Sustainable Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainable Marketing - Essay Example On the other side marketing can contribute in the development and diffusion of sustainable innovations in the form of use of solar energy, organic food, use of renewable energy resources and energy conservation. The main issue related to sustainability marketing is the way by which an organization can develop sustainable products and market those products or services in such a way which would improve the consumer perception as well as well being (Ottman, 1992, p. 301). The present study has been conducted in lieu to analyze the evolution of the concept of "sustainability marketing". The study includes evaluation of the importance of sustainable marketing practices in the modern day business environment. Over the course of study various contemporary researches related the topic of sustainable marketing has been analyzed. Also some of the most popular sustainable marketing practices of some of the modern day companies have been analyzed. The study also looks to explore the implication of the research in the area of sustainable marketing practices. This study is of great significance keeping in mind that there is a paradigm of shift in the consumer behaviour along with the environmental issues such as global warming as presently the customers seem to prefer to be with companies that are providing environment friendly products (Kotler, 2009, p.191). Critical review of key literature Sustainability marketing supports the idea of sustainable development that meets the requirements of the present without harming the capabilities of the future to the meet the own future requirements. Meeting the demand of the present refers to the intra-generational equity. Therefore sustainability marketing is a continuous process, as sustainability marketing takes the demands of the future generation into account. Sustainability marketing has three main components such as the social, environmental and economic. There has been a lot of talk about the â€Å"win-win-win† situatio n which mainly focuses on the overlapping area of economic social and environmental goals. Sustainable marketing focuses on striking the right balance social, environmental and economic goals. Marketing is defined as a developing long lasting and profitable customer relationship. Modern marketing looks to analyze the demands of the customers by provide offering as per the demands. But, sustainability marketing goes beyond conventional marketing thought process (Coddington, 1993, p. 229). Figure 1 Conventional and Sustainability Marketing If marketing is about meeting the demands of the customers and developing profitable relationships with the end users, then sustainability marketing could be defined as developing and maintaining sustainable relationships with the customers as well as with the elements of the social and natural environment. By developing environmental and social values sustainability marketing looks to create value proposition for the customers. In this way sustaina bility marketing looks to meet the â€Å"triple bottom line† by creating customers, social and environmental values (Ottman, 1998, p. 291). Figure 2 Different elements of sustainable marketing Sustainability Marketing looks to integrate ecological and social criteria into the total process of marketing. From managerial perspective six steps are mainly involved in the conception of the sustainability marketing Figure 3 Conception of Sustainable Marketing The first step

Two sides to welfare Essay Example for Free

Two sides to welfare Essay In this discussion we were suppose to side with either the Conservative side or the Moderate side. The Conservative side had points about the welfare which best described my opinion about welfare. One the other hand the moderate view also had several points to the welfare reform. The welfare issue in the U.S. can not be handled in a similar way for everyone. There are certain cases and situations which show that welfare shouldnt be handled in the same way for everyone. Their should be different procedures for extreme cases, and their should be some sort of restriction too. The government should provide some sort of aid because every state has different procedures of determining welfare. The time restriction in one way is very useful for the society in a whole but again it should be determined by the eligibility. For example, if someone is severely disabled, that person wont be helped enough if the time limit is just five year. So, I believe there should be longer time given to the people who deserved it. The thing about any government sector aid can be done in this way that the government watches over the states, so they dont pass a law that doesnt belong to welfare at all. I agree with the conservative view on welfare more than the moderate view. There are several reasons behind my opinion. Although, I agree that the needy families, single parents, and other in need should be helped financially, but I few issues regarding this. First of all, there should exist a tough procedure and valuation in order to get the welfare. The welfare shouldnt be available as the first thing to anyone who is in need and he/she has dependents. Instead, they should check out other opportunities before getting themselves into welfare. Although these people should be given welfare but should have some sort of penalty along with it. The welfare should be given to most extreme cases. Especially the single parents should be asked to make contributions to their budget as in a part-time job. I believe it is not fair to the tax payer who are working Twenty four hours and paying money for someone who is having couple of kids  as a single parenting while they are not able to support themselves. There should be some sort of pressure in order for single parenting population to receive this aid. A lot of people have created the welfare as their income source; this thing can only be stoped by having them work too, even if they are only working part-time. There should be no support available to the people who have child and they dont show interest in getting independent in future or do some sort of part-time job. For their children we should provide either adoption or some sort of centers which only look after their kids (provide them with food and shelter, not their grown up parents too). Welfare should go to the elderly and the disable people, because they are the people who really deserve the welfare. But still there comes the point of how did this person got disabled. Did it occur naturally or accidentally? If this happened naturally or accidentally it is a situation with is beyond the individuals control. But if, this person has became disabled because of drug abuses; I certainly wont agree that this person should be fed by government through out his/her life. This way at least we might be able to stop people from abusing themselves. Because these people know that they are getting all sorts of financial help they dont care about themselves and become a burden on the society. To reduce this sort of behavior among people some new reforms should be done to the welfare. Beyond the individuals are factors in the economy or society itself that may prevent people from getting a job that can support a family. Some groups suffer from discrimination that blocks them out of the better-paying, career jobs. Sometimes a persons skills are no longer needed in the system. In these cases we can at least help them by welfare for limited time.

