Research Paper Example The upload and the download speed of 4G WiMax which stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is 30 mbps and 70 mbps correspondingly. It is worth mentioning that the upload as well as the download speed of 4G WiBro Network is similar to 4G WiMax (Yant, 2012). 2. User Perceptions The perceptions of the users regarding 4G LTE is that it provides significant benefits to the users that include advanced security, enhanced customer address related control as well as customer experiences and high rates of data transmission. According to the users, the service availability of 4G WiMax is quite limited as it does not facilitate the additional users to use and access the connection. In accordance with the perceptions of the users, it has been noted that 4G Wibro Networks possess the imperative facets of high rates of data transmission, superior access of broadband facilities and improved customer experiences (Yant, 2012). 3. Backward Compatibility The backward compatibility of 4G LTE comprises of an LTE terminal that supports the 4G services to work effectively in an LTE-Advanced service network and vice-versa. In this similar context, it has been apparently observed that the 4G WiMax networks are backward compatible particularly with different 3G based technologies that support the individual contributors with effectual business ideas. Conversely, the backward compatibility of 4G WiBro network encompasses WiBro gears that eventually facilitate the users with the offerings of superior as well as faster broadband services along with establishing a highly-sophisticated and saturated broadband market (Yant, 2012). 4. Service...Due to its effectual service availability, 4G LTE is regarded as one of the dynamic solutions for bandwidth-demanding services and latest technological advancements (CISCO, 2011). In relation to determine service availability of 4G WiMax network, it has been viewed that 4G WiMax network possesses limited sort of service availability d ue to the reason that the network does not consider and often cut–off the additional users except the existing ones in using the connection. With regard to determine the service availability of 4G WiBro network, it has been apparently observed that this network possesses the capability to trace out a particular receiver who intends to stir from one specific location to the other with a speed of up to 74 miles per hour. This significant function of 4G WiBro network ultimately makes its service availability much broader as well as stronger in comparison with 4G LTE and 4G WiMax networks by a greater extent (Yant, 2012).

Roadblocks to Democracy in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Roadblocks to Democracy in Iraq - Essay Example They represent a turning point in democracy building in Iraq, and therefore, bring some light to the rather bleak picture. The future of democracy in Iraq is shrouded with doubt because there is a feeling that things go slowly. Three years have passed since the US military overthrew the thirty-five years old dictatorship in Iraq but violence has not slowed down and the state of anarchy is still prevalent. The amount of violence is incredible and it has reached a point where it spares neither the military nor civilians and neither coalition soldiers nor Iraqis. A state of rebellion has been going against the foreign soldiers since they first came to Iraq. Then violence was quickly veered towards Iraqi nationals who were suspected of cooperating with the US forces, and lately the Sunni-Shiite lashes and back-lashes have been making the news. The first waves of rebellion are suspected to be orchestrated by the followers of Saddam Hussein and more precisely former security agents in order to circumvent the US military superiority (Davies, 2004). An average of fifty-five attacks on coalition and Iraqi milita ry has been reported last year (Clark, 2005). It is clear that as long as the country remains instable, it would be hard to conduct any projects of nation-building. In such context, various observers and scholars started criticizing the very attempt of the US at democratizing Iraq putting forward the argument that democracy cannot be transplanted into a foreign soil but it rather should be home-grown. Indeed, a lot of talk has been going on whether it is proper to "export" democracies to nations in lack of. The US deems it a responsibility to expand the culture of democracy in the authoritarian states, notably Iraq. However, the fact is that there is Iraqi resistance to the American project. Surely, the resistance does not necessarily represent the majority of opinions but it has been particularly fierce. This nurtured a debate on whether there should be a transfer of democracy from one nation to another in the first place. One of the arguments that emerged from such debates is that each country has its own pace of democracy-building. In this respect, the violence and state of insurgency are understandable responses to imposition of a foreign c oncept or form of democracy. Whether the state of insurgency is a response to the imposition of democracy or not, there is one thing sure which is that Iraq has to restore order if it wants to grow into a democratic nation. A scholar, Bradley Cook, pertinently investigates the very implications of the process of democratization concluding that the difficulty experienced in Iraq is predictable (Cook, 2005). He first of all puts the issue into its historical context. Iraqis have not experienced democracy as a concrete reality for a long time. Four decades under the rule of the Ba'ath party had alienated Iraqis from the concept of democracy rendering it an abstraction, argues Cook. It does makes, according to him, all the difference to be growing in environment which is based on democracy, like American society, as opposed to a culture where there is none. This could be an explanation for why there is a national resistance to the US project of democracy in Iraq. He further assures that the democratization process as such is often violent, chaotic, and requires time. Read from this lens, the current situation Iraq is quite predictable. Bradley sees that the

CLevel Concerns in IA Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CLevel Concerns in IA Management - Essay Example Thus for protection, organizations employ strict security measures to create a barrier to stop these codes entering the system and if they enter, provide a method to detect and destroy the code before it destroys the company. The first step of information protection is developing a security policy for the specific organization. Security policy often covers how the policy will be used inside the company, describes how the company would educate its employees about protecting the organizational assets such as its computer systems and information, terms and explanation of security enforcement, and also an evaluative feature in the policy so that it can be updated when required (Whatis, 2007). In our health care facility, there is not such an extensive security policy, rather a general one. This security policy tells about how the employees are supposed to use the system, which users are restricted from accessing other higher levels of information, information regarding legal actions in case of breaching the code of confidentiality and policy updating mechanisms. Our security policy came into existence after several cases of breach of patient information which was used by marketers to advertise their products using patient telephone numbers and email addresses. Since