Wednesday, October 30, 2019

MHE514 Module 4 Case - War and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MHE514 Module 4 Case - War and Terrorism - Essay Example Furthermore, people may not always show the effects physically. A large percentage of the veterans carry emotional, mental or social scarring. Beginning right after the war in 1991, previously healthy veterans began claiming that they suffered from illnesses and symptoms of other diseases because of the conditions they had suffered through in the war. These reports initially came from American veterans, and was soon followed by British and Canadian veterans. The media quickly took up this story and this phenomenon was given the term Gulf War Syndrome, which was said to be an illness unique to Gulf war veterans. American and British researchers began conducting studies about the claims of the war veterans. However, they discovered no unusual patterns of illnesses among the hundreds of thousands of war veterans they studied. Their diagnoses only showed â€Å"medically unexplained symptoms and syndromes† such as dizziness, affective problems, fatigue, joint and muscle aches, cognitive problems, headaches, respiratory complaints, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances, skin problems, musculoskeletal disorders, re spiratory conditions, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Coker, Bhatt, Blatchley, & Graham, 1999; Coker, 1996; Joseph, 1997). However, news of the Gulf War Syndrome continued to spread with the media reporting cases of veterans having children with deformities and an increase of the death rates of Gulf War veterans, mainly due to cancer (Arneta, Schlangen, Edmonds, Destiche, Merz, Hobbs, et al, 2003). Again, these news reports were refuted by studies done by American and British researchers. Research findings showed that war veterans’ deaths were mainly caused by accidents or suicides (mostly in US veterans) rather than from any illness caused by side effects of the war (MacFarlane, Thomas & Cherry, 2000) Another

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Primary Care Clinic Essay Example for Free

The Primary Care Clinic Essay A small primary care clinic has 69 employees, representing 9 different clinical professions and 12 other skills. It operates two (2) sites, one (1) of which is bigger and has the departments for medical specialists, diagnostic labs, and patient services. The clinic also contracts for a variety of services, such as repair and maintenance, referral specialists, and advanced diagnostic services. You are the manager. You report to the owners who are four (4) of the family practitioners and their wives. Two of the wives still work at the clinic as registered nurses. Write a five to seven (5-7) page paper in which you: 1.Discuss the key political, economic, and social forces that may have influenced the development of the clinic. 2.Create a comprehensive mission statement and explain what makes it a comprehensive mission statement. 3.Identify three (3) performance measures you would use to measure the clinic’s effectiveness and provide the rationale for each performance measure. 4.Describe how you would approach decisions regarding clinic expansion and annual plan approval. 5.Describe the role of the clinic as a component of the healthcare delivery system in your community. 6.Examine how public healthcare policy has influenced the formation of outpatient clinics in the healthcare system. 7.Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: †¢Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. †¢Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: †¢Examine the political, economic, and social forces that have influenced the organizational foundations of the United States healthcare system †¢Explain how public policy has shaped the development of the U.S. healthcare system. †¢Analyze the critical management issues, purpose, functions, and performance measures of different departments within healthcare organizations. †¢Use technology and information resources to research issues in health services organization management. †¢Write clearly and concisely about health services organization management using proper writing mechanics. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Did the Mayan Civilization Collapse as a Result of Drought? Essay

Ever since the collapse of the once powerful Maya civilization, people have been trying to find out what caused it. Authors of the article, "“Climate and the Collapse of Maya Civilization”", which include Gerald Haug, Detlef GÃ ¼nther, Larry Peterson, Daniel Sigman, Konrad Hughen, and Beat Aeschlimann propose a theory that the Mayans collapsed because of an extended dry period between 760 and 910 A.D. These scientists set out find the answer as to why the Maya civilization collapsed. This question is fairly popular and is often times answered by an extended drought, but they wanted to find geologic evidence of what the climate was like in the same time period hoping that there is an obvious link between the two. This question may be simple and straightforward, but this was different than using records that paleoclimatologists have been using which record data for the past millennia. These authors were trying to record climate for a short time period which until recently has been assumed to be unchanging for the last 6000 years. The authors used sediment sequences from two holes drilled in the Cariaco Basin. These sediments were rapidly deposited and were estimated at 30cm per thousand years. They used bulk titanium (Ti) content as a recorder to get an index of the regional hydrologic conditions. High Ti content indicates wet conditions while lower Ti indicates dryer conditions. The authors' results showed Ti content were the lowest between 500 and 200 yr B.P. They also found higher Ti content between 1070 and 850 yr B.P. In addition, the authors found Ti levels were of intermediate value before the sharp rise at approximately 1070 yr B.P.(930 A.D.). The authors also used a radiocarbon age control... ...nce Archaeology can not fully explain the decline of the Maya civilization, the data recorded from the sediment cores by the authors of this article can be used for the hypothesis that drought ultimately led to the demise of the civilization. Not only does the data collected show the evidence of multiple droughts during an already dry period called the Terminal Classic Collapse period, but this data can also be aligned with archaeological data of this time period. The authors can use this archaeological data to support their hypothesis that peak regional drought during an extended period of reduced precipitation ed to the the end of the Maya civilization. Work Cited Larry C. Peterson and Gerald H. Haug "Climate and the Collapse of Maya Civilization" http://www.columbia.edu/itc/sipa/envp/louchouarn/courses/Clim-Wat/Wat/Drought-MayanCollapse(AmerSci05).pdf

Thursday, October 24, 2019

A Nation of Wimps Essay

A Nation Of Wimps Parents are going to extreme lengths to take the bumps out of life for their children. However, that has the net effect of making kids more fragile, and that may be why they’re braking down so easily. People learn through experience, and through failure they learn how to cope with things later on in life, themselves. And whether we realize that or not, this nation is turning out to be producing more and more wimps. The Fragility Factor College is one of the biggest fragility factors. It leads to psychological distress, binge drinking, substance abuse, self-mutilation, etc. Relationship problems don’t go away, anorexia and bulimia keep on coming. Welcome to the Hothouse Parents are overprotecting their children, they are intruding too much into their lives. They started to call colleges and asking about their grades. American parents today expect their children to be perfect, and that puts to much pressure on them. Arrivederci, Playtime Children don’t play enough these days. Over 40, 000 schools in the U. S. don’t have recess anymore. Commercialization of children’s play leads to more stressed out children. Plays develops cognitive thinking, and is important for normal development of children. The Eternal Umbilicus Cellphones today make children addictive to their parents. Students are typically in contact with their parents several times a day, which makes them constantly homesick, and keeps them away from learning how to manage for themselves. All that is the pathway to depression, it weakens self-regulation, it influences relationships and friendships, and make children become more frustrated and impatient which then leads to the fail of relationships and even greater depression. From Scrutiny to Anxiety†¦ and Beyond What creates anxious children is parents hovering and protecting them from stressful experiences. This group of children experiences stress in situations most kids find unthreatening. They grow up shrinking from social contact, and lack confidence. They are later on easily influenced by others. Overparenting creates lifelong vulnerability to anxiety and depression. Endless Adolescence Adulthood no longer begins after adolescence ends. Kids are starting to extend childhood, because they are making up for the things they weren’t supposed to do as children, and are creating a whole new stage called the â€Å"early adulthood. † Boom Boom Boomerang Play is connected to the making of healthy relationships later on in life. The less time children spend in play, the less socially competent they become. Through play we learn how to read feelings and negotiate conflicts. Taking the play out of childhood is bound to create development lags. Just Whose Shark Tank Is It Anyway? Competition has become a stressful and significant part of our everyday lives. Parents imagine that their children must be swimming in a big shark tank. Kids today are more ambivalent about the college race than are parents. Nowadays, parents are actually locking their kids into fragility, and by that the kids never learn how to cope with anxiety. Putting Worry in its Place Parents need to abandon the idea of perfection and give up some the invasive control. Children are far less integrated into adult society than they used to be, and by that parents have introduced a tendency to assume that children can’t manage difficult situations. Parents need to remember that one of the goals of higher educations is developing the capacity of thinking for ourselves. Conclusion Indeed parents today have became overprotective of their children, they overshelter them and overpraise them. They cheat for their children by making up fake diseases and getting them into colleges by relations. All of that is creating a whole different type of kids, that aren’t individuals anymore, we are creating the nation of kinds depending on their parents, a nation of wimps,

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Marketing Analysis of GOD Essay

