Applying Management Theories

Company A was initially formed as a group of engineering students to undertake the project of modifying and coding a Boot to automatically move around a maze as quickly as possible. The group was formed by Dry S. Watson, the project supervisor. The group consisted of four students: J. Peters, A. Shabbier, A. Mohammed and O. Added. The students began their project through the organized Company 1 meetings. In their first meeting they were introduced to each other, though J. Peters was absent, which disadvantaged him later in the project.The group cited that their first action would be to organize a group meeting in the week, before the next company meeting, a good pro-active decision. It was observed that no leadership took place in the group with everyone inputting questions that the group could not answer. The Part D students were then able to answer some questions. In the meeting the group did not discuss project strategy, but discussed sensor systems, there was no clear sensory sys tem decided with A. Shabbier wanting to research into sonar systems and A.Mohammed continuing research into IR sensors and QUIT sensors. Over the next two weeks the group began to realize their task and formed their project structure based on the diagram, [ Figure 1 ]. The strategy overall was carried out well throughout the group, as they became more aware of mistakes that may have occurred without the plan and check stages. Once the strategy was in place, the Plan section was implemented. Within the plan stage the group took into account the following factors for equipment choice: Cost, Complexity and Acceptability.An example of this method was the choice of sensors, the group decided to use IR sensors, as they were cheaper than sonar systems, they were the east complex of all the systems and achieved the groups' requirements. This decision making process was very powerful, as it gave the groups specific criteria that they had to uphold and it prevented members from verging off to pic, which they were prone to doing. Figure 1 – Plan check do act (PICA) model A main failure of the group however, was that they did not choose a project leader.Their failure resulted in a leaderless structure to the group, immediately disadvantaging the group, as there was no one to make key decisions. This can be seen by tensions formed in the group with regards to sub-systems. The group decided to create sub-systems and allocate a person per sub-system, though this was a sensible systematic approach (though it could have been improved by using at a job design chart, such as in [ Figure 21). Breaking down the sub-systems affected the group with some tasks much simpler and straight forward than others. This process led to J. Peters and A. Mohammed wanting the same roles.The decision was made by the rest of the group that A. Mohammed would be better suited to the desired role. J. Peters had little contact with the group up until that point and this showed in the groups' deci sion. J. Peters was left with the difficult task of producing the interim report for the group. This was a poor decision by the group as it meant that they issue also arose from the sub-system approach, where during one week; more than one member of the group was absent. This led to a halt in progress of the project in the areas where team members were away, as absent team members knew their role, but the other team members did not.This should have been factored into the projects' risk contingency plan; however this was yet to be created by J. Peters. This failure resulted in a week without progress and certainly created tension not only thin the group, but between the group and supervisor as well. A better strategy would have been to split the design into sub-systems, but within each sub-system, tasks could be created and given to members of the group, allowing more than one group member to have knowledge of each sub-system to ensure progress continues.What sequence? Who else? How to interface with the facilities? Environmental conditions? How much autonomy? Skills? Where to locate? Tasks? Figure 2 – A Job design chart, enabling users to identify each role After the fourth week it was clear that A. Shabbier had taken charge of the project, which could be a positive factor of not immediately selecting a group leader, as it allowed time for the more dedicated person the project to take control, effectively becoming the natural leader.His indecision however, led to a long delay within an exercise the group carried out. A requirement that the group made was to increase the speed of the robot. The group originally removed the wheel and replaced it with a larger wheel increasing the speed, a good idea; however, their plan did not consider that they were not allowed to remove parts from the Boot. Therefore the approach taken by he group was to use their project PICA strategy and they were able to modify the wheel by creating an extension to use the original w heel as a shaft for a larger wheel.This shows good initiative from the group, however the issue should not and would limitation control. The group would have been better to choose a product design strategy, where they generated a concept, which they could feedback to the supervisor in a company meeting, who could then evaluate the groups' design, making sure it is suitable for the set requirements. This would make sure the design fits the requirements and if not, it could be improved until it did. The groups' strategy for their hardware sub-system had certain requirements, one of which included a LED display.The display was a creative concept as many ideas in the group were; however there was a delay in delivery (due to the University) which the group had not planned for. This delay was unplanned for with no risk contingency plan in place. This therefore meant the group had to alter their Giant chart to their needs at that time. This was poorly planned, as a better Giant chart would have had extra time allocated for work that could not be completed at the specific time.

Policeman Essay

When we see the police in our neighborhoods, we are secured in the knowledge that we are in safe hands. The police evoke a sense of being safe when they are around knowing that they have the capacity to enforce the law and keep criminal elements at bay. We can take our children to the park and watch them play, secure in the presence of neighborhood beat police patrolling the streets. It is a safe place with the police around. But are they always welcome? Ever since the fall of the other world superpower, the Soviet Union, the United States has been the sole keeper of that title (Weiner). Historians predicted that soon, democracy and freedom will be the norm around the world (Weiner). But some say that the United States has been remiss in its duties as the global law enforcer (Weiner). Thus, the question is posed, should the world expect the United States to start policing the global â€Å"neighborhood† (Weiner)? The question better posed would be is, can the United States be capable of being the policeman (Utley)? Many Neo-conservatives in the Republican party give a glimpse of the infirmities that are inherent to the desire of some to see the United States patrolling the world’s hotspots (Utley). The United States, being the only legitimate superpower left, is incapable of launching any sort of campaign that will make it an empire, or at least, make a significant impact in enforcing the law in other parts of the world (Utley). This is the argument of right-wing â€Å"isolationists† being criticized by the left-wing of the party in dissuading the United States from making an attempt in launching an imperialist wave (Utley). For any imperialist wave to succeed, the power in government must be one that has a strong centralist orientation, as was the case of Great Britain and the old Roman empire (Utley). In Britain’s case, the center of that power lay in the hand of some of the elites in the society, give or take a few votes from the populace (Utley). This elite mainly consisted of those who owned tracts of land and a fraction of the population (Utley). In Rome, the Roman Senate dictated foreign policy in the state (Utley). But in the case of the United States, the practice is quite the opposite. The Constitution is very clear in the tenet of preservation of freedom, not curtailing it (Utley). This fundamental framework of the prservation of freedom is enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution (Utley). In the American scheme of things, the strength of the political structure is not in concentration, but in dispersal of that power (Utley). This is done to curtail any initiative in undertaking foreign military adventurism (Utley). The history of the United States foreign policy manoeuverings has also been riddled with being inclined to serve the interests of certain sectors, especially businesses (Utley). There were times that â€Å"Big Business† was the preeminent factor in determining American foreign policy (Utley). This premise has given way to local pressure organizations and television coverage of foreign incidents (Utley). In understanding the central role of television, it must be construed that televsison selects the unwilling â€Å"sitting duck† (Utley). As the news groups broadcast, this is picked up by the authorities, causing a stir of American support and good will to be poured out on the place or region (Utley). Unfortunately, this upheaval of support will often cause more hardship and havoc (Utley). It is here that the United States, finding things in disarray, tends to reach out and aids the country or region find a semblance of balance (Utley). Examples are not hard to find for the case at hand. In the U. S. -led invasion of Kuwait to liberate the country from the Iraqi invaders, a story, untrue and unverrfied, ran about 20 Kuwaiti babies being hurled out of their incubators by the Iraqi raiders (Utley). This happened before the war (Utley). The story generated a groundswell of indignation and spurred the United States to move in with their military might (Utley). The end result of this carnage was far from the desired outcome. At the onset of the conflict, the United States decimated vital installations in the course of its military intervention (Utley). This left utilities in shambles; sanititation, electrical generation and food producing facilities were completely destroyed, leaving half a million children dead in its wake (Utley). The embargo on imports on even chlorine and materials for rebuilding the nation left it with unsafe drinking water (Utley). To follow the mindset of the generals, they are not schooled in the consideration of the consequences of their actions. All they want is how to quash the enemy and win the war (Utley). Haiti would be another prime piece of evidence on the failure of American interventionist policy. Before entering into its â€Å"war games† mentality, the United States first reduced the nation’s, and people’s, means of living by slapping an economic interdiction against the island nation (Utley). Then when the war mongers in the Federal government did not see the embargo working towards the desired goal, it went ahead and invaded the nation (Utley). As a result of the American military intervention, the people of Haiti are now in a far worse lot than they began with (Utley). Now, instead of becoming economically stable, the people of Haiti are now more dependent on imports from the United States (Utley). The pattern of American â€Å" police† strategy is sometimes is quite disturbing. When the American televison industry wearies of one subject, more often than not the American government forgets about it too (Utley). Simply put, it justs walks from the subject, leaving their posts when its no longer news, as in the cases of Haiti, Somalia or Panama (Utley). Or it just goes about imposing blockades to leave the people in hardship,like what is happening now in Iraq and Serbia (Utley). This practice of some God-given mission is not the lone and sole property of the United States, nor did it start with them. The concept was derived from the â€Å"Divine Right of Kings† practised in England (Neoperspectives). This was the practice in many European monarchies at the time of the founding of the United States (Neoperspectives). The King could just wave his hand or snap his fingers together and someone could lose his life (Neoperspectives). The United States†¦ World Police? So the actions of the United States leaves us with the question, should the United States take up the cudgels for policing the world, or, was there an offer in the first place? Most would point to the administration of former U. S. President Bill Clinton for the dilemma that the United States is facing (RateItAll). As the earlier statement mentioned, the fall of the Soviet Union left the United States as the only legitimate superpower on the planet (Weiner). But again the question is raised, did the world ask for it? The question is somewhat answered by formere Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Colin Powell (RateItAll). Albright avers that since they have one of the strongest fighting forces at their disposal, then why not utilize them (RateItAll)? Was the thinking of Albright correct? According to University of Texas profeesor and author Robert Jensen, its not. The United States is not acting at all as the world police; instead it is bullying the world into submission (Jensen).