such information is easily available elsewhere, we first rejected patient's claims that such information leaking is coming from our side. However when such complains became common, an inquiry was conducted and it was found that one of the receptionist's computer systems was being hacked. At this point in time, our system administrator met with all information technology members in the organization and decided to implement a full-fledged policy to prevent such an incident from occurring again. Developing and Implementing the Policy The first step in developing the strategy was to take permission from the manager and gets the funds allotted. This is easily done specially after the incident as the managers wanted to regain the lost image of the organization due to breach in patient information which is a requirement in the medical profession. A security memorandum was issued in response to the incident detailing of how security will be managed in the organization from then onwards. Industry Standards Keeping the enormous need of patient information confidential, this policy was created and the ISO 17799 standard was integrated. Doctors, nurses and other staff were given personal computers (where required) with personal passwords. Three levels of information was secured using these passwords, with senior doctors getting to the highest access level and the junior nurses/interns getting the least access level. In the policy, the guidelines for employee level updates are given and the permission of their access levels is clearly identified. (Shinder & Tittel, 2002) Password Protection The password protection was applied throughout the intranet (internal network) of the organization. The network administrator is responsible for setting up the user accounts, giving them access codes and setting up their personal systems. Also these passwords are supposed to be changed regularly. Installation Guidelines For the matter of security, no user is allowed to install any software of their system without informing the network adminis

IKEA Operations Essay Example for Free

IKEA Operations Essay IKEA Company is one of the few companies in the world with very clear as well as coherent philosophies. It is popularly known for its unique, low cost design. The firm embraces a unique philosophy of â€Å"do it yourself option (DIY)†. IKEA consistently delivers DIY products that customers usually purchase as parts and rebuild them at the location which suit them best (Slack, Brandon Johnston, pp.23, 2013). The company, does not only offer furniture but also delivers complete set of products that go with given furniture. For instance, if a client orders a dining table, the company also offers him a chance to purchase other products such as cutlery, vases as well as lamp. IKEA is globally recognized for carrying out ideal business where it offers a wide range of uniquely designed, functional home furnishing products at low prices that majority of consumers across the world can be able to afford them. The company is different from other furniture companies because it largely offers a wide range of well-designed array of home furniture at very low prices that up to the current competitive business environment remain to be widely affordable to diverse customers. Additionally, unlike other furniture companies, IKEA uniquely adapt its presentation of its products, layout of its stores, home solutions offered as well as the prices depending on the national economic as well as cultural conditions of a given country it has oversea outlets in (Kling, Gofeman, pp.13, 2003). For example, in China, the company’s outlet uniquely reflects the layout of many Chinese apartments. By this, many people across the diverse universe are able to get attracted to IKEA outlets as well as afford  the company’s products due to their strategic pricing and display. Ikea is one of the globally known brands that hugely understand that achieving success globally calls for sacrifice, innovation from global teams. So, running a company similar to IKEA in different countries will be of huge benefit. First, from the consumer theorem, customers are becoming more sensitive to the price of commodity when making up a purchase decision (Slack, Brandon Johnston, pp.20, 2013). An operation similar to IKEA implies that the company will be able to offer unique product at low and affordable prices. This in a large way will help the company to gain more revenue from increased sales. A company that can run its operations like IKEA does in different regions will stand a much greater chance to easily penetrate in various market segments thus making it easier to achieve the firm’s goals. IKEA operations are flexible and changes with the changing demand and situations in different markets. In some markets the company targets mass market whereas in other markets, it distinctly segments its market (Kling, Gofeman, pp.21, 2003). So, incase similar operations are adopted and run in different countries, this means they will perfectly do well across the globe despite the diversity of customers. Different customers in different oversea markets have different expectations and demands, so, adopting flexible operations similar to IKEAs will make it easier for the business to get strong foothold in different markets across the countries. However, despite the fact that embracing IKEAs operations is advantageous as it helps a given business entity to gain market share in a more rapid manner, sometimes, going with the same kind of operations in different countries will be more problematic. For example, IKEA is a firm that is very famous for its flat pack furniture, where it uses the policy of â€Å"do it yourself† in its operations (Slack, Brandon Johnston, pp.30, 2013). Under this, it leaves customers with a task of assembling the furniture themselves. So, going with the same operation policy in different countries will not be an easy thing. From the internationalization concept, it is evident that for firms to be successful in oversea markets depend on their  ability to understand, respect and adhere to the local culture of different consumers in different countries. So, going with the similar rigid kind of operation policy in different countries, may make the business face some resistance from different customers who may be having different kind of expectation. For example, many diverse consumers hate the â€Å"do it yourself† kind of operations and services. Some demand to be offered full service from packaging, transporting as well as to installation (McPhee, pp.24, 2014). So, in case a company intends to adopt such an operation strategy, in many countries, then automatically it will have to be ready to face strong resistance from various groups of customers’ indifferent regions thus making it vulnerable to lose the market to its competitors. Additionally, IKEA has embraced unique operations, especially in logistics, where the company largely depends on growing countries as a source of its raw materials. Many of the company’s products are manufactured to emerging economies where the labor and other vital raw materials are relatively cheap (McPhee, pp.29, 2014). Then they are imported to European and other developed countries. So, in a large way, embracing this similar kind of operation may be very difficult in many countries. Many countries across the world have varying laws in different states which are distinctly ruled by different political parties. So, adopting such an action similar to IKEAs could make business unit operations especially the distribution as well as, the