Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example Initially touted as a vision of the future, the message often became lost in the medium. Metropolis will be analyzed for it intention of purpose by the filmmaker and its reception as an entertainment of the day as well as the different messages both intended by its creator and as perceived by its audience. This book, while wide ranging, set the films in the backdrop of history and culture as well as box office and sales. Cook also goes about getting little know information that is not available elsewhere. He notes that Metropolis, although aimed at decrying the current state of affairs in Germany, especially the Nazi part, became one of Adolph Hitler’s favorite films. So much so that Frtiz Lang, the films director was offer the position of, â€Å"the leadership of the German film industry by the Nazi propaganda minister, Josef Goebbels,† (Cook 115) but he respectfully declined and being â€Å"Half-Jewish and a political liberal† (Cook 115) he respectfully declined and soon fled Germany for the Untied States. Cook also analyses the different version of the film that were shown in the US and the different, edit both for time and content, and the reactions each received. There are also excellent publicity posters throughout the book as well as descriptions of the cut ting-edge film processes of the time that were used in the creation of the film to amaze and interest its audience. This book also put the film into historical perspective but goes into more detail about the costs of production and the time of change from silent films to talkies and how that had affected the distribution of the film as well as the production problems it had and the expenses it incurred. Sound was becoming the investment that UFA was throwing their money into leaving silent films behind. Kopenick also discuses the genre of German Film at the time and what part Lang and other played in its development both in the area of technique

Malathion, the Benefits of its Application Outweighs the Validated Article

Malathion, the Benefits of its Application Outweighs the Validated Risk - Article Example They further assured that the chemical application is safe because it degrades to harmless materials rapidly after application (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2005, Section 1). But the opponents argued that some sector of Genericville City community may be susceptible to the potential hazards of Malathion contamination. They estimated there could be as many as 90 cases of Malathion related illnesses from the proposed application program with four that may be fatal according to reports (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2005, Section 3). At stake in this situation, aside from the safety of the residents and its ecosystem is the economy of the city, which depended on tourism. Without the pesticide application, tourists would be hesitant to come to the city. With the use of the chemical the ecosystem that is the best asset for tourism may be affected. Choosing the best option, therefore, requires weighing the benefits against the risk and finding a win-win solution. To obtain a rational decision let us examine the veracity of the arguments presented by both the proponents and opponents of using Malathion and equate them with information at hand. The arguments revolve around the fact that Malathion is toxic to humans and useful insects within the ecosystem. The pros assured that the toxicity hazard is negligible while oppositions insisted it can cause the fatality. Let us, therefore, examine what authorities and studies have to say. As far as toxicity of the chemical is concerned, there are several ways of human exposure to the hazard either ingestion, inhalation, or through dermal means. Sources of exposures are through the air during and after spraying, on residues remaining on leaves and materials, and on contaminated water. The chemical dose that may be fatal to human is far greater than the possible exposure caused by both ground and aerial spraying using approved levels. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the EPA allow a maximum amount of 8 parts per million (ppm) of Malathion to be present as a residue on specific crops used as foods. The risk associated with overdose or fatal dose is non-existent if proper safety precautionary measures are strictly followed. Much of the residues can be removed by washing. In fact, the US FDA approved the use of Malathion as a prescription drug for the treatment of head lice on humans (APHIS, 2006). The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) classifies Malathion as having "suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity, but the evidence is not sufficient to assess human carcinogenic potential" (APHIS, 2006). Â  

Cinemas Impact On Society

Cinemas Impact On Society In the subcontinent there are numerous traditions and practices that are based on ignorance and which have captivated the progress of the societies. Of such negative influenced ignorance, unsociability, dowry systems, rigidity of caste system and purdah system have done remarkable harm to the society. These influences are present in our society and are practiced without the repercussion of the aftermath that they bring with them, the society keeps following them like nobility preached through ancestral traditions. Cinema films have, had and will continue to torch light to eradicate the stubborn stains in the sub continental society. Cinema has been used to promote eradication of trafficking, illiteracy, slavery, promote national integration, family planning, and inter caste/religion marriages. Cinema can be used as a tool to contribute to guide the society to proceed along the righteous path. It has been and will be used as a mean to remove ignorance from the sub continental society. http://essaysandarticles.com/science/the-cinema%E2%80%94-its-impact-on-society There are dynamic views and realization of cinema to different people associated to this form of media, for instance for the Producers it is a mean of a lucrative business, for directors and backroom staff, it is a form of canvas for them there they can perform their art work to the masses for personal desire and satisfaction, for on screen performers, such as actors and actresses, its is a mean of earning money and face value, while for the masses it is a mean of cheap and interesting form of entertainment and pastime for their viewing and listening pleasure. This is one of the key reasons why cinema has been a flourishing industry for ages and hold of a major market share of the entertainment industry. http://www.preservearticles.com/201106127879/essay-on-the-effect-of-cinema-on-our-society.html Indian Cinema: Since its beginning with the film Raja Harish Chandra (1913), the cinema has remained the most powerful media for mass communication in India. Cinema has the ability to combine entertainment with communication of ideas. It has the potential appeal for its audience. It certainly leaves other media far behind in making such an appeal. As in literature, cinema has produced much which touches the innermost layers of the man. It mirrors the episodes in such a manner that leaves an impact on the coming generations. Cinema presents an image of the society in which it is born and the hopes, aspirations, frustration and contradictions present in any given social order. In the present era, cinema is getting replaced by small screen productions. Televised serials and programmes are replacing craze. They advertise and earn revenue for industry. Thus films telecast has become a source of further income for the industry and trade. Man has instincts, different thoughts flow which leave an effect on the minds. The person laughs with the films and tears with them. Scenes of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, a film by Raj Kumar Santoshi and Manoj Goswami makes people national-minded and sentimentally involved in the film show. The fim dialogues are occupying places in our real life. Dialogues of Mugle Azam found place in the normal interaction of people for a long time. People talked and walked like Prithvi Raj, the great king Akbar. In the same way, plays by Agha Hashat and Devdas by Sharat Chandra left a deep impact on the masses. In the same way, film Sholey created an imending effect on so many. http://www.preservearticles.com/201106127879/essay-on-the-effect-of-cinema-on-our-society.html Example of Bengali Cinema and how it portrays: Bengali cinema is closely linked to Modernity and Realism. The most renowned and famous film makers of the Bengali cinema along with the modernist thoughts chose the genre of realism to reach to a new height. Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray are some of the greatest examples, who have played with the theme of realism and modernity in their films. Modernity is a vast topic and can be defined into many ways. But we will mainly focus on the artistic, social and political modernization. Satyajit Rays film Pather Pancheli is one of the ultimate examples of films portraying realism along with several elements of modernity. It was an inspiration to Vittorio De Siccas Bicycle Thief, 1948 which was based on Italian neo-realism. Rays work was a stroke of genius. It reflected the social progress and change in Bengal and also had modernized ideas and concepts. In his film Pather Panchali, Ray has focused on leaving the old ideas behind, moving on and working on new concepts. He put emphasis on the fact that, with the passage of time the conventional ways of living, family ideas and traditional lifestyle have become outdated and needs to be altered accordingly. During the climax, Apu and his family, leaves their home and later departs from the village. Their ancestors home was the sole reason why they were not leaving that village. They shifted to another place for a better living and life style. By relocating, they were able to sell off the old house which was of no use to them, instead was the reason for their daughters life. This film is an evolution from traditional times to modern way of living. Ray used many metaphors throughout his film which were related to a need for change and modernity. I think old aunt was a perfect example of metaphorical usage. She was exhausted, old woman who had nothing to do than just wandering around the house. She is frequently told by everyone to leave which indicates that she is unwanted and worthless in the house. The family feared famine, survival and poverty. They were unhappy about the traditional way of living and traditions. The same way, they were annoyed by the presence of old aunt. Later, we founds out that the old aunt rambles, after several unsuccessful attempts of searching for a shelter place, she dies. Death of old ideas is the metaphorical meaning of old aunts death. Ray wishes for a change, something which is never ending. Through his illustrations, he focused on a need for change so that we can break away from the traditions which are holding us back an d is a form of barrier to our progress. By means of aunt death, he is able to show how traditions have become out-of-date. Rays another great work Charulata (1964), also focuses on bringing a change. The story sets in an upper middle class Bengali society. In this context, a lonesome housewife falls in love with her brother-in-law while they both were boosting each other to write. He applied two different thoughts of traditionalism and modernity, home and desire and literature and politics together. Rays films have a humanistic approach. The depth of his works is far reaching. It has captured the human heart and extracted the emotions from it. Apu throwing the necklace stolen by Durga, Amal leaving home for the fear of being unfaithful, Durga stealing food from her aunt are examples of Rays humanistic work. Ray is also inspired by Neo-realism. From my point of view, it is because his stories are largely concentrating on the society. He cannot make them fictional because then it would irrelevant to the society. His stories are not meant to be films, in fact a reality which was an image of the society in which he has lived in. It was a complete imitation of Bengali society. The characters were portrayal of real personalities. For example, Durga is Hindu mythological character. When you look at her, you will not judge her as a good or evil character but will think of her as a woman who had existed in the past and had different attributes which mirrored her personality. She wasnt a fictional character. Correspondingly, Ritwik Ghataks films introduced the modernistic themes of isolation, alienation and need for home that evolves around the Bengali society. In his socially applicable film Ajantrik, Ghatak brought together the concept of isolation and alienation to the society. He demonstrates a mans love for his car; car is a lifeless object. That man had a disturbed social life where he was not able to bond tighter with people around him. There are scenes like when Bimal is having a conversation with his car. He takes care of his car like he is a living companion. At the same time, didnt give importance to what the society says. This shows the importance of the car, Jagaddal. Ghatak treat the car as a living character and not as a prop. He also showed the cars point of view. He wants to prove his point that with the introduction of modernization; nowadays people are more materialistic orientated. They value property more than relations. Likewise in Subarnarekha (1965), Ghatak has focused more on the theme of home (alongside the sub-themes such as relations and happiness.His work is also about modernity, change and its effects and how partition affected Ghatak and the society. Subarnarekha is a after partition story of a family relocating to the bank of Subarnarekha River. Throughout the story, Sita search for happiness. He talks about the new home feeling and that she confesses her secrets, happiness and woes to a river. What I learned from Ghataks films is he considers that society has transformed from being a community to a combined living of different characters. Individualism is present all over his work. People have how people have gone from being lovers of nature and man-made beauty (like lakes and montains) to cars and property. One may say that in the films of both, Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, you can find many modernist essentials. Their work ranges from content to themes like anthropomorphism, home and modernity; also their craft which is the use of POV shots, Brechtian elements, different style of cinematography and manipulating space. Conclusion It is always good and well groomed to see good subjects on cinema. They have a very positive and long-lasting effect on the minds whereas cheap and shabby movies affect the tender minds of audience very badly. There is general feeling that present day crimes are all due to effects of cinema. Besides open and demonstrative subjects throw tarnished messages. They spoil our culture, and society. Cinema and TV badly affect the health of the youngsters. They neglect studies and physical games to spend more time on this entertainment. School-going children and society children fail to make use of good impacts and are influenced by the bad part of the programmes on the air. The motive is not to discard cinema or TV telecast so easily. The desirable act will be to selective and choosy for programmes. Good movies should be seen by the students. The movies of TV shows should be very much restricted and for a fix time. The cinema exercises a great influence on the mind of the people. It has a great educative value. It can achieve splendid results in the field of expansion of education. There are certain subjects, such as science and geography, which can be more effec ­tively taught with the help of talkies. Lessons on road sense, rules of hygiene and civic sense can be taught to the students and the public as well in a very effective manner with the help of cinema pictures. Many successful experiments have been made in various countries on the utility of films as a means of education. Feature films have been produced for school and college students and students are being benefitted by them. Cinema films have the power to influence the thinking of the people. They have changed the society and social trends. They have introduced new fashions in society. They may be described as pace-setters. They can create a direct impact on our social life. Films can go a long way towards arousing national consciousness and also in utilising the energies of the youth in social reconstruc ­tion and nation-building by a skilful adaption of good moral, social and educative themes, and by introduction of popular sentiments, films can, to a great extent, formulate and guide public opinion