Effect of FDI on Chinas Technological Status Essay

Effect of FDI on Chinas Technological Status - Essay Example The researcher states that China is an emerging economy and has continued to experience great economic success starting about thirty years ago when the country achieved economic liberalization. China has successfully participated in trade and investments at the global level, thus is well integrated into the economy at the global level. Most importantly, the FDI inflows in China today are considerably high and the many foreign firms in the country continue to enhance its growth economically. Technology being a critical component of any country’s economy remains highly crucial for the development of any country, including China. In China, the policymakers have in the recent years paid great attention to technological development in the country and the major aim is to make China a technologically sophisticated country. Being an important component of the economy, it is no doubt that FDI in China influences the country’s technology. China has experienced a remarkable increa se in its FDI, and this has continued to grow to start from the mid-1980s. The paper shows data on the yearly FDI inflows of China between the year 1985 and 2014 and this exhibits an increase in FDI inflows in China, even as this stood at $2 billion in the year 1985 and grew to reach $128 billion in the year 2014. In all the developing countries of the world, China ranks among the four largest receivers of FDI and in the year 2014 estimates by the United Nations indicated that China was the worlds largest destination for FDI inflows and Hong Kong and the United States followed behind. It is predicted that there will be persistent FDI inflows in China even in the future because currently, they are still modest. Foreign companies contribute immensely to the growth of the economy in China, even as these are the source of FDI in the country. These foreign-invested enterprises remain core to Chinas foreign trade even as they continue to contribute to the growth of foreign trade in China. In the year 2014, foreign companies accounted for 46.3 percent and 45.9 percent of Chinas imports and exports respectively, even though the peak was experienced in the year 2006 when the percentage of imports and exports accounted for by the foreign companies were 59.7 and 58.2 respectively.

Gender Differences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender Differences - Assignment Example Also, identify if the research hypothesis is directional or non-directional? Provide support for your decision. 10. If a quantitative study is this an associational, causal-comparative, or experimental research design? If a qualitative study is this an ethnography or phenomenology. List several characteristics with specific evidence from the research article to support your response. 11. What was the target population being investigated in this study (The target population may not be addressed in the participant section, but is often determined from information in the introduction and literature review section)? 13. Locate the description of the sample in the research article. Compare the sample with the target population. Do you think the sample used in this study is likely to be representative of the target population? Can this study be generalized to the intended population? Explain your reasoning. The subjects were 147 undergraduate students of business administration, 80 women and 67 men, who were enrolled in a compulsory introductory computer course in a Norwegian college. The sample represents the target population. 16. For each of the instruments describe what evidence was provided on the instrument’s validity (content, construct, criterion). You may not find that evidence was provided for all types of validity. If no evidence was provided state so. 17. For each of the instruments describe what evidence was provided on the instrument’s reliability (test-retest, equivalent forms, equivalent forms/retest, internal consistency, scoring agreement). You may not find that evidence was provided or all types of reliability. If no evidence was provided state so. It was simply stated that Gressard and Loyd, the scale they developed was convenient, reliable and valid measure of computer attitudes. It could be confidently and effectively utilized in research and evaluations. Each instrument was valid and reliable. The

How Children Learn the Sounds of Their Language Essay

How Children Learn the Sounds of Their Language - Essay Example It is evident from the paper that phonological development in children has got various steps, which are equally important. Though the capacity to acquire a language is innate, an assistance and scaffolding are necessary for the children. The discussion highlights the point that as the children are not born talking, they should learn the language. This is actually cannot be called learning, but acquisition of language; learning is artificial and conscious, but acquisition is natural and it is a biologically triggered behaviour. This behaviour is being modified every minute. This modification is done naturally with the exposure they get around them to acquire language. The discussion on the delayed speech and factors influencing phonological development sounds very significant. As communication is the pedestal of life such a study of phonological development is very constructive and ever relevant. The discussion on phonological development cannot be paused anywhere as it has a lot of interrogative dimensions. The theories mentioned in this paper indicate the role of phonological development in the cognitive expansion of the children. Verbal communication, which is the possession of human beings only, has a pivotal role in the overall development of them. It is communication that unfastens the ties which deny entrance to the world of knowledge and all that is obligatory in human life.

Print Media Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Print Media Analysis - Essay Example Europe is different than America in that it has a common currency without a common government to oversee economic policy (Krugman). The these two articles both tackle the future of the Euro – and attempt to assess the issues involved and the odds of success. The first article, by Timothy Garton Ash, outlines the history of riots and dissatisfaction that have erupted in the European Union since the beginning of this financial crisis, then goes on to outline the steps that would be necessary for preserving the European Union. It is important to note that this article is from the end of last year, and many things have happened in the interim, but essentially the issues stay the same, which is that the relationship between the EU’s poorer and richer countries is fraying. Krugman’s article indicates that the fall of the Euro, and possibly the EU, is imminent, and he faults failed economic policy, as well as the fundamental nature of the EU, as the problem. Interesting ly, both of these articles come from and espouse a liberal perspective, though in very different, and somewhat contradictory, ways. Krugman’s article faults conservative measures, such as budget cuts and austerity, for the depression’s continuance, but dislikes the EU as a structure, while Ash treats the large, overarching government of the EU as a good thing. The ideological spin of the Krugman article is inherently liberal, especially in his visceral attacks on austerity measures. He indicates that any good economist could have indicated (and did indicate) that austerity measures would lead to a depression (Krugman). This is a fundamentally liberal perspective, as it calls for higher government spending. Conservatives would argue that the deficit explosion is too much to handle, and that the Greece and other country’s addiction to debt is the fundamental issue, and that the austerity measures are the only method of stopping the explosion of such debt to unmana geable proportions. Ash’s article also takes a liberal perspective, in most ways. Firstly, it inherently treats the large government of the EU, with some centralized authority and one of the most byzantine bureaucracies on the planet, as good thing, talking about how it should be â€Å"saved† and the methods in place to do so. A conservative would likely be for smaller government, and find the dissolution of the European Union not at all problematic. He focuses much more than Krugman on the political situation on the ground, observing that the German declaration that funds going to Greece must come with â€Å"government oversight† (from Germany), and how Greeks with a national memory of the Second World War find that troubling (Ash). Liberal ideologies are present in both of these articles, but in two different ways. Kruger demonstrates socio-economic liberalism, seeing large government spending as a good thing, while Ash sees large governments as inherently goo d and worth saving (something that Kruger disagrees with, calling the Euro a â€Å"failed experiment†). Though conservatives talking about these issues might have some good points – for instance, that it irresponsible for a country as small as Greece to drive up debts that are unmanageable in order to provide social programming. Consistently spending more money than is available is an irresponsible thing to do, and conservatives are right to point that out. However,

I-35 Bridge report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

I-35 Bridge report - Research Paper Example Finally, the report also focuses on the rehabilitation â€Å"of the I-35W Bridge† and practices that have been adopted in the construction and maintenance of bridges. It shows how various organizations in fire and emergence, law enforcement and environmental monitoring, can reduce the impact of a possible tragedy like that of the collapse of I-35W Bridge to cause minimal loss of lives and property. Table of contents 1. Introduction 2. I-35W bridge maintenance and construction 3. Emergency Assistance after the Collapsed Bridge 4. Impact â€Å"of the I-35W Bridge Collapse on the Current Practices† 5. Conclusion 1) Introduction The 35W Mississippi River Bridge maintained by state of Minnesota, collapsed on the evening of 1st of August 2007, killing thirteen people and injuring another 121 people. Unfortunately, there were approximately 120 vehicles during the collapse estimated to be carrying 160 people. This collapse was unexpected and the immediate task at that moment, w as to rescue the people in the bridge, some of whom had fallen into the water and others trapped in their vehicles. To add insult to injury, some of the vehicles had caught fire making firefighting to be the first priority action. All local officials from the state after training together, worked together in stopping the fire, rescuing people in the water and rushing all the injured to hospitals. Definitely, this event was a test of their ability to successful tackle such a tragedy. However, there were many challenges and hindrances due to the steep river banks, difficulty of access due to the already collapsed bridge and other constant risks (Rabins et al 188). 2) I-35W Bridge Maintenance and Construction I-35W Bridge across the Mississippi River was official opened to traffic in the year 1967. According to Rabins et al, the bridge had a capacity of up to 140,000 daily vehicles on traffic between the Washington Avenue and the University Avenue, and was inspected every year from the year 1993 (236). The bridge was rated at 4 on a scale of 0 to 9 showing that, it was fit for transportation although there was need for monitoring and repair. Despite the bridge being rated as deficient, it did not definitely imply that it would collapse at any time, but there was a need for maintenance. According to the book â€Å"Bridge management systems for transportation agency decision making† the resolution made was to invest more resource in bridge maintenance to prevent such occurrences in the future. 3) Emergency Assistance after the Collapsed Bridge The U.S Fire Administration says that, there was a chaotic event after the responders arrived at the scene of the collapsed bridge (24). The collapsed structure brought various casualties such as people trapped in their vehicle and in the bridge debris; the injured and the dead people at the scene; the fire from some vehicles and water rescue situations. In addition to that, these respondents were not sure of the cause of the tragedy. They did not know whether it was a terror attack or an infrastructure failure. There was greater risk of a secondary collapse of the bridge, which could worsen the tragedy and paralyze rescue operations. As a result of these risks, the first priority was the fire department to stop the fire. At the same time, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was responsible of rescuing

HAS THE DUBAI FINANCIAL CRISIS LED TO A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN THE Essay

