Investment analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment analysis - Essay Example Ltd (GNC), MACQ GROUP FPO (MQG), Perpetual Limited (PPT), Cochlear Limited (COH), Woodside Petroleum Limited (WPL) and Rio Tinto Ltd. (RIO). These stocks are picked from the index on random basis in order to avoid any biasness. The following part analyzes the excess stock returns of every company on individual basis. Risk & Return Analysis As far as the risk and returns for 6 stocks as well as the market is concerned, it can be affirmed that the market return remained negative in the past two 26 months. The market provided -0.6137 return with the risk of 3.79 which is relatively low. The best return is provided by GNC which is 0.9069 with the risk measure of 7.0546. The lowest performing stock was MQG such that it provided a massive negative return of -2.7928 given the risk level of 7.3839. WPL was found to be the least risky stock with the figure of 6.7976 with the return of -0.7820. COH turned out to be the riskiest stock with the figure of 12.3989 with the negative return of -0.33 44. ... Gain Corp Ltd Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.4970 R Square 0.2470 Adjusted R Square 0.1394 Standard Error 6.5444 Observations 25 Â   Coefficients Standard Error t Stat P-value Intercept 1.2427 1.3432 0.9251 0.3654 EMR 0.7704 0.3732 2.0640 0.0516 SMB -0.8326 0.7121 -1.1693 0.2554 HML 0.9103 0.9036 1.0074 0.3252 If the overall model fit of GNC is taken into consideration, it can be noticed that R-square is quite low i.e. 24.7% which explains that all three factors only explain 24.7% behavior of GNC. The intercept is not significant due to higher p-value which is greater than the 0.05 level of significance. However, if 3FMs are closely looked at only EMR has contributed in predicting the excess return behavior of GNC as its p-value is quite closer to 0.05. The other two factors including SMB and HML are also insignificant due to higher p-values. In other words, the excess stock return behavior of GNC is independent of the SMB and HML but there is slight dependency can be found with respect to EMR. 2. MACQ GROUP FPO Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.7809 R Square 0.6099 Adjusted R Square 0.5542 Standard Error 4.9304 Observations 25 Â   Coefficients Standard Error t Stat P-value Intercept -1.5311 1.0120 -1.5130 0.1452 EMR 1.4996 0.2812 5.3329 0.0000 SMB 1.2077 0.5364 2.2513 0.0352 HML 1.7840 0.6808 2.6206 0.0160 The model of MQG is very strong such that the value of R-square which is 0.6099 reflects that the excess stock returns of MQG are explained by 61% with 3FMs. The intercept is turned out to be insignificant due to higher p-value. However, all the three factors contributed in explaining the behavior of MQG such that all have p-values less than the cut off level of 0.05. The beta of MQG with respect to market is near to 1.5,

Visual Argument Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visual Argument - Research Paper Example Judging from the first instance of seeing this visual argument, the researcher of this paper thinks that Nike is supposedly advocating freedom to do what you want, breaking barriers and conquering limits (especially when buying Nike products), which is in this case invoked by the freedom of the boy peeing on a wall. This argument would be analyzed further in the next part of the paper. In order to evaluate carefully the visual argument of Nike’s ad, the researcher would try to use the three rhetorical appeals: ethos (credibility), logos (logical reasoning and evidence), and as well as pathos (emotional appeal). In this case, the visual argument would be evaluated according to ethos logos and pathos, in that order, through using the text, the design, and as well as the image of this particular visual argument. In addition to this, the researcher would also cite the opinion of a colleague on Nike’s visual argument, wherein the researcher would react from his opinion. Usin g the first rhetorical appeal of ethos, the researcher thinks that Nike’s visual argument actually compromises the credibility of the rhetoric that Nike is trying to point out.

