Thursday, October 31, 2019

UNIT 5-IP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UNIT 5-IP - Essay Example In statistics, for instance, if you take an exam and you fail it, statistically speaking the probabilities of passing the exam the second time around are higher. The more you take the exam the better scores you should obtain. This is a comparison made to, good judgment comes from experience. The more experience you have in a given situation the better you are able to make decisions. The difference between making judgments based on experiences and taking an exam over and over again is that, the exam is the same one and the situation in life may be similar but not the same. You have different players involved, other circumstances, other decisions to take in the process of making them, and other people may be affected by the decision(s) you make. This is a big responsibility. It is not only you the one that is involved but there are repercussions on other peoples ´ lives by a decision you have made or vice versa. This refers to making bad judgments and obtaining experiences. A marriage, for instance, you fall in love, do all the things psychologists tell you to do: communicate what you will put into the relationship and what is expected of the other person, go grocery shopping, go to religious ceremonies, cook together, wait for a year to get married and other identified tasks. After following all of the suggestions, a year later you are on the divorce statistics. There are no formulas for choosing a partner and there are no formulas in raising children. In the past there were no schools to become a parent and how to raise your children. It was a trial and error procedure. Parents were the models liked it or not. Today, there is an increase of interest by people wanting to know how to raise their children, wanting to go to seminars where they teach strategies on raising children, and in a few decades it will be known if it was worth while or not. This is the first generation to start

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Equality Act Essay Example for Free

Equality Act Essay Learning intentions: Investigating the legislation that protects all groups covered Breaking down the key features of the legislation Assessing the ways in which the legislation addresses their needs Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation To consider how a range of care workers would use anti-discriminatory practise Success Criteria Can I name the legislation that protects all groups covered? Can I explain the key features of this legislation? Can I assess how this legislation meets the client’s needs? Can I evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this act? Research Questions: 1. New definitions of discrimination As well as direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation The Equality Act outlines three new categories of discrimination that certain groups of individuals are protected against. Define the three additional types of discrimination below: 2. Who is protected under the Equality Act (protected characteristics)? a) Age- The Act protects employees of all ages but remains the only protected characteristic that allows employers to justify direct discrimination, i.e. if an employer can demonstrate that to apply different treatment because of someones age constitutes a proportionate means of meeting a legitimate aim, then no discrimination will have taken place. The Act continues to allow employers to have a default retirement age of 65, as long as the default retirement age remains. b) Disability- The Act includes a new protection arising from disability and now states that it is unfair to treat a disabled person unfavorably because of something connected with a disability. An example provided is the tendency to make spelling mistakes arising from dyslexia. Also, indirect discrimination now covers disabled people, which mean that a job applicant could claim that a particular rule or requirement disadvantages people with that disability. c) Gender reassignment- It is discriminatory to treat people who propose to start to or have completed a process to change their gender less favorably, for example, because they are absent from work for this reason. d) Marriage and civil partnership- The Act continues to protect employees who are married or in a civil partnership. Single people are however not protected by the legislation against discrimination. e) Pregnancy and maternity- The Act continues to protect women against discrimination because they are pregnant or have given birth. f) Race- The Act continues to protect people against discrimination on the grounds of their race, which includes color, nationality, ethnic or national origin. g) Religion or belief- The Act continues to protect people against discrimination on the grounds of their religion or their belief, including a lack of any belief. h) Sex- The Act continues to protect both men and women against discrimination on the grounds of their sex. i) Sexual orientation- The Act continues to protect bisexual, gay, heterosexual and lesbian people from discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation. http://www.fpb.org/hottips/601/The_Equality_Act_2010:_protected_characteristics_and_types_of_discrimination.htm 3. Research examples of discrimination and place them into the chart in the correct place Type of Discrimination Example Direct discrimination For example, when people are treated less favorably than others because they have some ‘irrelevant’ characteristic; i.e., they are from a different ethnic background or belong to a religious minority. Indirect discrimination For example, a dress code that requires women to wear a knee length skirt (which has no direct relation to their ability to carry out their work) could be indirectly discriminatory against women from certain cultural or religious groups. Harassment Victimisation For example, a person is victimized (punished or treated unfairly) because  they have made a complaint, or are believed to have made a complaint, or supported someone who has made a complaint (this is a form of harassment). Discrimination by association For example, refusing to promote a woman who has some caring duties because her mother has recently had a stroke is discrimination arising from association. Perception discrimination For example, a heterosexual man who has a gay friend cannot be discriminated against because someone believes (wrongly) that he is also gay. Third party harassment For example, a waitress of Asian origin has complained on several occasions to her employer that a particular customer has been making racist remarks to her. The employer should take steps to protect the employee from harassment by a third-party, such as banning the customer from the restaurant.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Construction Procurement In Sweden Construction Essay

Construction Procurement In Sweden Construction Essay Sweden is one of Scandinavian countries located between Norway and Finland in North part of Europe. It has a population of 9.2 million people. Swedish climate in summer but winters bring some heavy snow and low temperatures especially in north regions. It is known as one of the best democratic government examples but even more as a successful and modern economic benchmark. Construction sector plays a very important role in Swedens domestic economy. It is described as a major market or even backbone in terms of importance. According to the Swedish Construction Institute report (1997) and the Swedish Construction Federation data (2008) the construction sector is one of Swedens largest industries and contributes significantly to national prosperity. Being a member of EU, Swedens construction legal framework and procurement legislations (Swedish Public Procurement Act, 2008) tend to concentrate on: non discrimination, equal opportunities, transparency, cost efficiency and value for money etc. Due to conservative cultural approach, Sweden has established a distinctive procurement model based on mutual strategic consideration and trust among construction actors. Nevertheless, OECD (Organisation for Economic Co Operation and Development) in annual reports about Swedish construction industry (2007) and (2009) found that cartels and lack of competition are the main negative features affecting procurement efficiency in Sweden. In 1990 Swedish construction industry was at its peak followed by government funds mainly for roads, bridges etc. Renovation, repairs and maintenance account for 50% of the total construction output (The Swedish Construction Institute, 1997). In 1991 there was a downturn in the industry and total construction volume fell by nearly 25% until 1994. In 1995 together with membership in EU Sweden construction sector has joined ISO 9001 quality and responsibility standards, which led industry to much bigger output. As a member of EFTA (European Free Trading Association), Sweden has been participating actively in European standards making in CEN (European Committee for Standardization) (Atkinson, 1995). Building regulations and control was the main government contribution to growing construction sector. It produced a quality standard high enough to absorb internal market request. The most noticeable Swedish achievements regarding construction quality by Atkinson (1995, p. 149) are: the de legation of ministerial policies on social and technical matters to professionally staffed executive agencies which carry out tasks assigned under legislations within a financial programme, the delegation of central responsibilities for building regulation and associated arrangements for certification and quality assurance to Boverket (The National Board of Housing, Building and Physical Planning), administration of building regulations by local district authorities, helped by a well presented system of approved documentation, regulations the Swedish Building Code in which requirements, expressed in functional or performance terms, are supported by examples of solutions, recommendations and advisory information. Unlike many other countries Sweden has no particular legislation concerning contract relationships for building projects by private clients. Even though private procurement can be performed with less complicated regulations, this must be done not offending public principles for contracts, purchase laws and laws regarding competition. Public procurement regulations are governed by Public Procurement Act directives followed by EU procurement legislation. The Swedish Competition Authority is responsible for supervision of Public Procurement Acts from 2008 (Swedish Competition Authority, Public procurement, 2008). Procurement types available in Sweden are: open, restricted and negotiated (Swedish Competition Authority, Swedish Public Procurement Act, 2007). PPP/PFI has been recently applied in Sweden and this kind of procurement options should gain more attention from private investors. However, according to Osipova (2008) Swedish construction industry has been criticized for high costs which led to lack of competition between contractors as well as low productivity and project delays. The UK has a benefit of wide range of institutional forms of construction contracts. However, a number of government sponsored reports have also highlighted that this has major disadvantages, indentifying duplication of effort and a wasteful use of resources at almost every level of activity (Ashworth, 2006). In the nineteenth century a first standard form of construction contract was introduced in the UK. The form was described as the RIBA until 1977, when the term JCT (The Joint Contracts Tribunal) contract was adopted. The present body responsible for drafting the current form includes public and private sector employers, architects, quantity surveyors, contractors and subcontractors. With different contract forms appearing in the U.K. after 1964, JCT forms reflected different interests of construction parties involved into construction business. The selection of particular form of contract depends on various considerations such as: type of work to be conducted, size of the project, public or private sector, status of designer and procurement types. According to Contracts in use surveys, JCT 98 is the most popular form of contract for building contracts in the UK. It is the Standard Form of Building Contract (SFBC). Table 1 shows all JCT contract forms available in the UK. The Institut ion of Civil Engineers (ICE) form remains the most popular among civil engineer contracts. The UK construction industry has attracted a great deal of criticism in recent years for its inability to meet the needs of its clients (Wood et al., 2005). There was a great need of collaborative procurement type such as partnering. Radically different approach to the procurement offered specific objectives through supply chain maximizing the effectiveness and performance of construction activities. Positive partnering approach in the UK has led Sweden to adopt partnering concept. Hence, partnering procurement type does not have contractual form status. In Sweden, the majority of contracts are based on the general conditions of contracts. New forms of contracting occurring are the performance based contract and partnering. Performance based contracts are improved forms of the design and build contracts. Such contracts tend to provide stimulus for the contractor for development of higher level products. Partnering contracts proved to be successful in the UK are getting more popular in Sweden. Cost reduction and better performance are the main benefits of such contracts. As in Sweden the UK construction industry is strongly fragmented. To improve this many of the best clients use partnering or similar agreements to keep project team together (Sterner, 2002). Lack of competition in Swedish construction sector has been pointed out by OECD (2007) in 1999 and 2004. Survey held by OECD find out that cartels are common within Swedish construction industry. Also barriers are quite high for new construction companies which cannot compete on the bigger projects. The four largest developers, which account for a large share of the market, do not normally purchase construction services in the market as 75% of apartments are built in house (OECD, 2007). This results in higher building costs than for smaller developers, who procure projects to a much higher extent. Swedish construction sector is not competitive in terms of supply chain as large companies are dominating this segment. Sweden has one of the highest levels of construction costs among EU. Swedish construction regulations regarding input materials as well as a lack of EU certified construction codes are preventing new entries into the industry. Some procurement contracts (source does not indicate which) have requirements that disadvantage foreign companies from investment and acts just like protectionism. Other specific indicators creating high costs in constructions are: high construction service prices (over 8% higher, excluding VAT, than the EU average in 2004), labour costs (matter of high taxes), powerful and very influential construction workers union Byggnads activity in collecting extra charges for non member companies. The civil engineering industry is in hands of big societies which also manufacture key materials such as asphalt and ballast. As the import is limited, other companies have to purchase from the market leaders, and the price of building materials is high compared to many other EU countries (OECD, Sweden: achieving results for sustained growth, 2007) Possible solutions From the data provided by OECD, we can state that Sweden should stress construction sector against culture of cartels. By reducing number of cartels the industry will gain more actors involved into construction procurement procedures and cost efficiency should increase accordingly. Stronger competition within sector could be achieved if smaller companies would act together in order to compete against big firms, but government should encourage such competition through procurement acts. It is obvious that high tax policy has made construction costs far too expensive in Sweden. It might be the barrier which naturally protects industry from foreign investment and keeps Swedish companies busy, but also acts against fair competition. On the 7th of October 2009, Swedish Competition Authoritys (Konkurrensverket) official report stated the construction sector is one example where we observe limited foreign presence in this country (Konkurrensverket, 2009, p. 1). In order to satisfy the demands placed on the construction sector in the future, a number of changes must be made to procurement procedures, all of which point to the need of new forms of co-operation among all the actors. The empirical data shows that the currently used procurement procedures involve: specification by the client, open bid invitations, bid evaluations based on lowest tender price, high contract formalisation through standard contracts, fixed price compensation, low usage of collaborative tools and performance evaluation by the client (Eriksson, 2007). Swedish procurement types are focused on price and authority due to lack of social control. According to conceptual model, trust between construction actors should receive bigger attention. Such procedures as: incentive based compensation, limited bid invitation, bid evaluation based on soft parameters, joint selection of sub contractors and contractor self control have reduced the traditional focus on price and autho rity. Therefore, trust and cooperation appeared to play a key role between partners. The benefit of early subcontractor involvement into procurement procedures proved to be important way of partnering concept.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Virginity In Chronicle Of A Death by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel :: Virginity Chronicle Marquez Chocolate Essays