Effect of Social Policy on Personal Life

Effect of Social Policy on Personal Life ‘Discuss the claims that social policy constructs personal lives   In evaluating the evidence that social policy constructs personal lives, it is necessary to explain the terms ‘social policy’ and the ‘personal’ as they are both imbued with ambiguity and complexity. For example, the meanings inherent in social policy can be understood two-fold as both sets of government policies which have specific aims or intended outcomes as well as the academic study of such policies in relation to their causes and consequences. Thus the ‘policy’ and the ‘social’ can be separated to determine greater understanding when discussing the interaction between personal lives and social policy. The complexity of the ‘personal’ lies in that it is not simply the intimate aspects of someone’s life but that it is a multi-layered reflection of wider influences, such as sexuality, age, emotions, friends, family, social networks and societal expectations. Thus while it will be argued that social policy cons tructs personal lives, evidence will be produced to illustrate that it is not a one-way top-down process, but a multi-directional interplay of interactions between the two as they collide at different times and locations at the three levels of mutual constitution; the individual/psychic level; the service user level; the national level. As a result, by means of resistance, challenge or negotiation, the ‘personal’ both, individually or collectively not only impacts upon, but also has consequences for, social policy in ways that partially shapes or constructs the other thus forming new or different policies. This complex process of mutual constitution, will be expanded upon in context to reveal this relationship at the individual and psychic level, the service-user level whereby it effects the ‘personal’ of welfare professionals, and the national level. The primary focus of this discussion relates children and young people and their issues in the context of ‘sexuality’ and ‘care’ although this will inevitably overlap with ‘work’ and ‘citizenship’ as multiple sets of relationships and sites of policy intervention are revealed such as the family, health and social care. Further to this, I will apply evidence from my own qualitative research which was compiled from two interviews with an adult care-giver (Brennan, 2008b) and a young care-recipient in a children’s residential home (Brennan, 2008c). The focus on children and young people will also be further analysed through the lens of poststructuralism and feminism although again, there will be overlapping elements of Marxism and psychoanalysis imbedded within the discussion. These perspectives when viewed through their various theoretical lenses help to provide a more multi-dimensional view of how social policy is experienced in its mutual constitution with more diverse subject-positions occupied by ‘personal’ lives. In taking on a more subjective view it reveals how and in what ways social policy is inclusive to some and exclusionary to others triggering challenges, negotiations and resistance. The conclusion will indicate that while there is evidence that social policy constructs personal lives, the challenges, negotiations and resistance or what Lewis and Fink conceptualise as ‘excess’, ensures that the ‘personal’ both collectively and individually also constructs social policy thus ensuring that the dynamic processes of society are constantly evolving and producing what one hopes will be positive and equal social change (Lewis and Fink, 2004, ‘Course Companion’, p.22). When conceptualising care from a poststructural perspective, its meanings become fluid and unstable as continuity and change informs the mutual constitution of care policies and the ‘personal’ of both caregivers and receivers. As Fink (2004) argues, the normative assumptions about care practises, identities and locations are challenged because care is dependent upon the discursive properties inherent at the various levels of care both as a provision and as a recipient (Fink, 2004, ‘Care’, p.3). Care is relational and reciprocal and often perceived as an unspoken, unwritten taken-for-granted aspect of the everyday on many levels. In reality however, the giving and receiving of ‘care’ can be a burden to some, a source of discomfort for others, and a site of oppression for many. This is because levels of care vary in different situations and for different actors as the overlapping dualisms of male/ female, adult/child, private/ public, paid/ unpaid , deserving /undeserving inform political agendas that shape ‘care’ policies. Such dualisms are explained by Foucault’s (1970) poststructural analysis in how language is utilised to define the differences between the dominant norms and those which stand outside the accepted criteria (Fink et al. 2004, Course Companion, p.62). In other words, something is defined by what it is not – for example, it is light simply because it is not dark. Similarly this is exacerbated and utilised discursively in relation to class, ‘race’, gender, age and disability. Thus a suitable place to commence a discussion about the mutual constitution of policies surrounding care and its interaction with the ‘personal’ of children and young people lies within the home – the family. Poststructuralism reveals how the normative assumptions surrounding the caring identity is gendered and subsequently ‘naturalised’ into a traditional female role. Thus the dominant identity of carer of children within the family is generally the mother – an unpaid, taken-for-granted given role based upon the essentialist model of the biological attributes and ability to give birth. As Foucault (1979) argues the subject-position of mother is not rooted in biology, but discursively rooted in culture and history. Similarly, a feminist analysis argues that the so-called ‘natural’, ‘caring disposition’ of women is a myth stemming from the post-war Beveridgean welfare state which claimed to privilege married woman by enabling them to stay at home full-time and raise the children while caring for their husbands. If they do not fit with the these norms then they are deemed as bad mothers as expressed by one of my interviewee’s in my own research when he declared that in four months; â€Å"I have only seen my mum once since I moved in here, and then she just dropped in last February, it was not an arranged visit or anything† (Brennan, 2008c). Here, the mother is negatively perceived, thus it is with certain irony that despite no mention of his father, the status of men remains greater than that of women. For example the construction of the homemaker/carer/ within the nuclear family norms was enabled based upon their husband’s contributions to the state. However, feminists argue this served only to restrain and subordinate women further by extending their dependency. The home became the site of oppression and struggle which the second and third wave feminists have sought to ameliorate as subordinate female positions shifted ‘paid’ work to one that is ‘unpaid’ ‘work’ within the construction of the nuclear family. However, when those dominant nuclear family norms and values are destabilised, the assumption is that it is anything but ‘normal’ and considered a threat to the welfare of children and young people. This demonstrates how the ‘personal’ in its c ollective form as inherent in all New Social Movements of ‘race’ and disability among others, produces social change as it impacts on social policy in the implementation of excess against these norms and values. Demonstrating the psychic element of the ‘personal’, a poststructural analysis argues that such normative assumptions of childcare are internalised which is evident when Carabine (2004) draws on the personal narrative of Max, for whom, a heterosexual marriage stood outside of his comfort zone. However, social policy dictated his public heterosexuality based upon learned expectations which relates to what Lewis Fink (2004) argue are processes of non-identification, are commonplace within both racialized and sexualised discourses, as they subsequently trigger the expansion of the ‘personal’ to wider social relations in a bid to find a collective socio-cultural identity and meaning outside of the psyche. Closely related to postructuralism, a psychoanalytic lens reveals that being physically in but not of the imagined community negatively affects the ‘personal’ in lacking any sense of belonging (Carabine, 2004, ‘Sexuality’, p.5). Meanings produce assumptions which, in identifying Max as a homosexual ensured he exercised what Lewis conceptualised as passing, as deviating from the heterosexual ‘norm’ is problematized indicating the inequalities of citizenship and social power derived from the ‘hierarchical ordering of difference’ (Lewis, 2004, ‘Citizenship’, p.20). This demonstrates how social policy produces normative assumptions that identified the signifying practices that placed Max outside of the hegemony of heteronormative nuclear family. Marriage is an expected trajectory in life’s path, which he obligated through denial of his own private emotions and self-identification. While, his dream of becoming a fathe r was realised, the marriage ended upon meeting a man and embracing his homosexuality. This dispels two myths, as Max resistance to the dominant norms ensured that heonly became full-time carer to his children but also his wife had not taken to motherhood so enthusiastically and therefore became the part-time mother with fortnightly access (Rice, 2002:p.27, in Carabine, 2004, p.5). Max states that even in 2002 it remains unusual for men to be the primary care-giver. Carabine (2004) argues that the notion of sexuality maintains the heteronormative assumptions that heterosexual intercourse occurs in the private sphere, within the legally binding contract of marriage. Children born out of wedlock or the victims of divorce are therefore excluded from certain social policies such as decent housing and education or simply enough money to lead a life similar to their peers which negatively impacts on their ‘personal’. Despite this, marriage is historically and socially specific and therefore continues to discursively subordinate the personal lives of women and children in the private sphere in the policies made by men, for men, in the male dominated public sphere. One such policy ‘Every Child Matters’(2003) focuses on a different element of private and informal methods of care within the home and unpaid, which are an ongoing concern for many British families. While the policy pledges to reward informal carers as being an asset to society, parents of disabled children are, it claims, not using local authority direct payments. However, the policy then states that many local authorities are reluctant to administer direct payments. The ambiguity of direct payments is evident when used by the middle classes who already possess the cultural capital to secure the best care and the ability to cover any financial shortfall. In contrast, the working class, direct payments would be frugal to prevent over-expenditure, thereby potentially excluding their child from all the care available. This again indicates a poststructural perspective as it demonstrates how knowledge is in fact power. When coupled with issues of guilt about hiring a strange r to care for their disabled child, psychoanalytic issues re-emerge in this mutual constitution at the individual level and at the service-user level because for the carer, inflicting pain on a child in need of treatment triggers a defence mechanism that blocks awareness of their pain, which, Mawson argues, prevents job satisfaction. As such, as well as infantalizing clients, many caring practises deny dignity, privacy, and autonomy to the client, affecting their ‘personal’, as care becomes a public issue(1994, p.68, in Fink, 2004, ‘Care’, p.22).. Similarly, the feminization of care is embedded in discourses of sexuality as male carers doing ‘women’s work’ are assumed to be gay; therefore they are considered to possess ulterior motives – a gender differential that affects the ‘personal’ of men with potentially serious consequences. This no doubt was an issue that underpinned my first interviewee’s lack of success in his attempts to work with social care; â€Å"It was something that always interested me I suppose, while I was working I decided to do some volunteer work and liked it, so decided that I would like to continue in the care area (Brennan, 2008b). â€Å"I went for an interview and thought I did well, () to be honest I was very pleased with myself and thought I had a good chance of getting the job, unfortunately (laugh) that was not the case, they phoned me to say that I was unsuccessful but they did offer me relief work instead which I took, from there I got my foot inside the door of Social Care† (ibid). Indeed it has recently been mediated that there is a stark absence of male teachers within the primary education sector, but with assumptions such as these ensuring that the negative thinking surrounding the mutual constitution of male teachers and current policies then it is not surprising. However, it is apparent that social policies on for example discipline, falls to the male teacher who is often isolated by gender due to the vast majority being female. To be the sole person administering punishments to naughty boys has a negative impact on the ‘personal’ of both the male teacher and the one being punished in this unofficial mutual constitution (new.bbc.co.uk). However, the feminization of care is turned on its head when adults needing care are the focus as young people and children are conveniently situated to take on the caring role – free of charge (Fink et al., 2004).The policy highlights their plight and insists local authorities must assist, but in reality they are merely enable without any form of advertisement to ensure awareness of the provision, therefore little assistance is forthcoming as local authorities are keen to maintain low budgets which they depend on young carers to ensure. Furthermore, the likelihood of benefit dependency maintains material inequalities that further exclude young carers from the lifestyles of their peers. Their caring duties also impinge on education and leisure – deemed by the Green Paper as essential for their future in terms of growth, socialization, mental health and their future. However, veiled threats for parents of truants and offenders are revealed if they fail to accomplish this end as the mutual constitution of social policies and the personal of young carers renders them at risk and vulnerable to attack, by definition which serves to facilitate the intervention of Social Services, the irony of who, although not universal – are mostly women. The issuing of compulsory parenting orders that claim to halve re-offending, can also remove children from the family home – thus echoing the past. Indeed my own qualitative research indicates how this works in practise and demonstrates how lived experiences of personal lives is impacted upon by social policy as they become mutually constituted. For example, the sixteen–year-old resident of a care home was clearly unhappy with the way policies were implemented stating his distaste of social work intervention and his disappointment of his mother when stating; â€Å"Yeah well the Social Worker found where I was staying and refused to allow me to stay there.. My mother agreed to a voluntary Care Order because they [social workers]are interfering so and sos who think they know what is good for me† (emphasis added)(Brennan, 2008c). However, upon critical analysis of my research methods I also realise that my role as a residential care worker shaped the outcome in negative ways firstly by declaring that employed subject-position and then by offering advice: â€Å"All I can say is that you should take what ever is out there in the way of help and make it work for you† (Brennan, 2008c). Also in response to my question on the adequacy of care he stated; â€Å"What care? Staff dont f..g care† (Brennan, 2008c). I replied with: â€Å" Now W I am sure that is not true, perhaps you feel that staff dont care maybe because it is not the type of care that you are looking for† (Brennan, 2008c). While this demonstrates the need for reflexivity in terms of ensuring an objective approach is implemented by the researcher putting their own feelings to one side, it is illustrative of the difficulties of conducting qualitative research through semi-structured interviews to produce an empirical and valid contribution about the social world. Even classic sociologists such as Durkheim (1964), who once claimed that an experiment produced social ‘fact’ if the experiment when repeated twice produced the same outcome, was later reflexive about this upon the realisation that no research whether quantitative or qualitative can ever be value-free (in Churchill, 2004, RAAB; Part 3, 2004, p.55). Similarly, in my semi-structured interviews with a residential care manager his responses indicated that he was responding only in ways that did not reflect negatively on himself. This indicates that despite the best efforts of the researcher, the interviewee will only impart with what he he/she wants you to know, and not necessarily what the researcher should or wants to know. Despite this, measures are taken to prevent subjective shaping of the researcher such as in Goldson’s research – although again, it can never be deemed as value-free despite his lengthy experience. Nevertheless, Goldson (2004) argues these mixed messages by the social workers and by the spoken word of children in care reveals that childhood is socially constructed towards legitimizing the control of children. Again, this is discursively produced as two centuries ago, children were treated as adults until philanthropists’ and reformists’ reconstructed the childhood discourse through interventionist methods that removed children from the streets and ‘dysfunctional’ families. They were then institutionalized, until reforms by the self-proclaimed ‘public mother’ Mary Carpenter, orchestrated the emergence of ‘institutional schools’ (2004, ‘Care’ p.88). Prior to this there was little distinction between ‘deprived’ victims in need of care, and ‘depraved’ threats in need of control, as they were placed together often within adult prisons (Carpenter, 1853, in Goldson, 2004:p.88). Similarly, the G reen Paper targets families deemed unable to care adequately for children revealing how the earliest reformers constructed the idealized image of the family as a self-regulating entity. As Goldson argues, children today are constructed via inter-generational differentiation from adults, but are then further differentiated on an intra-generational level in terms of social divisions (2004: ‘Care’, p.81). The pluralism of British society problematizes any generalization of children in ways that the Green Paper states – instead they are categorised according to class, gender, and ‘race’. Goldson places the care and control theory in the context of Victoria Climbà © who was represented as a deprived victim who was in need of care (2004, ‘Care’, p.83). However, the language employed surrounding children shifts as textual connotations mediated in another headline constitutes children as depraved ‘thugs’ in need of control (ibid). This shapes public opinion, constructs negative identities and stereotypes that legitimize the dichotomy of deserving/undeserving and subsequent punishment. Thus, as Cohen argues, the ove rlapping parameters of care and control are inseparable (Cohen, 1985, p.2, in Goldson, 2004, ‘Care’, p.85). Continuing the poststructuralist view of Goldson’s research argues that the institutional fix is equal for both for victims and threats in contemporary Britain (2004, ‘Care’, p.87). He focuses on the gender differentials as a disproportionate number of boys are incarcerated within youth offender’s institutions towards protecting the community, whereas girls tend to go into secure accommodation towards protecting themselves, which is evident in the extracts reference the provision of childcare for teenage parents returning to education implicating that in their premature maturity resulting from caring for parents is evidence of embarking prematurely on sexual relationships (ibid). This again is discursively constructed as historically girls were locked up for sexual misconduct, revealing the heteronormative continuity and protectionist discourses. This is closely examined in Thomson’s (2004) research on sex education within schools which takes a feminist view that girls are responsible for avoiding pregnancy as well as ensuring the sexual health of both herself and her partner (Thomson, 2004, ‘Sexuality’, p.103). The study revealed that the power imbalance between the genders discouraged the female’s insistence on using condoms for two reasons – not wanting to gain a bad reputation; and admitting that the transition to sexual activity was taking place (ibid.). Thus risks were taken all too often. Goldson’s study of secure accommodation reveals contradictory personal narratives of both those being cared for, and their adult carers. One girl admitted she would not be alive now if she had not be taken into care, while another declared she could look after herself thus they had no right to lock her up as she had coped alone for years. While this demonstrates Higgins’ (1988) claim that while the personal is unique, it is also mirrored and experienced by others, thus not an individualistic phenomenon (Higgins,1998, pp.3-4 in Lewis Fink, 2004,p.22). Nevertheless, both accounts were mirrored by their respective care workers (Goldson, 2004, ‘Care’. pp.99-101). Here, control is paramount to care. A Marxist analysis of teen pregnancy would argue that lone mothers are both the consumers and producers of welfare in their provision of the future child-bearers and workforce of Britain. However, the restrictions imposed on young women today is discursively imbedded in the past as the Poor Laws of 1838 dictated in its claims that illegitimacy was indisputably the fault of the young female because â€Å"continued illicit intercourse has, in almost all cases, originated with the mother† (Extract 1.16, The New Poor Law View, 1938, in Carabine, ‘Sexuality’, 2004, p.39). For example, qualitative research data on teenage conceptions linked poverty to teenage pregnancy (Thomson, 2004, p99). However, there was no consideration of what Bourdieu (1977) termed the ‘logic of practice’ for these teenagers, as the choices they make, which make sense to them, were influenced by local cultural and social class values which may see parenthood as a sign of maturity and in many ways the only route to adulthood (cited in Thomson, 2004, p96). While the ‘logic of practise’ is a convincing argument, it fails to mention how the rate of abortion for middle class girls far exceeds that of working class girls. Nevertheless, these values provided teenagers with the resources to resist, or apply ‘excess’ to the powerful effects of normalising social policy and their subject position within it (Lewis Fink, 2004, p23). Thus, these teenagers are active agents rather than passive recipients of policy discourse, and do not recognise this d iscourse that views teenage pregnancy as problematic, as being applicable to them (Carabine, 2004, p33). In contrast to the control of girls, care for boys is constructed in ways that control as Goldson’s research into young offender’s institutions embraced a different discourse – fear. Rape, beatings, extortion, and suicide were prevalent according to all the boys. This represents what Higgins’ (1988) claims that collective understanding is viewed both socially and historically which were evident in the interpellation that provided understanding of their sense of self. However, the narratives of the prison officers revealed a language shift in that child abuse claims was redefined as bullying. The mutual constitution of new social policies and the personal lives of these boys were negatively impacted, exacerbated by the resistance of staff to implement the new policy that all new inmates require proper care and counselling upon arrival. That it was never met, shows how the mutual constitution at the service-user level can become complex and dangerous as the staff’s ability to detach themselves from the caring role protected their own ‘personal’ by activating their defence mechanisms before crossing the public/private boundary to freedom at the end of the working day(ibid. pp.101-5). However, as Goldson (2004) argues, a Marxist element is more than present in the discourse of ‘care’ relating to children as all prisons in the last decade have been built by private corporations. Similarly the adult interviewee in my research stated that: â€Å"In the last year the number of Residential Homes have doubled, mmm new homes are opening every week, so therefore it will take longer to get around to inspecting all of the homes† (Brennan, 2008b). This could explain the need for Goldson to bring to our attention the U-Turn regarding Tony Blair’s pledge in 1999 to â€Å"eradicate child poverty†, which shifter two years later to how we must â€Å"catch, convict, punish and rehabilitate young offenders† (Blair, 1999/2000, quoted in Goldson, 2002d: p.687). This being a complete U-turn also on the Children’s Act 1989 which claims that every child has the right to a happy and loving childhood within the care of their families. In conclusion, it is evident that the mutual constitution of social policy and personal lives concerning sexuality and care is experienced in vastly differing ways when applying it to children and young people. This is made more apparent through the use of theoretical perspective as it provides multi-dimensional perspectives of how policies are experienced according to various levels of diversity showing therefore how this impacts upon status and citizenship. While all these critical approaches have been applied to a variety of care and sexuality discourses, they can only produce a snapshot of the social world, however, the value of research in collective forms help us to understand in part, the epistemological and substantive nature of how social policies are constantly challenged by personal lives at the psychic, individual and collective levels including by welfare professionals at the service-user level. Social policy, within the content of this essay seeks solely to enforce soci al control and economic gain by defining and redefining the shifting boundaries of power in its mutual constitution with personal lives. However, the claim that social policy constructs social lives is not as substantive as the very fact they are constantly evolving is due to the continuing challenge, negotiation, resistance and excess employed by personal lives – no matter how miniscule. Reference List Bourdieu, P. (1977) Outline of a Theory of Practise, Cambridge University Press. Brennan, A. (2008b) Unpublished TMA05 submitted in partial completion of DD305 Personal Lives and Social Policy, The Open University Brennan, A. (2008c) Unpublished TMA05 submitted in partial completion of DD305 Personal Lives and Social Policy, The Open University Carabine, J. (Ed) Sexualities: Personal Lives and Social Policy Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Carabine, J. (2004) ‘Sexualities, Personal Lives and Social Policy’, in Carabine, J. (Ed) Sexualities: Personal Lives and Social Policy Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Carabine, J. Newman, J. (Ed’s) (2004) Course Companion: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Churchill, H., Fink, J. and Harris, F. (2004) Research Analysis and Assessment Booklet. Part 3 DD305 Personal Lives and Social Policy, Copyright  © 2004 The Open University Cohen, S. (1985) Visions of Social Control, Cambridge, Polity Press. Fink, J. (Ed) (2004) Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Fink, J. (2004) ‘Care: Meanings, Identities and Morality’, in Fink, J. (Ed) (2004) Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Fink, J. (2004) ‘Questions of Care’, in Fink, J. (Ed) (2004) Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Goldson, B. (2002d) ‘New Labour, social justice and children: political calculation and the deserving-undeserving schism’, British Journal of Social Work, vol.32, no.6, pp.683-95 Goldson, B. (2004) ‘Victims or threats? Children, Care and Control’, in Fink, J. (Ed) (2004) Care: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Government Green Paper (2003) Every Child Matters, The Stationary Office, 2003, Cmnd 5860. Higgins, P.C. (1988) ‘Introduction’, in Higgins, P.C. Johnson, J.M. (Eds) Personal Sociology, New York, Praeger. Lewis, G. (2004) (Ed) Citizenship: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Lewis, G. (2004) Do Not Go Gently†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢: Terrains of Citizenship and Landscapes of the Personal. In Lewis, G. (Ed) Citizenship: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Lewis, G., Fink, J. (2004) Themes, Terms and Concepts. In Fink, J., Lewis, G., Carabine, J., Newman, J. (Ed’s) Course Companion: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Lewis, G., Newman, J., Carabine, J., Fink, J. (2004) Theoretical Perspectives. In Fink, J., Lewis, G., Carabine, J., Newman, J. (Ed’s) Course Companion: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Thomson, R. (2004) ‘Sexuality and Young People: Policies, Practices and Identities. In Carabine, J. (Ed) Sexualities: Personal Lives and Social Policy, Bristol, Policy Press, in association with The Open University Other Sources: The Open University (2004) CD-ROM 1: ‘The Children’s Act 1989’, DD305 Personal Narratives and Resources [CD-ROM], Milton Keynes, The Open University. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4336092.stm 4,707 words with 700 extra words to assist the client with greater understanding of the wider aspect of mutual constitution.

