Emergence Of Professional Assessment Within Social Work Social Work Essay Essay Example

Emergence Of Professional Assessment Within Social Work Social Work Essay Essay Example Emergence Of Professional Assessment Within Social Work Social Work Essay Essay Emergence Of Professional Assessment Within Social Work Social Work Essay Essay This essay aims to discourse the outgrowth of professional appraisal within societal work and see the part a qualified societal worker is able to offer to the appraisal procedure over that of a well-meaning and skilled unqualified worker. The treatment will be illustrated utilizing appropriate statute law and policy, with mention to service users with larning disablements and older people. The NHS and Community Care Act ( 1990 s. 47 ) places a statutory responsibility on local governments to measure any individual who may be in demand of services. Its induction prompted a sea alteration from antecedently service-led attacks towards user-led appraisal, advancing client demand and positions ( Branfield and Beresford, 2006 ) . However, despite being the fastest turning country of societal work, the protection of grownups is compromised by a deficiency of dedicated, comprehensive statute law. There is, for illustration no grownup equivalent to the Children Act ( 1989 ) to put out statutory responsibilities for local governments. In the absence of such statute law, the Department of Health published the No Secrets counsel ( DH, 2000 ) which makes recommendations for pattern and provides definition for vulnerable grownups as, those in demand of services because of mental or other disablement, age or unwellness, and/or those who are unable to care for themselves or unable to protect themselves from important injury or development. Owing to this, service users with larning disablements and vulnerable older people are likely to fall into said class. In order to discourse appraisal, it is of import to first specify it. Thompson ( 2002 ) refers to the holistic procedure which provides overview of the state of affairs. Crucially, it is merely with this holistic apprehension that practicians can accurately measure which support should be offered, while the process Thompson refers suggests that appraisal should non be an stray juncture. Good appraisal hence requires several phases ; viz. readying, informations aggregation, burdening so analysis of the information gained and in conclusion utilizing this information to inform intercession ( Milner and OBryne, 2009 ) . While these phases are non uniformly adhered to, they provide a procedure which validates the importance of holistic appraisal which is flexible, brooding and multi-agency ( Beckett, 2010 ) . Lack of multi-agency working is commonplace when bureaus fail ( DH, 2001 ) , and the serious instance reappraisal of Steven Hoskin, a vulnerable adult male with learning troubles who was abused, tortured and finally murdered ( BBC, 2007 ) , found overpowering grounds that bureaus were working in isolation, non sharing information and therefore neglecting to run into the demands deemed necessary in No Secrets ( DH, 2000 ) . Steven s reappraisal indicates bureaus were familiar with his exposure every bit good as the hazard posed by his relationship with Darren Stewart, a adult male with a diagnosed personality upset and history of anti-social behavior. Assessment in any instance, but peculiarly in complex 1s such as Steven s require bureaus to work together, intending societal workers must hold entree and overview of all available information in order to accurately measure both service user demands and possible hazards ( Walker and Beckett, 2003 ) . While a societal worker was involved in Steven s instance, the bulk of contact was with helpers who may non hold benefitted from faculties in Inter-Professional Education ( IPE ) which support better apprehension of bureau and professional functions ( Adams et al, 2005 ) . It could therefore argued that a qualified worker would hold understood the importance of sharing information, given that they must besides adhere to societal work Code of Ethical motives which calls for communicating and partnership working, and for bureaus to keep and portion clear, impartial and accurate records ( GCSS, 2002 ) . Sharing information AIDSs professional opinion, regards appraisal and aids deriving a holistic image of service user lives ( Doel and Sharlow, 2005 ) . Despite his built-in exposure, marks bespeaking this were non acknowledged and his serious instance reappraisal indicates that he told of holding no money, increasing his intoxicant ingestion every bit good as multiple calls to the constabulary. Despite constabularies, societal services and Ocean Housing all separately keeping important information sing anti-social behavior at his reference no action was taken. Failure to safeguard persons at hazard contravenes Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention of Human rights and grownup protection, which like that of a kid, should be triggered when person is at hazard of harm of which there was grounds ( ECHR, 1950 ; DOH, 2000 ) . While independency is encouraged, a categorization of larning disablement should connote support is needed throughout the life-course, most peculiarly for those ( like Steven ) who are without protective societal webs, day-to-day modus operandis and nearby households who are willing to help ( Flynn, 2007 ) . Steven s demands were assessed as substantial and should hold had hebdomadal visits ; nevertheless out of the 18 planned merely 11 took topographic point before support was discontinued by Steven in August 2005. In this clip appraisals were non reviewed and risk appraisals uncompleted, despite FACS counsel saying they should be undertaken even when hazard is low ( DH, 2003 ) . Whilst Steven did hold some contact with Community Care helpers and NHS forces, both were considered un-attuned to his larning disablement, therefore chances to place maltreatment missed and concerns non passed on. Dolgoff et Al ( 2009 ) suggest that practicians will frequently know what the right calls are in pattern owing to gut feelings and Sullivan ( 2011 ) argues experient societal workers can intermix analysis ( such as prioritisation of information and hazard ) with instinct to do determinations in hazardous, complex ad unfamiliar state of affairss. While non sole to qualified staff, the ability to use replete aboard theoretical models, Sullivan arguably places qualified practicians in advantageous places during appraisals. Steven was known to associative with persons presenting as friends who used this place to work and ease maltreatment. Adults with larning disablements have an increased exposure to exploitation and such incidents have since been termed mate offense ( Williams, 2010 ) . Le Riche and Tanner ( 1998 ) recommend that community attention appraisals address countries including presentation, domiciliary cleanliness, and ideally company kept by clients. Stating marks of maltreatment were arguably apparent environmentally, socially and physically and a qualified worker may hold better recognised them and so initiated safeguarding processs as per the societal policy and counsel taught exhaustively in societal work instruction ( DOH, 2000 ; Trevithick, 2005 ) The decease of Gemma Hayter has a figure of tragic similarities to Steven Hoskin, including hapless information sharing ( despite multi-agency engagement ) , failure to reexamine appraisals and associations with known anti-social equals ( 2010 ) . Cardinal to the weaknesss in Gemma s instance nevertheless was the deficiency of lucidity in relation to her status which resulted in her falling through spreads in services. Assessment was refused in August and October 2007 and once more in November 2009 due to the deficiency of a diagnosing of larning disablement and, while she was assessed in 2008 by mental wellness services ; this was non referred on for societal attention appraisal. Appraisal at these occasions may hold identified demand and hazards related to societal operation every bit good as potentially recognizing of the hazard associated with her exploitatory equal group. Arguably personalisation may hold better supported Gemma as it assesses demand and hazard on exposure non me rely medical conditions every bit good as recognise client position and supply liberty ( Faulkner and Sweeney, 2011 ) . While preoccupation with hazard can ensue in those so defined being excluded from decision-making ( Langan and Lindow, 2004 ) ; important to Steven and Gemma s instances are the deductions of the choices made to withdraw with grownup services. While societal workers must recognize service users right to do determinations which may be considered unwise ( DOH, 2005 ) , it must besides be acknowledged that important premises were made about Gemma s mental capacity, despite no appraisal taking topographic point. Indeed, picks in both instances to withdraw were