Friday, November 29, 2019

Capital Punishment Essays (1361 words) - Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment Capital Punishment is the execution of criminals by the state, for committing crimes, regarded so heinous, that this is the only acceptable punishment. Capital punishment does not only lower the murder rate, but it's value as retribution alone is a good reason for handing out death sentences. Support for the death penalty in the U.S. has risen to an average of 80% according to an article written by Richard Worsnop, Entitled Death penalty debate centers on Retribution, this figure is slightly lower in Canada where support for the death penalty is at 72% of the population over 18 years of age, as stated in an article by Kirk Makir, in the March 26, 1987 edition of the Globe and Mail, titled B.C. MPs split on Death Penalty. The death penalty deters murder by putting the fear of death into would be killers. A person is less likely to do something, if he or she thinks that harm will come to him. Another way the death penalty deters murder, is the fact that if the killer is dead, he will not be able to kill again. Most supporters of the death penalty feel that offenders should be punished for their crimes, and that it does not matter whether it will deter the crime rate. Supporters of the death penalty are in favor of making examples out of offenders, and that the threat of death will be enough to deter the crime rate, but the crime rate is of no matter. According to Isaac Ehrlich's study, published on April 16, 1976, eight murders are deterred for each execution that is carried out in the U.S.A. He goes on to say, If one execution of a guilty capital murderer deters the murder of one innocent life, the execution is justified. To most supporters of the death penalty, like Ehrlich, if even 1 life is saved, for countless executions of the guilty, it is a good reason for the death penalty. Most supporters, including Ehrlich, consider the theory that society engages in murder when executing the guilty, invalid. He feels that execution of convicted offenders expresses the great value society places on innocent life. Isaac Ehrlich goes on to state that racism is also a point used by death penalty advocates. We will use the U.S. as examples, since we can not look at the inmates on death row in Canada, because their are laws in Canada that state that crime statistics can not be based on race, also the fact that there are no inmates on death row in Canada. In the U.S. 16 out of 1000 whites arrested for murder are sentenced to death, while 12 of 1000 blacks arrested for murder were sentenced to death. 1.1% of black inmates on death row were executed, while 1.7% of white inmates will die. Another cry for racism, as according to Ehrlich, that is raised by advocates of the death penalty is based on the color of the victim, for example if the victim is white, it is more likely that the offender will get the death penalty than if the victim had been black. This is true, if you look at the actual number of people who are murder. More people kill whites and get the death penalty, then people who kill blacks and get the death penalty. The reason for this is that more whites are killed, and the murders captured. Now if we look at the number of blacks killed it is a lot less, but you have to look at these numbers proportionately. Percent wise it is almost the same number for any race, so this is not the issue. In a 1986 study done by Professor Stephen K. Layson of the University of North Carolina, the conclusions made by Ehrilich were updated, and showed to be a little on the low side as far as the deterrence factor of capital punishment. Professor Layson found that 18 murders were deterred by each execution is the U.S. He also found that executions increase in probability of arrest, conviction, and other executions of heinous offenders. According to a statement issued by George C. Smith, Director of Litigation, Washington Legal Foundation, titled In Support of the Death Penalty, support for the