Oedipus Rex Essay -- Literary Analysis, Sophocles

Even though Oedipus is a hero, we should not admire him, as the intentions for his actions are self-centered. This distinction is necessary to help us better understand the difference between being a hero, and a hero worth of admiration. It is important to know that somebody’s admiration must ultimately stem from the intentions of their actions rather than the results of their actions alone, so we can act accordingly in the future. Oedipus is a hero, as defined by Johnston. According to Johnston, ‘a hero is someone who confronts fate in a very personal manner and whose reaction to that encounter serves to illuminate for us our own particular condition’ (Johnston, Part 2). Oedipus definitely confronts fate in a personal manner. Among other things, he challenges the mysterious qualities of fate by pursuing the Shepherd despite warnings from Jocasta (Sophocles, 71). Oedipus follows through on confronting fate with his individual approach of uncompromising persistence and integrity (Johnston, Part 3). Even at the end of his downfall, Oedipus maintains that Kreon should banish him and that he must obey the curses he himself ordered for the murderer of King Laios (Sophocles, 89-90). Despite being so broken and publicly shamed, Oedipus still persists with his former way of interacting with fate : noble defiance (Johnston, Part 3). Although this quality itself is admirable, Oedipus takes uncompromising to the extreme, losing insight on everything else. Oedipus becomes ignorant to his surroundings, leading to his downfall (Johnston, Part 3). Oedipus’ story also challenges the fundamental belief that life should be rational and just. (Johnston, Part 3) His story illuminates that fate is arbitrarily cruel and will sometimes pick the gre... ...gender, she did not let this discourage her, but rather become the motivation to start the Million Signatures Campaign, demanding an end to legal discrimination against women in Iranian law. For her work, Ebadi received death threats against herself and her family and had to seek refuge in Canada as the current regime increased its prosecution of ‘political dissidents’. Although Ebadi, like Oedipus, had to ultimately live outside their community for living completely on their own terms, she was motivated by her intention to better the lives of others living in a similar situation as she once faced. On the other hand, Oedipus, although caring for the wellbeing of Thebes, is must more motivated to realize his greatness and sense of self than to rid Thebes of its worries. The difference of intentions makes Ebadi the admirable hero, and Oedipus, just a heroic man.

Is Fame Good Or Bad?

Most people think that being famous is heaven, but it's more like hell. What do you think? Phenomenom of fame is widespread around the world. Being famous today is not the same as it was 50-100 years ago. Andy Warhol once said : In the future everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame. Well, in my opinion, that time has come. People from all around the world are trying to get their way out there on the stage. It has become easy to acquire fame, but difficult to keep it. People get famous for doing nothing and the ones who want to become famous don't have many obstacles on their way.They can just apply on a reality show and soon their names will be on the tops of „the most searchedâ€Å" lists on Google and Yahoo, and not to mention the yellow press. Little girls and boys from all around the world are, when asked what do they want to be when they grow up, usually answering that they want to be famous. Fame has lost its value. Celebrities with or without justified reasons to be famous are followed by a bunch of paparazzi each day. They are getting interviewed and photographed for worthless magazines intended for masses.Their private lives become a matter of abstraction and are endangered. As for those whose fame is a result of hard work, talent, high IQ or great achievements, their fame is well-earned. Such are, for example, great writers, mathematicians and artists. They are usually the ones who are, no matter how good they are at what they do, less famous than the ones who deserve it less. That is good because they don't need to sacrifice their private lives, they have their freedom of expression + they make a lot of money. As for me, I'm not a fan of fame and I think it's lame.People are sometimes desperate, don't receive enough of attention in their private lives and they search for a way out by becoming an object of admiration in other peoples life by being famous. On the other hand, there are people whose fame is a result of their great work and the y have to take that difficult burden of fame on their backs. Either way, I wouldn't like to be famous. Sometimes I don't like being alone, but there are people whose solitude is not even a matter of choice and represents an impossible mission. Threathing my private life, I do the same thing to my familys' and friends' life and that I cannot cope with.I don't need other peoples admiration to accept myself the way I am. Money, fame, fortune, and everything that goes with it- yes, sure it can be helpful, but having everything is sometimes just the same as having nothing, because it usually means not wanting anything. Any by not wanting anything, we don't have real goals in our life or anything that can bring us joy. That's why I prefer solitude over fame and fortune. It's hard enough to prove to myself everyday, proving myself to whole world everyday would really be a hell.