Company Description: GOD is now a fast-growing furniture and furnishings company brand in Hong Kong. They describe them as â€Å"More Than Just a Furniture Store†. GOD is the phonetic sound of the Cantonese slang â€Å"to live better† which a basic human desire all around the world. The founder of GOD – Douglas Young and Benjamin Lau opened the first GOD store at Ap Lei Chau in 1996. Within 2 years, two more shops opened in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui respectively. In 2001, GOD has opened a 20,000 sq.ft. flagship store in Causeway Bay. The mission of GOD has always been â€Å"to define a new Hong Kong identity† – by exploring age-old oriental traditions and updating them with modern consumers in mind, their demonstrations of the techniques and wisdom of past generations in the east still has a place in the future world. Most of the furniture of GOD is made in China to their stringent standards of quality and workmanship. Their products range from furniture, bathware, kitchenware to even lighting and carpets. Among these various products, furniture occupies the highest proportion of sales revenues. What makes GOD different from other convectional furniture and furnishing company is that all of their furniture is designed by local designers. The company is strongly against today’s mass produced and soulless products. The main theme of their furniture is creative, comfortable, and multifunctional. In order to surprise their customers, GOD constantly turns out new items on a weekly basis. Because the marketing strategy in GOD is so clear that make the company become one of the few furniture companies that can still make a profit, and even expand their business, in the time of economy downturn in HK these years. Situation Analysis: 1. SWOT Analysis: Internally, GOD has a management team with designing knowledge which could perfectly apply to the daily management in the company. Small size of management team also benefits the company with the efficient division of  labor. Despite the fact of having numerous competitors with lower price, G.O.D. is still taking the leading role in the industry with its unique offerings of the oriental tradition Asian design in products, as well as the extraordinary decoration in each branch . G.OD is expanding its market share by connecting to other different industries, so as to attract more customers from different aspects. The diversification of production and also the â€Å"custom made† strategy contribute to the company as it prevent excess inventory. Moreover, its own R&D team takes a big responsibility in fulfilling the demand of the customers in having a better quality. Other than all those favorable circumstances, G.OD is still encountering certain weaknesses. Due to the short history of establishment, G.O.D. is lack of experience and specialization. Its relatively high price and narrow choice of products has also prevented the visit and purchase of customers. Also, due to the limited capital inflow in the company, GOD is still not able to develop a large R&D team; it also regards advertisement as a big burden for the company. Regardless of the success of the manufacturing approach, it, on the other hand, has lead to the high cost of production as it could not achieve the economy of scale. Favorable external factors include the increasing upscale market which people are more concerned about quality of life, there are only few and not well-established local competitors, and as the economic is recovering, there are more opportunities. Ergonomics is one of the most popular topics in furniture industry because the customer’s perceived value can be raised by introducing it. Unfavorable external factors include the taste of customers which people like international culture more, like Japan. In addition, the favorable investment condition attracts competitor from foreign countries. 2. Industry analysis: The furniture and furnishing industry has a long history in Hong Kong. It includes the production of household, office and furniture, as well as  bedding and parts of furniture. There are 249 furniture manufacturers in Hong Kong, employing more than 704 people as at Sep 2002. Around 90% of them are small companies engaging less than 10 people . Although it is not the major industry in the local market, the competition is very keen. In terms of market segmentation, the current furniture industry in Hong Kong is generally divided into three main categories: high-end, middle-end and lower-end market. However, in the past, the craft-based, labor-intensive furniture industry was one of the oldest industries in Hong Kong. It was developed to meet local demands. At that time, the furniture industry was dominated by a large number of small firms and could be divided into three major sectors, namely, wooden furniture, rattan furniture and metal furniture . After the economic crisis in 1998, many small companies went bankrupt and customers’ incentive on buying furniture was lower. To maintain their competitive power, many large companies strive to reduce their costs and increase their efficiency. Some relocate their manufacturing operations to other areas with lower operation costs like Mainland China. Foreign manufacturers are taking steps to strengthen their domestic production through production specialization. Hong Kong’s furniture makers also start to establish their own brands and some concept stores in order to develop their unique product lines to differentiate their firms from the others. Companies like GOD and Franc Franc are the most apparent examples which produce products with Hong Kong local characteristics and Japanese culture respectively. Recently, due to the economic recovery and the change of customer trend, people are going to be responsive to the new trends and design of furniture. Thus, the industry is going to produce products to cater the needs of Hong Kong people. Also, many furniture manufacturers become more careful about the choice of raw materials to meet international standards, such as compliance with legal or other environmental requirements in their target markets. Because of the limited living space in Hong Kong, the industry produces the furniture which is highly practical and multi- functional. Moreover, most of them embrace innovative designs and combinations of furnishings which allow them to save home spaces and provide a sense of style and modernism. To cater the growing trend and design of furniture which correspond to their taste and lifestyle, the industry produces DIY furniture which can let consumers to make their ‘unique’ furniture with their own styles. Moreover, most of them are made of the environmental friendly materials for production. 3. Competitor Analysis: Competitors in relevant market: There are three main competitors of GOD in Hong Kong, accordingly Franc Franc, IKEA and PRICERITE. Their target market segments do not necessarily the same but do have some overlapping as they both target on the market segments of middle-income level families. Further, the mission of their competitors also stress on developing a new concept of life style to Hong Kong people. Franc Franc’s company would invest over 30 million dollars in Hong Kong and expect there will be 36 million HK dollars gross profit in the first year. There will also be 2 or 3 new branches opened in the next few years. They will be mainly located in some big shopping malls. IKEA have 4 branches in Hong Kong mainly located near big housing town. IKEA is the most well known furniture company in Hong Kong due to the massive advertising programs. The concepts of their design are simple, multi-functional and sustainable. They also have a successful and well-developed customer service system which helps them to develop the loyalty of their customers. PRICERITE’s target group mainly focuses on lower income families. They  provide a relatively low price to their customers, thus helping them to develop a low cost, comfortable and multifunctional living environment. They have over 45 branches in Hong Kong so as consumers can easily find a PRICERITE nearby. Comparative advantages: 1. GOD—Uniqueness of local culture In these years, many industries especially those expose frequently to young people like filmdom and musical industry, advocate local original design and innovation. This atmosphere makes young people create a good feeling to Hong Kong local products. Today, GOD is the unique furniture store with strong â€Å"Hong Kong† concept. What Hong Kong concept here means is Hong Kong’s own culture and social atmosphere. GOD is a local brand and all of their exclusive designers are local. GOD claims their products have â€Å"soul† because their products can turn out local people’s opinion and attitude to lives. It can attract a group of Hong Kong new generation who like to show off their characters and tastes by their home furniture . 2. Franc Franc—Adhere to Japanese-styled goods The trend in Japan always is a benchmark for the young people in Hong Kong. It is because the young people in Hong Kong think Japanese always stand on the tips of the trend. Thus, most of them are adherent to Japanese-styled goods. Many Japanese brands like Fancl and Sanrio have successfully developed their business in Hong Kong. Their successes are also based on this reason. Franc Franc is the sole furniture concept store with Japanese style in Hong Kong. This make it exclusively enjoys the adherent from Hong Kong young people in this market . 3. IKEA—Cost Leadership To provide goods with high quality at relatively low prices, IKEA drives tough bargains with its suppliers in order to employ lowest cost suppliers  of raw and semi-finished goods from all over the world. IKEA Also, their products developers seek out manufacturers who can produce in the most cost-effective way and designers always work with solutions that result in a low price. This cost-focused supply chain model results in getting the goods with cheapest price and good quality.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Child Abuse Essays

Child Abuse Essays Child Abuse Essay Child Abuse Essay Child Abuse in America (Persuasive Essay) â€Å"Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime. †-Herbert Ward. The writer is going to cite examples and portray vivid details so that the reader will understand about child abuse. â€Å"Child cruelty does not discriminate against a child because of race, sex, age, religion, or socioeconomic. †(1) â€Å"According to the two research articles that the essayist refers to child abuse now is recognizable in four categories. † (1) Child abuse should not be an issue that we put aside because we are harming innocent children and in some circumstances we are killing our children. According to the Webster dictionary child means â€Å"human before puberty† and abuse means â€Å"use or treat wrongly. † The term child was origin from the Old English language in the sixteenth century. The term abuse is originated from the Middle French in the fifteenth century. When you combine the words child and abuse they mean â€Å"human before puberty treated wrongly. † There is only one true meaning for both of these terms. The four categories of child abuse are physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, and emotional maltreatment. Emotional abuse could be rejecting, ignoring, terrorizing, isolating, and corrupting the child. Emotional abuse accounts for only eight percent if all child abuse. Neglect abuse is not providing food, clothing, or appropriate medical care. Physical abuse is the intent to inflict physical injury upon the child. There are many signs of physical abuse. Normally there is bruising on some part of the body. Having a pattern of bruising may indicate strong signs of physical abuse. Sexual abuse is any inappropriate sexual behavior with a child. (1-2) Child abuse is killing our children on a daily basis. The maltreatment of children takes on the form of physical and sexual abuse as well as neglect and. Physical abuse is usually defined as non-accidental physical harm or injury (DeHahn, p.16). This could probably range from uncontrolled discipline of a child to downright unthinkable acts of torture. In his book, The Lost Boy, Pelzer describes his experiences of growing up in an abusive home. In fits of anger his mother would scream at him, pinch him, and slap him.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free sample - Types of Evaluation. translation missing