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Best SAT Diagnostic Test

The Best SAT Diagnostic Test SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re preparing for the SAT, you may know how important it is to take a diagnostic test early on in your studying.An SAT diagnostic test will give you a baseline score you can use to develop an individualized study plan that’ll target your weaknesses and help you reach your target SAT score. In this guide, we’ll explain what an SAT diagnostic test is, where you can find the best free SAT diagnostic tests, and exactly how you can use every piece of information you get from the diagnostic test to create the best SAT study plan for you. What Is an SAT Diagnostic Test? How Can It Help You? An SAT diagnostic test is a practice test that you take at the beginning of your SAT prep to determine what your strengths and weaknesses are and how much you need to improve. Your diagnostic results give you an estimate of how well you’re currently scoring on the SAT and which parts of the test you’re struggling with.Without an SAT diagnostic test, it’s much harder to study effectively for the SAT because you don’t know how much progress you need to make or in which areas. Before you take a diagnostic SAT, you should know your goal score. A goal score is the score you're aiming for on the SAT, and it's based on the average SAT scores of admitted students for the colleges you're interested in attending. Check out our guide to learn how to set your own goal score. Where Can You Find the Best SAT Diagnostic Tests? The best SAT practice tests are always official tests, and this is also true for SAT diagnostic tests.Official practice SATs are made by the same people who create the actual SAT. This means that, if you take an official practice test for your SAT diagnostic, you can be sure you’re getting an accurate idea of the real SAT's content and difficulty, as well as how the questions are worded and how they can trick you. We have links to every free and official SAT available online. Use one of these for your free SAT diagnostic test.You can also take an official SAT practice test on Khan Academy which will automatically score your results for you. However, we don't recommend taking your SAT diagnostic test online since you'll be taking the real SAT with pencil and paper. Are there shorter options for a diagnostic test?We highly recommend taking a full-length SAT as your diagnostic test to give you the most accurate results, but if you really can’t find the time to do this, Khan Academy does offer short diagnostic quizzes for the SAT on its website. There are four quizzes for SAT Math and four for SAT Reading. Each quiz is ten questions long. You won’t be able to translate these results into an estimated score for the SAT since the format is so different, but they can be used to help you figure out which areas you need to improve the most in. How Should You Take Your SAT Diagnostic Test? When you take your SAT diagnostic, it’s very important to mimic real testing conditions as closely as possible so that you can get the most accurate score from your diagnostic. If you give yourself more breaks or time than you’d get on the real test, your diagnostic test results won’t be as useful because the extra time could cause you to get a higher score than you would on the real SAT. Here are the main rules you should follow when taking your diagnostic: Take the test with pencil and paper Take the test all in one sitting Keep strict timing for each section (don’t give yourself even one minute extra to complete a section!) Use only the breaks you’d get on the official exam (5 minutes after the Reading section, 5 minutes after the Math No Calculator section, and 5 minutes before the Essay if you’re taking it) Minimize distractions (no music, tv, people talking in the room, etc.) For a more in-depth look at the best way to take SAT practice tests, check out our guide specifically on the topic. How Should You Analyze Your SAT Diagnostic Results? Once you’ve taken your SAT diagnostic test, your work isn’t over! The reason you took the diagnostic was to get useful information from it, so these next two sections will explain how you should analyze your test results. In this section are four big picture questions you should ask yourself to see how much you need to study and what major areas your study plan should focus on. Grade your diagnostic test (all official practice tests include instructions on how to do this), then think about the following questions. How Far Are You From Your Goal Score? This is the key question. How far are your diagnostic test results from your SAT goal score? If you’re close to your target score, great! You may not have to do much studying beyond some quick review and taking a few more practice tests. If you’re farther from your SAT goal score, you’ll probably have to put some more time in, but that’s why you took the diagnostic test, to figure this out early so you have plenty of time to develop an SAT study plan. Keep reading for tips on how to figure out exactly where you can improve and what you can do to raise your score. Which Sections Did You Struggle the Most With? Now, look at each of your section scores. How do they compare to one another? Is your Reading score pretty good but your Math score far from where you want it to be? Then you know to focus more of your study time on math. Students often divide their study time equally between each of the SAT sections or read entire prep books all the way through to make sure they’re learning everything they can. However, if your section scores vary widely, this isn’t the most efficient use of your time. You want to concentrate more on the section(s) where you need to make the biggest improvement. That’s the way to raise your score a significant amount. Which Question Types Did You Struggle the Most With? Now go one step further. If you’re unhappy with your Math score, look more closely at which types of questions you answered incorrectly. Did you ace the algebra questions but struggle with geometry? Did the grid-in questions throw you for a loop? The more detailed your analysis is, the more it’ll help you develop a study plan that effectively targets your weaknesses and helps you raise your score.To help you with this, here are guides that explain every type of question you’ll see on SAT Math, Reading, and Writing. They’ll help you categorize the questions and figure out which ones you’re missing. Did You Run Out of Time on the Exam? Finally, did you struggle with the time limits on the SAT? Did you run out of time on any of the sections? Do you feel like you could have gotten a higher score if you’d had more time?The SAT expects you to answer a lot of questions in a short amount of time, and many students struggle with completing the test within the time limits. If you feel you knew most of the information being tested but simply didn’t have the time to answer all the questions completely, working on your timing skills will be key to improving your score. We explain how to do this in the next section. What Is the Best Way to Go Over Questions You Got Wrong? After you looked at the overall patterns in your diagnostic score results, it’s time for a more detailed analysis. To do this, you should go through every question you answered incorrectly and figure out why you got it wrong. This may seem time-consuming and boring, but don’t be tempted to skip it! Going over the answers you got wrong is the absolute best way to understand where you’re making mistakes and what you can do to correct them. Otherwise you’ll just keep repeating those same mistakes and not make improvements. For each question you answered incorrectly on your diagnostic, think about why you got it wrong. There are generally four reasons people make mistakes on exams: Time Issue: You were pressed for time. Question Comprehension Issue: You had the knowledge to get the right answer, but the question was too complicated, you weren’t exactly sure what was being asked, or you were tricked by the question. Procedural/Content Issue: You didn’t know how to solve a question, or you didn’t have the background knowledge needed to answer the question. Careless Error: Often the most frustrating mistake, this is when you knew exactly how to get the right answer, but you made a silly mistake that caused you to choose the wrong answer. We give detailed explanations for how to overcome each of these issues in our guide to going over SAT questions you missed, but below are key solutions for each of the four issues. Time Issues To figure out if you have time management issues, take a timed practice test (under realistic conditions). If you run out of time to answer all of the questions, continue answering questions, but mark the questions for which you needed the extra time. How many questions did you get right with the extra time, compared to the number of questions you answered correctly within the official time limits? If your scaled scores differ by more than either 50 points on any section of the SAT, then you have a time management problem. We have guides specifically on how to stop running out of time on SAT Math andSAT Reading, but below are a few key tips for helping you manage your time on the SAT better. Know how long you have for each question:Having an idea of how long to spend on each question will help you plan out your time better and make it easier to stay on track. Move on if you're stuck on a question:If you’ve stared at a question for 60 seconds and have no idea how to solve it, skip it and move on. Practice, practice, practice:There’s a reason we keep encouraging you to take practice tests; they’re one of the best ways to get faster on the SAT.When you take practice SATs, you become more familiar with the exam and get a better idea of how long you can spend on each question, both of which help with your time management skills. Question Comprehension Issue This issue is especially common with people who read questions quickly in hopes of saving time. Even though you’ll be pressed for time on the SAT, spending an extra few seconds to figure out exactly what a question is asking you is well worth your time. Many students underline key parts of a question to make sure they’re not missing any important information when they read it. It may also help you to write out the info a question gives you in a simpler form to help you understand it. This can be especially helpful with math questions that dump a lot of info on you in the question. Procedural/Comprehension Issue Both of these issues can be solved by building up your knowledge of what the SAT tests and how it tests it.For procedural problems, the best way to improve is to answer lot of practice questions so you become familiar with what SAT questions look like and the ways they ask information. Prep books can also give you insight into how to solve questions. For comprehension issues, you can brush up on the content the SAT tests by using class notes, textbooks on the material, an SAT prep book or a complete prep program like PrepScholar. Careless Error The best way to overcome careless errors is to stop and think about why you’re making them. Were you pressed for time? Then improving your time management skills will help.Did you get tripped up by one of the SAT’s common tricks, like only solving for x when you were supposed to give the answer for 3x? Then taking more practice tests will help you identify these tricks more easily.Leaving yourself a few minutes at the end of each section to go over your answers can also help you avoid careless mistakes. How Can You Create the Best SAT Study Plan for You? Once you’ve taken your SAT diagnostic test and gone over your results, you can use that information to develop an SAT study plan completely tailored to you. Below are the five steps to follow to create a study plan that’ll help you build up your weaknesses and reach your target score. #1: Figure Out How Much Time You Need to Study Your first step for your study plan is to figure out how many hours you need to devote to studying. This is based on how much you want to improve from your diagnostic score results. Here are our estimates for the total number of hours you'll need to prep based on the SAT score improvement you want: 0-30 point improvement: 10 hours 30-70 point improvement: 20 hours 70-130 point improvement: 40 hours 130-200 point improvement: 80 hours 200-330 point improvement: 150 hours+ Once you know the number of hours you plan on studying, you can decide how many hours you want to study a week and work backwards to figure out how many weeks/months you’ll need to prepare and when you should take the SAT. For example, if you’re hoping to improve your score by 150 points, you’ll need to spend about 80 hours studying. If you can manage ten hours of SAT prep a week, it’ll take you about ten weeks, or 2.5 months to be fully prepared. #2: Get High-Quality Prep Materials You can create the perfect study plan, but if you’re using low-quality materials, it’ll be hard for you to make real improvements.We’ve already mentioned the importance of using official practice tests when you study. Unofficial practice tests can sometimes vary greatly from the real SAT, which means you’ll be taking tests that don’t help or, worse, prepare you for the wrong material. Always use official practice tests when you can. A prep book can also be one of the most useful tools for your SAT studying. They can be especially helpful at explaining difficult concepts and breaking down how to solve different types of SAT problems.Check out our guide to the best SAT prep books to learn which are the best prep books out there. #3: Drill Your Content Weaknesses As we mentioned above, it’s important to identify your weak areas and prioritize strengthening them. Once you know which subjects or question types you want to improve in, there are several ways to go about doing this: Reviewing content, either in a prep book or school notes Answer practice questions Asking for help if needed. If you’ve read through all your relevant notes on a subject, you may want to try asking a classmate who’s also taking the SAT for help or look into getting a tutor. #4: Take Regular Practice Tests Your SAT diagnostic test isn’t the only practice test you should take before exam day. Regular practice tests will help you track your progress and get more familiar with the exam.We recommend taking three to six full-length practice SATs.There are currently eight official practice SATs available for free, so definitely make good use of them. #5: Analyze Your Progress During your preparation for the SAT, you should regularly step back and analyze how things are going. Are you making the progress you’re wanting? If not, what do you think you should change about your study plan? Are you able to get in the number of study hours you want to? Where are you still struggling? How can you fix that issue? This is a really important step to follow because if something’s not working, you’re not going to see the improvements you want, no matter how often you keep doing it. If you’re stuck you might consider looking at tutors or reading our list of the 23 best tips for the SAT to get some new study ideas. What's Next? Want to get a perfect SAT score?Take a look atour famous guide to a 1600,written by an expert 2400 SAT scorer. Looking for practice tests?We have links to every free and official SAT practice exam available. Aiming high on each SAT section? Then read our individual, in-depth strategy guides to help you reach an800 on SAT Reading, SAT Math, and SAT Writing. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Friday, November 22, 2019