Food Insecurities Essay Example for Free

Food Insecurities Essay Have you ever seen a person yell at his colleague or his partner, overreacting on a particular matter that has caused not only the person who got yelled at to feel annoyed, but also third parties who know about it or have witnessed the scene? For the many who do not wish to get into the mess, or has enough logic sense to not judge immediately, they will most likely give out a fair statement and try to reason out that person’s overreaction by saying he probably had a bad day or he probably has dilemma at home. However, if we take a bit closer and look closely, all of us will eventually realise that it all goes down to one matter; insecurity. Insecurities are not something new and unfamiliar to the human kind. Everyone has insecurities, regardless of whether they realise it or not. The Oxford Dictionary defines insecurity as the uncertainty or anxiety about oneself or lack of confidence. Insecurities exist in every living soul on this planet. Till today, it is still seen as a negative matter as not many have addressed this issue in proper ways using proper mediums. Most parents don’t even talk about it and shove it away when their children decide to speak up about it. Little do people know that the slightest things in life are the ones that add up to our insecurities. The amount of insecurity in a person differs from one to the other. The types of insecurities that one possesses also vary. The most common type of insecurity is physical insecurity. Let’s face it; human beings are never satisfied. Even when you have all the parts of the body needed to sustain and go through your daily routine with ease, you still beg for more. Some want healthier and shiner hair, some want to be taller, but most importantly, everyone wants something. It is not just human beings as an individual who face insecurities, but also countries and states. Currently, the world is looking at the issue of food insecurity, which is also classified as a type of insecurity. Food security may be said as the availability of food and one’s access to it. Hence, the United Nations have defined food security as all people at all times having both physical and economic access to the basic food they need. For more than 2 billion of people on this planet, they are lucky to not worry about this form of insecurity. However, we might not realise this but this matter is more complicated than it seems. Food securities may result from many different causes. It is imperative that we focus on why are the food insecure, and why are the people are food insecure. Among the most common causes of food insecurities are drought and extreme weather changes. This setback, which is very commonly faced by third world countries, usually ranges from overnight floods to droughts. In short, the climate changes faced by these countries are extreme. In most African countries, like Nigeria, droughts are not new to them. It has been a setback since the time of their ancestors; nonetheless, they are helpless at it and have no comeback on solving this matter. In many comparisons throughout time, some of the most severe food crises were all preceded by drought or by other similarly extreme weather events. These extremities result in poor and failed harvests which in turn results food scarcity and high prices of the available food. As mentioned in the Climate and Development Knowledge Network report entitled ‘Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in the Agriculture Sectors: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report’, such force of nature causes impacts which will include not only food insecurity, but changing productivity and livelihood patterns, economic losses, and impacts on the infrastructure. Besides that, the natural resource base for the poor and food-insecure is invariably narrow and, in many areas, fragile. With the exception of Uganda only 4 to 10 percent of the land area is classed as arable, and just a small area of land suitable for rainfed cultivation. The greatest numbers of poor people are concentrated in the arid and semi-arid ecosystems and on marginal land in the higher rainfall parts of the region. It has become axiomatic to say that poverty is one of the main causes of environmental degradation. This can be seen all too clearly in the farming of steep slopes, which takes place as an increasing population is forced to cultivate marginal land. The falling crop yields that characterize the marginal areas are a result of the loss of massive quantities of topsoil throughout the region, declining soil fertility as fallow systems are replaced by continuous cultivation, reductions in soil organic matter as manure is burnt for fuel, and shrinking holding sizes. However, the poor are also the most vulnerable to environmental degradation because they depend on he exploitation of common property resources for a greater share of their incomes than richer households do. In the rangelands, the evidence for long-term secular environmental degradation is ambiguous. The successive cyclical growth and decline of herds reflects cycles of rainfall and rangeland productivity, and is perfectly normal. As animals die in large numbers, the rangelands recover remarkably quickly. However, when there i s a major drop in the number of animals, the people who depend on them for their livelihoods also suffer. Development programmes that have sought to increase animal production on rangelands through water development and animal disease prevention have all too often failed to find, at the same time, sustainable ways of increasing animal nutrition, so the resulting increased numbers of animals may wreak havoc on the range itself. Many of the available freshwater resources are in river basins and lakes that extend beyond the boundaries of individual nations. Shared water resources include lakes Victoria, Albert, Edward, Kivu and Turkana and major rivers such as the Blue Nile, White Nile, Atbara, Awash and Shebele. The potential for developing irrigation from these sources is constrained by the problem of achieving agreement on sharing the resources and avoiding conflict. Although natural climatic factors have played their part in the process of desertification, in general, it is increased population and the related development of unsustainable production systems that have had most negative impact on the fragile natural resource base. Wood and manure have remained the main sources of domestic energy, even in urban centres. This situation