Virginity In Chronicle Of A Death by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Latin American society has placed a very high value on women being virgins when they marry. This value is one of the primary themes in Chronicle of a Death foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In contrast, virginity does not appear to hold significance in Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. However this is only on the surface but as one delves into the deeper meanings of each book it almost seems as if the authors view this social doctrine as childish. Throughout the stories contained within both books, a mockery is made out of the idea that celibacy is for those not yet married. The plot of Chronicle of a Death Foretold is totally based on the understanding that maintaining a woman’s virginity is important enough to kill for and conversely that anyone violating this social moray was risking death. Virginity is viewed as synonymous with honor. This aspect is what Garcia Marquez challenges with the use of irony. Throughout the book, he inserts aspects that speak directly to the importance of this theme and reinforces this concept by use of several devices, of which irony is the most prominent. â€Å"No one would have thought, nor did anyone say, that Angela Vicario wasn’t a virgin. She hadn’t known any previous fiancà © and she’d grown up along with her sisters under the rigor of a mother of iron. Even when it was less than two months before she would be married, Pura Vicario wouldn’t let her go out alone with Bayardo San Roman to see the house where they were going to live, but she and the blind father accompanied her to watch over her honor.† The idea of protecting her virginity is so important as to have a blind father as a chaperone. This is absurd, to make a blind man to â€Å"watch† over Angela Vicario, and is how Gabriel Garcia Marquez ridicules the preconception of pre-marital virginity. The societal value placed on these preconception is also demonstrated in small ways like the name of the mother, â€Å"Pura.† Pura in spanish means pure; virginity and pure in this society were one and the same. Pura’s sole purpose throughout the book is to keep Angela’s virginity safe from those who would puncture it, and to punish Angela for making the mistake of losing her virginity before marriage.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Storm Born Chapter Two