The relationship between the Chinese and foreigners Essay

The relationship between the Chinese and foreigners - Essay Example In 1234, the Mongols joined forces with the song dynasty as allies and fought the Jurchen Ji dynasty. The Mongols emerged victorious and conquered the Jurchens. Though the Jurchens had conquered the song dynasty, they helped the Mongols fight the Jurchens (p 460). The song dynasty engaged in some skilful diplomacy to settle any border disputes that arose. The Song dynasty chose famous statesmen to act as ambassadors. During the song dynasty era, the interactions with foreigners had some positive impact to the Chinese. They were able to involve themselves in maritime trade. The Chinese also started to start a very strong and booming ship-building industry. The interactions enabled china to experience the economic revolution. Many foreign powers sent missions to china during the song dynasty era. However, the foreigners began to plan to acquire china. In 1279, the southern Song dynasty was attacked and destroyed. The foreigners captured and settled in the Chinese territory and later led to the establishment of the Yuan dynasty (p 464). The Yuan dynasty existed between 1271 and 1368. The Yuan dynasty maintained strong trade ties with the Mongols who helped capture the Song dynasty. They engaged in foreign trade with the Persians, Syrians and the Arabs. During the rule of Yuan dynasty the first Europeans to reach china, the Chinese were visited by envoys such as the Franciscan mission of Pope Nicholas in the mid-13th century, the Ordonic of Pordenone in 1320 and Marco Polo. There was also a visit by the Muslim advisors of the Mongol court. These were mainly engineers, cartographers and astronomers. All these envoys visited the Leaders in the Yuan dynasties. The dynasty was also visited by a Venetian merchant who visited China between 1275 and 1292. He wrote the Travels of Marco Polo when he returned to Italy from China (p 468). The Yuan dynasty helped to launch the age of exploration in china. Many European Foreigners had a keen interest in discovering china. The

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Developmental Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Developmental Psychology - Essay Example In the developmental Psychology, there are the tendencies to make assessments on the differences between the young and the grown human being in terms of experience, knowledge and thinking, and many aspects that treat the said issue. They said Cognitive development is the growth of skills used by infants and children to understand and interact with the world around them. (Cognitive and Social Development of Children's with HoloProsencephaly). On this note, the children's' since early childhood would be thought about many things based on their ability to understand. For example seeing image and able to remember it at any moment. Additionally, when the child continues to grow would also know the uses and value and the ill effect of any object shows to them. For example, a child would know what the uses of a lamp; while at the same time would be thought that it is very dangerous for him or her to put hands on the open flame of a lamp. Children start learning about sounds when they are still in the womb. Over the first year, this attention towards sounds and particularly voices develops into an understanding of specific words and phrases. We can assess children's understanding of language by looking at 2 their reactions to familiar words and their ability to follow instructions. The ability to understand language begins well before children begin to speak their first words... Children start learning about sounds when they are still in the womb. Over the first year, this attention towards sounds and particularly voices develops into an understanding of specific words and phrases. We can assess children's understanding of language by looking at 2 their reactions to familiar words and their ability to follow instructions. The ability to understand language begins well before children begin to speak their first words. We can also listen to what children are saying. Most children start to produce language-like babbling towards the end of the first year before they actually start speaking words. (Cognitive and Social Development of Children's with HoloProsencephaly) Developmental psychology also helps to dictate the differences that relates to child development. Example of this is that, its give an insight and background of children's with different intellectual capacities. Why some children show delayed or slower growth in intellectual abilities compared with their age peers, and why some adults remain cognitively fit into old age and others show cognitive decline. (Developmental Psychology -Concepts of Change and Development) THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT It is through the Developmental psychology that the theory of cognitive development derived, which deals with children's mental capabilities. These include how child can solve problem, memory and language. But the key factor on this aspect is the language acquisition and development of perfectual and motor skills. Piaget is one of the most influential psychologists that shed lights on development of cognitive skills. His theory states that: development proceeds through a set of stages from infancy to adulthood and that there is an end point or goal. Other