non decently investigated by any of the cardinal bureaus or staff ( Flynn, 2007 ; SCR, 2010 ) . It must be recognised that any individual who has capacity has the right to decline such services ( MHA, 2005 ) , nevertheless, where there is identified hazard the Risk and Choice Framework ( DH, 2007b ) recommends a multi-agency reappraisal meeting should be called to see if alterations can be made to re-engage the client and a haza rd appraisal updated to reflect the determination, which, in Gemma s instance this was non done. Again, a qualified societal worker with cognition of grownup protection and hazard may hold supported this. Many grownups, peculiarly those with learning troubles are capable to multiple subjugations, likely to populate in poorness and be exceptionally socially excluded ( Flynn, 2007 ; p. 21 ) . Awareness of this possible impact is indispensable to the function of societal work, and one could reason that without cognition and preparation of anti-oppressive pattern ( AOP ) , unqualified practicians are at hazard of appraisals which may be insensitive but besides damaging to both their relationship and to the service user s results ( Laird, 2007 ) . Jupp ( 2005 ) states that appraisal must be a procedure of alteration with the service user at the Centre ; necessitating practicians to hold an apprehension of how the impact of power instabilities. However, given service user demands are efficaciously graded utilizing the Fair Access of Care Services protocols ( DOH, 2010 ) ; the procedure can be disempowering, potentially perpetuate feelings of subjugation and appear contrary to AOP values ( Braye and Preston-Shoot, 2003 ) . The decease of JK , a 76 adult female who lived on her ain in Cornwall prompted a serious instance reappraisal which found two nucleus appraisals were undertaken by unqualified staff despite assorted wellness and societal demands which would inherently do appraisal more challenging ( SCR, 2009 ) . While the National Framework for Older Peoples ( 2001 ) provinces risk can be self-determined ; JK s workers were reported as baffled between pick and hazard despite concerns being raised by her household sing exposure, hazard of fiscal development and the conditions at her place which were reported to be both unhygienic and insecure. A qualified worker with the accomplishments and cognition of identifying and measuring hazard and apprehension of safeguarding processs possibly would hold initiated processs for safeguarding every bit, while JK possesses the right to remain at place, she is at hazard by virtuousness of possible fiscal maltreatment reported. However, despite contact with un qualified workers, hazards were non considered and safeguarding processs non initiated in line with protocol ( DH, 2000 ; DH, 2001 ) . It is of import that societal workers operate a two manner duologue, listening to and understanding service user positions every bit good as pass oning comprehension of the client s wants and feelings without doing premises about depleted capacity ( Richards, 2000 ) . However, while there were no reported concerns in relation to a capacity, appraisal was non undertaken by a appropriately qualified worker therefore, whilst JK wished to stay at place, it would hold been the duty of a qualified worker to guarantee that she understood the effects of these determinations ( DOH, 2005 ) . Bing person-centred in appraisal is of import when working with older people and Smale and Tuson ( 1993 ) discourse the usage of an exchange theoretical account as the default place in appraisal as it assumes the service user, justly, as the expert in their life. Knowledge of such theoretical accounts and theories are taught in societal work instruction and have added value in pattern with older people as practicians face extra struggle as older people s relationships with services can frequently be negative ; linked to neglecting wellness ( mentally and physically ) , poorness and old age ( Richards, 2000 ) . While Puting Peoples foremost ( DH, 2007 ) asks that control is passed back to service users, appraisal can hence be associated with farther loss of independency and considered something to fear intending societal workers must be cognizant of the potentially detrimental impact this may hold on power kineticss ( Kaufman, 1994 ; Seale, 1996 ) . Morrow-Howell ( 1992 ) raises conc erns that unqualified workers can overlook of import issues sing older people, and a qualified worker with apprehension of Ecological Theory may hold recognised the importance of JK s isolation and limited micro-systems interaction on her wellbeing. As such they may hold capitalised on strong familial bonds and back uping visits to from household and to community Centres ( Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Greene and Watkins, 1998 ) . While JK was recognised as disputing to prosecute, appraisal can function as an intercession itself ( Mellor and Soloman, 1992 ) and offered an chance to speak which can back up a narrative which enables self-problem resolution and katharsis ( Blaug, 1995 ) . Whilst non ever easy ( Birchall and Simmonds, 2004 ) , a qualified societal worker may hold been better equipt to cover with JK disputing behavior and reluctance to prosecute by utilizing their interpersonal accomplishments to suitably disputing, show sensitiveness, regard and positive respect and guarantee positive and synergistic organic structure linguistic communication through eyes contact and active hearing which reflect accomplishments gained through prosecuting service user faculties in societal work preparation ( Egan, 1986 ) . Supplying older people the services and safety they require necessitates a professional and caring substructure which promotes information sharing and professional treatment nevertheless, Manthorpe and Martineau ( 2011 ) indicate that the bulk of serious instance reviews place shortages in interagency communicating and a deficiency of lucidity as to take bureau as common topographic point despite inclusion in No Secrets ( Penhale et Al, 2007 ; 2000 ) . JK s serious instance reappraisal indicates that referrals were non acknowledged and a deficiency of ownership or lead professional ; assessors hence should hold used the relevant policies including Single appraisal procedure ( DH, 2003b ) ; local safeguarding processs, Mental Capacity Act ( 2005 ) and terminal of life programs which would hold both indicated bureau answerability and potentially afforded JK a more dignified decease by consideration of alleviative attention during her last four hebdomads when her wellness deteriorated. A recent study undertaken by Community Care ( 2010 ) found that, of people asked ; 42 % of appraisals were undertaken by unqualified societal workers. Such determinations have been justified on the premiss that this allows qualified workers to concentrate on more complex affairs proposing a reactive, instead than proactive attack to societal work with grownups ( Barclay, 1982 ; Dickens, 2010 ) . Indeed, while the Single Assessment Process ( DH, 2003b ) provinces that assessment must be carried out by a competent, trained professional regardless of qualified position, appraisal requires practicians to do of import opinions which can hold life-changing deductions for service users. It is hence becomes amongst the most ambitious countries of societal work, necessitating accomplishments and cognition which derive from experience and preparation ( Coulshed and Orme, 2006 ) . Despite this, with moves to call-centre manner responsibility squads where unqualified workers are routinely the p oint of first contact for referral, the importance of appraisal is at hazard of being undermined ( McGregor, 2010 ) While it could be argued that such accomplishments, values and cognition discussed in this assignment could be maintained by unqualified staff, there are unimpeachably certain countries of strength which qualified societal worker possess. Nolan et Al, ( 2001 ) discourse how appraisals can be as compromised by resources as by limited cognition and accomplishments hence, while unqualified societal workers may be called on to measure to free up qualified staff, there is a demand to protect the professional nature of societal work, which means guaranting that those who complete appraisals have sufficient preparation that they are able to be held accountable without being scapegoated ( Dustin, 2007 ) . Therefore, while unqualified societal workers do non inherently lack the accomplishments, cognition and values per sae ; without the degree of preparation, ability to reflect, supervising and answerability required by societal work organic structures, unqualified workers themselves are th e 1s who are vulnerable and as such it can be argued that all the same force per unit areas and duty of qualified workers should non be expected of them, which possibly validates the place that appraisals should be carried out by qualified societal workers.

