Saturday, August 31, 2019

History of Pueblo Revolt Essay

â€Å"Every piece of written history starts when somebody becomes curious and asks questions.†[1] In Weber’s compilation he gathers several of these curious peoples works and binds their writings together to form a sort of continued discussion. Arguing from different sources and coming from different backgrounds, they indubitably arrive at different conclusions. From Garner to Gutià ©rrez and from Chà ¡vez to Knaut, they all are part of a continued dialogue on what that caused the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. By addressing the readings as a sum instead of individual accounts, one can gain a more detailed view. While some poke holes in others theories, most of the time, the writers simply offer different perspectives. The vast range of the arguments speak to the difficulty of the topic. Examining an event (or series of events, as the case may be) 300 years ago is an arduous task, but trying to determine causation of such events is even more cumbersome. Typically numerous factors exist and to give these factors any sort of rankings requires a fair bit of perspiration on the part of the researcher. This essay will attempt to evaluate this eclectic mix of commentaries to sift out the strong arguments from the weak. In 1598, when Juan de Oà ±ate arrived in northern New Mexico with a small group of colonists to Pueblo country, Spain demanded payment of tribute and the friars demanded allegiance of religion. For over 80 years Spanish lived with Pueblo before the revolt – multiple generations.[2] As Knaut points out, that as â€Å"colonists were isolated from the south in a land where indigenous inhabitants numbered in the tens of thousands†, meaning there was plenty of contact between the two groups.[3] Within that time families intermarried, and a large mestizo population arose, creating an intersection in the Venn diagram of early New Mexico. What Knaut argues in Acculturation and Miscegenation is not necessarily as hard as the others to prove who or what caused the revolt, but rather works in earnest to present what he sees as the creation of a mixed culture, with syncretism occurring on both sides. Perhaps in this essay more questions that answers are created†¦ why after 82 years of living together would the Pueblos revolt? Garner has a more direct answer to this question. He, unlike Knaut, does not spend as much time underlining the syncretism that occurs, but spends more time examining the relationship between Pueblo and Franciscan, and reigning in the perhaps unfair harshness of previous works in relation to the government. Garner believed that drought, famine and Apache raids caused the revolt, shedding the competing notions that religious incompatibility or having a suitable leader as primary causes.[4] The two arguments in the proceeding articles before Garner – that religion was the primary cause – fall flat from Garner’s lens. In one instance, he cites the friction between Father Isidro Ordonez and Governor Pedro de Peralta as a result of the governments unfair treatment of the Indian. Peralta eventually decides to have Ordonez arrested, but the colonists (or ecomenderos) proceed to abandon the governor.[5] Garner goes on that governors of early New Mexico are interpreted in a negative light primarily because â€Å"documents are strongly biased against them.†[6] He explains that the reason that these documents are so biased is because of the natural tension between the writers of these records, the Franciscans, and those whom they wrote about, the governors.[7] Garner continues to impress that the Franciscans were the friend to the Indian and foe to the governor. He cites Scholes who states, â€Å"the religious and economic motives of empire were anta gonistic if not essentially incompatible.† Having earlier established a different relationship structure than what was typically seen, (a shift from the Hispanic-Pueblo dichotomy to a more complex relationship of priest-Indian-mestizo-colonist-governor) Garner then moves on to the crux of the issue – the cause of the revolt. â€Å"The kind of peace that had been pervading New Mexico was contingent upon relative prosperity,† writes Garner. The Spanish had used their organizational skills to create surpluses in the Pueblo economy – but the famine of 1670 was so implacable it essentially collapsed the system. The drought of the 1660s – the precursor to the famine – was so severe it caused â€Å"Indians and Spanish alike to eat hides and straps,† as written by Fray Francisco de Ayeta in an account to the King. In the face of such an oppressive environment, Indians naturally began to question why Spanish controlled their food source. This, coupled with a new emphasis on nativism, turned up the heat and brought the already tense situation to a simmer. This movement towards nativism perhaps may have been a reaction to Indian culture sprouting up in both mestizo and Spanish life. Garner continues on this thread noting that Governor Lopez de Mendizabal was forced to â€Å"crack down on Pueblo religious and cultural activity.† While syncretism among the Pueblos was tolerable, among the Spanish it was viewed as inexcusable. These two factors were the foci of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.[8] In contrast, the setting that Bowden and Gutià ©rrez attempt to construct in their essays is a religious clash, one that, while not noticeable immediately, was exacerbated by the droughts and famine. After introducing the essay, Bowden then discusses the similarities of the Pueblo religion, and then highlights some of the missteps the Franciscans took in their interactions and, most of all, the conversion process. First they insisted that the Pueblos should learn Spanish, and â€Å"almost without exception,† failed to make any attempt to learn native language. Also, they instituted mandatory mass attendance for all Indians – but strangely not all Spaniards. On top of this, leaders who continued practicing the previous traditions were whipped or executed.[9] (27-28) Bowden raises a number of valid points – the Franciscans do not appear to be the same persons that protested against the injustices to the Pueblos by the Governor Peralta. Rather, they seem to be creators of an oppressive environment that was quite insensitive to the Pueblo people. However, if you note Bowden’s sources, he cites textbooks for his long diatribe. Garner, in contrast, relies heavier on topic specific articles written by respected names such as France V. Scholes and Jack D. Forbes. While Bowden’s sources are legitimate, he seems to be using information that is more generalized, and not as focused on the relevant issues. Gutià ©rrez points to â€Å"loss of authority† among the Franciscans as the central reason for the revolt.[10] He notes that this gradual loss of power began in 1640s. Because of the uncertainty and unease that followed, the Friars pushed for more drastic measure to balance out this loss of power – a crackdown on syncretism and an emphasis on martyrdom. But the connections that Gutià ©rrez makes are weak; he points to the loss of power in the 1640s, but does not cite any kind of example to support his point until 1655.[11] In addition, most of examples of this â€Å"loss of authority† do not come until the mid 1660s and the early 1670s in the midst of drought, quarreling among Spaniards and attacks by Athapascan raiders. And Gutià ©rrez’ examples of Franciscan brutality arise, interestingly enough, around the time that Garner points to heavy handed response by the Spanish to combat syncretism. Gutià ©rrez’ illustrations seem to support Garner’s idea of the Indians being â€Å"like children in a new world and entrapped in the struggle between the Franciscans and Hispanic community.†[12] Angà ©lico Chà ¡vez provides yet another take on the Pueblo Revolt. While Gutià ©rrez, Garner and Bowden all spend considerable time on relations, Chà ¡vez – as his title Pohà ©-yemo’s Representative and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 – puts much more emphasis on establishing a new leader as a primary cause of the Pueblo revolt. Chà ¡vez seems to avoid tackling the revolt squarely (like Knaut) partly because he devotes most of his time supporting his argument for Domingo Naranjo as the leader (arguably 21 of the 24 pages). Despite Chà ¡vez lengthy narrative supporting Domingo Naranjo, the black leader with yellow eyes, many scholars reject this notion, because it seems to runs counter to what most sources suggest. Historian Stefanie Beninato agrees that Naranjo was a leader, but â€Å"one of several† as â€Å"the concept of a single leader is not viable in the theocratic social structure of the Pueblo world.†[13] Garner too, while recognizing Popà © as instrumental, rejects the idea that he was a â€Å"unique Indian leader,† but rather he arose out of necessity, as opposed to the creation of necessity.[14] While, many critique Chà ¡vez’ uncommon interpretation, it reminds one to reexamine the mestizo and mulatto population in New Mexico. Naranjo, real or not, represents the truth that the black/white Pueblo/Hispanic definition was increasingly blurred in the years leading up to the revolt, and an entirely different culture had emerged. Pohà ©-yemo had multiple windows in to this culture of multiplicity. Garner’s essay seems to be built around the most logic because his essay points to lack of basic necessities as the true cause of the revolt. When there is enough food and prosperity people get along. When there is a shortage, it pushes groups to exceptional measures. Rarely has a revolt occurred without certain factors mitigating access to peoples’ basic needs. Garner also spends ample time with the battle itself, and provides plenty of evidence of to why it was a success; particularly because of the cultural coexistence with the Spanish. Garner is not without flaw – he fails to address certain issues, notably that of the presence of a larger mestizo culture. While he acknowledges it somewhat, he seems more preoccupied with the Franciscan-ecomedero versus government dynamic. This oversight, however excusable, provides good reason for holding onto multiple sources while dissecting historical events such as these. In the absence of primary documents, the importance of rigorous scholarship is especially crucial. To hold the works of these â€Å"curious† scholars together stresses the value for careful thought and due diligence.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Information Theory Essay

Information theory is a branch of applied mathematics and electrical engineering involving the quantification of information. Information theory was developed by Claude E. Shannon to find fundamental limits on signal processing operations such as compressing data and on reliably storing and communicating data. Since its inception it has broadened to find applications in many other areas, including statistical inference, natural language processing, cryptography generally, networks other than communication networks — as in neurobiology, the evolution and function of molecular codes, model selection in ecology, thermal physics, quantum computing, plagiarism detection and other forms of data analysis. A key measure of information is known as entropy, which is usually expressed by the average number of bits needed to store or communicate one symbol in a message. Entropy quantifies the uncertainty involved in predicting the value of a random variable. For example, specifying the outcome of a fair coin flip (two equally likely outcomes) provides less information (lower entropy) than specifying the outcome from a roll of a die (six equally likely outcomes). Hearst Tower (New York City) The six-story base of the headquarters building was commissioned by the founder, William Randolph Hearst and awarded to the architect Joseph Urban. The building was completed in 1928 at a cost of $2 million and contained 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2). The original cast stone facade has been preserved in the new design as a designated Landmark site. Originally built as the base for a proposed skyscraper, the construction of the tower was postponed due to the Great Depression. The new tower addition was completed nearly seventy years later, and 10,000 Hearst employees moved in on 26 June 2006. The tower – designed by the architect Norman Foster, structurally engineered by WSP Cantor Seinuk, and constructed by Turner construction – is 46 stories tall, standing 182 meters (597 ft) with 80,000 square metres (860,000 sq ft) of office space. The uncommon triangular framing pattern (also known as a diagrid) required 9,500 metric tons (10,480 tons) of structural steel – reportedly about 20% less than a conventional steel frame. Hearst Tower was the first skyscraper to break ground in New York City after September 11, 2001. The building received the 2006 Emporis Skyscraper Award. Citing it as the best skyscraper in the world completed that year. treehugger. com Processes In philosophy and systems theory, basic processes, or logical homologies as they were termed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, are unifying principles which operate in many different systemic contexts. For example, feedback is a principle that figures prominently in the science of cybernetics. Natural and industrial processes utilize basic processes such as feedback. Turning torso HSB Turning Torso is the tallest skyscraper in Sweden and the Nordic countries, situated in Malmo, Sweden, located on the Swedish side of the Oresund strait. Upon completion, it was the tallest building in Scandinavia, the tallest residential building in the EU and the second tallest residential building in Europe, after the 264? etre (866 ft) Triumph Palace in Moscow. A similar, taller skyscraper featuring a 90Â ° twist is the Infinity Tower, currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Prior to the construction of Turning Torso, the 86? metre (282 ft) Kronprinsen had been the city’s tallest building. It was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and officially opened on 27 August 2005. The tower reaches a height of 190 metres (623 feet) with 54 stories. The vision of HSB Turning Torso is based on a sculpture called Twisting Torso. The sculpture is a white marble piece based on the form of a twisting human being, created by Santiago Calatrava, a trained sculptor, architect and engineer. In 1999, HSB Malmo’s former Managing Director, Johnny Orback, saw the sculpture in a brochure which presented Calatrava in connection with his contribution to the architectural competition for the Oresund Bridge. It was on this occasion that Johnny Orback got the idea to build HSB Turning Torso. Shortly thereafter he traveled to Zurich to meet with Calatrava and ask him to design a residential building based on the idea of a structure of twisting cubes. The turning torso officially started to be built on Feb. 14, 2001. en. wikipedia. org Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research. The term does not yet have a well-established, precise meaning, but systems theory can reasonably be considered a specialization of systems thinking, a generalization of systems science, a systems approach. The term originates from Bertalanfy General System Theory (GST) and is used in later efforts in other fields, such as the action theory of Talcott Parsons and the system-theory of Niklas Luhmann. Arkit Eco studio Australian architecture studio Arkit will construct a full scale eco studio prefabricated house as part of Melbourne’s annual state of design festival. the home measures 50m square and will host different events during the festival. To begin, two people will be living in the eco studio full time, working from it in the day and sleeping there a night. Inside, the home has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living space and an adaptable services hub. On top a green roof provides insulation and greenery. Arkit constructs a variety of sustainable prefabricated homes using their modular system. All their structures feature multi compartmental wall panels that provide insulation and rigidity. Sustainably harvested western red cedar and hoop pine are used inside and out, while water-saving technologies help further reduce the home’s environmental impact. It took 6 years of internal r&d prototyping and 1 year of environmental analysis by ghd to create the eco studio.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