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean Reflection papers Essay - 1

The Anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean Reflection papers - Essay Example Candomblà © is a religion based on Africa beliefs which originated from Brazil. On the other hand is Santeria, which is an Afro-Caribbean syncretic religion with its origin in Cuba. Voodoo is a syncretic religion practiced mainly in Haiti and Haitian diaspora. It is also in Brooklyn in the United States (Sanabria 208). There are various religious practices adopted by people in Latin America. An individual’s religious belief for a long time have been influenced by the communal interaction. Popular Catholicism had been a religious belief upheld mostly in the Latin America where they majorly believed that catholic was the only religious belief that should be followed by all. They believed only in popular Catholicism because it intertwined languages of popular religion on the primary Catholic subcontinent. Catholic religion got to be referred to as the popular Catholicism because it was the only religion that existed. Other religions like the Anglican Church came into existence years after. The people who protested against the catholic religious faith were viewed as protesting against the religion. As a result, they were called Protestants for straying from the popular religion. Protestantism had a small following but with time, more people joined Protestantism because they were not contented w ith how the popular Catholicism was being run (Sanabria 183-7). The topic on religion left me stunned and hypnotized. Who, what and how did those who start the popular Catholicism come up with all the structures followed in the religion? How could some few individuals convince several others to follow the structures they formulated for their religion? With the uprising of the Protestantism, a few people transformed to the new religion. The initiators of the protesting religious group faced several challenges but emerged triumphant when Queen Elizabeth I created Anglican Church that was a blend of protestant belief and Catholic rituals. Since many

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Reflective Practice And Risk Analysis Social Work Essay

