Alternative energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alternative energy - Essay Example The Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund’s co-manager Edward Guinness says that although wind energy’s use is growing almost at 30 per cent per year, yet the price of energy generated by the wind is competitive with the price of the fossil fuels (Eaves, 2007). Rapid growth in the production and use of solar power is also expected in the near future. Slightly more than 0.1 per cent of the total energy in the world is derived from the solar power through the photovoltaic vells. According to Edward Guinness, use of the solar power can grow to more than 10 per cent in the next two to three decades with the improvement of the manufacturing processes (Eaves, 2007). However, â€Å"[t]here are financial, political, and technical pressures as well as time constraints that will force tough choices† (Grunwald, 2009). Therefore, it would take some time for the use of the alternative sources of energy to outperform that of the fossil fuels. The future of energy is more about how than what. â€Å"I think the things that would really blow us away if we could jump forward 20 years would not be the giant fields of windmills, but the 1,000 changes in daily life that have taken place in order to save energy† (Steffen cited in Eaves, 2007). In the future, the sources of power are expected to get closer to the home. The changes would extend beyond the use of low-energy light bulbs. People would rely more on local energy particularly where the places have abundance of wind, sunshine, and rivers. With the production of energy at the domestic level, there would be flow of energy back and forth within the small infrastructure in the form of power grids that would supply energy two-way i.e. both to and from the homes. The alternative sources of energy have not been utilized to full extent on the Earth to date fundamentally because their supply and use has been expensive and the supply has not met the demands. Although the use of fossil fuels

Certificate training and assesment tafe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Certificate training and assesment tafe - Essay Example Questions RESULTS Assessor to complete shaded areas: S NYS Questions relevant to all TAE40110 design field units 1. In your own words explain what Vocational Education and Training (VET) is and describe its key features. Explain key principles of how competency-based training and assessment (CBT/A) works. 1. Answer: Vocational Education and Training (VET) is a higher educational training delivered by further institutions, which provides people with occupational or work related knowledge and skills that is however not a degree or higher level programs. The three (3) features of the training program is that it industry led, national and client focused. By industry led, it means the program is focused on employers and people who are already in industry work. For this reason, the whole program is defined by representatives in the industry. This means that the program may serve as an in-service training, career enhancement program or career option for people who will want to switch their careers. By national, it means the program is government accredited and so it is carried out throughout the entire Australia. It is not only accredited by government but also managed by the state or government. The program is client focused because it serves the immediate needs of clients as long their job demands are concerned. The program is conducted in a flexible manner that meets the working needs of clients. This means that it considers the working conditions of workers so that training programs are not fixed at times that will ne inconvenient to clients who may be working already. The key principles on which the CBT/A works is includes the fact that i. The program focuses on what a person can do not how they learn to do it: This means that the primary aim of the program is to see a client who completes the course with an ability to undertake a certain competency without necessarily judging the way by which the person acquired those competencies. This brings to the fore, the i ssues of flexibility in training acquisition. The format for training is so flexible that a client may choose whatever learning strategy that works will for him. As far as organisers are concerned, the end justifies the means and that end should be the acquisition of a competency level. ii. Criteria-reference assessment: This principle talks about the uniformity in the assessment procedure for the program. Competency-based assessment focuses on giving all participants assessment based on criteria outlined by the relevant competency standards. iii. Recognition assessment: This is to say that the program recognises prior learning experiences and current competency of candidates and assesses them based on these current competencies. The program therefore places premium on prospective candidates with previous experiences and encourages that. iv. Flexible and personalised delivery: The program focuses on the relevancy for the client. It aims at meeting the employability needs of the clie nts. The program is also delivered to meet the occupational needs of clients. The assessment process also reflects the needs of the clients. It is therefore not surprising that two different RTOs will undertake the same course for different client groups and the assessments for the two groups will be different. v. Immediate application: Accessibility to application is easy and they are based only on skills needed by

Research Literature Review Breast Cancer in USA Essay Example for Free