What's a good solution to the problem of bullying Stopping Mean Girls Essay

What's a good solution to the problem of bullying Stopping Mean Girls From Taking Over the Playground - Essay Example Both authors agree that the problem is made worse by parents who enable their daughters and take pride in their being â€Å"top dog† in schools and the playground. These parents are actually missing the point. Their daughters are not growing up to be empowered individuals because they do not live in a world where a check and balance exists with punishements for grevious acts such as playground or school bullying that leads another little girl to take her own life. Mean girl bullying is a real problem that has yet to find a workable solution. Through this paper, I would like to present certain suggestions as to how the problem might be best dealt with with or without the cooperation of the parents of the bully / mean girl. According to Jessica Bennett, the problem of mean girl behavior has gotten so out of hand lately that, due to the fact that it has already caused the deaths of a number of young girls through suicide, authorities should consider turning bullying resulting in death into a crime. Maybe with a punishment of 10 years in jail (Bennett, Jessica â€Å"From Lockers to Lock-Up†). Due to the behavior of the girls involved in the Pheobe Prince case, she might be suggesting an action that makes sense. However, before judgement is passed upon the mean girl, one should first look at the history of the mean girl in order to find out if she is merely acting out or actually beyond help. Maybe the relational agression that is being displayed has something to do with the family life of the girl. According to sources at the website KidsHealth, most bullies come from: ... families where everyone is angry and shouting all the time. They may think that being angry, calling names, and pushing people around is a normal way to act. Some bullies are copying what they've seen someone else do. Some have been bullied themselves (â€Å"Dealing with Bullies†). Taking a cue from that statement, it is important for school authorities, specially the guidanc e counselors to keep an open line of communication with the mean girls or bullies in order to determine the source of aggression. Since women are more docile in nature, even when with peers of her own age, and tend to be more influenced by their mothers actions, it is quite possible that the victim and mean girl are acting out roles based upon their own mother's actions and advice. In which case, it is important to inform the girls about the repercussions of their actions and the fact that no girl is expected to act in the same manner as their mothers. The school authorities should also ensure that anti-bullying programs are in place in school as well. Perhaps reimposing classes in good manners and right conduct are in order. Such classes teach students the proper way to treat one another and their elders as opposed to the â€Å"Kardashian† type of treating one another or even the â€Å"Gossip Girl† type of friendships. Since most of these girls are easily influenced b y the entertainment media, most specially the reality shows, they should be taught to tell the difference between reality and â€Å"entertainment reality† â€Å"Growing Old Younger† may be the hip word among the girls these days but just because they know how to act mature does not mean they are mature. They are totally unprepared for real life and think that by play acting, in the same manner that the television shows portray, they are actually aging faster (Paul, Pamela â€Å"The Playground Gets Even Tougher†). The Girl Scouts of America actually have an anti-bullying program that could benefit the public and private schools called â€Å"Be a Friend First† (BFF). This program teaches young girls to stand up for one another with bullies and encourages them to become part of the solution to the mean girl problem by using tools that

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Blow Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Blow - Term Paper Example This essay explores the plot of the film which has all the ingredients typical of underworld films – violence, sex, suspense, sudden twists of fortunes, etc. Johnny Depp plays the young George Jung, who begins life in Weymouh Massachusetts. His childhood is chaotic due to the financial difficulty and eventual bankruptcy of his father Fred (played by Ray Liotta) by the time George was barely ten. But young George endures through this chaos and grows into a confident young man. The action heats up as George and his accomplices in crime Tuna (played by Ethan Suplee), Barbara (played by Franka Potente) and Derek Foreal (played by Paul Reubens) hatch up a plan to exploit the lucrative-yet-unexplored pot market in Boston. From here on the intrigue heightens as George is always sought after by law enforcement authorities. The initial success of his drug trading venture encourages George to expand the scale and breadth of his operations. This takes him on many dangerous yet cinematica lly interesting adventures to Mexico and other destinations. These journeys link up his identity to the Medellin cartel and other prominent figures of Central American drug trade. While his illegal activities are shooting off this trajectory, his personal life shows a contrast. For someone who is so cut-throat and matter-of-fact in his business dealings, George is actually a touchy and sentimental person. This is particularly true with respect to his relationship with this father, mother and wife. The appeal of this biopic largely emerges from this contrasting juxtaposition of George Jung’s two-faceted personality. ... This is particularly true with respect to his relationship with this father, mother and wife. The appeal of this biopic largely emerges from this contrasting juxtaposition of George Jung’s two-faceted personality. Coming now to aspects of film language, the film can be classified as underworld biopic, with its regular stylistic elements put in place. There are clear resemblances to such mafia-based movies as Goodfellas and Boogie Nights. There is even an odd tinge of The Godfather. The swift and succinct camerawork by Ellen Kuras complements this genre very well. There is also a sense of rhythm witnessed in both the narrative and cinematography, as scenes move from action to suspense to sentimental. The Mise En Scene throughout the film is handled in such a deft manner that it reflects the genre. For example, the high-risk world of illegal drug trade is depicted with its usual accompaniments of back-streets, late nights and poor neighborhoods. Even in the first scene that intr oduces George, the room he enters is shown with minimal furnishing and decor, with only the meat freezer curtains visible in the background. Here, cinematography substitutes for dialogue in conveying to the audience the shady, risky existence of the character in the frame. The employment of documentary style narration at select places makes those scenes look more credible. The use of hard lighting is another key feature of several scenes in the film. In terms of technique, hard lighting is produced by a small light source stationed quite close to the subject and creates long/deep shadows revealing surface imperfections of actors and other objects in the set. Aesthetics is not the emphasis under the hard lighting technique, and

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The challenges of Interoperability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The challenges of Interoperability - Essay Example The migrating path for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a complex processing that needs efficient planning before a hospital administration plans to introduce interoperability for unifying its numerous operating systems. Being a CIO of a hospital with numerous computerized data entering systems, I would consider issues of higher expense, maintenance of the major operating system providing interoperability to other operating system of the hospital. There are other issues that a CIO of a healthcare organization must focus on. It could involve the training of the officials to enter the specifications of the records focusing on the type of nomenclatures. It should be noted that the continuous research and development in the field of health care has made it quite complicated for the transmission of interoperability migrating path. In this paper, I would take the position of a CIO of a health care organization to discuss the challenges of interoperability. I would stress on the signif icance of the migration path for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) acquisition and propose the managers of the organization to pass the clauses to take the acquisition underway by following the following criteria: Challenges of Interoperability: I. Electronic Health Records (EHR) Vendors: It is quite evident that a newer setup by connecting different leverage of information operating systems in the hospital for information management would need training of the professionals. Traditionally, it has been noted that EHR Vendors are a special approach for this purpose. By acquiring an EHR vendor, it would be much easier for the professionals to get used to the electronic record system. Once the EHR information systems are easily connected to numerous other data recording systems, they will automatically help the professionals to use it on a continuous basis. The operating technical training can actually act as a factor of making information systems successful (Amatayakul). II. Connectio n and Nomenclatures: I would suggest that the organization follows the information categories to make it certain for data delivery methods in order to connect to other departments. This will need coding and nomenclatures to be added. Considering numerous operating systems being used in the organization which I am working for, it comes as a challenge to actually share information among different departments, because each department has a different set of requirements for data specification. For instance, the operating system, namely Laboratory Information System (LIS) within the organization, is dealing with the information consumed by the internal departments. It has to be used externally by other health organizations as well to make sure the commutative statistics of the disease is observable. This will help in the process of providing assistance to the patients with technologically advanced interface (Amatayakul). By providing interoperability among the different operating systems used for entering disease specifications and health records, it will be much easier for the organization to link up the nursing and administration department. But it should be noted, that currently Healthcare Information System (HIS) of the organization is only linked with Laboratory Information System (LIS). Connecting it with other operating systems would be a step-wise process. Hospital Information Management (HIM) has quite a limited role in the organization in terms of its connectivity with other operating systems such as HIS. It is thus, equally important for me to allow this department to share the number of records under the coding and nomenclature (Amatayakul). III. Virtual Assistance: It has been noted that the installation of EHR in healthcare industry has ultimately led to failures, because the hospital administration and the medical professionals were not able to get along with the newer ways of reporting medical cases. Thus, I would suggest t