Types of Evaluation. Types of EvaluationProcess evaluation Rossi, Lipsey, Freeman (2004), define the process evaluation as the type of evaluation that focuses on the way in which a program was implemented and how the program is operating. It keys out the procedures that are used as well as the decisions that are made in developing the program. Process evaluation describes the way in which a program operates, the type of services it offers, and the functions it fulfills. Process evaluation used the experimental data to assess the delivery of the implemented program. It verifies on what the program is meant to do and whether the program is implemented as required. Process evaluation is very important in a number of ways as listed below: It is useful in determining the degree to which a given program will be implemented according to the available plan. Very useful in assessing and documenting the degree of variability and fidelity in the implementation of a program irrespective of whether it is expected or unexpected, planned or unplanned. It is used in comparing multiple sites in relation to fidelity. Process evaluation is used to give validity regarding the relationship between intervention used and its outcomes.   Used to give out the information concerning the type of components of the given interventions, which can bring about the outcomes. It is helpful in allowing one to understand how the program context and program processes relate to each other. The program context can be the setting characteristics while the program process can be the levels of implementation. Useful in providing managers with the feedback regarding the quality of the implementation. Used to improve the components used in delivery. Used to provide the program accountability to the public, sponsors, funders, and clients.    Used to ameliorate the quality of the implemented program since the act of assessing is an intervention. It is very important that, when the program components have been identified, a logical model is created that in graphical terms depicts the relationship between the components of a program and the expected outcome of the components. The logic model can be defined as a set of statements that provide a link for the problems a program is trying to address, the manner in which it will address them, and the immediate and intermediate results (Rossi, et al., 2004). The Logic Model is important in a number of ways. It is useful in developing clarity concerning a program or project that is to be implemented.  Ã‚   Useful in developing consensus among the involved people. Used in pointing out the redundancies and the gaps in a given plan. Used in the identification of the main hypothesis of the program to be implemented. Used to compactly convey what the program or project is all about.  Ã‚   The Logic Model can be used during any given work for the purposes of clarifying the task being done, the reason to why it is done, and the intended outcomes of that work; during program or project planning to ensure that the particular program or project is complete and logical; during evaluation planning in order to focus the evaluation; and during the project or program implementation to act as a template for making comparisons with the real program and as a filter to find out if the proposed changes are appropriate or not (Rossi, et al., 2004).   Process evaluation is characterized by two formats of data collection. The two formats are; Quantitative, archival, or recorded data which can be controlled by a management system or computerized tracking; and the qualitative data which can be acquired by a variety of formats, for example surveys or focus groups. Outcome evaluation Schalock (2001) defines outcome evaluation as the type of evaluation that deals with determining whether, and to which extent, program services or activities have accomplished their designated outcomes among the population of target. Outcome evaluation is usually described by first looking at the basic components of the program. It looks at programs as systems which have activities or processes, inputs, outcomes and outputs. The inputs are the resources and materials that the program uses to carry out its processes, or activities to serve clients, for instance, staff, equipment, volunteers, money, and facilities. They are usually easy to identify and many of the inputs are common to most programs and organizations. Outcome evaluation is very important as measures the changes in the outcomes of the implemented programs and also it establishes that the intervention on the way the program operates causes the observed changes. The most essential decisions in a given evaluation to demonst rate causation, takes into consideration its design, that is, those decisions concerning what will be measured and the time when the evaluations will take place.  Ã‚   The outcome evaluations can either be experimental or quasi-experimental. The experimental evaluations are usually random assignment studies which are used to evaluate the total impacts of a program or the activities of the program, and this allows for the appropriate conclusions to be made concerning the cause and effect.   The quasi-experimental evaluations are used to monitor the outcomes for a single group over time or it can compare the outcomes among the individuals getting the services to a comparison group, national data, or a similar population (Schalock, 2001).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Activities are the processes which a given implemented program does to the customer in order to satisfy his or her needs, for instance, counseling, teaching, feeding, clothing, and sheltering. It is of great significance to note that during the time of keying out the activities in a project or program, the focus is still important on the program or organization, and still not very much on real changes in the customer. Outputs are the units of service concerning the program to be implemented, for instance, the number of individuals, sheltered, clothed, counseled, and fed. The number of customers served only indicates the numerical number of customers who underwent the program. Outcomes are the real impacts for participants after or during the program, for instance, in the case of a smoking cessation program, participants quitting smoking can be the outcome. The outcomes are often expressed in terms of behaviors, skills and knowledge, status, conditions, and values (Schalock, 2001). Outcome evaluation uses a quantitative approach. It usually makes use of randomized controlled trial, comparison group and pre-post comparison. Randomized control trial design uses groups of customers who are assigned randomly to a plausible option or to the treatment in question. The members in all the groups are given similar pre-treatment and post-treatment evaluations. The comparison group design is almost the same as the randomized design but the difference is that in comparison group the groups of customers are deliberately and not randomly chosen. The pre-post design is a more realistic design for treatment systems or services having insufficient resources or experience. The pre-post design is less rigorous scientifically but it can give useful results for the uses in program improvement and program accountability.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Outcome evaluations can be done at various points during the development of a given program. It is advisable that the outcome evaluations are not conducted for start-up programs that have not yet attained a fully incorporated service-delivery models.   It is also not advisable to conduct an outcome evaluation without first conducting the process evaluation that accompanies it. It has been seen that, the findings obtained from the outcome evaluations are used to depict whether or not the involved individuals are receiving the predicted returns of the program (Schalock, 2001).  Ã‚      References Rossi, P., Lipsey, M., Freeman, H. (2004). Evaluation. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Schalock, R., (2001). Outcome-Based Evaluation. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free sample - Principles of perception. translation missing

Principles of perception. Principles of perception1. The principle of figure and ground In this principle, the terms figure and ground are used to explain how people use the elements of the scene, which contain a similarity in shape and appearance and group them together as one whole entity. All similar elements (figure) tend to be perceptually contrasted with dissimilar elements (ground) in order to create the impression of a whole (Spelke 1993, p. 1490). For instance, in a picture of a lighthouse with blue horizontal lines, the lighthouse stands out as the figure, while the horizontal blue lines are perceived as the ground (Lohr 2000, p. 49). However, it is not always easy to separate visually the figure from the ground. Sometimes, creative artists may make drawings that illustrate how difficult it is to pick out the figure from the ground on which it is positioned. Psychologists have traditionally been using carefully designed art that plays around with the figure and ground in profoundly fascinating ways (Goldstein 2009, p. 298). In such works of art, the figure and ground appear to interchange. However, nature also provides perceptual intrigues that are difficult to point out without the use of the principle of figure and ground. In most cases, this takes the form of camouflage, whereby the principle facilitates the breakdown of figure and ground. The objective is always to make the figure seem like the ground so much it disappears from view. It is only with immense difficulty that one can separate a chameleon from the green leaf stalk on which it is perched. This is because the figure and ground have been merged together. This principle perfectly explains the tendency by some people in an organization to hide their true attributes mainly through pretense. A prospective employee who perceives his background to constitute an undesirable trait may suppress this negative attribute, by pretending to possess only the attributes that are needed for the job. For instance, they may claim to have associations with renowned professionals in a field for which the employer is seeking a job candidate. Employer may have to request for further information in order to determine whether the employees are telling the truth or not. 2. The principle of similarity, proximity, and continuity The principle of similarity indicates that objects that share visual characteristics like color, shape, texture, size, orientation or value are seen as belonging together. These features make similar objects create varying impressions, even though they are equidistant from those objects that are the odd ones out within the group. For instance, in a groups of small and large circles, the large circles will appear to belong together just because of the similarity in their size. The same thing will apply to the small circles. In terms of proximity, things that are closer together are regarded as belonging together. For instance, when horizontal rows made up of small circles are closer to each other than the vertical columns that they form, they are perceived as two vertical lines. In terms of continuity, it becomes easy to predict the preference for continuous figures. For instance, the image of a black cross is perceived as two crossed lines instead of four lines that meet at the center. The principle of similarity, proximity, and continuity explains the behavior of people within organizations, whereby individuals are judged according to the people they associate with (Ferguson 2004, p. 39). When people adopt mannerisms, habits, memberships in certain clubs and societies, likes, and dislikes that are typical of a given caliber of people, they are automatically classified in the same group with such people. The concept of proximity is used to determine the commonness of purpose among everyone within the organization, despite the various individual differences, personality traits, and personal interests among them. Similarly, the concept of continuity defines the disposition by people in an organization to appreciate success in its entirety without paying attention to personal sacrifices of certain individuals, exceptional transformational leadership qualities of the manager or some unethical behavior among some employees in efforts to achieve the desired outcome. Â   References Ferguson, M 2004, How social perception can automatically influence behavior, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 33-39. Goldstein, B 2009, Sensation and perception, Penguin Books, New York. Lohr, L 2000, ‘Three Principles of Perception for Instructional Interface Design’, Educational Technology, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 45-52. Spelke, E 1993, ‘Gestalt relations and object perception: a developmental study’ Perception, Vol. 22, No. 12, pp. 1483 – 1501.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The Reform Act of 1832 marked the triumph of democratic politics. Do Essay

The Reform Act of 1832 marked the triumph of democratic politics. Do you agree - Essay Example reforms had been suggested recurrently, but without success.Eventually, the Whigs, headed by the then Prime Minister, Lord Grey, managed to pass this legislation. As a result, Great Britain became a mature democracy (Johnston, 1997, p.86). The first step towards democracy in Great Britain was ushered in with the passing of the Reform Act of 1832. The introduction of this act was aimed at getting rid of all inequalities in modern Britain, especially the corrupt boroughs where various members of parliament were selected by very few voters (Bayly, 1989, p. 164).The 1832 Reform Act also entrenched the right to take part in the electoral process, based uniformly on the property and level of income (Collier, 1999, p.63). What catapulted the process of passing of this reform was the rising level of dissatisfaction with the preexisting political status quo(Whitefield, 2001, pp.79-81). While historical skeptics dwell on fact that the act made few changes to the electoral system, it cannot be denied that the reform sanitized the electoral process (Aghion and Durlauf, 2005, p.458). Between 1806 and 1832, the number of contested elections never used to exceed 38 percent, and in most cases lower than 30 percent.Following the enactment of the law, the number of contested election seats shot up to 74 percent. In fact, between 1832 and 1865, the average number of contested elections stood at 59 percent. Not only could more people exercise their rights to vote, but also more of them were accorded the opportunity to do so. Shortly after the passage of this legislation, the number of adult males entitled to take part in the voting process rose from 478,000 to over 800,000 (Whitefield, 2001, pp.78-81). This reflected a near doubling of the electorates. This figure had never been witnessed before the Reform Act.Following the entrenchment of the Reform Bill into law, the number of constituencies increased in Great Britain. Twenty-two new boroughs had two seats in parliament,

Privacy philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Privacy philosophy - Assignment Example The question is, Should voyeurs and exhibitionists be punished for their uncanny sexual interests? This paper develops and discusses deeply the theme of voyeurism and Exhibitionism. To begin with, let us discuss deeply the social and psychological condition of voyeurism. To understand Voyeurism better, let us look at its meaning from the meaning of the term itself. The term voyeurism is a derivative of the French term voyeur, which literally means, one who watches or one who looks (Rooth, 136). This fact, therefore, shows that voyeurs are only interested in watching or looking, secretly, on other people’s sexual affairs. From a medical point of view, Voyeurism is generally conceived as a social and a psychological disorder. For this reason, therefore, the main treatment method of Voyeurism involves psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. From the Criminology point of view, Voyeurism is deemed as a form of sexual abuse. Exhibitionism can variously be defined as an obsessive desire to expose to the public, one’s private parts, with the intention of either amusing the members of the public, or causing fright and shock to the members of the public. There are a number of public exposures that amount to exhibitionism. The following are three forms of exposure that are regarded as exhibitionism. Just like Voyeurism, exhibitionism is a form of social and psychological disorder. For that reason, therefore, the treatment of exhibitionism involves psychoanalysis. From a legal point of view, exhibitionism is regarded as a crime of indecent exposure. To begin with, Voyeurism causes damage to the subjects of voyeur’s interests. This is because every person has a right to privacy. For this reason, therefore, Voyeurism is an affront to and a violation of the individual right to privacy. On the other hand, however, Voyeurism is a social and Psychological disorder, and this in essence means that the voyeurs cannot be held accountable for their