The Exclusinary Rule essay

The Exclusinary Rule essay The Exclusinary Rule essay The Exclusinary Rule essayIt has been found that the Exclusionary Rule is one of the major topics associated with the application of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.   According to researchers, the Exclusionary Rule â€Å"requires the suppression of any evidence obtained unconstitutionally; that is the evidence cannot be used in the trial by the government†(Hensley Snook, 2007, p. 160). Actually, the Exclusionary Rule is not included in the U.S. Constitution, but it was established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1914, while ruling the case Weeks v. United States (1914).   In general, the Exclusionary Rule has been a controversial legal issue in the criminal justice system, since its creation because the application of the rule to the legal case may affect the significance of the evidence through its exclusion, and the acquittal of the individuals who can be regarded factually guilty (Hemmens et al., 2009). There are three major exceptions to the Exclusionary R ule created by the U. S. Supreme Court, including independent source exception, good faith exception and inevitable discovery rule, which justify the applicability of the rule.The major goal of this paper is to discuss the Exclusionary Rule and its exceptions created by the U. S. Supreme Court, paying due attention to the background information regarding the Exclusionary Rule and the current status of the rule.The Exclusionary Rule: background informationThe Exclusionary Rule can be viewed as an important constitutional development that can be effectively used in the criminal justice practice. In fact, the Exclusionary Rule says that â€Å"evidence that is obtained by an unconstitutional search or seizure is inadmissible at trial† (Bast Hawkins, 2010, p. 573). The Exclusionary Rule announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1914 continues to play an important role in legal practice. However, initially, the Exclusionary Rule was not included in the due process clause of the Fourt eenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As such, the Exclusionary Rule was not applied to various legal proceedings of the State Courts. In 1961, reviewing the case Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, this application of the Exclusionary Rule was changed because the U.S. Supreme Court â€Å"declared that the evidence obtained in violation of the Constitution could not be used in state or federal criminal proceedings† (Bast Hawkins, 2010, p. 573).The major goal of the Exclusionary Rule is to deter police misconduct or unethical behavior in relation to community members. The proponents of the Exclusionary Rule state that the rule emanates from the U.S. Constitution, while the opponents of the rule state that it has elation to the established constitutional rights (Kerr, 2010). Actually, â€Å"the Supreme Court has indicated that it is merely a judicially created remedy for Violations of the Fourth Amendment†(Hemmens et al., 2009, p. 127).In addition, the Exclusionary Rule has been a controversial issue in the criminal justice system. The intense debates were connected with the lack of the proper textual language in the U.S Constitution regarding the applicability of the rule. This fact can be explained by the fact that many opponents the rule suggest that the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court has been exceeded by this rule. They argue that the legislative branch is responsible for issuing such laws, rules and regulation (Bast Hawkins, 2010).However, there is another view of this issue. The proponents of the Exclusionary Rule consider that the Bill of Rights is unproductive without the application of the Exclusionary Rule (Kerr, 2010). In fact, many issues can be resolved prior to trial in the court through the application of the so-called motion to suppress (Bast Hawkins, 2010; Hemmens et al., 2009). The United States is the only nation that protects citizens from illegal searches and seizures conducted by the police through the application of the E xclusionary Rule.Current status of the Exclusionary Ruleand its exceptions created by the U. S. Supreme CourtIn the 1980s, the scope of the Exclusionary Rule was limited by more conservative action of the U.S. Supreme Court. As a matter of fact, there are three major exceptions that should be taken into consideration by the Court, including â€Å"independent source exception, good faith exception and inevitable discovery rule† (Siegel, 2009, p. 345). Court decisions refer to the situations in which the evidence obtained by the police can be viewed as admissible in court; even there are some violations in police conduct or in the warrant issued by the court (Kerr, 2010).Independent source exception  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Independent source exception is a rule that permits the admission of evidence that has been obtained â€Å"by means wholly independent of any constitutional violation† (Siegel, 2009, p. 345). For example, if a police officer makes a decision to enter the house of a drug dealer or any other person involved in criminal activity with an arrest warrant, he has the right to search his house in order to seize important evidence, such as drugs, weapons, etc. The illegally obtained evidence can be used in the court, if, independently, a warrant has been issued to search the house for the same kind of evidence but â€Å"had not yet arrived in the scene† (Siegel, 2009, p. 345). In other words, independent source exception can be viewed as the admissible evidence obtained by the police if they can prove its independent source not linked with the illegal search or seizure (Siegel, 2009). There are two cases that can be used as examples of application of this rule: United States v. Crews (1981) and State v. O’Brernski (1967). In the case United States v. Crews (1981), the Court ruled that the initial illegal use of evidence could not affect the prosecutors’ decision to prove guilt through the applicati on of evidence obtained by the police in a constitutional manner. In the case State v. O’Brernski (1967), the testimony of a teenager girl, who was found in the house during the illegal search, regarding the defendant’s involvement in sexual activity with her, can be regarded as admissible in the court.Good faith exceptionGood faith exception to the Exclusionary Rule is a rule that permits the admission of evidence obtained by the police even there were some mistakes which can be characterized as honest, reasonable and objective. Actually, â€Å"the honest and objectively reasonable belief† by the police officer is crucial to make the act lawful (Hensley Snook, 2007, p.345). According to the court’s decision, there are seven situations that come from actual legal cases and constitute the exceptions to the Exclusionary Rule under the category of good faith exception:when the judge (or magistrate) made a mistake (the case Massachusetts v. Shappard, 1984);w hen the court employee made a mistake (the case Arizona v. Evans, 1995);when the police officers â€Å"erroneously, but honestly and reasonably† believed that the information they provided to the court was accurate (the case Maryland v. Garrison, 1987);when the police believed the person, who permitted them to enter a building or a house, was authorized to do so (the case Illinois v. Rodrigues, 1990);when the police officers obtained evidence, relying on mistakes of other police officers, and these â€Å"errors were merely negligent and isolated and not systematic, recurring and deliberate† (the case Herring v. United States, 1990);when the police officered conducted a search based on legal precedent established by the court (the case Davis v. United States, 2011) (Hensley Snook, 2007; Bast et al., 2010).Inevitable discovery ruleInevitable discovery rule is the exception to the Exclusionary Rule that permits the admission of evidence obtained the police if the police officers can prove that they would inevitably have discovered the evidence anyway by lawful means (Hemmens et al., 2009). In other words, â€Å"this rule holds that the evidence obtained through unlawful search or seizure is admissible in court if it can be established to a very high degree of probability, that police investigation would be expected to lead to the discovery of the evidence† (Siegel, 2009, p. 345). The case Nix v. Williams (1984) is based on the application of the inevitable discovery rule.Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the Exclusionary Rule is an important constitutional development that is aimed at discouraging law enforcement personnel from being engaged in misconduct. In other word, the Exclusionary Rule is effective in preventing the admission into evidence obtained by police officers unconstitutionally. Generally speaking, the Exclusionary Rule is justified because it helps to deter illegal s earches and seizures.

Post-Impressionism Era in Art History

Post-Impressionism Era in Art History The term Post-Impressionism was invented by the English painter and critic Roger Fry as he prepared for an exhibition at the Grafton Gallery in London in 1910. The show, held November 8, 1910–January 15, 1911) was called Manet and the Post-Impressionists, a canny marketing ploy which paired a brand name (Édouard Manet) with younger French artists whose work was not well known on the other side of the English Channel. The up-and-comers in the exhibition included the painters Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cà ©zanne, Paul Gauguin, George Seurat, Andrà © Derain, Maurice de Vlaminck, and Othon Friesz, plus the sculptor Aristide Maillol. As the art critic and historian Robert Rosenblum explained, Post-Impressionists... felt the need to construct private pictorial worlds upon the foundations of Impressionism. For all intents and purposes, it is accurate to include the Fauves among the  Post-Impressionists. Fauvism, best described as a  movement-within-a-movement, was characterized by artists who used color, simplified forms and ordinary subject matter in their paintings. Eventually, Fauvism evolved into Expressionism. Reception As a group and individually, the Post-Impressionist artists pushed the ideas of the Impressionists in new directions. The word Post-Impressionism indicated both their link to the original Impressionist ideas and their departure from those ideas - a modernist journey from the past into the future. The Post-Impressionist movement was not a lengthy one. Most scholars place Post-Impressionism from the mid-to-late-1880s to the early 1900s. Frys exhibition and a follow-up which appeared in 1912 were received by the critics and public alike as nothing less than anarchy - but the outrage was brief. By 1924, the writer ​Virginia Woolf commented that the Post-Impressionists had changed human consciousness, forcing writers and painters into less certain, experimental efforts. The Key Characteristics of Post-Impressionism The Post-Impressionists were an eclectic bunch of individuals, so there were no broad, unifying characteristics. Each artist took an aspect of Impressionism and exaggerated it. For example, during the Post-Impressionist movement, Vincent van Gogh intensified Impressionisms already vibrant colors and painted them thickly on the canvas (a technique known as  impasto). Van Goghs energetic brushstrokes expressed emotional qualities. While it is difficult to characterize an artist as unique and unconventional as van Gogh, art historians generally view his earlier works as representative of Impressionism,  and his later works as examples of Expressionism (art loaded with charged emotional content). In other examples, Georges Seurat took the rapid, broken brushwork of Impressionism and developed it into the millions of colored dots that create Pointillism, while Paul Cà ©zanne elevated Impressionisms separation of colors into separations of whole planes of color.   Cezanne and Post-Impressionism It is important not to understate the role of Paul Cà ©zanne in both Post-Impressionism and his later influence on modernism. Cezannes paintings included many different subject matters, but all included his trademark color techniques. He painted landscapes of French towns including Provence, portraits that included The Card Players, but may be best known among modern art lovers for his still life paintings of fruit. Cezanne became a major influence on Modernists such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, both of whom revered the French master as a father.   The list below pairs the leading artists with their respective Post-Impressionist Movements. Best-Known Artists Vincent van Gogh - ExpressionismPaul Cà ©zanne - Constructive PictorialismPaul Gauguin - Symbolist, Cloisonnism, Pont-AvenGeorges Seurat - Pointillism (a.k.a. Divisionism or Neoimpressionism)Aristide Maillol - The NabisÉdouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard - IntimistAndrà © Derain, Maurice de Vlaminck and Othon Friesz - Fauvism Sources Nicolson B. 1951. Post-Impressionism and Roger Fry. The Burlington Magazine 93 (574):11-15.Quick JR. 1985. Virginia Woolf, Roger Fry . The Massachusetts Review 26(4):547-570.and Post-Impressionism