has contributed to depleting the forest and range resources, resulting in an overall decrease in biomass and biodiversity, reduced water infiltration and increased runoff and soil erosion. These factors, which contribute to the impoverishment of ecosystems, have led to a vicious circle of environmental degradation, lower system resilience to erratic rainfall, decreased agricultural productivity and increased poverty and food insecurity. Not only that, the cause of food insecurity in these third world countries are also caused by the poor state of development and maintenance of roads and transport, energy sources and telecommunications in the marginal areas of countries in the Horn of Africa makes it difficult for these areas to become integrated into the national and regional economy. As with all other indicators of development, the countries of the region have some of the worst figures worldwide with respect to access to roads and water supply. A recent report suggests that, in terms of access to infrastructure, the gap between Africa and the rest of the world has widened over the past 15 years. The sparse road and communications network hampers emergency relief operations as well as the commercialization of the rural economy. The density of the road network in the countries of the region gives an idea of both how difficult it is to reach people in rural areas with services and the problems such people face in participating in the market economy. For example, in Ethiopia, every kilometre of road serves 72 km 2 and 3 000 people, compared with only 8 km 2 and 850 people in North Africa. Even after strenuous efforts by development agencies and NGOs, access to a clean water supply is still an unobtainable luxury for most rural inhabitants in the Horn. Piped systems are uncommon in rural areas and protected wells and hand pumps are the best that rural communities can expect. The burden of collecting water, as with so many other menial tasks, falls almost exclusively on women in the communities, who must spend many hours each day collecting water from unsafe sources. The statistics on access to water and sanitation reveal wide differences within the region. In three countries, namely Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, only one-quarter of the population has access to safe water, and in two others (the Sudan and Uganda) the figure is less than 50 percent. Access to sanitation is as low as 13 percent and, except for Kenya, barely exceeds 50 percent anywhere. In addition to that, the indicators of access to social services in the countries that face the setback of food insecurity are also among the lowest in the world. While the average figures are bad enough, they mask fundamental inequalities in access to services within the region. Again, rural areas, especially remote, low-potential areas are the least well served. Nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists are the most difficult populations to provide services to and, consequently, they are invariably the ones with the poorest health services and least education. All these indicators, combined with malnutrition and poor access to safe water, have adverse consequences for productivity and for the long-term physical and cognitive development of people in the region. Also, let us not forget the fact that crop and plants as well face diseases. Diseases affecting livestock or crops can have devastating effects on food availability especially if there are no emergency back-up plans in place. For example, an epidemic of stem rust on wheat which was spreading across Africa and into Asia in 2007 caused major concern. A virulent wheat disease could destroy most of the world’s main wheat crops, leaving millions to starve. The fungus had spread from Africa to Iran and may already be in Pakistan. A different threat, on the other hand, has attacked the African continent’s second biggest crop; wheat. In 1999, 50 years since the last outbreak, a contemporary and virulent strain of stem rust attacked the Ugandan crops. Its spores then travelled to Ethiopia and Kenya, before appearing in Iran last year. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nation (FAO) has given warning to six other countries in the Central and South Asia to be prepared and keep an eye for symptoms of this new strain while scientists in the United States of America are working diligently in searching for a resistant that combats this problem. It is important that the remedy for this will be obtained quickly as in India alone; more than 50 million small-scale farmers are at risk because they depend on wheat for their food and earnings. Most importantly, we must not overlook that politics and dictatorship also play a role in food insecurity. Many do not realise that politics play a part in something as serious as this. As mentioned by Nobel Prize-winning economist Amarya Sen, â€Å"There is no such thing as an apolitical food problem. It is more often than not that the administration of the country that determines its severity, or even whether the famine will occur. If truth be told, the 20th century is full of examples of governments undermining the food security of their own nations. Let us take a look at Nigeria, Africa’s most densely inhabited state, where a legacy of corrupted governance and an economy based primarily on oil exports has left the agriculture sector significantly undermined, leaving millions of N igerians in deep hunger. True, the neighbouring countries export food to Nigeria in exchange for money, but remember; the people in these neighbouring countries need food too. And they are much poorer than those living in Nigeria. It was reported by the United Nations that thousands of children in countries neighbouring Nigeria died because of malnutrition. These kids paid the price not because of food shortage in their country, but because of food shortage in Nigeria. The distribution of food is often a political issue in most countries. The government will always give priority to urban areas and cities, since most influential and powerful families and enterprises are located there. The ruling government over and over again for generations overlooks the subsistence farmers and rural areas in general. In other words, the more rural an area, the less likely the government will pay attention to solving its needs. Whats more is that the governments of these countries would normally keep the price of basic grain at extremely low levels that subsistence farmers cannot accumulate sufficient capital to