Research Literature Review Breast Cancer in USA Essay Introduction Breast cancer continues to be an important focus of attention for medical professionals, policy-makers and general public in the US. The high incidence of the disease and its devastating, in many cases, fatal, outcomes rivet the attention of the professional public. Studies identified for this literature review are for the most part practically oriented, in the sense that they deal with topics that are of primary importance in detecting, treating, and preventing breast cancer. Thus, two sources deal with the programs aimed at women education in the US concerning breast cancer, and two others cover the research into environmental causes of breast cancer. The problem of treatment options for breast cancer is also considered. Education Programs In the US where the population is extremely diverse, creation of special education programs targeting various population groups in accordance with their status is of special importance. Armando Valdez, Kakoli Banerjee, Lynn Ackerson, and Maria Fernandez in their article â€Å"Multimedia breast cancer education intervention for low-income Latinas† outline a special program aimed at the segment of women including Latino women. The problem with detection and early treatment of cancer among Latino women is connected to the fact that Latina women’s screening rate is considerably lower the required government standards and the rate for other ethnic groups. The researchers arrive at the conclusion that, given the availability of subsidized mammograms for poor Latina women, the main deterrent for improvement in the screening rate is lack of knowledge about cancer risks and treatment options. Complicated level of education materials prepared for the target group by the American Cancer Society was identified as an important factor blocking the access of Latina women to adequate information as materials presented often required a superior level of reading skills and the materials were not prepared in Spanish. The paper reports â€Å"the results of a multimedia breast cancer education intervention, tailored to the needs of low-education, low-income Latinas, and attempt to document specific changes in womens knowledge, attitudes and intentions toward mammography screening† (Valdez et al., 2002). Using the Breast Cancer Multimedia Kiosk including instructional videos exposing the target group to the dangers of breast cancer, the authors were able to conclude that interactive multimedia technologies are an effective tool in raising awareness of cancer risks among low-income women. Although the women had some prior knowledge of cancer (â€Å"the majority of baseline study participants (over 80%) knew age and family history as risk factors†), the post-exposure assessment revealed a significant increase in knowledge after the program. Krystal Ngoc-Thy Luong and Jenny K. Yi in â€Å"Apartment-Based Breast Cancer Education Program for Low Income Vietnamese American Women† evaluate a similar program targeting a different ethnic group. As in the case with Latina women, breast cancer is the leading cause of death in this subgroup. Although Asian/Pacific Islander American, or APIA, women have a lower incidence rate of breast cancer (102.0 per 100,000 versus 140.8 per 100,000 for White American women), exposure to Western lifestyle tends to push these rates up. In addition, APIA women tend to be younger when diagnosed with breast cancer than other categories. The study aimed â€Å"to develop, implement, and evaluate the effect of an apartment-based breast cancer educational program for the hard to reach low income Vietnamese women† (Luong, Yi, 2005). The program was designed to be based on apartment visits as it provided a convenient way to reach women, covering neighbourhoods with high concentration of Vietnamese families in Houston. The intervention was carried out by two educators who delivered 20 educational sessions over the period of 3 months that provided the Vietnamese women with information concerning screening, recommendations and referrals to screening. Women were supplied with promotional materials including printed educational information and videos. Measurement of the knowledge levels through telephone surveys concerning breast cancer issues demonstrated that they were â€Å"significantly higher in the intervention group after receiving education about breast cancer when compared to women in the control group† (Luong, Yi, 2005). The researchers drew the conclusion that an apartment-based program has many advantages as compared to other ones because it addresses women in comfortable home settings, giving them a chance to relax and open up more to the conversation with the educator. Environmental Hazards and Breast Cancer Another important direction of research concerns the impact of pollutants and other environmental factors on incidence of breast cancer in women. Thus, Peggy Reynolds, Susan E. Hurley, Robert B. Gunier, Sauda Yerabati, Thu Quach, and Andrew Hertz in â€Å"Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticide Use and Incidence of Breast Cancer in California, 1988-1997† evaluate the connection between the facts that California is the most important agricultural state and also demonstrates the highest breast cancer rates in the US. The purpose of the study was formulated as desire to find out â€Å"whether California breast cancer rates were elevated in areas with recent high agricultural pesticide use† (Reynolds et al., 2005). The research was based on the assessment of 176,302 invasive breast cancer cases including â€Å"70,968,598 person-years of observation† (Reynolds et al., 2005). Using Poisson regression analyses, the authors were not able to find a consistent link between living close to the areas of pesticide distribution and having breast cancer. The upshot of the study was that breast cancer was hardly driven by pesticide use, but was more closely related to various social factors such as socioeconomic status. Julia Green Brody and Ruthann A. Rudel in â€Å"Environmental pollutants and breast cancer† address a wider ranger of substances that can lead to breast tumors. The proliferation of breast cancer in North America has caused the need to look for more sources of this disease, examining a wider range of factors. The study covers â€Å"chemicals that may be breast carcinogens, promote growth of breast cells and hormonally sensitive tumors, or affect mammary gland development and susceptibility† (Brody, Rudel, 2003). The researchers identify already known breast cancer risk factors including reproductive factors, exposure to pharmaceutical hormones, diet, ionizing radiation, socioeconomic status and posited the need to identify more factors. Thus, the scholars point to the need to further investigate the risk associated with occupational hazards including