Monday, August 26, 2019

GAP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GAP - Research Paper Example In as much as it is a publicly traded company in the United States of America, Gap’s brand is known all over the world. Currently, it is a billion dollar company that has over one hundred thousand employees in all its stores spread all over the world. Gap Inc. headquarters is currently in San Francisco, California. However, it also has some of its design offices London, San Francisco and London. The company’s brand name is Gap, and it sells clothing to all groups of people ranging from males, females and children. Gap operates five principal divisions namely; Banana Republic, Piperlime, the namesake banner, Athleta, and Old Navy. The Piperlime is its online store that sells handbags and shoes to its customers; the Banana Republic brand demonstrates a high quality and a luxurious brand; Athleta is a novel brand that was created by athletic women to make and sell athletic clothing to active women; and Old Navy brand which meets the demands for all the cost-conscious customers (Rosenbloom, 2008). From all these, it is evident that Gap Inc. covers and all people and meets the demands of almost all age groups. From its inception, Gap Inc. has remained the largest specialty retailer in United States of America despite being surpassed by Inditex Group, a Spanish-based company, as a the world’s leading apparel retailer. Some of its strengths that have enabled it to remain relevant in the market include; brand recognition, multiple stores worldwide, segmented markets, product utility, among others (Maheshwari, 2012). However, it failed to acknowledge the importance of its customers by paying lots of attention to its expansion strategies, instead of meeting the customer needs. It is a fact that expansion strategies can only be successful when apposite research is done. Concentrating on expansion strategies is correct for several stores only when they have a strong foothold in the market, or when their customers are extremely loyal. However, these two fundamental

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Contextualization of the Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Essay

Contextualization of the Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls - Essay Example In the aftermath of de Vaux’s excavations in the 1950’s up until the mid 1980’s, it has been commonly assumed that the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in the nearby caves constituted the library of a Jewish sectarian community (most probably of the Essene sect that lived at Qumran). However, despite such apparent consensus, we ought not to narrowly focus our interpretation of the Scrolls, its authors (for which most scholars seem to agree are the Essenes) and the Qumran site itself when it comes to a proper analysis of contextualizing all three. In light of recent scholarship, the traditional sectarian explanation of Qumran combined with a more nuanced approach may possibly reveal that the site had at least a dual purpose beyond that of a certain sectarian settlement and more specifically was a place for the development of communal activities, including the production or manufacture of pottery. Moreover, could it have been possible that the Essenes employed non-Essen es to do certain functions? To be certain, it has long been argued since de Vaux’s excavation reports, that when placed in a proper historical and archaeological context, the caves, the scrolls and the ruins are altogether interconnected.To shed some historical perspective, according to Davies, Brooke and Callaway, the basis for this interconnectivity was originally the texts themselves found in Cave 1 and their later interpretation by de Vaux’s team of excavators, the members of the Cave 4 editorial team and most other scholars

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Reaction Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reaction Journal - Essay Example The arrest of Eugene V. Debs is reminiscent of authoritarian governments which Americans now criticize in other global regimes, such as China. However, this had a positive consequence: the formation of the American Civil Liberties Union. ‘The Roaring Twenties’ appears to be a misnomer! Economic prosperity was concentrated in big business, but did not extend to the agricultural sector or rural area. Public support for the Ku Klux Klan, the Emergency Quota Act of 1921, the National Origins Act of 1924, lynching, and the banning of interracial marriages indicated an upsurge in racism. Christian fundamentalism raised its head. Perhaps it assumed a connotation of general well-being, because it was sandwiched between the World War 1 and the Great Depression. Ironically, the New Deal failed to satisfy the privileged class (who resented the higher taxes imposed on them), critics in the Democratic Party (Huey P. Long declared that it failed to do enough for the poor), or the Republican opposition (Senator Taft condemned it for its socialist stance, deficit spending and its attack on private enterprise). The AAA’s destruction of ‘surplus’ agricultural production (during a period of acute food scarcity!) and discrimination against blacks, debase the New Deal.3 President Roosevelt’s ‘Four Freedoms’ – freedom of speech and worship, and freedom from want and fear, was accepted American ideology, but contradicted and undermined by racism. It is tragic to read Foner’s account of the government â€Å"bending over backward to accommodate German-Americans and Italian-Americans in the war effort† but â€Å"viewing every person of Japanese ethnicity as a potential spy†4. The meaning of ‘freedom’ was controversial during the 1950’s. The Cold War identified freedom with anti-communism: racially segregationist South Africa was part of the ‘Free World’ merely because

Friday, August 23, 2019

UKs Economic Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

UKs Economic Issues - Essay Example These effects have been not had a positive impact on the economy of UK. Policies have been developed to curb the situation but still it has continued to persist. As per now in accordance to the latest labour statistics from the office of statistics shows that the rate of unemployment stands at 7.8%. This percentage is still deemed high having in mind the fact that UK is one of the most developed countries, which translates to its economy. Its economy ought to be depicting a no or very low unemployment rate. With the population of several millions unemployed, you definitely expect some difficulties in the economy (Clegg, 2013:1-58). This is not only to the directly affected people but also to the government and society at large. The government is deprived of the very income tax it majorly relies on to fund its projects. When people who are both able and willing to work lack the job to do, they do not stop using the resources available. The strain is direct on the people being dependen t upon and the government. The government ought to continue offering security, basic healthcare, education and other social needs with nothing in return inform of income tax. The government needs money to run and if this money is not available, the business is bound to go down. The government being a major player in any market, it loses strength and this is what UK had been struggling to fight. The deficits on the budgets have partly been influenced by unemployment as people enjoy services they are not paying for through payment of income tax. In the year 2011/12, the expenditure exceeded the earning collections by ? 1.8 billion. With continued increase of this figure, the population of UK may be subjected to national debt. The purchasing power of the people of UK has gone down. This is primarily because the fluctuations in the unemployment rates have set grounds for uncertainties. For the last five years, the dependency ratio has fluctuated though in average the trend has been dimi nishing more because of the creation of part-time jobs. It is automatic that when one is not employed, he has no power to purchase anything even if he is willing to do so. This effect has seen the internal demand of goods produced locally go down a bit. Fallen demand has seen the industries reduce their operational capacity some to as low as 75% and this have gone to the worse edges of even risking more people to unemployment. The trend has though gained momentum of improving and the true state of matter today is not what it was five years ago. Effect of Balance of Payment on UK Economy Balance of payment entails a number of things. First, it involves the current account then financial account. Capital balance and net errors and omissions are also taken into account when arriving at the net value of the balance of payments (Krugman & Wells 2009: 600). Goods and services together with income inflows and current transfers are considered for current account (Krugman & Wells, 2009: 600) . The financial account is basically a trade of any financial assets. The capital account had been determined by capital asset sale. For the last five years, the balance of payment has also been fluctuating as unemployment has been. The current account has been on the deficit side for a long time. Economists have argued that this is a favourable situation as some countries which have had a large surplus like Japan have remained stagnant in growth but yet UK has been growing since the 1980s when the deficit began (EconomicOutlook, 2010: 60-76). The financial and capital account surpluses have been offsetting the deficit in the current

Pattern Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pattern - Essay Example That measurement is needed to be considered so it will create the like. There are lots of techniques and procedures on how to have an exact work of putting pattern on a fabric. Pattern serves as the molder for a complete figure of the planned dress in a fabric. Preparing to Draft the pattern on a fabric is not an easy thing to do. Since fabrics are not hard enough to hold the marks that a sewer will do. We use to design a pattern on a fabric by first making a draft from a paper, the known draft can be produced. From this draft a pattern will taken from which the cloth shall be cut. In which the paper should be strong, firm and white or light, colored if pencil or graphite is to be used. If tailors chalk is to be used, a dark paper or rough texture is preferable. A squaring tool or ‘set square’ is also necessary, usually made of box-wood with brass ends. It is more convenient to use if one side of the square is about 60 cm long and the other shorter, about 30 cm long. It should be marked off in centimeters on both sides with zero at the angle. To start making the pattern on a fabric, first lay the fabric with strong ends and corners so that the marks will be made on its right plane or position. To start drafting the pattern this is the procedure that First, mark a point on the paper on the top right-hand corner about 10cm from the edges and the top ring it so O with a dot in the circle. Just make sure the â€Å"squaring† is accurate and the measurements are applied with care. Keep the drawing neat and tidy. It will be found that very soon the drafting procedure will become quite easy. When the draft is complete a pattern must be made from which the cloth will be cut. The principle of pattern cutting is to duplicate of the draft on to another piece of paper, but instead of an identical copy it is made in separate pieces according to how many parts the garments contents. The draft

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The law enforcement code of ethics Essay Example for Free

The law enforcement code of ethics Essay Both the law enforcement code of ethics (LECE) and the professional investigators and security association (PISA) are Law enforcement agencies. Both agencies do not condone criminology. As such, the code of ethics of LECE is clear about this. A law enforcement officer is required to give immunity to innocent citizens against any form of deception, oppression and violent acts. He is also required to respect the laid down constitutional rights of equality and fairness to justice. They are therefore required to carry out their duties impartially without bias, friendship or be guided by personal feelings. Consequently a member of the PISA in a bid to ensure that ethics is portrayed is required to carry out investigations with a high degree of integrity and in a moral and professional manner. They are further required not to exaggerate issues but apply courtesy and honesty in all criminal related matters. The same as LECE code of ethics advocates against carrying duties partially with personal feelings and friendships influencing decisions, same applies to PISA. The members of PISA are restrained from racial, religious and gender discrimination when carrying out official duties. Both bodies require that their members co-operate by working hand in hand in executing their obligatory roles. They are not supposed to receive bribery or engage in any forms of corruption practices. Their codes of ethics also require them to maintain high degrees of confidentiality by keeping as secrets, what they see or do. Both codes of ethics stipulate the different roles played by different officers as far as criminal justice is concerned. Further, both codes require that their members safeguard the reputation of their respective bodies governing them. They are required to exhibit highest possible standards of professionalism. As much as the two bodies are similar in their regularity regulatory code of ethics, they also differ in certain principles. Unlike the members of LECE, members of PISA consult professionals on matters pertaining to justice. These include American Academy of professional law enforcement, The Association of Detectives Inc. mong others. They also invite guest speakers who include retired detectives who offer consultation services on criminology issues. The professional investigators security associations use more of information technology in handling tasks compared to the law enforcement body umbrella Lastly, various countries may have a slight disparity on their professional code of ethics. However the law enforcement code of ethics seems to be standardized across geographical regions/jurisdictions

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Understanding Of Human Growth And Development Social Work Essay