HAS THE DUBAI FINANCIAL CRISIS LED TO A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN THE ISLAMIC SUKUK - Essay Example Also, Aljarhi (2008) mentions that sukuk can be a good solution to help the sub-prime crisis, but what happened in Dubai with Nakheel’s sukuk perhaps changes all previous concepts because investors have been informed that Nakheel cannot pay off its profit. Research Objectives and Questions Objectives 1 Analyze Islamic financial instruments and research the mechanisms of Nakheel Sukuk 2 Research the factors that caused the Dubai financial crisis 3 Analyze how the Dubai crisis impacted the Sukuk investing in Islamic Financial institutions Questions What factors influenced investors’ confidence in Islamic financial instruments? For this questions to be answered a research and analysis of corner Islamic finance principles as well as performance of Islamic finance institutions as for Islamic instruments effectiveness will be carried out. The data will be majorly based on financial and other statements of Islamic financial institutions. 1 What is Sukuk and their elements that have added to the popularity of Financial investing instruments? 2 What are the mechanisms for Nakheel Sukuk to work effectively in financial markets? Sukuk instrument will be analyzed and against its performance. 3 What were the causes of the Dubai financial crisis? To answer this question an extensive research of data in regard to economic states, economic activities and other factors will be undertaken to learn and analyze events that caused the Dubai financial crisis. 4 What was the role of sukuk in the Dubai financial crisis? Analysis of Nakheel Sukuk in 5 How did the Dubai crisis impact Islamic financing? Analyze the use and performance of Islamic finance in aftermath of the critical times in Islamic finance. Literature Review The literature reviewed in this proposal critiques many writers who have written about Islamic bonds - sukuk. The research aims to show the gap of knowledge concerning confidence in Islamic bonds (sukuk) after the Dubai financial crisis. There are three types of literature that have been discovered: firstly, literature about the causes of the financial crisis which has happened in Dubai; secondly, literature about the impact on sukuk after the Dubai financial crisis; and finally, literature concerning the theory of sukuk which is based on the Islamic financial system. Klomp (2009), in his journal about the significant causes of the banking crisis, says that the absolute important factors that affect directly on a financial crisis are: 1) High credit growth 2) Negative GDP growth 3) High real interest rates. Lewis (2010) has other points in his journal that say that the causes of the financial crisis include individual and cognitive psychology, social influences, psychology used by economists, the good society, and culture and human agency. Rotheli (2010) believes that the causes of the financial crisis can be summarised as risk misperception, policy mistakes, and banks’ bounded rationality. He agrees with Klomp (2009) in a credit cycle in which banks increase their credit supply and stop lending during recessions. That puts banks in a troubled situation in the future, where investors can pay their debts. The financial crisis of Dubai, as mentioned by Bassens, Derudder and Witlox (2010), started in November 2009 when the latest news informed that the largest development agency in Dubai,

Low carbon building portfolio (Briefing Reports) Assignment

Low carbon building portfolio (Briefing Reports) - Assignment Example The BEEAM calculator method defines the type of building and differences in range of water consuming activities of various components within a building. The other methods that are used are standard Wat 01 method, and alternative Wat 01 technique (Srinivasan, Ling, & Mori 2011). Using the Wat 01 calculator, domestic water rate of consumption of components is calculated and baseline performance compared, indicate efficiency of baths, dishwashers, urinals, and showers, specify rain water systems, and finally, specify water consumption rate in liters. When the building tenanted areas are provided with water, then sanitary components must be specifies. Alternatively, the level of performance can be determined by use of fittings that are compliant with the baseline level of the BREEAM (Williams 2010). Wat 02 method is used where water is supplied from private sources or boreholes. Areas of the building that consume 10% of water are fitted with meters that provide instantaneous readings, have connections to BMS, and monitor the rate of water consumption. Each of the meters gives a reading based on the consumption level and each pulse water meters is connected to the BMS when the building is managed by the owner. There is no need for sub-meters especially where there are no monitoring benefits and there is no need to install a meter where simple calculations are required to determine the usage of water for a function (Michaelowa 2012). Provide a leak prevention and detection system to detect water leaks on the water supply system. It is activated when water passes through the water system and identifies the changes in flow. The following flow control devices may be used, thus, time controller, programmed time controller, volume controller, and central control unit. Constant water supply is required and in case of emergencies, the water supply should be constant and should not be shut down and it may be necessary for the operation of other systems within the

Alternative energy source Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alternative energy source - Research Paper Example Hydroelectric power technology is currently the least expensive source of electrical power. Moreover, it is much cleaner as opposed to the power that is generated using fossil fuels. Water that is flowing, and falling has potential energy whereby hydropower is generated by converting energy into the flowing water using a waterwheel or via a turbine into practicable mechanical energy (International Renewable Energy Agency, 7). Water potential energy could be used directly without converting it because of the different in elevation-diverted water through pipelines to supply the water in the day-to-day usage. The research paper is focused on first examining a brief background overview of hydropower technology in the world and how the technology has evolved over time. Then it will be followed by discussing the history overview of the technology. The description of the technology will briefly be discussed while examining the current state of the technology. Hydropower technology is the most flexible and coherent renewable energy resource, which is capable of meeting primary load electricity necessities. In addition, with pumped storage technology, it is capable of meeting peak and unexpected demand because of the shortage or the use of sporadic power sources. According to Gatte and Kadhim, researchers have conservatively estimated that only one-third of the total world’s capacity of the hydroelectricity power has been developed, with most of this growth and development been seen occurring in Europe (96). Hydropower is produced from water that is moving in the hydrological cycle that is driven by solar radiation. The potential energy embedded in this cycle is thus enormous; however, only a very limited amount can be technically developed. It is the water flow in rivers, which can be used in generating hydropower, or more specific, the energy of water, which is moving from

To Write Love on Her Arms Movement Essay Example for Free

To Write Love on Her Arms Movement Essay To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. The formation of TWLOHA started in 2006 by Jamie Tworkowski. TWLOHA started gaining recognition when they used MySpace* as their platform to spread awareness. They started gaining more exposure when bands showed their support for the movement by wearing ‘TWLOHA t-shirts’’ when performing on stage. Lead singers of popular bands, Paramore and Switchfoot. Currently TWLOHA has a fairly good amount of exposure to the community and society, but in order to reach out to more, staying stagnant is not the solution. Bands can continue wearing t-shirts to show support, and TWLOHA can regularly update their Facebook and MySpace’s statuses but only the same people will get their message. The number of people who are facing depression and going through self-abuse and giving in to drugs for solution are mostly youths and it is widely known that social networking sites are very popular amongst youths. Hence, I recommend them to use popular sites such as twitter, facebook and tumblr as the main medium. Poster would be the secondary medium to spread a little bit more awareness and lastly the supporting medium would be a viral video where target audience can relate themselves. *MySpace: TWLOHA used MySpace, as a platform to spread awareness back then in 2006 as it was a very popular social networking site. It was even more popular than Faceboo k. Concept Building a) The use of Social Media TWLOHA has already established a facebook page and has garnered more than 1 million likes. In addition, their official twitter page has more than 165,000 followers. In order to spread more awareness, something has to happen so people can talk/discuss/debate/comment about it. This is what you call a ‘trending topic’. One good example was the recent Japan earthquake that took many lives. A trending topic emerges with ‘PrayforJapan’ as a hashtag. TWLOHA has a day dedicated to the movement itself: TWLOHA Day. This  year, TWLOHA day will be on November 13th. TWLOHA is simply a day where you literally write the word: â€Å"love† on your arms. Not many people are aware of this day; hence if TWLOHA can get their supporters (those who follow them on twitter and like them on facebook) to spread it through their statuses, this would really help a lot. Step 1: TWLOHA to post a status on TWLOHA day. Step 2: Get artists to tweet about it, post on their official facebook page. Step 3: Update on what is going to happen, what should people tweet about? Step 4: Few days before the TWLOHA Day, constantly update on facebook and twitter to remind people. Step 5: On November 13th, get everyone to tweet about TWLOHA Day. Make it a trending topic! What is the update on? Here’s the catch. On TWLOHA Day itself, get everyone to tweet on ‘LoveistheMovement’. Basically they can tweet about anything from giving encouragement to people to sharing their stories or how TWLOHA has helped them. They just need to remember to leave the hashtag #loveisthemovement. If everyone tweets about it, tweets it lots of times, then #loveisthemovement will become a trending topic on twitter, it will be known worldwide. People will click on it to find out why is it trending and eventually they will know about TWLOHA movement. Everyone will then join in the cause and spread awareness to their friends. b) Web Banner Web banner is a cheap and fast advertising because almost everyone who has a computer will access the Internet and when they do, these ads will on various websites, and if they are good enough they will respond to our intended call-to-action. In order for your web banner to be recognized, you have to choose a popular website but you have to make sure it reaches out to your target audience and not just anyone in general. In this case, my target audience is people who are facing depression and self-harming themselves. People who are having drug addiction problems as well. And these categories of people normally lie within the youths. I have decided to go for www.perezhilton.com because a lot of youths, young adults and basically adults goes to that website to check out on gossips and what not. His  website is very popular worldwide. Perez blogs about anything celebs. Celebrities going into rehab. Who’s dating who and etc. c) Poster A very common and traditional way of promoting your brand, cause or service. A poster has to be very attention grabbing so people will stop to take a look. Since TWLOHA is a movement to help people, we can use gory pictures (for e.g. a girl cutting herself and bleeding) or we can make use of a really good tagline that draw people in and make them check out the official website.