Friday, October 18, 2019

Multiple topics outlined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Multiple topics outlined - Essay Example Author focused on the relation with everyday things. He changed his point if view. He has become more phenomenological than an experientialist, and this transition is quite vital. It is noticed that from last many years, there are no proved concepts available, which are related to the science of experience based logic. He was expecting a surprise from his positivist co-workers. His concepts are changed from the traditional approach of hard science. The approach of hard science is based on experimental results and it is supposed to be an objective, positivist, rigorous and logical approach. Another approach of usability design or experience design needs a mental attitude and it is commonly known as subjective, post-positivist and experientialist approach. The author focused on the dichotomy of objective and subjective approaches. The book is basically about the emotional designs. This is the fourth book by Norman on the topic about everyday things. The other three books are not relate d to the theme of this book, but all these are only used to understand the feelings of the author. The book contains the chapter on â€Å"Personal Reflections†; this is called the refresher of book. Cognition is rutted concept with related to emotions. The manifestation of two in the functionality or behavior describes the good product that means the good design of the product with including the effectiveness of the product as well. According to the previous concepts of Norman’s focus was on usability and the behavioral manifestation, and his new changed concepts presented in this book are related to the effectiveness of the product rather than the design. The brief description about three main characteristics of the effective, behavioral and cognitive components are presented here in the paper. Three different aspects related to the design of the product are shown here. The three aspects of products design are named as visceral design, behavioral design and the cognit ive or reflective design. The visceral design is about the outer most appearance of the product. This may be in the type of sight, sound, smell or feel etc. The immediate and effective response, emotions about the designed product is the core of this aspect of design. The behavioral aspect is about the pleasure and effectiveness of use. The response from visceral aspect is very important for behavioral aspect. The bad or geed response reflects the performance of the product. The main purpose of this aspect of design is functions, performance and usability of the designed product. In the third aspect of cognitive design the rationalization of choice is considered. The understanding of the product is the main part of this aspect. For the design procedure of any kind of product or thing, these three aspects must be followed. Without following these concepts, production of products is nearly not possible. According to Norma’s theory, emotions are changed in the way we think, mean s that our emotions are dependent on the thinking. He wrote that emotions are very important for things used in our everyday life. So the subjective aspect is more demanded for everyday things as compared with objective approach. The author illustrated his concept about objective and subjective approaches through many related examples. The innovations are mostly logical based due to need for business point of view rather considered as the emotion. Author believes that advancement in the

The Influence of The Parity Brands In Taiwan Assignment

The Influence of The Parity Brands In Taiwan - Assignment Example A research was conducted by Cheung to analyze the perception of customers on products based on various parameters like product quality, price, leadership and the difference of the brands based on the origins. Comparisons of this attributes have been carried out between national brands, international private labels, and local private labels. The hypothesis which was held for the research was that the overall quality of the products of the national brands were superior than the products which was manufactured in Taiwan but had international labels, whereas the quality of the international brands were higher than the local private labels. The second hypothesis held in the research conducted was that consumers view that the price of the national brands is higher than that of the products of the international private labels, whereas the price of the international private labels is higher than that of the local private labels. The third hypothesis for the research was that consumers had th e conception that national brands account for superior brand leadership in comparison to the international and local private label brands. The fourth and the final hypothesis for the research conducted by Cheng et al was that the brand personality of the international private brands was superior to that of the national brands and the local private labels. The research was based on primary survey and collected the views of 254 respondents all above the age of 16. The research method was based on systematic sampling and the data was gathered from the main railway station of Taipei which is located in Taiwan. In the research conducted much analysis has been done on the context of the quality of the products perceived by the customers and the factor of price has also been considered.  The study reveals that the economy of the Taiwan creates an interest among the multinational organizations to invest in the country. Owing to the flexible structure of investment, major brands have opened their business in the country. In matters of fashion brand and retail clothing, the local market is found to be largely hampered by the operation of multinational brands like Zara and Uniqlo.  Ã‚   The local brands failed to deliver the quality of the product at a lower price in comparison to the international brands and the marketing strategy of the foreign brands was also instrumental in capturing the market.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

International trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International trade - Essay Example claim for the insured amount in correspondence to the losses incurred by Emma, the eventual happenings indicate that Abbe Insurers, the insurance company, have denied Emma for the payable because she has only paid 70 percentage of the total purchase amount. Subsequently, this discussion will focus on unfolding all the legal aspects regarding the terms mentioned within the Institute Cargo Clauses (A) 2009 and determining whether Emma will be liable for the insurance amount. The applicable laws in the aforesaid case scenario can be identified as the claiming policies mentioned within the Institute Cargo Clauses (A) 2009. This law was enacted as an international trade law with the prime intention of safeguarding the interests of both the insurance agencies as well as the buyers of the goods (Richards Hogg Lindley, 2009; Chuah, 2009). With reference to the referred case scenario, it is noteworthy that Institute Cargo Clauses (A) 2009 comprises of multiple sections based on the evaluation of which, the claimed amount can be ruled as deliverable or otherwise by the court. For instance, the guidelines concerning this law state that the insurance companies will have to provide a full coverage to any form of damage to the purchased or the transported goods, only if the damage conditions and the factors does not fall under the clauses 4, 5 6 and 7 (Hodges, 2013). Thus, it can be stated that if the reasons related to Emma’s loss does not coincide with the se four mentioned clauses, she will be liable for the insurance amount from Abbe Insurers. The detailed explanations of these clauses have been provided in the later sections (Richards Hogg Lindley, 2009). The mentioned terms within section 4.1 states that the insurance company will not be liable to pay the insured amount for any loss or damage to the goods that have been insured if the damage appears to have been incurred intentionally. In simple words, based on the enquiry that will be conducted by the Abbe Insurers,

Modern Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Modern Society - Essay Example For Freud was pleased with the critical review that his Italian disciple had come up with: "I am glad you have shown yourself to be courageous and honest, as always."[ Roazen 2000, page 4] However, the closer we may seem to be in easily understanding his works and get to a conclusion of our own, the more complicated our thinking process about him becomes. As for citing an example, the following citation goes: In his Civilization and Its Discontents (1930) he would make no bones about why he thought the love for humanity was both unrealistic and undesirable. In a way Freud had given away his true sentiments even in his letter to Rolland, when he put the love of mankind on the same level as the necessity for technology, which Freud like other Europeans of his time looked on with at best mixed feelings[Roazen 2000, page5]. Further, His book Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious is one of the most complicated ones he ever wrote, and attracts little attention nowadays. That text is littered with examples of the worldly wisdom which can be communicated through jokes. Freud's dry cynicism was frequently reported. We know a bit about how much he appreciated Mark Twain's public appearances in Vienna. Like all complex figures Freud had his multiple contradictions, but he harnessed them into making the great literature he left which is still capable of enlivening debates today. It remains for the future to determine whether Freud will in the end succeed in ranking with thinkers like Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, and others who disturbed the sleep of the world [Roazen 2000, page 8]. By withdrawing all their liberated energies into their life on earth, they will probably succeed in achieving a state of things in which life will... The citizen in modem society, laboring, according to Freud, under a heavy burden of unconscious guilt, does not recognize it; he only feels a "sort of uneasiness or discontent for which other motivations are ~ought."The patient does not recognize this sense of guilt either. "As far as the patient is concerned this sense of guilt is dumb; it does not tell him he is guilty; he does not feel guilty, he feels ill."4 Freud seems to suggest, however, that the "pale criminal" or "criminal from a sense of guilt," can, in fact, partially recognize his unconscious guilt.' This type of criminal, Freud tells us, does not feel guilty because he commits crimes; rather he commits crimes because he suffers from an oppressive pre-existing sense of guilt which he cannot account for. Freud implicitly did, the idea of unconscious guilt as a means of changing and restructuring society? I suggest that they did, that the crisis of pestilence was also an opportunity, an opportunity to topple rulers, banish one's political opponents, and change the form of regime. The process of purification was an integral part of classical politics. Freud finally comes to the conclusion, in Civilization and Its Discontents, that since society will not see that it is sick, and would resist treatment, in any case, the only hope for society lies in its being coerced into receiving therapy". Any problem which society experienced could be explained as the result of an unconscious sense of guilt, due to the fathers having sinned even centuries earlier.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

International trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International trade - Essay Example claim for the insured amount in correspondence to the losses incurred by Emma, the eventual happenings indicate that Abbe Insurers, the insurance company, have denied Emma for the payable because she has only paid 70 percentage of the total purchase amount. Subsequently, this discussion will focus on unfolding all the legal aspects regarding the terms mentioned within the Institute Cargo Clauses (A) 2009 and determining whether Emma will be liable for the insurance amount. The applicable laws in the aforesaid case scenario can be identified as the claiming policies mentioned within the Institute Cargo Clauses (A) 2009. This law was enacted as an international trade law with the prime intention of safeguarding the interests of both the insurance agencies as well as the buyers of the goods (Richards Hogg Lindley, 2009; Chuah, 2009). With reference to the referred case scenario, it is noteworthy that Institute Cargo Clauses (A) 2009 comprises of multiple sections based on the evaluation of which, the claimed amount can be ruled as deliverable or otherwise by the court. For instance, the guidelines concerning this law state that the insurance companies will have to provide a full coverage to any form of damage to the purchased or the transported goods, only if the damage conditions and the factors does not fall under the clauses 4, 5 6 and 7 (Hodges, 2013). Thus, it can be stated that if the reasons related to Emma’s loss does not coincide with the se four mentioned clauses, she will be liable for the insurance amount from Abbe Insurers. The detailed explanations of these clauses have been provided in the later sections (Richards Hogg Lindley, 2009). The mentioned terms within section 4.1 states that the insurance company will not be liable to pay the insured amount for any loss or damage to the goods that have been insured if the damage appears to have been incurred intentionally. In simple words, based on the enquiry that will be conducted by the Abbe Insurers,