Reflective Practice And Risk Analysis Social Work Essay The objective of this essay is to critically evaluate the following statement with reference to personal practice experience when assessing and managing risk. As my practice experience was based in a Children and Families Area Team, this essay will therefore explore the statement from this perspective. A good risk decision requires both good risk assessment and good risk management. (Carson Bain, 2008, p.156) This essay will, initially, explore and demonstrate a critical understanding of the key concepts of risk assessment and risk management. It will then provide an analysis of the political, cultural and social contexts that shape practice in relation to risk management. Following this, a critical appreciation of the concept of risk decision making will be considered. Finally a reflective discussion of a case study drawn from my practice will be evaluated in relation to risk. This reflective discussion will be set within a theoretical framework of reflection. In order to critically understand the concept of risk assessment, the question of what risk is ought to be defined. According to Alaszewski Manthorpe (1991) risk may be defined as the probability that a course of action will not achieve the desired result but instead some unacceptable circumstance or event would prevail. McCarthy et al (2004) furthers this point as they also suggest that the term risk implies the possibility of undesirable or negative outcomes. Furthermore, McCarthy also indicates that within the concept of risk it is also implied that these outcomes can be avoided. (McCarthy et al, 2004). It is additionally pointed out that risk has both an objective and subjective dimension. For example, when viewing risk objectively it is possible to identify that any surroundings or environment will be hazardous and associated with danger. Defining risk from a subjective perspective means that the possibility of danger or an unacceptable event taking place will vary from individual to individual as well as social groups. (Aleszewski Manthorpe, 1991). Nevertheless, Houston and Griffiths (2000) question the validity of the objectivist paradigm that they identify as the basis of risk assessment and point to its failure to provide valid and reliable measures of risk. (Houston Griffiths, p.1) They argue for a move toward a subjectivist paradigm, and a return to the concept of relationship as the rationale of social work intervention. On the other hand, there can be value in taking risks. Indeed, risk taking can be seen to have beneficial as well as harmful outcomes to the life of an individual. (Titterton, 2005; Carson Bain, 2008). As Titterton points out Risk taking is a course of purposeful action based on informed decisions concerning the possibility of positive and negative outcomesand levels of risk appropriate in certain situations. (Titterton, 2005, p.25) Consequently, the concept of risk assessment is a core activity within social work and further to this minimising risk has become a central element. Indeed, Calder (2002) describes risk assessment as a systematic collection of information in order to identify if risks are involved and identify the likelihood of their future occurrence. It is further suggested that risk assessment should be understood as collecting information and assessing any information gained regarding risk elements. These two elements, which are central to risk assessment, are consequences (or outcomes) and likelihood (also known as chance or exposure). (Carson Bain, 2008). As most of the situations social workers deal with contain considerable uncertainty about the meaning of events, the reasons for referrals, the accuracy of assessment, and the consequences of taking one course of action instead of another, it is reasonable to assume that assessment of risk is not an exact science. Further to this, the possible outcomes or consequences could be infinite and consequently impossible to predict with absolute certainty. Therefore, the element of uncertainty must be acknowledged as a core feature of professional judgement. Certainly, it is suggested that when considering the possible outcomes (including beneficial outcomes), a risk assessment should only require that reasonably predicted outcomes are met and that a lawful, moral and professional objectivity is upheld at all times. (Titterton, 2005; Carson Bain, 2008; Macdonald Macdonald, 2010). As Webb (2006) points out social workers have an ethical disposition to do the best for clients and insofar as they have the resources to do so (Webb, 2006, p. 203) Within risk assessment literature, Titterton (2005) also argues that the emphasis remains on assessing for the risk of harmful or adverse outcomes but how this is completed can depend on which assessment framework is used. For example, within Criminal Justice Teams a more actuarial assessment is utilised. An actuarial assessment is based on statistical calculations of risk and, for example, uses scales to assess recidivism. Within a Children and Families Area Team the assessment framework used could be described as a holistic and inclusive assessment which is child-centred and addresses three domains: developmental needs, parental capacity and environmental factors. The GIRFEC practice model therefore aims for early identification of risk in all three domains as well as analysis of evidence, decision-making and planning. (Scottish Government 2008) Furthermore, it allows the practioner to utilise a developmental-ecological approach which is grounded in theories of child development an d emphasises interaction between child and environment as well as taking a resilience approach which weights strengths as well as vulnerabilities. (Local Authority Risk Assessment Training Handout, 2009). However, what all risk assessment tools have in common is that all information gathered is analysed to allow an understanding to be developed which then allows a professional judgement to be formed. Further to this risk assessment should take into account risk factors and protective factors that can anticipate and justify strategies of risk prevention as well as risk management. (Kemshall, 2003; Parton 2006). This should enable the social worker to utilise all appropriate interventions and/or decisions. Analysis of information, therefore, is an important factor when considering outcomes, likelihood and suitable action and accordingly, social workers require a good grasp of probability and statistical reason to interpret research and assessment information, organise their thinking and be able to draw sound provisional conclusions which are open to change in the light of new information. (Helm, 2009; Macdonald Macdonald, 2010). Risk management, in its simplest sense, describes the development of strategies to reduce the severity and frequency of identified risks and adverse outcomes. This involves discovering and controlling the dimensions of a proposed risk into a plan which involves implementing, monitoring, controlling and reviewing the risk decision. Further to this, at an organisational level, risk management requires a service that is adequately staffed with personnel who are fully trained and sufficiently knowledgeable and skilled in identifying problems or opportunities and to make appropriate interventions. (Vincent, 1995; Kapur, 2000; Carson Bain, 2008). The Scottish Government (2008) further suggests that risk management should be understood as risk reduction and that collectively professionals should have confidence, through defensible decision making, that measures implemented will reduce risk sufficiently. Taking these definitions into account, risk management suggest ways in which a decision may best be put into practice. What also should be included within a risk management strategy is the embracing of opportunities which could arise from any potential risk decisions. Another point which is important is that in order to make and manage a risk decision the quantity and quality of knowledge available to the social worker should meet the requirements needed to make a sound decision. Accordingly, before making a decision, consideration should be given to what is already known and its worth as well as reflection and contemplation of what is not known and any implications arising from this. Included in this should also be the consideration of any opportunities which may arise which may have the prospect of potential benefits. (Carson Bain, 2008). Littlechild Blakeney (1996) further suggest that the management of risk should be adaptable. This refers to the notion that families and their lives do not stay stable and changes can take place in their ability to cope therefore the risks can change too. Monitoring, for these reasons are important as is communication with the family and other agencies who are involved. Littlechild Blakeney go on to state that this is where the professional expertise of the social worker should be focused and not in an ineffective attempt to anticipate every potential risk. Consequently, the principles for risk management should be the need to ensure that the ongoing shared plan manages the risk, records decisions that shows how and why decisions were reached and ensures that decisions made have actions with named persons, clear timescales and review dates and also ensure that any agreed timescales may be reduced if new risks/needs become more apparent. Beck (1992) suggests we are living in a risk society in which he believes that late modernity, as a reflexive social order, manufactures new risks and uncertainties. Furedi (1997) also determines that we live in a populace obsessed with risk and that safety has become the fundamental value of our times. (Furedi, 1997, p.1). Furedi (1997) further suggests that the risk aversion culture we live in today is based on the way that risk and its negative effects are represented in the media and by politicians. Barry (2007) extends this claim by arguing that child protection work has become more reactive since the death of Maria Coldwell in 1973 which has resulted in a preoccupation with culpability, blame and retribution. This, has allowed social work practice to become very defensive, overly proceduralised and narrowly concerned with assessing, managing and insuring against risk. (Parton OByrne, 2000, p.1) Green (2007) upholds this notion by suggesting that governments, and the excessive number of regulatory agencies, are anxious to control the identification and deployment of risks, particularly within the context of high-profile media stories such as reports of child abuse cases and deaths of children previously known to social work departments. In retrospect, this socially acceptable requirement to minimise risk if not avoid taking risks altogether, has led to a social work profession that has become increasingly risk averse. (Scottish Executive, 2006). This approach to risk assessment and risk management has led to the introduction of more and more formal procedures to guide practice which could be argued is denying the freedom of the social worker to work in an empowering capacity. Working in an empowering capacity allows the professional practioner to focus on prevention and more centrally tackle issues of poverty and social inequality. What is also needed is a culture which is open for professional practioners to enable them to voice concerns and being able to discuss errors and therefore learn from mistakes. (Stalker, 2003; Barry, 2006; Ritchie Woodward, 2009). However, the Changing Lives Report (2006) has signified that one of the key areas identified was the need to develop a new organisational culture and approach to risk management and risk assessment which would promote excellence. Within risk decision making Macdonald Macdonald (2010) argue that a focus on high-profile cases of low-probability events distorts decision making and this makes for a larger number of children taken into care after such cases. They advocate that decisions about childrens lives should be based on professional judgement rather than media vilification and political pressure. When social workers make a professional judgement within risk decision making, the starting point must be the collection of information through professional observations and enquiries as well as from past information and information held by other professionals. It is that judgement that is carried forward into the decision making field. (Hollows 2003). However, the expression error of judgment is offered as an explanation for most of the high-profile child cases as well as in other professional activities. It is for this reason that judgement making should be viewed as a serious task. Hammond (1996) advocates that there are different kinds of judgements, made under different conditions. These different conditions are the time available, the kind of knowledge available and the judgement task itself. Hammond went on to develop a cognitive continuum of judgement making. This recognises that there are different approaches to judgement making. Examples of these are: on the spot processing of information and knowledge, known as intuition; peer-aided judgements where two or more people will share their knowledge and discuss outcomes and likelihoods. Finally, there are system-aided judgements that are supervisor or manager aided. Accordingly, application of the Cognitive Continuum allows the practioner to utilise the highest knowledge available and further enables the practioner to ensure that the acknowledged goals of efficacy, accuracy and consistency can be promoted. (Hollows, 2003; Carson Bain 2008). However, risk decision making is also subject to personal values and subjective perceptions of risk and dilemmas which continue to challenge social workers. Low-probability events such as child abuse or extreme violence can make prediction difficult. In these circumstances social workers can be challenged by risks that are high profile but typically infrequent and therefore, have a tendency to either overestimate risks because of anxiety or to underestimate risks which they are unaccustomed to. (Kemshall, 2002). From this perspective it is crucial that reflection, continuous review and the opportunity for regular supervision is supported particularly when research by Janus Mann (1977) found that stress generated a limited capacity to make a judgement as well as, and more crucially, an inability to make a decision. BL was referred to the Children and Families Area Team by his school. This was after a meeting with his primary carers regarding BLs increasingly emotional and angry outbursts and lack of attendance at school. The referral was made with agreement from his primary carers. BL is 12 years old and lives with his maternal grandmother, step-grandfather and his maternal aunt and has done since he was 18 months old. His step-grandfather is paraplegic as a result of an accident when BL was 3 years old. BLs maternal aunt has Prader-Willi Syndrome, she is 40 years old. BL has to share a bedroom with his aunt as the house only has two bedrooms and is privately owned. BL maintains contact with his mother and her long-term partner on a fortnightly basis and also goes on holiday with her but he has no wish to live full-time with his mother as she lives approximately 50 miles away. BL stated both to his grandmother and to me that his home is with Gran and Gramps. Mrs. L independently confirmed that BL had no wish to move to the city as did Ms. L (Bens mother). Ms. L has no other children. In order to understand Bens emotional frustration, I undertook some research on Prader-Willi Syndrome. I discovered that disordered night-time sleep patterns as well as emotional outbursts of rage were part of the symptoms. Coupled with this obsessive and/or compulsive behaviour including argumentative or oppositional behaviour were also predominant. (Clarke et al 1996). I also spoke with Mrs. L at length about her other caring commitments and discovered that she also drives to England on a monthly basis to visit her father, who is 90 years old, to make sure that his financial commitments are paid as well as making sure his carers are supporting him. Contact was also made with the social worker assigned to BLs aunt whereby I was informed that his aunt was in the process of being allocated a home of her own. This would take at least three months as adaptations had to be made to the house and suitable care arrangements had to be put into place. The social worker realised that these cir cumstances were affecting BL and we arranged to contact each other on a weekly basis regarding exchange of information. This was agreed with the L family. I placed my assessment and intervention practice within a developmental/ecological approach which has links with a strengths based approach. This allowed me to consider BLs protective factors as well as risk factors. BL has a secure base and has close bonds with his grandparents. He also had two very close friends from primary school and who continue to good friends. BL admitted that he was frustrated he had to share a bedroom. This meant no privacy in his home and he found it difficult to complete his homework or even relax as carers for his aunt came in at different times to get her ready for bed. This meant that he had to go to bed when his aunts carers were getting her ready for bed. BL also admitted that he felt that he sometimes had to compete for his grandparents attention. His absences from school appeared to coincide with the times his grandmother returned from her visit to England. After analysis of potential risk factors to BL such as possible self-harm, withdrawal from his family and friends, I made a referral to the local young carers group. This would allow him to spend time away from the family home with other young people who lived in similar circumstances as well as broaden his social network. This organisation would also be able to support him on a one-to-one and group work basis. Support was also made available to his primary carers, particularly his grandmother. Through the use of a personal diary I supported BL to talk to his grandparents about the frustration and emotional anger he felt which was relatively successful in the short term. In conclusion, Kolbs Reflective Cycle (1984) and Hammonds Cognitive Continuum (1996) allowed me to take into consideration BLs whole situation and promote protective factors and minimise risk. With reflection and supervisory discussion I believe I used my analytical skills and utilised my professional judgement to the best of my ability. However, as has been pointed out uncertainty is an important element in any risk assessment and/or decision and has to be taken into account when managing risk. Taking all these concepts regarding risk and reflective practice into consideration when I start to practice should enable me to better support service users in the future. 2,995 words