Cells essays

Cells essays Proteins made from ribosomes attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum enter the lumen of the ER and move to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. A small vacuole (vesicle) pinches off the smooth ER and carries the protein to the Golgi apparatus, where it is further processed. Mitochondria are bounded by a double membrane. The inner membrane is folded to form little shelves, called cristae, which project into the matrix, an inner space filled with a gel-like fluid. A vacuole is a large membrane-enclosed sac that usually functions as a storage area. Plant vacuoles contain not only water, sugars, and salts but also pigments and toxic substances. The pigments are responsible for many of the red, blue, or purple colors of flowers and some leaves. The green pigment chlorophyll, found within the grana, makes chloroplasts and leaves green. Chlorophyll absorbs solar energy, and chloroplasts convert this energy into ATP molecules. Chloroplasts carry on the process of photosynthesis, in which light energy is used to produce food molecules, such as glucose. Chloroplasts take in carbon dioxide, water, and solar energy in order to produce glucose and oxygen. The energy-related organelles, chloroplasts and mitochondria, convert one form of energy into another. While chloroplasts are unique to plant cells, mitochondria are found in both plant and animal cells. Chloroplasts carry on photosynthesis, during which light energy (photo) is used to produce food molecules, like glucose (synthesis). Chloroplasts take in carbon dioxide, water, and solar energy in order to produce glucose and give off oxygen. Mitochondria are often called the powerhouses of the cell: just as a powerhouse burns fuel to produce electricity, the mitochondria convert the chemical energy of glucose products into the chemical energy of ATP molecules. Chromatin, a threadlike material, contains DNA and is found within the nucleus. At the time of cell division, chromatin conde...

History and Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History and Art - Essay Example With other major concerns such as economic crisis, war between nations, and population growth, who would pay immediate notice to the fact that behind the aesthetic beauty of an art piece, a battle is being fought against sexism and racism for the sake of the underrepresented artists? While it may be too delicate an issue to dwell on surface as to draw public attention on a larger scale, strong advocates of gender and racial equality like the Guerrilla Girls, as they call themselves, apparently, could not but admit silence is shame and argue: â€Å"You don’t have to have a penis to be a genius† (Guerrilla Girls 202). Most of us may claim to possess different perspectives on the matter and plainly express that besides the problematic social and cultural structure which basically governs the manner by which inequality prevails among sexes and races, there are other deeper troubles that deserve a more adequate focus. However, our attitude of ignoring the issue that merely a bout ten percent of museums or galleries consist of art exhibitions by women and artists of color can be held accountable for the existence of all other chief worries that fail to be attended to in proper terms due to insights and ways of living that maintain their racist and patriarchal nature. As long as there lives lack of empowerment for women and non-whites, it is self-evident that equilibrium and harmony would not settle right where they ought to be unless a balance is struck somewhere for a significant realization that in professing to improve a nation, both sexes regardless of race must come in front to execute equal control of change and progress. Upon thorough examination of the article, I suppose this is the ultimate goal that sustains the principal reason of the Guerrilla Girls for continuing to be â€Å"the conscience of the art world (203).† I admire the Guerrilla Girls for their feminist and anti-racist stance since the 80s especially because despite the gorill a masks they wear for anonymity and the rather annoying taunting style of protest for the main cause, they demonstrate an unconventional approach of hurling insults at prominent sexist and racist figures alike. Having waved their banner with jest-filled pronouncements of deviation from what they perceive as sickening norms of injustice within race and gender, such female organization serves as a degree of innovation to radical feminist groups whose overly serious actions on meeting similar ends cost lives and immunity to the point of dormancy. This is widely evident via the controversial works which earned them huge critique via statements and efforts as â€Å"When Racism & Sexism Are No Longer Fashionable, What Will Your Art Collection Be Worth?† and the gradual transformation of the Whitney Museum Biennials which used to practise racial and sexual exclusion (204). By injecting a concept of provocative humor into ideals, the Guerrilla Girls manage to have weaved an object of interest to which art supporters become naturally drawn. Among the recent fruits of their endeavor I believe was Anya Kivarkis, the recipient of the Sienna Gallery Emerging Artist Award in 2007 for creations like ‘Blind Spot’, ‘Neo-Palatial: Objects of Virtue and Vice’, and ‘Extreme Beauty’. I feel that her projects reflect how the political struggle of the Guerrilla Girls has truly paid off for though female, her expertise in the field of

Creativity, Innovation & Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Creativity, Innovation & Sustainability - Essay Example Unless creativity is encouraged on universal level, the world’s resources will continue to decline causing a danger to the sustainable development and increasing miseries and challenges for the generations to come. Past research has shown that there exists a link between personal creativity and an ability to gain the competitive advantage in business. In a study conducted by (Quporsi, 2010), competitive advantage was considered as the dependent variable whereas the marketing innovation and creativity was chosen as independent variable. The latter was found to have a significant impact on the former when varied in the selected sample of workers in Jordanian banks. Economic strength is fundamental to the flourishment of business. Economic strength can only be enhanced by devising new and creative ways of doing business that ensure a continuous and uninterrupted supply of services to the consumers like online banking and shopping. Some of the key management issues that are encountered in the way of fostering creativity and innovation process are the fundamental characteristics and the structure of the strategy designed to achieve innovation, management of the ever existing uncertainty, and above all, the human resources. Introducing innovation and creativity in the culture of an organization requires the managers to earn the confidence of all personnel involved in the process that assume responsible positions in the core structure of the organizational hierarchy. The concept of innovation and creativity is intrinsically opposite to the conventional rules, principles and norms prevalent in the culture of the organization and therefore, is likely to be criticized by those who are indeed, required to be active players of implementation of the measures taken for achieving creativity. An organization is dependent upon its staff for achieving its short and long term objectives. Its culture is influenced by the way

Public History Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public History Project - Essay Example The paper will explore various aspects of this museum and its significance in providing to us the historical context of American Civil War in relation to abolition of slavery in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freedom House Museum is situated in the state of Alexandria in United States. It is based on the building that was originally possessed by a trading firm that used to deal in slaves. It was back in 1800’s when this company came into being to fulfill the requirements of people who wanted to own slaves for money. The slaves were basically Blacks who were deprived of any right to claim their freedom and were thus treated as slaves by birth. It was the result of the lack of realization of basic human rights in that era. The slavery had been started from 1706 with the advent of trade with Africans. The Africans were forced to the other areas where people purchased them on account of money. However, the advent of domestic slavery took place in 1860’s where natives Amer icans were being held captives. Not only adult men and women were enslaved but children were also being kept as slaves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The historians have narrated various incidents, which shed light on the type of treatment slaves had to go through. The people visiting Freedom House Museum can witness the artifacts providing an overview of the life of slaves before the start of Civil War in America. The people bought as slaves were treated worse than animals and were whipped often. There was no difference being considered among the enslavement of an adult and a child. In a book, ‘Slavery and the Making of America’, the author throws light on the pathetic life of slaves by narrating heartrending tales by slaves themselves. The book describes the torture the Black slaves had to undergo that was based on occasional beating, chaining down with other severe punishments that were being imposed on a minor mistake committed by the slave. The slaves were forced to do a ny kind of work their master assigned them and were not appreciated for their work. Instead, it was considered their duty to please their master without questioning anyone about their slavery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The slaves were used for various purposes among which using them as laborers to work in fields or other jobs was a common practice by Americans. They were also made to construct buildings that were basically the earliest ones to be constructed. Moreover, there was a high demand of slaves for working in cotton fields which was met by the slave trading firms that provided domestic slaves on payment of money. Nearly 1000 slaves were being sold by a trading firm by Franklin and Armfield in a year. In the museum, there are numerous artifacts with pictures of the owners of slave trading firm. There are heavy iron shackles as well that were used to chain down the slaves. The area brings to one’s mind the sad aspects of history where the value of a human being was lesser than an animal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While going through the Freedom House Museum, one gets an insight into the history of US Civil War as well which was caused to end slavery from America. Abraham Lincoln once the president of America is credited with the abolition of slavery who initiated a campaign to end the enslavement of Blacks. A civil war came into place from 1861 to 1865 that resulted in the deaths of thousands of militants and innocent civilians. The Northern America succeeded in civil war that was

Edit Submission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Edit Submission - Essay Example e common in the interaction with the political figures has been addressed by the numerous political forums that are available on the social media and networks. The grievances and complaints of the citizens of any country can be expressed to the officials in a far more reliable and fast manner than before. The emergence of any news on the web is analogous to fire in a dry forest in the modern times. Any act of misconduct by the government cannot be hidden since people have acquired greater power to voice their opinions with the advent of the internet. The recent uprising in the Arab countries, such as Egypt, Libya, could not have been arranged with such unity and effectiveness if the social media and networks had not been available. The risings were led by no apparent leaders but at the spur of collective thinking and ideas. The dictatorial nature of the leadership in those countries always forbade any expression of negativity towards the rulers; however the accumulation of agitation among the masses on the web transformed into a historical revolution that freed the people from years of dictatorship. The citizens are more aware about the prevailing political activities which make them capable of possessing a strong opinion about everything in their societies. These opinions are known to gain voice on the political forums which can prove to influence the core objectives of the political parties. Democratic parties tend to rely on such internet communication even more than dictatorial rule. Specifically, the communication and campaigning is noticed to escalate in the times of the elections. An apparent benefit of political communication over the internet is that the political parties can evaluate the responses and comments of their voters and strategize their actions accordingly. This proves to become an on-going survey for the political parties since the success or failure of any event or procedure can be retrieved on an immediate basis via social

Sexually Objectifying Music Videos and Lyric Increase Sexual Violence Research Paper