Comparing Yeon Yi Min and Me Essay -- comparison compare contrast essa

Yeon Yi Min and Me             I could easily recognize the differences between Yeon Yi Min and myself as soon as I met her and recalled all of the factual information I knew about Koreans, but I did not discover our similarities until after I had opened my eyes to her individual, yet universal, nature. I saw her as a drone of her culture, held in by rigid structure and lacking of any independent, individualistic thought beyond rules of society; I was ready to share my culture with her and to learn of her culture, but I never believed that I would discover a connection between us because of what she said, or did not say. However, while I sat and communicated with Yeon Yi, I felt many of the learned stereotypes drain out of me in order to be replaced by understanding, awe, and respect. We discussed families and friends, basic beliefs, our daily lives, and ourselves; and we discovered that we, human beings, are not so drastically different as we would like to believe. In fact, Korean and American individ uals are relatively the same; however, differences in attitude and action arise from the extent of cultural independence that the respective citizens enjoy.    Even with Yeon Yi's broken English and my American colloquialisms, we understood each other perfectly; we made unconscious affirmations as to our similarities, yet we spoke of our differences. As she discussed the duties of children in Korea, I thought of my parents and their futures; while her brother would completely support her parents in exchange for his college education, I might visit my parents on their farm for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She outlined her complete devotion to her parents and described how she w... ...dependence, that I have so that she can be the individual she was born to be, yet she adheres to her traditions because she has spent all of her life supported by a foundation with which she certainly defines herself. I found that our connection with each other did not come from our certain respect for each other's distinct culture but from our interests in discovering our individual potentials and also our mutual understanding of current trends. As I now recognize that Yeon Yi Min and I are both in the same struggle to find individual definition within our cultures, she taught me that everyone is an individual with a unique, and universal, personality but that some people have greater opportunity to be themselves than others. She awakened me to her culture and absorbed some of mine while she discovered herself and while I discovered her.      