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Ethical Business Desicion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Business Desicion - Essay Example At other instances it might be a more complex issue that requires a lot of struggle and hard work before coming to a conclusion and making the right choice. Deciding what is "right" is most of the time not all that easy. Ethical decision-making may be elaborated further by the use of a real-world example of a 45-year-old lady named Sheila (Susca, 2006). Sheila is a dedicated and hardworking head of the human resource department of a large company. And just like any other leader, she too was faced with an ethical dilemma in the working environment. A few years back, her company considered hiring a former member of staff. This particular employee had in the past schemed against Sheila and had given her severe pain and suffering. She chose to remain quiet back then and had moved on as he left the company. According to his resume, he was fit for the position and had a number of good qualities and skills needed for expanding the business and the company. Now it was up to Sheila to decide what decision is in the best interest of everyone in the company and herself. Utilitarianism is the act of maximizing utility or happiness of all the concerned people. Act utilitarianism considers the maximum happiness to a maximum number of people. Rule utilitarianism however states that according to the rules, an action that brings about the greatest utility should be taken. The rule utilitarian abides by the truth. (Prevos, 2004) According to act utilitarian, that act... (Prevos, 2004) 3. A persuasive argument based on the theories and fact in the scenario. Sheila may ask herself a question: "Is this a good person to hire" According to the rule utilitarian, the honest answer according to Sheila would be "No". According to act utilitarian, that action must be taken which brings about maximum utility to maximum people. In this case, a "yes" to that question would be a good choice for Sheila as this is in the best interest of the company. Sheila is challenged with this situation. Based on the theories just mentioned, hiring back the former employee would be a good choice according to the act utilitarian theory. This would bring about fruitful results in the future. Sheila must consider the potential benefits that may occur, as she has been trusted with the responsibility of hiring good prospects. Considering otherwise, employees of her company might lose faith in her, which ultimately would result in a breakdown of her confidence. All consequences, therefore, must be evaluated carefully before making an ethical business decision. REFERENCES 1. Debra Susca. (2006). Making Ethical Business Decisions. The Journal of Connecticut Business and Industry Association, Vol. 84, No. 6 2. Peter Prevos. (2004). Rule and Act Utilitarianism. Ethics. Monash University,

Monday, October 14, 2019

Revolutionizing a Better Era of Technology in the Future of Medicine Essay Example for Free

Revolutionizing a Better Era of Technology in the Future of Medicine Essay Alan Kay states, â€Å"The best way to predict the future is to invent it yourself† (qtd. in Garreau 88). Many Americans ponder what the future might hold. Will technology bring a new era to mankind or will it be the end to all eternity? Ray Kurzweil, inventor of the year by MIT, argues â€Å"he is convinced that medicine is moving sufficiently fast; therefore, any person who can stay healthy for the next 20 years may so benefit from the explosion in biological technology as to be immortal† (Garreau 90-91). With the advancements of medical technology continuing to climb, this quote illustrates that the future will make for a better world. Organizations such as The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency known as DARPA, The Continuous Assisted Performance known as CAP, and The National Science Foundation fund studies that demonstrate how genetic engineering will impact America’s future by developing a bigger, better, stronger individual (Garreau 19-35). Each day as the advancements of technology doubles, the world will soon not worry about diseases and health; everyday gene technology will better our minds, bodies, and most future generations, thus making the â€Å"Heaven Scenario†. In the Article â€Å"Gene Technology and Tissue Engineering† Andree, department of Plastic and Surgery, Freiburg University Hospital, states â€Å"Gene therapy is based on the concept for certain proteins or polypeptides into a cell and, thus, may be used for potential modulation of t issue. Genes can be delivered using either an in vitro approach, and with viral or non-viral vectors. Genes may therefore be stable, or transiently expressed by the cells† (93). This fact illustrates the concept of genetic manipulation and how each cell is expressed. Both Rob DeSalle, Ph.D. in Division of Invertebrates, and Michael Yudell, MPH in Molecular Laboratories, summarize that the study of Genomics will have a major impact in medical services. If doctors knew how to discover someone’s exact diseases, then they can transform and improve those cells to stop in in its act (117-118). With the help from DARPA and CAP and the study and treatments  of Gene therapy, Americans’ will soon find themselves living longer and healthier lives. DARPA funded by Michael Goldbatt, is one of the world’s foremost drivers of human enhancement (Garreau 19). Their vision is to â€Å"accelerate the future into being† (Garreau 21). DARPA help fund the computer mouse, graphics, weather satellites, and many other technologies (Garreau 25). One independent agency that works strongly with DARPA is CAP managed by John Carney (Garreau 28). CAPs advanta ge over DARPA is the laboratory. One idea that they are studying is â€Å"finding an enzyme that appears only in bacteria but not in us. It might exist only for a brief time in the bacteria, but without it, that life form cannot exist. Then you attack it† (Garreau 28-30). Organizations such as DARPA and CAP strive to make unstoppable human beings. For instance, take the well-developed movie Gattaca which came to theaters in 2010 and was about a man that manipulates his DNA to hide his identity to be a more advanced, genetically engineered, human being. No one is capable of stopping him from becoming a better meaningful species to society. Most Americans strive to build themselves up to become the best they can be. Americans study the use of DNA manipulation in bodies and cells to help fight off diseases and illnesses such as the common cold or flu. Goldblatt proclaims, â€Å"We do not fear the unknown, and we relish exploring the unknowable† (Garreau 19). Americans should be more like this quote and strive to become the best species that has ever existed. DARPA is studying a vaccine that will help in pain management. Such vaccines will make milestones in terms of medicine. If someone is hurt they will feel the first trigger of pain but the pain will soon subside (Garreau 19-28). This pain vaccine will have many benefits to Americans dealing with diseases and to society. The National Science Foundation believed in the â€Å"Heaven Scenario†: They predicted in 10-20 years the world will evolve much better. Wearable sensors will enhance every person’s awareness of his or her health condition, environ ment, chemical pollutants, potential hazards, and information of interest about local business, natural resources, and the like. The human body will be more durable, healthy, energetic, easier to repair, and resistant to many kinds of stress, biological threats, and aging process, and technologies will compensated for many physical and mental disabilities and will eradicate altogether some handicaps that have plagues the lives of millions of people. (qtd. in Garreau 112-113) This statement  unveiled a world where technology advancements will mature in a way that Americans are capable of being healthier and happier individuals. The effects of genetic engineering impacts the future by manipulating genes to help Americans live longer. Enzo Russo and David Cove, authors of Genetic Engineering: Dreams and Nightmares, tell a brief story about a little girl that was suffering from a disease called Severe Combined Immune Deficiency. â€Å"She was the first known human being to be treated using gene therapy†¦After two years of therapy, this young girl was able to attend school normally, to swim, dance, ice skate with her family and friends† (117-118). With this example it substantially shows the achievements of Gene Therapy and how Americans greatly benefit from them. Children will have the privilege to go out and play or do whatever else their little imagination wants to do so they can be just like every other child. If doctors had a way to catch or see a disease before it overtakes someone’s body then they would be able to do something about it. Jacobs, consultant genetic counsellor Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, believes â€Å"Early identification of individuals with, or at risk of, hereditary disease can make a difference to patients and families in terms of accessing genetic services, early detection and risk-reducing measures. Several clinical guidelines recomm end undertaking family history assessment in clinical setting† (Jacobs, Chris, Christine 38). Jacobs also states that â€Å"Recognizing when off spring may be at risk of genetic condition such as cystic fibrosis, Duschenne muscular dystrophy or Huntington’s disease, can help couples to make choices about prenatal testing and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. These procedures increase the possibility of a healthy baby and reduce the risk of passing the mutation to future generations† (Jacobs, Chris, Christine 38). With this possibility, think of how it will make a new era to mankind. Parents no longer have to worry about unborn babies and whether they will have the same disease as their ancestors. Another person that was influenced by Gene Therapy is Gregory Stock. Stock, director on Medicine, Technology, and society at the school of medicine of California, proclaims â€Å"In the future Americans will benefit from using ‘Artificial Chromosomes’. Future generations will be able to switch out one or two chromosomes that may be transferring diseases with a stronger chromosome† (qtd. in Garreau 116-117). There are many believers of the â€Å"Heaven Scenario† although all the outcomes  might not be the same. Ray Kurzweil, who was granted the national medal of technology, was the inventor of the â€Å"Heaven Scenario.† He stated â€Å"is there is no problem or challenge that there [is not] an idea to overcome that problem† (qtd. in Garreau 115). This statement argues that no matter how difficult something might proclaim to be, there will always be a new improved way to get thru. In terms of medicine, there will always be new inventions of t echnology and drugs that will make a better advancement then the former. No matter what the statistics say technology will always have an astonishing outcome. If Americans’ had the opportunity to formulate themselves at a higher level of humanity then why not go for it? (Garreau 115) Most Americans’ dream that one day the world will be a heavenly place for all humanity. With the advancements of new medical technology doubling and continuing to climb up this progressive ladder, Americans’ soon will be bigger, stronger, and healthier individuals. The inventions of new drugs, either injected or manipulated into genes, will influence making the outcome of the â€Å"Heaven Scenario† true. If more organizations like previously stated DARPA and CAP continue to find new ways of implementing and then attacking infections and disease: Americans’ will live much longer non-stressful lives. Imagine the outcome of waking up clear headed and pain free with no worries in sight. Future generations will have the knowledge and ability to know when a bad enzyme links on and attacks cells; furthermore, being able to stop the infection before it explodes and travels thru DNA. It will be a new era to mankind. Americans will be able to determine and choose ho w their children turn out. Children will be healthier and live longer lambent lives. Like my opening quote â€Å"the best way to predict the future is to invent it yourself.† Negative controversies about technology being the end of mankind should not influence Americans into not believing in the â€Å"Heaven Scenario,† thus sit back and watch the never ending achievements and outcomes of Gene therapy transmute the world into a better brighter norm. Works Cited Andree, C., et al. â€Å"Gene Technology and Tissue Engineering.† Minimally Therapy Allied Technologies 11.3 (2002): 93-99. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 March 2014. DeSalle and Michael Yudell. Welcome To The Genome: A User’s Guide to Genetic Past, Present, and Future. Canada: John Wiley Sons. Inc., 2005. Print. Garreau, Joel. Radical Evolution: The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies- and What It Means to Be Human. New York: Random House, 2005. Print. Jacobs, Chris, and Christine Patch. â€Å"Identifying Individuals Who Might Benefit From Genetic Services And Information.† Nursing Standard. 28.9 (2013): 37-42. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 March 2014. Russo and David Cove. Genetic Engineering: Dreams and Nightmares. Oxford New York Tokyo: Oxford University Press, 1998. Print.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Pressure Ulcers: Reliability of Risk Assessment Tools