What You Absolutely Need to Know About Changing Careers

What You Absolutely Need to Know About Changing Careers Adaptable. Multi-faceted. Nimble. These flexible qualities are all trending in the current job market- so why is changing careers so difficult? Let’s look at some of the ways you can make a career switch, and get yourself ready to embrace the current job trends and demands. Find Your Career Path(s)Conventional wisdom suggests that we all have a career path, a specific trajectory. You start here, you’ll hit these points along the way, and you’ll end up there. The problem with this is that it sounds great in theory, but more often than not, reality gets in the way: economic downturns, personal life changes, and burnout can all interfere greatly with this linear plan. Plus, many of us choose that career path at a young age, right out of school or as an idealistic twentysomething. Are you the same person you were at 21? I’m not (thank goodness), and as someone with evolving skills and interests, I like to think that I’m not locked into a rigid path.Life coach Roman Krznaric, author of How to Find Fulfilling Work, believes in the concept of â€Å"wide achievers†: the idea that a career can be a composite of diverse jobs and experiences, instead of a straight line through one field. In this model, you’d set your goal as a skill set rather than a specific job title (for example, VP of Marketing). It involves rethinking our careers, and deciding whether you might have multiple paths you can take to the endgame of a satisfying career.But how do you navigate this, if you’re already in a job, or have a ton of very specific experience that may not travel into the field where you want to go next?Make a Smart Start to Your ChangeIf you already have a job, you don’t need to hand in your resignation and jump right into that deep end of finding your next career. Take time to figure out what you want to do. Think you might have an interest in bumping your photography hobby up into a professional photography gig? Try to hustle one or two freelance jobs on nights and weekends, and try to build a client base.If you already know where you want to go†¦You should start by doing a self-assessment:What types of jobs are available to someone with limited experience?What skills do I have already?What are the bare minimum skills required by this field I’m interested in joining?What development do I need?Am I willing to start from the bottom if necessary?If you’re thinking about changing careers and know what your target field is, you can start by taking related classes online or in the evenings, or by attending networking events. Volunteer. Talk to someone who’s already in the field, and ask what their day-to-day is like, and what their job requires. At this point, there’s no commitment- it’s a fact-finding mission.If you’re still trying to figure out what you want your new career to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦don’t sweat it. You may just know that you want A Cha nge, and need to figure out what happens next. This option is a challenging one, to be sure- you’re starting from scratch. But that’s also the beauty of it: you’re starting from scratch! You don’t have preconceived notions, and can take the time to figure out what you really want to do, and why.Find Hot Career Change IndustriesWhere are the jobs and new opportunities? Right now, there are definite hotspot industries that are friendly to career changers. According to U.S. News and World Report, these fields are perpetually expanding to keep pace with society:Healthcare. With the Baby Boomer population retiring and aging, healthcare needs and demands will continue to explode.Mobile technology. Got coding skills? If not, perhaps it’s time to start taking some courses? While some areas of the tech sector are declining, the innovations happening in mobile technology (apps, communications, etc.) keep on going.Data analytics. Sometimes it feels like we ar e little but a walking, talking collection of aggregated data points. Almost every industry is pulling in massive amount of information these days, and having the skills to parse and analyze that information is a huge selling point.And remember: if you feel intimidated by the idea of starting over and changing career gears, you are not alone.  Be a New-Wave EmployeeA hard truth of jobs in general these days, and for people who are trying to build experience, is that many employers want non-traditional employees. That means employees who fall outside the full-time spectrum. If you’re looking to make the career switcheroo, you should consider job openings that are in your field, but might not be the permanent opportunity of your dreams. These include:Part-time jobsContract/freelance jobsTemporary jobsThis goes back to the flexibility issue I mentioned earlier. Employers value flexibility, because it helps them reach their own goals. And even if your own goal is to find a perm anent, full-time, benefits-laden job in your new field, these jobs can serve as a stepping stone while you pick up needed skills and experience.Build Your BrandBranding is a major part of any job search, but if you’re trying to rebrand yourself as a different kind of professional, it’s essential. You’re building your rep and your network from the ground up, basically, so it’s important to have a clean base. If you haven’t done so already, clean up your existing profiles and get them job-hunt ready. After you’ve done that, start positioning yourself for your new field. Start following strong voices in your new area, read (and post) links to stay on top of trends in the field, and figure out how people already in the field are positioning themselves. This can help you figure out how to best present yourself as your job hunt really gets underway.Social media is one of those perennial megatrends that doesn’t go away- so the trick is stayi ng on top of the new media to figure out where you should be as well. Which platforms are the â€Å"cool kids† using? Getting familiar with new platforms and sites is something you can easily do on your own time, and it pays off when you have a whole network of people in the field you’re trying to reach.If you’re ready to make the jump to a new career, there are lots of places you can land. With sharp-eyed attention to what’s going on and how you can transfer your existing skills and experience to another field, you’re well on your way. Good luck!

Orange Juice Titration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Orange Juice Titration - Essay Example Ascorbic acid ascorbic acid (also known as Vitamin C) is antioxidant and in presence of oxidizing agent it turns into dehydro-ascorbic acid [2]. Earlier experiments have shown that exposure of orange juice to oxygen lead to decrease in amount (concentration) of ascorbic acids and browning of orange juice [3]. No such effect is observed when orange juice is exposed to light [3]. While another research showed that the oxygen does not accelerates non enzymatic browning of orange juice [4]. This research paper tries to analyze the effect of oxygen and light on orange juice and thereby tries to resolve the ambiguity. Hypothesis Null Hypothesis 1: Oxygen does not affect the lifespan of orange juice or vitamin C in the juice. Alternate hypothesis: Oxygen affects the lifespan of orange juice or vitamin C in the juice Null Hypothesis 2: Exposure to light does not affect the life span of orange juice or vitamin C in the juice. Alternate hypothesis: Exposure to light affects the lifespan of ora nge juice or vitamin C in the juice. Claim Exposure to oxygen reduces the shelf life of orange juice. Exposure to light reduces the shelf life of orange juice. ... exposed to air (not exposed to light) 7.666667 10 7 Fresh 0.1. exposed to light 18.66667 23 14 Concentration values of ascorbic acid of different samples achieved from titration (concentration = x*10^-4) P values (T-Test) Fresh OJ. (not exposed to light) Vs. Non-fresh OJ. exposed to air (not exposed to light) – Hypothesis 1 0.00377 Fresh OJ. (not exposed to light) Vs. Fresh 0.J. exposed to light – Hypothesis 2 0.0212 Non-fresh OJ. exposed to air (not exposed to light) Vs. Fresh 0.J. exposed to light 0.03491 Probability of type 1 error while rejecting null hypothesis using students T-test. Bar graph depicts minimum, mean and highest observed concentrations of ascorbic acid in the three samples of orange juice. Evidence It was observed that the mean concentration of ascorbic acid in fresh OJ (0.00320) was much higher than the mean concentration of ascorbic acid in non-fresh OJ (0.00077). Mean concentration of ascorbic acid in fresh OJ exposed to light (0.00187) was more t han mean concentration of ascorbic acid in both non fresh OJ and less than fresh OJ. The variation in concentration of ascorbic acid was highest in Fresh 0.J. exposed to light (2.03333E-07) and was lowest in Non-fresh OJ exposed to air (not exposed to light) (4.33333E-08). T test showed that population Fresh OJ (not exposed to light) and population Non-fresh OJ exposed to air (not exposed to light) were not same. This could be stated with more than 99% accuracy. T test also showed that population Fresh OJ (not exposed to light) and population Fresh 0.J. exposed to light were not same. This could be stated with almost 98% accuracy. Conclusion It was found that the ascorbic acid concentration in orange juice decreased when it was exposed to both light and