Understanding Of Human Growth And Development Social Work Essay The field of psychology has vast areas of interest, and Human growth and development is one of the most popular topics being studied by social workers today. The purpose of this report is to show how essential it is for a trainee social worker to attain a firm understanding of human growth and development, and to ultimately achieve a foundation of knowledge in this area. This report will show that, with practice, preparation, assessment, reflection and finally application, this foundation of knowledge can be effectively used in positive intervention methods. (Crawford 2006) There have been many great theorists over the years, all of who had different ideas on human growth and development. This report will highlight and discuss 3 theories based on the work of Erikson, Bowlby and Bronfenbrenner. Furthermore, the report will also throw light on the pros and cons of these theories, identifying and discussing potential issues that may arise from failure to mature, as described in each theory. Finally, the report will identify the role of social workers in relation to their intervention with a client or family. The outcome of this report will be a sum-up of the key identifying points of each of the 3 theories. Using practical examples, the report will explore the effects of the theories and outcomes that may arise from failure to mature. The practical examples used will aid, guide and shape the discussion by highlighting the life span of the individual problems or issues, and will provide an underpinning reason for using each of the theories. Each theory chosen in this report is taken from a different discipline of social science; psychodynamic, sociological and psychosocial. These three disciplines all have a different emphasis, but structured in all of them is the core principle of determining what can potentially influence life course development. The first theory outlined in this report is Bowlbys attachment theory. This theory fundamentally sees the earliest bonds formed between children and their caregivers as a key factor in human growth and development, having an immense impact on progression and continuing throughout life. This theory will be examined, using social work examples with infants. There will be an explanation of how the theory is vastly important for attaining a firm understanding of the foundational relationships infants build for a healthy development. The second theory discussed in this report is Bronfenbrenners theory of ecological development. Bronfenbrenners theory describes the influences of further environmental factors on children, and their positive or negative development. For this theory, social work examples will be chosen from older adults in order to help attain an understanding of how environmental factors, at micro and macro levels, can influence social workers in relation to the stages of development. The final theory discussed in this report is Erik Eriksons model of life stage development. This theory addresses identity as an individual moves through the stages of life, and how they negotiate crisis points in a successful or unsuccessful progression, this effecting healthy development. For this theory, examples of middle-later stages of life will be discussed, and how progression through the life stages can successfully or unsuccessfully result in a healthy or unhealthy development of the individual. So, what can human growth and development be determined as? Before we discuss in depth the main theories, it would be appropriate to give a definition of human growth and development, and highlight why it is so fundamentally important for social workers to have a firm understanding of the various theories. According to Baltes cited in Crawford (date), human development is multi-dimensional; it is made up of biological, cognitive and social dimensions. Physically, from the moment we are conceived till the moment we die, we are developing biologically. Our bodies are consistently moving from one biological change to another. Subsequently, the growth of our intellectual and social development comes. This begins from very early stages in the course of life and continues across the span of each life. (Thompson) Both Freud and Erikson agree that every individual is born with a number of basic instincts, that development occurs through stages, and that the order of these stages is influenced by biological and sociological maturation (Sigelman, and Shaffer 1992). The Requirements for Social Work Training state that all social work programmes must: Ensure that the teaching of theoretical knowledge, skills and values is based on their application to practice. (Department of Health 2002) Theorists, such as Bowlby, Bronbenfrener and Erikson, have different perspectives on life span development stages and the individuals evolved behaviour as a consequence or a response to developmental milestones crises. These theories are rooted in the disciplines of sociology, biology and psychology. Each theory provides an explanation, in line with development, for arising issues and problems that individuals face and are all relevant to an understanding of the life course development. (Thompson) Social work practitioners need to have a wide range of knowledge from a span of theoretical disciplines to ensure that all aspects of an individuals make-up are considered and appreciated when working with them. (Crawford and walker) Using theory can give an explanation as to why an action resulted in a particular consequence. This can help us review and possibly change our practice in an attempt to make the consequences more effective. (Beckett) Developmental theory provides a framework for ordering the lifecycle and accounts. For factors that may shape development at specific stages. It discusses the multiple. Bio-psycho-social factors impacting development, explores the tasks to be accomplished. At each stage and considers successes and failures in light of other stages. Developmental theories also aim to recognise individual differences in development. Journal The course of life is different for each individual, and is influenced by the events and experiences that people go through throughout their lives. (Crawford and Walker, 2003) Understanding the impact of transitions within a persons course of life is important for social work practice, as it aids the social worker in attaining a firm understanding of other peoples lives, so they can effectively intervene with appropriate measures. Using theory can help justify actions and explain practice to service users, carers and society in general. The aim is for this to lead to social work becoming more widely accountable and ultimately more respected. (Beckett ) The use of theories in social work practice underpins how social workers approach their tasks. As social workers, we need to recognise the opportunities to work with people through transitions as an opportunity to grow. We need to try to enable people to use these events to trigger change, move on and develop. (Crawford) When a social worker works with an individual, utilising theories which may relate to a specific situation, will give us more direction in our work. It is clear then that theory is important in practice both for work with service users and for social work to be more valued in society. (Beckett) After the definition of human growth and development and the brief discussion of why a theory is important in social work practice, this report will now discuss the attachment theory and will explain why it can be positively used in approach and effectively in practice.4 So, what is the attachment theory? To start with, lets define the word attachment; it means a strong emotional bond between two people. Forming an attachment is based on a two-way interaction. The behaviours from an infant, such as crying, reaching, grasping and making eye contact, and the response of the caregiver both work as a reciprocal process to develop and strengthen attachment. (Woods) According to (Crawford), children use the people they are attached to as a safe base to explore, a source of comfort and a source of encouragement and guidance. According to (Fahlberg, 1991, cited in Howe), attachment aids children in attaining their full intellectual potential, sorts out what children perceives, assists them in logical thinking, helps them develop a conscience, teaches them to become more self-reliant, aids them in coping with stress and frustration, helps them handle fear and worry, assists them in developing future relationships and helps reduce jealousy.                  In 1953, a psychoanalyst named John Bowlby wrote the book Child Care and the Growth of Love. In this book, Bowlby put forward his theory that the relationship between a mother and her child, during the childs first year, is of vital importance and can greatly affect the development of the child in later life. This theory is known as the attachment theory, and it is still being used and discussed today, although it has been altered and adapted to suit the modern day economic environment and the change in the family unit over the past 50+ years. (Jeremy Holmes, 1993) Bowlby believes that attachment begins at infancy and develops throughout an individuals life, and that there are many distinctive behavioural control systems needed for continued existence and proliferation. The attachment and exploration systems are the main central points in Bowlbys attachment theory. (Elliot Reis, 2003) (Crawford) Bowlbys Maternal deprivation Hypostasis, the forerunner of the attachment theory, believes that if an infant was unable to develop a warm, intimate and continuous relationship with his or her mother or permanent mother substitute, then the child would have difficulty forming relationships with other people, and would be at the risk of behavioural disorders. Bowlby says: Mothers love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as vitamins and proteins are for physical health. (Cardwell) (Bowlby 1988) goes on to say that without a secure base of first attachment relationships, children will not be able to cope with separations of normal life. For Bowlby, the impact of prolonged separation on children is viewed as maternal deprivation. Bowlby describes this as being the temporary or permanent loss to children of their mothers care and attention. Bowlby believes that prolonged separation of children from their mothers, especially during the first five years of their lives, is a major cause of delinquent behaviours and mental health issues. (Crawford) Mary Ainsworth developed a method, whereby a childs behaviour is observed when reunited with his or her mother after a short separation.   This is known as the strange situation, and it has become widely used to determine whether the attachment was secure or insecure. Ainsworths strange situation is used to measure Bowlbys hypotheses that early relationship experiences affect later adult functioning. The strange situation procedure consists of eight three-minute episodes that have been arranged so as to create increasing levels of stress for a child that will activate attachment behaviours that researchers can then observe. The resulting behaviour was used to classify the child into one of three categories. These categories are insecure avoidant attachment, secure attachment and insecure resistant attachment. Securely attached children were able to balance their need to explore the environment with their need for comfort and support from their caregiver in relation to their feelings of stress.   Insecure avoidant attached children, when stressed, continued to explore the environment, showing minimal need for comfort and support.   The children who were classified as having insecure resistant attachments stop their exploration and return to their care giver show the maximum amount of attachment behaviours. Main (1991) has since identified a fourth category that of the disorganised/ disorientated child. (Cardwell) According to Bowlby a central tenet of attachment is that: People developmental representations, Or internal working models, that Consist of expectations about the self, significant Others and the relationship between the two. (Bowlby, 1969, 1973) The main criticism of Bowlbys attachment theory came from J.R. Harris. It is often assumed that hard working, kind, honest and well-respected parents will have children who will turn out to be like them. On the other hand, in the case of parents who are bad role models, rude, and disrespectful, the children will end up the same when they become adults. According to Harris, this may be far from the truth. Harris (2008), believes that a parent does not determine a childs personality or character, and that a childs external social factors have more influence than anything else. A good example of this taken from Harris is a child from an immigrant family. Although the parents may well pick up a new language, they will still have an accent from their native language. The child, on the other hand, will learn the new language, and will speak it without an accent. Children are more influenced by their peers than their parents. (Harris, 1998). Criticisms were also levelled at Bowlbys theories because of his ideas that he concluded from work he had undertaken with juvenile delinquents who had been separated early in their lives from their mothers. The criticism is that the theories are unrepresentative of the general population, and involved too small a sample. It was also argued that not all maternally deprived children became juvenile delinquents. But in agreement with Bowlby, Stroufe (1979) stated: We cannot assume that early experiences will somehow be cancelled out by later experiences. Lasting consequences of early inadequate experiences may be subtle and complex. (Cardwell) Research has shown that, contrary to Bowlbys idea of monotropy (one primary caregiver), children can form more than one significant attachment, and these need not be towards the biological parents, and can be of either sex, although there is often a definite hierarchy. An infants attachment to his or her father is as strong as the mothers in the first few days of life. Then the attachment changes because of the different amount of time available for the parents to interact with the infant, given the work commitments. Both the mother and the father are important attachment figures for their infants, but the circumstances that lead to selecting the mother or the father may differ. For example, the father is usually selected for playing. (Schaffer Emerson 1964) According to Parke (1981), Both the mother and the father are important attachment figures, the father is not just a poor substitute for the mother. (Cardwell) When looking at how attachment theory is applied to social work practice, Coulshed (1988) proposed that psychology has been useful in the degree to which you can apply some of the theories, if you are prepared to see theoretical contributions as ways of enriching your thinking and understanding. You will gain a broad framework of information through which you will recognise the complexities and possible causes of human suffering. The attachment theory provides a valuable model in understanding relationships of families in need and promoting new and healthy attachments (Daniel et al 1999).   The attachment theory has had an impact on many areas relating to how children are cared for, including the legal framework it operates under and how services for children have developed. Some of the areas, where clear links can be made to practice being underpinned by the attachment theory has effected changes, are; When negotiating contact between children and their families it is undertaken from a child centre perspective rather from the adults involved. This may include having closer links with grandparents, relatives and any other persons who the child considers significantly important to them. (Howe) Attachment theories underpin the policies that are relevant to the development of children in public care, and form the basis for assessing their needs, such as pre-placement and post-placement support systems. The effects of separation and loss that children have experienced can be taken into account when assessing their needs. (Oloughlin) Social Work as a profession can promote the needs of children through influencing policy and practice e.g. acknowledgement that delays in placing children may be detrimental to their wellbeing should ensure that the adoption and fostering processes can be as speedy and efficient as possible. Likewise, it is clear from research that children are adversely affected by the loss of familiar peers. Children who maintain friendships over time are seen to have greater social skills and better social adjustment. This should also be promoted. (Aldegate et al) The attachment theory has allowed optimism to develop towards caring for children, as a less distorted and confused picture of child development has emerged. It is now apparent that a healthy development can occur in many different family environments. There are many right ways of meeting childrens needs. (OLoughlin) The second theory discussed in this report is derived from the discipline of sociology. Sociological theoretical perspectives explain human development by examining the interactions between people and the society in which they live. Sociologist theorists research this by looking at influencing factors at different levels of society. (Crawford) Unlike other disciplines of human development theories in which service users problems are conceptualized on individual terms, sociological perspectives on human development seek to gain a full understanding by locating the persons problems within his or her experiences in a broader picture of social and historical circumstances. In other words, rather than directly focusing on the problem and the persons inability to cope, the problem would be assessed in terms of the impact of the economic and political conditions of the day. (Cunningham and Cunningham). One theorist whose theory has being particularly influential in the study of human development is Uri Bronfenbrenner 1917 2005. Bronfenbrenner developed a theory to explain how everything in a child and the childs environment affects how a child grows and develops. His theory is known as the ecological systems theory, and it approaches a childs development by looking at different levels of interaction, from family, local communities and schools to economic and political conditions that are all influential to the development of the individual in his or her course of life. He uses the terms Microsystems, exosystem and macrosystem. He suggests that there is a reciprocal process of interaction, in that the child is both influenced by and influences his or her environment at each of the levels. (Crawford) The ecological environment is thought of as: Nested structures encircled within and inside the other like a set of Russian dolls. Starting with the most inside to the outside, these networks are described as micro systems, meso systems and macro systems (Brunfenbrenner, 1994). The work of Bronfenbrenner has been particularly influential in social work practice and is the model that underpins the framework for the assessment of children in need and their families (department of health, 2000 cited in Crawford). The theory also encourages social workers to grasp the concept and understanding of the sociological imagination, and develop this in relation to service users own lives and practice. As social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments (NOSS), this approach, therefore, helps social workers to locate service users within an understanding of the bigger picture that underlies their lives. (NOSS) Applying an ecological approach can be best understood as looking at  persons, families, cultures, communities and policies, and identifying and intervening upon strengths and weaknesses in the transactional processes between these systems. A practical example of this in practice would be the use of the ecological perspective when carrying out assessment and for planning intervention for older adults in the community. Although it is theoretical, it is very practical, as it provides a kind of a map to guide us through very confusing terrain Stevenson 1998 cited in aldegate) The population of the UK is ageing. Over the last 25 years, the percentage of the population aged 65 and over increased from 15 per cent in 1984 to 16 per cent in 2009, an increase of 1.7 million people. (Gov statistics) Elderly individuals are vulnerable and in need of social services because they often live alone, and can be subject to numerous health difficulties, such as difficulties in functional ability. As senior adults experience an increased need for care, it is predicted that, in many cases, family caregivers will begin to have a higher level of physical, emotional and financial burden. All of these issues combined warrant an increase in research related to meeting the needs of the elderly and their families living in our communities (Crawford). EST is an ideal approach for assessing the needs of elderly adults living in communities. Given the rapidly increasing numbers of baby boomers reaching retirement age and beginning to require extended support, it is important for communities and families to address the best fit for the senior adult later in life. EST addresses the micro, meso and macro systems that are an extension of the individual, and works to obtain resources in order to improve support and expand networks necessary to maintain good quality of life for senior adults. (Journal) The ecological perspective analyzes how well the individual or family fits with their environment, and is based on the assumption that when a person or group is connected and engaged within a supportive environment, functioning improves. In order to determine the best fit, usually for an individual, there is an examination of the difference between the amount of social support needed by the person and the amount of social support available in the existing environment. Once this assessment has taken place, the social worker engages with the individual and works together with him or her to offer the support needed. One unique feature of the ecological model is its distinguished concept of human development within an environmental perspective. (Bekett) Social work practice has an overarching meta-paradigm that emphasizes the person in the environment. This meta-paradigm is linked with an ecological systems perspective as a focus of attention. EST is compatible with this belief system and helps support a theoretical approach for practice at the micro, meso and macro levels with individuals, families and communities. Social workers need to be aware of how the changing needs of families will affect psychosocial and emotional factors for the elderly individuals and their family caregivers. Examples of such issues include geographical location of family members when the senior adult is in need of care, role reversal when there is a shift in the family system and a parent becomes more dependent upon an adult child, and the anticipated grief and bereavement as spouses and adult children care for elderly family members over an extended period of time. The final theory of discussion is Erick Eriksons eight stages of man. Eriksons theory is an extension and modification to Freuds psychoanalytical theory on explaining the development of the personality through childhood stages of psychosexual development. Erikson, however, provides a more comprehensive framework for human lifespan through a series of genetically influenced sequence of psychosocial stages. The term psychosocial describes an approach that considers the impact of both the individual psychology and the social context of peoples lives on their individual development.(Crawford) Each stage involves a battle between contradictory resultant personalities, and each stage has either adaptive or maladaptive qualities. To develop into a healthy, mature adult, the adaptive must outweigh the maladaptive. (Richard Gross, 2005). In other words, he suggests that people confront a series of developmental challenges or conflicts, each occurring at particular and predictable times or sta ges in their lives. One of the main elements of Eriksons psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity. Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction. According to Erikson, our ego identity is constantly changing owing to new experience and information we acquire in our daily interactions with others. In addition to ego identity (Quote), Erikson believes that a sense of competence also motivates behaviours and actions. Each stage in Eriksons theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life. If the stage is handled well, the person will feel a sense of mastery, which he sometimes refers to as ego strength or ego quality. If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy. (Quote) In each stage, Erikson believes people experience a conflict that serves as a turning point in development. In Eriksons view, these conflicts are centred on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure. Eriksons eight life stages: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basic trust versus mistrust 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Self-control versus shame and doubt 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Initiative versus guilt 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Competence versus inferiority 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identity versus role confusion 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intimacy versus isolation 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Generativity versus stagnation 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ego-integrity versus despair Erikson suggests that whereas the outcome of moving through a life stage is unfavourable, the individual will find it more challenging to meet the trials of the next stage. Erikson further suggests that if individuals fail to develop through a stage, they may return to unsettled earlier points in their lives. (Crawford) Stage five is commonly associated with adolescence Erickson 1995 recognised this as the critical crisis of adolescence in the eight stages of development identity versus role confusion. He believes that a successful transition through childhood would lead to a progressive success to resolve this stage (Crawford). Erikson considers the fifth stage, that of adolescence, in the developmental process to be of particular importance.   He considers that by the end of this period of psychosocial moratorium, adolescents should have achieved ego identity,   that is the integration of their own self perceptions into their core identity which is both psychological and social. But he notes that some young people experience difficulty or find it impossible to commit themselves to adult roles, thus characterizing this as a period of identity crisis. When adolescents fail to achieve ego identity, it is considered to be identity role diffusion.   Applying Eriksons model to social work can help identify with individuals whether or not they have progressed successfully at previous life stages. It can also help individuals clarify and address their strengths, expectations and limitations, a duty expected of the social worker according to NOSS Key role 1(Crawford). The psychosocial perspective enables social workers to consider the influences of the relationship between the internal world of the service users and the social environment in which they live. (Howe 1987 cited in Crawford) However, Eriksons stages are criticised alongside other psychosocial stage approaches to human development because they do not incorporate difference and diversity. They are culturally specific and differences between sexuality and gender are not easily explained, because the theory was developed from a male perspective. Crawford Being too fixed and deterministic in real life, it is not possible to divide ones life into neat stages. The theory also does not consider the significance of social change in different societies and across different cultures. The model suggests there are universal experiences that all people encounter. Anthony Giddens 1991 cited in Crawford argues that modern society is continually changing, and that people pursue many different paths through their lives. Erikson describes the concept of a life cycle as implying some kind of self completion (Erikson, 1982 p. 9 cited in Crawford). This use of the word cycle can be criticised for implying a circular process whereby, in the later years of life, there is a return to the dependency of childhood. (Crawford) In conclusion this assignment has looked at Social workers need to develop an understanding of theories from a range of disciplines in order to take a holistic approach to their practice. (Crawford) Whilst it is important for social workers to have knowledge of these theories, none of the theories can be easily applied to explain a persons course of life. One theory may be relevant to a particular person at a particular moment in time. For example, one theory may be useful for child development, but not so useful in explaining the challenges of life events that influence growth and development in later life. (Crawford and Walker, 2003) All people are individuals and deserve the right to be treated as such. To do anything less would be seen as an act of oppressive practice. Social workers need to draw on many different resources and theories available to them in order to truly meet service users needs. (Beckett 2007)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Public Service Broadcasting in Health Communication