Wil Delaney was in his early twenties, with straw-yellow hair in need of a haircut. He had pasty white skin and wore wire-rimmed glasses. When I showed up at his house the next morning, he had to undo about twenty locks before he could open the door, and even then, he would only peek out with the security chain in place. â€Å"Yes?† he asked suspiciously. I put on my business face. â€Å"I'm Odile. Lara set up our appointment?† He studied me. â€Å"You're younger than I thought you'd be.† A moment later, he closed the door and undid the chain. The door opened again, and he ushered me inside. I glanced around as I entered, taking in stacks and stacks of books and newspapers – and a definite lack of light. â€Å"Kind of dark in here.† â€Å"Can't open the blinds,† he explained. â€Å"You never know who'll be watching.† â€Å"Oh. Well. What about the lights?† He shook his head. â€Å"You'd be amazed how much radiation lights and other electrical devices emit. It's what's making cancer run rampant in our society.† â€Å"Oh.† We sat at his kitchen table, and he explained to me why he thought his sister had been abducted by the gentry. I had a hard time concealing my skepticism. It wasn't like this kind of thing was unheard of, but I was starting to pick up on Lara's â€Å"schizo† vibe. It was highly possible that the gentry could simply have been a figment of his imagination. â€Å"This is her.† He brought me a five-by-seven picture showing him and a pretty girl leaning into each other against a grassy backdrop. â€Å"Taken just before the abduction.† â€Å"She's cute. And young. Does she†¦did she†¦live with you?† He nodded. â€Å"Our parents died about five years ago. I got custody of her. Not much different than how it used to be.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Bitterness crossed that neurotic face, an odd juxtaposition. â€Å"Our dad was always off on some business trip, and our mom kept sleeping around on him. So it's always just sort of been Jasmine and me.† â€Å"And what makes you think she was taken by gen – fairies?† â€Å"The timing,† he explained. â€Å"It happened on Halloween. Samhain Eve. That's one of the biggest nights for abductions and hauntings, you know. Data supports it. The walls between the worlds open.† He sounded like he was reciting from a textbook. Or the Internet. Sometimes I thought Internet access was like putting guns in the hands of toddlers. I tried not to roll my eyes as he rambled. I didn't really need a layman explaining remedial information to me. â€Å"Yeah, I know all that. But a lot of scary people – humans – roam around on Halloween too. And lots of other times. I don't suppose you reported it to the police?† â€Å"I did. They weren't able to turn up anything, not that I really needed them. I knew what had happened because of the location. The place she disappeared. That was what made me know fairies did it.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"This one park. She was at a party with some kids from school. They had a bonfire in the woods, and they saw her wander off. The police traced her tracks to this clearing, and then they just stopped. And you know what was there?† He gave me a dramatic look, evidently ready to impress me. I didn't give him the satisfaction of asking the obvious question, so he answered it for me. â€Å"A fairy ring. A perfect circle of flowers growing in the grass.† â€Å"It happens. Flowers do that.† He shot up from the table, incredulity all over his face. â€Å"You don't believe me!† I worked hard to keep my face as blank as a new canvas. You could have painted a picture on it. â€Å"It's not that I don't believe what you're describing, but there are a lot more mundane explanations. A girl alone in the woods could have been abducted by any number of things – or people.† â€Å"They said you were the best,† he told me, like it was some kind of argument. â€Å"They said you kick paranormal ass all the time. You're the real deal.† â€Å"What I can or can't do isn't relevant. I need to make sure we're on the right track. You're asking me to cross physically into the Otherworld. I almost never do that. It's dangerous.† Wil sat back down, face desperate. â€Å"Look, I'll do anything at all. I can't let her stay there with those – with those things. Name your price. I can pay anything you want.† I glanced around curiously, taking in the books on UFOs and Bigfoot. â€Å"Uh†¦what exactly do you do for a living?† â€Å"I run a blog.† I waited for more, but apparently that was it. Somehow I suspected that generated less money than even Tim made. Hmphf. Bloggers. I didn't get why everyone and their brother thought the world wanted to read their thoughts on†¦well, nothing. If I wanted to be subjected to meaningless blather, I'd watch reality television. He was still looking at me pleadingly, with big blue puppy dog eyes. I nearly groaned. When had I grown so soft? Didn't I want people to think of me as some cold and calculating shamanic mercenary? I'd vanquished a keres yesterday. Why was this sob story getting to me? It was actually because of the keres, I realized. That stupid sexual suggestion had been so revolting to me that I just couldn't erase the image of little Jasmine Delaney being some gentry's plaything. Because that's what she would be, though I'd never tell Wil that. The gentry liked human women. A lot. â€Å"Can you take me to the park she disappeared from?† I asked at last. â€Å"I'll get a better sense if fairies really were involved.† Of course, it actually turned out that I took him because I quickly decided I wasn't going to let him drive me anywhere. Having him as a passenger taxed me enough. He spent the first half of the ride slathering some really thick sunscreen all over him. I guess you had to take precautions when you lived in a cave and finally emerged into the light. â€Å"Skin cancer's on the rise,† he explained. â€Å"Especially with the depletion of the ozone layer. Tanning salons are killing people. No one should go outside without some kind of protection – especially here.† That I actually agreed with. â€Å"Yeah. I wear sunscreen too.† He eyed my light tan askance. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Well, hey, it's Arizona. Hard not to get some sun. I mean, sometimes I walk to the mailbox without sunscreen, but most of the time I try to put it on.† â€Å"‘Try,'† he scoffed. â€Å"Does it protect against UVB rays?† â€Å"Um, I don't know. I mean, I guess. I never burn. It smells pretty good too.† â€Å"Not good enough. Most sunscreens will protect from UVA rays only. But even if you don't burn, the UVB rays will still get through. Those are the real killers. Without adequate protection, you can probably expect an early death from melanoma or some other form of skin cancer.† â€Å"Oh.† I hoped we got to the park soon. When we'd almost reached it, a traffic light stopped us under an overpass. I didn't think anything of it, but Wil shifted nervously. â€Å"I always hate being stopped under these. You never know what could happen in an earthquake.† I again schooled myself to neutrality. â€Å"Well†¦it's been awhile since our last earthquake around here.† Yeah. Like, never. â€Å"You just never know,† he warned ominously. Our arrival couldn't have come a moment too soon. The park was green and woodsy, someone's idiotic attempt to defy the laws of southern Arizona's climate. It probably cost the city a fortune in water. He led me along the trail that went to Jasmine's abduction spot. As we approached it, I saw something that suddenly made me put more credence in his story. The trail intersected another one at a perfect cross. A crossroads, often a gate to the Otherworld. No circle of flowers grew here now, but as I approached that junction, I could feel a slight thinness between this world and the other one. â€Å"Who knew?† I murmured, mentally testing the walls. It wasn't a very strong spot, truthfully. I doubted much could pass here from either world right now. But on a sabbat like Samhain†¦well, this place could very well be an open doorway. I'd have to let Roland know so we could check it when the next sabbat rolled around. â€Å"Well?† Wil asked. â€Å"This is a hot spot,† I admitted, trying to figure out how to proceed. It appeared I was zero for two in gauging the credibility of these last two clients, but when 90 percent of my queries were false leads, I tended to keep a healthy dose of skepticism on hand. â€Å"Will you help me then?† â€Å"Like I said, this really isn't my thing. And even if we decide she was taken to the Otherworld, I have no idea where to look for her. It's as big as ours.† â€Å"She's being held by a king named Aeson.† I spun around from where I'd been staring at the crossroads. â€Å"How the hell do you know that?† â€Å"A sprite told me.† â€Å"A sprite.† â€Å"Yeah. He used to work for this guy Aeson. He ran away and wanted revenge. So he sold the information to me.† â€Å"Sold it?† â€Å"He needed money to put down a deposit on an apartment in Scottsdale.† It sounded ludicrous, but it wasn't the first time I'd heard of Otherworldly creatures trying to set up shop in the human world. Or of crazy people who wanted to live in Scottsdale. â€Å"When did this happen?† â€Å"Oh, a few days ago.† He made it sound like a visit from the UPS guy. â€Å"So. You were seriously approached by a sprite and only now thought to mention it?† Wil shrugged. Some of the sunscreen he'd missed rubbing in showed on his chin. It kind of reminded me of kindergarten paste. â€Å"Well, I'd already known she was taken by fairies. This just sort of confirmed it. He was actually the one who mentioned you. Said you killed one of his cousins. Then I found some locals that backed up the story.† I studied Wil. If he hadn't seemed so hapless, I almost wouldn't have believed any of this. But it smacked too much of truth for him to be making it up. â€Å"What did he call me?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"When he told you about me. What name did he give you?† â€Å"Well†¦your name. Odile. But there was something else too†¦Eunice?† â€Å"Eugenie?† â€Å"Yeah, that was it.† I paced irritably around the clearing. The second of two Otherworldly denizens to know my name in as many days. That was not good. Not good at all. And now one of them was trying to get Wil to lure me into the Otherworld. Or was it truly a lure? Sprites weren't really known for being criminal masterminds. If I'd killed his cousin, I suppose he might hope some other motivated creature would take me down. â€Å"So what? Are you going to help me now?† â€Å"I don't know. I've got to think on it, check up on some stuff.† â€Å"But – but I've shown you and told you everything! Don't you see how real this is? You have to help me! She's only fifteen, for God's sake.† â€Å"Wil,† I said calmly, â€Å"I believe you. But it's not that simple.† I meant it. It wasn't so simple, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I hated Otherworldly inference more than I hated anything else. Taking a teenage girl was the ultimate violation. I wanted to make the guilty party pay for this. I wanted to make them suffer. But I couldn't cross over with guns blazing. Getting myself killed would do none of us any good. I needed more information before I could proceed. â€Å"You have to – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I snapped, and this time my voice wasn't so neutral. â€Å"I do not have to do anything, do you understand? I make my own choices and take my own jobs. Now, I'm very sorry about your sister, but I'm not jumping into this just yet. As Lara told you, I don't generally do jobs that take me into the Otherworld. If I take this one, it'll be after careful deliberation and question-asking. And if I don't take it, then I don't take it. End of story. Got it?† He swallowed and nodded, cowed by the fierce tone in my voice. It was not unlike the one I used on spirits, but I felt only a little bit bad about scaring Wil with it. He had to prepare himself for the highly likely possibility that I would not do this for him, no matter how much we both wanted it. On the way home, I swung by my mom's place, wanting to talk to Roland. Sunset threw reddish-orange light onto their house, and the scent of her flower garden filled the air. It was the familiar smell of safety and childhood. When I walked into the kitchen, I didn't see her anywhere, which was probably just as well. She tended to get upset when Roland and I talked shop. He sat at the table working on a model airplane. I'd laughed when he picked up this hobby after retiring from shamanism, but it had recently occurred to me it wasn't so different from working puzzles. God only knew what stuff I'd find to keep me busy when I retired. I had the uneasy feeling I'd make a good candidate for cross-stitching. His face broke into a smile when he saw me, making laugh lines appear around the eyes of the weathered face I loved. His hair was a bright silver-white, and he'd managed to keep most of it. I was five-eight, and he was only a little taller than me. But despite that height, he was solidly built and hadn't lost muscle with age. He might be pushing sixty, but I had a feeling he could still do some serious damage. Roland took one look at my face and gestured me to a chair. â€Å"You're not here to ask about Idaho.† I hadn't really understood their recent vacation choice, but whatever. Giving him a quick kiss, I held my arms around him for a moment. I didn't love many people in this world – or any other – but him I would have died for. â€Å"No. I'm not. But how was it anyway?† â€Å"Fine. It's not important. What's wrong?† I smiled. That was Roland. Always ready for business. If my mom would have let him, I suspected he'd still be out there fighting, right by my side. â€Å"Just got a job offer. A weird one.† I proceeded to tell him all about Wil and Jasmine, about the evidence I'd found for her abduction. I also added in Wil's bit of information about this Aeson guy. â€Å"I've heard of him,† said Roland. â€Å"What do you know?† â€Å"Not a lot. Never met him, never fought him. But he's strong, I know that much.† â€Å"This gets better and better.† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"Are you thinking about doing it?† I eyed him back. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"That's a bad idea, Eugenie. A very bad idea.† There was a dark tone in his voice that surprised me. I'd never known him to back down from any danger, especially one where an innocent was involved. â€Å"She's just a kid, Roland.† â€Å"I know, and we both know that the gentry get away with taking women every year. Most don't ever get recovered. The danger's too high. That's the way it is.† I felt my ire rising. Funny how someone telling you not to do something can talk you into it. â€Å"Well, here's one we can get back. We know where she is.† He rubbed his eyes a little, flashing the tattoos that marked his arms. My tattoos depicted goddesses; his were of whirls, crosses, and fish. He had his own set of gods to appeal to – or in this case, God. We all invoked the divine differently. â€Å"This isn't a drop-in and drop-out thing,† he warned. â€Å"It'll take you right into the heart of their society. You've never been that deep. You don't know what it's like.† â€Å"And you do?† I asked sarcastically. When he didn't answer, I felt my eyes widen. â€Å"When?† He waved a hand of dismissal. â€Å"That doesn't matter. What matters is that if you go over in body, you'll get yourself killed or captured. I won't let you do that.† â€Å"You won't let me? Come on. You can't send me to my room anymore. Besides, I've gone over lots of times before.† â€Å"In spirit. Your total time over in body's probably been less than ten minutes.† He shook his head in a wise, condescending way. That irked me. â€Å"The young never realize how foolish something is.† â€Å"And the old never realize when they need to step aside and let the younger and stronger do their jobs.† The words came out before I could stop them, and I immediately felt mean. Roland merely regarded me with a level look. â€Å"You think you're stronger than me now?† I didn't even hesitate. â€Å"We both know I am.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"But that doesn't give you the right to go get yourself killed over a girl you don't even know.† I stared at him in surprise. We weren't exactly fighting, but this attitude was weird for him. He'd married my mom when I was three and adopted me shortly thereafter. The father-daughter bond burned in both of us, obliterating any longing I might have had for the birth father I'd never known. My mom almost never spoke about him. They'd had some sort of whirlwind romance, I knew, but in the end, he didn't want to stick it out – not for her, not for me. Roland would have done anything for me, kept me away from any harm that he could – except when it came to my job. When he'd realized I could walk worlds and cast out spirits, he'd started training me, and my mother hated him for it. They were the most loving couple I'd ever met, but that choice had nearly broken them apart. They'd stayed together in the end, but she'd never been happy about what I did. Roland, however, saw it as a duty. Destiny, even. I wasn't like one of those silly people in the movies who could â€Å"see dead people† and go crazy from it. I easily could have ignored my abilities. But as far as Roland was concerned, that was a sin. To neglect one's calling was a waste, especially when it meant others would suffer. So he tried to treat me as objectively as he would any other apprentice, fighting his personal feelings. Yet, for some reason now, he wanted to hold me back. Weird. I'd come here for strategy and ended up on the defensive. I changed the subject abruptly, telling him about how the keres had known my name. He cut me a look, not wanting to drop the Jasmine topic. My mom's car pulled in just then, giving me a temporary victory. With a sigh and a look of warning, he told me not to worry about the name. It happened sometimes. His had eventually gotten out too, and little had come of it. My mom came into the kitchen, and shamanic business disappeared. Her face – so like mine, down to the shape and high cheekbones – put on a smile as warm as Roland's. Only hers was tinged with something a little different. She always carried a perpetual concern for me. Sometimes I thought it simply had to do with what I did for a living. Yet, she'd had that worry ever since I was little, like I might disappear on her at any moment. Maybe it was just a mom thing. She placed a paper bag on the counter and began putting away groceries. I knew she knew what I was doing there, but she chose to ignore it. â€Å"You going to stay for dinner?† she asked. â€Å"I think you've lost weight.† â€Å"She has not,† said Roland. â€Å"She's too skinny,† complained my mom. â€Å"Not that I'd mind a little of that.† I smiled. My mom looked amazing. â€Å"You need to eat more,† she continued. â€Å"I eat, like, three candy bars a day. I'm not depriving myself of calories.† I walked over and poked her in the arm. â€Å"Watch it, you're being all momlike. Smart, professional moms aren't supposed to be that way.† She cut me a look. â€Å"I'm a therapist. I have to be twice as momlike.† In the end, I stayed for dinner. Tim was a great cook, but nothing could ever really replace my mom's food. While we ate, we talked about their vacation in Idaho. Neither Jasmine nor the keres ever came up. When I finally got back home, I found Tim getting ready to go out with a gaggle of giggling girls. He was in full pseudo-Indian regalia, complete with a beaded head wrap and buckskin vest. â€Å"Greetings, Sister Eugenie,† he said, holding up a palm like he was in some sort of Old West movie. â€Å"Join us. We're going to a concert over in Davidson Park, so that we may commune with the Great Spirit's gift of springtime whilst letting the sacred beat of the music course through our souls.† â€Å"No thanks,† I said, brushing past him and going straight to my room. A moment later, he followed sans girls. â€Å"Oh, come on, Eug. It's gonna be a blast. We've got a cooler of beer and everything.† â€Å"Sorry, Tim. I don't really feel like being a squaw tonight.† â€Å"That's a derogatory term.† â€Å"I know it is. Very much so. But your bleach-blond posse out there doesn't deserve much better.† I eyed him askance. â€Å"Don't even think about bringing any of them back here tonight.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know the rules.† He flounced into my wicker chair. â€Å"So what are you going to do instead? Shop on the Internet? Work puzzles?† I'd actually been thinking of doing both those things, but I wasn't about to tell him that. â€Å"Hey, I've got stuff to do.† â€Å"Fuck, Eugenie. You're becoming a hermit. I almost miss Dean. He was an asshole, but at least he got you out of the house.† I made a face. Dean was my last boyfriend; we'd broken up six months ago. The split had been kind of unexpected for both of us. I hadn't expected to find him screwing his real estate agent, and he hadn't expected to get caught. I knew now I was better off without him, but some niggling part always wondered what about me had made him lose interest. Not exciting enough? Pretty enough? Good enough in bed? â€Å"Some things are worse than staying home alone,† I muttered. â€Å"Dean is one of them.† â€Å"Timothy?† one of the girls called from the living room. â€Å"Are you coming?† â€Å"One moment, gentle flower,† he hollered back. To me he said, â€Å"You sure you wanna hole up here all night? It isn't really healthy to be away from people so much.† â€Å"I'm fine. Go enjoy your flowers.† He shrugged and left. Once by myself, I fixed a sandwich and shopped on the Internet, exactly as he'd predicted. It was followed by a puzzle depicting an M. C. Escher drawing. A bit harder than the kitten. Halfway through, I found myself staring at the puzzle pieces without seeing them. Roland's quiet, fierce words played over in my head. Let Jasmine Delaney go. Everything he'd told me had been true. Dropping this was the smart thing to do. The safe thing to do. I knew I should listen to him†¦yet some part of me kept thinking of the young, smiling face Wil had shown me. Angrily, I shoved some of the puzzle pieces aside. This job wasn't supposed to be about gray moral decisions. It was black and white. Find the bad guys. Kill or banish. Go home at the end of the day. I stood up, suddenly no longer wanting to be alone. I didn't want to be left with my own thoughts. I wanted to be out with people. Clarification: I didn't want to talk to people, I just wanted to be around them. Lost in the crowd. I needed to see my own kind – warm, living and breathing humans, not undead spirits or magic-infused gentry. I wanted to remember which side of the fence I was on. More important, I wanted to forget Jasmine Delaney. At least for tonight I threw on some jeans and the first bra and shirt I could find. My rings and bracelets always stayed on me, but I added a moonstone necklace that hung low in the shirt's V-neck. I brushed my long hair into a high ponytail, missing a few strands. A dab of lipstick, and I was ready to go. Ready to lose myself. Ready to forget.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Comparison of Batteries