exposure â€Å"to the mammary carcinogens benzene, PAHs, and certain organic solvents† (Brody, Rudel, 2003). For instance, speaking of organic solvents, one study identified a connection between breast cancer rates in Danish women and their exposure to these substances in the workplace. The research, after examining 7,802 women with cancer diagnosis, registered a 20-66% rise in breast cancer risk for women who have been employed in occupations that envisaged active exposure to organic solvents. Other studies demonstrated increased risk of breast cancer development for women employed in the chemical industry, textile manufacturing, or nuclear power plants. The authors conclude by saying that more research is needed in the area, but the literature available so far clearly indicates that the link exists between cancer rates and environmental factors. Treatment Options Finally, another issue which has been identified to inspire researchers is the availability of treatment options for cancer and choice between various alternatives. Kathleen B. Donaghy in â€Å"Fostering Sound Medical Treatment Decision Making: A Focusing on Treatment Choices for Breast Cancer† explores this problem. Invoking the decision-making theory, the author evaluates the potential for adequate decision-making in patients struck with this shocking diagnosis. Donaghy (2003) believes that hasty decisions concerning treatment options made on insufficient information are often regretted by the patient later on. As common deterrents that prevent responsible decision-making she identifies five key points: 1.) cognitive overload 2.) failure to fully comprehend treatment options 3.) inability or refusal to process information in the presence of a denial defense 4.) hurried presentation of information by the physician 5.) self-imposed time constraints to get decisions made. (Donaghy, 2003) The article identifies the key strategies that can be employed by the physician to help the patient in the choice, such as providing maximal possible information to guide the patient’s decisions, improving communication, framing information in an appropriate format, obtaining informed consent etc. Using the decision theory to define decision-making as a choice between status quo and other alternatives shed light on patient values that can be involved in decisions regarding breast surgery. Conclusion The pervasiveness of breast cancer in the US makes research related to the issue highly topical. Examination of causes including environmental factors can help craft governmental policies that will prevent the spread of the deadly disease. On the other hand, developing policies aimed at early detection and effective treatment can be instrumental in curbing the death rate from breast cancer. In this light, creation of programs specifically tailored to the needs of individual groups can be an effective solution. Finally, research oriented toward helping the patient make the best decision concerning treatment options will be an important prerequisite of effective treatment programs. References Ackerson, L., Banerjee, K., Fernandez, M., Valdez, A. (2002). A Multimedia Breast Cancer Education Intervention for Low-Income Latinas. Journal of Community Health 27(1), 33+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5000714747 Brody, J.G., Rudel, R.A. (2003). Environmental Pollutants and Breast Cancer. Environmental Health Perspectives 111(8), 1007+. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5002005585 Donaghy, K.B. (2003). Fostering Sound Medical Treatment Decision Making: A Focusing on Treatment Choices for Breast Cancer. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association 6(4), 6+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5002578878 Gunier, G.M., Hertz, A., Hurley, S.E., Quach, T., Reynolds, P., et al. (2005). Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticide Use and Incidence of Breast Cancer in California, 1988-1997. Environmental Health Perspectives 113(8), 993+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5010885312 Ngoc-Thy Luong, K., Yi, J.K. (2005). Apartment-Based Breast Cancer Education Program for Low Income Vietnamese American Women. Journal of Community Health 30(5), 2005, 345+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5011756419

Pre Birth Assessment Reflective Analytical Study

Pre Birth Assessment Reflective Analytical Study I was requested to complete a Pre-Birth Assessment with regards to Case BB. The referral was made by the Community Midwife to the Children and Families Area Team where I was on my placement. The Community Midwifes concerns were BBs age, she already had a child who was under one year, her partner was in prison and the Midwife was further concerned about BBs lack of engagement with the health services particularly ante-natal services. The Midwife was also concerned with BBs emotional state of mind. To consolidate what little information was on the referral I contacted BBs current Health Visitor whereby I was subject to a litany of BBs misdemeanours regarding her care of CA. Although the Health Visitor regarded BBs care of CA as poor I noted that there had been no social work input requested from the Health Visitor and that the Health Visitor had quite a forceful personality. However, I took on board the information the Health Visitor provided with an objective mind. BB is 19 years old and lives in a local authority house in a rural village with few local amenities. The village is not well served with public transport which makes it difficult for BB to access the main town. BBs sole income is benefit based. BB now has two children, CA who is 15 months old and LA who is 3 months old. BBs partner, BA (who is 22 years of age) is at present in prison, serving a sentence for Assault to Serious Injury. BA is not expected to return to the family home until October 2010. BA is the natural father to both CA and LA. My role was to complete a Pre-Birth Assessment with regards to convening a Pre-Birth Conference if necessary. This is in line with the local authoritys High Risk Pregnancy Protocol. My role was also to support and work in partnership with BB and her family in the longer term. The context of my practice was that of a statutory role with statutory