Current Health Care Situation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Current Health Care Situation - Essay Example This applies to all nations with America not left out of the list. The system of healthcare provision to the American people is a problem, which was replicated over past generations of the American history and requires the attention of the involved parties. The United States healthcare system is broken down and no one has the idea of how to fix it. Although the country is an economic giant and a superpower, the situation in the health sector is wanting. A fortunate portion of the American population has insurance cover mostly from their employment that covers their healthcare related costs (Liberty, 2012). However, most of the American people are not lucky enough to have healthcare coverage and as a result, they tend to suffer as they lack the essential access to the services. It is this situation that created questions such as â€Å"why do we keep using the health care system if it does not work?† â€Å"Do we need a universal health care system to act as a single payer and c over the American people in their attempts to get health care services?† These concerns facilitated the drafting of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) a United States federal statue that was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Barrack Obama. The act commonly referred to as Obamacare or the Affordable care Act (ACA) is the most significant overhaul of the regulations of the system of healthcare of the country since the Medicaid passing in 1965.the ACA established minimum standards in the policies of health insurance (Pipes, 2013). The guaranteed issue in the act the denial of coverage to individuals by insurers based on pre-existing conditions. This means all applicants with the same age and in the same geographical location offer the same insurance premium prices. The act mandates every individual without insurance cover that is from the employer, public or Medicaid sponsored to secure a private-insurance cover unless the individual is in financi al constraints or is a member of a religious denomination that is recognized and does believe in insurance covers. Failure to comply makes a person liable to a fine. Health insurance exchanges that will serve as an online marketplace for small businesses and individuals to compare and buy policies should commence operations in every state according to the act. The exchanges will provide subsidies on a sliding scale from the federal government for families and individuals with low-incomes ranging from 100% to 400% of poverty level created by the federal government (Liberty, 2012). The act also expanded the eligibility for Medicaid to individuals and families with incomes going up to 133% of the federal poverty level with the inclusion of a 5% income disregard. The employer mandate subjects employers who do not provide health care insurance to at least 50 employees to a tax penalty if there are provisions of subsidies in health care for full-time employees through tax deductions by th e government. The reforms in the system of Medicare payment aim at promoting efficiency in the delivery system of health care through restructuring reimbursements of Medicare to bundled payments and not fee-to-service (Pipes, 2013). It seeks to provide access to Americans to affordable health insurance of high quality while reducing the ever-growing health care bill of the American