Lead Acid Cell vs. Button Cell Lead acid cells were invented in 1859 by the French Physicist Gaston Plante, and are the oldest types of rechargeable batteries. These types of batteries typically weigh at 5kg, but can range from half a kilogram to over 30 kilograms on the consumer market. Though their chemistry means a very low energy-to-weight and energy-to-volume ratio in comparison to other modern batteries, their ability to supply high surge currents means that the cells maintain a large power-to-weight ratio.This makes them highly desirable for use in large appliances such as motor vehicles, which require the high current provided by this type of battery. In comparison, Button cells are much smaller than lead acid cells. Button cells are shaped as small, squat cylinders usually 5 to 22mm in diameter and between 1 to 6mm in height and weigh little over several grams. The voltage and current produced by these batteries are small and steady, and these properties make them very suita ble for powering small portable electronic devices such as wrist watches, pocket calculators, hearing aids, and sometimes pacemakers.These batteries are usually not rechargeable, and last a long time, though lifespan depends on chemical composition and use. Chemistry Lead acid calls use a chemical reaction in order to produce a voltage between the output terminals. The battery contains two plates, and the discharge process is driven by the conduction of electrons from the negative plate back into the cell at the positive plate. All lead acid sells use Lead Sulfate in their reactions. These chemicals were originally contained as a liquid, but a technique has now been developed in which a gel electrolyte is used, preventing leakage.Negative plate reaction: Pb(s) + HSO? 4(aq) > PbSO4(s) + H+(aq) + 2e- Positive plate reaction: PbO2(s) + HSO? 4(aq) + 3H+(aq) + 2e- > PbSO4(s) + 2H2O(l) Overall reaction: Pb(s) + PbO2(s) + 2H2SO4(aq) > 2PbSO4(s) + 2H2O(l) Button cells are single cells, and are Primary cells, being not rechargeable. Button cells have both an Anode and Cathode separated by a separator contained within a metal â€Å"can†. Common anode materials are zinc or lithium, and there are a range of cathode materials, including manganese dioxide, silver oxide, and cupric oxide.Of notable mention is the mercuric oxide button cell, which was banned due to the toxicity and environmental hazard of mercury. Reaction between silver oxide (cathode) and zinc (anode): Zn + Ag2O ZnO + 2Ag These batteries are dry batteries, and are created with the ideal of a long lifetime. As such, they rarely leak if ever, and boast a steady electricity production over a long period of time. Both Lead acid cells and button cells rely on chemical reactions for the production of their energy.However, where a lead-acid cell would typically use an anode and cathode within a liquid or gel medium, button cells use solid anode and cathodes which react with each other through a separator. T his reflects their uses; where the chemistry of a lead acid battery allows it to produce large amounts of electricity in surges as needed to start appliances such as motor vehicles, the chemistry of Button cells allows for a slow and steady release of small amounts of charge. Cost and Practicality As was reflected upon under the chemistry subtitle, the batteries have been designed, and retain their designs, to specifically fit their uses.Though the size of the lead acid batteries does not allow for the powering of small portable devices such as watches, it maintains its usefulness in larger appliances and uses such as motor vehicles, which require a large amount of electrical energy to start up, but does not require a steady flow of energy. This is reflected in the property of these batteries being able to release large surges of energy. As these are designed for long use and provide large power, the cost for these are quite high, ranging from $100 to $300 each.In comparison, the bu tton cell battery is used for very small applications such as wrist watches and hearing aids. This is reflected in their small, convenience, and ability to provide a long lasting, steady flow of energy. However, this means that they are unable to supply large amounts of energy at a time, and are therefore unfit for use in industry and larger appliances such as motor vehicles. The cost of these batteries is much cheaper than that of the large, lead acid batteries, rarely coming up to above a few dollars. Impact on SocietyBatteries have had a large impact on society since their invention. In particular, lead acid batteries were among the first to be invented. These batteries have had a major impact on society; They have allowed for the powering of motor vehicles, which have become a major component in the lives of many living in developed cities. Though an older model of battery, these batteries continue to hold significant impact on society even today. In comparison, button cells pow er small, handheld portable appliances such as watches and hearing aids.This is asignificant difference from the impact of lead acid batteries. However, both batteries have impacted the life of many in developed societies, generally making life easier, and more convenient for all. Environmental impact Lead acid batteries are extremely hazardous to the environment. Lead is a hazardous metal, and poisonous to both environments and animals, and humans are not excepted. Though the use of lead in batteries is usually very controlled, the production of it is not; of three plants in Australia, two have required strict non-residential zones of 2-3 km.This implies that though all safety precautions are being taken, there is still a danger of contamination and danger to the environment. In comparison, button cells are much safer. Though non rechargeable, their recyclability means the mining of the metals used in batteries is reduced to a minimum. However, the environmental impact of these mat erials is determined by the actual materials used. This was reflected upon in the past, when mercuric oxide batteries were banned for the toxicity and environmental damage caused by mercury. References ttp://www. powerstream. com/Size_SLA. htm http://hyperphysics. phy-astr. gsu. edu/hbase/electric/leadacid. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93acid_battery#Electrochemistry http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Silver-oxide_battery http://batteryuniversity. com/learn/article/types_of_battery_cells http://science. howstuffworks. com/electric-battery-info1. htm http://electrochem. cwru. edu/encycl/art-b02-batt-nonr. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Button_cell#Properties_of_different_types http://www. lead. org. au/lanv3n2/lanv3n2-5. html