responsibilities. Therefore, I had to consider how to support the family by assessing BBs strengths and pressures as well as promote the welfare of BBs child and unborn child and in the wider sense to keep the family together. According to Hothersall (2008) these are principles inherent within the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 which themselves derive from broader principles surrounding the rights of the children and the importance of positive development as the basis for a meaningful life. Further to this Healy (2005) points out that within the practice context it is the legal aspect which has precedence over other aspects of practice. This incorporates the fulfilment of legal duties and responsibilities. The Children (Scotland) Act 1995, as mentioned previously, is the underpinning legislation within Children and Families. This legislation with regards to parental responsibilities was I felt, pertinent to this case. For example, the responsibilities of a parent to a child under 16 are set out in Section 1 of this Act. They are to safeguard and promote the health, development and welfare of the child and to provide appropriate direction to the child according to age. These parental responsibilities were important to consider when completing the Pre-Birth Assessment in response to both BB and her partner BAs capacity to parent. The Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) (Scottish Executive, 2005) policy was also crucial in my assessment. GIRFEC provides a practice model which promotes holistic assessment and planning for children, centred upon indicators of well-being and as a policy is about intervention as early as possible and provision of the right help at the right time. Within GIRFEC is the My World assessment model which I used to help me complete the Pre-Birth Assessment particularly in relation to BBs parenting skills with CA. I also utilised Getting Our Priorities Right (GOPR) A Guide for Workers in Best Practice (Local Authority Child Protection Web Pages). Underpinning this assessment was Protecting Children and Young People Framework for Standards (Scottish Executive, 2004). Within the context of completing the assessment I was aware of the statutory legal responsibility involved and the requirement to work within the framework of current legislation and policy. During supervision discussion was centred around the issue of care and control from the perspective of my practice based on statutory responsibility. According to Thompson (2005) to ignore control is to run the risk of being ineffective, while to ignore care can lead to potentially abusive and oppressive practice. Further to this Banks (2006) points out that the reasons for many ethical dilemmas and problems stem from the social work role as a public service profession dealing with vulnerable service users who need to be able to trust the worker and be protected from exploitation; and also from its position as part of state welfare provision based on contradictory aims and values (care and controlprotection of individual rights and promotion of public welfare) that cause tensions, dilemmas and conflicts. (Banks, 2006, p.25) As Banks also points out, in practice it is the rules of the agency that define who is to be regarded as a service user and provide the context in which the social worker operates. This, for me reflects that need to recognize the significance of discrimination and oppression in service users lives and for my practice to be ethically sound and develop a participatory approach to my practice. Considering these points helped me formulate how I was going to engage with BB. I had an understanding of my statutory responsibilities from a legal and policy perspective and I had an understanding of my personal and professional values in terms of the tensions caused by care and control. Therefore, I needed to build a working relationship with BB which would allow me to build a theoretical understanding of the interrelationship between the individual and society. (Watson West, 2006, p.13) This would help me complete a meaningful and insightful assessment of BBs current difficulties with appropriate interventions. To complete the assessment, I took into consideration Germain and Gittermans The Life Model of Social Work Practice (1996). Payne (2005) describes this model as a formulation of the ecological systems theory which is based on the relationship between people and their environment. The aim of social work is to increase the fit between people and their environment by alleviating life stressors and increasing peoples personal and social resources to enable them to use more and better coping strategies. Payne further points out that practice must be carried out through a partnership between worker and service user that reduces power differences between them. The environment and the demands of the life course should be a constant factor in making decisions. By utilising Germain Gittermans life model of practice (1996) I was able to create an accepting and supportive environment by describing my role clearly to BB and encouraging BB to give her thoughts about the referral. This elicited background information about her relationship with BA and support networks she had within her own extended family and with BAs extended family. We discussed the birth of her second child particularly in respect of how BB felt she could cope with CA as well as with the new baby. BB identified this as a worry for her as she was concerned that she would not be able to manage. To make sense of this information Payne (2005) describes resources that people have in order to cope. These are self-efficacy, self-esteem and self-concept. BB had none of these emotional resources available to her at this time. Coupled with this she had no self-direction in the sense she did not feel she had any control over her life. To allow me to elicit further information regarding BBs parenting skills I observed her care of CA. The My World model which draws on upon the work of Bronfenbrenner (1979) and encourages practioners to take an ecological approach to the assessment process helped me in this respect. By looking at the three domains of growth and development, what is needed from the people who look