make investments to improve their production. Hence, they are prevented from getting out of their precarious situation. In addition, food has always been a political arsenal by the dictators and warlords, where they reward their supporters and deny food supplies to those areas that are against them. Under this condition, food has become more like a currency instead of a basic need that cannot be denied rights of. Food has become the money to buy support and used against the opposition. Even in Guatemala, income inequality is amongst the worst in the world, with indigenous communities at a disadvantage. In some areas, an estimated 75 percent of the children, ranging from infants to children ages six and seven years old, are severely malnourished. And this is a shocking statistic relating food scarcity coming from a country that is merely a four-hour flight away from the USA. Furthermore, it was pointed out in William Bernstein’s 2004 publication entitled ‘The Birth of Plenty’ that individuals without property will lead to starvation and it is much easier to bend the fearful and the hungry to the will of the state. If a farmer’s property can be arbitrarily threatened by the state, that power will inevitably be used to intimidate those with different political and religious opinions. It is fundamental and crucial that we understand and be aware of the consequences of this global food scarcity. The effects might be similar to the effects of malnutrition and hunger, where, at the outset, the human population will be affected greatly in the sense where stunted growth may occur. The stunting starts in when the baby is still in the mother’s womb and happens till the age of three. Once stunting happens, giving proper nutrition to these helpless children will not help in reversing the damage or improving the child’s condition. Pregnant mothers who do not receive the correct amount of nutrition needed may risk of having a higher chance of infant and child mortality later on, which is, of course, a very heartbreaking circumstance. Apart from that, severe malnutrition during one’s early childhood also leads to defects in cognitive development. Stunted individuals also have a higher chance of getting diseases and illnesses as compared to those who have not experienced stunting. It must also come to the attention that food insecurity is also associated with various developmental consequences for children in the United States. A research was conducted by Diana F. Jyoti, Edward A. Frongillo, and Sonya J. Jones to prove that food insecurity is linked to specific developmental consequences for children, and whether these consequences may be both nutritional and nonnutritional.

Personal Experience Of Interprofessional Working

Personal Experience Of Interprofessional Working In order for an individual to receive holistic, high quality health and social care services, effective communication and multi disciplinary working between professionals is imperative (Ashcroft et al, 2005). I will discuss my personal experience of interprofessional working, both in regards to the conference and the on line group work undertaken. I will also explore how the module relates to my own experiences in practice, drawing on literature and policy of both a political, professional and social nature. The team of which I was a member consisted of students studying adult nursing and medicine. I was the only group member studying social work which initially did create a barrier in respect of the perception held by the other group members of what a social work practitioners role is. It was clear, following initial introductions, that some group members held a stereotypical view of social workers and were very dismissive of the work carried out by practitioners. It is essential, when working interprofessionaly that practitioners are mindful of the various methods employed by associated health and social care professionals and vital, therefore, that practitioners become aware of their own possible prejudices, through reflection on their practice. This reflective process assists to ensure potential negative stereotyping does not hinder the outcome of the work carried out by the team and have a detrimental effect on the care provided to the service user ( Fook, 2002). Through discussion it transpired that much of this stereotypical view had been constructed through the influence of the medias portrayal of social workers. During the conference group members cited television documentaries in which social workers failings were highlighted. Lombard ( 2009) argues that this type of media attention is damaging not just to social work but to all allied health and social care staff, attributing it to a possible lack of comprehension of the profession. Earlier this year a national advertising campaign was introduced. This aimed to draw attention to the role social workers play in safeguarding children and adults and to achieve a more positive, public perception of the profession ( McGregor, 2010). The perceived lower professional position of social workers, held by other health professionals, however, is argued by Barbour (1985) as being a source of high anxiety for students studying on social work courses. However, it became apparent as the conference continued and discussions were held, that as a social work student I had gained experience of a wide range of practice settings and of working interprofessionally in order to achieve the best possible care provision for the service user. These practice experiences enabled me to reflect on both positive and negative factors of working with other professionals and to contribute to the group discussion with examples of interprofessional work in which I had participated. An example of which is regarding a case I care managed whilst working within a hospital social work team. In order to facilitate a safe discharge home for an older person with dementia, input was required from various disciplines. Occupational therapy support was ne cessary to ensure the home environment would still be suitable and assessment from the community psychiatric nurse was also completed in respect of service provision to maintain the emotional and mental well- being of the service user. Ongoing communication between involved professionals was therefore essential, for an effective outcome for the service user to be achieved. This illustrates the highly significant role of interprofessional education for students studying to practice in the health and social care field. Reeves et al (2009) argue that interprofessional education has impacted notably on patient care in, for example, the improved knowledge and expertise of staff providing care to individuals with mental health issues. The discussion of practice experience, I feel, added positively to the group and perhaps began to reduce the preconceptions held by other group members of lack of professional competency executed by social workers (Carpenter Hewstone,1996). Through the process of exchanging opinions, discussions and working as a group, the potential to overcome stereotypical views and facilitate change was engaged in (Mullender Ward, 1991). Being a member of a group can determine a sense of familiarity, group members may have experiences in common and this sharing of situations can act as a supportive, cathartic procedure ( Johnson Johnson, 1994). A fundamental element of effective interprofessional partnership, therefore, is trust. If facilitation and engagement in open debate and sharing of ideas between professionals is to occur, this must be apparent ( Cook et al, 2001). The example of interprofessional working in respect of facilitating a safe discharge home from hospital, also raised further discussion regarding the role of input from the service user and their carers. They should be seen as part of the group, not externally from it and involved fully in the decision making process. This was challenged by one of the group members studying medicine, who felt that the responsibility to make decisions about care provision should be held solely by the professionals involved. Payne (2000) argues, however, that a focus on the interactions between the professionals can undermine the participation of the people who use the services. Involvement of service users, family and carers and recognition of their role as being experts by experience, may begin to create equality of power between professionals and the individuals they are supporting ( Domenelli,1996). We explored this further through discussion within the group and I felt concerned by some of the group members attitudes towards the notion of making a decision as professionals, whilst excluding the service user from this process. This is an oppressive way to practice and the empowerment of individuals through maximization of control and choice, should be striven towards in all provision of health and social care services ( Banks, 2006). Respect for the individual choices and interests of the service user should always be paramount throughout provision of health and social care and the assessment process, as detailed in the National Occupational Standards for social work (2009). Ongoing communication has been actively engaged in during my personal practice experience. However, throughout the module there was very little online participation from the team via blackboard. This was disappointing, as through the proactive exchange of ideas from the varying professionals perspectives, a more cohesive and beneficial learning experience may have been achieved. Indeed, the centre for the advancement of interprofessional education (1997) has documented that there are significant benefits in students from varied fields, learning together. In contrast to the team work which took place at the conference, my experience of working alongside allied health and social care professionals in practice has been extremely positive. An example of which is in my previous employment within an adult care community team in which I attended weekly meetings with the district nursing team and local G.Ps. enabling effective sharing of information to take place. This communication enabled all involved professionals to gain knowledge of changes in service users health and care needs and provided a forum for any concerns regarding safeguarding issues, to be shared and explored further. Within the conference team, therefore, further discussion and exploration of the differing views regarding this topic was carried out. The conclusion of which was the establishment of one of the teams sentences as be open minded and willing to accommodate other professionals values, within a team working environment. The ideologies of interprofessional working are not always apparent in practice however, resulting in catastrophic failings in care. Victoria Climbie died after suffering serious abuse whilst under the care of the NHS and social services. Lord Laming (2003) reported a lack of sharing of information between professionals and argued that when practitioners did raise child protection concerns, there was a lack of feedback and little or no further communication between agencies. The death of Baby Peter Connelly also sadly highlights concerns regarding how professionals work together. The serious case review reports that at a significant case conference held regarding Baby Peter, there was poor attendance from professionals, with neither doctors, police or lawyers turning up ( Laming, 2009). This illustrates that even after the reported failings in communication between professionals in the Victoria Climbie case, interprofessional working does not always appear to be fully engaged in. (Word count 1368) Section 2 Discuss how you would take what you have learnt about Interprofessional working into practice. Attendance at the conference provided an opportunity to explore the process of working effectively with other professionals. In practice, the active joint working between health and social care professionals and the voluntary sector has become increasingly important with the introduction of the personalisation agenda, as detailed in the social policy Putting people first: a shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care (2007). The personalisation of social care services enables service users to take increased control of their own support packages and provides a high level of empowerment. I will discuss this further in relation to interprofessional working and its application in practice. Service users are now provided with the option to choose from which provider their care is sourced ie, from the private, pubic or voluntary sector. In 2004 the strategic concurrence between the NHS, Department of health and the voluntary sector of making partnership work for patients, carers and service users (2004) was formed, which indicated a dedication to interprofessional working and a fully person centered approach to practice. However, the change in government this year and recent significant cuts in funding to the welfare state proposed by the coalition