Sexually Objectifying Music Videos and Lyric Increase Sexual Violence - Research Paper Example pared to male characters since music videos portray women as sex objects because they use revealing or provocative clothes which display excessive skin exposure. Recent analysis of rap and hip hop music videos documents the presence of misogyny, which is defined as a sexualizing women and the dominance of men over women. The theme is visible in when numerous and highly sexualized women dance provocatively while wearing revealing clothes and being submissive to male artists other characters who are male in the music video. The result suggests that even though male characters are associated with various themes, female characters are mostly associated with position of objectification. Another recent content analysis study examined various sexual objectifications in other video music genres that include country and hip hop. The study showed that most of the sample video of female artists contained sexual objectification indicators like close-up shots of private body parts, touching of pe rsonal sexual body parts, sexualized dancing or ample skin exposure. Therefore, sexual objectification is not exclusively done to female characters by their male counterparts; but rather most female artists engage in acts of sexual objectification of their bodies. In accordance with objectification theory, sexual objectification is conceptually defined as a considering an individual as a body only valued by its use by others. Thus, basing on the definition, sexual objectification operationalized both in visual representation of female artists’ bodies and their behavior. Sexual objectification is common in media culture; however, music videos offer the potent example of it (Aubrey, Megan and Wanjiru 365). To understand how exposure to sexually objectifying music videos link to constructs... This "Sexually Objectifying Music Videos and Lyric Increase Sexual Violence" outlines how such types of video affect level of sexual violence. Research show that music video often differs in the way they portray men and women; generally showing men in more positive light compared to females. Specifically women are depicted in positions of submission compared to men; besides, men are likely to perpetuate violence and women are portrayed as victims. Music videos often show women dressed in provoking clothing specifically in sexually objectified music videos, the variation in the depictions of both men and women signifies the significance of considering gender differences in music video (Conrad, Travis, and Yuanyuan 137-138). Significant increase in sexualized videos results in idealized body perfection in young children, which is difficult to attain even for models that perpetuate the industry practice. Objectified music videos lead people to believe in reality that never exists which is detrimental especially to adolescents. Repeated exposure to sexually objectified music results in gender-stereotyped ideas and images that contribute to sexist attitudes and beliefs like sexual harassment and etc. Though, sexual objectification is one type of gender harassment, it takes into consideration other hosts of oppressions that women face ranging from employment discernment, trivialization and sexual violence. Consumption of sexually objectified music allows women to accept the tendency of viewing women as objects.

Death In The Line Of Duty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death In The Line Of Duty - Research Paper Example The bodies were later discovered in the burn room when the fire was suppressed. They all were wearing appropriate and complete personal protective Equipment and the two victims met the required State and department qualifications for the exercise. The two Florida firefighters were trapped and overwhelmed by the fire progress—a flashover which led to smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. The flashover was induced by horizontal ventilation, which happened within a very short span of time after the opening of the window in the fire room. It must be noted that between the growth phase and the fully developed phase of a fire is what is known as flashover—occurs when all the combustible materials in the room is ignited, simultaneously reaching their ignition temperatures up to 1000 °F (International Association of Fire Chiefs, â€Å"Fundamentals† 137). While LT Mickel and FF Begg had their experience and qualifications as firefighters with their full protective clothing, there was a problem on the way the whole team handled the training exercise. They failed to anticipate the potential fire behavior in the burn room due to miscalculations. The Office of the State Fire Marshall and NIST concluded that a flashover has occurred due to excessive fuel loads. The fire analysis conducted by NIST revealed that â€Å"the gases were so fuel rich in the burn room that it took the fire seconds to mix with the oxygen and flashover† (NIOSH 4). The fuel consisted of â€Å"five wooden pallets, a bale of straw, and a twin-size urethane foam,† which however been augmented by interior materials such as â€Å"carpeting, foam urethane padding, hollow core closet doors, wood molding, wall-mounted headboards, and painted gypsum board on the walls and ceiling mattress† resulting in flashover when the window was vented (NIOSH 3). In fine, the energy level produced by these fuel loads was far beyond the design capabilities of the victims’ gears making it

Edit Submission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Edit Submission - Essay Example e common in the interaction with the political figures has been addressed by the numerous political forums that are available on the social media and networks. The grievances and complaints of the citizens of any country can be expressed to the officials in a far more reliable and fast manner than before. The emergence of any news on the web is analogous to fire in a dry forest in the modern times. Any act of misconduct by the government cannot be hidden since people have acquired greater power to voice their opinions with the advent of the internet. The recent uprising in the Arab countries, such as Egypt, Libya, could not have been arranged with such unity and effectiveness if the social media and networks had not been available. The risings were led by no apparent leaders but at the spur of collective thinking and ideas. The dictatorial nature of the leadership in those countries always forbade any expression of negativity towards the rulers; however the accumulation of agitation among the masses on the web transformed into a historical revolution that freed the people from years of dictatorship. The citizens are more aware about the prevailing political activities which make them capable of possessing a strong opinion about everything in their societies. These opinions are known to gain voice on the political forums which can prove to influence the core objectives of the political parties. Democratic parties tend to rely on such internet communication even more than dictatorial rule. Specifically, the communication and campaigning is noticed to escalate in the times of the elections. An apparent benefit of political communication over the internet is that the political parties can evaluate the responses and comments of their voters and strategize their actions accordingly. This proves to become an on-going survey for the political parties since the success or failure of any event or procedure can be retrieved on an immediate basis via social

Death In The Line Of Duty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death In The Line Of Duty - Research Paper Example The bodies were later discovered in the burn room when the fire was suppressed. They all were wearing appropriate and complete personal protective Equipment and the two victims met the required State and department qualifications for the exercise. The two Florida firefighters were trapped and overwhelmed by the fire progress—a flashover which led to smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. The flashover was induced by horizontal ventilation, which happened within a very short span of time after the opening of the window in the fire room. It must be noted that between the growth phase and the fully developed phase of a fire is what is known as flashover—occurs when all the combustible materials in the room is ignited, simultaneously reaching their ignition temperatures up to 1000 °F (International Association of Fire Chiefs, â€Å"Fundamentals† 137). While LT Mickel and FF Begg had their experience and qualifications as firefighters with their full protective clothing, there was a problem on the way the whole team handled the training exercise. They failed to anticipate the potential fire behavior in the burn room due to miscalculations. The Office of the State Fire Marshall and NIST concluded that a flashover has occurred due to excessive fuel loads. The fire analysis conducted by NIST revealed that â€Å"the gases were so fuel rich in the burn room that it took the fire seconds to mix with the oxygen and flashover† (NIOSH 4). The fuel consisted of â€Å"five wooden pallets, a bale of straw, and a twin-size urethane foam,† which however been augmented by interior materials such as â€Å"carpeting, foam urethane padding, hollow core closet doors, wood molding, wall-mounted headboards, and painted gypsum board on the walls and ceiling mattress† resulting in flashover when the window was vented (NIOSH 3). In fine, the energy level produced by these fuel loads was far beyond the design capabilities of the victims’ gears making it

Toyota Recall Essay Example for Free

Toyota Recall Essay They have concluded that a precision-cut steel reinforcement bar (Consumer FAQ, 2010) needs to be installed on the pedal for it to eliminate any unnecessary friction that is causing the pedals to stick. Toyota is ensuring that the installation of the steel reinforcement bar is a permanent fix and will eliminate the tension between the two surfaces and the pedals will no longer stick. Toyota has also done the following to reach their customers and take care of the recall issue: 1 . They have mailed letters to all owners of vehicles involved in the recall. The letter contains specific instructions on what to do to get their vehicles fixed. 2. Many Toyota dealerships have extended their service hours in order to meet the needs of the consumers. 3. Within those dealerships they are working to improve customer relations by expediting repairs, offering free car washes, oil changes and follow up maintenance service. 4. In order to support its dealerships Toyota has provided financial help to cover any additional costs related to the recalls. All with the end consumer in mind. They want their customers to be able to resolve the issue as quickly and conveniently as possible. 5. Toyota has put together informational videos, campaigns and press releases describing the problem and advising their customers of the risks associated with the recall and advising them of quick a solution. 6. They are working closely with CTS on future manufacturing processes to avoid any additional problems. Overall, yes I think Toyota is handling the problem to the best of their ability and ssues and are guaranteeing that their simple fix to their poor design is a permanent fix. They are working with CTS to improve the design and future manufacturing practices for their parts. They are supporting their dealerships, doing what they can to keep the customers involved and informed of new findings. They are putting their customers first. I do think their efforts are limited; they can only fix so many cars at a time, I believe Toyota will be more selective on who they choose to manufacture their parts from now on. Like the old saying says you live you learn Toyota was focused n becoming the number one automaker in the world and once it obtained the title it may have forgotten why they became the number one automaker in the world, which was quality. In my opinion they are handling the problem with class and integrity. Once you fall all you can do is get up and keep walking and that is exactly what Toyota is doing. This recall only affected 8 of their Toyota models, not any others or other lines such as their Lexus brand or their scion.