after me and my wider world I was able to elicit the positives in the situation and the areas of pressure in relation to the safety, well-being and development of the child. Further to this, attachment theory, which according to Schofield (2002) is primarily a theory for understanding (Schofield, 2002, p.29) was also useful in that although directly seeking to improve the quality of interaction between children and caregivers, the childs sense of security, self-esteem and self-efficacy may also be increased by intervening in the systems around the family, for example providing social support to the mother or funding a place for the child in an activity group. A visit with BA was also organised, who although in prison presented as a significant risk factor due to alcohol consumption and increasing levels of violence, albeit the incidents were not in or near the family home and did not involve BB nor his child. BA was at first uncommunicative which was understandable due to the setting and nature of the visit. Trevithick (2007) suggests that asking a range of different questions is central to interviewing however, before asking a question we must be interested in the answer. (Trevithick, 2007, p. 159) By careful use of open and closed questions I was able to draw out BAs views on the assessment and gain some sense of a working relationship with him. However, what really opened the conversation was when I commented on how CA looked very like him. BA then started to talk about CA and how he was looking forward to the birth of his next baby. During the course of the visit I was able to understand how BA supports BB by allowing her the freedom to take care of CA while he did the cooking and looked after the house. BA went on to explain that his relationship with BB was sound but that he was aware he had let her down badly particularly as she was pregnant with his second child. BA was aware that he had missed a lot of CA growing up and he did not want this to happen with his second child. BA was also open about the circumstances leading to his arrest and he admitted that it was due to a feud between two different villages that had been going on since school. BA confirmed that the whole thing was stupid and that he now realised he needed to grow up. Taking into account the information gained and observations made during my visits with BB, CA and BA I was able to start to make sense of their environment, their strengths and pressures and the roles each of them had within the home and their community. Intervention at the initial stages of the process was I believe successful with regard to forming a working partnership with BB and to an extent with BA. Further visits with BB drew further information regarding informal support networks which in the main was her mother. BBs mother was a source of practical support and advice and they were in contact daily. BB described her mother as her ear. Permission was sought from BB to meet with her mother. BBs mother was keen for her daughter to gain support from social services as she realised how difficult her daughter was finding things at this time. To complete the assessment and take into account risk factors and strengths I had to analyse and reflect on the information I had gained. According to Helm (2009) this information needs to be analysed before an understanding is developed which allows a judgement to be formed which can lead to an appropriate decision or action. Calder (2002) further offers a framework for conducting risk assessment by assessing all areas of identified risk and ensuring that each is considered separately e.g. child, parent, and surrounding environment each worrying behaviour should be assessed individually as each is likely to involve different risk factors. To counteract the risk factors present family strengths and resources should also be assessed, for example good bonding, supportive networks. After a thorough analysis and supervisory discussions I recommended that a Post-Birth Multi-Agency Conference not be convened. However, I recommended that a further assessment take place when BA returns to the family home and a Post-Birth Multi-Agency meeting to discuss future interventions be arranged as I was aware that the birth of the new baby could be a future pressure on BB. In line with anti-oppressive practice and partnership working, I discussed both the assessment and recommendations with BB and by letter with BA. Both were given the opportunity to put their views across and both were happy to continue to work voluntarily with the department for the present. The reasons behind my recommendations were that BB although socially isolated had a strong supportive network with her extended family and BAs extended family. Further to this BB has a close and supportive relationship with her mother whom she sees every day. According to Hill et al (2007) a vast array of research shows that parents in poverty, or facing other stresses, usually cope better when they have one or more close relationships outside the household and these are activated to give practical, emotional or informational support. Most often this is informal but, for isolated parents access to family centres or professionals including health professionals can make a great difference to both the parents and the social and emotional health of children. (Barlow Underdown, 2005) With regards to CA, BB had a good bond with her daughter and was quick to attend to her needs. BB also had a routine in place for CA regarding mealtimes and naps this also included a bedtime routine. CA was reaching her developmental milestones (Source: Sheridans Charts). CA had age appropriate toys and had the freedom of the living area. BB had erected a baby gate to stop CA from gaining access to the kitchen and the stairs. However, since CA started walking, BB has to continually keep an eye on CA due to the open fire and hearth in the living area which is proving stressful for BB. Immediate interventions included obtaining Section 22 funding to purchase a safety fireguard and information was obtained regarding BB making applications for Sure Start and Healthy Eating Grants. These applications were successfully made by BB and allowed her to purchase essential items for the new baby. BB