Pressure Ulcers: Reliability of Risk Assessment Tools The purpose of this assignment, is to identify a patient, under the care of the district nursing team, with a Grade 1 pressure ulcer, to their sacral area. To begin with, it will give a brief overview of the patient and their clinical history. Throughout the assignment the patient will be referred to as Mrs A, in order to protect the patients identity and maintain confidentiality, in accordance with the guidelines set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008). A brief description of a Grade 1 pressure ulcer will be given, along with a description of the steps taken in assessing the wound, using The Waterlow Scale (1985). This assignment will discuss the literature review that was carried out, along with other methods of research used, to gather vital information on wound care , such as the different classifications of wounds and the different risk assessment tools available. This assignment, will include brief overviews, of some the other commonly used pressure ulcer risk a ssessment tools, that are put to use by practitioners and how they compare to the Waterlow Scale. This assignment will also seek to highlight the importance of using a combination of clinical judgement, by carefully monitoring the patients physical and psychological conditions, alongside the at risk score calculated from the Waterlow Scale, in order to deliver holistic care to the patient. Mrs A is a 84 year old lady who has been referred to the district nurses by her General Practitioner, as he has concerns regarding her pressure areas . Following a recent fall she lost her confidence and is now house bound. She now spends more time in her chair as she has become nervous when mobilising around the house and in her garden. She has a history of high blood pressure and occasional angina for which she currently takes Nicorandil 30mg b.d. as prescribed by her General Practitioner , Nicorandil has been recognised as an aetiological aspect of non healing ulcers and wounds (Watson, 2002), this has to be taken into consideration during the assessment and throughout the management of her wound. Mrs A has no history of previous falls or problems with her balance. She has always been a confident and independent lady, with no current issues surrounding continence or diet. She has always enjoyed a large network of friends who visit her regularly. It is recommended by National Inst itute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that patients should receive an Initial assessment (within the first 6 hours of inpatient care) and ongoing risk assessments and so referrals of this nature are seen on the day, if it is received if not within 24 hrs. In order to establish Mrs As current risk of developing a pressure area, an assessment must take place. An initial holistic assessment, looking at all contributing factors such as mobility, continence and nutrition will provide a baseline that will identify her level of risk as well as identifying any existing pressure damage. A pressure ulcer is defined as, a localised injury to the skin and / or underlying tissue usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear. A number of contributing, or confounding factors, are also associated with pressure ulcers. According to the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP 2009), the significance of these factors, is yet to be elucidated. Mrs A is more vulnerable to pressure damage, as her skin has become more fragile and thinner with age (NICE 2005). There are risk factors associated to the integrity of the patients skin and also to the patients general health. Skin that is already damaged, has a higher incidence of developing a pressure ulcer, than that of healthy skin. Skin that becomes too dry, or is more moist due to possible incontinence, is also at higher risk of developing a pressure ulcer than healthy skin. An elderly persons skin is at increased risk, because it is more fragile and thinner than the skin of a younger person. Boore et al (1987) identified the following principles in caring for the skin to prevent pressure damage, skin should be kept clean and dry and not left to remain wet. The skin should also not be left to dry out to prevent any accidental damage . Due to Mrs A spending more time sitting in her chair, she has become at a higher risk of developing a pressure sore, as she is less mobile. The reason being It becomes difficult for the blood to circulate causing a lack of oxygen and nutrients to the tissue cells. Furthermore, the lymphatic system also begins to suffer and becomes unable, to properly remove waste products. If the pressure continues to increase and is not relieved by equipment or movement. The cells can begin to die, leaving an area of dead tissue resulting in pressure damage. Nelson et al (2009) states, pressure ulcers can cause patients functional limitations, emotional distress, and pain for persons affected. The development of pressure ulcers, in various healthcare settings, is often seen as a reflection of the quality of care which is being provided (Nakrem 2009). Pressure ulcer prevention is very important in everyday clinical practise, as pressure ulcer treatment is expensive and factors such as legal issues have become more important. EPAUP (2009) have recommended strategies, which include frequent repositioning the use of special support surfaces, o r providing nutritional support to be included in the prevention. In order to gather evidence based research, to support my assignment. I undertook a literature review of the Waterlow Scale and Classifications of Grade 1 pressure sores. The databases used were the Culmulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and OpenAthens. I used a variety of search terms including pressure sores, Grade 1 classification, Waterlow Scale, and How pressure sore risk assessment tools compare. Throughout the literature review the information was gathered from sources using a date range between the years of 2000 2011, although some references were found from sources of information that are from a much later date. This method of research ensured a plethora of articles and guidelines were collated and analysed. The trust guidelines in wound care were used, to show how we implement theory into practise in the community, using the wound care formulary. There was a vast amount of information available, as pressure area care is such a broad subject. The search criteria had to be narrowed down, in some cases to ensure the information gathered was relevant and not beyond the scope of the assignment. The evidence used throughout this assignment, is based on guidelines and recommendations given by NICE (2001), EPUAP (2001) and articles sourced from The Journal of Community Nursing (JCN). This was the most accurate information and guidance on pressure ulcer classifications and assessment although, some articles may not have been the most recent. The assessment tool used throughout my area of work, is the Waterlow Scale. The Waterlow Scale was developed by Judy Waterlow in 1985, while working as a clinical nurse teacher. It was originally designed for use by her student and is used to measure a patients risk of developing a pressure sore. It can also be used as a guide, for the ordering of effective pressure relieving equipment. All National Health Service (NHS) trusts have their own pressure ulcer prevention policy, or guidelines and practitioners are expected to use the risk assessment tool, specified in their trusts policy. NICE (2003), guidance states, that all trusts should have a pressure ulcer policy, which should include a pressure ulcer risk assessment tool. However, it reminds practitioners that the use of risk assessment tools, should be thought of as an aid to the clinical judgement of the practitioner. The use of the Waterlow tool enables, the nurse to assess each patient according to their individual risk of dev eloping pressure sores (Pancorbo-Hidalgo et al 2006). The scale illustrates a risk assessment scoring system and on the reverse side, provides information and guidance on wound assessment, dressings and preventative aids. There is information regarding pressure relieving equipment surrounding, the three levels of risk highlighted on the scale, and also provides guidance, concerning the nursing care given to patients. Although the Waterlow score is used in the community setting, when calculating the risk assessment score, it is vital that the nurse is aware of the difference in environment the tool was originally developed for. The tool uses a combination of core and external risk factors that contribute to the development of pressure ulcers. These are used to determine the risk level for an individual patient. The fundamental factors include disease, medication, malnourishment, age, dehydration / fluid status, lack of mobility, incontinence, skin condition and weight. The external factors, which refer to external influences which can cause skin distortion, include pressure, shearing forces, friction, and moisture. There is also a special risk section of the tool, which can be used if the patient is on certain medication or recently had surgery. This contributes to a holistic assessment of a patient and enables the practitioner to provide the most effective care and appropriate pressure relieving equipment. The score is calculated, by counting the scores given in each category, which apply to your patients current condition. Once these have been added up, you will have your at risk score. This will then ind icate the steps that need to be taken, in order to provide the appropriate level of care to the patient. Identification of a patients risk of developing a pressure sore is often considered the most important stage in pressure sore prevention (Davis 1994). During the assessment a skin inspection takes place of the most vulnerable areas of risk, typically these are heels, sacrum and parts of the body, where sheer or friction could take place. Elbows, shoulders, back of head and toes are also considered to be more vulnerable areas (NICE 2001). When using the Waterlow tool to assess Mrs As pressure risk, I found she had a score of 9. According to the Waterlow scoring system she is not considered as being at risk as her score is less than 10. As I had identified in my assessment, she had a score of 2, for her skin condition due to Grade 1 pressure ulcer to her sacrum. I felt it necessary, to highlight her as being at risk. A grade 1 pressure ulcer on her sacral area, maybe due to her recent loss of confidence and reduced mobility which has left Mrs A spending more time in her chair. Pressure ulcers are assessed and graded, according to the degree of damage to the tissue. The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP), classifies pressure ulcers based on the depth of the wound. There are four classifications (Category/Stage I through IV) of pressure damage. In addition to these, two other categories have been defined, unstageable pressure ulcers and deep tissue injury (EPUAP, 2009) Grade 1 pressure damage is defined, as a non-blanchable erythema of intact skin. Indicators can be, discolouration of the skin, warmth, oedema, induration or hardness, particularly in people with darker pigmentation (EPUAP, 2003). It is believed by some practitioners, that blanching erythema indicates Grade 1 pressure damage (Hitch 1995) although others suggest that, Grade 1 pressure damage is present, when there is non-blanching erythema (Maklebust and Margolis, 1995; Yarkony et al, 1990). The majority of practitioners, agree that temperature and colour play an important role, in identifying grade 1 pressure ulcers (EPUAP, 1999) and erythema, is a factor in alm ost all classifications (Lyder, 1991). The pressure damage usually occurs, over boney prominences (Barton and Barton 1981). The skin in a Grade 1 pressure ulcer, is not broken, but it requires protection and monitoring. At this stage, it will not be known how deep the pressure damage is, regular monitoring and assessment is essential. The pressure ulcer may fade, but if the damage is deeper than the superficial layers of the skin, this wound could eventually develop into a much deeper pressure ulcer over, the following days or weeks. A Grade 1 pressure ulcer, is classed as a wound and so I have commenced a wound care plan and also a pressure area care plan. I will also ensure, Mrs A has regular pressure area checks in order to prevent the area breaking down. The pressure area checks will take place weekly until the pressure relieving equipment arrives, this will then be reduced to 3 monthly checks. Dressings can be applied to a Grade 1 pressure ulcer. They should be simple and offer some level of protection. Also, to prevent any further skin damage a film dressing is often used, or a hydrocolloid to protect the wound area (EPAUP, 2009) . These dressings will assist in reducing further friction, or shearing, if these factors are involved. It is considered the best way to treat a wound, is to prevent it from ever occurring. Removing the existing external pressure, reducing any moisture, which can occur if the patient is incontinent and employing pressure relief devices, may contribute to wound healing. Along with adequate nutrition, hydration and addressing any underlying medical conditions. The advice given to practitioners, on the reverse of the Waterlow tool is to provide a 100mm foam cushion, if a patients risk score is above 10. As Mrs A has an at risk score of 9, with a Grade 1 pressure sore evident, I feel it appropriate to provide the pressure relieving mattress and cushion to prevent any further pressure damage developing. All individuals, assessed as being vulnerable to pressure ulcers should, as a minimum provision, be placed on a high specification foam mattress with pressure relieving properties (NICE, 2001). As I am providing a cushion and a mattress, it is not felt necessary to apply a dressing at this point. However, the area will need regular monitoring, as at this stage it is unknown how deep the pressure damage is. If proactive care is given in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, with the use of risk assessments and providing pressure relieving resources, the pressure area may resolve. Pressure ulcers can be costly for the NHS, debilitating and painful for the patient. With basic and effective nursing care offered to the patients, this can often be the key to success. Bliss (2000) suggests that the majority of Grade I ulcers heal, or resolve without breaking down if pressure relief is put into place immediately. However, experiences in a clinical settings supports observations, that non-blanching erythema can often result in irreversible damage (James, 1998; Dailey, 1992). McGough (1999) during a literature search, highlighted 40 pressure ulcer risk assessment tools, but not all have be considered suitable, or reliable for all clinical environments. As there are many different patient groups this often results in a wide spectrum of different patient needs. The three most commonly used tools in the United Kingdom (U.K.) are, The Norton scale, The Braden Scale and The Waterlow Scale. The first pressure ulcer risk assessment tool was the Norton scale. It was devised by Doreen Norton in 1962. The tool was used for estimating a patients risk for developing pressure ulcers by giving the patient a rating from 1 to 4 on five different factors. A patients with a score of 14 or more, was identified as being at high risk. Initially, this tool was aimed at elderly patients and there is little evidence from research gathered over the years, to support its use outside of an elderly care setting. Due to increased research over the years, concerning the identification and risk of developing pressure ulcers, a modified version of the Norton scale was created in 1987. The Braden Scale was created in the mid 1980s, in America and based on a conceptual schema of aetiological factors. Tissue tolerance and pressure where identified, as being significant factors in pressure ulcer development. However, the validity of the Braden Scale is not considered to be high in all clinical areas (Capobianco and McDonald, 1996). However, EPAUP (2003) state The Braden Risk Assessment Scale is considered by many, to be the most valid and reliable scoring system for a wide age range of patients. The Waterlow Scale, first devised in 1987, identifies more risk factors than the Braden and the Norton Scale. However, even though it is used widely across the U.K., it has still be criticised for its ability to over predict risk and ultimately result in the misuse of resources (Edwards 1995; McGough, 1999). Although there are various tools, which have been developed to identify a patients individual risk, of developing pressure sores. The majority of scales have been developed, based on ad hoc opinions, of the importance of possible risk factors, according to the Effective Healthcare Bulletins (EHCB, 1995). The predictive validity of these tools, has also been challenged (Franks et al, 2003; Nixon and Mc Gough, 2001) suggesting they may over predict the risk, incurring expensive cost implications, as preventative equipment is put in place, when it may not always be necessary. Or they may under predict risk, so that someone assessed as not being at high risk develops a pressure ulcer. Although the Waterlow scoring system, now includes more objective measurements such as Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight loss after a recent update. It is still unknown, due to no published information, whether the inter-rater reliability of the tool, has been improved by these changes. It has been acknowled ged, that this is a fundamental flaw of these tools and due to this clinical judgement, must always support the decisions made by the results, of the risk assessment. This is clearly recognised by NICE, as they advise their use as an aide-mà ©moire (2001). The aim of Pressure ulcer risk assessment tools, is to measure and quantify pressure ulcer risk. To determine the quality of these measurements the evaluation of validity and reliability would usually take place. The validity and reliability limitations, of pressure ulcer risk tools are widely acknowledged. To overcome these problems, the solution that is recommended is to combine the scores of pressure ulcer risk tools, with clinical judgment (EPAUP 2009). This recommendation, which is often seen in the literature, unfortunately is inconsistent as Papanikolaou et al (2007) states: If pressure ulcer risk assessment tools have such limitations, what contribution can they make to our confidence in clinical judgment, other than prom pting us about the items, which should be considered when making such judgments?. Investigations of the validity and reliability, of pressure ulcer risk tools are important, in evaluating the quality, but they are not sufficient to judge their clinical value. In the research of pressure ulcer tools, there have been few attempts made to compare, the different pressure ulcer risk assessment strategies. Referring to literature until 2003, Pancorbo Hidalgo et al (2006) identified three studies, investigating the Norton scale compared to clinical judgment and the impact on pressure ulcer incidence. From these studies, it was concluded that there was no evidence, that the risk of pressure ulcer incidence was reduced by the use of the risk assessment tools. The Cochrane review (2008), set out to determine, whether the use of pressure ulcer risk assessment , in all health care settings , reduced the incidence of pressure ulcers. As no studies met the criteria, the authors have been unable to answer the review question. At present there is only weak evidence to support the validity, of pressure ulcer risk assessment scale tools and obtained scores contain varying amounts of measurement error. To improve our clinical practise, it is suggested that although tools such as the Waterlow Scale are used to distinguish a patients pressure ulcer risk, other investigations and tests, may need to be carried out to ensure a effective assessment is taking place. Practitioners may consider, various blood tests and more in depth history taking, including previous pressure damage and medications. Patients lifestyle and diet should also be taken into consideration and where appropriate, a nutritional assessment should be done if recent weight loss, or reduced appetite is evident. Nutritional assessment and screening tools are being used more readily and appear to be becoming more relevant in managing patients who are at risk of or have a pressure ulcer. The assessment tools should be reliable and valid, and as discussed previously with other risk assessment tools they should not replace clinical judgement. However, the use of nutritional assessment tools can help to bring the nutritional status of the patient to the attention of the practitioner, they should then consider nutrition when assessing the patients vulnerability to pressure ulcer development. The nutritional status of the patient should be updated and re-assessed at regular intervals following a assessment plan which is individual to the patient and includes an evaluation date. The condition of the individual will then allow the practitioner to decide how frequent the assessments will occur. The EPUAP (2003) recommends that as a minimum, assessment of nutritional status should include regu lar weighing of patients, skin assessment, documentation of food and fluid intake. As Mrs A currently has a balanced diet, it is not felt necessary to undertake, a nutritional assessment at this point. Her weight can be updated on each review visit, to assess any weight loss during each visit. If there is any deterioration in her condition, an assessment can be done when required. Continence should also be taken into consideration and where necessary a continence assessment should take place. Incontinence and pressure ulcers are common and often occur together. Patients who are incontinent are generally more likely to have difficulties with their mobility and elderly, both of which have a strong association with the development of pressure ulcers (Lyder, 2003). The education of staff, surrounding pressure ulcer management and prevention, is also very important. NICE (2001) suggest, that all health care professionals, should receive relevant training and education, in pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention. The information, skills and knowledge, gained from these training sessions, should then be cascaded down, to other members of the team. The training and education sessions, which are provided by the trust, are expected to cover a number of topics. These should include, risk factors for pressure ulcer development, skin assessment, and the selection of pressure equipment. Staff are also updated on policies, guidelines and the latest patient educational information (NICE 2001). Education of the patient, carers and family, is essential in order to achieve optimum pressure area care. Mrs A is encouraged to mobilise regularly, in order to relieve the pressure as a Grade 1 pressure sore has been identified, she is at a significant risk of developing a more severe ulcer. Interventions to prevent deterioration, are crucial at this point. It is thought, that this could prevent the pressure sore from developing into a Grade 2 or worse. NICE (2001) have suggested, that individuals vulnerable to or at elevated risk of developing pressure ulcers, who are able and willing, should be informed and educated about the risk assessment and resulting prevention strategies. NICE have devised a booklet for patients and relatives, called Pressure Ulcers Prevention and Treatment (NICE Clinical Guidance 29), which gives information and guidance on the treatment of pressure ulcers. It encourages patients to check their skin and change their position regularly. As a part of good practise, this booklet is given to Mrs A at the time of assessment, in order for her to develop some understanding of her pressure sore. This booklet is also given to the care givers or relatives so they can also gain understanding, regarding the care and prevention, of her pressure ulcer. An essential part of nursing documentation, is care planning. It demonstrates the care, that the individual patient requires and can be used to include patients and carers or relatives in the patients care. Involvement of the patient and their relative, or carer is advisable, as this could be invaluable, to the nurse planning the patients care. The National Health Service Modernisation Agency (NHSMA 2005) states clearly that person centred care is vital and that care planning involves negotiation, discussion and shared decision making, between the nurse and the patient. There were a number of improvements that I feel could have been made to the holistic care of Mrs A. I feel that one of the fundamental factors that needed to be considered , were the social needs of the patient. As I feel they are a large contributing factor, towards why the patient may have developed her pressure sore. The patient was previously known to be a very sociable lady, who gradually lost her confidence, resulting in her not leaving the house. There are various schemes and services available, which are provided by the local council or volunteer services, to enable the elderly or people unable to get around. For example, an option which could of been suggested to Mrs A are services such as Ring and Ride, or Werneth Communicare. Using these services or being involved in these types of schemes, may have empowered Mrs A to leave the house on a more regular basis. This would enable her to build up the confidence, she lost following her fall. This would have also lead to positive impact on the patients psychological care, as Mrs A would have been able to overcome her fears of leaving the house, enabling her to see friends and gain communications lost. As previously mentioned in this assignment, although Mrs A had a score of 9, which is not considered an at risk score. I still felt it necessary to act on this score, even though the wound was a not considered to be critical. If it is felt the patient is at a higher risk than that shown on the assessment tool, the practitioner should use their clinical judgement, to make crucial care decisions. It should also be considered, by the practitioner that risk assessment tools such as The Waterlow scale, may not have been developed, for their area of practise. Throughout the duration of Mrs As wound healing process, a holistic assessment of her pressure areas and general health assessment were carried and all relevant factors, were taken into consideration. The assessment tool used to assess her pressure areas, is th e most common tool used currently in practise and the tool recommended by the Trust. To conclude, there is evidence to prove that pressure ulcer risk assessment tools are useful, when used as a guide for the procurement of equipment. However, they cannot be relied upon solely to provide holistic care to a patient. It has been highlighted, that to ensure a holistic assessment of patients, it is necessary to complete a variety of assessments, to create a complete picture. Although The Waterlow scale covers a number of factors that need to be considered, throughout the assessment, it has become evident that the at risk score, can often be over or under scored depending on the practitioner. Clinical judgement has proved to be, a very important aspect of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment. The education of the patient, carer and relatives has also been highlighted, as an important aspect of care. Empowering the patient with information regarding their illness, may decrease the healing time and help prevent has further issues.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Computer :: Technology Internet Electronics Essays