Innovation and Change Management: Banqer

Innovation and Change Management: Banqer This study will focus on an online financial education software which is based in New Zealand. The study will highlight its mission, vision, objectives and its external environment. It will also outline impact of the internal environment and will lastly recommend certain new types of innovation that can be used by the company. History Banqer evolved out of the extensive rise of the financially illiterate children of the society which has ramifications with it. Banqer is a simulated online banking for classroom that provides helps on ecology for the kids in order to make them creative, curious and confident with money. It pays the students for providing positive behavior and completing the tasks that are assigned in the classroom (Banqer, 2017). With the students, they explore budgeting as they educate themselves with the valuable skills of their life by the management of their desks receiving payment for the privileges of the class. Students aging from 2 to 8 explore various topics that range from savings, interest, and tax to the insurance. Products and services Banqer allows the students to gain knowledge about the financial literacy responsibility in an extremely engaging and an immersive manner. As far as the product is concerned it is an online software which is concerned with education which the teachers and the students prefer (Banqer, 2017). Mission, Vision, objectives The mission lies in improving the financial capabilities of the entire world. Thus making the students well aware of the financial aspects. The vision statement is associating the teachers in order to make Banqer the best. The objective is to improve Banqers space within the domain of where they are positioned now and collaborating with certain movers and shakers in order to understand the worth and the potential of Banqer. Their goal lies in gaining direct experience in terms of education, technology, finance and design (Banqer, 2017). In the year 2016, the main focus of Banqer was in building partnerships both in the financial services as well as in the allied industries. The students in this industry were capable of buying and investing in the virtual properties as they might need to mortgage and earn rental income in order to pay off the amount they have borrowed. Political factors New Zealand has a stable government. Chances of success are huge. Special Education policy. Inclusive education system. Economic factors Resources are available abundantly due to the population of the country. The rate of unemployment is high against 99% literacy. Banqer promotes educational software by hiring skilled staffs. Social factors It is dependent on other countries for business. Spends a minimal amount on research and development. The banking system is strong. Technological factors Educational system is effective. Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES) to provide licensed software IT technology and the usage of Internet. Legal factors The government changes after every three years. Education Legislation Amendment Act 2016 to support digitalization in education sector Education Act 1989 beneficial universally Environmental factors The country has a unique ecological system. Latest technology has been adopted to keep the surrounding clean. Steps created to pollution free country Political factors When a certain company begins its business in this country, it takes into consideration political system, the economic stability along with the law and order of the country so that it can provide the economic strength to the trade and business. As New Zealand has a stable government so there is a huge chance of success due to the impactful rules and the regulations. Hence, the chances of Banqers success is immense. The New Zealand government had conducted changes in the education administration and introduced special education policy along with other policies (Ministry of Education, 2017). The policies and political stability of New Zealand would promote Banqer as the country aims to achieve inclusive education system (Banqer, 2017). Economic factors The economic condition of New Zealand is excellent with 3.5% GDP growth as in 2014 (Tradingeconomics, 2017). Due to the huge population of the country the resources are abundantly available. The products are economical in nature and are easily afforded by everyone. The unemployment is quite high at 3.5% in spite of literacy rate of 99% in the country. Banqer can easily appoint skilled staffs who are willing to work. The company would be able to promote the educational tool in the country to further literate children and decrease unemployment. Social factors The social system of New Zealand is such which is dependent on business with the other countries.As it depends on other countries for technology so it makes them spend quite an amount on the work of research and development. As the banking system is extremely strong so allows foreign direct investment in the country (Banqer, 2017).   Banquer would be impacted by the social status of New Zealand as education imparted using technology would ensure welfare of the country. Technological factors The country has an effective educational system. With the help of the technological advancements it has introduced IT and the use of Internet which has helped Banqer in the provision of its service in this country (Richard, 2012). Due to the various online education facilities it has increased the rate if literacy to almost 99% which is more than most of the countries. Ministry of New Zealand had also launched a program named Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES) to provide licensed program for software which is beneficial for Banqer (Dashper, 2017). Legal factors As the government changes after every three years so there is an establishment of new laws and regulations (Moskovitz, 2016). The Education Legislation Amendment Act 2016 and Education Act 1989 positively impacted Banqer as educational institutes abide by the laws and plan and digitalized their educational status using software (Martin, 2016). Environmental factors People of New Zealand are well aware of the unique ecological system. People have adopted the latest technology in order to cope up with the garbage and helps to not pollute the atmosphere (Crossley, et al., 2015). Certain initiatives are taken in order to make the country free from pollution and dust which is also abided by Banqer. The SWOT analysis is an effective framework to understand how a company in sector compare its internal and external conditions within an industry. Banqer as a startup has been effective in simulating financial exercises and helping students to gain literacy in the topic and subject. The following contains a brief discussion about its various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths The major strength of the start-up has been to understand the key to develop STEM (Science and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) among school kids. In this regard, the company has tried to the bridge the gap that was noted in the endeavours to focus on these subjects in Australian and New Zealand school systems. Another major strength of the company has been word-of-mouth marketing that helped built its credibility, mostly because the teachers who had tried the system understood its ingenuity and efficiency (startupdaily, 2015). The company has also grown on the basis of its partnerships with renowned firms like those in real estate to develop modules for students and attract more kids who would be more interested in such subjects. What has also worked for Banqer is their simple pay model which starts at free of cost for the initial trial period after which 3.5 dollars are charged per student per semester, which can reduce down to 2 dollars if the student signs up for multiple semesters (stuff.co.nz, 2015). It has also partnered with Kiwibank in order to provide better flexibility to students who cannot support their subscription fees. Weaknesses One of the major weaknesses can be noted is the lack of diversification in the kinds of services that are offered. At present, the company is only focussed in the financing subject which could pose problems for the company. Another problem that can be noted is to rope in the appropriate investor for the project. The company is looking to reach a high saturation point before entering into other markets. In this regard, it is looking for investors who can form part of the team but also who need to understand the basic concept of the start-up and not meddle with the inherent strategy of the company. Another initial challenge that had proved to be a weakness in the past was to change the attitude of the schools and parents. While expanding, such a challenge can also be felt in other countries as well. Opportunities: The opportunities for the company have already been identified by one of the co-founders, Kendall Flutey. She has noted that the opportunities lie in expanding the services on a global scale starting with Australia and moving on to the United States. She has also noted that since United States place emphasis on financial based learning, it would be profitable for the business to consider expanding there (Robson, 2016). While finding investors can be an issue while expanding, crowd-funding might also be looked into as a possible source of investment and finding the right of investors who are as motivated on making education convenient rather than making profits. Threats The biggest threat is possibly the over-dependence on the online medium as with the various technological advances, there are several ways, nowadays, in which hackers might interrupt and pose problems for the company and the novelty which had made it successful in the first place. The novelty that has worked for Banqer can also change quickly as more companies see the profit generating capabilities and develop their own versions and certainly with technological advances, there might be better options as well. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Focus on bridging the gap. Valuable partnerships Earning credibility through word-of mouth Lack of diversification in the product range. Getting like-minded investors. Different approach to education can prove to be problematic Expansion Crowd-funding. Over-dependence on the online medium Technological advances Replication by other companies. With the considerable advances in the technological aspects and the ways in which communication is being impacted all over the world, it would be particularly relevant for the company to administer certain changes and develop modules that are more student specific. One of the recent developments that have been made is the CV writing and application process that the company is providing within simulated environments (McNicol, 2016). What is really interesting to note in this regard is the emphasis on student-teacher interaction which is the value of this innovation to the organization. However, the modules and the courses can be noted to be developed on a comprehensive level, and probably it would be hugely beneficial if specific modules are created keeping in mind the specific abilities and needs of the students. Another important aspect has been the developments in the curriculum innovation that is changing the education on global levels. What had been considered to be the most important subjects in school are now being regarded as auxiliary to the main subjects. So, it would be a naturally evolutionary process to incorporate the various developments that are being made all around the world in order to stay updated with the recent developments. The most effective strategy to motivate the innovation would be to develop a basic plan that is flexible in order to incorporate the changes that are being made on a daily basis. In this context, it can be recommended that the company regularly set up meetings with the schools and the educational experts in order to gain a more comprehensive knowledge about the developments that are being made on a global scale. Also, in order to incorporate the changes that are required to be made in terms of providing personal assistance, it would probably be recommended to set up one-to-one sessions with the students in order to understand their personal lacks and how those can be overcome through effective sessions. The task might be tedious at first, but the whole process can be streamlined if teachers are integrated within the system and involved. Banqer has been one of the most efficient online programs in the recent past that has sought to redefine financial literacy for the students. It has been successful in the New Zealand market and hopes to expand. However, the threats of replication can be major problem. In this regard, the company can start innovating and customize their modules to suit the needs of the students.

Analysing New Challenges Posed By The Development In Government Policies Social Work Essay