Public Service Broadcasting in Health Communication Role of Public Service Broadcasting in Health Communication in Rural India – A Historical and Functional Perspective (SHRUTI GOEL ALBERT ABRAHAM) Introduction Health communication has achieved a distinguished identity in the discourse of Media and Development since health care is a vital indicator of development. ‘Health is both a public and merit good and Health care being so basic to the well-being and productivity of society, access to it needs to be universal’[i]. The international agencies actively working on healthcare, hygiene and sanitation emphasize the importance of effective health communication strategies to achieve their objectives. Health communication is intended to bridge the knowledge gap in the healthcare practices and to promote positive action to make the people healthy. ‘Communication that is engaging and empowering, and provides individuals and populations with evidence-based options for positive action is critical to enhancing health literacy in society, thereby enabling its movement towards better public health outcomes’. [ii] In India, since independence there are significant efforts to sensitize people on the health issues. In these endeavours, the public service broadcasting (All India Radio and Doordarshan) has contributed commendably, as paying special attention to health and family welfare is one of the established objectives of Prasarbharati. At the same time, our country has pitiable records in the health care index in terms of international standards. In this context, this study critically explores the role of the Public Service Broadcasting in India within the historical and functional perspectives of Health Communication. Role of PSB in the Development Discourse Generally, the market driven media scenario is highly reluctant to take the development issues seriously. P Sainath (2007) says, â€Å"The fundamental characteristic of our media is the growing disconnect between mass media and mass reality.† That is why India’s majority of the population doesn’t make news. The mass media which are funded and controlled by advertisers would only remain loyal to them. As Chomsky and Herman (1994) puts it in their propaganda model, the media effectively serves elite interests in terms of selection and distribution of topics, framing of issues, disparity in emphasizing, and the filtering of information. We can’t forget that the beginning of Television in India was literally in the name of development. When television was introduced in the country in 1959, it started as an experiment in social communication for which small teleclubs were organized in Delhi and provided with community television sets. Educational television began in 1961 to support middle and higher secondary school education.[iii] In this context, the Public service broadcasting must aim at enhancing new social environment, reaching out people enriching their lives and seeking communication that provides the warmth of human contact. Public service broadcasting is aiming at the improvement of respect for social, political, cultural and traditional values (Pati: 2004). A strong PSB can play an important role in today’s competitive and complex broadcasting market. In a world of many channels, it is found that a PSB is at its most effective when it only broadcasts a distinctive schedule, but also exerts a pressure on its commercial competitors to do the same. While government regulation of commercial braodcasters can achieve some of these aims, the PSB model is the preferable approach, it combines creative and market pressures on broadcasters to achieve society’s aims for its broadcasting market. (Sahay: 2006) Health Communication – Policy Frameworks in India The National Health Policy (NHP) 1983 re-emphasized Informing, Educating and Communicating (IEC) as the core communication strategy. NHP 2002 reiterated the importance of IEC. The document commented, ‘A substantial component of primary health care consists of initiatives for disseminating to the citizenry, public health- related information’. The National Population Policy (NPP) 2000 urged to utilize radio and television as the most powerful media for disseminating relevant socio-demographic messages. The document says ‘Government could explore the feasibility of appropriate regulations, and even legislation, if necessary, to mandate the broadcast of social messages during prime time’. Campaigns for Family Planning In the case of Health communication, the threat of the ever bulging population was the first issue that was addressed by the media experts. In fact, India was the first country in the world to announce an official Family Planning Programme. During the inter plan period of 1966-1969, Family Planning department carved out a unit in the form of Mass Education and Media Unit in 1966. Simultaneously, the media units of Information and Broadcasting Ministry were strengthened for Family Planning communication. The scheme started with the concept of a small family and the raging slogan was, Hum do Hamare do (‘we two and our two’) and vigorously telecasted through DD and AIR.[iv] Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) SITE is a social development initiative in India and one of the most extensive educational and social research project ever conducted in mass mediated communication. The effectiveness of TV as a medium for educating the masses in rural areas was emphasized by this experiment. With the help of NASA, UNDP, ITU and UNESCO, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched SITE on August 01, 1975. Development oriented programs like agricultural modernization through hybrid seeds, better farming methods and management, family planning, public health, social and educational improvement of women and children, better learning and teaching methods were transmitted through the satellite to community TV sets in 2,400 villages in 20 districts spread across the six Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Rajasthan. The experiment ended on July 31, 1976. Doordarshan – Development Communication Division (DCD) Definitely Doordarshan can be the vital player in the Health Communication arena of our nation as its present coverage is 79.1 per cent of the geographical area and 91.4 per cent population of the country. Further in the bouquet of Doordarshan DTH service (DD Direct Plus) there are 36 TV channels and 20 Radio channels and it is a free to air service.[v] Doordarshan set up in 2001 a Development Communication Division (DCD) to discharge its social responsibility of highlighting development-oriented issues and to cater to the communication needs of government departments and public sector undertakings. Until 2001, small amounts received from government departments were used to commission private producers on behalf of the clients. Development Communication Division revived in-house production of all such campaigns using available manpower and resources. Health Communication: The Indian Stories With the emergence of colour Television, communication experts, media professionals and practitioners started exploring this attractive medium inspired by the Mexican experiment and broadcasted the teleserial Hum log (‘we people’) from 1985-85 addressing issues like gender inequality, health, alcoholism and family planning. [vi] In India, two examples of successful health communication that had considerable impact are Polio and HIV. In either case, a host of agencies worked together to develop a multi-pronged strategy led by communication professionals. This helped in creating multiple strategies that were used to engage diverse audiences. Polio messaging for example was built on simple idea — two drops that could save your child’s life. This message was everywhere — from print, TV and radio. In polio eradication, India has implemented proven strategies and developed innovative approaches to reach and immunize children in hard-to-reach areas. Communication strategies have contributed to such progress on several levels by: mobilizing social networks and leaders, creating political will, increasing knowledge and changing attitudes, ensuring individual and community-level demand, overcoming gender barriers and resistance to vaccination, and, above all, reaching out to the poorest and the most marginalized[vii]. HIV was perhaps India’s most complex disease communication exercise. The HIV program managers within the government understood the importance of prevention and sought help from external agencies creating what was perhaps the most elaborate and effective health communication campaign in recent history. An important aspect of this campaign was it consciously focused on being entertaining and connecting with the audience[viii]. The multimedia campaigns by relaying on TV and Radio and the coverage of such issues by PSB make the health communication prospects further brighter. Kalyani Since May 30, 2002, the Kalyani series has focused on malaria, tuberculosis, iodine deficiency, blindness, leprosy, cancer, HIV/AIDS, reproductive and child health issues, tobacco related and water borne diseases and food safety and telecasted on Thursdays and Mondays at 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and repeated on Fridays and Tuesdays. Kalyani targets almost half the population of India, in the nine most populous States with the poorest health indicators. Kalyani is telecast by the nine capital Doordarshan Kendras Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Dehradun, Guwahati, Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi and 12 sub regional kendras[ix]. The programme is produced in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Family Welfare and the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). As a result of the programme, Kalyani Clubs have sprung up in various parts of the country to spread the message of good health. The concept of Kalyani clubs with membership of local people of the village who watch the programme avidly and strategize on how to implement the health messages was a crucial part of the communications strategy. At present, there are more than 3063 Kalyani Clubs across the country with more than 78965 members till August 2010. Club members organise dance programmes and plays on various health issues. The performances provide information to patients, providers and the community in an entertaining way. These performances are telecast on Doordarshan as a part of the Kalyani episode, spreading awareness amongst a larger audience.[x] This programme has made a significant impact on the target audience as is evident from the reported attitudinal change and social activism. Children, and women, who are among the members of â€Å"Doordarshan Kalyani Clubs†, are taking the television messages further through inter-personal communication and social activism. The Kalyani campaign bagged the prestigious â€Å"Gates Malaria Award† of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association in 2004 and is also the only media programme to be in WHOs top 15 innovations list.[xi] Swasth Bharat This publicity campaign of Ministry of Health Family Welfare continues to be on the top of the chart with an investment of Rs. 190 crores and is telecast from 30 Kendras in 20 languages and 3 dialects. It is telecast with the title â€Å"Swasth Bharat/Healthy India/Arogya Bharatam†. Nirmal Bharat The campaign is the initiative of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Govt. of India which is telecast on DD National with an investment of Rs. 45 crores in the financial year 2012-13.[xii] All India Radio Having higher reach in terms of population and the geographical area, All India Radio had been the forerunner in the process of implementing Health Communication strategy being adopted by the government. AIR one of the as the largest radio network in the world is the only mass medium which is accessible to both rural and urban audiences in plenty. Radio also provides series of special audiences programmes on variety of subjects including health management even in the age of television revolution. At the same time, the time, duration, coverage and quality of health education programmes are not appreciated by the people in large number. The Critique of Health Communication Initiatives in India Health Communication from the functional perspective explores four key factors an analysis of the health related issues, devising strategies to communicate them with the people, implementation and evaluation. A critical appraisal of this approach reveals that, there are some losses due to the process of group decision making and implementation.But many of the health related media campaigns in India lack the cohesion of all these components.[xiii] There are also certain accidental slips occurred in the health communication scenario in India – First, the communicators could rarely view engaging the most vulnerable creatively and contextually on health issues as a priority and secondly the overly medicalized approaches to health care. These healthcare communication activities are supervised not by communication professionals but by doctors who understand and know less of health communication. Moreover, health messaging is viewed as a soft aspect of public health programming. ‘Real’ doctors are reluctant to do health communications. A Critical analysis of Comprehensive communication strategy for RNTCP suggest that the main television channels does not reach the poorest and expensive to produce and most disadvantaged groups though they reach to communities on a large scale. The local television channels reach to communities through their dialects but it is limited. The government controlled media has been more or less toeing a centralized form of communication. AIR (All India Radio) during its initial days formulated its communication policies in Delhi and got it translated to the various languages for dissemination. The irony was that it never even looked at the regional variations of the problems. To cite an example, every year, the government observes the first week of August as â€Å"Breast Feeding week† to emphasise on the importance of Breast Feeding for the new born as well as the lactating mother. The government media goes overboard with the campaign. Whereas, in India the people of the Northeastern part needs no campaign as all mothers breast feed their babies instinctively. Hence spending so much of valuable transmission time on such campaigns for these areas could never elicit any result[xiv]. Conclusion Coming to the rural population of India, a widely prevalent but deeply flawed belief is that the poor and the vulnerable population do not care about their health and well-being. The prime objective of health communication is to expose this myth. In fact the vulnerable populations absorb health information well, if it is relevant, localized, integrates well with current cultural and social situations and is entertaining. End Notes 1 [i] Article 25, Universal Declaration of Human Rights – 1948, The United Nations [ii] Health Communication: (Knowledge to Action – Public Health Foundation of India, 2011-12 [iii] Rommani Sen Shitak, TELEVISION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONIN INDIA: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL, Commentary Global Media Journal – Indian Edition/ISSN 2249-5835 Winter Issue / December 2011Vol. 2/No.2. [iv] Suresh K., Evidence based communication for health promotion, Indian Journal of Public Health. Oct-Dec, 2011 [v] http://pib.nic.in [vi] Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2009 [vii] Rafael Obregà ³n, Ketan Chitnis, Chris Morry, Warren Feek, Jeffrey Bates, Michael Galway Ellyn Ogden, Achieving polio eradication: A review of health communication evidence and lessons learned in India and Pakistan, http://www.who.int [viii] Chapal Mehra, Why Health Communication is Important, The Hindu, 3 January 2013 [ix] Kalyani News Letter, Vol.IV, July 2006 [x] A Health Communication Strategy for RNTCP, Central TB Division, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India DANTB, 2008 [xi] http://www.ddindia.gov.in [xii] http://www.ddindia.gov.in [xiii] http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/group/funcpsp.html [xiv] Dr B P Mahesh Chandra Guru, Sapna M SMadhura VeenaM L, Health Education In India. References Gupta, V.S.,Communication Development and Civil Society, New Delhi: Concept Publishing Co., 2004. Ouchi Minoru, Campbell, M.J. (ed.) Development Communication and Grassroots Participatio, Kuala Lumpur: ADIPA, 1985. Piotrow Phyllis Tilson and others, Health Communication Lessons From Family Planning and Reproductive Health, London: Praeger,1997 Raghavan G.N.S., Development Communication in India: A study of reach and relevance in relation to the rural poor, New Delhi: Centre For Area Development Action Research Studies,1989