had highlighted this as a worry for her as she was struggling financially. Working in collaboration with the Community Midwife arrangements were made for BB to make the trip to the clinic on alternate weeks when her benefits were received. The Community Midwife visited her at home the other weeks. I believe I managed to build a positive working relationship with BB. According to Wilson et al (2008) relation-based practice is the emphasis it places on the professional relationship with the service user. The social worker and service user relationship is recognised to be an important source of information for the worker to understand how best to help. In order to make informed decisions and critically evaluate practice, reflection and analysis of information should embrace all sources of knowledge which have to be drawn upon. Further to this, a potentially more informative, relationship-based and reflective response would be to articulate the service users feelings by which the service user can acknowledge their own responses to the situation. As Fook (2002) points out: Reflective practioners are those who can situate themselves in the context of the situation and can factor this understanding into the ways in which they practice (Fook, 2002, p.40) Banks (2006) also indicates that part of the process of becoming a reflective practioner also involves being aware of ones own position of power and how dominant discourses construct the knowledge and values we use to describe and work with situations and practice. This has been discussed in supervision with regards to BBs Pre-Birth assessment and to visiting BA in prison. It is difficult to evaluate whether aspects of my work were effective or not. However, in supervision we discussed how keen BB was to gain support and seemed to appreciate the partnership approach. This was discussed in relation to Hill et als (2007) research and Barlow and Underdown (2005). Small aspects of my intervention, such as the provision of the safety fireguard were described by BB as a godsend and she was proud to show me the baby items she had purchased on receipt of the grants. Discussion in supervision also centred round the next stage of intervention which was after the baby was born. I discussed with BB the opportunity for CA to attend a local authority nursery one day per week. This would help CAs social and emotional development and at the same time allow BB to spend time with LA. This referral was successful as was gaining the services of a volunteer driver to transport CA. However, CA has only just started at the nursery and therefore difficult to gauge if this referral has been effective. Reflecting on my work overall, I should probably have explored more with BB her social isolation and worked on strategies to get her more involved in the community. Further to this resources in this village are non-existent and the parenting groups which were suitable were not available locally. BB was interested but location of the Family Centre and lack of public transport negated this. I enquired with regards to Outreach Work but this was not available. Discussion with other colleagues in the team reflected the same theme regarding facilities for the outlying villages. Further discussion in supervision raised for me the difficulty of maintaining empowering and anti-oppressive practice within this context as assessment should be needs led not resource led. 2,979 words

Choosing between Family and Individuality in Kate Chopins The Awakenin

Choosing between Family and Individuality in Kate Chopin's The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopin's The Awakening focuses on a woman's struggle to become an individual while still being a mother and wife. In the process of this journey, the female heroine discovers that establishing her own identity means losing a mother's identity. Edna looks to be the "brave soul," a "soul that dares and defies" (Chopin 61). Edna's society looked down upon females who seek anything other than attending to their children and husband's needs. Therefore, she is seen as an outcast and must turn inward as well as outward towards nature for satisfaction and approval.   Ã‚  Ã‚   At the beginning of The Awakening, Mr. Pontellier poses the question, "If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?" (Chopin 7). He reflects the general belief of his time that women should be mothers who give up themselves for the more important needs of their children. He believes that women should be self-sacrificing beings who never take and always give. He thinks, just as other men believed during this time period, that she should be the "angel of the house," catering to his every need. Mr. Pontellier wants her to be one of the "ministering angels" (Chopin 9) who "idolized their children" (Chopin 9) and "worshipped their husbands" (Chopin 9). Mrs. Pontellier shows little interest in taking care of her husband and children, hinting that she seeks more than a life lived for others. She begins to "recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her" (Chopin 14) which inevitably becomes a curse in disguise. It crea tes a complicated inner conflict. Mrs. Pontellier ponders whether she should be defined as a mother and ... ...nature for acceptance and to her soothing childhood memories for forgotten innocence.    Works Cited and Consulted Chopin, Kate. "The Awakening." 1899. The Complete Works of Kate Chopin. Ed. Per Seyersted. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1989. Culley, Margo, ed. A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The Awakening.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.  Ã‚   Edwards, Lee.   "Sexuality, Maternity, and Selfhood."   A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The Awakening.   Ed. Margo Culley.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.   282-285.   Walker, Nancy.   "Feminist or Naturalist."   A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The   Awakening.   Ed. Margo Culley.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.   252-257. Wolff, Cynthia.   "Thanatos and Eros."   A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The   Awakening.   Ed. Margo Culley.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.   231-241.