logistics a bit challenging. IKEA supply chain IKEA has over 40 trading service offices in 32 countries it operates in. The company largely gets its supplies from its 28 distribution centers in 16 different countries. Apart from having these main supplies all over the world, IKEA also purchases a large quantity of its products from Shedwood. Being an industrial group owned by IKEA, Shed wood produces wood based furniture and wooden components. Shedwood buys products from 1,300 suppliers in 53 countries. The co-workers in the trading service office widely monitor the production of IKEA products by its main distributors (Kling, Gofeman, pp.18, 2003). In a huge way, this enables them to negotiate prices, observe  social and working conditions among suppliers as well as, check quality of the product before they are distributed to the company for retail. The rationale of this unique relation between IKEA and its suppliers enables the company to effectively achieve its operational objectives of availing products that are of high quality at lower and affordable prices in a socially responsible and environmentally friendly way. Secondly, the main IKEA suppliers manufacture their furniture’s in accordance to the company’s designed code of conduct. Mainly, all suppliers, follows the IKEAs designed code known as â€Å"The IKEA Way† (McPhee, pp.25, 2014). In a huge way, this helps IKEA to ensure the supplies they get from their numerous suppliers across the world meet their expected standard. IKEA, as a company manufactures very few product on its own. It is through its close suppliers that the company so able to make innovative designs featuring environmentally responsible materials as well as ensure efficient use of resources thus translating them into bottom line results. Notably, IKEA largely embraces outsourcing strategy, where the company embraces manufacturing its main products in many developing countries, where the raw materials as well as labor are relatively cheap (Slack, Brandon Johnston, pp.20, 2013). In a huge way, this allows the company a chance to lower production cost thus enabling it to come up with quality final product at a relatively lower cost. This unique business model in a huge way enables the company to achieve its set marketing goals of availing quality products at a lower price that is affordable to many. How IKEA changes its customers from consumers to Prosumers IKEA Company, main aim is to avail quality products such as furniture at a very low price to ensure many customers are able to afford it. To ensure it achieves this, the company came up with a very unique strategy of actively engaging its customers in the service delivery process of its products. The company began engaging its customers in a process of fixing different parts of a given product, such a table to suit their taste (Hitchens Hitchens, pp.34, 2010). In a strategy known as â€Å"do it yourself†, IKEA engages its customers in the process of putting a given product such a table together  after they purchases it. Immediately, the customer purchases a product, the company leave him or her to put its together themselves. In a way, this helps the consumers to develop a sense of pride to the object because of the work they personally engaged in to make it complete and render it usable. The company, instead of selling a complete fixed product, mainly sells it inform of batches. The customer is left with unassembled product in their living room or any other place of their convenient. So, at that stage, the customer is expected to unpack it and put it together. By doing so, the company significantly engages their customer in a very active process of making their product complete and usable, thus converting them from being sole consumers to being part of the production process as well as part of being final consumers. In other they change them from being sole consumers to prosumers. References Hitchens, J., Hitchens, P. 2010, Create the perfect brand. London: Teach Yourself. Kling K., Gofeman I. 2003, Ikea CEO Anders Dahlving on international growth and Ikeas unique corporate culture and brand identity, Academy of Management Executive McPhee, J. E. 2014, Mastering strategic risk: A framework for leading and transforming organizations. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A., Johnston, R. 2013, Operations management.

Looking At How Children Are Affected By Alcohol Social Work Essay

Looking At How Children Are Affected By Alcohol Social Work Essay The aim of this project is to consider literature and research in Northern Ireland, the UK and worldwide surrounding the relationship between alcohol problems and parenting capacity. Alongside this I wish to map existing service provision for children who are parented by a caregiver who has an alcohol problem and draw on recommendations made by the research evidence. I will highlight relevant Policy and Legislation in relation to reducing risk to children via the Hidden Harm Government report. The implications of this report will be discussed in relation to service provision and the Northern Ireland response. Substance misuse has a clear and direct impact on those connected to the misuse.. the biggest indirect impact is often felt by the children or young people (HHAP, DHSSPSNI, 2008: 2). Nevertheless Kearney et al (2000) in Hayden (2004) point out that the issue is underestimated and insufficiently recognised in social work caseloads. Approximately 250,000 350,000 UK children have a parent with an alcohol problem (Alcohol Concern, 2000). Parental alcohol misuse is associated with a greater occurrence of emotional and behavioural problems throughout childhood and into adulthood (Kroll and Taylor, 2003). According to evidence from Tunnard (2002) social work caseloads have seen parental alcohol problems feature significantly for some time, with around a quarter to a third of allocated cases being families with parental substance misuse (Forrester and Harwin, 2008). Parental functioning may be affected either whilst the parent is intoxicated, hung over or pre-occupied with sourcing their next drink, making them physically and/or emotionally unavailable to the child (Beckett, 2007). At the acute end of the spectrum, substance misuse is over-represented in cases of severe abuse and child death (Reder and Duncan, 1999, in Forrester Harwin, 2006). To analyse the impact parental drinking problems have on children I will explore literature and research from both international and UK perspectives. However it should be noted that methodological weaknesses were evident in some of the studies. For example, there was less focus on womens drinking patterns and it was difficult to comment on pre-schoolers as children were collectively grouped together. Tunnard (2002) notes how there are more UK studies regarding drug than alcohol problems. Scaife (2008) notes how many studies referred to substance misuse rather than drug or alcohol, making it difficult to separate the two and how research ignored fathers at times, focusing gender specifically on mothers. Many studies were also carried out on small numbers of families who had volunteered to participate, this therefore does not account for involuntary service users or those who have not yet recognised their drinking to be problematic. A single definition of alcohol problem is unclear in many studies making comparison between them problematic. Nevertheless, what is clear from the literature is that parenting coupled with an alcohol problem can result in damaging outcomes for children in terms of emotional development and behaviour (Kroll and Taylor, 2003). Misuse of alcohol by parents places children at increased risk of serious harm. It does not follow that such harm is inevitable (Forrester Harwin, 2008: 1520). What I therefore want to avoid suggesting in this project is that misusing alcohol does not automatically infer poor parenting. To do so would serve to reinforce the oppression faced by those with alcohol problems and further heighten barriers to engagement with addiction services. Prevalence of the problem Research by DHSSPS (2008) uncovered that in Northern Ireland 72% of adults drink alcohol, 62% of which drink at least once weekly. 