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Good Ole Days When Barbers were also Surgeons :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Good Ole Days When Barbers were also Surgeons The word barber is derived from the Latin word barba, meaning beard.2 As a profession, barbering was introduced in Rome in 296 B.C. The barbers of the early days were also surgeons and dentists, and in both Egypt and Greece, barbers attained prosperity and respect. Statesmen, poets, and philosophers who came to have their hair cut or their beards trimmed frequented the shops. They also came to discuss the news of the day because the barbershops of the ancient world were the headquarters of social, political, and sporting news. Barbers also performed other services, having been enlisted in later years to assist the clergy in their medicinal practice of blood letting. At the Council of Tours in 1163, the clergy were forbidden to draw blood or to act as physicians or surgeons. Barbers then took up these duties, partly because they were the natural successors of the clergy, but also because physicians of that time disdained surgery. The origin of the barber's pole appears to be associated with this service of bloodletting. The original pole has at its top a brass basin that represents both the vessel in which leeches were kept and the basin that received the blood. The pole itself represents the staff that the patient held onto during the operation. The red and white stripes symbolize the bandages used during the procedure: red for the bandages stained with blood during the operation and white for the clean bandages. After washing, the bandages were hung out to dry on the pole, blowing and twisting together to form the spiral pattern seen on the modern day barber pole. The bloodstained bandages became recognized as the emblem of the barber-surgeon profession. Later, the emblem was replaced by a wooden pole of white and red stripes. These colors are recognized as the true colors of the barber emblem. Red, white, and blue typically are displayed in America, partly due to the fact that the national flag has these colors. Another interpretation of these barber pole colors is that the red represents arterial blood, the blue is symbolic of venous blood, and the white depicts the bandage. After the formation of the United Barber Surgeons Company in England, a statute required barbers to use a blue and white pole and surgeons to use a red pole. The connection between barbery and surgery continued for more than six centuries, and the barber profession reached its pinnacle during this time.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Analyse the relationship between the mother and her son in The Sons Es