Grief Counseling and Process Intervention Essay Example for Free

Grief Counseling and Process Intervention Essay Abstract Grief comes in different forms and affects each person differently. Webster’s dictionary describes grief as â€Å"deep sadness caused especially by someones death, a cause of deep sadness, and trouble or annoyance†. Grief is associated with loss; loss of people, place, or thing. It is a universal experience that happens to all life. In multicultural counseling a counselor should be able to effectively treat and deal with the issues of grief, as they relate to divers groups. The boundaries between normal and complicated grief is a process. The factors of cultural, social and religious influence, also influences the grief and the level of anxiety that is raised due to that grief. Different people behave differently on the same sort of loss, and this makes it important to understand the impact which the loss has on the person. This diversity warrants further research on the topic of grief counseling and process interventions which have to be chosen in different circumstances with different people. Grief Counseling and Process Intervention Grief is a common reality of everyone’s life and almost all have to go through a phase where the loss is too big to handle. Altmaier (2011) states that, the strength of anxiety, stress and grief from a loss depends on the closeness and importance of that lost thing in the life of the person. Many researchers (Ober, et al., 2012; Howarth, 2011; Breen, 2011) have highlighted that death is one of the typical forms of complex loss that most people experienced at least once in their lives. The bereavement of loss of life can be far more devastating to an individual’s behavior and social functioning than any other type of losses. Such bereavement is common in  all cultures and there can seldom be a person who is not disturbed about the loss of a loved one (Howarth, 2011). However, the social detachment and the level of anxiety and depression after the loss can vary from culture to culture, closeness of relation with the deceased one, and the nature of the person. For this reason group counselors have to study and understand the nature and level of grief in order to use the correct strategy and process intervention for grief recovery (Altmaier, 2011). Discussion The term ‘best practices’ has been used in relation with group counseling to analyze the practices that are mostly applicable with people in grief (Kato Mann, 2009). However, several researchers (Baier Buechsel, 2012; Ober, 2011) have canceled out this term and claimed that each case would stand different and unique from the other. Because of this, generalizing the grief counseling process and intervention can be unsuccessful. Understanding the varied state of mind and grief symptoms of anger, depression, loneliness, anxiety and other symptoms are necessary for group counseling (Baier Buechsel, 2012). The Impact of Loss and Bereavement The research of Sussman (2011) founds that the grief and bereavement after a loss has different impacts on males, females and children. It has been discovered that men cope with a loss and their state of depression more quickly than women and children. The beginning of this fact can be related to the natural characteristics and the sensitivity of each individual, which is greater in women and children than in men. Stroebe, et al., (2009) separated the impact of loss into three phases and has illustrated that every individual that has experienced a loss will go through these three phases. The first phase is the instant shock where the person is in a mid-state of accepting the loss. Many people take a long time to accept the fact that a certain loss has occurred (Stroebe, Stroebe, Hansson, 2009). This has been a common view in the cases of deaths of loved ones, particularly with females and young children. This stage has the first reactions of mourning, yelling, protesting, showing anger and frustration loudly and not welcoming the occurrence of the loss (Howarth, 2011). In the second phase the loss is accepted mentally, but there remains the after  effects of the loss, in the form of social impairment and detachment of the person from the social group and/or preferring to be alone (Stroebe, Stroebe, Hansson, 2009). This is the phase where the counselors needs to get involved and observe the symptoms of the person and the duration of the loss event to know the technique and structure that needs to be used in such a situation Higgins (2009). The third phase of acceptance, is on in which the person accepts the loss and develops the belief that nothing can change the reality and life has to move on (Stroebe, Stroebe, Hansson, 1999). Allumbach Hoyt (2009) focuses the fact that grief counseling should not be stopped early in this phase, as there are chances that the patient could return to the second phase again (Allumbach Hoyt, 2009). The concept of cognitive therapy is introduced to be sure that the complete transaction of the person in grief takes place from the second phase of emotional distress and pain to the third phase of recovering and moving on with the life by suppressing the memories of the loss person or thing (Altmaier, 2011). A complex perspective of the grief loss is in the context of young children. Malkinson (2010) underlines the cognitive learning procedure of humans and explains that children from age two- five do not have a solid understanding of loss or death (Malkinson, 2010). They carry likelihood that whatever is gone will return back one day. This is typical in the case of their deceased pets, siblings or parents. As they go into adolescence they develop a better understanding of death and that the departed will not return. A loss of loved one at this stage can be very challenging because the child is already dealing with the questions of self-identity and life-direction. This type of loss can block the mindset, behavior and thinking capability of the child Higgins (2009). Process, Intervention, and Structure Several theorists have addressed the fact that after a loss people usually feel lonely and prefer to be alone as they cannot fill the space made by the loss object or person (Watson West 2006). A person being bankrupted and losing all his life savings in a flash has a high chance of getting isolated from the society and ending up as a depression patient or with physical disorders like brain tumor, high blood pressure or other disorders that happen due to stress and tension (Watson West 2006). If a therapist is consulted in such a scenario then the first thing to do is to understand  beliefs and conjectures which the person is carrying regarding the loss. They may think that people will make fun of them or they will lose their social status. They also may think that they will not be able to take care of their family and children etc. These are the thoughts that the person develops in the second phase of loss. They can become mentally and emotionally weak, not able to look at the brighter side of the scenario or what is left (Baier Buechsel, 2012). In the Task-Oriented Approach forwarded by Doel (2006), Eaton Roberts (2002) shows that the mechanism of motor performance of each individual suffering from losses processed and structured with a technique to make the person believe that the intensity and level of loss is not as big as it is perceived by the person. In his study Doel (2006) defines the practice of using volunteers who can form group with the person to be treated and the volunteers. They will act if they have not had a much greater loss and can share how they have coped with it. This has proved to be a good strategy if conducted in a proper fashion and establishing that the events described by other are similar in nature but unique from one another (Eaton Roberts, 2002). The second task is of helping the person to erase the old memories related to that person, business or any other object. The motif here is not to separate the person from the loss, but to lessen the grief and bereavement that is closely associated to the memories of the loss (Eaton Roberts, 2002). The task oriented intervention for grief counseling shows great limitations when it is implied for the grief therapy of parents who have lost their young children in an accident or been killed. Such cases were abundant after the devastating event of 9/11 and a lot of parents showed little or no recovery by the use of task oriented process and stayed in their state of depression and emotional pain. Brown (2006) has forwarded the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Model for the grief counseling of people in complicated bereavement like those who have experienced sudden death of a loved one, particularly their children. The ground of this intervention is due to the difference between the rational and the irrational thinking of the distressed people. Irrational thinking makes them perceive their lives to be intolerable without the existence of the deceased one (Brown, 2006). In the CBT process, close bonds are developed with such people and they are given the chance to express the effect of such a loss on their present and future.  This presumption, usually based on irrational thinking, is first replicated by other irrational support (Malkinson, 2010). For example, if a mother has lost her child then she is made to believe that her child will be remembered as the one who sacrificed his/her life and he/she would have attained a higher state in the heaven. The parallel of the irrational thinking with other irrational belief was carried out in the study of Cigno (2006) on ‘Cognitive-behavioral practice’ with 18 mothers and 11 fathers whom children became victim of the street crimes or terrorist activities. Cigno found out that 72.4% of the parents in this research showed signs of improvement and were able to enter the second phase of loss grief to the third phase. At this stage, activities of social engagement and task oriented approach can be available to ensure maximum grief recovery of those people (Cigno, 2006). The Complicated Grief Intervention Model (CGIM) To empower the counselors and the social workers in treating complicated grief, there is a need of a model that can define the approach and plan of counselors when they are dealing with a bereaved person (Morris, 2006). The grief of loss of the loved one, a major business downfall or other losses which have a great impact on the outlook of one’s life can be included in complicated grief. The counselor assesses the need and the present condition of the bereaved one in the first step of the model. This is not limited to the emotional state, but also to the practical side; the work and family responsibilities of the bereaved one that are affected by the disposition of the person. These things can be assessed by using the narrative technique and asking the people about their stories related to the lost person or object. A secondary assessment is also suggested where the friends or family members of the bereaved one are interviewed to know the extent of grief (Altmaier, 2011). When the counselor prescribes activities or medicines to the bereaved person this is the second stage is of intervention. It has been a common observation by many researchers (Watson West, 2006; Silversides, 2011; Morris (2006) that counselors are not result-oriented in their intervention. Silversides (2011) discusses that many counselors do not plan the outcome of the activity and they do not regularly evaluate the success of the activity. Because of this practice the recovery is temporary. There have been cases reported to have developed the  same state of depression and grief after the therapy was over (Silversides, 2011). For instance, if a hobby is suggested to the bereaved person to exercise, some of the questions that need to be answered are: what will be the duration of the exercise? What end results it will bring or tend to bring? How will it help the bereaved person to replicate the negative irrational thinking with positive irrational thinking? What will be the consequences of the exercise after it is discontinued for more than 6 months? What will be the approach if the person develops the same state of mind again? Answering these questions prior to starting the intervention strategy will raise the probability of achieving desired results over the anticipated time (Drenth, Herbst, Strydom, 2010). It is evident that some part of the therapy, like counseling sessions and workshops cannot last forever and they need to be stopped after some period, while few of the routine activities can be carried on for a much longer period as the person wants to. It is necessary for the social worker or counselor to understand the significance of the activities and which are for finite period, and analyze if there would be a need to prolong, modify or substitute it with another activity as per the requirement of the person (Johnsen, Dyregrov, Dyregrov, 2012). It is both natural and biblical to grieve. The reality is that no matter how happy those who have gone are, and how much they gain by the move, the loss is suffered , and trying to live in denial of this reality is not heroic but caving in to social or religious pressure that is not of God. There is much evidence that those who confront their inner pain head-on, heal quickest. Inner pain will gradually retreat when we face it, but it will keep haunting us if we run from it. â€Å"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4-6, KJV). Conclusion Grief is a natural occurring and almost every human goes through this phenomenon at some point of time in his or her life. The extent of grief is dependent on factors of closeness with the lost person or thing and the  rational and irrational thinking that the person has developed after the loss. The state of complex grief or bereavement occurs mostly in the case of losing the love ones and entering into the state of loneliness, anger and depression. The degree of these symptoms is more pronounced in teen agers and women. It is for this reason that counselors have to understand the nature and extent of the grief and the irrational thinking that have been developed as a result to prescribe a therapy or activity that best suits the need of the bereaved one. References Allumbach, L., Hoyt, W. (2009). Effectiveness of grief therapy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology , 46, 370–380. Altmaier, E. (2011). Best Practices in Counselling Grief and Loss: Finding Benefit From Trauma. Journal of Mental Health Counseling , 33 (1), 33-47. Baier, M., Buechsel, R. (2012). A model to help bereaved individuals understand the grief process. Mental Health Practice, 16(1), 28-32. Breen, L. (2011). Professionals experiences of grief counseling: implications for bridging the gap between research and practice. Omega, 62(3), pp. 285-303. Brown, H.C., 2006, ‘Counseling’, in R. Adams, L. Dominelli M. Payne (eds.), Social work. Themes, issues and critical debates, pp. 139–148, Palgrave, London. Cigno, K., 2006, ‘Cognitive-behavioral practice’, in R. Adams, L. Dominelli M. Payne (eds.), Social work. Themes, issues and critical debates, pp. 180–190, Palgrave, London. Doel, M., 2006, ‘Task-Centered workâ⠂¬â„¢, in R. Adams, L. Dominelli M. Payne (eds.), Social work. Themes, issues and critical debates, pp. 191–199, Palgrave, London. Drenth, C., Herbst, A., Strydom, S. (2010). A complicated grief intervention model. Journal of interdisciplinary Health sciences , 10 (1), 97-109. Eaton, Y.M. Roberts, A.R., 2002, ‘Frontline crisis intervention: Step-by-step practice guidelines with case applications’, in A.R. Roberts G.J. Greene (eds.), Social workers’ desk reference, pp. 89–96, University Press, Oxford. Higgins, P. C. (2009). Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner, Fourth Edition. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 12(7), 653-654. doi:10.1089/jpm.2009.9590 Holland, J. M., Neimeyer, R. A., Boelen, P. A., Prigerson, H. G. (2009). The underlying structure of grief: A taxometric investigation of prolonged and normal reactions to loss. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 31(3), 190-201. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10862-008-9113-1 Howarth, R. A. (2011). Concepts and controversies in grief and loss. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 33(1), 4-10. Retrieved from Johnsen, I., Dyregrov, A., Dyregrov, K. (2012). Participants with prolonged grief how do they benefit from grief group participation. Omega, 65(2), pp. 87-105. Kato, P., Mann, T. (2009). A sysnthesis of psychological intervention for the bereaved. Clinical Psychology , 16, 275-296. Malkinson, R. (2010). Cognitive-Behavioral Grief Therapy: The ABC Model of Rational-Emotion Behavior Therapy. Psychological Topics , 2, 289-305. Morris, T., 2006, Social work research methods: four alternative paradigms, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks. Ober, A. M., Granello, D. H., Wheaton, J. E. (2012). Grief counseling: An investigation of counselors training, experience, and competencies. Journal of Counseling and Development: JCD, 90(2), 150-159. Retrieved from Silversides, A. (2011). When loss leads in new directions. Jane Simington shares hard-won lessons about healing. The Canadian Nurse, 107(6), 34-35. Stroebe, M., Stroebe, W., Hansson, R. (1999). Handbook of Bereavement: Theory, Research, and Intervention. New York: Press Syndicate .

Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxeds Church and The Love Song of Al

Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed's Church and The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock       The span of time from the Victorian age of Literature to the Modernism of the 20th century wrought many changes in poetry style and literary thinking. While both eras contained elements of self-scrutiny, the various forms and reasoning behind such thinking were vastly different. The Victorian age, with it's new industrialization of society, brought to poetry and literature the fictional character, seeing the world from another's eyes.   It was also a time in which "Victorian authors and intellectuals found a way to reassert religious ideas" (Longman, p. 1790). Society was questioning the ideals of religion, yet people wanted to believe.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, the 20th century found no such religious fervor in its literature. "They [writers] saw their times as marked by accelerating social and technological change" (Longman, p. 2165).   Modern writers were skeptics, questioning every aspect of social unity, politics, and religion. "In the modern period the quest for certainty associated with the Victorian exploration of values has vanished" (Longman, p. 2167).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yet many elements of literature remained throughout the changes in historical literature. Dramatic monologue were still used, as evidenced in Browning's "The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed's Church" and Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock".   Both contained this style of dramatic monologue, seeing a worldview through the eyes of a fictitious character. Browning's poem lies in the voice of a Bishop, giving instructions for the burial and tomb construction as he lays dieing.   Eliot's poem, sees the world through Alfred J. Pr... ...yric in expression" (Longman, p. 1958) while Eliot's poem is "chaotic, irregular and fragmentary" (Longman. p. 2416).   Both poems deal with loneliness, isolation and internal alienation, yet Browning's Bishop seems to be isolated from without, from the world, and Eliot's Prufrock is isolated from within, creating his own alienation from the world. These concepts, while not new, were carried over time, expressed in both the Victorian era and in the new Modernism, yet this theme, from these two poems, takes on a completely different viewpoint relative to the differing ideologies of the era's in which they represent.    Longman citations   refer to page numbers of Eng 103 course text, Spring 2001: Damrosch, David, et al., ed.   The Longman Anthology of British Literature:   Ã‚  Ã‚   Vol. B.   Compact ed.   New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000.