The Computer Even though J. David Bolter wrote Turing’s Man: Western Culture in the Computer Age in 1984, at least a century ago in computer years, his observations and concerns about the electronic age are in no way obsolete. Bolter examines from a historical perspective how the computer will reshape our understanding of the human mind and our relationship with nature. By comparing the computer with defining technologies of previous ages, Bolter anticipates the many qualities and values of people in the digital age, his so-called â€Å"Turing’s men†. In doing so, he encourages those in the humanities to take an active role in shaping some of the perceptions of the emerging era. Humankind has created, used, and replaced innumerable technologies over the past 10,000 years of written record. Turing’s Man concentrates on only four of these technologies: the spindle and potter’s wheel of ancient Greece, the mechanical clock of Renaissance Western Europe, the steam engine of Industrial Europe, and finally the computer of the electronic age. According to Bolter, each of these inventions â€Å"defines or redefines man’s role in relation to nature†(13). Although Bolter considers the influences of these technologies on many facets of culture and society, his main efforts are devoted to understanding their implications for a culture’s view of time, space, thought, and creation. The spindle and the potter’s wheel of Ancient Greece suggest an intimate relationship between man and nature. The tools are seen more as an extension of the human hand than a barrier between craftsman and material. Bolter argues that the image of the potter, fashioning his finely crafted, but still imperfect vessel on the rotating wheel, made a great impression on the thinkers of that time. The rotating nature of these tools, mimicking the great circular paths followed by celestial bodies, led Aristotle to claim that â€Å"circular motion . . . was natural, whereas motion in a straight line required further explanation†(116). As a consequence, the Greeks adopted a cyclical view of time. The world did not progress forward in linear motion but repeated over and over. Rather than progressing, ideas and institutions would remain static or decay. The potter and his clay also served as a metaphor for divine creation. The world and its human inhabitants were fashioned out of imperfect materials by divine force. This material makes up the entirety of the world.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Principles of diversity Essay