Designing Pay Levels, Mix and Pay Structures

CHAPTER 8 DESIGNING PAY LEVELS, MIX AND PAY STRUCTURES LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Identify the major decisions in establishing externally competitive pay. 2. Describe the purpose(s) of a salary survey. 3. Discuss the importance of defining the relevant market in a pay survey. 4. Explain the steps involved in designing a pay survey. 5. Describe the key issues involved in interpreting the results of a pay survey. 6. Explain how the market pay line combines the internal structure with external market rates. 7. Discuss the use of pay grades and pay ranges and their relationship to internal alignment and external competitiveness. . Discuss the pros and cons of the market pricing approach to establishing a pay structure. OUTLINE I. MAJOR DECISIONS A. There are seven major decisions involved in setting externally competitive pay and designing the corresponding pay structures 1. specifying employer's external/competitive pay policy 2. define the purpose of the survey 3. select the relevant marke t competitors 4. designing and conducting surveys 5. interpreting survey results and constructing the market line 6. constructing a pay policy line that reflects the external pay policy 7. alancing competitiveness with internal alignment through the use of ranges, flat rates, and/or bands Definition:A survey is the systematic process of collecting and making judgments about the compensation paid by other employers Steps in conducting wage and salary surveys: 1. select the jobs to be surveyed 2. define the relevant markets 3. select the firms to be surveyed 4. determine the information to ask 5. determine the data collection technique 6. administer the survey II. SPECIFY COMPETITIVE PAY POLICY an external pay policy requires information on the external market †¢ surveys provide the data for translating that policy into pay levels, pay mix & pay structures III. THE PURPOSE OF A SURVEY? A. Conducting a salary survey is necessary to obtain data to set an organization’s pay p olicy relative to its competitors. B. An employer conducts/participates in a survey for the following reasons †¢ its an opportunity to collect information to make judgements regarding compensation †¢ to adjust pay to changing external pay rates & recognize pay trends in marketplace to establish/develop or price an adequate pay structure †¢ to analyze personnel problems that may be pay related †¢ defending pay practices in a court of law †¢ to attempt to estimate the labor costs of product market competitors †¢ hiring and retaining competent employees †¢ promoting worker productivity C. Adjust Pay Level – How Much to Pay? market surveys provide information so that an employer will be able to adjust the firm's pay levels relative to competitors (ex. AACSB salary survey) 1. most organizations make adjustments to employees’ pay on a regular basis . these adjustments can be based on one, or more, of the following issues: a. overall upward movement of pay rates caused by competition for people in the market. b. performance. c. ability to pay. d. terms specified in a contract. D. Adjust Pay Mix – What Forms? 1. the mix of forms and their relative importance makes up the â€Å"pay package† 2. adjustments to the different forms that competitors use (base, bonus, benefits, etc) & the relative importance they place on each form occur less frequently than adjustments to overall pay level . it is unclear why changes to the pay mix occur less frequently than changes in the pay level 4. since some pay forms may affect employee behavior more than others, collecting information on total compensation, the mix of pay competitors us, and costs of various forms is increasingly important E. Adjust Pay Structure 1. survey information used for directly valuing jobs in some cases 2. in other instances, used to validate job evaluation results (see if market rates vary greatly from those obtained in the firm’s job eva luation)Study Special Situations 1. information used to review competitor pay scales in case of high turnover or to justify differentials between certain gender dominated jobs in legal situations 2. many special studies appraise the starting salary offers or current pay practices for targeted groups, such as patent attorneys, sales managers, or software engineers G. Estimate Competitors' Labor Costs 1. surveys allow for organizations to compare labor costs especially in a highly competitive industry, as input for decisions making, etc. 2. hey may use salary survey data to benchmark against competitors’ product pricing and manufacturing practices IV. SELECT RELEVANT MARKET COMPETITORS A. To make decisions about pay level, mix, and structures, a relevant labor market must be defined that includes employers who compete in one or more of the following areas Relevant markets are expressed as: †¢ employers who compete for the same occupations and skills required †¢ the ge ographic distance employees are willing to commute/relocate †¢ employers who compete with the same products/servicesB. As the importance and complexity of qualifications increase, the geographic limits also increase C. Competition tends to be national or international for managerial and professional skills and local or regional for clerical and production skills D. The generalizations do not always hold true. Examples include: 1. in areas with high concentrations of scientists, engineers, and managers, the primary market comparison may be regional, with national data used only secondarily 2. some larger firms ignore local market conditions E.Research suggests that if skills are tied to a particular industry, as underwriters, actuaries, and claims representatives are to insurance, the market should be defined on an industry basis 1. if certain skills, i. e. accounting, sales, clerical, are not limited to one particular industry, then industry considerations are less important. 2 . from the perspective of cost control and ability to pay, competitors in the product/service market should be included since the pay rates of these competitors will affect both an employer’s costs of operations and its financial condition. F.While the quantity of data available for international comparisons is improving, using the data to adjust pay requires a lot of judgment. G. Fuzzy Markets 1. new organizations and jobs fuse together diverse knowledge and experience, so â€Å"relevant† markets appear more like â€Å"fuzzy† markets 2. organizations with unique jobs and structures face the double bind of finding it hard to get comparable market data at the same time they are placing more emphasis on external market data V. Design the Survey A. Consulting firms offer a wide variety of surveys covering almost every job family and industry group imaginable.B. Survey design involves considering the following issues: 1. Who should be involved in the survey design? 2. How many employers should be included? 3. Which jobs should be included? 4. What information should be collected? C. Whom to Involve? †¢ compensation specialist or HRM manager †¢ operating managers †¢ employees (task managers) †¢ outside consultants (avoid wage fixing allegations) D. How Many Employers? †¢ depends on circumstances, no set/magic numbers (problematic for global companies) †¢ in small markets with few employers: 2 or 3 firms in larger local markets with 200-300 positions: 12-24 firms †¢ in national labor market and some regional survey: 100+ firms †¢ salary surveys reflect industry, geographical area Publicly Available Data a. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the major source of publicly available compensation data and publishes extensive information on various occupations in different geographic areas b. While some private sector firms may track the rate of change in BLS data as a cross-check on other surveys, the data are n ot specific enough to be used alone â€Å"Word-of-Mouse† a.A click of the mouse makes a wealth of data available to everyone and means that managers must be able to explain the salaries paid to employees compared to those a mouse-click away. b. The quality of salary data on the Web is highly suspect. Where Are the Standards? a. Opinions about the value of consultant surveys are rampant b. Many firms select one survey as their primary source and use others to cross-check of validate the results c. Some firms routinely combine the results of several surveys and weight each survey in a composite based on a judgment of the quality of the data reported . For staffing decisions, employment test designers report the test’s performance against a set of standards (reliability, validity, etc. ) For market surveys and analysis, similar indices and standards do not exist E. Which Jobs to Include? Keep the survey simple and include only enough jobs necessary to accomplish the purpo se of the survey and to encourage participation 1. Benchmark Jobs Approach †¢ include only benchmark (stable in content) jobs in the surveys †¢ ensure that benchmark jobs represent all unction/levels in the firm †¢ slotting of remaining jobs 2. Low-High Approach †¢ useful for skills based structure that has no match with competitors †¢ identify highest and lowest paid benchmark jobs for the relevant †¢ skills and use these as anchors for skills based structures †¢ slot the remaining wage rates into the structure 3. Benchmark Conversion Approach †¢ traditional approach †¢ perform job evaluation on all jobs and use benchmarks on survey †¢ transfer salary info from benchmark jobs & convert internal structureF. What Information to Collect? Collect information about: †¢ the nature of the organization (size, structure, financial) †¢ information about the total compensation system (bonus, benefit) †¢ actual rates paid to each incumbent for jobs included in survey No survey includes all the data included in the discussion; the data collected depend on the purpose of the survey. Organization Data – data includes company identification, financial information, size of company, and the structure of the organization. .Total Compensation Data †¢ all the basic types of pay forms are required to assess the total pay package and competitors’ practices †¢ data collected includes: (1)Base pay – amount of cash competitors decided each job and incumbent is worth. (2)Total cash – includes base plus bonus; indicates competitors’ use of performance-based cash payments. (3)Total compensation – includes total cash plus stock options and benefits VI. INTERPRET SURVEY RESULTS & CONSTRUCT A MARKET LINE There is no single best approach that is used to analyze data.There are steps that the organization should take to ensure that use of the information is justified. A. Verify Data †¢ test for quality & accuracy of data (examine distribution patterns) †¢ check for accuracy of job matches (titles vs. descriptions) †¢ if jobs are similar but not identical, then leveling can be used to weight data according to closeness of match B. Anomalies 1. perusing actual salary data provides an analyst with a sense of the quality of the data and helps identify any areas for additional consideration. 2. nomalies may include: 1) does any one company dominate? 2) do all employers show similar patterns? 3) outliers? 3. analysis of the anomalies may indicate additional information about competitors’ pay policies, ex. a competitor may deliberately differentiate itself with pay as part of its strategy C. Statistical Analysis †¢ frequency distribution (organizes data into intervals) †¢ central tendency (mean, mode, median, weighted means) †¢ dispersion (get some idea from mean and dispersion value, the distribution of wages; ex. tandard dev iation, quartiles/percentiles) †¢ outliers/extreme values can distort mean value †¢ using this information to establish a single wage value D. Update the Survey Data †¢ to counteract â€Å"aging† of data, adjusts need to be made Extent of updating depends on: †¢ historical trends in the marketplace †¢ economic outlook for the future in the employer's market †¢ consumer price index (CPI) †¢ manager's judgement E. Construct a Market Pay Line Development of a market pay line involves making decisions about which benchmark jobs to include, which companies to include, and which measures of pay to use usually a straight line but can be curvilinear or hinged †¢ statistical techniques such as regression analysis can be used to derive a market pay line †¢ pay level policy will reflect positioning of pay line (percentile) Definition: A market line links a company’s benchmark jobs on the horizontal axis (internal structure) with market rates paid by competitors (market survey) on the vertical axis. It summarizes the distribution of going rates paid by competitors in the market F. Combine Internal Structure and External Wage RatesThe internal consistency and external competitiveness components of the pay model are combined through the development of the pay structure. The pay structure achieves two objectives: 1. produces pay policy line to reflect market wages to internal structure 2. allows for pay ranges, and give the firm some internal flexibility VII. FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: THE PAY POLICY LINE A. The pay policy line reflects external competitive position in the market B. There are several ways to translate external competitive policy into practice 1.Choice of measure – based on Colgate’s stated policy, Colgate would use the 50th percentile for base pay and the 75th percentile for total compensation as compensation measures in its regression 2. Updating – the approach used by an organiza tion to update salary survey data reflects its pay policy. C. Policy Line as Percent of Market Line. 1. another way to translate pay-level policy into practice is to simple specify a percent above or below the regression line (market line) that an employer intends to match and then draw a new line at this higher (or lower) level 2. here are alternatives among competitive pay policies, and there are alternative ways to translate policy into practice 3. if the practice does not match the policy, then employees receive the wrong message VIII. FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: GRADES AND RANGES Creating pay ranges is also part of designing a pay structure that reflects the organization’s policies on maintaining internal alignment and external competitiveness A. Why Bother with Grades and Ranges? 1. grades and ranges offer flexibility to deal with pressures from external markets and differences among organizations quality differences among jobholders †¢ productivity differences among individuals †¢ differences in the mix of pay forms competitors use 2. ranges provide managers the opportunity to: †¢ recognize individual performance differences with pay †¢ meet employee expectations that pay will increase with time †¢ encourage employees to remain with organization 3. from an internal alignment perspective a range reflects differences in: †¢ performance †¢ experience 4. from an external competitiveness perspective, a range is a control device 5. ranges are not used by all employers skill-based plans establish single rates for each skill level regardless of performance or seniority †¢ flat rates are favored by unions (use regression formula) †¢ broad bands are being adopted for greater flexibility B. Develop Grades †¢ fairly similar jobs (comparable value) are grouped together †¢ lateral moves without change in pay †¢ allows for certain degree of flexibility †¢ some subjective decisions in designing pay gr ades makes it tough †¢ jobs grouped together for traditional purposes, career pathing C. Establish Ranges Midpoints, Minimums, and Maximums midpoint of each range serves as control point to correspond with †¢ the pay policy line following a matching(competitive) policy †¢ midpoint reflects pay level at which competent person is paid †¢ range spreads vary according to jobs (spread increasing with worth) †¢ determine degree of overlap desired (arithmetic, geometric, random) D. What Size Should the Range Be? a. size of the range is based on judgment about how the ranges support career paths, promotions, and other organization systems. (1)top-level management positions typically have ranges of 30 to 60% above and below the midpoint 2)entry to mid-level professional and managerial positions typically have ranges of 15 to 30% above and below the midpoint (3)office and production work typically have ranges of 5 to 30% above and below the midpoint b. compensation ma nagers use actual survey rates, particularly the 75th and 25th percentiles, as the range minimums and maximums c. another approach is to establish the minimum and maximum separately, with the amount between the minimum and the midpoint a function of how long it takes a new employee to become fully competent E. Overlap (re: rules of thumb) degree of overlap to mirror commonality between grades †¢ high degree of overlap indicate small differences in the value of jobs in adjoining grades – ex. title change but not much change in pay †¢ overlap beyond three adjacent grades should be avoided †¢ jumps in pay grade should involve at least 10% differential †¢ size of differentials should support career movement thru’ structure †¢ difference between supervisor and worker: approx. 1 grade or 15% IX. FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: BROAD BANDING A. Broad banding is a new technique 1. his approach consolidates approximately 4 – 5 traditional pay grades int o a single band with one minimum and one maximum 2. since a band encompasses many jobs of differing values, a range midpoint is usually not specified B. Contrasts between ranges and broad bands are highlighted in Exhibit 8. 19 C. Supporters of broad bands list several advantages: 1. they provide flexibility to define job responsibilities more broadly 2. they support redesigned, downsized, or boundary-less organizations that have eliminated layers of managerial jobs 3. they foster cross-functional growth and development. a. mployees can move laterally across functions within a band to gain depth of experience b. emphasis on lateral movement with no pay adjustments helps manage the reality of fewer promotions in flattened organizational structures 4. flexibility eases mergers and acquisitions since there are not a lot of levels to argue over D. The most important difference between the grades and ranges and broad-banding approaches is the location of controls 1. grade and range approa ch has guidelines and controls designed into the pay system 2. band approach has only a total salary budget that provides constraints. E.Banding involves two steps: 1. Set the number of bands a. examples indicate the use of 5 to 6 bands for pay purposes (1)Merck uses 6 bands for its entire pay structure (2)General Electric replaced 24 levels of work with 5 bands b. the challenge is how much to pay employees who are in the same band but different functions performing different work 2. Price the bands and reference market rates a. each band will likely include multiple job families. b. based on external market differences in pay rates, the different functions within each band are likely to be priced differently collapsing several traditional grades into one or two career bands †¢ objective is to provide more flexibility in moving people among jobs †¢ don’t need to change band or make pay adjustment when moved Steps 1. Set number of bands – usually three to eigh t for pay purposes. 2. Price bands using reference market rates and zones 3. Determine within band (lateral) movement since purpose of banding is to encourage cross-functional movement X. BALANCING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PRESSURES: ADJUSTING THE PAY STRUCTURE A.Adjustments may be necessary in the pay structure to balance internal consistency and external competitiveness. B. A distinction has been made between the job structure and the pay structure 1. A job structure orders jobs on the basis of internal organizational factors that are reflected in job evaluation or skill/competency certification 2. A pay structure is anchored by an organization’s external competitive position and reflected in its pay-policy line C. Reconciling Differences †¢ Internal JE & external market survey results may not agree and may therefore produce two different structures †¢ pay structure vs. ob structure (ex. labor shortage may impact this) †¢ review of the JA and JE may be necessary to see if a job was accurately evaluated or to a/c for differences between market rate & internal rate †¢ managers tend to weigh market data more heavily than internal J. E. D. Locality Pay †¢ problems with governmental transfers (NYC vs. Des Moines) †¢ GS system makes no allowance for performance factor †¢ federal government pay system less sensitive to market changes †¢ Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (FEPCA) E. Compression †¢ caused by pressure of external forces vs. nternal factors †¢ outside wages increasing faster than internal ones †¢ pay differential among jobs are smaller relative to KSA differences XI. MARKET PRICING †¢ strong emphasis on market de-emphasizes internal consistency. †¢ price as many jobs as possible in external market, then rank to mark the unique jobs †¢ appropriate for firms with lots of jobs comparable to external market †¢ down side is that it allows competitors (market) set pay policy XI. YOUR TURN: Word-Of-Mouse: Dot-Com Compensation Comparisons YOUR TURN 2:Are Compensation Surveys Upward Biased?