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Scholarship Essay Format

Scholarship Essay Format Scholarship Essay Format Scholarship Essay Format Writing Secrets One thing about a good college education is that you have to pay through your nose for it. This is why scholarship essays are a very good option if you are running short of funds and need to apply for a scholarship. There are millions of dollars that are paid out every year to students who have written brilliant scholarship essays to back up the excellence of their past academic as well as extra curricular achievements. Now you can be one of them. A good scholarship essay needs to be written in the right scholarship essay formatalong with a workable scholarship strategy to get you the scholarship that you so badly need and are dreaming of. Scholarship Strategy Do your homework to find out all the scholarship options that are open to you Ensure that you strictly follow all the directions that have been given on the scholarship essay format Apply for as many scholarships as you can-that way while most get rejected there is a chance that at least one scholarship essay from amongst a couple turns out a winner. Lastly an important part of your scholarship strategy is to always ensure that you have edited and proof-checked your essay after getting constructive feedback from your professor or teachers. Remember that you dont want to lose out on a good opportunity due to a careless spelling error or grammatical mistake Scholarship Essay Format Ideas Stick to the word limit: if you have been asked to write 200 words or less on- why you like the specific course that you are applying for then you definitely do not want to drag it on to two pages,(as this will only get you in to the bad books of the scholarship committee.) Read sample essays of winning scholarship essays: this will give you a good idea of the kind of scholarship essay format that works and what does not. Use standard format: if no directions are specified. A standard scholarship essay formatconsists of three to five paragraphs. Start with an interesting introductory paragraph that spells out your thesis statement, follow this with supporting paragraphs that elaborate on a point each and conclude your essay in the final paragraph. This is an ideal standard scholarship essay formatto follow:http://.com/blog/scholarship-application-essay-writing Related posts: Narrative Essay Expository Essay Argumentative Essay Persuasive Research Paper Argumentative Research Paper Topics

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Socoilogy Essays

Socoilogy Essays Socoilogy Essay Socoilogy Essay The harder you work, the luckier you become (Closer 13) is a philosophy that has exemplified the American dream for decades, also this is something one of the fast food industries founding father Carl Coacher lived by. However, looking at Carols personal success from sociological stand point it leads many to believe that other significant factors also lent a helping hand in creating Carols success. Carl was born and raised in Upper Sandusky, Ohio and was the son of a sharecropper. In the era of the Great Depression the future wasnt very bright for Karl in Ohio. The first significant break Karl got was a Job offer in Anaheim, California. Fortunately for Carl there was a large German immigrant population settled in the area where Carols Uncle Ben lived. This allowed him to work in peace in a location settled by the UK Klux Klan. With that being said simply due to Carols ethnicity he was giving an advantage. Moreover, despite Carols humble beginnings as a farmhand and an elementary school dropout he was determined to climb higher up the social ladder. Another factor that aided him in this process was the time period in which he lived. Southern California had birthed a completely new way of living post World War II, and this included an entirely new way Americans ate their meals. This changed way of living of course all revolved around the affordability of the automobile. Now that automobiles were available to the public at a reasonable price Americans felt a new sense of independence. This was key to Carols success he decided to capitalize on Americas love of the automobile and the laziness that came with it. He was also able to obtain a $311 dollar loan from Bank of America using his own automobile as lateral making the automobile useful to him in more ways than one. Besides great timing and wonderful opportunity, another factor which played a huge role in Carols success was the prime location of California. California was one of America fast growing and promising states, between 1920 and 1940 the population of Southern California nearly tripled. Due the east becoming more diverse and California ads promising large real estate, warm climate, and good living many Anglo- Saxon middle class Americans flocked there in hope of a new life. Sociology By Doggy

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Changing Role of Women in Hamlet by Shakespeare

The role of women changed dramatically with time. Women are no longer considered low-income and can always stand in the shadows of men, share light, and stand on their side evenly. It was a tough fight, many people failed the battle, but eventually I found an equal way. In the 16th century, women were mainly used as maids and mothers, but men liked working with men. Ophelia is no exception in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. In the past, it has played a small role in society. According to social, economic, and political women, Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' play women are not portrayed as important persons. Female characters in drama such as Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, Ophelia Hamlet's lover, etc are all complex and contrary to each other. This is two different roles, but Shakespeare explains that their small role is negative. Acceptance in the world, and their sorrow Caroline Miller Tuck English Lady 124 November 30, 2015 Hamlet playwright, women of the poet William Shakespeare live in tim es when women have no chance. For example, women can not act in dramas, but female roles. This women's perspective was brought to Shakespeare's role in his play. This is the most evident of the tragedy of Danish Prince Hamlet. - It is sustained, reality is an illusion (Albert Einstein). This view of life is surrounded by many literary works. In many cases, the main character must distinguish between reality and fraudulent fantasy. The hero continues to explore resolve to solve the dilemma confronting the enemy. Likewise, the enemy must maintain the illusion of hairspring to manipulate the hero In order to understand the analysis drama of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, first you must understand the basic principle of drama, that is, the main character, confrontation, expo, ascending behavior, crisis, climax, determination. I will study William Shakespeare's Hamlet. This is a good example of this article. It shows a clear and excellent example. The main character, the main figure of th e play. This is his or her story. - Analysis of William Shakespeare 's Hamlet Regardless of past, present and future, the whole world consists of a series of events that inspired ideas from a series of actions.

Friday, October 18, 2019

History and Historiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History and Historiography - Essay Example In other words, the different perceptions of historians who have come and gone in the past can be studied with the help of historiography. Furthermore, it is very hard to understand the history, as the historiography depends mainly on the supporting characters of every time, who influences the historians, and thus, one cannot understand the reality of the past properly. In addition, historiography is hard, but it has given a sense of curiosity to the historians, as well as, humans, in order to discover the hidden facts of human life. (History and Historiography, n.d.) Moreover, a specific process is considered by the historians for the obtaining, as well as, transmission of historical knowledge to the others. In this regard, this specific process is studied by the historiography. In the past, different methods have been utilized for obtaining hidden facts related to the human lives, as well as, older civilizations. As earlier mentioned in the paper, political influences also play a crucial role in the writing of history, as historians used to write under the banner of an Empire, or a Kingdom. Thus, it is the responsibility of historiography to examine the processes of history, which involved influences, situations, politics, etc. (Clark, 1994) In this regard, some of the main characteristics of written history, which is examined and evaluated by the historiography, are sources, audience, interpretation, biasness, etc. Furthermore, all the historical works contain a body, which has been referred as the historiography. However, it has been observed that most of the tools related to the written history have been changed, which results in the diversified meanings and relations of historiography. Thus, it is very hard to define the term historiography in one sentence, and different people will relate different interpretations with it. Moreover, breaking of historiography has often been done in different perceptions by diverse humans. At some places, religion has been taken as the base of the historiography, such as Historiography of Islam, or Historiography of Christianity, etc. However, regions or countries have been considered as the bases of historiography at other places, such as, Historiography of British, or Historiography of America, etc. Furthermore, historiography consists of a number of fields, such as, social, oral, etc, which changes the approaches that are considered by the historians. (Clark, 1994) In the nineteenth century, mass literature of historiography has been observed due to the commencement of professional and academic historians around the world. "The reasons why British history has not been written are good, in the sense that they follow naturally enough from the adoption of a limited, if perfectly legitimate, conception of the historian's function". (Pocock, 1982) Background The sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries have been roughly related with the history of Great Britain by the historians. They have termed it as ancient history of early modern Britain. In this regard, so

Legalization of Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legalization of Prostitution - Essay Example It is because they cannot control their impulses. The case with prostitution is the same. The general opinion is against it but yet for some strange reason we all know that it exists in our society. In this paper I will argue why it is necessary to legalize prostitution. Why Prostitution must be legalized? Legalizing prostitution will do one great benefit and that too will be to the lives of a prostitute. We cannot ignore the fact that prostitution is a global phenomenon. Even though it is illegal in many countries it continues to exist and because it is not legal the people involved with it are exploited. Illicit activities are taken over by mafias and gangs, and this actually adds to the problems of the society. Criminal syndicates earn money and use that money to finance more illicit activities that may actually be more harmful to the society than prostitution. Due to the fact that prostitution usually happens under the umbrella of criminals prostitutes are exploited and they are taken advantage of. Girls are forced to work as a prostitute and they are made slaves. Foreign girls usually fall prey to criminal organizations who force them into sex slavery (Sarup, K. 2008). Prostitutes who are working on their will are not paid well. Prostitutes are also treated badly and many of them have to face abuse on a regular basis (Sarup, K. 2008). All this happens because the activity is not legalized. People don’t understand but human beings will continue to go to prostitutes in one form or another therefore we should legalize the thing. Prostitutes are a common sight even in countries in which prostitution is banned. This shows that making it illegal will not stop it therefore we should have a pragmatic solution about it. And it is not something out of the blue. Philosophers like Noam Chomsky also argue for the legalization of prostitution for the very same reason (Spector, J. 2006). Prostitution is ubiquitous in the world we live in and there are many people who are earning through this activity. All the money that they are earning is not reaching the government as they are not paying taxes. This means that government is missing upon a great opportunity to earn money. By legalization o f prostitution governments can earn money and they can also register the number of brothels just to ensure that no wrongdoings are happening. Netherland has taken the initiative of legalizing prostitution and they are getting revenue from this industry (Simmons, M. 2008). We have such examples in front of us and therefore prostitution should be legalized. In times of tough financial situations governments can rely on the money they will get through prostitution. Higher taxes can be imposed on prostitution in order to generate revenue. Registration of prostitution related activates will also allow the law enforcement agencies to push out the criminal syndicates from prostitution. Because owners of brothels and other sex selling services company will have t o file tax returns criminals will not try to enter this business. This will actually help reduce crimes like human trafficking that are related to prostitution. Sex slavery is a huge problem for the world today and that can be solved if prostitution is made legal all over the world. People who argue against prostitution do so because they think that it will damage and destroy the family life of the society. They also argue that it is not wise to promote