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Oedipal and Electra Complexes Essay example -- Sexuality Heroine Freud

Oedipal and Electra Complexes In Rebecca female sexuality is explored through the heroine’s symbolic development of a negative Oedipal complex followed by an Electra complex. Although avoidance of incest was believed by Freud to be the impetus for normal sexual development, the film explores the abnormal outcome of a negative Oedipal/Electra complex, i.e. replacement of the mother by the daughter as the father’s heterosexual love interest. The heroine is torn between her desire to merge with Rebecca and to separate from her due to this combination of negative Oedipal and Electra complexes. The key difference between these two complexes underlies the heroine’s development. The difference between a negative Oedipal and Electra complex is not subtle. A negative Oedipal complex involves love for the mother in the form of Freud’s â€Å"bisexual attraction†. The girl will desire and identify with her, wishing to emulate her. An Electra complex is defined by the girl’s imagined rivalry between mother and daughter for the father’s love. For Freud the heterosexual development of little girls is more difficult to explain compared to that of little boys because the girl must change the object of her love from woman to man. Initially the girl has a negative Oedipal complex until some catalytic occurrence shifts her into an Electra complex marked by dislike of the mother and rivalry. In a normal Freudian non-incestuous relationship the girl will transfer love of the father to other men and will not stop loving the mother entirely. In an incestuous relationship the girl will eliminate the threat of the mother, take her place, and engage in a sexual relationship with the father. Avoiding this, Freud believes, drives the female sexual development. Embracing this, Hitchcock displays, drives the unheimlich development of Rebecca. Symbolically in the film, the main characters take on the roles of key players in Freud’s development strategies. The lovely heroine is clearly the girl, very young relative to Maxim and for the first half of the film innocent, weak, and small. She is made smaller by the overpowering presence of Rebecca, who for her typifies the perfect female. Maxim is clearly the father figure due to his age relative to the heroine and his relationship with her. His comments about her being a child, his desire for her never to grow up or wear ... ...e destruction of Mandalay and the death of Danvers, her last true worshiper. The last scene shows Maxim and the heroine embracing, insinuating that they go on to a heterosexual, symbolically incestuous relationship that is not overshadowed by Rebecca. In short the heroine’s development in the film from a naive, weak little girl into a powerful, knowledgeable wife is mirrored by this symbolic transition from a negative Oedipal stage to an Electra stage to a father-daughter incestuous relationship. The heroine’s actions are not given explicit justification in the film, but the typical behavior of Freud’s proverbial girl matches her behavior perfectly. The heroine tries to become like the woman who she believes Maxim loves, fails, and tries then to compete with her. The twist on the Oedipal/Electra complex comes about when the girl’s feminine rivalry turns to aligned opposition with the father against the mother leading to an incestuous relationship, precisely the outcome Freud’s theory sought to avoid. Because the film’s development of the heroine diverges from normal sexual development in this way, Rebecca’s development attains Hitchcock’s sought after unheimlich effect.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Policy Is Now Made In A More Democratic Manner Essay