8% of drinkers consume alcohol daily or almost daily, however only 4% identify themselves as heavy drinkers. Local information is limited but it is estimated that one in eleven children in the UK are living with someone who has an alcohol problem and as the result of parental substance misuse approximately 70% of young people are looked after and 40% are on the child protection register and (HHAP, DHSSPSNI, 2008). Brisby et al (1997) propose that approximately 35,000 children in Northern Ireland are living with a parent who is a problematic drinker, with 800,000 in Wales and England and 85,000 children in Scotland. Throughout the United Kingdom, alcohol is readily available and is a socially accepted pastime in peoples lives. Alcohol Concern (2009) reports that due to most adult problem drinkers being part of a wider family the likelihood of this negatively impinging on children is excessive as it is estimated that 1.3 million children are affected. Dore et al (1995) in Hayden (2004) estimate that between fifty to eighty percent of parents known to social services in the USA experience problems with substance misuse. However, it should be noted that differences exist in the treatment of addiction in the UK and USA as the former is focused on Harm reduction social models with the latter being exceptionally disease oriented (Scaife, 2008). This literature review aims to: Investigate what bearing a parental drink problem has on children. Consider the effects on childrens overall development, by studying literature from a sociological and psychological perspective. Examine literature from Northern Ireland, the UK and international sources to establish the influence a parental drink problem can have on a childs well being. Analyse the Government response to families of problematic drinkers by inspecting Northern Ireland and UK policy. Summarise services provided to meet the needs of problem drinkers, identify gaps in current practice and make evidence based proposals for meeting such need. Tunnard (2002) establishes that throughout research there is a clear message that parental problematic drinking is capable of resulting in behavioural, developmental and emotional effects on children. Being placed in an addictions team last year ignited my interest in how alcohol impacts on the entire family and during my final placement learning opportunity in family and child cares Gateway service I found parental problematic drinking to be commonplace amongst new referrals. This, coupled with previous personal experience provided me with a desire to gain a full understanding of the bearing this has on children. I anticipate that this piece of work will enhance my insight in the area and better prepare me for pursuing a Family and Child Care social work role. Alcohol problem in context Various terms are utilised in relation to the concept alcohol problem which causes concern due to the creation of overlap. Tunnard (2002) observes that many studies combine alcohol and drug misuse into the broad term substance misuse. However what does explain the issue well is Tunnards, (2002:8) definition: consumption of alcoholic drink that warrants attention because it seriously and repeatedly affects the drinkers behaviour. Recommended daily quantity guidelines have little bearing as it is not quantity which leads to the repeated affect on behaviour. The American Psychiatric Association utilises the definition of: the maladaptive pattern of use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress characterised by the display at anytime during a one year period of one or more of a specified set of symptoms (Tunnard, 2002:8). Laybourn (1996) studied parental drinking patterns and assessed the effects on the children, finding opportunistic drinking and binge drinking to be the most challenging to families; these most affect routines and parental availability (Tunnard, 2002). Cultural Historical perspectives Bancroft (2007) argues that to address alcohol problems effectively through practice and policy we first need to consider historical and cultural dynamics. Alcohol, which was referred to in biblical times and before, has undoubtedly been a feature of society since the beginning of time (Room et al, 2005a). It is evident that all societies make use of intoxicating substances, with alcohol being used as a social activity (SIRC, 2000). Norwegian research by Skog, (2006) points to the fact that alcohol has been a feature in most cultures since time began despite its consumption varying over the years due to periods of prohibition through the 19th and early 20th centuries. Indeed, the cornerstone of civilisation- agriculture was thought to be utilised in order to harvest grain for the production of beer as much as for bread (SIRC, 2000). The pervasiveness of problematic drinking is not thought to be directly related to consumption. One only has to enter a public house in Northern Ireland on a Friday or Saturday night to observe countless people using alcohol to socialise and drink well above the recommended levels when doing so. The difference being that the majority of these people can control over their intake and can choose to stop in the morning. Marmot (2004) points out that there has been a 50% rise in alcohol consumption over the past 50 years, with approximately 25% of the British population drinking more than recommended levels. It is evident that there has been a rise in the trend to consume alcohol, with problems in connection to drinking including self-harm, suicide, early mortality, homelessness, crime and mental health problems. The National Health Service information centre (2009) reported that the complete household spending on alcohol rose by 86% from 1992 to 2007. Following this period alcohol was 7 5% more affordable than in the eighties, highlighting the trend of it being increasingly affordable and prevalent. Heath (1998) purports that in countries similar to Ireland where there is a high incidence of people experiencing social and psychiatric problems the intake of alcohol is relatively low. However when compared to Italy or France where alcohol use alcohol is high, social and psychiatric problems are less prevalent. Heath (1998) also points to cross-cultural research which implies that behaviours demonstrated as a consequence of alcohol consumption are shaped by cultural and social aspects rather than the chemical effects of alcohol (SIRC, 2000). Difficulties problem drinkers encounter are therefore not necessarily as a result of the alcohol they consume, but cultural factors relating to societal norms, beliefs, and attitudes towards drinking. In every culture, whilst drinking rules are set in place by Government they remain surrounded by self-imposed norms and regulations regarding who may drink what, when and how (SIRC, 2000). Furthermore alcohol may be used as a sign of status; consi der the idea of vineyards, fine wines and champagne for example. Placing some of the blame for