A Summary of District-Level Downsizing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Summary of District-Level Downsizing - Essay Example Schachter goes on to add that, the state legislators or the democratic and republican governors are on a process to balance their budgets and the bad economic times have forced them to implement a huge cut in the public services arena, where the education sector is the target. The director of the AASA (American Association of School Administrators) confirmed this by saying that addition of the cuts to the end of the stimulus year would see the districts come to a cliff. While reacting to the survey that was conducted by the AASA concerning the school superintendents, the director Domenech indicated that the budget cut value of 5%, which was targeting the administrators, was bound to accelerate. The whole district school administrator spectrum has become the target and vulnerable. The cuts in the education sector that are happening currently in the United States cities are a unique event that has never happened. As the number of the students rises, other educational leaders are guttin g departments such as operations and assessments at the district level to turn the assistant principal position into a species that is endangered. The executive director of the IASA (Illinois Association of School Administrators) attributed the current events to the administrators being a microcosm of the recess in America. According to Schachter, different states have reacted to these events in different ways in as much as the cuts or the layoffs are common in all the involved districts. In California for example the layoffs or down sizing have considerably narrowed down the administrative corridor. Approximately 3,000 administrative posts an equivalent of 17% reduction has been implemented in California. This hardest part of this is that the state of California over the same period managed to loose a total of 20,000 teacher’s equivalent of 6%. Despite of all these downsizing attempts a $4billion cut in California state education aid is looming and if the Gov.Brown’s plan of temporarily raising the taxes of some states is not approved, and then as many as 2000 administrators are going out of their jobs next year. The administrators were targeted first to try and salvage the classroom since the instruction of the students was a priority hence the teachers were spared in California. The Charleston (S.C.) to mention as one of the schools froze the salaries of 3400 teachers and lay off a few. The board of this school is planning to cut between 70 and 60 positions in non-classrooms in the following year. This is according to Bobby Michael, who is the chief operations and financial officer for the county school Charleston. (Schachter, 1) In the state of Texas, the idea of raising the property taxes is not being considered despite the amount accounting for 37% of Texas school budget. The superintendent of Irving (Texas) Independent School District Bedden Dana managed to tap $6.5 million, and another $7million to $10 million of the district’s res erve fund will be taken in the following year to cover the deficit. The Irving district is facing a huge deficit of between $21 million to $31 million and, therefore, the reserves will not be enough to offset the deficits. Schachter is of the opinion that, the district has adopted another method of increasing the size of the class by adding three students at the elementary averaging

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Fashion journalism and Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Fashion journalism and Internet - Essay Example It is not clear when this great disparity in the presentation of media began, but it is evident that there has been a great change in the presentation of fashion journalism by the media (Hall-Duncan 1979 pp.23). Among the contrivances that led to the development of fashion journalism before the introduction of internet include use of print media like magazines, televisions that aroused the curiosity of many people towards journalism. Breward (2003 pp.18) indicates that with the invention of internet, the mass had already devised an idea about fashion and its benefits. It is as a result of internet that people who had already invested or rather had an interest in the field of fashion journalism ended up presenting their ideas in a better and easier way. These personalities not only ventured in their localities but in a global context. The advent of the internet, however, seemed unwelcome by many individuals, not aware of the fact that it was bound to benefit various aspects of the eco nomy, fashion journalism being one of them. ... Deuze (2007 pp.19) on the other hand indicates that the numbers of people who purchase fashion magazines as a source of information related to culture have resulted into a shift in the use of internet as a source of information. Magazines and articles related to fashion have recorded a tremendous decrease in sales per annum, due to the fact that a majority of the people prefers the use of the internet. Majority of the households in the UK have access to the internet and find it cheaper to use the internet to update themselves on fashion unlike the print media, which majority of the people toady refer to it as stressful ‘paper work’. Freedman (2006 pp.61) traces the advent of the internet on the promotion of fashion journalism in the early twentieth century. Majority of the journalists had an easier time covering stories on fashion with the use of the internet unlike in the era of ‘darkness’ (Fuery 2009 pp.56). This essay will endeavor to highlight and critic ally analyze the impacts of the advent and use of the internet in fashion journalism according to the views of various analysts that have contributed to this topic. The essay will also attempt to highlight specific examples of the use of the internet in various circumstances to improve on fashion journalism. 1.1. Body 1.1.1. Access to material The internet has influenced fashion journalism in various ways. Thanks to the internet, many journalists in the field of journalism are in a good position to view as many images as they can form the internet. This is unlike before when the journalists only relied on information that was presented by specific print media. In short, the journalists were not presented with a

Values of American political thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Values of American political thought - Essay Example The American government derives its power from the people in form of a constitution which ensures checks and balances. America was a British colony and therefore subjected to the English law and constitution and is a monarchy form of a government ruled by hereditary kings. In such form of government, the will of the king is the law of the land hence the people are subject to oppression (Paine). The pilgrims from Britain thus found a colony in America and settled in the northern parts of Virginia and signed the mayflower compact on 11 November, 1620 to â€Å"preserve order and further their aims† (Mount). They thus created laws and constitutions and all individuals were to be bound by these laws. The laws ensured equality and fairness and determined the authority of the governors and were the foundation of the U.S constitution. According to Paine, men are born free and equal and live together as a society but as the population increases, the resources become scarce thus the nee d for designing regulations to govern the sharing which eventually become laws. The societies also enlarge and it becomes difficult to address all of their concerns hence the need to elect representatives who have the same interests as the majority thus forming a government. The American government is based on this idea of equality and fairness; it is a republican government which derives its power from the people through their representatives in the House of Representatives.The declaration of independence in 1776 also indicates that the government derives its power or authority from the governed.... The congress is made up of House of Representatives and the senate whereby the members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people. Madison James asserts that people have diverse interests hence the society is divided into parties consisting people of common interests. The federal government is able to break and control the violence brought about by factions through the use of the constitution. According to him, state governments are not able to do this as they have majority people with same interests hence fewer parties and may not represent the interest of all people. However, federal government is vast and few people represent the interests of the majority thus it is difficult to have biased interests. The constitution thus checks and balances the authority and power of government by controlling the effects of factions (Federalist, 10). The democratic form of government is a major competitor of the republican form of government. This type of government derives power and authority from the people the only difference from the republican government being that in the former, the people exercise their power directly whereas in the latter people exercise their power through representation in the government. The people in the democratic government meet often since they are situated at short distances but the number of individuals is limited to a certain number. The states that form the federal government are sovereign and have been against control by the federal government. The federal government makes and administers laws which are limited and the state governments make laws that concern only the state (Federalist, 14). They are smaller in size

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

A Summary of District-Level Downsizing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Summary of District-Level Downsizing - Essay Example Schachter goes on to add that, the state legislators or the democratic and republican governors are on a process to balance their budgets and the bad economic times have forced them to implement a huge cut in the public services arena, where the education sector is the target. The director of the AASA (American Association of School Administrators) confirmed this by saying that addition of the cuts to the end of the stimulus year would see the districts come to a cliff. While reacting to the survey that was conducted by the AASA concerning the school superintendents, the director Domenech indicated that the budget cut value of 5%, which was targeting the administrators, was bound to accelerate. The whole district school administrator spectrum has become the target and vulnerable. The cuts in the education sector that are happening currently in the United States cities are a unique event that has never happened. As the number of the students rises, other educational leaders are guttin g departments such as operations and assessments at the district level to turn the assistant principal position into a species that is endangered. The executive director of the IASA (Illinois Association of School Administrators) attributed the current events to the administrators being a microcosm of the recess in America. According to Schachter, different states have reacted to these events in different ways in as much as the cuts or the layoffs are common in all the involved districts. In California for example the layoffs or down sizing have considerably narrowed down the administrative corridor. Approximately 3,000 administrative posts an equivalent of 17% reduction has been implemented in California. This hardest part of this is that the state of California over the same period managed to loose a total of 20,000 teacher’s equivalent of 6%. Despite of all these downsizing attempts a $4billion cut in California state education aid is looming and if the Gov.Brown’s plan of temporarily raising the taxes of some states is not approved, and then as many as 2000 administrators are going out of their jobs next year. The administrators were targeted first to try and salvage the classroom since the instruction of the students was a priority hence the teachers were spared in California. The Charleston (S.C.) to mention as one of the schools froze the salaries of 3400 teachers and lay off a few. The board of this school is planning to cut between 70 and 60 positions in non-classrooms in the following year. This is according to Bobby Michael, who is the chief operations and financial officer for the county school Charleston. (Schachter, 1) In the state of Texas, the idea of raising the property taxes is not being considered despite the amount accounting for 37% of Texas school budget. The superintendent of Irving (Texas) Independent School District Bedden Dana managed to tap $6.5 million, and another $7million to $10 million of the district’s res erve fund will be taken in the following year to cover the deficit. The Irving district is facing a huge deficit of between $21 million to $31 million and, therefore, the reserves will not be enough to offset the deficits. Schachter is of the opinion that, the district has adopted another method of increasing the size of the class by adding three students at the elementary averaging