Psychology and American Psychological Association Essay

The qualitative variables were National Academy of Science membership, election as American Psychological Association president or receipt of the APA Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, and surname used as a eponym (i. e. , a psychological term such a Pavlovian conditioning or Skinner box) to represent a theory, procedure, or apparatus. Objective: You are going to learn a little bit about the history of psychology and the APA style of citations, by conducting research and writing a 2 to 3 page paper – typed, double spaced and 12 point Times New Roman font – on one of the individuals from the list below: . B. F. Skinner 2. Jean Piaget 3. Sigmund Freud 4. Albert Bandura 5. Leon Festinger 6. Carl Rogers 7. Stanley Schachter 8. Neal Miller 9. Edward Thorndike 10. Abraham Maslow 11. Gordon Allport 12. Erik Erikson 13. Hans J. Eysenck 14. William James 15. David McClelland 16. Raymond Cattell 17. John B. Watson 18. Kurt Lewin 19. Donald O. Hebb 20. George A. Miller 2 1. Clark L. Hull 22. Jerome Kagan 23. Carl Jung 24. Ivan Pavlov 25. Walter Mishcel Though not in the top 25, you can pick Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Lawrence Kohlberg, Wolfgang Kohler, or Margaret Washburn. Procedures: 1. Select your psychologist by looking him/her up in your textbook. The textbook will help you quickly understand their contribution to the field and also help you with some terminology you may not understand in other sources. 2. After choosing a psychologist, conduct research in order to become an expert on him or her. Make sure you keep track of your sources. You should use a minimum of three sources and one of the three can be your textbook. See my website for links to good websites. I highly recommend the book The Story of Psychology by Morton Hunt which has information on most of the psychologists on the list. You are welcome to borrow my copy and the library also has a copy. In addition, the two volume reference book Psychologists and Their Theories for Students, housed in the library, is also an excellent resource. In fact, this book may help you select a psychologist. 3. Develop your paper around an argument (thesis) for why your psychologist should be number one on the most eminent list. Make sure the title of your paper links to this argument. 4. Do not write a biography! You need to pick and choose what information to use in your paper. What information you select depends on the content of your thesis tatement. You might focus on the major impact of his/her work/theories in the field of psychology, the types of research methods utilized in his/her experiments, the practical applications of his/her research, his/her major publications, and/or the school of psychology to which he/she belongs. The number of body paragraphs you write depends on the number of supporting statements. 5. Cit e your facts using parenthetical citations and format your paper, using American Psychological Association (APA) format (see the attached APA format document or the APA link on my website). Include a cover and reference page. 6. Writing a research paper is a multi-step process. Do not attempt to complete all of the above steps in one night! How to do your references page: Books: Calfee, R. C. , & Valencia, R. R. (1991). The evolution of desire: Strategies of human mating. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Original source found in a current source (e. g. older studies cited in a newer book) Freud, S. (1961). The ego and the id. In J. Strachey (Ed. and Trans. ), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 19, pp. 3-66). London: Hogarth Press. Anonymous or unknown author (common in newspapers): Caffeine linked to mental illness. (1991, July 13). New York Times, pp. B13, B15. World Wide Web page: Bixley, T. S. (1995) Sentient microfilaments. Retrieved from http://www. microfilaments. com/consciousness/synchronicity/quantum tube. html. *If there is no date, put n. d. in its place. Group or institutional authors: University of Pittsburgh. (1993). The title goes here. Journal of Something, 8, 5-9. Journal article: Guenzel, N. (1996, Autumn) Altruism in three states. Whitman Journal of Psychology, (5)1, 67-73. Letter to the editor: O’Neill, G. W. (1992, January). In support of DSM-III [Letter to the editor]. APA Monitor, p. -5. Magazine article: Gardner, H. (1991, December 9). Do babies sing a universal song? Psychology Today, pp. 70-76. Newsletter article: Brown, L. S. (1993, Spring). My research with orangs. The Psychology Department Newsletter, pg. 3. Pamphlet: Just Say No Foundation. (1992). Saving our youth. (9th ed. ) [Brochure]. Washington, DC: Author. Article in a Newspaper Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to strengthen state energy policies. The Country Today, pp. 1A, 2A. In-Text Citations In-text citations help readers locate the cited source in the References section of the paper. . Whenever you use a source, provide in parenthesis the author’s last name and the date of publication. For quotations, provide a page number as well. The punctuation mark should follow the citation. Example: (Greenwood, 19, p. 2). 2. When quoting, introduce the quotation with a signal phrase. Make sure to include the author’s name, the year of publication, the page number, but keep the citation brief – do not repeat the information. Example: Caruth (1996) states that a traumatic response frequently entails a â€Å"delayed, uncontrolled repetitive appearance of hallucinations and other intrusive phenomena† (p. 1). Example: A traumatic response frequently entails a â€Å"delayed, uncontrolled repetitive appearance of halluc inations and other intrusive phenomena† (Caruth, 1996, p. 11) 3. There are several formats for a summary of paraphrase. Use signal verbs: acknowledge, contend, maintain, respond, report, argue, conclude, etc. Example: Smith (1998) argues that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4. When citing a work with more than one author, identify all authors in the signal phrase or in parenthesis. Example: (Harklau, Siegel, and Losey, 1999) Example: (Smith et al. , 1983)

Free Essays on Assyrians a Brief Description

The Assyrians are the indigenous people of Mesopotamia and have a history spanning over 6700 years. Today, the Assyrians are the descendants of the ancient Assyrian Empire and one of the earliest civilizations emerging in Mesopotamia. Although the Assyrian empire ended in 612 B.C., history is replete with recorded details of the continuous persistence of the Assyrian people till the present time. Assyrian civilization at one time incorporated the entire Near East, most notably the area of the Fertile Crescent. The heartland of Assyria lies in present day Northern Iraq. The remains of the ancient capital of Assyria, Nineveh, lie next to Mosul in Northern Iraq. The world’s 4.5 million Assyrians are currently dispersed with members of the Diaspora comprising nearly one-third of the population. Most of the Assyrians in the Diaspora live in North America, Europe, and Australia. The remaining Assyrians reside primarily in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey. The Assyrians are not to be confused with Syrians. Although the name of Syria is directly derived from Assyria and the land was once a part of Assyria the people of Syria currently maintain a separate Arab identity. The Assyrians are not Arabs, but rather have maintained a continuous and separate identity, language, and culture that predates the Arabization of the Near East. Until today, the Assyrians speak a distinct language, Syriac, the language spoken by Jesus Christ. As a Semitic language, the Assyrian language is related to Hebrew and Arabic but predates both. The Assyrians were the first to accept Christianity in the first century A.D. Despite the subsequent Islamic conquest of the region, the Assyrian Church flourished and its adherents at one time numbered 80,000,000. Assyrian missionary zeal was unmatched and led to the first Christian missions to China and Japan. Today, the Assyrians belong to three major Christian sects: the Church of the East, the Chaldean Churc... Free Essays on Assyrians a Brief Description Free Essays on Assyrians a Brief Description The Assyrians are the indigenous people of Mesopotamia and have a history spanning over 6700 years. Today, the Assyrians are the descendants of the ancient Assyrian Empire and one of the earliest civilizations emerging in Mesopotamia. Although the Assyrian empire ended in 612 B.C., history is replete with recorded details of the continuous persistence of the Assyrian people till the present time. Assyrian civilization at one time incorporated the entire Near East, most notably the area of the Fertile Crescent. The heartland of Assyria lies in present day Northern Iraq. The remains of the ancient capital of Assyria, Nineveh, lie next to Mosul in Northern Iraq. The world’s 4.5 million Assyrians are currently dispersed with members of the Diaspora comprising nearly one-third of the population. Most of the Assyrians in the Diaspora live in North America, Europe, and Australia. The remaining Assyrians reside primarily in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey. The Assyrians are not to be confused with Syrians. Although the name of Syria is directly derived from Assyria and the land was once a part of Assyria the people of Syria currently maintain a separate Arab identity. The Assyrians are not Arabs, but rather have maintained a continuous and separate identity, language, and culture that predates the Arabization of the Near East. Until today, the Assyrians speak a distinct language, Syriac, the language spoken by Jesus Christ. As a Semitic language, the Assyrian language is related to Hebrew and Arabic but predates both. The Assyrians were the first to accept Christianity in the first century A.D. Despite the subsequent Islamic conquest of the region, the Assyrian Church flourished and its adherents at one time numbered 80,000,000. Assyrian missionary zeal was unmatched and led to the first Christian missions to China and Japan. Today, the Assyrians belong to three major Christian sects: the Church of the East, the Chaldean Churc...

The eNotes Blog Happy 109th Birthday, Dr.Seuss!

Happy 109th Birthday, Dr.Seuss! Theodor Geisel, best known to fans as Dr. Seuss, would have been 109 years old on March 2.   He is beloved for his intricate rhymes and curious, inimitable style. But Dr. Seuss was about more than a curious turn of phrase and the creator of fantastical creatures. He was a serious writer and artist with a social agenda. Personally, I learned about prejudice from his book  The Star-Belly Sneetches: Now, the Star-Bell Sneetches had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars. Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small. You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all. But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches Would brag, â€Å"We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.† With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort â€Å"We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!† And, whenever they met some, when they were out walking, They’d hike right on past them without even talking. When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball, Could a Plain Belly get in the game? Not at all. You only could play if your bellies had stars And the Plain-Belly children had none upon thars. I learned about conservation from  The Lorax: At the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows and no birds ever sing excepting old crows is the Street of the Lifted Lorax. And deep in the Grickle-grass, some people say, if you look deep enough you can still see, today, where the Lorax once stood just as long as it could before somebody lifted the Lorax away. What was the Lorax? Any why was it there? And why was it lifted and taken somewhere from the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows? The old  Once-ler  still lives here. Ask him. He knows. Now that I am an adult and a writer myself, I marvel at Geisels technical expertise and his ability to make the seemingly simple deeply meaningful. Here is his explanation of what it means to write simply. Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss.