Medical Aspects Of Disaster Management Health And Social Care Essay

Medical Aspects Of Disaster Management Health And Social Care Essay On December 26, 2004, a violent earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale struck off the western coast of northern Sumatra. It initiated several tsunamis (tidal waves) that took more than 200,000 lives. It was the deadliest natural disaster in the past quarter of a century. But as horrible as it was, it was but a ripple compared to some quakes in recorded history. In 1556, an earthquake in China took the lives of 830,000 people. In India, an earthquake in 1737 killed 300,000. Almost thirty years ago (1976), a massive quake in China left 655,000 dead. The Sumatra quake, which scientists have measured with modern instruments, was so powerful that it is believed to have moved some islands about 50 feet. In addition, seismologists think that it wobbled the earth on its axis, accelerating the rotation speed, thus shortening the length of our day by fractions of a second which is remarkable in view of the planets precision movements. The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of TÃ…Â hoku (TÃ…Â hoku-chihÃ…Â  TaiheiyÃ…Â  Oki Jishin), often referred to in Japan as Higashi nihon daishin-sai was one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world since modern record-keeping began in 1900.The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 metres. The earthquake moved Honshu (the main island of Japan) 2.4 m east and shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of between 10 cm and 25 cm. This earthquake claimed 15,878 lives, left 6,126 injured, and 2,713 people missing . The earthquake and tsunami also caused extensive and severe structural damage in north-eastern Japan . Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, In the 65 years after the end of World War II, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan. Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity and 1.5 million without water. The tsunami caused nuclear accidents, p rimarily the level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. The World Banks estimated economic cost was US$235 billion, making it the most costly natural disaster in world history. Besides these, there have been the super cyclone in Orissa, earthquakes in Latur and Gujarat all of which have caused massive loss of life, distress, discomfort, disease and disability. Inspite of all this, we still await the so called Diego Maradonnas Hand of God to bail us out of each natural crisis causing incident. DISASTER STATISTICS In the past fifty years more than 10000 natural disasters have been reported, more than five billion people have been affected, more than twelve million persons have been killed and the economic costs have been greater than US dollars four trillion. In India during the period 1990 to 2006 more than 23000 lives have been lost in six major earthquakes(Uttarkasi, 1991;Latur,1993;Jabalpur,1997; Chamoli,1999;Bhuj,2001;JK ,2005.) Enormous damage has been caused to property and public infrastructure. The twin super-cyclones that hit Orissa in Oct 1999 affected 24 Districts, 219 blocks and 18790 villages resulting in loss of 8495human lives, 450,000 lives of cattle and damaging two million homes and 23000 schools. The Bhuj earthquake was a terrible human tragedy in which13,805 lives were lost that included 1031 school children and around 167,000 persons suffered multiple injuries This was in the wake of two consecutive years of drought. Disaster defined At the cost of repetition in the text it is important for us to understand and comprehend the term disaster. Disaster is a term very often figuratively used in day to day parlance. For instance, if, as professionals, you are making a presentation on some of your work which you highly value and the response of the audience is not exactly as per your expectations despite your utilizing all available resources, you would generally refer to such a presentation as being a disaster. Thus disaster is an unexpected event in which there is a sudden and massive disproportion between the hostile elements of any kind and the survival resources that are available to counterbalance these in the shortest period of time. There is no generally accepted definition of disasters. A study by Debacker found greater than 100 definitions of disaster. The variations occurred with professional role. The commonalities in all definitions are that disaster is a sudden and an extraordinary event wherein the deman d for health care resources is greater than those that can be supplied, where outside help and resources are needed and which causes disruption of infrastructure, loss of life, material damage and distress. In short disaster is an event where the response needed is greater than the response available. One of the more professional definitions of disaster (Humberside County Council UK) would read as under:- Disaster is a major incident arising with little or no warning causing or threatening death or serious injury to or rendering homeless, such numbers of persons in excess of those which can be dealt with by the public services operating under normal procedures and which calls for the special mobilization and organization of these services. Natural Disasters As we are deliberating on natural disasters, it may be worthwhile bringing out the fact that the Indian subcontinent is amongst the worlds most disaster prone areas with approximately 60 % of land mass is prone to earthquakes of moderate to high intensity, 8% of land vulnerable to cyclones, 12% of land mass is vulnerable to floods and 68% of cultivable area is prone to drought. The hilly areas are constantly at risk from landslides and avalanches and flash floods. With its vast territory, large population and unique geoclimatic conditions, the Indian subcontinent is exposed to natural calamities and catastrophies. While the vulnerability varies from region to region, a large part of the country is exposed to natural hazards which often turn into disasters causing significant disruption of socio-economic life of communities and to loss of life and property. For the ease of understanding Natural disasters could be classified as depicted in the Figure. Classification of Natural Disasters (a) Natural phenomenon beneath the earths surface  Ã‚ ¬Earthquakes including Tsunamis  Ã‚ ¬Volcanic Eruptions (b) Natural phenomenon at the earths surface  Ã‚ ¬Landslides  Ã‚ ¬Avalanche (c) Meteorological/hydrological phenomenon  Ã‚ ¬Cyclones  Ã‚ ¬Typhoons  Ã‚ ¬Hurricanes  Ã‚ ¬Tornados  Ã‚ ¬Hailstorms  Ã‚ ¬Sandstorms  Ã‚ ¬Floods  Ã‚ ¬Sea-surge  Ã‚ ¬Droughts Characteristics of Disasters Before we proceed any further let us briefly enumerate the characteristic features of a disaster since these will help us subsequently in formulating an appropriate disaster management strategy. The overwhelming characteristic features of a natural or any other type of disaster are:- (a) Suddenness of Occurrence. (b) Vastness of Damage. (c) Loss of Life and Property. (d) Disruption of Communication. (e) Panic and Anxiety. First Day First Person Ground Zero Report From Military Hospital Bhuj GS Sandhu Masses of humanity, crushed and mutilated limbs dangling, heads split open, shattered bones, and people coming in endless streams, tugging at the doctors sleeves to leave the patients they were attending to come and see their near and dear ones, crying, sobbing, screaming. This is the lasting impression of 26th January 2001 which I will carry with me for the rest of my life.- Extract of authors interview in Indian Express dated 8th February 2001. 1. Though the Kutch district of Gujarat is located in Seismic zone V, there was a general lack of awareness of the seismic risk and its implications among all sections of the society. The earthquake struck without warning at 0846 hrs on 26 Jan 2001. The epicenter was located 30 km north-east of Bhuj and measured 6.9 on the Richter scale. The impact was sudden and devastating. The local community was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the disaster and its resources rendered non-functional. 2. Military Hospital Bhuj is a small peripheral hospital, providing medical cover in the basic specialties. In the aftermath of the earthquake, this hospital acted as the first and sole responder, despite having suffered severe structural damage and its personnel and their families also being victims of the natural calamity. The principal task was to ensure operational readiness of the hospital for mass casualty management. A number of concurrent activities were initiated. Multiple reception, triage and resuscitation stations were set up. Indoor patients were moved out because of recurring aftershocks. Salvage of equipment and stores from collapsed buildings was commenced. An improvised surgical zone with makeshift operation tables was set up on hard standing. Pre and post operative areas were marked adjacent to this zone. Patient holding and evacuation areas were demarcated. Doctors from the town came to help in looking after the sea of injured humanity pouring into this sole medica l facility functioning in the disaster zone. The local army formation provided generator sets, water tankers, tents and personnel for crowd control. 3. A simple standardized patient management protocol adapted to the locally available resources and skills was devised. The aim of this protocol was to standardize treatment, save lives, prevent major secondary complications and prepare casualties to withstand evacuation to hospitals outside the disaster zone. Graded assessment was carried out, to cope with the sudden massive influx of casualties. Paramedical personnel did the initial assessment by grading the casualties into major and minor injuries. All patients with major injuries were resuscitated with IV fluids and exhibited antibiotics and parenteral Diclofenac analgesia. The physician and medical officers carried out airway management. The gynaecologist, who was also the administrative leader of the team, triaged the patients into those whose injuries could be handled locally and those who would require definitive management at specialized facilities. The final decision as to the salvage of limbs was performed by the surgeons at the operating table itself. 4. An idea of the difficult circumstances in which this emergency humanitarian action was executed can be gauged by the following situation in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake a) Collapse of the civil command and control structure in face of the magnitude of the disaster b) Structural damage to Military Hospital Bhuj c) Suboptimal / Inadequate surgical conditions d) Lack of communications e) Lack of water and electricity supply 5. Despite these constraints approximately 3000 casualties were handled at MH Bhuj before the first relief teams arrived around 2300 hrs on 26 Jan 2001. The problems encountered in handling casualties in these large numbers related to a) Crowd control b) Documentation c) Shortages of essential supplies d) Biomedical waste disposal e) Monitoring of the seriously injured f) Disposal of dead bodies g) Evacuation to specialized facilities 6. No country or community can be fully prepared to deal with sudden impact disasters. During the first few hours or even days, the affected community is isolated and must cope up the best it can. In a disaster situation the functions of the armed forces closely parallel those of the emergency services. The armed forces are trained to develop quick response capabilities. Their management and administrative systems function in a self contained, self sufficient and coordinated manner. The armed forces medical services have contingency plans and training to cater to mass casualty management. These capabilities allowed a small peripheral hospital to act as a sole responder to a disaster of overwhelming magnitude. The author was commanding the military hospital at Bhuj, Gujarat on 26th January 2001 Medical Role and Organization As we can see the management of natural disasters involves a host of disciplines working together to combat the ills and adverse effects of the disaster incident .This text will, however, be restricted to the medical role and organization during disaster incidences. This, however, in no way, is meant to malign the importance of other public services and agencies which are equally essential and play a vital role in the management of natural disasters. In fact these agencies contribute immensely towards successful and effective implementation of any disaster management strategy and are complementary to the efforts of the medical organization. The medical role will depend upon :- (a) Nature of the Disaster (b) Medical organisation set up for combating the natural disaster (c) The degree of involvement of the elements of the medical organisation in the Disaster incidence ie whether a hospital providing relief and rescue assistance is involved or not involved in the disaster situation The primary element of any health care delivery system that comes into operation during a natural disaster is the hospital. The role of a hospital will vary, depending upon the prevailing scenario :- (a) The hospital itself is not involved in the disaster. (b) The hospital is directly involved in the disaster. (c) The hospital is indirectly involved in the disaster. (d) The disaster affects the hospital only. In case the hospital is not itself involved in the disaster situation it can be geared up fully to meet the demands of such an eventuality. In case the hospital is directly affected by the disaster situation it will then be affected in the same manner as the general population and will then have to reorganize itself to provide medical aid not only to the community but also its own inmates and staff. In situations where the hospital is indirectly affected by disruption in some of its facilities and services like water and electricity supply, communication facility it will have to appropriately modify its own plan of action. These aspects have to be built into the disaster plan of the hospital. Aims and Objectives of Medical Role and Organisation During Natural Disasters The aim of any medical organisation during a natural disaster is to provide prompt and effective medical care to the largest number of people needing that care in order to bring about early recovery and reduce the death and disability associated with the disaster incident. A paradigm shift is needed from traditional approach to a casualty under normal circumstances. The approach has to shift from the traditional ALL FOR ONE to ONE FOR ALL. The primary objectives of the medical organisation during natural disasters are :- (a) To prepare the staff and institutional resources for optimal performance in an emergency situation of certain magnitude. (b) To make the community and other counter disaster agencies aware of the capabilities, execution and benefits of the medical disaster plans. (c) To establish security, traffic control and public information arrangements. The medical role during a disaster incident includes (a) Sending Mobile Medical Teams / Quick Reaction Medical Teams / First aid teams to the site of the disaster. (b) Providing First Aid and Basic Life Support at the site of the incidence (Pre hospital stabilization) (c) Sorting out the afflicted victims into priorities for evacuation (Triage) (d) Safe and Speedy transportation from the site of incidence to the location of providing definitive care. (e) Providing Advance Life Support and definitive care at the hospitals (f) Provisioning of Rehabilitation Services to the affected individuals (g) Care of the dead and moribund individuals. (h) Prevention of Epidemics and other related health hazards (Environmental health management). (j) Epidemiological and Health-surveillance efforts (k) Setting up Communication Centres for providing relevant information to the public, community and other agencies. To carry out the above roles to perfection at the time of a disaster event it is mandatory that all concerned in the medical organization must be aware of their roles and responsibilities. Thus arises the necessity of having a well designed and integrated Disaster Plan. Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail when the event actually happens. Planning provides the opportunity to network and engage all participants prior to the event. It provides the opportunity to resolve issues outside of the heat of the battle. Experience tells us that thinking about and planning for disasters is not as painful as having to explain why we didnt. Principles of Natural Disaster Plan of a Medical Organisation The basic principles which form the template of a Natural Disaster Plan are :- (a) Simplicity It should be simple and operationally functional (b) Flexibility It should be executable for various forms and dimensions of different disasters (c) Clarity It should lay down a clear definition of authority and responsibilities and not use too many technical jargons (d) Concise It should be suitable for the type of hospital and not be so voluminous that nobody will read it (e) Adaptability Although the plan is intended to provide standardized procedures, it should have an inherent scope for adaptability to different situations that can emerge during disasters (f) Extension of normal hospital working It should be made in such a way that the plan merges with the normal functioning of the hospital (g) Practiced Regularly to make it work and to recognize and reduce and eliminate the shortcomings. (h) Permanent and periodically updated based upon the experiences gained from rehearsals and disaster situations faced (j) A part of a Regional Disaster Plan. The key issues involved in any disaster plan are Preplanning, Communications, Co-ordination, Training and Regular practice. Without these elements no amount of technical skills and modern technology can mitigate the sufferings of disaster victims. Pre-requisites for Disaster Planning There are certain pre -requisites that require to be deliberated before planning for and managing disaster events. These are briefly described as under :- (a) Hazard / Vulnerability Analysis: This is based on past experiences and the vulnerability status of the localities that are within the ambit of the administrative and clinical jurisdiction of the health care facility. For example if an area is prone to earthquakes it is important that the hospital building is earthquake proof and the Disaster Plan of the hospital is able to cater to the rescue and relief of the victims of the earthquake. It is also important to remember that Earthquakes, Accidents dont come with prior notice but Floods, Cyclones do. Pre disaster preparedness in later case can prove to be very useful. (b) The Role, Responsibilities and Work relationships amongst all the staff of the health care institution must be clarified. (c) Hospital Capability Analysis: It is also essential to be familiar with the hospital treatment capacity should mass casualties suddenly arrive without adequate prior notice. Generally as a thumb rule the Hospital Treatment Capacity is 3% of total Hospital Beds whereas the Hospital Surgical Capacity in an eight hourly shift can roughly be calculated as under:- No. of operating rooms x 7 x 0.25 (d) Hospital Community cooperation in Disaster Planning: This is also an essential precondition and the outside support must be kept on alert and must be signalled to move at appropriate time to be in position in affected area immediately before the arrival of the casualties. Who Should Make the Hospital Disaster Plan? This is the next obvious question as to who should be responsible for making a hospital disaster plan. More often than not it is felt that this is the responsibility of the Hospital Administrators only. Well, the hospital administrators do play a major role in framing, coordinating, rehearsing and implementing the disaster plan but no single individual can effectively make the disaster plan of any health care set up since making the plan is a multidisciplinary affair and all disciplines should be involved in framing a plan for the implementation and success of which they are ultimately responsible. Herein lies the importance of constituting the Hospital Disaster Management Committee (HDMC). The Suggested Membership of this committee is as under :- (a) Director/Executive Head of the Hospital. (b) Departmental Heads. (c) Nursing Supdt./CNO/SNO (d) Hospital Administrator (e) O I/C Casualty Services. (f) Maintenance and Engineering Staff. (g) Staff Representative. (h) Representatives from other support services and utility services as required. Functions of HDMC It has been commonly said that sitting on a committee is like sitting on a WC. One makes a lot of noise and ultimately drops the entire matter. Well, the function of HDMC goes much beyond this saying. For this committee to function effectively, its role and responsibilities and terms of reference must be clearly laid down. Broadly the role of HDMC is :- (a) To develop the Hospital Disaster Plan. (b) To develop Departmental Plans in support of the Hospital Plan. (c) To plan Allocation of Resources. (d) To allocate duties to Hospital Staff. (e) To establish standards for emergency care. (f) To conduct and supervise Training Programme. (g) To supervise Drill to Test the Hospital Plan. (h) To review and revise the Disaster Plan at regular intervals. Components of Hospital Disaster Plan The various components of a well thought out disaster plan are enumerated below. These components will vary from one health care institution to other depending upon the capability and capacity as well as the hazard and vulnerability analysis. Notwithstanding this, the components should focus on the following aspects (a) Efficient system of Alert and Staff assignments. (b) Unified Medical Command. (c) Mobilisation of Resources (i) Medical Nursing, Administrative Staff. (ii) Medical Stores Supply and Equipment. (iii) Conversion of useable space into clearly defined areas for Reception, Triage observations and immediate care. (d) Procedure for prompt movement of patients within the hospital. (e) Procedures for discharge/referral/transfer of patients including transportation. (f) Prior establishment of Public Information Centre. (g) Security arrangements for inpatients, casualties, property of patients and the hospital etc. (h) Evaluation of Hospital Autonomy in terms of water, electricity, food and medical supplies including gases. (j) OT utilization planning. (k) Planning for X-ray, Lab and Blood Bank. The HDMC is required to prepare a disaster manual which should be crisp, easily understood by all and should contain the details of the mode of execution of the Disaster Plan. The hospital disaster manual is a written statement of the disaster plan which is required to be activated during any type of disaster and is divided into five sections which though not sacrosanct and can be modified according to the needs and requirements but they form the template on which the hospital disaster plan can be prepared and executed. A prototype of the template is given below Section I :- Introduction (a) Disaster Alert Code. (b) General Principles of conduct. (c) Brief synopsis of total plan. Section-II :- Distribution of Responsibilities (a) Requirement and responsibilities of individuals and departments. (b) Action cards. Section-III :- Chronological Action Plan (a) Initial Alert. (b) Activate hospital Disaster Plan. (i) Notify key personnel. (ii) Activate key Depts. (iii) Give details of Resource Mobilisation. (iv) Pre-arranged wards/areas for casualties. (c) Formation of a command nucleus (i) Preferably near the casualty reception. (ii) Define roles of hospital controller. (iii) Senior Nursing Officer, Hospital Admin (iv) Clinical Principles of Management of Casualties. (v) Reception. (vi) Triage (vii) Admission of Patients. (viii) Utilization of supportive services. (ix) Principles of treatment of casualties.  Ã‚ ¬Basic Life Support  Ã‚ ¬Advance Life Support  Ã‚ ¬Definitive Treatment (d) Specific problems of Disaster Management. (i) Clinical Problems.  Ã‚ ¬Less, serious patients report first.  Ã‚ ¬Contaminated casualties. (ii) Administrative Problems.  Ã‚ ¬Documentation.  Ã‚ ¬Police Documentation Team.  Ã‚ ¬Communication.  Ã‚ ¬Friends and Relatives.  Ã‚ ¬Crowd control  ® Convergence   Ã‚  effect.  Ã‚ ¬Voluntary workers.  Ã‚ ¬Patients Property.  Ã‚ ¬Press and Media.  Ã‚ ¬Disposal of Dead. Section IV :- Check List Of Personnel And Items. (a) Designation of overall medical authority. (b) Establishment of communication network. (c) Notification rosters. (d) Triage centre with Triage Officer. (e) Personnel Assignments. (f) Designation of medical teams areas of operations. (g) Routes of disposal. (h) Criteria for patient categorization. (i) Rapid documentation cards (j) Security arrangements. (k) Plans for logistics and supplies. (l) Records. (m)Evacuation system. (n) Information booth / Help desk Section V :- Repeated Rehearsals. (a) To train (b) To test performance (c) To correct weaknesses and deviations. A brief explanation of the aforementioned template is given in the subsequent paragraphs for the ease of understanding Introduction The introduction should include disaster alert code, general principles of conduct and brief synopsis of total plan. When the alert is given all personnel must report to duty and takeover their assigned jobs. A sample synopsis is placed at the end of this chapter. Distribution of Responsibilities (a) Authority and Command Nucleus : A small disaster management committee consisting of (i) Executive Head of the hospital (ii) District Health Officer/Civil Surgeon (iii) Professor of Medicine/Surgery/Officer In Charge Accident and Emergency Services (iv) Matron (b) Action Cards : The duties of each individual and dept are clearly indicated on a Action Card. These cards describe in details the responsibilities and the actions to be taken by each and every member of hospital staff starting from hospital administration to stretcher bearers and ward boys. Action card can be carried at all times and/or kept at command centre. If the designated individual proceeds on leave / out of station, then it should be the responsibility of the stand in individual to be aware of his role as per the action card. Chronological Action Plan For efficient and effective implementation during a disaster episode the action plan must be listed in chronological order. The salient features of the Action Plan are briefly explained below (a) Initial Alert : (i) Source of Alert (aa) Accident and Emergency department itself (ab) Through telephones or (ac) Through authorities like police etc. (ii) Action to be undertaken. On receipt of information, the concerned person must gather information regarding the place, time and type of disaster incident , the estimated number and type of casualties and the source of communication. He should also have a callback number if possible to remain in constant contact with the reporting personnel. This would help in determining the time available to prepare (response time) for the emergency and the necessary reorganization of hospital services to cope up with the same. (b) Activate Hospital Action Plan : The designated hospital staff activates the disaster plan. All the departments and people involved get into readiness to attend to casualties and depending upon the nature and number of casualties, crisis expansion of hospital beds is undertaken, utilizing additional space, by discharge of minor /cold cases and transfer of cases to other hospitals/ health care centres. (c) Formulation of Command Nucleus : The command nucleus should be formed immediately and located either in or close to the Accident and Emergency department. (d) Management of Casualties : This deals with (i) Admission of patients (ii) Triage and (iii) Organization of clinical services. (iv) Further treatment (v) Collection of information for management and for relatives and media (e) Hospital Management ; Once a disaster call is made and the hospital control unit established, the mobilization of the hospital services may proceed at the speed required with the minimum loss of time. Usually a number of designated areas will need to be created. (i) Reception An initial reception area acts as the first point of triage in the hospital and distributes patients to appropriate treatment zones. In addition, the initial reception will involve the documentation for casualties. The most experienced surgeons available should be responsible for triage. If staffing permits, assign specific members to care of each patient needing urgent attention. Ambulatory patients and those needing less urgent care should go to a separate area to await treatment at a convenient time. (ii) Resuscitation A large well lit open space is needed for effective resuscitation. Patients are prepared for surgery if required or sent to the wards as soon as their condition stabilizes. A senior anaesthetist is the best choice to supervise resuscitation and to prepare, with surgical advice, the theatre schedules. (iii) Operation Theatres Strict sorting is necessary to avoid blocking theatre space with patients with trivial injuries and who happen to arrive first. They may be treated in a separate theatre (Minor O.T) or at convenient times when other major problems are dealt with. Treatment in wards or Intensive Care units will need to be organized to follow initial care in accident department and the theatres. (iv) Radiology Proper radiology assessment is needed for the correct management of many casualties. Strict triage for radiology should be practiced by staff to avoid bottleneck in radiology department and over use and failure of X-ray machines or shortage of X-ray films. Portable X-ray machines will be preferred in orthopedic O.T. and image intensifiers sh