Affirmative Action :: Essays Papers

Affirmative Action President John F. Kennedy used the phrase "affirmative action" in March of 1961, when he put into effect Executive Order 10925. The order required every federal contract to include the pledge that "The Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin. The Contractor will take affirmative action, to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." However, in 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson felt that in order to achieve fairness more was need than just a commitment to impartial treatment. Months later, President Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, which stated that "It is the policy of the Government of the United States to provide equal opportunity in federal employment for all qualified persons, to prohibit discrimination in employment because or race, creed, color or national origin, and to promote the full realization of equal employment opportunity through a positive, continuing program in each department and agency." Two years later, the order was amended to prohibit discrimination based on sex. Today, it is argued that the affirmative action policy has resulted in reverse discrimination, as well as an increase in racial tension. Those in opposition feel that it is undemocratic to give one class of citizens advantages at the expense of other citizens. They feel this policy promotes quotas rather than qualifications. They believe that discrimination on some level is a part of everyone's life and is an inescapable part of forming preferences and taste. Those in favor of affirmative action state that it is not about preferential treatment for certain racial, gender, or ethnic groups, but rather about promoting equality and equal opportunities for everyone. Defenders feel this policy helps level the field for women and minorities that historically have been overlooked and discriminated against. The issue of affirmative action is a sore subject in society. I have mixed feelings on the policy; it can be beneficial as well as harmful to those affected by it. As a woman in the workforce, it is reality to me that segregation based on sex does exist, as well as a wage gap. I feel that women will benefit more from a free market system rather than one controlled by government regulation. In order to meet their quota, employers will promote women and minorities too quickly or into positions, they are not qualified for.

Admission to Business Program

My experience prior to enrolment in Seoul business school includes everything I need to succeed in the program and later on – technical expertise, leadership challenges, and work in multicultural environments. The course in Seoul business school will surely help me to take these skills to a new level and build on that course as yet another prerequisite for a successful career.Since my background is in IT, I started to build my professional career with gaining technical skills in the area I believe to be the most crucial in propelling global growth and spearheading development. Working for 7.5 years as a technical project manager at the Bank of America in Korea, I accumulated substantial knowledge in my specific area.Being a highly qualified professional, I was appointed to supervise a project that involved IT specialists from both European and Asian branches of the company. With the environment being multiethnic, multilingual and multicultural, I found myself at the crossing p oint of various perspectives, viewpoints and ways of doing business.At this point, I realized that the main focus of project management was not technical expertise that I had already begun to take for granted, but business communication skills specifically attuned to multicultural environments in global companies. Grasping intuitively for ways to bring the maximum efficiency to the project, I found gaps in my cross-cultural education and management skills.Relying on my traditionally strong problem-solving skills, I was able to resolve most situations, but each time I came across a management problem, I felt that I could do better than before with help from a knowledgeable instructor. Since trying to do my best is one of my inherent traits as a professional, I decided to leverage my experience with the help of an education, which is the reason why I decided to pursue a new course in international management to help me advance the business side of my work.This international focus is t he reason why I chose Seoul business school, renowned for its international student body and diversity of program. I was impressed with the well-balanced curriculum of the school that provides intensive training in strategic management, building in students skills applicable in any part of the globe.During my studies, I hope to make a breakthrough in my understanding of international management and learn from students with diverse backgrounds, incorporating their perspectives and transforming them into my own unique management style.I do not expect ready-made answers from my business studies – instead, I am seeking a chance to rise above my current level with the help of new knowledge and take a bird’s-eye view of my future career path and goals. With the impact of a quality business education program, I am sure to attain new horizons in my career, becoming a successful international leader.With my previous experience in leading projects and motivating people, I feel t hat I will be able to incorporate the elements of the program to achieve success in any future endeavours.2) Tell us about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a challenge or problem.Most would think that IT jobs are mechanical and boring, leaving room for creativity. In my experience, however, I found that the greatest challenge is not the technical problems that can be overcome after some careful thinking; people, on the contrary, are an ongoing challenge as they generate all kinds of surprises.Dealing with my IT staff, I had to bring up all my creative potential to help our employees open up THEIR potential for creativity, problem-solving and other skills.Empowering IT employees was my greatest challenge since we all spent an enormous time sifting through petty technical problems. Forcing subordinates to run and check with me every small detail was consuming a lot of my time that could have been used for better purposes. At one point, I became so exhausted with the process that I felt some sort of solution was necessary to relieve them of the fear to make the decision on their own.Teaching them to progress slowly seemed a good idea which led me to instruct them to solve