alcohol-related behaviours onto society raises questions about how to tackle the issue effectively. This may mean challenging beliefs about the effects of drinking which would not hold favourably with social work values of respect, empowerment or anti-oppressive practice. Regardless of the apparent correlation between parental substance misuse and child care anxieties, British research on the issue remains extremely limited (Tunnard 2002). Contrastingly, American research on the same topic has been plentiful and is thought to be explained by the rise in the use of Cocaine in the United States throughout the 80s. In many states there was a doubling of children being taken into care between 84 and 89 as a consequence of parental substance misuse (Freundlich, 2000, in Forrester Harwin, 2006). However, it is difficult to apply American conclusions to Britain, as families live in different social circumstances and in varying degrees of poverty. As previously alluded to Americas approach to addiction is disease orientated, largely ignoring external causal factors, in contrast to Britains social model whereby an individuals social context is taken into consideration. Psychological Sociological viewpoints Velleman Templeton (2002) estimate around 8 million families live with the effects of a family drink problem, however Kroll (2004) points out that the needs of children of alcoholics are often invisible. Alcohol presents two faces to the family. One face that is of a beneficial and healthful beverage that fosters warmth and intimacy. The other face is that of a potentially hazardous potion that jeopardises ones family through conflict, violence and deprivation (Leonard Eiden, 2007: 286). Moos (2006) purports that strong attachment to a substance misusing parent may increase the possibility of the behaviour being modelled. Kelley et al (2004) studied American college age men and women and found that those who had alcoholic parents were increasingly likely to have an anxious/avoidant or defensive attachment in later life, additionally having an unavailable parent was though to create repetition of poor relationships in adulthood. Bancroft et al (2004) found that children had an awareness of their familys drinking problem, despite parents believing their children were not aware of their alcohol use. They established that parents felt they were still caring for their children as their material needs such as food and clothing were met, whilst most parents cared about their children they were not caring for them. A Danish study by Christensen (1997) in some ways mirrored Bancrofts in relation to parents thinking their children did not have knowledge of their problem. The children were aware and at times felt in some way responsible; they were unable to identify a support network for themselves and usually did not tell although many wished for a break or some form of respite. Parents went to great lengths to ensure their childs physical needs were met yet failed to see the emotional neglect caused by their drinking. Moe et al (2007) studied American children aged 7 to 13 who attended a programme for children of pr oblem drinkers. They found that children benefited from knowing the truth about their parents problem and addiction in general as this assisted them in feeling less to blame. The young people also related abstinence to being a positive factor in having a good life. A Scottish study (Laybourn et al, 1996) which looked at the perspectives of 20 children who were parented by a problem drinker further confirmed how aware children are of their parents drinking. Children expressed their general sadness, worry and anxiety about their parents alcohol problem and talked of how they witnessed outbursts of drunken violence. Alcohol is a disinhibitor, which can reduce an individuals ability to control violent impulses (Beckett, 2007: 126). Some young people adopted the role of care giver for the parent or for siblings and at times acted as an arbitrator or confidant and they spoke of either being late for school on a regular basis or not attending at all. A number of these children believed they would benefit from meeting other young people in similar circumstances (Laybourn et al, 1996). Velleman (2002) recognises how children may experience psychological and behavioural problems alongside physical effects. Family roles and routines are often disrupted su ch as school attendance, communication, special occasions and meal times. The young person may become the carer, protector or mediator within the family (Tunnard, 2002) and have difficulties in relation to trust. It is common for children to have to grow up too soon and effectively miss out or have unresolved developmental stages due to caring for themselves and siblings whilst parents are unavailable (Kroll Taylor, 1998). Lynskey et al (1994) in a New Zealand study found conclusive evidence suggesting adolescents with problem drinking parents were at increased likelihood of experiencing mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, behaviour problems and are at increased risk of going on to misuse substances themselves. The study pointed to over fifty percent of the participants being affected in one or more of these ways. Further New Zealand research by Connolly et al (1993) found that nine year olds whose parents are problem drinkers displayed greater behavioural problems in school in comparison to their peers and 13 these behaviours manifested themselves at home rather than school. Taylor et als (2008) UK study found that issues of guilt and low self-esteem may result in parents feeling undeserving of treatment as they internalise the negative opinions of others. This in turn has potential to create a negative effect on the welfare of their child(ren) as when parents disengage they may be decreasing the help their child receives. Social learning theory proposes how a parents problematic drinking may affect their child: Substance use originates in the substance-specific attitudes and behaviours of the adults and peers who serve as an individuals role models Moos (2006:183). In addition, Parental alcohol use predicts youngsters beliefs in the positive effects of alcohol, which is associated with earlier initiation of alcohol use and subsequent alcohol misuse Moos (2006:185). Vellemen Orford (1999) point out that the problems children face at home may be as a result of disharmony and family conflict rather than the parental drinking problem per-se. Children can feel responsible for this discord and powerless in avoiding and controlling the situation (Kroll, 2004). As social workers we need to be aware of how issues such as domestic violence and financial problems may be interconnected with an alcohol problem. Between 2004 and 2005 3,442 children called Childline regarding a family alcohol problem (Childline, 2006), 44% of whom primarily cited physical abuse as a result of their parents drinking. Furthermore, children tended to speak about the effect of the alcohol problem such as domestic violence or physical abuse before mentioning alcohol. Childline also reported that many callers were talking about caring for their younger siblings, often missing school to do so. Finances were regularly an issue for these children, particularly as there was not always enough money left over to buy food. They described feelings of confusion, worry and of embarrassment of their parent, evidently focusing on the adults feelings rather than their own. Such feelings have the potential to create social isolation for children as they may fear bringing a friend