6 Steps to Acing Your Second Interview

6 Steps to Acing Your Second Interview Congrats! You must have done something right in your first interview if they’ve called you back for a second round. This means you’re seriously in the running. Good news! But you’re not there yet. Their motives for calling you back could be as varied as wanting you to speak with other members of the team, wanting to get a better sense of one aspect of your experience, wanting to assuage concerns one part of the hiring team might have about your candidacy, or just to get a better sense of who you are as an employee.Here are 6  simple things to keep in mind if you want to ace your second interview.If it ain’t broke†¦Whatever prep you did last time, repeat it. Even if you think you remember the particulars. Give yourself a refresher course in the company, the committee, the position. Revisit the questions you prepped last time. Do you have answers that can expand on your first ones? Ask yourself what else you might be asked. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Don’t get caught out the second time for things you nailed the first!Come with  questionsYou already scoured your brain for good questions to ask and now you’ve got nothing. Keep digging! Now is a good time to show off your knowledge of the field and the position by asking more nuanced questions about the team, the work, the office culture.New interviewer, new homeworkIf you can get the names of any new people you’ll be meeting with, that’s your chance to bone up a bit on who they are and what they do. Not to mention what they might most be looking for, and how you can convince them you are it.Dress to impress (again)Hopefully you have more than one power outfit for interviews. If you don’t- you might need to invest in one. Or at least a different shirt and some accessories to shake up your go-to garb. Assume you struck a good note last time and aim for that sweet spot yet again.Stay freshChances are, you’ll be asked a lot of the same ques tions you’ve already answered. The worst thing you can do is complain. Instead of saying, â€Å"I already answered that!† Answer it again. With more passion, more panache. More polish. Be pleasant and answer thoroughly, as though for the first time.Be easygoingYou can’t control this conversation any more than you could control the first one. Go with the flow, relax, and your interviewers will appreciate your good attitude.Remember, a second interview is no guarantee that you’ll be hired. But you are one step closer and therefore should be one-step better prepared!

Quantitative Data analysis( degree level) Assignment

Quantitative Data analysis( degree level) - Assignment Example me factors surpass social care and health that have a major effect on person’s well-being and health, this embraces a health reproach to life course in that it has an impact on life experiences on a population age group set (Age UK, n.d.). Ageing increases frailty and as a result prevention of illness and disability management are key toward promoting a culture of healthy ageing. Thus it’s prudent by design to prevent or delay various chronic diseases thus increasing life expectancy; this is influenced by individual locus of responsibilities on socio-economic factors, cultural influences factors and environmental impact on the age group (Age UK, n.d.). Physical exercises play a vital role in reduction of and prevention of chronic diseases and combating age-related illness. Senior citizens faces a barrage of issues not confined in psychological and physiological, but in addition depression, loneliness and isolation even loss of mobility and independence (Mary Kate Connolly, n.d.). Physical mobility has a great impact in elderly vulnerable population group, it increases the quality of life and ability to socialize thus killing loneliness. Depression prevalence in aged people can be linked to lack to regular physical activity. Physical activity involvement in older people promotes positive perceptions in psychological well-being. Thus, psychological well-being becomes the main predictor for remaining physically active in old age as, as relationship between mental and physical health are intertwined and interrelated (Linda Seymour, 2004). The Chronic Ailments is a variable generated from collapsing multiple variables to form one variable. This chronic ailments include the heart conditions and the chronic lung diseases. The non-communicable diseases allied to heart condition include hypertension, angina, diabetes, stroke and heart ailments including heart attack, congestive heart failure, heart murmur, abnormal heart rhythm and other conditions. The chronic lung

Weekly summary and team discussion week 3 Essay

Weekly summary and team discussion week 3 - Essay Example Even companies that are very successful have product failures. One of my classmates mentioned the case of New Coke. The product failed because customers were threatened by the product since they believe it might replace the classic coke formula. During the week we also talked about the importance of pricing. The price of a product is very important because the price of a product influences the demand of the product. The demand of a product will rise at lower price points. The price of a product cannot be too low because the firm has to cover costs while at the same time earning a descent profit. Companies that utilize branding strategies can charge more for their products and services. An example of a company that uses a branding strategy is Starbucks Cafà ©. One of the articles that the professor posted discussed transactional emails. The author claimed that companies should take advantage of email conversations in order to build a relationship with the customer. Building a relationship with a customer can help increase customer retention. Another article that I read during the week was about trends that can help build customer loyalty. One of those trends is networking. An industry that can benefit a lot from networking is the consulting industry. The toughest challenge during the week was the individual paper. Writing a paper of over 2000 words is never easy. The paper helped me identify different marketing solutions for a company in the airline industry. A concept that I learned from the textbook reading that I believe is very useful for marketers is the product life cycle. The four steps of the product life cycle are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. The product life cycle can be used to determine the optimum pricing

INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN PHILOSOPHY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN PHILOSOPHY - Essay Example Furthermore, it tells us that knowledge is acquired through the exercise of reason, understood as a faculty that can operate independently, in whole or in part, of a posteriori evidence. One of the elements which is most central to Nietzsche’s philosophy is illustrated in his famous declaration that, â€Å"God is Dead!† (Cahn 1227) This affirms a complete rejection of metaphysical, moral, and religious truths as grounds for reality. Unlike the Socratic philosophical canon, Nietzsche contends that the spiritual dimension is illusory. To Nietzsche, the existence of God, religion, morality, ethics, free will, freedom, and laws are mistakes for they are nothing but imaginary causes, an imaginary psychology. In his view, such things are nothing but mere projections of one’s psychological desire for security and calculability in life. In addition, it presupposes a denial of universal morality as the basis for human conduct. Nietzsche believed that once the existence of God is unveiled as an illusion, then it follows that God can no longer be implemented as the foundation for human ethical conducts. This leads to the assertion that all inquiries, dispositions and morals will be founded on the subjective will of individual self. Thus, unlike the Socratic philosophical canon, Nietzsche affirmed the individual self as the basis of all inquires and norms. This is Nietzsche’s theory of the will to power. Nietzsche’s (Cahn 1241) will to power is defined as the drive to dominate the environment. This drive, so central is the Will to Power. This Will to Power is more than simply the will to survive. It is, rather, an inner drive to express a vigorous affirmation of all a person’s powers. In doing so, the individual shall not only reaffirm his or her own subjective standards but moreover, they will gradually reach the consciousness of the higher type of man, the Ubermensch or Superman. For Nietzsche, the temperament of the Superman sha ll enable individuals to revitalize faith in their creative powers and this earthly existence. However, Nietzsche declares that not all people can attain the awareness of this superior type of individual. He claims that only those who excel in their mental and physical constitutions can procure the temperament of the Superman. He insists that the superman must have complete freedom, i.e. that one should not decide to practice a certain code of ethics, for the will to power will gradually decline. By this, the individual weakens and suffers. To explicate further, Nietzsche accused Christianity for advocating virtues that undermine and destabilize one’s will to power. Here, Nietzsche presents his doctrine of the two-fold history of good and evil. This doctrine reveals that there exists two types of morality, i.e. master morality and slave morality. For Nietzsche, master morality is one that is built on the will to power. He is one who considers that which is good = Powerful; ba d = Weakness. Also, he is one who practices generosity, not out of pity but out of excess. Those who practice this type of morality are the elite and noble men, meaning those who determine their morals according to their own personal standards. On the other hand, slave morality is that, which is

Argument about genre to class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Argument about genre to class - Essay Example The consequences of such distance are irresponsible assessments. Although it is challenging to classify in language and learning, the author of the article, Dr. Miller insists that it is paramount (Miller, 1). For the term genre to be meaningful in light of rhetorical theory, it has to have a classifying concept that is stable and of sound rhetorical meaning (Miller, 1). In a bid academically classify rhetorical genre, Dr. Miller expounds on the approach utilized by Karlyn Kohrs Campbell and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. In classifying discourse, an understanding of the way it works results to the classification being rhetorically sound (Miller. 5). Limiting the term genre to a certain kind of discourse classification that is sound in rhetoric, open and pragmatic defines as desired (Miller, 5). Regardless of the rear-mentioned approach, the blur relationship between rhetorical and its situational context and lack of understanding about genre fusion of situation with features that are formal and substantive are still definitive problems of the term genre in rhetorical theory (Miller,

Week 4 Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 4 Discussion - Coursework Example Clear accountability and responsibility of members of the team; all team members should have an apparent understanding of their roles in the project (Kerzner, 2013). There should also be frequent monitoring as well as measurement of milestones, time, equipment and people schedules. Correctly done schedule control as well gives the primary hint that initial planning might not be going as per the schedule. The initial step is to identify as well as engage with the main stakeholders. Have talks, an official stakeholder consultation or a problem definition seminar, but it is important to begin the hunt for extra data on the business need. Secondly, after gaining a grasp on what the business need entails, begin to translate and construe that need into a structured problem or explanation of the scope. More importantly at this phase is to write down the business need into an understandable language (Kerzner, 2013). Thirdly, after clarifying and agreeing on what the existing business need is, the process of brainstorming ideas of how the need can be addressed begins. Another very crucial part of this task on any project is to deal with the change of business needs right from the beginning of any business project. Building firm relationship with stakeholders is the final phase. Lack of good relationships amid the business stakeholders and the project team stakeholders, as well as the supporting technical members, can make the project fail. b. Obstacles and how to overcome Communication and Language: The prioritization and precise nature of needs usually differ with a projects stakeholders. Diverse interpretations are usually discovered very late in the development cycle, when alterations entail a lot of effort and cost. Creating a prototype all through requirements gathering can assist to settle any disparity in understanding. Overbooked