Analysing New Challenges Posed By The Development In Government Policies Social Work Essay In this report, I am going to consider the new challenges posed by the latest development in government policies, and particularly those set out in the Every Child Matters and Youth Matters agendas and their impact on Children services especially Looked-After-Children in foster and residential care. I will first and foremost, look at the definition of what Looked-After-Children means, the development of foster and residential care for Looked-After-Children and theoretical knowledge, the legal and policy frameworks underpinning childrens services while considering the implications as well as ethical dilemmas for social work practice. Also, I will look at the effectiveness and impact of multi-agency working, professional autonomy versus employer direction, the balancing act of care and control and how effective the Care Programme Approach is used for those looked after and those leaving care. Furthermore, the regulations that guide placements and the roles of foster carers will also be critically examined. Looked-After-Children as defined in section 22(1) of Children Act 1989, refers to those children in the care of any local authority or provided with accommodation by any local authority for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting their welfare. For example, some children can not remain at home due to adverse conditions such as family crises, a disability or offending, domestic violence, abuse and neglect. Hence the local authority will have to intervene and adequate measures taken to safeguard and promote their welfare and in most cases they are taken into care (foster or residential care). Foster care arrangements is usually a family based care arrangement in which the child is placed in the foster carers own home. The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (2007), states that this kind of care arrangement could be in cases of emergency or non-emergency, for short or long term, on remand or respite, close relatives fostering or private foster carers providing the care need s of the child. However, Residential care is quite similar to foster care, in that adults look after the children on a day to day basis on a pro rota basis. The only difference is that residential care is more of a communal setting where a number of staff works rather than an intimate family unit (as in foster care) in providing the childs needs (DOH 1998a). Some background of foster care and residential care Children were first recognised as individuals in their own right by the implementation of the Children Act 1948 following recommendations from the Care of Children Committee 1946 known as The Curtis Report (Hayden et al 1999) which was influenced by the Monckton Inquiry 1945 into the appalling murder of Dennis ONeill who was in foster care. The report was published with regards to children being deprived of a normal home life during and after the second world war (Barnados 2007) as children from differing social stratifications were brought together into residential care (children homes at the time) as a consequence of the disruption of war . Although the Act established childrens departments and child officers, the general belief was that children should remain (where possible) with their primary caregivers. This decision was influence by John Bowlbys attachment theory in which he emphased the importance of the bond between a child and his/her primary caregiver (mother) and how sepa ration between mother and child could have detrimental effects on the development of the child (Hopkins, 2007). With the introduction of Children and Young Persons Act 1963, local authorities were further given powers and duties to support children in their own homes (Thomas, 2005). This development further strengthened the local authoritys decision and also reinforced Bowlbys attachment theory. However, Waterhouse et al (2002) noted that in the 1970s the use of residential care for primary school children had begun to decline and the shift was towards family oriented care. The 1980s saw a further rapid decline in Looked-After-Children in residential care. Residential care was only viewed as a last resource for adolescents who could not be placed in family settings (Thomas 2005). According to Ibid (2005) foster care or boarding out as it was referred to until the late 1980s, was generally a female orientated voluntary service for looking after deprived children within a family setting with an aim to normalise their experiences whilst in care. It should be noted however, that during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s residential care received significant negative attention through no fault of the children in care (Thomas 2005). In this era, horrific sexual, physical and emotional abuse was exposed, which led to major inquiries into children in care. The three most notable reports are the Pindown inquiry by Levy and Kahan (1991), the Leicestershire inquiry (1993) and the inquiry into the abuse of children in childrens homes in North Wales, known as the Waterhouse Report, 2000 (Thomas 2005). These reports changed the course of policy and practice. It is evident by Ibid (2005) that although these reports have depicted abuse in residential homes over the years, abuse in foster home goes largely undetected. The Waterhouse report (DOH 2000a) exposed no cohesive regulations of childrens homes adding that the responsible local authorities had adopted a tokenistic approach. Upon this report, recommendations for change were clearly defined. The New Labour Government responded to the report and published major policy initiatives such as Quality Protects and the Care Standards Bill (2000) under which the General Social Care Council (GSCC) was established to monitor and regulate all social care staff. The GSCC has been given the mandate to register all social care staff (qualified and non-qualified alike) and also to produce enforceable codes of conduct and practice (DOH 2000b). These were designed to prevent unsuitable people in the social care sector. Other recommendations included, a childrens complaints officer, criminal record checks, a designated field social work assigned to each Looked-After-Child. Accountable and independent regulatory inspection body was also recommended to inspect re sidential and foster homes to meet National Minimum Standards (DOH 2002). Policy and legislative frameworks. There are a host of policies and legislative frameworks underpinning the holistic needs of Looked-After-Children that I as a social worker must work to accordingly. However, working within the parameters of the law, meeting policy guidance and the constraints of limited resources is a complex task (Brammer 2007). The Children Act 1989 is the main legislative instrument that mandates all child care professionals to work towards the best interest of the child. The Act received royal assent in 1991 and arose from substantial research that exposed poor outcomes and significant failings in safeguarding, protecting and meeting childrens needs (Brayne Carr 2005). This same Act also introduced the welfare check list, to include factors that must be considered when professionals and the courts are deciding the future welfare of a child. Although the philosophy of the Act is that the child is best brought up in their own families, at times this is not in the best interests of the child. The local authority has a duty to safeguard and promote the childs welfare (s.22(3)). The overarching principle of the Act is that the welfare of the child is paramount (s.1) regardless of race, religion or culture. Although section 22(5)[c]) of the Act states that the local authorities must consider the childs religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background, this only applies to looked after children (Brammer 2007). Under the Race Relations (Amendment Act) 2000, local authorities have a duty to promote good race relations and equality, provide a culturally sensitive service and protect against racial discrimination. Whilst articles 3,5,6,8 and 14 within the Human Rights Act 1998 are important to children, it is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) that provides a comprehensive framework for children to attain their full potential. It sets out over 40 substantive rights including protection from harm and exploitation, access to education and health and family life (DFES, 2003). The governments first attempt to transforms childrens services was the implementation of the Quality Protects initiative. Also part of a wider set of projects including Sure Start to help children in their early years and their families get off to a better start in life. The Quality Protects programme set out eleven key objectives (DOH 1999) for childrens services requiring all statutory agencies as corporate parents to work together, ensuring that childrens social services provide targeted care for disadvantaged children to enable them to take maximum advantages of universal services, most notably health and education. It was the key mechanism for delivering the aims of the government White Paper, Modernising Social Services (DOH 1998). Local authorities were required to submit a Management Action Plan informing the government on how they were going to meet these objectives. Choice Protects was a further initiative launched in 2002 to improve outcomes for looked-after-children throu gh providing better placement stability, matching and choice (Butler et al 2004) Further changes in legislation followed the death of Victoria Climbià © whilst in private foster care. Lord Lamings report made key recommendations for change following this inquiry (Victoria Climbià © Inquiry 2003). The governments response was a major reform of childrens services and the Children Act 2004, underpinned by the policies set out in Every Child Matters agenda (DFES, 2003). This focused on achieving five key outcomes for services to children, to work towards achieving their full potential. The Five Key Outcomes of the Every Child Matters are: Being healthy, Staying safe, Enjoying and achieving, Making a positive contribution and Achieving economic well-being. The 2004 Act also established childrens trusts, bringing together education, health and social services, as well as a childrens commissioner to promote the interests and views of children. Due to the profound importance of education, section 22(3) of the Children Act 1989 amended by section 52 of the Children Act 2004 now places a duty on local authorities to promote the educational attainment of Looked-After-Children (Brammer 2007). The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DOH 2000b) and subsequent practice guidance was introduced as part of New Labours Quality Protects programme and replaced what was formerly the orange book. The three inter-related dimensions of the framework: Childs Development Needs, Parenting Capacity and Family and Environmental Factors and its sub-domains present the necessary ingredients to provide a holistic, specialist assessment of need used in conjunction with the Children Act 1989, that carers, other professionals and agencies can contribute. The domains can be adapted for the needs of disabled children and are useful for social workers in assessing placements to establish suitability in meeting the childs holistic needs (DOH, 2000b). Additionally, they can be used to evaluate progress within parenting capacities, particularly if key areas were targeted for improvement, thus determining whether the needs of the child will be sufficiently met if they are to return to their own home environment (Ibid, 2000b). The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) as proposed by Every Child Matters (DFES, 2003) is a relatively new standardised approach for assessing the need for services for children and is part of a wider government programme to provide integrated services including the need to improve multi-agency working. The CAF is a common language in assessment and is based upon the five outcomes of Every Child Matters (Brammer 2007). Every Child Matters raises questions of where looked-after-children should be (or get to) in relation to other children. The agenda aims to improve the lives of looked-after-children holistically across the five outcomes linking to the Articles in the UNCRC (Unicef 2006a). The objective is to improve and integrate childrens services, promote early intervention, provide strong leadership, bringing together different professionals in multi-disciplinary teams in order to achieve positive outcomes for children, using a matrix of specialist, targeted and universal services built around their needs. As a social work, I cannot over emphases the importance gaining a comprehensive assessment of a child under my care. This includes getting an in depth picture/knowledge of the childs past history throughout his/her development as this can inform me and others on how the child is likely to respond to particular situations, together with the possible triggers to specific behaviour of that individual, including the childs view of the relationship with his/her family. It is this kind of information, which Falhberg (1994) says is sometimes missing from case files, which could result in the child not receiving an appropriate care package or placement. However, it is important to remember that when gathering information childrens own perspectives on their experiences are an important source of knowledge as well (DOH 2000a p.8). Furthermore, this knowledge equips me with the significance of sharing information between professionals in order to be able promote and meet the childs holistic nee ds. In the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie ¢ and many other previous inquiries in to child protection failures it was noted that the quality of information sharing was often poor, systems were crude and information failed to be passed between hospitals in close proximity to each other. As the report commented, information systems that depend on the random passing of slips of paper have no place in modern services (The Victoria Climbie ¢ Inquiry Report, 2003, p13). In order to provide an effective system for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, all agencies and staff working with children need to work together in addressing the issue of information sharing and recording. Although personal information should always be respected (DOH 2000 p.45), there are times when the law permits the disclosure without consent in order to safeguard the child. Therefore, by explaining to the child at the outset why and how information is shared, there are no unnecessary surprises for the child. The Working together document (DOH, 1999) highlights the importance of multidisciplinary and inter agency working in children work force. This document was put together by Department Of Health, Department for Education and Employment and the Home Office. It serves as a guide to inter-agency working with a commitment to sharing information to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, it also provides improved guidance on child protection procedures and the newly reformed Local Safeguarding Childrens Boards. Implications on social work practice However, safeguarding children is never free from ethical dilemmas. For example, it is necessary at times to place children in secure accommodation under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 for their own and others safety (Brammer 2007). Although this conflicts with Article 5 of the UNCRC; Right to Liberty along with the potential to diminish their autonomy, this must therefore be a last resort to safeguard their welfare when other strategies and social work interventions have been ineffective. Yet another area of consideration is effective care planning for Looked-After-Children. This is key to promoting and meeting their holistic needs. Care plans should be child-centred/person-centred, needs