Analyse the relationship between the mother and her son in The Son's Veto by Thomas Hardy showing how their behaviour and attitudes were affected by society. "The Son's Veto" is a short story that focuses on a woman, Sophy, who is torn between two conflicting social classes. Sophy is an uneducated parlour maid who marries a man above her class to secure her future. The son that is the outcome of the marriage is arrogant and self centred. He acts as thought he is superior to his mother because of his higher education and who he socialises with. The relationship between Sophy and her son, Randolph, is poor because they grew up in different classes. The thing that held their relationship together was the father and husband. When he dies it is as though the mother and son have nothing in common anymore. Social attitudes have affected heir relationship because the mother cannot be accepted into the son's class and the son will not be accepted into the mother class because it will ruin his reputation. At the beginning of the story, Hardy shows the social detachment between Spohy and her son through the language he uses, "Has, dear mother - not have!, exclaimed the public schoolboy". Hardy uses very impersonal phrases to describe how Sophy is being treated as if she is an object, "She was conducted out of the gardens and passed along the pavements". There is an expectation of how Sophy would be treated as a disabled woman. She noticed how people were interested in her but she did not mind, "did not mind gratifying their curiosity". Sophy is seen as the barter of the male and not as an individual. This means society treats her differently because of this as well as being disabled. When Sophy is the par... ... son. It is Randolph's insecurities and shame over his mother that leads him to control her life. In this way, as long as he is there to supervise her actions, he can take those extra precautions to prevent any social embarrassment that may be inflicted upon him by his mother. Sophy does not necessarily recognize this fact, but is only willing to put his needs and wants before her own. She also feels a sense of duty and obligation towards Randolph and therefore accepts what he says as being final. Ultimately, Sophy believes it is his happiness she needs to ensure and secure, not her own. This, sadly, is how she leads her life. Hardy analyses the flaws existing in society today and gives a fantastic example in showing how the "standards" set up by the public, as well as the selfishness that prevails among the citizens in society, destroyed Sophy's life.

Depletion Of The Ozone Layer :: essays research papers

The ozone layer diminishes more each year. As the area of polar ozone depletion (commonly called the ozone hole) gets larger, additional ultraviolet rays are allowed to pass through. These rays cause cancer, cataracts, and lowered immunity to diseases.1 What causes the depletion of the ozone layer? In 1970, Crutzen first showed that nitrogen oxides produced by decaying nitrous oxide from soil-borne microbes react catalytically with ozone hastening its depletion. His findings started research on "global biogeochemical cycles" as well as the effects of supersonic transport aircraft that release nitrogen oxide into the stratosphere.2 In 1974, Molina and Rowland found that human-made chlorofluorocarbons used for making foam, cleaning fluids, refrigerants, and repellents transform into ozone-depleting agents.3 Chlorofluorocarbons stay in the atmosphere for several decades due to their long tropospheric lifetimes. These compounds are carried into the stratosphere where they undergo hundreds of catalytic cycles with ozone.4 They are broken down into chlorine atoms by ultraviolet radiation.5 Chlorine acts as the catalyst for breaking down atomic oxygen and molecular ozone into two molecules of molecular oxygen. The basic set of reactions that involve this process are: Cl + O3 -->ClO + O2 and ClO + O -->Cl + O2 The net result: O3 + O -->2O2 Chlorine is initially removed in the first equation by the reaction with ozone to form chlorine monoxide. Then it is regenerated through the reaction with monatomic oxygen in the second equation. The net result of the two reactions is the depletion of ozone and atomic oxygen.6 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, and methyl bromide are a few of the ozone depletion substances (ODS) that break down ozone under intense ultraviolet light. The bromine and fluorine in these chemicals act as catalysts, reforming ozone (O3) molecules and monatomic oxygen into molecular oxygen (O2). In volcanic eruptions, the sulfate aerosols released are a natural cause of ozone depletion. The hydrolysis of N2O5 on sulfate aerosols, coupled with the reaction with chlorine in HCl, ClO, ClONO2 and bromine compounds, causes the breakdown of ozone. The sulfate aerosols cause chemical reactions in addition to chlorine and bromine reactions on stratospheric clouds that destroy the ozone.8 Some ozone depletion is due to volcanic eruptions. Analysis of the El Chichon volcanic eruption in 1983 found ozone destruction in areas of higher aerosol concentration (Hofmann and Solomon, "Ozone Destruction through Heterogeneous Chemistry Following the Eruption of El Chichon"). They deduced that the "aerosol particles act as a base for multiphase reactions leading

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Employee Selection Process in Private Company