Women's movments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women's movments - Essay Example Mass women’s movements are no longer there since the beginning of the era of organizations that acts on their behalf such as the National Organization for Women. Opposition to women demands also led to the decline and the backsliding of the women’s movement in many forms such as silence and backlash in legal attacks on the actions taken, and the media portrayal of some women. There were also a lot of opposition from politicians, employers, and bureaucrats in the private and the public arena as Epstein (2002) asserts. The job evaluators were not keen on increasing women’s salaries to equalize it with the mens but wanted to protect the interests of their private employers. Employers also opposed any pay rises due to the fear of high costs, and working men feared a pay cut to increase the womens wages. Men with masculine superiority never wanted women work to be equal to theirs and opposed the idea greatly. There were also employment and economic changes by capitalists aimed at achieving flexibility, maximize profits, and make the movement weak. Males were opposed to payrise for women, as they wanted them to remain inferior to them in all aspects (Ehrenreich, 2005). Many changes occurred in the organizations such as labor movements not related to feminism leaving feminism organizations to focus on races, cross-class, and global focus.Women remain the active caregivers with or without pay. One major cause of the decline in the womens movement is the continuous attack on feminism and the decline of the other activist’s movements that encouraged women to demand their rights. There is a big decline in the Black Power Movements and the civil rights such that they have weakened. The other groups such as the gay and lesbian rights groups nowadays have no direction and the movement’s leaders are not willing to discuss the problems facing movements in the

Week 4 Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 4 Discussion - Coursework Example Clear accountability and responsibility of members of the team; all team members should have an apparent understanding of their roles in the project (Kerzner, 2013). There should also be frequent monitoring as well as measurement of milestones, time, equipment and people schedules. Correctly done schedule control as well gives the primary hint that initial planning might not be going as per the schedule. The initial step is to identify as well as engage with the main stakeholders. Have talks, an official stakeholder consultation or a problem definition seminar, but it is important to begin the hunt for extra data on the business need. Secondly, after gaining a grasp on what the business need entails, begin to translate and construe that need into a structured problem or explanation of the scope. More importantly at this phase is to write down the business need into an understandable language (Kerzner, 2013). Thirdly, after clarifying and agreeing on what the existing business need is, the process of brainstorming ideas of how the need can be addressed begins. Another very crucial part of this task on any project is to deal with the change of business needs right from the beginning of any business project. Building firm relationship with stakeholders is the final phase. Lack of good relationships amid the business stakeholders and the project team stakeholders, as well as the supporting technical members, can make the project fail. b. Obstacles and how to overcome Communication and Language: The prioritization and precise nature of needs usually differ with a projects stakeholders. Diverse interpretations are usually discovered very late in the development cycle, when alterations entail a lot of effort and cost. Creating a prototype all through requirements gathering can assist to settle any disparity in understanding. Overbooked

Theories of Crime Comparison Essay Example for Free

Theories of Crime Comparison Essay While the theory of biological imperatives as the predictor of criminal tendencies or behavior have been mainly relegated to the trash heap of unscientific thought, there is a growing body of research, done in an approved scientific method and backed by years of study that indicates that biology may have a larger role in determining criminal behavior than had been thought. Biological Theory These theories are not to be confused with or equated to Lombroso’s work that pointed to specific physical characteristics that would indicate a predisposition toward criminal behavior. Those theories have rightfully been disposed of and the current theories of biological tendencies toward criminal behavior are relying on the â€Å"hard sciences† of genetics, biochemistry, endocrinology, neuroscience, immunology, and psychophysiology (Fishbein, 2005). The debate between nature and nurture, free will or determinationism, and the adherents to those theories has provided a great deal of material for studies over the years and even with advancing theoretical methodologies, those debates will continue. One of the most interesting biological theories falls into the realm of genetics and whether a predisposition to criminal behavior can be passed from generation to generation through DNA (Fishbein, 2005). Studies have been done, following designated families who seem to show a tendency to fall into lives of crime, tending to prove that genetics may have a major role in determining whether a person will take up criminal behavior. Even observation by the layperson seems to give this theory a greater degree of probability than has been accorded to it in the past. When it is possible to observe directly and from accecdotal evidence that certain families and within those families, certain members are drawn to varying  degrees of lawlessness, the theory of biological imperatives can gain a good deal of support (Marsh, 2009). Scientists have found anomalies in the endocrine systems of those with criminal tendencies which are not present in the systems of those who have not engaged in criminal activity, which leads to the supposition that there is a biological reason for criminal activity. However, this tendency toward criminal activity is hidden from casual view and is not to be seen by observing physical characteristics, as was supposed and posited by Lombroso (Marsh, 2009). Lombroso’s theories of biological characteristics such as low brows, curly hair, skin hue, shape of the nose, mouth, and ears have been thoroughly discredited, but the newer science of biological markers for criminal activities relies on much more sophisticated tests of the inner man or woman, not on the exterior. Such things as tattoos are no longer considered signs of a criminal nature, but are judged on what the tattoo actually depicts and where it was obtained. Certain distinctive markings are definitely gang or jail related, but the majority of those bearing tattoos in today’s society are decorating themselves or commemorating a loved one or important event in their lives (Fishbein, 2005). Sociobiological Theory Sociobiological theory studies the biological basis for social behavior in species. This includes all species, not just the human one, but the findings and observational methods used to observe each species vary only in the physical necessities for observing the species being studied. It would not work well to use the same methodologies to study humans as it would to study elephants, though there is considerable question as to which species is the more civilized (Gottesman, Ronald, nd). The basis for Sociobiological Theory rests in the Positivist and Individual Trait theories propounded by Lombroso, Mednick, Caspi, and Moffitt, but do not limit themselves to the thoughts and findings of those philosophers (Cullen Agnew, 2002). Psychological Theory Psychological theories of criminal behavior and causation concentrate on the mental development or lack thereof in the individual criminal. They first focus on failures in psychological development, such as a weak conscience,  insufficient moral development or maternal deprivation. The next focus is on investigating the ways aggression and violence are the result of learned behaviors, then investigating the personality characteristics of criminals, with the results showing that criminals do tend to be more impulsive, intolerant, and irresponsible than non-criminals. The fourth and final leg upon which psychological theories of crime rests is the relation of criminality to such mental disorders as psychosis and psychopathy (Byrne, 2010). Psychological theory is based on theories with their basis in the Anomie and General Strain theories, developed and expanded upon by Merton, Cohen and Agnew (Cullen Agnew, 2002). It is evolving, as are other theories, with the resulting changes in public â€Å"thought† as well as scientific thought as new aspects to what had been widely believed are discovered and disseminated with in the scientific community as well as by the media to the public. Many philosophers and scientists in the social fields are finding that there is no clear delineation between one theory and another. The research is showing that there is not one particular aspect of any theory that is completely and totally right to the exclusion of all others. Each theory has its strong points and its weak points and the more criminals and criminal activity are studied, the more those doing the studies are finding that there is an overlap between theories. Theories of Biological reasons for criminal activity seem to slide into the Sociobiological field and the Psychological theory seems to fit aspects of both the others, as well as present some thoughts and theories that are exclusively its own, as is true in the two others (Byrne, 2010). Conclusion There is no â€Å"one true answer† to the causes for criminal activity, though the studies to determine what causes it will undoubtedly continue with more findings as more studies are done. It is even possible that there will be a discovery of a genetic reason for some people’s easy slide into criminality, some strange combination of DNA or RNA that predisposes a person for a life of crime. It is assuredly a field that is wide open for new and fascinating discoveries. References Byrne, James, 2010. An Overview of Physiological theories of Crime Causation. Retrieved from http://faculty.uml.edu/jbyrne/44.521/documents/AnOverviewofPsychologicalTheoriesofCrimeCausation.pdf Cullen Agnew, 2002.Criminological Theory Summaries. Retrieved from www.uwec.edu/patchinj/crmj301/theorysummaries.pdf‎ Fishbein, Diana, 2005. Biological Perspectives in Criminology. University of Baltimore. Retrieved from http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/fishbein90.htm Gottesman, Ronald, nd. Violence in America; An Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.haverford.edu/library/reference/mschaus/ICPR281/walsh_sociobiology_acs.pdf Marsh, I., 2009.Theories of the Causes of Crimes. Strategic Policy Briefs. Department of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector/drivers-of-crime/documents/spb-theories-on-the-causes-of-crime