based, focussed, proactive and written collectively with the social worker, the child (depending on age and maturity), parents/guardians and any prospective caregivers (National Childrens Bureau 2007). In this way, care can be delivered in a more open and understanding way. This also promotes partnership between all stakeholders involved in the care and welfare of the child. However, studies undertaken by Timms Thorburn (2006) revealed that children were not always involved in writing their care plan as much as they should be. The care plan is a continuing process based on a holistic assessment of the childs needs and how they will be met, including a statutory Health Plan and Personal Education Plan (including Special Educational Needs) which sets out targets, providing a valuable individual monitoring mechanism (DfES 2005). The requirement of statutory reviews laid out in section 26 of the Children Act 1989 reinforces this c ontinuum (Thomas 2005). The amendment to section 26 made by section 118 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, now requires that statutory reviews must be chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer, who ensures plans are timely, effective and sensitive and focussed on the childs needs, the placement, offering a safeguard to prevent drift and addressing poor practice (DfES 2004 p.8). However, this looks good on paper but the question remains as to how independent the Independent Reviewing Officer can be when he/she is employed or paid by the local authority for the services rendered. Furthermore, the Looked-After-Children documentation also contains significant component identifying age-related Assessment and Action records. These records are an achievable by way of assessing and reviewing the childs well being across the seven dimensions of the childs developmental needs located within the assessment framework (DOH 2000c). Additionally, these records identify each others roles in undertaking the tasks to effectively meet these outcomes (Thomas 2005). Walker et al (2003) emphasises that these records should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Related to the assessment and have a clear Time scale (SMART) for completion. Its been argued again and again that meeting the needs of black and minority ethnic children is a complex task for social workers given the controversial debates regarding same race/trans-racial placements (Thomas 2005). Is this not a way of further marginalising, discriminating and oppressing this group of children? Walker (2005) cited by Allain (2007, p137) stresses the importance of . . . developing culturally competent practice for working with children and young people cannot be overstated. Meaning as social workers we need to be cultural sensitive and aware that cultural norms and models of behaviour can vary considerably between communities and even families (Victoria Climbià © Inquiry 2003 para.16.5). However, many children who are fostered are from black and minority ethnic groups with entirely different cultures (Thomas 2005). Although there is research to suggest that trans-racial placements are not damaging to children (Tizard and Phoenix 1989) The Children Act 1989 (Guidance and Regulations vol 3 paras 2.40-2.42 DOH 1991) promotes same race placements within foster settings. As a social worker, I am aware that assessments are not value free. According to City of Salford Community and Social Services (2000) social workers bring their racial, cultural, gender, class and religious values to the assessment. Clear guides to good professional practice are maintained within the GSCC codes of practice. Anti-oppressive practice and valuing diversity in its broadest context are at the heart of social work together with a commitment to partnership working, being non-judgemental, trustworthy and respecting service users rights (GSCC 2002). Dominelli (1997) also states that in their quest to treat everyone as equals, social workers have inadvertently adopted a colour blind approach implying that skin colour is the only difference, thus reinforcing negative assumptions. In addition, she notes social workers have dumped black difficult children on to black foster carers highlighting racist assumptions that they can look after their own. According to Cross (1971 cited by DOH 2000a) black children struggle to gain a positive sense of racial identity. Therefore, in order for child care professional to assess and understand, Cross provides a model of identity that can be used to make the correlation between the childs own perception and their emotional development. Another highlight is that unaccompanied asylum seeking children are not only faced with language and cultural issues, but it appears that the Hillingdon Judgment and its subsequent guidance (LAC (2003)13) DOH 2003) is not being adhered to nationally (Nandy 2005). Children aged 16-17 are still being supported by section 17 of the Children Act 1989 (children in need) rather than having full section 20 status as per the recommendations, providing them with ongoing support post-18. The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 provides for, a holistic Pathway Assessment of needs, which informs the Pathway Plan for a continuum of care and support until the age of 21(beyond if in education) with a personal adviser. Section 24 of the Children Act 1989 sets out the duty of the local authority to advise, assist and befriend a child who leaves care after the age of 16. However, research indicates that although Looked-After-Children are the most vulnerable in society, they are pushed to independence ear lier than other children. Stein (2006 p.274) describes care leavers as having accelerated and compressed transitions to adulthood. Educational attainment for Looked-After-Children is unacceptably low, with only 12 per cent achieving 5 GCSEs grades A-C compared to 59 per cent of other children (DfES 2007). Research by Berridge et al (1998 cited by DOH 1998a) indicates that Looked-After-Children, particularly those in residential care are ill-equipped with adequate learning materials and staff felt that they were not sufficiently trained to provide teaching support to those who were excluded from school (DfES 2005). Guidance from the DfES (2005) aims to promote better partnership working including teacher training and additional support for Looked-After-Children in schools. Fundamental to the Children Act 1989 is that the children have a right to be heard and are individuals in their own right. The childs wishes and feelings must be sought by the local authority with regards to aspects of their circumstances and future plans (s.22(5)) and s.1(3) when courts are making decisions. This principle is enshrined in the Article 12 of the UNCRC (Unicef, 2006). However, Thomas (2005) notes that there is still a debate to what extent children have in determining their lives, although the general consensus is that they should be listened to. Leeson (2007) also states that childrens participation in decision making is questioned due to them being regarded as vulnerable, less competent beings in need of social work protection (p.268). Although children may not know what they want, they should be encouraged by all professionals to participate, (according to their age and understanding) thus empowering them and increasing their autonomy. Communication with children is the means to establishing a relationship, even when they do not want to engage verbally. Play, activity based work, writing, drawing and body language are also essential tools in the art of being receptive (Kroll 1995 cited by Thomas 2002). Disabled children may prefer other methods of communication such as the Picture Exchange Communication System, Makaton or British Sign Language. Additionally, they may have their own individual ways of communicating, therefore it is crucial that not only the child care professionals understand, but the child has confidence that their messages are heard (DFES, 2006). Foster carers and residential workers have a similar role. They work closely with social workers, families, doctors, psychologists, teachers, nurses, probation officers and other outside agencies in order to effectively promote the holistic needs of the child. Although it is the responsibility of the social worker to ensure that plans are implemented, reviewed and legalities adhered to, residential staff and foster carers are principally the ones to undertake the tasks (Thomas 2005). Studies by Whitaker et al 1998 cited by DOH (1998) highlighted the extensive skills and personal qualities that are required when working within group living, including knowledge and understanding of development, group dynamics, networks, listening, advocating, physical and emotional support. This list is not exhaustive and not exclusive to residential; on the contrary, foster carers should equally be proficient in these skills. Due to the challenging nature of the profession there is a high turnover of staff within residential care which amounts to children not being able to form adequate attachments, although key worker systems are used to enhance this. Colton et al (2007) analysed a number of factors from researchers and concluded that one of the key issues was emotional exhaustion from increasingly complex, volatile, chaotic and disruptive behaviour displayed by children towards staff. According to Fostering Network (2007) foster care turnover also remains high with a shortage of over ten thousand foster carer placements. According to Barter et al (2004) many children entering the care system are filling an available vacancy rather than receiving an appropriate provision to meet their complex needs. Furthermore, Triseliotis (2002) notes that children are far more likely to be in continual state of insecurity due to the legalities of impermanence and many felt that this anxiety was heightened from the carers behave or else stance. Although research has indicated that authoritative parenting within fostering has had the most success (Wilson et al 2004). The use of Social Learning Theory, particularly in the newly funded Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Project in England, considers that since behaviour is learned, it can be unlearned via therapeutic methods and living environment. MTFCE is targeted for those with complex needs, challenging behaviour and offenders (DFES, 2003). Under section 26 of the Children Act 1989, children have a statutory right to complain about the services they receive. Amendments to the Children Act 1989 via the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (s.119) created a new section (26(a)) which affords children and young people a statutory right to an advocate in the light of complaints (Brammer 2007). In addition, the White Paper Valuing People (DOH 2001) emphasises that children who have learning disabilities should also be included in such initiatives. Furthermore, Ward (1995) notes that the local authories should be playing a more active role and taking the initiative to seek the views of Looked-After-Children, as some of those looked after, are under duress (p.16) To ensure children are looked after properly, residential homes and fostering agencies are inspected by an independent body. As of April 2007, Ofsted began the regulation and inspection of childrens services building on the previous expertise of Commission for Social Care Inspection (Ofsted 2007). Residential homes are subject two annual visits (one announced and one unannounced) from the inspecting body to monitor performance against both the National Minimum Standards (DOH 2002) and the Childrens Homes Regulations 2001.Internal inspections are required by the registered manager to monitor matters set out in Schedule 6 of the regulations (34(1)) such as, menus, the quality of rotas, staffing and childrens complaints. Under regulation 33, a monthly inspection takes place by a statutory visitor to monitor performance against the five outcomes of Every Child Matters. Including speaking to the children and staff, checking files, care plans and placement plans. A report is then prepared and forwarded to Ofsted. Many children have a troubled and complex past (Thomas 2005). A good home offers attachments, permanence, identity, self esteem and promotes contact (where necessary) with the child and parent(s). Attachment theory originiates from the work of John Bowlby and has been elaborated considerably since. Attachment behaviour is reciprocal rather than unidirectional and is defined as a long enduring emotionally meaningful tie to a particular individual cited by Schaffer (1997 p.127). Bowlby theorised that lack of nurturing from an infants primary care giver would have serious consequences for the child in later life, leading to affectionless psychopathy (the inability to have deep feelings for others) in Rutter (1991). Social workers need to consider how a placement will promote healthy attachments and psychological development, furthermore, how they are provided, maintained and strengthened (Howe 1996, cited by Thomas 2005). However, Robinson (2002) criticises Howe for failing to mention t he attachments within the black community and families in his writings, merely referring to cultural variations. Research identified four attachment behaviours; secure, insecure/avoidant ambivalent and disorganised, secure being the most ideal (Howe 2002). A good understanding of these internalised behaviours assists social workers to differentiate between them when analysing assessments (Ibid 2002). Howe further notes that there is a tendency for these internal working models to become self fulfilling, where by the child acts in certain ways to elicit desired self-confirming reactions from others. However, research indicates that a child does not have to be at the mercy of the past (Schaffer 1992 p.40) depending on how resilient the child is to adapting to lifes complex variables. The prevalence of mental disorders is high in looked-after-children, particularly in residential care compared to foster care. According to the Office of National Statistics (2003) nearly three quarters of the children in residential care (72 per cent) were clinically diagnosed as having a mental disorder. The role of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services promotes the mental well being of children through commissioning services via a four-tier strategic framework (level four being severe) following an assessment (DFES, 2003). Most looked-after-children receive services at level three or four. However, Schaffer (1998) suggests that it is difficult to tell who will need therapeutic involvement and who will simply grow out of it. Leighton (In press) states that professionals must be aware of their own personal values and attitudes that could influence decision making as to whether a child will benefit from therapy. Furthermore, she adds that ethical challenges are plentiful in creating and respecting the childs autonomy whilst undertaking a balancing act with safeguarding their welfare and promoting their best interests. Thomas (2005, 2002) urges caution with the overall concept of best interests of the child as he suggests that it could be oppressive and dangerous if misused, particularly with regards to who is making the decisions in the best interests for example; professionals, the family or the child themselves. Although there is good evidence from research to indicate positive outcomes for children, these cannot assume a one size fits all solution to ensuring a desired individual result for there are other intricacies that need to be taken into account, for example religion and culture. With regards to child welfare, Fox-Harding (1997) states that the Children Act 1989 is in ideological conflict concerning the role of the state. She notes four different value positions; liassaz-faire, state paternalism, parents rights and childrens rights. The latter two are appropriate here. Firstly, she notes that the perspective of parents rights acts as a belief