Assignment overview In this assignment you will consider best practice in promoting diversity, equality and inclusion which does not discriminate against others. You will look at relevant legislation, codes of practice and regulations governing adult social care and consider the consequences for a variety of people if these are not followed. You are asked to consider your own attitudes and beliefs and how these may impact on how you treat people and to reflect on your own practice. Tasks There are three tasks to this assignment. A Short answer questions B Leaflet C Reflective account This is a summary of the evidence required for the unit. Task Evidence Learning outcomes covered A Short answer questions 1.1, 1.2, 3.1 B Leaflet 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3 C Reflective account 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 Task A Short answer questions Ai Explain in your own words what each term means. Give one example from care practice to illustrate your explanations. SHC 33 1.1) Diversity Diversity means variety, an example of this is society, where people very in a multitude of ways, including sex, age, sexual orientation, physical characteristics such as height, weight and skin colour, personal experiences and attributes, such as beliefs, values and preferences. Care settings  reflect the diversity of the population, an example of which is diet, some people have specific dietary needs, some may need food that is pureed due to swallowing difficulties, others may follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, people from different cultural and religious backgrounds have specific dietary needs. Equality Equality is treating people fairly regardless of their differences, ensuring that they have access to the same life opportunities. An example of this in the care setting is Ability, a lack of understanding about the needs of people with physical or mental disabilities results in them finding it difficult to make the most of life’s opportunities, an example of this in the care setting is persons not taking part in activities as they may not be suitable to their needs, this can lead to them being socially excluded, we need to ensure that there are a range of activities to suit all needs. Inclusion Inclusion is accepting everyone, regardless of difference, it is about getting rid of intolerance of difference and providing help and support where appropriate. The act of inclusion brings about a feeling of wellbeing and builds on a person’s confidence, ensuring that everyone can meet their full potential. Within a care home setting each individual has differing needs that have to be continually monitored and assessed to ensure that they are getting the most out of life for example a person’s mobility needs changing should not exclude them, they need to be given the correct level of support to take part and feel included in the day to day living that they enjoyed previously. Discrimination Discrimination is a form of prejudice, it is an attitude or way of thinking based on unfounded, unreasonable pre judgement of a person or situation, not one based on factual assessment, and it can cause a barrier that makes it difficult for a person to make progress or to achieve goals. An example of this in the care setting is not giving choice to a resident with things such as what they wish to eat if there’s only one choice for those that are in need of a pureed diet but three different meals available to other resident’s. Aii For each of the following people/groups of people, describe two different possible effects of discrimination. (SHC 33 1.1) An Individual The effects of discrimination on an individual; 1) Short term effects on an individual can include intimidation, humiliation, resentment and anger. 2) Long term effects can bring about feelings of inferiority, loss of self-worth and confidence a distrust and fear of others, leading to social exclusion. Their Families The effects on a person’s family; 1) The injustice of discrimination not only has an effect on the individual but also their family, by denying people opportunities such as education they cannot find employment or live in decent housing, this in turn leads to victims and their family’s being in deprivation, without a good standard of living. 2) Discrimination can cause the breakup of a family, this is due to the stress that is caused. Wider society The effects of discrimination on wider society; 1) Discrimination in the long term results in deprivation for whole groups in society, such as the elderly. 2) Discrimination has brought about a postcode lottery with unequal availability of services in different parts of the country. Those who discriminate The effects on those who discriminate; 1) They would be in breach of the equality act 2010 and as such in contravention of the law this can lead to both fines and imprisonment. 2) Those who discriminate show a lack of concern for others, their beliefs, culture and preferences showing a lack of concern, this in turn brings into doubt the person’s ability to care, Health and social care workers have a responsibility to provide a high level of care, anything else would be neglect. Aiii Identify three ways of challenging discrimination, and describe how each will promote change. 1)  Work place discrimination can be challenged by analysing why the person behaves in a discriminatory manor, an example may be they were brought up in an environment where labelling, stereotyping and negative prejudice were normal behaviour and so not questioned. This needs to be explored privately, for example during an appraisal where behaviour can be questioned and required changes can be agreed and recorded with their success being measured. 2) Informal discussions provide opportunity to reflect on the dire effects of discrimination, talking through these issues and imagining how it must feel to experience unfair, unjust treatment, can have powerful effects on thinking and behaviour, hence bringing about change in mind set. 3) Education is a way of challenging discrimination, ensuring that persons abide by work place policies and procedures and codes of practice including those that relate to anti-discrimination policies. Good communication skills enable discrimination to be challenged in an assertive yet encouraging way to bring about behaviour change. Task B Leaflet Bi Your work setting is running an induction course for new social care workers in an adult social care setting. Create a leaflet, which can be used to support this course. The leaflet must include the following: a) A description of the legislation and codes of practice relating to diversity, equality, inclusion and discrimination. b) An explanation of the possible consequences for individuals, social care workers and others if the legislation and codes of practice are not followed. c) A description of how inclusive practice can promote equality and support diversity. d) An explanation of how to support others to promote diversity, equality and inclusion. Leaflet enclosed. Bii Give two examples of how you could raise awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion. (SHC 33 1.1) 1) Training and discussion; Training and discussion in one to one meetings or groups of staff, raise awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion. The more they will engage in discussion and obtain training about this issue the more they will learn and be aware of it and also put it in to their everyday practice. 2) Through providing leaflet, information and policies and procedures; Providing leaflets and sufficient information regarding diversity and equality will raise awareness to a social care worker by having knowledge about it. It also helps them to know about the consequences if agreed ways of working are not followed. Task C Reflective account (SHC 33 2.2) Ci Write a reflective account describing: †¢ How your personal preferences, attitudes, heritage and beliefs might impact on working practice. †¢ How to ensure that your own practice is inclusive and respects the beliefs, culture, values and preferences of individuals. Suggested word count: 500 – 700 words (Enclosed as separate document) Cii Write a brief account that describes examples of inclusive practice. Inclusive practice, is about attitudes, approaches and strategies taken to ensure that people are not excluded or isolated. An examples of this would be; show respect, regardless of a person’s age, sex, sexual orientation race and ability, with regard to their believes, culture , values and preferences. It is good to model care on Principles of care that promote inclusive work practice, letting personal preferences shape the way you work, supporting individuals in retaining their cultural dignity, such as how they choose to dress and maintain their personal hygiene. Respect the need to maintain confidentiality of personal and sensitive information, ensure that persons are not disadvantaged but can access equal opportunities for example by making sure they receive help and support that is appropriate for their needs. (SHC 33 3.1, 3.2) Ciii Write a brief account that describes practice, which excludes the individual and is discriminatory. Taking away a person’s personal preferences can excluded the individual and the care worker would not be demonstrating ‘inclusive practice’, examples of this would be denying someone the opportunity to worship in the way their religion dictates this would be excluding them, a person not being given the chance to choose what to wear takes away from their right to equality and may impact on their cultural dignity. Not allowing for a person’s dietary requirements an example of this might be a vegetarian not being able to have the same amount of choices as a person who eats meat. A person who needs to use a wheelchair could be excluded from taking part in an activity due to problems with access this would cause them to be disadvantaged and discriminated against. By not using the person cantered approach within health and social care you would not be following best practice leading to people being denied their freedom and this is a form of neglect and may be see n as abuse.