McDonalds arch delux

The Arch Deluxe was a quarter pounder hamburgers with a slice of peppered bacon, leaf lettuce, onion and tomatoes served on a potato bun with sesame seed’s the hamburger was served with cheese and a honey mustard sauce.McDonalds conceived the idea for the Arch Deluxe in an attempt to win over he more taste perceptive adult. This burger was marketed as â€Å"The Burger with the Grown-up Taste†. It was burgers that would definitely not appeal to children and seemed an attempt to make McDonalds a place that taste savvy grown-ups might go for children even if they didn’t have children. McDonalds was looking to upgrade the image of the fast food restaurant to appeal to a more sophisticated customer and to offer a bit more choice.The reasoning behind McDonalds decision to add the Arch Deluxe included demographic informational and trends that indicated longer life spans. McDonalds felt that this could mean more adult coming to McDonalds and the need for more choice and adult sandwich offerings. McDonalds hired well-known chef Andrew Selvaggio to create a new line of burgers for a more taste-sophisticated consumer. The Arch Deluxe was marketed in 1996. McDonalds used a very pricey marketing campaign to let people know about the new addition to the menu in an attempt to draw new customers.The Arch Deluxe was actually part of a series of deluxe sandwiches that included the larger fish fillet sandwich and a grilled chicken sandwich which have both successfully remained on the menu1.Reasons for new product failureProducts are generally associated with a particular branding. This brand was developed as an attempt to help new products acceptance, to improve the chances of success. The brand made the overall company line of product familiar. Ronald McDonald and the golden arches helped McDonald establish the brand, trust and familiarity to the public. The trouble, at times with branding is that it can in effect; pigeon hole a company and make it difficult for He Company to expand markets. McDonald attempted to reach a more sophisticated, taste conscious adult with the Arch Deluxe. Unfortunately for McDonald, those consumers don’t see themselves at McDonalds and so the campaign and the Arch Deluxe hamburger was a failure.Products can also ail due to poor advertising that is confusing or simply does not attract the customer. Products often fail because the company fails to truly know its customers and its brand.2. Failure of the Arch DeluxeOf course that attraction of McDonalds is not sophistication or five stars tastes. . The draw to the quick meal is the quick meal that appeals to families and is inexpensive. The limited menu is also part of the appeal. McDonalds was trying to add something new to the menu and was marketing it in part, on the fact that it tasted good. McDonalds didn’t seem to recognize that taste isn’t really the main traction to the restaurant. . Critic of the Arch Deluxe included comments abou t the reason people come to McDonalds. What McDonald provides is fast, friendly, consistent simple food for a value. Critics said that McDonalds was loosing touch with their market and with their own business brand.Interesting to note that the Arch Deluxe was developed in the corporate office, where the more successful menu additions such as the apple pie and fish fillet were developed in kitchens in the field. Though McDonald did ample product research on the Arch Deluxe and found that people responded well to the taste, the fact of the matter was that people weren’t looking for that type of burger at McDonaldsMcDonald should have stuck with what they were good at and developed products that kept in mind their brand and their customer.McDonalds is know for simple food and should stay with that type of product.McDonalds is known as family friendly environment with food that children like. Developing foods that are not child friendly will be difficult to market or McDonalds.Mc Donalds was looking to attract an older adult consumer with perceptive taste buds. However, they did not take into account that these consumers are also health conscious and the Arch Deluxe was survey not a healthy choice.3. Observation & ConclusionThe advertising campaign was led by Peter Colligate, known for his unconventional approaches. The campaign focused on children looking at the sandwich with confusion and disinterest. The idea was clearly to make this an adult burger. The lack of success with this advertising tactic led McDonalds to switch to a conveniently advertising effort which included Ronald McDonald in a more adult role, playing golf and dancing at a nightclub for example.Businesses must really understand their band and their consumers. Product failure can be the result of simply loosing the focus of the business brand. Loosing sight of what the customer expects. A McDonald’s customer is looking for a simple meal and a reasonable price. They want to come n or drive and up and order quickly. Customers aren’t looking or a lengthy menu with too many choices.Families on the go look forward to a quick decision and a fast friendly response to their order. Customers are also looking for value. The success of the â€Å"dollar menu† tells one that fact. Buying a sandwich at McDonalds that would have been the same price at a nicer restaurant can feel like a bad value to a true McDonald’s customer. They are looking for the dollar menu.4.RecommendationsMcDonalds must be certain it knows it audience and its consumers. In the future, assuming the relatively stable branding of McDonalds, they will want to stay within a certain range of products. Products must be inexpensive, familiar and now they must also be somewhat healthy.5.ReferencesHaig, Matt, Brand Failures, 200 Kogan Page.Brand Failures: The Truth about the 100 Biggest Branding Mistakes of All TimesLubow, Arthur, Steal This Burger, The New York Times Magazine April 1998

Personal Leadership Plan Essay

Aspiring to be a Life Coach upon receiving my degree in Human Services, I have chosen to write about the roles of Life Coaches and a projected practice I aspire to one day develop or be a part of. Throughout this personal leadership plan, I will include keys points of interest of a Life Coach; objectives, values, and ethics I personally feel should be incorporated, as well as the role ethics play within the profession of Life Coaching. Coaches work in a variety of specializations (such as personal/life and corporate/business) in order to help their clients. Coaches are specifically trained in coaching through a school or mentor coach, and use/incorporate their individual life experience in their practice. Although each coach measures their progress differently, achievement is always measured by progress made by the coaches’ clients. Due to the personal nature of most coaching relationships, this Ethics Code provides the framework and values upon which professional coaches, bas e their practice. The purposes of this Code are threefold. First, it provides the broad principles and values to which coaches subscribe. These include confidentiality and the utmost concern for the welfare and success of the client. Secondly, it provides rules for coaches to use in many of the specific situations that a coach might encounter. Finally, this Code is meant to serve as a building block for the ethical and moral standards of coaches. While each individual coach agrees to follow this Code, they are encouraged to supplement and add to it in order to build a lifelong commitment to building an ethical workplace and profession. -Objectives- The primary objective of my life coaching practice would be as follows: 1. Provide a means for individual students and clients to evaluate their own ethical standards and behaviors and make adjustments if necessary to meet the established standards. 2. Provide a means for participants of the life coaching practice programs to evaluate the standards and practices used by their students and clients and to validate that participants are receiving professional and ethically soun d training  and development. 3. Provide a means for the life coaching practice to evaluate the standards and behaviors of students and clients to ensure a high ethical standard is being met. 4. Provide a means to educate the public and to promote the high ethical standards practiced by members of the life coaching practice. -Values- The profession of Life Coaching holds respect for the worth, dignity and capability of every human being as its primary value. Therefore, my life coaching practice shall not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, color, language, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, physical and mental ability, economic condition or national ancestry. Furthermore, they shall work towards preventing and eliminating such discrimination in rendering service, in work assignments and in employment practices. The profession of Life Coaching affirms that all people have the right to well-being. In addition, all people have the right to learn the skills necessary for the development of human relationships and that each person has the right to self-determination with due regard to the rights of others. -Purpose for Code of Ethics- †¢ To define accepted/acceptable behaviors; †¢ To promote high standards of practice; †¢ To provide a benchmark for visitors, members and students to use for self evaluation; †¢ To establish a framework for professional behavior and responsibilities; †¢ As a vehicle for personal identity; †¢ As a mark of personal maturity; -Responsibility of Confidentiality- The commitment to confidentiality fosters open communication and is essential to effective Life Coaching work. Concerns about privacy and confidential matters can arise throughout the entire professional relationship. -Responsibility to Self- In private life or professional activity, an individual of the Life Coaching practices behavior reflects upon the profession as a whole. -Responsibility to Group and Individuals- Life Coaches should recognize their primary professional responsibility under all circumstances is to the  group and individuals they are serving. Life Coaches should recognize that they bear a considerable social responsibility because their recommendations and professional actions influence the lives of others. -Responsibility to the Profession- The Life Skills profession has a public responsibility to provide competent coaching services. Therefore, individual Life Coaches are encouraged to support and uphold ethical standards and behavior.   -Responsibility to the Community- As Life Coaches are viewed as role models in the communities in which they live and serve, their integrity and behavior reflect upon the profession as a whole. In closing, the profession of Life Coaching is one in which is rich with ethical and moral influence. It should be the Life Coaches primary concern and intent to deliver the utmost level of ethically, morally, and lawfully driven and derived advice and assistance to each and every client he/she works with. It is important to remember, that all lives deserve and have the right to receive the same level of value and respect. It is also vital to remember everyone is an individual, and should be treated as such. Each client as well as the past and present situations they have/are experiencing are unique, therefore there is not just one way to coach all clients.

16 Inspirational Christmas Quotes

16 Inspirational Christmas Quotes We wait a year to celebrate Christmas. Yet when we plan our celebration, we tend to forget those who serve us unfailingly. We gather around the Christmas tree with friends and family. But we forget to invite those who are alone in this world. This Christmas, bring joy to others with an act of kindness. Use these inspirational Christmas quotes to teach you the real meaning of giving. George Matthew Adams, The Christmas Heart: Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart. Taylor Caldwell: I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses. Ann Schultz: Let us keep Christmas beautiful without a thought of greed, that it might live forevermore to fill our every need, that it shall not be just a day, but last a lifetime through, the miracle of Christmas time that brings God close to you. Helen Keller: The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart. Charles Dickens: It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One! Dale Evans Rogers: Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, its Christmas. Bess Streeter Aldrich: Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever. Alexander Smith: Christmas is the day that holds all time together. Wendy Cope: Bloody Christmas, here again, let us raise a loving cup, peace on earth, goodwill to men, and make them do the washing up. Louisa May Alcott: The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting. Alfred, Lord Tennyson: The time draws near the birth of Christ: The moon is hid; the night is still; the Christmas bells from hill to hill answer each other in the mist. Mother Teresa: It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you... yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand. Orson Welles: Now Im an old Christmas tree, the roots of which have died. They just come along and while the little needles fall off me replace them with medallions. Ruth Carter Stapleton: Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. W. C. Jones: The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others burdens, easing others loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas. Bob Hope: My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?