What Extent Do You Agree With This Statement? The 1997 general election in Britain changed the way that policies were made in both of the leading political parties. The Labour Party is composed of three major institutions: The NEC (National Executive Committee) -the administrative authority of the party, the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) which consists of all elected Labour Party MP s and the Annual Party Conference. The Annual Party Conference is the supreme decision-making body within the Party. Ordinary members of the party are given the opportunity to publicly articulate their views and for cabinet members (or shadow cabinet members if the party is not in government) to deliver set-speeches directed towards the party or the public. The Conservative Party had a system where power rested entirely in the hands of parliamentarians with little or no organisation outside of parliament. It also consisted of three main institutions: The Parliamentary Conservative Party, the National Union Of Conservative and Unionist Associations and The Conservative Central Office. The ultimate decision making body in the Party is the leader himself. He or she may be advised however this advice does not have to be taken. Before 1997, any member of the Labour party could raise a topic to be debated. However after the 1997 election, in an attempt by Tony Blair to meet the demands of party unity and discipline, the Labour Party changed its structure to include the NPF (National Policy Forum). The job of the National Policy Forum was to set our the agenda to be discussed at the annual party conference.Members could no longer bring up issues during the conference. Instead, members could make an application to the forum for a debate on a particular topic although the ultimate decision would be made by the forum. Although members were still free to convey their views at the annual conference. The Conservatives adopted a similar system to the Labour Party. The Conservative Party also underwent structural changes after the 1997 election. In a bid to make the party more democratic, William Hague introduced ‘the Fresh Future’. This included the creation of two new bodies, the ‘National Conservative Convention’ and the ‘Conservative Policy Forum’ (although these act as advisory bodies only, the final decision rests with the leader). In conclusion, the Labour Party certainly makes policy in a less democratic way. From an open conference where members could freely bring up topics for debate to a forum where only a select few have the ultimate decision in deciding party policies. This reform has decreased the number of members who can participate in making policies and reduced the range of views that the policies represent. Although the Conservative Party has made an attempt to make its policy making more democratic by introducing the ‘Fresh Future’ and the new Conservative Policy Forum, the leader still holds the ultimate decision when deciding on policy and although it increases the number of people who can attempt to advise the leader although the leader still has ultimate power when making decisions so it means nothing. It is therefore concluded that party policy is not now made in a more democratic manner.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

7 Agenda Items for Your Writing Groups First Meeting

7 Agenda Items for Your Writing Groups First Meeting 7 Agenda Items for Your Writing Group’s First Meeting 7 Agenda Items for Your Writing Group’s First Meeting By Mark Nichol This is the third post on our series about writing groups. You can read the first one here and the second one here. Now, you’ve done it. You’ve launched a writing group, or you’re about to. What now? It’s time to organize. Here’s what to do at the first meeting: 1. Break the Ice Give each member a few minutes to introduce themselves, or try the team-building game Two Truths and a Lie: Have members come prepared to present, with a straight face, three interesting things about them; everyone else votes on which two items are true and which is false (though it can be a variation on the truth or an aspiration). 2. Set a Schedule How often will the group meet? Every week is probably pushing it, so vote on whether sessions will be held every two weeks or monthly. Agree on meeting duration. (Two hours is a good block of time.) Ask members to commit to attending regularly and arriving punctually. 3. Establish Goals What do you and the other members want to get out of the group? Is everyone determined to get published, or is the experience just a way to solicit feedback in a supportive environment and work on writing skills? Make sure everyone has a common ambition. Consider creating a mission statement. 4. Determine Protocol Briefly discuss meeting structure: Does everyone read every time, or do members alternate every two or three meetings? Do members email work in progress in advance so that others can prepare critiques, or do they give cold readings? Will your group alternate between both strategies? Consider having members take turns preparing mini-tutorials based on their experiences or research, like describing the different archetypal characters or sharing a list of plot pitfalls. Or give each person a chance to share an advice tidbit from an accomplished author. 5. Take a Break Allow five or ten minutes halfway through the session for a snack and small talk, but don’t let it drag out. 6. Read Samples Give everyone a chance to read briefly from a work in progress. Have members start right off without a preface and then take a moment to talk about the story. Save critiques for subsequent sessions this is just a chance for everyone to get a taste of others’ writing styles. 7. Plan Ahead Agree on what to do next time: Have everyone email an excerpt to the group a week before the next session, prepare a short selection to read aloud, or plan to bring hard copies of a sample passage to hand out. (Materials for cold readings by writers or others should be no more than a couple of pages; excerpts sent in advance can be longer). Decide what the focus will be each time: crafting an opening scene, establishing character, etc. Focus on technical aspects for a while before delving into content. Coming up: How to run a writing group. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightHow to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and Tricks40 Words Beginning with "Para-"

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Basic Format of an APA Abstract with Examples