Values of American political thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Values of American political thought - Essay Example The American government derives its power from the people in form of a constitution which ensures checks and balances. America was a British colony and therefore subjected to the English law and constitution and is a monarchy form of a government ruled by hereditary kings. In such form of government, the will of the king is the law of the land hence the people are subject to oppression (Paine). The pilgrims from Britain thus found a colony in America and settled in the northern parts of Virginia and signed the mayflower compact on 11 November, 1620 to â€Å"preserve order and further their aims† (Mount). They thus created laws and constitutions and all individuals were to be bound by these laws. The laws ensured equality and fairness and determined the authority of the governors and were the foundation of the U.S constitution. According to Paine, men are born free and equal and live together as a society but as the population increases, the resources become scarce thus the nee d for designing regulations to govern the sharing which eventually become laws. The societies also enlarge and it becomes difficult to address all of their concerns hence the need to elect representatives who have the same interests as the majority thus forming a government. The American government is based on this idea of equality and fairness; it is a republican government which derives its power from the people through their representatives in the House of Representatives.The declaration of independence in 1776 also indicates that the government derives its power or authority from the governed.... The congress is made up of House of Representatives and the senate whereby the members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people. Madison James asserts that people have diverse interests hence the society is divided into parties consisting people of common interests. The federal government is able to break and control the violence brought about by factions through the use of the constitution. According to him, state governments are not able to do this as they have majority people with same interests hence fewer parties and may not represent the interest of all people. However, federal government is vast and few people represent the interests of the majority thus it is difficult to have biased interests. The constitution thus checks and balances the authority and power of government by controlling the effects of factions (Federalist, 10). The democratic form of government is a major competitor of the republican form of government. This type of government derives power and authority from the people the only difference from the republican government being that in the former, the people exercise their power directly whereas in the latter people exercise their power through representation in the government. The people in the democratic government meet often since they are situated at short distances but the number of individuals is limited to a certain number. The states that form the federal government are sovereign and have been against control by the federal government. The federal government makes and administers laws which are limited and the state governments make laws that concern only the state (Federalist, 14). They are smaller in size

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Business, a Practical Introduction Essay Example for Free

Business, a Practical Introduction Essay 1. Scarcity increases the demand for a product, and increases the price that consumers are willing to pay for it. Scarcity of an item allows a seller to raise prices, while a surplus of an item means prices will decrease. 2. Macroeconomists would be concerned with issues such as job growth and unemployment, growth in industrial production, and the consumer price index. 3. Under a socialist economic system, businesses and industries can be state-owned or privately owned, depending on the country. 4. A downside to capitalism is the issue of income inequality. There is a considerable difference between the highest and lowest incomes, as indicated by the 2010 income information reported in the textbook for this course. Median pay for a chief executive of a company whose stock was listed on Standard and Poor’s index was $9 million. Median pay for private sector workers was $40,500. 5. The model of perfect competition was created by Adam Smith. According to Smith, in perfect competition, the market has many small sellers who sell interchangeable products to many informed buyers, and no seller is large enough to dictate the price of the product. 6. The term consumer sovereignty is the idea that consumers influence the marketplace through the decisions of which products they choose to buy or not to buy. 7. The business cycle runs through a pattern of expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. Expansion, when economic activity speeds up, is triggered by a rise in investment spending, government spending, or exports. 8. Deflation is defined as a general decline in the prices of most goods and services. 9. An economic bubble is a situation in which prices for securities, especially stocks, rise far above their actual value. 10. TARP is the Troubled Assets Relief Program, signed into law in October 2008. This $700 billion program was created to purchase bank assets in order to strengthen the financial sector. This was outgoing President Bush’s last â€Å"screw you† to the people of America. It might have worked to stabilize the banks if the amount was double, and if it offered relief to businesses as well.

Monday, October 14, 2019

How Effective Is The Child Protection System?