over to play. Alcohol misuse may be coterminous with, or mask, other deficits in parenting, or other relationship problems. Unless tackled, relapse is likely, even if the programme is initially successful (Sheldon McDonald, 2009: 220). Forrester Harwin (2006) noted the strong relationship between substance misuse and domestic violence with 64% of adults who experience such abuse having a family member who has a problem with alcohol. Velleman Orford (1999) established that children living with parental alcohol misuse are likely to find themselves siding with one parent or another by keeping secrets and are five times more likely than their peers to be pulled into parental disagreements. Although no systematic database exists evidence suggests that children are more likely to live with mothers who have problems drinking. Children reported that the feelings of fear and embarrassment were more evident when the parent was female in comparison to the parent being male (Scaife, 2008). The traditional role of a mother is perceived by society as a nurturing care-giver. As a result many children find it hard to accept the shame and embarrassment of their mother having an alcohol problem and can feel let down as a result (Bancroft et al, 2004). In addition, Bancrofts Scottish study (2004) concludes that children had mixed feelings of pity and anger in relation to their parents. Their voices indicated elements of abuse and neglect, coupled with violence, school disruption, unpredictability, role reversal and parental absence. Many young people were cooking for themselves and caring for siblings on a regular basis. Bancroft et al (2004) found that this group of children found Y oung Carers Groups a source of support. Taylor et al (2008) also observed children taking on parenting roles in their UK study. Forrester Harwins (2008) study drew the conclusion that children who were not removed from the family home had poorer outcomes (39%) compared to those who were removed (56%). They also found that girls tended to be more resilient than boys who had a tendency to internalise problems. Children of alcoholics can develop coping strategies and resiliency (Fraser et al, 2008) and go on to look forward to a bright future: while parental drug/alcohol use can fracture parent-child relationships, the damage need not be permanent if parents can resolve their substance-use problems (Fraser et al, 2008: 18). Fraser et al found that many children in their UK study saw Social Workers as important people; keeping their word and believing in the children was highly valued. Parents in this study recognised the damage to their children to include withdrawal, poor school attendance, and behavioural problems; they stated how social services need to provide adequate training for staff in recognising the effects of substance misuse. They cited family upbringing, peer influence and/or specific traumas and tragedies in their lives as triggering their drinking problem. A North American study by Tracy Martin (2007) conclude that children are a motivating factor in parents seeking help, with many being supported by their children aged 6 to 11. Forrester Harwin (2008) noted that in studying 100 families, where minor or decreasing levels of alcohol misuse was evident, children remained in the family home and care proceedings began much sooner with drug misuse compared to alcohol misuse. This highlights the somewhat lenient view society and in turn, social services have on alcohol. It is perceived as normal to utilise alcohol for social purposes, indeed Room (2005b) argues that alcohol holds a high status, for example in the UK or USA speaking of a champagne reception elicits thoughts of pro-social behaviour. Policy Legislation The Children Act (2004) and The Children (NI) Order (1995) established concepts of Child in Need and Significant Harm, highlighting a Trusts legal obligation to identify such notions and safeguard a childs welfare through the provision of services to families. However the pertinent deliberation in all family alcohol misuse cases is not to lose sight of the fact that the welfare of the child is paramount. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) ensures that the paramountcy principle is upheld and affords children the opportunity for their voice to be heard. Since the Children Act was implemented the UK has focused social services input on supporting families. The implications of which are apparent in Supporting the Families (1998), Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003), Every Child Matters: Next Steps (DfES, 2004) and Every Child Matters: Change for Children (DfES, 2004). These Green papers set out a National framework for meeting the needs of children, supporting families, foc using on prevention and minimising risk. Murray Shenker (2009) argue that despite these Every Child Matters papers endeavouring to protect and sustain child welfare, policy still fails to acknowledge the distressing influence on family members. In addition, Murray Shenker further argue that Englands Harm reduction strategy overlooks the need to respond to families affected by problem drinking; instead focusing individually on the drinker. Although being criticised for over-focusing on dugs rather than alcohol, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Hidden Harm report (2003) recognises how Children deserve to be helped as individuals in their own right (Hidden Harm, 2003:18). Its key messages include acknowledging that services need to work together, treating the parent will benefit the child and that substance misuse affects children of all ages. It recommends that decreasing harm should be the objective of policy and practice and that prompt identification of affected children should be a priority. In addition it stresses the importance of multi-agency collaboration and joint training and resources. Local government have begun to recognise the need to tackle alcohol problems and have generated a Regional action plan: The New Strategic Direction (NSD, 2006-2011) for alcohol and drugs, the overall aim being to reduce drug and alcohol related harm in Northern Ireland. A particular feature of the New Strategic Direction (NSD) is the identification of two themes. These are: children, young people and families and adults, carers and the general public. DHSSPS (2006, NSD: 1.6.1). A further important objective is to ensure that adult addiction services work in collaboration with childrens services to provide a shared policy agenda to improve the lives of young people living with substance misusing parents or carers. The Northern Ireland report- our children and Young people, our shared responsibilities (2006) saw the inspection and consequent reform of child protection services and implementation of Regional Safeguarding boards. Relevant recommendations further highlighted a need for increased inter-agency strategies responding to alcohol and drug misuse and its impact on children. It points to the need for increased inter-agency training and the importance of engaging and consulting with children and families. The 10year Northern Ireland strategy- Our children and Young People, our pledge (2006) identified 6 outcomes expected for all children, including safety and stability which are important factors to be considered when working with young people affected by alcohol in the family. Service User Perspectives Throughout the research, there were various harrowing quotes from children demonstrating their feelings towards their parents which go some way in summarising what they are going through. For