Social Service Intervention Of Family Life

Social Service Intervention Of Family Life Social services play a vital role in the prevention of cruelty to children, and their actions have been controversial in the past and will continue to be in the future. They have an immense amount of power in their hands and are able to tear apart a loving family as well as save an endangered childs life. The aim of this study is to analyse the extent to which social services should exercise their power in order to fulfill the duties they owe to society. In order to explore this subject, it will be necessary to critically analyse the pre existing legislation that has governed this area, and study how the law has evolved over the last century. It is an area of law that has and will continue to develop. There are also major problems within the social services organisation itself, such as underfunding and significant staff shortages, and it will be necessary to analyse and critique its current effectiveness through the use of a number of reports. Whilst the lack of resources is undoubtedly affecting the effectiveness of the social worker, recent reports in the media have suggested that there is a vast amount of bullying and degrading treatment within the organization itself. A case highlighted is that of Substantial changes have been necessary in the law surrounding child abuse over the past century as high profile and prolific cases of neglect have been brought to the attention of the public by use of the media. This is a necessary area of study due to the fact that cases are continuing to come to light. The recent case of Khyra Ishaq Chapter One: Background to the Children Act 1989: A common theme that seems to occur throughout history is that it takes a major event to shock the nation in order for dramatic change to occur within the law, rather than the law changing in order to prevent such occurrences in the first place. During the 1980s, professionals were becoming increasingly aware of the existence of child abuse in society as a result of cases such as those of Jasmine Beckford and Tyra Henley. Jasmine Beckford had previously been placed in the care of Brent Social Services for a period of two years prior to her death. However, she had only been seen by a social worker once during a period of ten months, and was left in the hands of her stepfather who battered and starved her, consequently resulting in her death at the age of four years old. Supervision orders for children at risk were first introduced in The Children and Young Persons Act 1932. Previously, there was precious little legislation available to protect children in need. This was a substantial addition to the law and granted protection to children who were experiencing abuse The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 was the first attempt in statute in order to curtail the effects of child abuse and make it clear the obligations and duties of a carer. Part 1 of the Act details the role of the parent that a child is deemed to be neglected in a matter likely to cause injury to his health if he has failed to provide food, clothing, medical aid or lodging for him, or if, having been unable to otherwise provide has failed to take steps to procure it to be provided under the enactments applicable in that relief. In addition to this, the statute also states that it is the responsibility of the court to ensure the welfare of an abused child by taking proper steps for removing him from undesirable surroundings, and for securing that proper provision is made for his education and training. According to Lord Diplock, under the 1933 Act, the parent must neglect the child intending, or at least foreseeing, that the probable consequence of neglect is that the child will suffer injury to his health. This statement causes confusion in cases that involve neglect, however. It is clear that the 1933 Act places great importance over how the offence was committed and whether it was wilful and deliberate. One of the failings of the act is that it gives full discretion to the courts in protecting abused children and gives them no direction whatsoever in making such a life impacting judgement. More investigation into the circumstances and needs of those at risk was needed in order to find a suitable home for such children, and the courts did not have the knowledge or abilities to re-house them. The case of Dennis ONeill highlighted the failings of the 1933 Act and brought further radical change to the law surrounding child abuse. Dennis, together with his younger brothers were taken into the care of their local authority on the grounds that they needed attention. He died after being taken into foster care and was found by a pathologist to be undernourished and physically abused. Dennis ONeill was subjected to horrific attacks at the hands of his foster parents and these attacks took place on a regular basis. This case shocked the public and political figures, who were particularly alarmed to find out that the foster father, Mr Gough, had been known to the police and had a conviction for violence. It was therefore deemed necessary for a public enquiry to be held in order to determine the exact failings made by the authorities involved, and it blamed the two local councils that dealt with the case. It was evident that the provisions of the 1933 Act were vastly inadequate in their role of protection and that major change to this area was needed. With this in mind, the Children Act 1948 established a Childrens Committee in each local authority to carry out the functions detailed in The Children and Young Persons Act 1933. A Childrens officer also had to be appointed who had relevant experience and be assisted by an adequate number of staff. In effect, this Act established social services as it divulged responsibility away from the courts and placed it with the local authority. The Childrens Committee was supposedly staffed by those who had experience with children and would be able to cater to their needs and find them new homes where they would be loved and cared for effectively. However, events over the past 40 years have shown that the there is a great level of difficulty in providing effective protection for children at risk. Following Jasmine Beckford were further shocking cases of child abuse that displayed obvious neglect by social services, and this led to a difficult period for workers in this profession, who were unsure as to which approach to take upon dealing with children at risk. A balance was clearly needed, and enough information had to be acquired quickly in order to determine whether to remove a child from their home, which could have devastating consequences upon family life if the risks of abuse were unsubstantiated. the threat of child abuse appeared to be on the increasing. The John Patten Guidelines were released in order to provide professionals with advice during a period of unrest with regards to child neglect. The Cleveland scandal of 1987 shocked the nation to the core, and led to further changes and major additions to the law in the form of the Children Act 1989. This case differed in that it was an example of the state causing the abuse to the infants rather than their parents or guardians. A total of 121 children were diagnosed as being sexually abused by Dr Marietta Higgs and her assistant Dr Geoffrey Wyatt. Together, they used a controversial and unproven test known as RAD reflex anal dilation. Children had to undergo an invading and degrading test on their buttocks, and the memories of which have scarred some for life. A girl who was taken into care after being diagnosed with RAD continued to have nightmares about her ordeal twenty years after the event, and claims that the two doctors ruined her childhood. The children diagnosed under Dr Higgs regime were removed from loving families and placed into care, whilst in some cases the parents were sent to prison. This had devastating results, and destroyed happy families. Even once the parents had been cleared by the courts of any wrong doing, many felt reluctant to show their children affection once they had been returned. The Children Act 1989 originates from two reports. In 1984, the Parliamentary Select Committee on the social services recommended that the government should enable a review of child law to take place. This led to the formation of a government committee known as the Child Care Law Review who produced a report titled Review of Child Care Law. During the same period of time, the Department for Health and Social Security carried out a review of the law relating to child care and made a number of recommendations relating to child care, foster homes and child minding. Most of these recommendations were accepted in to a government white paper regarding child care and these proposals were brought before Parliament as part of the Children Bill. Second Chapter Provisions of the Children Act 1989 and the legislation in practice The Children Act 1989 brought major change to the law regarding child abuse, and introduced a number of new principles to the legal system. Its main priority was protecting the welfare of the child, which was granted paramount importance in any dispute over care or parentage of an infant. The 1989 Act stated that it was the responsibility of the local authority to safeguard and promote the welfare of any child that was in need within the area, and must provide a range and level of services appropriate to those childrens need. Therefore, social services must be sufficiently staffed and have a reasonable amount of funding in order to fulfil its role. Whilst considering a childs welfare, their feelings and wishes must be taken into consideration together with any effect removal will have upon the family including the parents. The Act gave further guidance to local authorities once they had taken the child into care, and their duties and responsibilities in ensuring the welfare of the child is maintained. The local authority has a responsibility to house any child taken into care in a healthy environment, and ensure that the wishes of the child are taken into account when making such decisions. It was therefore not always best to remove the child from their home if suppor t could be provided in the form of monetary relief in order to sustain the childs welfare. In order to keep a child with its family, it was made clear that those in need of protection together with their families should be offered support under part three of the Children Act. Only when voluntary methods of helping are unable to protect those at risk should the powers under parts four and five be used. According to June Thoburn and Ann Lewis in Partnership with parents of children in need of protection, these powers should only be used when actual or suspected significant harm or likely significant harm is at risk. A positive element of the 1989 Act is the establishment of the Family Assistance Order, which granted support to families experiencing a difficult change such as divorce and separations in order for the child in question to remain with its family. However, this order is only to be used in exceptional circumstances and consent must be obtained from each person involved with the order. An order of this kind would provide an example of the state providing a positive intervention into family life. Unfortunately, as it can only be used in exceptional circumstances, a Family Assistance Order is granted rarely despite the benefits it could potentially afford a family in need. In addition to the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, the 1989 Act gave further definition as to what a child in need is. It states that a child should be taken into care if he is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity to achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of him of services by a local authority. Furthermore, a child whose health could be impaired without the intervention of social services should be taken into care. This also extends to disabled children. If social services believe that a child is in danger of significant harm, they are entitled under a new provision of the 1989 Act to seek a child assessment order( CAO). The courts must be satisfied that the applicant has reasonable cause to suspect the child is at risk, that the assessment will be able to determine to what extent that risk applies, and that the applicant will not be able to carry out such assessment without an order being made If the risk of harm is deemed to be an immediate danger to the child, an emergency protection order (EPO) can be applied for. Unlike the CAO which is a non-urgent remedy, the EPO is an order which enables a child to be restrained in or removed to a place in order to protect their welfare. The court is only likely to make such an order if they are satisfied that there is reasonable cause to believe that the child is likely to sustain significant harm if not removed to accommodation by the local authority or does not remain in the place they are currently being accommodated in. Whereas a CAO order needs the belief of the applicant, an EPO requires the court to be satisfied that the child is in danger, and they will therefore sufficient evidence will need to be provided to convince the courts of this and that urgent action is needed. Whilst the above orders may seem to contradict the principle that a child is best cared for at home, the orders must be carried out with this element in mind. Therefore, a child should not be removed from parental care longer then is strictly necessary and can be returned home even if the EPO is still in force. As well as the above orders, the court can also make care and supervision orders in order to ensure protection of a child in need. These may only be made if the court is satisfied that the child concerned is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm and that the harm or likelihood of harm is attributable to the care given to the child, or likely to be given to him if the order were not made. However, as the courts are under a duty to promote the upbringing of a child with its family, local authorities are under duty to fully explore alternative methods before applying for an order to be made under this Act. Furthermore, the welfare checklist must also be adhered to for an order to be made. Whilst the wishes and feelings of a child may have some influence, they will not override any of the other provisions of the welfare checklist, and the courts will need to assess whether the child is of the maturity to make any judgment at all. The 1989 Act makes apparent the courts intention that a child is best cared for at home with their families. However, whether this is the most suitable option is certainly a major issue in society, and is very much dependent upon the circumstances surrounding each individual case. It is arguable that the Act should not place emphasis on this belief as professionals who follow this rule and take the childs wishes into account could come to a conclusion that is not in the best interests of the child. It places social workers in the mindset that taking a child into care is not in the best interests of the child, and this could perhaps provide an explanation as to why further horrific cases have occurred following the Cleveland scandal. Residential family centres were also created by the 1989 Act which allowed social workers to assess the relationship between the family outside of the marital home. The parents stay at the centre for a period of time with the children and are assessed by social services as to how capable they are in their role. Parents are also given the help and guidance they need in order to look after them. The Children Act 1989 acknowledges that the relationship between the local authorities is