The Complexities of Human Relationships Explored in Nella Larsens Pass

A huge amount of literature was created exclusively for African Americans during Larsen’s time. For the first time, African Americans were being told that it was okay to be proud of who they were. This knowledge and self-awareness was important in many works of literature, but a number of writers began exploring the darker side of this group with literature that concentrated on the pessimistic aspects of race relations in America. Nella Larsen's novel, Passing, focuses on this idea with the story of Clare Kendry, a tragic mulatto who "passes" as a white person. Not only is Passing representative of the dilemma of the tragic mulatto, it is also a novel that explores the difficulties of human relationships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clare Kendry's life is a great example of the difficulty of the tragic mulatto. In Passing, Clare seems to have and urge to go back to the African American world she left. Clare tells her friend Irene Redfield that "she can't know how in this pale life of mine I am all the time seeing the bright pictures of that other that I once thought I was glad to be free of†¦It's like an ache, a pain that never ceases" (Larsen 145). She also realizes a great deal how she wants to see African Americans, "to be with them again, to talk with them, to hear them laugh" (Larsen 200). Even though Irene feels that there is "nothing sacrificial in Clare's idea of life, no allegiance beyond her own immediate desire," (Larsen 144) it is obvious that Clare's wish to return to her African American race is sincere, even if the reasons seem unfair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Irene believes Clare to be "selfish, cold and hard" (Larsen 144). Irene also feels that Clare does not have "even the slightest artistic or sociological interest in the race that some members of other races displayed. [She] cared nothing of the race, she only belonged to it" (Larsen 182). While there may be a little truth to this report, it does not lessen Clare's own pain at having to deny her African American legacy, and her longing to return to it. Irene isn’t being fair to Clare. She is not being the true friend that Clare needs. Irene represents a piece of society who feel that people who pass must have a ethically satisfactory reason to return to their African American roots such as a want to rebel against a white humanity that has forced them into the role of a white person. In my opinion, Clare’s desire to return to her ... ...ar just how Clare falls from the window after Jon discovers her dishonesty, just before the fall Irene reveals "that she couldn’t have Clare Kendry cast aside by Bellew...she couldn’t have her free" (Larsen 239). This tells that Irene is very likely accountable for Clare's death. Although the vagueness adjoining the incident prevents determining Irene's guilt beyond a practical disbelief, she seems to be the one character who benefits the most from Clare's death. In the end, the variations between Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield are overshadowed by their similarities revealing that their relationships are just as noteworthy as the subject of passing. Nella Larsen's Passing effectively deals with the troubles of the "tragic mulatto," and the complexities of human relationships. Her literary donation is important because of her capability to boldly handle a sensitive racial issue while also exploring the consequences of this issue on human relationships. It is obvious that Larsen included both the social and psychological characteristics of passing in her novel, and I believe that is what truly made the novel great. Works Cited Larsen, Nella. Passing. New York: Penguin, 1997.

The Punishment Suits The Crime For Dante :: Dante Alighieri Inferno

The Punishment Suits the Crime   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Inferno, Dante takes us on a journey through Hell. Dante describes the sins and the punishment in great detail. He puts the severity of the sins in a particular order, where the further one goes down, the more severe the sin. The order that Dante puts the sins in are: incontinence, violence, fraud, and betrayal. This paper will discuss two groups of sins, incontinence and fraud, and how severe the punishment for each sin is determined. In particular, it will compare the sin of gluttony in the third circle and divining in the fourth pouch of the eight circle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first group of sins are the incontinent sins. These are located in the second through fifth rings. These sins are primarily concerned with sins of the body. These sins also show a lack of restraint.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sin of gluttony is found among the incontinent sins. Gluttony, by definition, is excess, such as food and drink, for example. God has given us all that we need on Earth, but that doesn't mean that we are supposed to have excessive gratification. When Dante and Virgil enter the third Circle where the gluttons are found, Dante acknowledges that it is "a realm of cold and heavy rain-a dark, accursed torrent eternally poured with changeless measure and nature" (Inferno, p. 45). The harsh and endless rain may be connected to the sin of gluttony. Since these sinners experienced excess on Earth, then they too are punished with an excess of rain in Hell. Dante also notices that "the soil they drench gives off a putrid odor" (Inferno, p. 45). The punishment of wallowing filth may also be connected to the sin of gluttony. Since they indulged in filth on Earth, then they shall wallow in filth for all eternity in Hell. The gluttons are also tortured by the three-headed dog Cerberus, the mythological guardian of Hell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dante meets a sinner named Ciacco while in this third circle. He says to Dante, "Your city, so full of envy that the sack spills over.

Lack of Closure in Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot Essay -- Theater

Closure is a very important aspect of a narrative. Closure or the lack of it accomplishes the goal of a creating a text which readers would want to continue reading to find out the ending, it helps to lead the reader on. The term â€Å"closure† according to Abbott is â€Å"best understood as something we look for in narrative, as desire that authors understand and often expend art to satisfy or frustrate† (Abbott, 57).In the play Waiting for Godot, the lack of closure is very evident throughout it. This play significantly follows the hermeneutic code, the level of questions or answers. This code has allowed for the author to grasp the attention of the readers, due to the reason people like to find and understand closures, but also allowing the author to not give a closure. Moreover, the type of play, which is an absurdist, is an important part of the reason behind this play lacking a closure. The definition of absurdist is: â€Å"A writer, performer, etc., whose work presents an audience or readership with absurdities, typically in portraying the futility of human struggle in a senseless and inexplicable world; esp. a writer or proponent of absurdist drama† (OED). The absurdist genre allows for the play to not directly answer the questions, but to leave it open so that the reader can interpret the actions to their liking, just as they would interpret situations in real life, where no events are written in stone. The dialogues and the whole picture of the play allows for easy examination as to how the above claims work out. Using the hermeneutic code, and the absurdist genre, along with a lack of closure, the author has written Waiting For Godot a play written to make the audience think. In the book The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative, H... ...ith the lack of closure the author has paved many paths, making one unable to give a proper retelling of the play due to various interpretations. The play has also slyly inserted a philosophy on human life, the uncertainty and how it is a major part of human life is portrayed through this play. All these characteristic together make this play a very good play, it makes one want to live forever as to see what future generations would interpret the play as. In conclusion, this text is written to make the readers think and participate as active members in the reading of the play. Works Cited Abbott, H. Porter. The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative, "Waiting for Godot" Cambridge University Press; 2 edition, April 7, 2008 Beckett, Samuel. Waiting For Godot. 3rd ed. N.p.: CPI Group, 2006. Print. Vol. 1 of Samuel Beckett: The Complete Dramatic Works. 4 vols