example: My mom always told me, You dont tell anyone about what goes on at home, if you tell anybody you wont be living with me anymore so I never told. My life seems like one big secret. Its hard to trust people now (Murray, 1998: 526). A young girl aged 8 goes on to state: I would love my mum to stop drinking but I know she wont (HHAP, DHSSPSNI, 2008: 4) A mother agrees: There should be more family type services addiction affects everyone in the family and this needs addressing (HHAP, DHSSPSNI 2008: 4) I grew up feeling ashamed, frightened, lost, guilty and lonely; feeling unconfident, unsafe, unlistened to, unprotected, unloved, unlovable; feeling there was no-one there, inside or out. (The words of actress Geraldine James: Guardian extract, McVeigh (2010) Through my placement in Family and Childcares Gateway Service it was evident that alcohol was a feature of many referrals. Two service users I worked with spoke of how they had been affected by a family drinking problem. Ms A was removed from the care of her parents in her early teens as they both had problems with alcohol, resulting in Ms A experiencing neglect. She told me of how poor her home circumstances were and how, looking back, she could not believe how long social services permitted her and her siblings to live there. Nevertheless she spoke very warmly of her mother and how of much of an effect her death had on her. Ms Ms husband had a severe alcohol problem and still does; she divorced him when her youngest children were born but recognises the impact his behaviour had on her older children. Ms M experienced domestic violence when he was drunk which was witnessed by the older children. She states how clearly she can see the difference in her older and younger children due to them not having had their father present in their lives. She talked to me about how he would disappear for days, sometimes weeks, leaving her and the children worrying about his whereabouts. Local and Regional Resources There are a number of services and resources operating throughout the voluntary and statutory sectors in Northern Ireland and the UK which aim to support problem drinkers and their families. In order to better prepare workers, Eastern Board training Taking the Lid off supplies staff with training on examining the effects of addiction on the entire family. Trust Community Addictions Teams also utilise Taking the Lid off booklets to assist problem drinking parents in seeing the problem from the perspective of other family members. Service users may be referred to in-patient treatment at Downshire hospital or Carlisle House, for example. Whilst the focus of these resources is on getting specialised help for the parents, as pointed out in the regional HHAP (DHSSPSNI, 2008), assisting them will in turn help the children. AA meetings and Trust addiction team group work programmes afford parents the opportunity to meet with others in the same circumstances and provide a mechanism for workin g through their issues. The Dunlewey centre offers some support and counselling for children, alongside working with their parents on the Key to Change Programme. A book called Rory has been launched by ASCERT, Barnardos, SE Trust and Public Health agencies (BBC News, 2010). This aims to raise awareness of the issues of drinking in the family home and demonstrates to children that it is all right to talk about it. The Barnardos PHAROS service operates in The Eastern Board area, working on supporting and treating families affected by substance misuse, whilst the Dove House Hidden harm project supports children by offering respite and resilience work. The Ego project in the Western Board supports young people at risk of hidden harm via one to one counselling. Within the Eastern board, EDACT operates sub group meetings to allow representatives from voluntary and statutory addiction services to discuss concerning issues and prevent overlap of services. Alateen operates in the UK and Ireland for young people age d 12-17, allowing them to share their familiarity of living with a family member or friend who has an alcohol problem. The regional headquarters is based in Lisburn, with services including a helpline and meetings, sponsored by AA members. Despite these services showing signs of beginning to understand the needs of children it is evident that the focus remains on the adult receiving help. For the majority of services the parents need to be identified and engage with services themselves in order for the children to avail of any assistance. In addition it was clear whilst talking to Social Workers in Gateway that awareness levels need to be raised regarding the type of services available to children and the importance of recognising the effects on them. Whilst the provision of services is essential, Zohhadi et al (2004) point out a number of potential barriers to family engagement with treatment including a lack of parental recognition of their problem and insufficient knowledge of available services. Social stigma creates an added element of secrecy resulting in families feeling marginalised. Society negatively stigmatises alcoholics therefore entering treatment may mean further marginalisation (Room, 2005b). Children r isk normalising their parent(s) behaviour and as consent is required to work with them parents may not permit this for fear their child disclosing the full extent problem and being removed by social services. Taylor et al (2008) noted difficulties in engaging children if parents do not consent and how engagement can lead to the parent feeling labelled. Recommendations and Conclusions It is apparent from the reviewed literature that being parented by a problem drinker has a variety of psycho-social effects on children. A more holistic, systems approach needs to be employed whilst supporting families as other issues tend to take preference ov

Aphoristic Dangers of Alexander Pope Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If â€Å"imitation is the sincerest flattery,† then more than 250 years after his passing Alexander Pope deserves a spot in the ranks as one of the most flattered writers of all time. His works have been dissected of every phrase of possible significance and spilled onto page-a-day calendars and books of wit across the world. The beauty of his catchy maxims is that they are not only memorable, but attempt to convey his philosophy with perfect poetic ingenuity. Unfortunately, his well-achieved goals of â€Å"strik[ing] the reader more strongly† (Man 2527), easy retainability of his words, and most decidedly, conciseness, also yield an undesired effect. Utilizing this dicey method of epigrammatic couplets for such serious issues, Pope sacrifices pieces of his intended message, for the sake of rhyme, leading to easily misleading and generalizing messages that are open to scathing criticisms, misunderstandings and the possible loss of his some of his co mposition’s integrity as well as a confusion of his own convictions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The keys to great aphorisms are their ability to be applied to more common situations, thereby making them even more memorable by their availability for frequent usage, their ear-catching prominence and their paradoxical nature. That final element is what makes aphorisms so engaging. The most witty and intelligent examples are those that expose two supposed opposites for their ironic closeness and display the fine line between contradiction and a surprisingly parallel relationship between both.