of great importance when dealing with a child in need, and they must act in partnership. The Act places a duty on the relevant children agencies to provide information and assistance to the local authorities and also places them under duty to assist with the care plan formulated in respect of children. Following the Cleveland inquiry, it was apparent that the relationship between the relevant authorities was lacking, and the 1989 Act appears to acknowledge and remedy this situation by placing them under duty to act in order to safeguard children. In order for a child to remain with their family during a difficult period, a service was established under the 1989 Act that was provided to the child in order to meet their needs in all aspects. Parents need to receive help in bringing up their children if they experience difficulties rather than taking them straight into care. This is a useful addition for professionals, as it gives them the opportunity to assess the family in a different environment and also provide help and guidance to a family in need. There are arguments to suggest that the removal of a child from their home can be mitigated by providing frequent access, and that there must be a presumption that a parent will be able to see their child unless they have acted in such a way that makes contact heavily detrimental for them. However, this could potentially cause distress and upset to a child who has experienced abuse, and may also distort their true wishes and feelings. Access was denied to the parents and carers in the Cleveland scandal. Further developments arrived in favour of keeping the child with its family from the European Courts of Human Rights and the Human Rights Act, In particular, article 8 the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence. Article 8 offers protection for a persons family life from arbitrary interference by the state. This right was framed extremely broadly. However, this is a qualified right which means that there can be an interference with a persons family life providing it is lawful, serves a legitimate purpose, is necessary in a democratic society and is not deemed to be discriminatory. Whilst Article 8 may appear to be restrictive upon social workers, one could argue that they must be able to justify their actions before intervening in a family environment, and certain aspects of privacy must be upheld. A recent case highlighted this aspect, as social workers placed a CCTV monitoring system in the bedroom of a couple with learning difficulties in order to determine whether they were fit parents. This forced the couple to cite the Human Rights Act in order for the surveillance to be removed. Chapter Three: Failings of the Act Victoria Climbie and Baby P, The Children Act 1989 was not a cure for child abuse, and cases continued to come to light for many years after the implementation of the Act. Arguments exist to suggest that the aim of the 1989 Act for children to remain in their families is incorrect when dealing with those that are severely abused. There is much emphasis on professionals to work with the family and improve the level of care they offer in parenting. This places social workers under pressure to work therapeutic miracles with the family, and failure to do so makes their job harder to carry out. Social workers were expected to work in partnership with families who were often uncooperative and unwilling to allow them access into their family, and the law itself placed the families under no obligation to be honest and work with them. Society did not make them feel empowered to act on their powers and make calls for action. Furthermore, it was far more difficult for social workers to obtain a care order then it was prior to the 1989 Act being implemented. Social workers needed a higher level of evidence in order to satisfy a court that a care order was appropriate, and they had to return to the courts for scrutiny in order to make any decision. As a result of this, social workers were more likely to carry out a lengthy assessment of a child at risk rather than immediately remove them from their home. It took a great deal of time to carry out the necessary assessments and apply to the courts, the child at risk was often in a more abused state by the time they had reached care and this was obviously not in the childs best interests. To some extent, this goes against the welfare principles as stated in the 1989 Act, and is somewhat contradictory. There is also a great amount of expense involved when applying to the court, and as a result of this, social workers were under pressure to carry out their assess ments extensively and leaving the child in a potentially harmful environment for a longer period of time. The Children Act 1989 to some extent gave social workers an excuse when failing to act in a case of child abuse. It could be argued that this was the case with Rikki Neave, whose drug addicted mother had repeatedly called social services for help, and had even asked them to take her son away into care. She had abused her son by burning him, throwing him across the room, and had even told a social worker that she would kill her children if they were not taken from her. Social services failed to remove the child from his mothers care and he was found dead. Theoretically, social services could argue in their defense that they complied with the 1989 Act with regards to keeping the child with its family, and that they needed to compile an assessment in order to be granted a care order by the courts. In 1991, there were a total of 60,000 children in care. This figure had fallen dramatically to 40,000 by 1995. This decline in figures shows the effects that the Children Act 1989 had on the number of children in care, and could perhaps be viewed as a positive result of the Acts implementation. However, it could also be argued that the number of children being abused had not reduced so significantly, and therefore there were simply more children living at risk. The provisions of the Children Act 1989 were not enough to prevent the failure of professionals to safeguard Victoria Climbie, and this case of horrifying abuse was brought to public knowledge after her death in 2000. It is clear from this case that despite the legislation in place to deal with child abuse, it was the authorities themselves who acted negligently and failed to act on their duties as detailed in the 1989 Act. Haringey social services were made aware of Climbie after her first admittance to hospital. The doctors warned social services of her injuries as a precautionary measure, but the social workers assigned to the case failed to take adequate measures to investigate how the injuries had occurred. An inexperienced social worker had been assigned to Climbie, and despite her making two visits to the family home, she failed to realise that her carers were putting on an act and the child was in grave danger. Social services were yet again alerted to Climbie after her aunt reported her partner for sexually abusing the infant. However, she later dropped the allegations. Social workers had a meeting and decided to make further contact with the family, but failed to take the adequate steps needed in order to do so. After making three visits, a social worker reported that the family had most likely returned to France, and the case was closed on the same day that Climbie died. There were a number of organizations that were involved with Victoria Climbie prior to her death. Climbie was known to local authorities, including Haringey, Ealing, Brent and Enfield. She was also known to three housing departments and two hospitals, two Metropolitan police child protection teams and a centre run by the NSPCC. It could only be concluded that there was a complete lack of communication between the agencies, despite the Children Act 1989 placing emphasis on the importance of agencies working together and sharing information In total, social services missed twelve chances to save Victoria Climbie. The Victoria Climbie Inquiry found that there was a total absence of good professional practice. The interventions that should have occurred would not have required any exceptional skill and neither would it have placed heavy demands upon the staff involved. It is therefore evident that the failures of the services to act in this case represented serious professional misconduct. As will be detailed in chapter four, further legislation arose from the Victoria Climbie inquiry, with Lord Lamings report making a total of 108 recommendations for fundamental change to the way social care, healthcare and police child protection services are organised and managed at a national and local scale. The report led to the foundation of the Every Child Matters programme together with the Children Act 2004. Haringey council found themselves in trouble once again when the baby Peter case occurred in 2007. Baby P sustained over 50 injuries during an eight month period and had been on Haringey councils child protection register throughout this time. His family had been seen a total of 60 times by agencies including social workers from the council. Baby P was first removed from his mothers care after he was taken into hospital with severe bruising, and the paediatrician judged that the injuries were not likely to have been accidental. She wrote in his notes that he should not be allowed home, and a police protection order should be sought if necessary. He was discharged and placed informally in the care of a family friend whilst social workers and police investigated the cause of his injuries. This resulted in Baby Ps mother being arrested and the toddler was put on the child protection register. He returned back to the care of his mother a month later and she promised to cooperate with social workers and ensure she cared for her baby in order for his named to be removed from the register. However, she continued to neglect her son and her partner abused the baby. Baby P was taken into care in April 2007 but was released back to his mother once he had the all clear from the hospital. His mother continued to deceive professionals into allowing her to keep the baby and tried to conceal further injuries by smearing chocolate over his face. Senior police officials decided that Baby P should not be allowed to live with his family, and sought legal advice to see whether he could be taken into care, but staggeringly, Haringey councils lawyers decided that there was not enough evidence to meet the relevant thresholds. Here is proof that the emphasis on keeping a child with its family as established under the 1989 Act leads to difficulties in removing a severely abused child from their home when it is necessary. Chapter Four: Further legislation as a result of these cases It became evident following the case of Victoria Climbie that further radical change was needed to protect the lives of endangered children and that the Children Act 1989 was not sufficient legal governance in this area. A public inquiry was established in order to find the exact causes of Climbies death, and following this was a report headed by Lord Laming. He reported that none of the government funded agencies can emerge from this report with much credit. Lord Laming claimed that the problem with child protection did not lie with the legal framework but its implementation and that there were major discrepancies with the staff that work with children. Lord Laming made a total of 108 recommendations in his report. The most significant recommendations include the every child matters initiative. This government initiative was introduced in 2003 and its main aims are to ensure that a child has the support needed to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. It was the responsibility of the multi-agency partnerships to work together in order to meet the detailed framework surrounding each theme of the initiative. Lord Laming also reported that the failures of the police, social workers and hospital staff were partly due a lack of accountability. Lord Laming suggested that the only way to address this issue would be to create a childrens minister who would be held accountable to the cabinet. Partly in response to the Lord Laming report, Margaret Hodge was appointed as the minister for children in 2003. Her role was to oversee the policies governing children at risk as well as other significant child governance. The Every Child Matters green paper was published by the government in response to Lord Lamings inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie. This green paper recommended policy changes backed up by legislation, and the Children Act 2004 was designed to respond to the findings of the Lord Laming inquiry. The 2004 Act established a childrens commissioner. Under S2 of the Act, the childrens commissioners role includes promoting awareness of the views and interests of children in England. The Childrens commissioner has a wide role, which includes encouraging persons exercising functions or engaged in activities affecting children to take account of their views and interests; advise the secretary of state on the views and interests of children; consider or research the operation of complaints procedures so far as children are concerned; consider and research any other matter relating to the interests of a child and publish a report on any matter from the above list. The Childrens Commissioner role is to be concerned with the views and interests of children relating to a number of aspects of their well being. These include their physical and mental health and emotional well being; protection from harm or neglect; education, training and recreation; the contribution made by them in society and their social and economic well-being. They may also conduct an inquiry into an individual child if they feel it may raise issues of relevance to other children. As well as establishing the Childrens Commissioner, the 2004 Act provided a response to Lord Lamings report which heavily criticised the lack of co-operation between the services that deal with children. The Act places a duty to cooperate in order to improve the well being of a child at risk. This was designed to prevent further cases of children falling through the gaps such as Victoria Climbie, and ensure that all services such as the police, doctors and social workers are under a specific duty to communicate and work together to promote the well-being of an endangered child. A key instrument in the enforcement of cooperation between agencies was the creation of electronic records for every child in the country. This record made it easier to trace a child who had moved to a new area and was therefore transferred between local authorities. It could be argued that keeping details of children on electronic record is a breach of article 8 of the Human Rights Act, and critics have made clear their view that these files will destroy the confidentiality of medical and legal records. Doctors, teachers and the police will have to alert the system to a wide range of concerns, and two reports on a childs record could be sufficient to provoke an investigation. Whilst the electronic records system may appear to be an effective provision in order to ensure that child mistreatment is monitored, there was a great deal of confusion as to what would be deemed as a concern. Dr Eileen Monro of the London School of Economics said that if a child fails to make progress towards state targets, detailed information would be gathered and this would include judgements such as whether the parent is providing a positive role model as well as sensitive information such as their mental state. This could mean that parents are forced to bring up their child in line with what the state deems is best rather than as they themselves see fit.It c