People Are Getting Overly Dependent on Technology

Running head: IS IT BECOMING OUR PRIMARY NECESSITY? 1 Is information technology becoming the primary necessity of our existence; as we are getting dependent on it? Raisa Sadat Sharmin Brac University IS IT BECOMING THE PRIMARY NECESSITY OF OUR LIFE? 2 Abstract This paper explores four published articles that surveys and gathered information on about the usage of information technology. the articles, however gives various data about the statistics of using internet from different groups of peoples. Another reflected the development of Google within last ten years, and also about the expenditure on information technology. One of the article deals with the facts that young students are addicted towards sexting. And lastly one paper deals with the decrease of printed materials. In fact this paper is a research work on the dependency and independency of humans on the information technology. IS IT BECOMING OUR PRIMARY NECESSITY? 3 Is information technology becoming the primary necessity of our existence; as we are getting dependent on it? â€Å"Could you please hurry up? I’m getting late† a customer in a renowned super shop is becoming restless due to the long queue in the payment desk. But what happened? Why has everything halted suddenly? It was just a case of system failure, which stopped all the works inside the shop and the cashier was unable to make the bills, as the bar code reader and all other software were not responding. As a result, the waiting list got longer and created chaos inside the shop. Look, how such a simple system failure is creating so much of distraction in our life. The above situation was just an example from a super shop, but it is not the only thing based on information technology. In fact, most of the things in our country are now based on information technology. Even if the world recognizes Bangladesh to be a poor, developing country with many people living below the poverty line, the usage of technology is considerably high. In a report published in Internet world statistics, the author (2010) stated that the number of mobile phone usage increased from 100,000 to 995,560 with the rate expanding from 0. 1% to 0. 6%, during 2000 to 2010. Nowadays, cellular phone usage has become very common amongst the lower class in our country. Also offices and stores are relying on technology for storing their records and dealings. Moreover, students have become dependent on the Internet for searching essential information. Why are we using this information technology? Because these technology makes our life easier, for example it enables us to communicate with others at a distance within a second, IM and video conferencing are allowing us to be in touch with our relatives staying abroad, and that also for free; only the line rent is enough to let us exchange few words with our relatives. In addition information on the Internet are allowing us to get updates in a matter of seconds. Even if it is providing us with ample benefits, it is giving rise to dependency. I strongly believe that people are getting over dependent on technology, as these facilities are making us inefficient in manual work procedure, handicapped without technology, and it is also becoming a main reason for wastage of money in the case of the young generations, though IT is providing us a less time consuming lifestyle, low cost communicating facility and a digital way of refreshment. IS IT BECOMING OUR PRIMARY NECESSITY? 4 Just recall the previous times, when we were not touched by the digital life system; what happened in that time? Students did not got any help from the internet for their assignments, in spite of that they did their assignments and other works, they were not thrown out of the institutes for getting bad grades. Scientists, doctors, engineers were born previously; they also did their research works, as well as new inventions. They worked hard, without looking for something simpler they went through the printed books, to gather information for themselves; but nowadays students cannot even think of doing their papers without the help of the technology, they are becoming inefficient to go through the manual working procedure. As time changes, we are getting new technologies to improve our lifestyle, as for example, now assignments, projects and other brainstorming works are easier today. Just type the word and click to search anything about the related topic in Google (the most efficient search engine). According to Dingle (2010), Google did a revolution in the business sector by starting its journey of giving free service to search information in its sites, and day-by-day Google is expanding its services. Google obviously makes our life easier, and that is why students tend to rely upon it for their academic purpose. Zillien and Hargittai (2009) did a survey on different types of Internet usage on the various classes of people in the society; the most common usage amongst all the group of peoples was email and search engine usage. From higher class to lower class, everyone is dependent on Google, as almost 86% of the sample replies to it, and above 90% responds to the email usage. Karen et al. (2010), says students are getting dependent on the electronic and search engine sources mostly within 1996 to 1999, as between those years, the number of printing sources like books decreases. All these experts are telling us about the efficiency of IT in our lives, where we are actually becoming more inefficient. Most of the companies and offices are using IT to maintain all their documents, records and dealings. They said that IT is helping them to maintain all the complex works in a simpler way. For example, Apollo Hospital is a worldwide chain hospital, which has opened in to our country recently. An employee of the hospital was asked about the system maintenance of the hospital, and he answered that from the appointment to pharmacy billing, every single thing are maintained by the IT system. They have interred linkage within the computers throughout the hospital, and everything is monitored centrally. All the patients and staff have got different ID IS IT BECOMING OUR PRIMARY NECESSITY? 5 numbers and servers where all information about them is saved. Then the question arises, what would happen if the system fails for one day? The employee become silent, and says we cannot even think the system failure for one hour, and it is impossible to run a day without these systems. The employee was also asked whether there is manual system, in case of emergency in the hospital, he says no; by chance if there is any system failure, nothing can run on that building, patients would have to wait for getting prescription as well as their appointment. He also said that, â€Å"we are handicapped without technology†, as they cannot perform any of the action without computers. Though IT allows them to maintain all the things very swiftly, it also makes them to be dependent o it. The most surprising fact is that, humans invent technology, and now they cannot proceed without the technologies. Nowadays, almost every people confess his or her dependency on IT, while in a survey people of different ages were asked about this dependency, and according to the figure 7, 62. 5% of the people said that they are dependent on the information technology; and figure 5 says that 100% of the people cannot imagine themselves without their cell phone or laptop. So, we can say that IT is making us handicapped, as often we cannot work on their unavailability. The young generations of today are now up to date with all the latest technology available. They are getting dependent, and wasting money to buy different gadgets. Dingle (2010) gathers information from the research firm Gartner, where the author found that Global IT has spent US$1,4 trillion, from where a huge amount of money went for both hardware and software, which in turn helps us by increasing the availability of computers in almost every corner of our lives. We are progressing, and new inventions are coming everyday; companies like Apple, Nokia, Blackberry and etc. are contributing a lot to serve the necessity of the young generations. Dingle (2010) cites the research of Gartner who expects that the customers will spend quiet about US$6 billion to get mobile applications. Teenagers and also adults are now using huge amount of money to satisfy their hunger for getting latest technology. As in figure 5, while in a survey, 96. 7% people said that they spend money on IT, whereas only 3. 3% said that they do not spend money for the usage. Many students, who lives abroad, works for hours to receive extra payments, by which they can fulfill their needs. All this factors are pointing out that IS IT BECOMING OUR PRIMARY NECESSITY? 6 our young generations are getting dedicated towards the IT, and wasting lots of money to get their needs. Computer invention is believed as a revolution in world, it was made for human beings, to make their life easier, faster and more comfortable. Many people believed that before we wasted most of our times by being in a manual system, where as those works can be done within a moment. From figure 7, we can see that 76% of the people said that information technology is making our life easier and faster. Students from different universities and institutes say that without information technology it would be much harder for them to complete the assignments and other research works. These technology are allowing them to communicate experts throughout the worldwide, whenever they need they can go to the web sites and gather their required information. The students argued that, they have lots of works to do, for which they need to be multi tasking. And information technology is giving them a route to be successful in their live. But if we consider about the ancient times, people were also successful at that times, scientists, engineers, researchers also did their challengeable jobs at those times. Without the help information technology, they did work hard and become successful in their lives. Again students said that on that time, life was not that much competitive, and for this current and present situation no one can work without the help of IT. While aged peoples said that, young generations do not want to work harder as they can get anything they want within a second. Nowadays it is familiar to get everything done by sitting in a computer, even products can be ordered in internet, so our young generation is becoming lazy and inefficient because of IT. From Figure1 we can see that, 64% of the people surveyed says that information technology is making us inefficient. What is the use of that life, which is making us unproductive to work of our own? â€Å"Time and tides wait for none†, especially in this competitive world of ours, we cannot even think about wasting a single second from our lives. Everyone is in the struggle to do well in their life and in order to get establish, people are getting away from their close ones, sometimes they are going abroad to study or for job. Information technology helps us to communicate with our loved ones from a long distance, and that is also with a very lower cost. Facebook, twitter, all other IM and video conferencing services do not even let us to feel that we are away from our IS IT BECOMING OUR PRIMARY NECESSITY? 7 connections. Though it is letting us to communicate freely, it is also hampering teenagers and even the adults. Corbett (2009) concludes the popularity of cell phone amongst the teenagers and young adults. A survey conducted by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) amongst 2000 teens, were found that, their parents gave them mobile phone for their safety, and specially to be in contact with the teens while they are out of their house. But quiet about 57% of the teenagers said that they use cell phone to communicate with their friends. Not only that, the awesome features of taking pictures in cell phone and uploading instantly in Facebook or Twitter is quiet famous among them. Text message and multimedia message are also a very popular way of communicating with peers. Corbett (2009), says about â€Å"sexting†, that is, while in a relation, girls send their nude pictures to their boyfriends, and after they break up, the boy upload those pictures on the internet, and in this way teenagers are affected by the impact of technologies. Usually it is seen that, adolescents use IT for most of their works, most of them are unaware of the intentions of their friends, and this is how IT is affecting our teenagers and adults. Lastly, adults and teenagers cannot even think of themselves without their mobile, computers, and all other entertaining devices. They believe that, life is becoming so busy, they did not get extra time to communicate with others, and there are also no extra time to play outdoor games, or to hangout with friends randomly. As from Figure 3, we can see that 75% of the people says that they use IT also for their personal purpose rather than academic or officials, and in Figure 4, 82. 5% people said that in this current situation IT is needed in every step of our life. Due to the lack of time, most of the peoples are now relying on the digital form of entertainment. As I have mentioned above that, students are willing to spend money for buying gadgets for them. Movies, games music is now considered as a form of entertainment. Students are found to do chatting in messenger, while they are in class. In order to get all this facilities they often buy expensive mobile phones. Many people believe that this way of communication is decreasing the intimacy and values between ones relation. Expenditure on the technologies is increasing, which in fact is reducing the development of all other sectors. For example, Bangladesh is a poor country, we have an unequal distribution of wealth, many times higher class people supports the lower class peoples for their survival. But as they are now up to new technologies everyday, they are spending much money for their own. Even the students and IS IT BECOMING OUR PRIMARY NECESSITY? 8 workers in abroad, they work hard to get all the latest inventions, they are not concern about their future, instead of saving money for themselves they are wasting money by buying devices. We really feel proud to be Bangladeshi, after a long struggle, we became independent, and only within a age of 40 years we developed a lot. May be the development is much less compared to the outside world, but we cannot deny that we recovered a lot. Most of the companies and systems in our country, rather than the public ones are running with the help of information technology. So, I think that IT is taking over humans, by working more efficiently, making us â€Å"handicapped† and also because we love to spend money for it, though it needed in our life for less time consuming lifestyle, for giving more options for interacting on the go, and also for our recreations. Small stores to big ones are using IT for their convenience; according to the example mentioned earlier IT can also create chaos for us. Human being can be rectified with in a moment, but a system failure cannot be adjust within a few seconds. We need time to fix certain types of error. So we can use IT for our convenience, but there should be an alternative for a system failure. If the super shop had a manual operating system, then that would not cause that much harm to them. Also IT is hampering our young generations, while asking the solution of this problem, 17% people answered that there should be more restrictions on the teenagers, and 83% says that there should not be any misuse of technology, this results are shown in Figure 10. We invented information technology, and it is for our convenience. Human being are considered as the most prominent creation of God, no other thing can be compared with us, but all the above research and survey says that people are now getting inefficient. So I think people should use IT, but should not be that much dependent on it that it will be making them handicapped when there are no facility of IT. We should not consider ourselves incapable of doing any work that IT can do for us, it is us who makes computers, and no computer can work like humans. IS IT BECOMING OUR PRIMARY NECESSITY? 9 Reference list: Corbett, Don. (2009. ) â€Å"Let’s talk about sext: the challenge of finding the right legal response to the teenage practice of â€Å"sexting†. Journal of Internet Law 13, no. 6: 3-8. Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 20, 2011). Internet world statistics (2011) from (http://www. internetworldstats. com/asia/bd. htm). Retrieved: 20th march, 2011. Naufel, Karen Z. , Katherine E. Briley, Lacey K. Harackiewicz, Amanda S. Johnson, Kristin P. Marzec, and Michael E. Nielsen. (2010. ) â€Å"How do Psychology Students Use Web-Based Information? Trends and Implications from a Descriptive Study. † North American Journal of Psychology 12, no. 1: 1-14. Academic Source Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 20, 2011). Zillion N. and Hargittai E. (2009) â€Å"Digital distinction : Status-Specific types of internet usage† Social Science Quarterly, 90, 284. Dingle S. (2010) â€Å"Clean state† Finweek 14-19. Sample questionnaire: Name: _______________________________ Sex: ____________ Age: ____________ 1. Do you support or like the invention of information technology for communicating? a. Yes- its excellent b. Yes – its good c. Yes – its needed d. Yes- but it is making us inefficient e. No – it is not needed 2. How many times do you use your mobile, email or browser in a day? a. Never b. 1-5 times c. 6-10 times d. 11-15 times e. More than above 3. Do you use technology only for official or academic purpose? a. Yes b. No 4. Do you agree that, in this stage of life we need information technology in every step? a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree 5. Do you think that it is necessary to spend money for on the use of information technology? a. Yes b. No 6. Can you imagine yourself without your cell phone or laptop? a. Yes b. No c. No comment 7. What is your opinion about the contribution of information technology in our daily life? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ______________________ 8. Do you think that you are getting overly dependent of this technology? ———————————————— ____________________________________________________________ __________ 9. In your point of view, what are the impacts of information technology that are affecting our society and the young generations? ____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ____ ______________________ 10. Give your suggestion regarding the issue of getting dependent and other impacts of information technology. ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ _____________________ Thank you for your participation and cooperation Survey result 1. Do you support or like the invention of information technology for communicating? FIGURE: 1 2. How many times do you use your mobile, email or browser in a day? FIGURE: 2 3. Do you use technology only for official or academic purpose? FIGURE: 3 4. Do you agree that, in this stage of life we need information technology in every step? FIGURE: 4 5. Do you think that it is necessary to spend money for on the use of information technology? FIGURE: 5 6. Can you imagine yourself without your cell phone or laptop? FIGURE: 6 7. What is your opinion about the contribution of information technology in our daily life? FIGURE: 7 8. Do you think you are getting overly dependent on this technology? FIGURE: 8 9. In your point of view, what are the impacts of information technology that are affecting our society and the young generations? FIGURE: 9 10. Give your suggestion regarding the issue of getting dependent and other impacts of information technology. FIGURE: 10