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A good example of such a saying is found in line 213 of â€Å"An Essay on Criticism.† â€Å"Trust not yourself; but your defects to know, / Make use of every friend - and every foe.† Here Pope is in the advising stage of his Essay and uses the surprise ending â€Å"and every foe† as a display of irony, in that it’s not only the counsel of friends one needs to depend on, but the unabashed critique of one’s rivals that can prove useful, as well. It is these types of witticisms that are a notorious characteristic of essays in general, but the most enjoyable and artistic part of Pope’s works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pope’s true genius is displayed in his one-line masterpieces that do not rely on rhyme to stay memorable. â€Å"An Essay on Criticism† is full of these. â€Å"For fool rush in where an... ...cance of Pope’s use of epigrammatic couplets as his rhetorical device of choice in these two essays is that many faults are found in such a method, for the sake of didacticism. True scholars would be able to take his message, had it instead been explicated in prose, and thoroughly, and without uncertainty, been able to learn and build upon his salient arguments. Were his goal merely to advise and entertain, then he did so exceptionally well while building a legendary volume of aphorisms in the process, but if Pope was truly trying to develop and compose an argument for critique and the state of man to follow and imitate Nature, then essayistic prose following the models of Locke and Hobbes would have been more appropriate and less ambiguous. Works Cited Pope, Alexander. â€Å"An Essay on Criticism.† The Longman Anthology of British   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Literature. Volume 1C. Ed. David Damrosch, et al. New York: Longman,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1999. 2459-2478 Pope, Alexander. â€Å"An Essay on Man.† The Longman Anthology of British   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Literature. Volume 1C. Ed. David Damrosch, et al. New York: Longman,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1999. 2526-2535

Theme of Courage in Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird Essay -- essays

To Kill A Mockingbird is a book about courage to what extent do you agree with this? Harper Lee's first novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, displays the life of a small southern family struggling through the depression in Maycomb, Alabama. Seen through the innocent eyes of a young child are the events and people of Maycomb. Courage is a major theme in the novel but there are other themes like the Hypocrisy, Protecting the innocent and Prejudice, which are brought out to the same extent. The author explores the idea of courage in the novel. Atticus shows true courage by defending Tom Robinson, a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Atticus continues to fight for justice despite knowing he can’t win the case because he is doing what he knows is right. The town is against this†¦.. This is shown when Atticus watches over Tom Robinson outside his goal cell the night he has been moved to the local goal. There are concerns about the possibility of a lynch mob. Mrs. Dubose is another example of true courage in this novel. Mrs. Dubose always yells at the children, enraging Jem. One Day when she insults Atticus, Jem wrecks her garden. As Punishment he is forced to read to her for a month. During this time Mrs. Dubose seems in a fog and has fits towards the end of the sessions. About a month after Jem finished his punishment Mrs. Dubose Dies. Atticus explains that Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict because of her illness but she had decided that she wanted to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody. By overcoming a morphine addiction, we see that Ms. Dubose was a woman of tremendous strength and character. She was not going to spend her last days as a drug addict, and despite the pain that it caused her, she succ... ...p the saintly J. Grimes Everett and the Mruna tribe in Africa they neglect to help the poor in Maycomb. They are happy to help people in another country but blatantly ignore the people in need on their own doorstep. This issue is important because it shows that how willing people are to help out people in another country but ignore the goings on of their own town. The idea of â€Å"true courage† is used throughout this text, however so are other equally important themes such as protection of the innocent, prejudice and hypocrisy. Despite that this book was written in the 1930’s it’s idea’s are still very relevant today. I feel that prejudice and hypocrisy are especially common in small towns such as Gunnedah. Although peoples attitudes towards things like racism have not completely changed we must not give up hope, we must have faith in the good of all people.

Defining the Future of Education Essay -- Educating Argumentative Pers

Defining the Future of Education What should be the goals of an elementary education within an increasingly diverse population? The simple and obvious answer is that an educational institution should be a place for individuals to learn. The job of the teacher is to issue facts, share methods in which the facts can be learned and model consistent and appropriate behavior. Such behavior should consist of modeling appropriate presentation, cleanliness, respect, methodology, etc. Such a question is bound to raise many arguments by teachers and the answer will raise many arguments by students. Most of our children, especially grades K-5, are not receiving the simple and obvious answer noted above; they are receiving mediocre teaching skills by teachers who are bitterly under-paid, over burdened, and often not credentialed. Mike Rose's, "Lives on the Boundary" (1989), expresses similar views that appear to be quite complex but are attainable. Rose expresses the tremendous need for embracing the purpose of education. He describes several individuals who developed both the social and cognitive ability to step outside the strict confines of tradition and pursue their individual dreams. Rose gives hope and confidence that it is not the students, who are failing, it is the educational system that is failing the students, and particularly those who are ill prepared and lack resources. More often than not, the ability to visualize our potential is lost in what should be rather than what is. Education needs to be seen as a wonderful experience. The content of any curriculum should emphasize the process rather than the product and the joy that can be achieved by struggling together. Struggling together is simply an extension of what we... ...any projects based on Gardner's theory have been implemented in classrooms all over the nation and are proving to be extremely advantageous. Schools have the potential to be a very different kind of place. Teachers need to go beyond the principal and superintendent and talk to each other. Time needs to be allotted where teachers can work cooperatively on issues of curriculum and assessment and foster the development of all forms of thinking. Works Cited Bishop, J. Thomas. "Enemies of Promise." In the Presence of Others: Voices That Call for Response. Second Edition. Andrea A. Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. St. Martin's Press. New York, 1997. 26-261. Thomas, Lewis. "The Hazards of Science." In the Presence of Others: Voices That Call for Response. Second Edition. Andrea A. Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. St. Martin's Press. New York, 1997. 239.