at least one problem a day on their own, selecting from the range of problems they previously reported to me.At the end of the day, we all had a five-minute assembly in which the team members would share what kind of problems they ventured to solve on their own and what solutions they came up with. It proved that their solutions were for the most part sound, so that our project did not suffer any major disruptions in its functioning.The greatest asset of my invention was the psychological climate in the team that was suddenly transformed as employees began to sense a change in their role. No longer cogs in the machine, they were now independent thinkers, feeling the drive to expand the boundaries of their knowledge to meet their new function.To do this, they shared informat ion with each other in more frequent exchanges and would come up to me, but not with the details of a specific problem as before, but with broader questions that gave me a chance to increase their expertise. Our cooperation assumed a more lively character, and I could sense that my employees were now getting more satisfaction from their work.Little by little, we went from one to two, then to three independently solved problems a day. This change significantly increased the capacity of my subordinates, expanding the productivity of our teams that could now process more tasks in the same limited timeframe. Most importantly, my invention helped to remove the fear of mistake in my subordinates, making them aware of their strengths at problem-solving.Needless to say, I was deeply satisfied with the results and since then, have continuously been thinking about other possible innovations aimed at employee empowerment. I believe that helping people to bring out their potential is the most r ewarding function of the managerial job that is lead to a breakthrough in the project’s chances for success.3) Tell us about one thing in your personal or professional life for which you have a great deal of passion.Throughout both my professional and community involvement, I have been trying to make my input valuable by trying assist those who are hampered by disadvantages that are no fault of their own. This can include helping the disabled, the poor, or those living in developing nations. Among the activities in which I engaged with a lot of passion, the memory of volunteer work in an NGO stands out from the rest.Perhaps the reason is that, in my feeling, with this work I could make a real difference in the lives of many people. I first started volunteering simply out of desire to help a friend working at the same NGO. As I began to see the bigger picture of what they do, I felt the need to make my personal contribution to the lives of people in developing countries.The wo rk there really kept me in touch with what was going on in the rest of the world where people were less fortunate than myself and offered wonderful opportunities for striking up friendships and making contacts.Having a successful professional background to draw upon, I felt myself both able and obliged to use my professional expertise to assist the populations of developing countries like Cambodia in improving access to information communication technology in rural and remote areas.In my view, the capacity to utilise existing and evolving communication possibilities will be the key to these nations bridging the gap between their present condition and the industrialised world. It was exciting to think of how I can use my time and skills to help people around the globe make a transition to the information society which would be the necessary prerequisite for building sustainable economies.My work in the NGO began from writing an e-mail newsletter and continued with preparation for sem inar aimed at raising a subscription. Finally, I saw myself planning new initiatives within the organization to utilise existing capacities in the realm of information technology in order to facilitate information exchange with developing nations. We launched a few projects aimed at giving all people equal opportunities in the realm of information access.I found working there that with my experience in the field I could often provide other people with advice that helped them to get a more coherent picture of what was going on in information technology and how the organization’s resources in this area could have been used with the maximum efficiency.I believe that by applying our individual knowledge to help people in the less developed world we can truly make a difference since more affluent societies provide their members with more opportunities to acquire expertise in the professional field.Once we absorb this professional knowledge, we can use our creativity of our minds t o generate new ideas and connect them to the needs of other people. In my volunteer work, I did my best to leverage my previous experience to create a stimulating information-rich environment for other people where they, too, could have used their natural abilities to develop the economies of their nations. My deepest belief in the fundamental right of all people to have equal access to information fuelled my passion for this rewarding work.4) Please detail the five-year plan for your career including the jobs you would like to have, how you would leverage your education, and how you would otherwise prepare yourself for this path. Tell us why your goals make sense given your plan and your background.In my post-school years, I am determined to integrate my previous experience with the knowledge obtained in the school to succeed in a career that will incorporate my technical and management skills. Within a five-year timeframe, I hope to become IT consultant in a global company, concen trating on providing top-notch services to customers all around the world.An education obtained in Seoul Business School will be an important factor in my success as IT consultant. Working in a dynamic, challenging business environment of IT consulting requires continuous improvement of one’s skills, ability to think on one’s heels, out-of-the-box solutions, and ability to meet the most unexpected customer needs.A broad base of business knowledge I hope to gain from Seoul Business School will enable me to get a deeper insight into the nature of my clients’ businesses and prompt more productive solutions that can advance their operations in innovative, effective ways.Having a quality educational background to draw upon, I would be able to utilise this knowledge to meet the diversified needs of customers with flexibility and speed, making a contribution to the success of many companies around the globe.