The Basic Format of an APA Abstract with Examples The first thing youll notice on an APA abstract is the running head, in all caps. Directly to the right of it, youll see the page number, which should be 2.This is because the running head and page number are required in all APA papers, and continued at the top right-hand side of the page in all capital letters, along with the page number denoting the second page of the paper, following the title page.Basic format of an APA abstractIn the basic format of an APA abstract, the word Abstract is centered and without additional font changes. Then the abstract content begins beneath it- all in one paragraph with no indentation and one-inch margins on either side.Here is an example of the basic format of an APA abstract:This is the format all APA abstracts should follow.Notice that the running title of the paper and the page number are at the header of the page. The abstract itself is beneath the title Abstract, which is centered and without additional format at the center of the page. Addi tionally, the keywords are included at the bottom- this time with an indentation and the word Keywords italicized. Each keyword is separated by a comma.The abstract, itself, should be correctly formatted. Specifically, it should be one paragraph that is NOT indented, and it should include the following information:An introduction to previous studiesThe main problems with the previous studies that are address in the new study.How the new study has been conducted.What the new study reveals that adds to previous studies.Conclusions of the new studies that add to the literature on the topic.Keywords related to the topic, indented, with the title of Keywords italicized and the keywords themselves separated by commas.Below is an example of a correctly formatted and written APA abstract.This is a sample APA abstract in the field of Education.This shows you the formatting required for an APA abstract, as well as an example abstract written. Notice how the opening sentence summarizes what th e paper explores. The second and third sentences state the problem in research that the paper aims to address. And the abstract closes with the final aims of the paper, along with the results of the study.Keywords are then included at the bottom. Notice how they are indented and separated by commas.Also notice the white space at the bottom of the page. This is what you should aim for when writing your abstract. An abstract that takes up an entire page is often an overwritten, wordy one- and one that goes beyond the recommended 150 to 250-word abstract.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Global Enterprise and Innovation individual report Essay

Global Enterprise and Innovation individual report - Essay Example This report will have various segments such as the analysis of main features of business environment within the US, role of government in promoting innovation, credit facilities and resources to the firms, scientific and technological capacity of the nation as well as general analysis of the national innovation systems within the US. Discussion Science and technology has increasingly been sighted to be a direct or indirect factor influencing the living of people within US. Various features define the business environment within the US with innovation as well as job creation being the major. Sustained investments within scientific research as well as strong system of education have been commended for great influence on general economic performance of the country. However, according to a 2011-2014 public policy statement by the ACS specific policies are critical in ensuring favorable business environment. Such policy recommendations include that appropriate tax and trade policies in ta rget of innovation and research should be adopted, encourage innovations through patenting as well as property rights and efficient commercialization and transfer of technological innovation within the country. Besides, the report shows a business environment that is in need of proper framework to encourage investment in research and innovation by small and large firms through such incentives as credit facilities and ensuring favorable business environment by the government (American Chemical Society, nd, 1-2). On the other hand, environmental awareness and conservation is a critical feature within business operations in the US where the government and other agencies increasingly regulate business operations on matters of environmental policies. According to a report by Esty and Charnovitz innovation is increasingly being influenced by policies and rules that are being adopted on environmental management and conservation. The report points to the poor performance of the government i n US to implement policies that are favorable to innovation concerning the environment effectively. This has therefore been a hindrance to operations of many firms, which are dependent on environmental policy frameworks (Esty and Charnovitz, 2012, para 1-4). Other factors that continuously have a direct impact on business performances within the US are social, political as well as economic factors. The social impact on business environment in the US is emanating from such aspects as the development of social platform and media, which all business operators must be aware of. Despite the great benefits that arise from social media, equally many shortcomings result from the improper application of the media into the business world within the US. Economic influences in the business environment within US are best examined from the perspective of economic growth of the country. Political factors on the other hand come in as political set up defines policy formulations as well as legal fra meworks within the nation (Sviokla and Gutstein, 2012-2013, para 1-5). Increased productivity through innovation by firms lead to improved standards of living of people. Through the design of appropriate policies and effective decision-making, the US government has continually created innovative environment, which has been attractive to such firms as Sony, which wholly rely on

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Do you believe that the choice of research method is simply based upon Essay

Do you believe that the choice of research method is simply based upon the type of information you wish to collect or do differe - Essay Example Qualitative on the other hand is better when the researcher wants to describe, understand or explore phenomena. Therefore, there is a great deal more to research than just the answering of questions or testing hypothesis. This paper will largely discuss the choice of research methods and the methods themselves in light of their compatibility with social reality. There are two methods used by researchers to gather the required information or test hypothesis: quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative is more positivistic and deductive with qualitative being phenomenological and inductive. Qualitative is more of a holistic approach while the other is particularistic (Bryman & Bell, 2011). Qualitative is discovery and process oriented and explanatory while quantitative is verification and outcome oriented and confirmatory. Quantitative Method This is a method which offers a chance for statistical analysis as data is provided as measurements or counts. This method is credited for being quite objective as the research follows laid down procedures as well as analysis. There are also procedures that dictate how a researcher is to report their findings. This method is mostly used where comparison of variables is of essence. Statistics form the basis of analysis where meaning is attached to results that are in form of numbers (Blankie, 1993). The results, findings or conclusions are standardised data and numerical in form. A researcher employing quantitative methods starts by observing or asking questions through interviews or questionnaires. The questions asked should not demand for open answers but rather fixed ones. The second step is tabulation of results of the observation and questionnaires. Then data collected is analysed and lastly conclusions are made on whether the hypothesis is true or not and whether the fundamental question of the research has been answered. Qualitative Methods This method applies where quantitative method may not obtain the require d insights. It is also more than just non-numerical research. The data collected is nonbiased and mostly on natural occurrences and their interaction with the project’s subject (May, 2002). Due to the aim of describing quality, words are used in place of numbers. Here structured interviews as well as unstructured ones are utilised. It is however important to note that the results of qualitative research are usually generalisations of observations made unlike the specific ones of the quantitative research. The researcher starts by observing and asking open ended questions. Recording is then made and there after results interpreted. More time is spent on further observations and questioning where observation and recording take place again. Theorisation is then done after which final conclusions are drawn. Epistemological stance denotes one’s assumptions regarding the world around them. This assumptions guide researches and influence how researchers work with the collecte d data (Blankie, 1993). In this respect there are two separate extremes one whereby the researcher takes a disjointed relationship with data found and the other is where the researcher and their data are one and the same thing. The former extreme is more objective and the researcher aims at uncovering the truth. The latter extreme is at times regarded as relativistic as researchers believe that meaning is observer