How Effective Is The Child Protection System? Literature highlights some of the challenges for social workers assessing and making decisions about African children and families whose cultures differ from the majority of the white population in United Kingdom. The critical evaluation of knowledge and research in child protection and prevention of child abuse in black African children is important to the forming of social work policy, services and appropriate intervention. This is because there is need to provide appropriate intervention services which are culturally sensitive but at the same time preventing child abuse. It is important that black African children perspectives form part of policies and legislation. Several authors have critically analysed the evidence on service provision for black families in general. A pathologising approach to black families may lead to unnecessary coercive intervention and on the other hand a cultural relativist approach may lead to a non-intervention when services are required (Dominelli 1997 , Chand 2000). The purpose of the review is to explore if the child protection system is effective in preventing child abuse in black African children and their families. By child protection, the review will be referring to all the agencies and services involved in protecting and preventing child abuse. By relating to theory and research, there is hope to uncover gaps, themes and debates and also, raise questions which can be useful for future research. The literature review starts by setting the parameters that is, defining the terms that will be used, such as, child protection and child abuse. The literature review goes to set the historical and theoretical context because it is important to know how long literature and research has existed on the topic and what has been happening including research on culture differences, poverty, power issues and child protection. The review goes on to address the theoretical perspectives on the topic to analyse the theories that form the knowledge base in rese arch. The review goes on to look at the major findings in research and literature by exploring the key themes such as factors that impact African children that can result them in being involved in the child protection system for example, child rearing practices, poverty and limited knowledge in cultural practices by social work professionals. Finally the review will look at the anti-discriminatory practice and user-involvement to show how professionals can work sensitively and provide culture appropriate services. The literature search Child protection system aims to prevent situations that can result in a child or young person aged sixteen and under experience abuse that puts them in danger of not developing appropriately or losing their life (Save the Children UK, 2008). The abuse can fall under the category of child abuse which could be in form of neglect, emotional, physicals and sexual, (Woolfson et al 2009). The search involved these terms. After establishing the specific area to be reviewed; the focus was on black African children and the child protection system. The area of child protection and black African children is a controversial area that has been neglected in literature and research and there is need to analyse themes and identify gaps in literature. The sources selected were journals, books, government records and articles. Electronic search engines were used because they provided a readily available wide range of literature and research articles which have been accepted for publishing. These sourc es were used as evidence and source of information because they had been accepted for publishing hence they would not provide with false information. Review of the literature Historical Context In setting the historical context, the most important development in child protection is the formulation of the Children Act 1989 which was influenced by the public inquiries of the 1970s and 1980s child deaths, for example, the Maria Cowell. The Act stressed that the Local Authoritys duty is to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, research into how the Children Act was being put into action found that the child protection system was still focusing on single incidents of child abuse rather than planning to meet the wider requirements of children in need (DoH, 1995a). The studies also noted that many children and families received little or no support, the assessment of risk was low (Stevenson, 1998) and ignored the influences of poverty, unemployment and poor housing. This meant that a new way in thinking was needed about working with families. The result was publication of the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DoH et al, 2000) and Wo rking Together to Safeguard Children (DoH et al, 1999). A Common Assessment framework was also developed to promote more effective earlier identification of childrens additional needs and improve inter-agency working. A review into previous deaths of children indicates failures to listen to children, sharing of information, follow procedures and recognising indicators of abuse. The main response to the deaths of children due to local authorities failures has been to seek bureaucratic solutions such as introducing new guidelines, laws and procedures (Ferguson, 2005). However, the Laming 2003 enquiry into the tragic death of Victoria Climbie in 2000 is particularly significant because it pointed out the inter-agency approach established after Maria Cowells death in 1973 was not followed and it considered implications for the whole of the child protection system (Batty, 2003). Laming (2003) highlights the misjudgements made on the Climbies case based on cultural assumptions that led to a tragedy. However, Garret (2006) argues that the Laming report (2003) appears to detach a childs race from core assessments and this was echoed in the Every Child Matters which appears to mention very little about the needs of children from other races. After the Victoria Climbie enquiry there has been recent death of children known to social services such as, baby P (2007) and Khyra Ishaq (2008). This begs the question, where is the child protection system going wrong? There are debates on how to provide social work interventions and family support that are culturally sensitive and competent to African children and their families who are at risk of significant harm (Stobart, 2006; Holland 2004, Robinson 2007; Mama 2004). This was highlighted in the Laming Progress Report (2009) which set out challenges faced in safeguarding children such as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there is still need to improve knowledge and skills to understand children and their family circumstances. Also the laming report noted that despite the progress in inter-agency wor king there are still problems of day to day reality of working across organisational boundaries and cultureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ , Laming Progress Report (2009). When reviewing literature it is important to note that there is a sparse of research on black African children and the child protection system in the Britain hence it is difficult to set out the historical and theoretical context. Where research and literature exists, the data is still not plausible because it is mixed with other research data from minority ethnic populations and their experience differs widely. Theoretical and research perspectives that shape knowledge Different theories and perspectives inform knowledge base in literatures surrounding African children and the child protection system. When researching this area there is need to look at experiences of African people and their involvement with child protection hence researchers can use the black perspective which is based on the notion of common experiences that black people share. The black perspective criticises repressive research and theories that are likely to oppress black people, (Robinson 2007). African families will always refer to their culture as frame of reference to their parenting capacities (Bernard and Gupta, 2008) and understanding and acknowledgement of the black frame of reference will enable social workers to come up with accurate and comprehensive assessments of African black children involved with the child protection system, (Robinson 2007). Other literature is based on the ecological perspective and highlights the importance to analyse the impacts of social ex clusion, poverty and immigration on black African children and their families, (Gibbs and Huang 2003). However, Robinson 1998 argues that there is a danger of over-generalising and stereotyping because individual members from the same culture can behave differently from the pattern that is typical of that culture. However, other researchers argue that postmodern theories have gained popularity in social work, (Pease and Fook 1999; Leonard 1997). Researchers have argued against postmodern theories who want a better understanding of identity, combining personal with structural elements of living (Dominelli 2002; Graham 2002), drawing on the idea of what holds people together, (Badiou 2001). The lack of appropriate preventative support services which are culture sensitive often result in social work operating against the interests of black children involved in child protection, (Barn 1993, Graham 2002). Social work has operated within a problem oriented framework which is characterised by deficit and dysfunctional theories of black families (Robinson 2008). Major finding in literature and research Research agrees that black African children and their families are disproportionately represented in child protection (Graham, 2006; Barn et al 1997; Bernard and Gupta 2008). When looking at experiences of black African children and their families and how best to offer them appropriate intervention it is important to acknowledge background in terms of religion, culture, language and beliefs (Bernard and Gupta 2008; Gibbs and Huang 2003; Robinson 2007). Research shows that black African families may experience oppression and discrimination within the child protection system (Chand, 2008). A lot of literature appears to draw attention to the parenting in African families and how their culture is neglected in a lot researches and there is little empirical evidence especially about African parenting in Britain (Bernard, 2002; Graham 2006). Parenting by African families is entwined into an already debate of what constitutes child abuse (Francis, 1993; Chand 2000). Barn, 2002 argues that c hild abuse is a socially constructed phenomenon and most of literature surrounding child abuse is based on western societys views and middle-class. This can lead to discrimination and stereotypes towards African families rearing practices and lead to unwanted intervention and social care involvement. There is well documented literature focused on how culture influence parenting of African families involved with child protection system, (Brophy et al 2003, Bernard, 2002; Graham 2006). However, the empirical research is limited but the little data that exists poses the notion that cultural practices appear to play some part in African children being involved in the child protection system, (Mama, 2004). Literature suggests that African families practice harsh punishment for children, however, Barn et al 2006; Thoburn et al 2005; Nobes and Smith 1997, challenge such stereotypes and in their study, they found no significant differences between ethnic groups with regard to physical punis hment. However, these studies cannot be generalised to African families easily because the majority of the participants where white parents. There is gap in research on the parenting by black African families and a recurrent theme in literature is the need to acknowledge cultural and social contexts of parenting and experience of African black families to make sense of child abuse and provide appropriate intervention for children and families involved in the child protection system, (Holland 2004, Robinson 2007, Stobart 2006). A focus on ethnicity or identity, preclude issues of power and oppression operating in the everyday experiences of childrens lives to be appreciated, (Graham, 2007). Research found that most black African families live in poverty and social exclusion and how this impacts on parenting, (Bernard and Gupta 2008; Gibbs and Huang 2003; Robinson 2007; Platt, 2007). A study of more than 7,000 children looked after by 13 Local Authorities found that children who were not of the white origin where more likely to be put into care due to poverty (Sinclair et al, 2007). Sinclair et als study is very important b ecause it is a comprehensive qualitative study which focuses on the needs of children in care systems involving their perspectives and investigates the outcomes for children. The study also suggests how the care system should function and managed which is important to social work professionals and policy makers. However, data produced cannot be easily generalised to the entire population of African children because their experiences varies. There has been research critically examining the treatment of asylum seeking children and the child protection system and there is argument between the Children Act 1989 and immigration legislation and policy and Jones (2001) argues that social work profession singularly failed to provide critical scrutiny on the status and relationship of immigration and child care law and the erosion of childrens rights. Other researchers agree with Jones, that vulnerability of asylum seeking children has emotional and legal aspects, (Woodcock, 2003; Chase, 2009). Kohli 2006, argues that legislation obstruct the provision of preventative services to vulnerable children and their families. Research has highlighted the fragility of African children who claim asylum such as having suffering trauma due to their circumstances that led them to claim asylum such as war and torture, (Hodes, 2000, 2002; Ehntholt and Yule, 2006; Dyregrov and Yule, 2006). Research shows that there is a gap in research on asyl um seeking children and social work to inform practice, (Kohli and Mather 2003; Okitikpi and Aymer 2003). Rustin 2005, states that there is a complicated interaction between social workers knowledge in asylum seeking children and the existing stereotypes regarding these groups of service-users, (Bernard and Gupta 2008; Robinson 2007; Barn 1993; Owen and Statham 2009). Bernard and Gupta (2008) go on to cite other factors that affect African children such as asylum seeking, AIDS, loss and separation and this is important because when providing intervention to African children there is need to comprehend their background to offer appropriate services which do not discriminate them any further. Young (1990) states that black children often experience multiple-oppression for example, they suffer from stereotypes from society and also they are invisible to the child protection system. Graham (1999) goes on to argue that intervention with African families is at the centre of wider debates and conflict; and evidence from research continues to show over-representation of African children and their families in child protection. The debates seem to focus on power imbalances and how to involve African families to gain control over their lives, (Graham, 1999; Young, 1990). Other researchers highlight the issues of language in child protection and the provision of appropriate intervention services, (Chand 2000, Ahmed et al, 1982). The use of children as translators in sensitive child protection issues is unethical and inappropriate, and also the use of an interpreter can distort the assessment process, (Chand, 2000). Bernard and Gupta (2008) go further to look at other factors that affect black African children that other literature seems to neglect such as how gender norms place women in an inferior position within African cultures and this can limit mothers to protect their children in the environment of domestic violence, however Owen and Statham (2009) argues that the is limited evidence to maintain or challenge this notion. Nevertheless, in Masson et al (2008) study, domestic violence was evidenced as a cause of concern in the court files of half the children of Black African mothers implicated in their study of care proceedings. Research and evidence from Climbie enquiry propose that social work professionals involved with black and minority ethnic families might not act in child abuse cases because of fear of being regarded as a racist (Scorer, 2005; Bernard and Gupta, 2006). Nevertheless, literature and research fail to provide a large amount of evidence to support this notion for example, Gordon and Gibbons (1998) in their study found no differences between ethnicity in terms of children being placed on the child protection register and factors such as parents mental health problems, criminal activities or the child not fitting in a reconstituted family were the reasons for involvement than ethnicity (Williams and Soydan, 2005). However, Selwyn et al 2008 found that social work professionals were more uncertain and occasionally puzzled regarding how best to promote the needs of ethnic children and they felt further self-doubting in their assessment. Recurring themes in literature is the significance of so cial work professionals to build up on culturally sensitive work with black and ethnic families (Gray et al., 2008; Sue, 2006; Laird, 2008; Stirling et al., 2009; Hodge, 2001). Anti-discriminatory perspectives and the incorporation of knowledge from service users Thompson, (2008) states that anti-discriminatory practice has been used in Britain to account for good practice in social work to counter structural disadvantages however, Graham 1999, argues that anti-discriminatory practice fails to provide a knowledge base for social work that is engaged in the collective development of the black community. Professionals can indirectly oppress African children and their families through practice for example, by imposing their personal values or power, (Dominelli 2007). Research and literature talks about the child protection providing cultural sensitive services and training social work professionals have the knowledge and skills in working with different cultures. However this can actually create further oppression and social divisions. The majority of the workers will have dominant Eurocentric views which encourage further social divisions for example, excepting the view that African families live in poverty and not fight and challenge this view by providing services that help families to counter these structural inequalities in society. Dominelli (2007) argues that there is need to address the systems that reaffirm racist dynamics rather than challenging them. Dominelli (1992) argues that black children and families are over-represented in the controlling aspects of social work and under-represented in the welfare aspects of social work. Problems with communication and working in partnership have been highlighted in literature. Chases (2009) study found that young people described complex relationships with social workers and other social care professionals and were also more mistrustful of the interplay between social care and immigration services. There is limited research that incorporates service user involvement (Buchanan 2007; Bernard 2002) taking in their lived experiences however, an important study by Chase 2009 found that young people often described complex relationships with social workers and other social care professionals and were also more mistrustful of the interplay between social care and immigration services. Recent policy has tried to enforce advocacy as a way of promoting social justice and incorporate disadvantaged groups views on the services that are appropriate for them. In Bowes and Sims (2006) empirical study, they found that black and minority ethnic communities gave support to advocacy s ervices, however, they were still marginalised by the services they were already using. There appears to be a need of qualitative research and literature that includes an extensive study of black African childrens perspectives and experiences, (Graham 2007) which forms a value base to inform practice in social work. Relevance to policy and practice Using the ecological approach the Framework For Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DoH, 2000), places a requirement on social work professionals to take account of cultural background and socio-economic positions of families paying attention to power imbalances in relationships, (Dalrymple and Burke, 1995). Dalrymple and Burke (1995) argue that an understanding is needed of the association between personal experience and structural realism of inequality. Therefore service users perspectives should form part of policies and legislation respecting and literature highlights that childrens rights may still lack from policy and legislation, therefore, these notions challenge professionals to take childrens views seriously and appreciate their contribution to research, (Aubrey and Dahl 2006). Lots of research appears to focus on empowerment through cultural knowledge inviting new thinking about the challenges faced by black communities, (Aubrey and Dahl 2006). The complex s ocial circumstances experienced by many African families pose challenges for social work professionals working to safeguard and promote childrens welfare. In order to safeguard and promote welfare of African children acknowledgement of sources of discrimination and oppression, a commitment to human rights and social justice must be met. Several authors have critically analysed the evidence on service provision for black families in general. A pathologising approach to black families may lead to unnecessary coercive intervention and on the other hand a cultural relativist approach may lead to a non-intervention when services are required (Dominelli 1997, Chand 2000). Either way appropriate intervention is not provided for black and ethnic minority children. The quality of services in black communities is a focus for debate and raises important issues about the lack of policy initiatives based upon needs and aspirations of local communities (Graham, 2002). By drawing on strengths perspective professionals can illuminate how parents draw on cultures as a resource to parents in circumstance of adversity whilst not excusing behaviour that is harmful to children. Conclusions There is gaps in research on child protection and black African families and a recurrent theme in literature is the need to acknowledge cultural and social contexts of parenting and experience of African black families to make sense of child abuse and provide appropriate intervention for children and families involved in the child protection system, (Holland 2004, Robinson 2007, Stobart 2006). Research shows that there is a gap in research on asylum seeking children and social work to inform practice, (Kohli and Mather 2003; Okitikpi and Aymer 2003). There is need for research centred on black African children and there is also need to involve them in forming of policies, challenging the notion that only ethnicity causes the experiences faced by African children. This is because by having cultural sensitive intervention, there can be reinforcement of stereotypical services and discrimination ignoring other things such as gender, age and class.