EMPLOYEE SELECTION FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS: THE INFLUENCES OF THE UNIFORM GUIDELINES AND COURT DECISIONS Edward, Ph. D. McKendree College Business Division 701 College Road Lebanon, IL 62254 (618)-537-4481 ABSTRACT The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978) were promulgated with large businesses in mind in order to affect large numbers of employees as rapidly as possible.However, the employee selection validation procedure advocated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, criterion related validity, is one that small business owners are unable to use due to statistical restraints and the lack of personnel with the esoteric knowledge of validation procedures. These restrictions, coupled with court decisions such as Albemarle Paper Company v.Moody in which the United States Supreme Court ruled the test validation guidelines issued by the EEOC were to be given â€Å"great deference† by lower courts, have left small business owners with one practical and potentially legally defensible approach to employee selection. This paper briefly mentions the advantages of valid employee selection procedures, followed by a detailed description of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978), relevant court cases, and a case study describing the validation of a small business employee selection test by the author.INTRODUCTION The importance of small business to the U. S. economy was well summarized by Siropolis (1986), who wrote: †¦ more than 99 percent of the nation's 16 million businesses are small-even if we define a small business as one that employs fewer than 100 rather than 500 †¦. Further evidence of its vitality is the fact that small business employs roughly half of the nation's workforce (pg. 8). In addition, Siropolis (1986) listed numerous other reasons for the importance of small business to the U. S. conomy, such as the higher return on equity small manufacturers earn than large manufacturers, the i nnovation found in small businesses as evidenced by small businesses accounting for half of all major inventions in the last 30 years in the U. S. , and the dependence of large businesses on small businesses as both suppliers and purchasers. These economic facts indicate that small business in the U. S. is the paramount force for economic growth and the creation of jobs, as noted recently: Small businesses are the principal job creating sector of the economy during recessions and expansions† (â€Å"The State Of†, 1985, pg. 46). Further evidence of the economic importance of small business has recently been published: Employment gains in small-business dominated industries in construction (18. 9 percent), finance, insurance and real estate (12. 7 percent), and services (12. 6 percent) are impressive when compared to the gains made in similar, large business dominated industries. In construction, the small business ted industries had employment gains of 18. 9 percent, whi le the large business industries showed an employment loss of 10. percent. The relative strengths of the small business gains in wholesale and retail trade are also significant †¦. Small firms with fewer than 100 employees†¦ generated 52. 6 percent of net employment growth from 1976 to 1982. (â€Å"The State Of†, 1985, p. 17-21). One can add to this the reliance of the U. S. government on small businesses, as evidenced by the federal government purchasing almost 29% of its of goods and services from small businesses in 1983 (â€Å"The State Of†, 1985).EMPLOYEE SELECTION An area of vital importance within small business management is the area of employee selection. An increasing awareness of the importance of employee selection has been noted: â€Å"Nearly 40% of surveyed employers are using more prehiring testing of job candidates than they were five years ago† (â€Å"Prehiring Tests†, 1986, p. 17). The importance to the U. S. economy of employe e selection in a small business is due both to the fact that small businesses create the majority of new jobs in the U.S. (Birch, 1979; â€Å"The State Of†, 1985), and the impact of the employee selection process on a small business. First, the results of a valid selection procedure include increased productivity of as much as 20 percent (Schmidt, Hunter, McKenzie, & Muldrow, 1979). This is an important result to small business owners, as productivity improvement has been rated as the number one concern of both CEOs and executives and engineers in separate surveys (â€Å"Productivity: A Top†, 1986, p. 46).Other important results include an avoidance of lawsuits (Dreher & Sackett, 1981; Kleiman & Faley, 1978), greater job satisfaction and organizational commitment, reduced absenteeism and fewer disciplinary actions (Fear & Ross, 1983), reduced time spent in supervision for the small business owner, and reduced training costs and turnover (Stone & Ruch, 1974). The potent ial for reduced turnover is also important for small business owners, due to recent data indicating that: Small businesses have higher annual employee turnover than large companies.The Administrative Management Society reports that businesses with 26-250 employees have a 19% turnover rate, while larger firms (more than 5000 employees) average only 7% (â€Å"Small Businesses, Turnover† 1986, p. 13). In total, these results are particularly important due to the greater relative effect each employee has in a small business as opposed to the effect of an individual employee in a large business. In the U. S. , the employee selection procedures used by all business owners are regulated by the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978).The Uniform Guidelines (UG) were designed to provide technical assistance to employers and were written following a review of relevant court cases and consultations with industrial psychologists. At present, the UG are serving as a ref erence for determining the legality of currently used selection tests. The UG are administered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is empowered to do so by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.As Landy and Trumbo (1980) have noted: â€Å"The EEOC has evolved from a weak public advocate status to a strong and active enforcement agency, with broad powers to initiate and negotiate legal and administrative action on behalf of protected minority groups† (p. 92). Although the UG are not â€Å"law† as a lawyer would define law in that they were not passed as bills in Congress, they are frequently referenced as technical guides by judges. In the UG, the employment decisions made by business owners and managers are regulated and broadly defined, e. . , promotions, referrals for training, as well as selection for hiring are all subject to the influence of the UG. The UG list three allowable approaches to validating a selection test used by a busines s. Briefly, criterion related validation approaches focus on the statistical ability of the selection test to predict the criterion, or as noted by Dreher and Sackett (1981): â€Å"†¦ criterion-related approaches focus on the relationship between a hiring requirement and job behavior† (p. 552).Another way of describing criterion-related validity was written by Landy and Trumbo) (1980): â€Å"When we are investigating the validity of a selection procedure using a criterion related design, typically, we are looking for a significant correlation between a test (predictor) and job behavior (criterion)† (p. 70- 71). The UG define criterion related validity in this way: â€Å"In criterion related validity, a selection procedure is justified by a statistical relationship between scores on the test or other selection procedure and measures of job performance† (P. 8292, Federal Register, 1978). According to the UG, the requirements of the job analysis, which is a co mprehensive definition of the tasks performed by a job incumbent, are: â€Å"There should be a review of job information to determine measures of work behavior(s) or performance that are relevant to the job or group of jobs in question†. The paramount difficulty with conducting a criterion related validity study for the small business owner is the required number of hirees, which is discussed in the UG under the term of â€Å"technical feasibility†.Although the minimum is not specified in the UG, an absolute minimum is 30 employees (Heneman, Schwab, Fossum, & Dyer, 1986). For many small business owners, this minimum number is more employees than they hire in a year, which in turn makes the criterion related validation approach of little value. In addition, the statistical measures required by the criterion related validity approach are often recondite for a small business owner.Construct valuation approaches attempt to measure an applicant's amount of psychological cha racteristics such as â€Å"need for achievement†. The UG discuss construct validity in this manner: â€Å"Construct validity involves identifying the psychological trait (the construct) which underlies successful performance on the job and then devising a selection procedure to measure the presence and degree of that construct† (p. 38292, Federal Register, 1978). The construct validity of a test refers to the extent to which it measures the construct it is supposed to measure.Landy and Trumbo (1980) noted: â€Å"It is the most theoretical of the definitions of validity, since it is concerned with the abstractions used in referring to psychological structures, functions, or traits, rather than to the prediction of some external criterion† (p. 73). The job analysis for a construct validity study involves a list of critical job behaviors and the constructs believed to underly the behaviors. These studies are difficult to do, as a â€Å"construct† is a hypoth etical attribute of a person that underlies and guides their behavior. Content validation approaches are oncerned with the job relatedness of the selection test rather than a concern with the criterion. Landy and Trumbo (1980) defined this approach toe employee selection procedure validation as: â€Å"Content validity is concerned with the extent to which the sample of items in a test (and the sample behavior elicited by these items) is an unbiased representation of the domain (i. e. , attribute or trait) being sampled† (p. 71). According to the UG: â€Å"A selection procedure can be supported by a content validity strategy to the extent that it is a representative sample of the content of the job†.An important concept for a content valid selection procedure is the job analysis, which was defined by Schultz (1978): â€Å"The purpose of the job analysis is to describe, in specific term, the precise nature of the component tasks performed by the workers on a particular job† (p. 76). A job analysis can be approached in a variety of ways, as noted by McCormick and Tiffin (1974): â€Å"Job analysis can be considered as embracing the collection and analysis of any type of job related information, by any method, for any purpose† (p. 9). The job analysis for a content validity study involves interviewing and observing incumbents: Job analysis for content validity. There should be a job analysis which includes an analysis of the important work behaviors(s) required for successful performance and their relative importance and, if the behavior results in work product(s), an analysis of the work product(s). Any job analysis should focus on the work behaviors and the tasks associated with them †¦The work behaviors selected for measurement should be critical work behaviors and/or important work behaviors constituting most of the job. The key to content validity is the answers to the questions the small business owner must ask: â€Å"How rep resentative of on the job behaviors is the test? Does it sample all important aspects of the job? † Landy and Trumbo (1980) wrote â€Å"Content validity is determined on the basis of how well the test material samples the job performance domain† (p. 72). The validity of a content validation study is judgmental; no statistical analysis is done (Robinson, 1981).The value of the content validation approach to a small business owner is that it allows a selection test to be validated within the UG restraints, and at the same time it does not require large sample sizes or recondite statistical analyses: When is content validation appropriate? One circumstance is when there are too few people available to form a sample for purposes of empirical validation. While there are differences of opinion on what the minimum necessary sample size is for empirical validation, an absolute minimum is 30 individuals who all perform the same job (Heneman et al. 986, pg. 281-283). The restrict ions of the content validity approach are few. One of the restrictions is that the selection test should consist only of knowledge or skills that cannot readily be learned on the job (Miner & Miner, 1980). In addition, content validity is prohibited by the UG to measure mental processes as part of a selection procedure. An example of the content validation approach to employee selection is the appropriately titled Content Oriented Personnel Selection in a Small Business Setting by Robinson (1981).In his article, which involved the content validation process needed in designing a selection procedure which was used to hire one construction superintendent for a small construction firm, Robinson (1981) informs the reader of the steps necessary in a job analysis for a content valid selection test: 1. Convene a panel of experts†¦. 2. Ask the panel to identify all the broad objectives to be met by an ideal incumbent on the target job. If objectives can be so quantified that they can p roperly be called standards, so much the better†¦. 3.List specific behaviors required to meet each objective †¦. 4. Identification of â€Å"critical† tasks †¦ The content sample will be valid to the extent that the critical tasks reflect actual job performance †¦. 5. Determination of interjudge agreement as to the importance of major dimensions of the job†¦ (pgs. 78-79). The importance of such a systematic approach to the job analysis was emphasized by Dreher and Sackett (1981): â€Å"The quality of any content validation effort depends on the thoroughness and appropriateness of the job analysis† (p. 54); the job analysis will be used to determine if the content valid test actually samples relevant job behavior mentioned in the job analysis as important. Having conducted the job analysis, Robinson (1981) constructed a test battery based upon work sample procedures. As an example, the applicants were given a construction error recognition test i n which the applicants were required to inspect a 8†² by 12†² shed that contained 25 construction errors. The applicants were to list the construction errors they spotted during their inspection.This emphasis on the UG when discussing employee selection approaches for small business owners stems from two major court cases which directly ruled on the use of content validity as a way of validating a selection instrument. In Firefighters Institute for Racial Equality v. City of St. Louis, a promotional examination for fire captains was ruled to have adequate content validity within the directives of the UG. In U. S. v. Connelie, a selection procedure for New York State Police was ruled to be invalid due to in large part the lack of a task-oriented job analysis nor was the frequency and importance of job duties identified.In both of these cases, the UG used in making the judicial rulings. Two other court cases which indicate the importance of understating content validity are Harless v. Duck and King v. New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development. In Harless v. Duck, a structured oral interview was found to be rejecting more female applicants than male applicants, however, the employer argued the interview had content validity in that hypothetical situations were used that a police officer might actually face.The court ruled the selection interview was valid, in large part due to its content validity. In King v. New Hampshire, a business lost a discrimination lawsuit due to applicants being asked questions which were not job related, i. e. , not based on a job analysis and therefore not content valid. With the importance of employee selection validation in mind, coupled with the feasibility of the content validation approach for small business owners, I would like to describe the approach I used for a small business owner located in the Midwest.The small business is a general purpose real estate office (â€Å"general purpose,† i n the sense that it handled farm, commercial, and private dwelling real estate sales) which has two owner managers and 10 sales associates. The primary function of the sales force for this small business is to sell as much real estate as possible, in terms of monetary value rather than number of units sold. The organization did not have a job analysis of the job of real estate agent and was using an unstructured interview to hire applicants. The initial step was to develop a job analysis.The purposes of the job analysis were to (a) define the job duties being performed by the job incumbents, (b) obtain a listing of the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform each job duty, and (c) determine the importance and time spent on each job duty as perceived by the incumbents. For this small business, the process of collecting information for the job analysis consisted of three steps: (a) reviewing the appropriate entry in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, (b) reading the job related material from the firm's files, and (c) a series of interviews with all 10 real estate agents and both of the owner-managers.Due to the job analyst's lack of familiarity with the job, the first step was to review the job description in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Its value is noted by Bass and Barrett (1981): â€Å"The job analyst can turn to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles to get a concise definition of almost any job in American industry† (p. 238). The use of this volume when approaching a job one is not familiar with was also noted by Cascio (1978): â€Å"First, the reader can become familiar with the vast array of jobs in general and with appropriate terminology in each job, (p. 47). The second step also involved acquiring some job related information about being a real estate agent; this step consisted of a reading of the informational and training manuals that are made available to the real estate agents. The perusal of these manuals was va luable in giving the job analyst background information necessary to conduct the third step of the information collection, the interviews with job incumbents. These interviews were conducted in a private room and ranged from 30 to 90 minutes.The interviews followed a patterned interview form, as recommended by Cascio (1978). The interview questions asked for traits, behaviors, and knowledge that the incumbents deemed necessary for the completion of the job of real estate agent. The interviewees were also informed that any knowledge or behaviors an applicant could learn within eight hours was not to be included. An example of an interview question is â€Å"What is the order of behaviors from the time you contact a customer until you are through with a sale? † The interviews generated a list of 106 job duties.Each of the interviewees received a copy of the 106 job duties, along with an instruction sheet asking them to rate each item as to its importance to their job and the rel ative amount of time they spend performing that job duty. The mean rating given each of the 106 job duties was computed by the job analyst for both the rating dimensions. With the interview information and summary statistics on hand, a selection instrument was constructed which was based on job duties which were rated highly in terms of their importance and time spent on each of them by job ncumbents, and which job incumbents considered were not trainable within eight hours. The selection instrument was based on a job sample approach, which is valid for a content validity based selection instrument. As an example, the selection instrument asked an applicant to calculate monthly payments on a home given certain financial parameters. The questions were given to six randomly selected job incumbents who were asked to choose which of the job sample test questions an applicant would have to pass in order to meet minimum standards as a new employee.The job incumbents overall picked an aver age of 80% of the job sample items as being necessary for a new employee to pass to be acceptable at a minimum level of acceptability. Therefore, an applicant would have to score a minimum of 80% in order to be considered for employment. As a check on the validity of the 80% cutoff score, the job sample questions were given to the four other job incumbents. All of these incumbents were considered to be satisfactory employees by the business owners, and all received a passing score of over 80%.In summary, small business owners need to be aware of the UG, the court cases which have resulted from the UG, the one practical approach to validating a selection procedure, and the advantages to having a validated selection procedure. By following the outline of Robinson (1981) or the case presented in this paper, the small business owner can both enjoy the benefits of a validated selection procedure and lessen any worry over an EEOC lawsuit. REFERENCES Bass, B. M. , & Barrett, G. V. (1981). People, work, and organizations.Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc. Birch, D. L. (1979). The job generation process. M. I. T. Program on Neighborhood and Regional Change. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Cascio, W. F. (1978). Applied psychology in personnel management. Reston, Virginia: Reston Publishing Company, Inc. Dreher, G. F. , & Sackett, P. R. (1981). Some problem with applying content validity evidence to assessment center procedures. Academy of Management Review, 6, p. 551-560. Fear, R. A. , & Ross, J. F. (1983). Jobs, Dollars, and EEO: How to Hire More Productive Entry- Level Workers.New York, McGraw-Hill. Harless v. Duck, 14 FEB 1616 (1977). Heneman , H. G. , Schwab, D. P. , Fossum, J. A. , & Dyer, L. D. (1986). 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