Geology and Topography of Antarctica

Geology and Topography of Antarctica Antarctica is not an ideal place for a geologist to work - it is widely considered one of the coldest, driest, windiest and, during winter, darkest places on Earth. The kilometers-thick ice sheet sitting on top of 98 percent of the continent makes geologic study even more difficult. Despite these uninviting conditions, geologists are slowly gaining a better understanding of the fifth-largest continent through the use of gravity meters, ice-penetrating radar, magnetometers, and seismic instruments. Geodynamic Setting and History Continental Antarctica makes up just a portion of the much larger Antarctic Plate, which is surrounded by mostly mid-ocean ridge boundaries with six other major plates. The continent has an interesting geologic history - it was part of the supercontinent Gondwana as recently as 170 million years ago and made a final split from South America 29 million years ago. Antarctica has not always been covered in ice. At numerous times in its geologic history, the continent was warmer due to a more equatorial location and differing paleoclimates. It is not rare to find fossil evidence of vegetation and  dinosaurs  on the now-desolate continent. The most recent large-scale glaciation is thought to have begun around 35 million years ago. Antarctica has traditionally been thought of as sitting on a stable, continental shield with little geologic activity. Recently, scientists installed 13 weather-resistant seismic stations on the continent that measured the speed of earthquake waves through underlying bedrock and mantle. These waves change speed and direction whenever they encounter a different temperature or pressure in the mantle or a different composition in the bedrock, allowing geologists to create a virtual image of the underlying geology. The evidence revealed deep trenches, dormant volcanoes, and warm anomalies, suggesting that the area may be more geologically active than once thought. From space, Antarcticas geographic features seem, for lack of a better word, nonexistent. Underneath all of that snow and ice, however, lie several mountain ranges. The most prominent of these, the  Transantarctic  Mountains, are over 2,200 miles long and split the continent into two distinct halves: East Antarctica and West Antarctica. East Antarctica sits on top of a Precambrian craton, made up of mostly metamorphic rocks like gneiss and schist.  Sedimentary deposits from the Paleozoic to Early Cenozoic age lie above it.  Western Antarctica, on the other hand, is made up of orogenic belts from the past 500 million years. The summits and high valleys of the Transantarctic Mountains are some of the only places on the entire continent not covered in ice.  The other areas that are free from ice can be found on the  warmer Antarctic Peninsula, which extends 250 miles northward from West Antarctica  towards South America. Another mountain range, the  Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, rises almost 9,000 feet above sea level over a 750-mile expanse in East Antarctica. These mountains, however, are covered by several thousand feet of ice. Radar imaging reveals sharp peaks and low valleys with topography comparable to the European Alps. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet has encased the mountains and protected them from erosion rather than smoothing them into glacial valleys. Glacial Activity Glaciers affect not only the topography of Antarctica but also its underlying geology. The weight of ice in West Antarctica literally pushes the bedrock down, depressing low-lying areas below sea level. Seawater near the edge of the ice sheet creeps between the rock and glacier, causing the ice to move much faster towards the sea. Antarctica is completely surrounded by an ocean, allowing sea ice to greatly expand in winter. Ice normally covers around 18 million square miles at the September maximum (its winter) and decreases to 3 million square miles during the February minimum (its summer).  NASAs Earth Observatory has a nice side-by-side graphic comparing the maximum and minimum sea ice cover of the past 15 years. Antarctica is almost a geographic opposite of the Arctic, which is an ocean semi-enclosed by landmasses. These surrounding landmasses inhibit sea ice mobility, causing it to pile up into high and thick ridges during the winter. Come summer, these thick ridges stay frozen longer. The Arctic retains around 47 percent (2.7 of 5.8 million square miles) of its ice during warmer months. The extent of Antarcticas sea ice has increased by approximately one percent per decade since 1979 and reached record-breaking levels in 2012 to 2014. These gains do not make up for diminishing sea ice in the Arctic, however, and global sea ice continues to disappear at a rate of 13,500 square miles (larger than the state of Maryland) per year.

Is war an inevitable feature of international politics Essay

Is war an inevitable feature of international politics - Essay Example multiplicity of governments are not reduced to one government and international politics transformed to domestic politics." In order for war to begin, a relationship should exist between two parties, as it is a mistake or disagreement in this relationship which leads to war occurrence. So is the growing number of formed relationships due to globalisation increasing the unavoidability of war (1) Fighting is more than only competition between countries, because competition does not inevitably entail a party trying to gain an advantage by dropping their adversary's position. War is more aggressive; it includes conflict and it usually violent. The causes why countries go to war are plentiful and varied; instances include countries going to war to gain or enlarge the territory they possess, in support of other countries, to keep prestige and to defend or advance their economic interests. The goal of war could be disputed to be to show which party is 'stronger' in cases where this is not definite, as weaker countries will frequently be too frightened to fight, and stronger countries won't have a necessity to fight. It was revealed that the closer two countries are in terms of political and cultural features, the lower the opportunity of a war beginning between them. But the great amount of countries around the world means that there is a large quantity of cultures and background, and the alliances formed between like-minded countries are raising the disagreement between the different-minded countries. Donnelly analysed the relationship between international war and the creation of alliances and states that this is where the start of war lies. In general, countries which have lasting formal alliances frequently go through more wars than those nations which do not. And since alliances between major powers often have alliances of other majors powers as opponents, the incidence and size of wars is likely to augment in the following years. (3) There are two main ideas regarding war: that it is natural, and that it is not. The 'rational act' view argues that people are naturally aggressive and hostile, and war is therefore something inherent to humans, and that although war is unpleasant, it is sometimes necessary. Some theorists who regard war as part of human nature have traced it to being a result of our animal descent, or cruelty in an earlier age. Von Bernhadi stated that war is a "biological necessity" and that it was beneficial as it allows the taking away the weaker countries and therefore ensures the continued existence of stronger countries. "War was regarded as a fact of life and as a useful instrument of diplomacy, not as a problem. Peace, considered as an essential condition of international relations, was no preoccupation" (Ceadel 1996) Many European sociologists even consider conflict, and consequently the war, to be serving a positive idea in humanity. On the other hand, in spite of the plentiful claims made about the easiness of war, the facts to support this are too weak. (1) If war is peculiar to humans, then why are wars not conducted between countries at all times Why is it that wars only happen at definite times, and not all the time The contrasting view of war is that it is not innate in humans, but that it is brought about by exterior factors. The examination of the "irrational act"