government may impact significantly on the initial goals set out in this policy ( Dunning, 2010).Significant changes in how funding is allocated impacts greatly on social care practice. On qualification as a social worker I will endeavor to carry out effective interprofessional practice, however with increasing reductions in front line staff and higher caseloads it raises concerns regarding how achievable this will be. My own experiences of working within an adult care management team have been of positive interprofessional working. I have attributed this to the comprehensive, ongoing sharing of information between social work practitioners and community nursing teams, which took place. The desire to strive towards a common goal and achieve the best possible care for the service users, provided an effectual construct for professionals to practice within. The recognition of individual differences regarding ethnicity, culture and relationships by all involved professionals enabled truly anti-oppressive practice to take place (Dominelli 2002). However, during the conference, team members voiced concerns regarding how engaging in interprofessional working may cause their specific professional identity to become vulnerable. This has been identified by Frost et al (2005), who postulates that the fusion of professional margins can create apprehension and resentment between practitioners. This discussion was an interesting aspect of my personal learning within the group. As a social work practitioner the opportunity to engage in joint working with other professionals is embraced and is essential to effectual, safe practice. The varied perspectives between group members however, has provided a deeper insight into how other professionals may view this method of working and I will be mindful of this in future practice. Interprofessional working was illustrated further during the conference by a presentation from the Bristol Intermediate care team. The team consists of health professionals working alongside social work practitioners, aiming to reduce hospital admissions, providing a holistic approach to practice and enabling service users to remain in the community and to be cared for at home (Drake Williams, 2010). I feel the cohesive working style of this team, provides the best possible outcome for service users through application of an anti oppressive, person centered approach. This interprofessional method of practice provides for less of a risk adverse approach to practice which can be present in community care teams consisting exclusively of social work practitioners (Roe Beech, 2005). This may be due to the presence of multi disciplinary professional opinions being readily provided, enabling a more holistic view of a situation and perhaps also the fundamental ethos of the team which is to promote independence. The ethic of empowering others to achieve independence however, is a core value of social work and I endeavor to implement this within my own future practice. In order to facilitate change in my practice, I will be conscious of the importance of information sharing with other professionals and engaging in the process of reflection on my previous experiences of working interprofessionally (Payne, 2006). An example which occurred whilst working within an adult care management team is regarding an allocated case concerning a couple, living at home in the community, both of which had multivariate care needs. In this circumstance a wife was providing care for her husband who has dementia, however she has limited mobility and depends on him to support her with some physical tasks. Joint working with other health and social care professionals was imperative in order to safeguard the needs of both service users (Meads Ashcroft et al, 2005). Combined assessments were carried out by myself as a social work practitioner, the district nursing team and community psychiatric nurse, enabling all involved professionals to be aware of each others role and involvement. This method of working was also highly beneficial to the service users in respect of limiting the amount of assessment meetings which took place and avoiding repetition of the same information to several professionals, which can become exhausting and create further anxiety ( Walker Beckett, 2003). I did encounter difficulty in interprofessional working when liaising with the GP regarding a requested review of the couples medication. The GP held the opinion that both service users should be placed in residential care due to their age and health problems and was reluctant to engage in any discussion regarding alternative options. Through joint working between other professionals however, funding for a live in carer was secured to support the couple, alongside ongoin g support from the community matron to ensure both health and community care assessed needs continued to be met fully and safely, in accordance with the NHS and Community Care Act (1990). On reflection this was a challenging experience and I felt frustrated by the apparent disregard of the wishes of the service users and the discriminative attitude exhibited in respect of their age, by the GP. The reluctance to engage further with any of the involved professionals following a case conference in which the GPs opinion had been challenged by myself and others working on the case, highlighted to me the hierarchy which is still in place within health and social care professions. Monlyneux (2001) argues that professionals who are assured in their professional role, are able to explore disparities in opinions and practice outside their own professions margin without feeling vulnerable. The importance, therefore, of maintaining focus on the service users wishes rather than difficulties in communication between professionals, ensuring their needs are met fully, is paramount. However, this incident demonstrates the difficulties which can occur when working within a team and the need for respect and equality for all members, in order to ensure effective interprofessional working takes place (Conyne, 1999). The discussions held amongst the team during the conference have highlighted further to me the disparity between perspectives held by health professionals, who apply the medical model of practice and social work practitioners implementing the social model. As argued by Petch (2002), in order to respond fully and positively the uniqueness of the individuals needs should be identified. Through this process, empowerment and equality can begin to be accomplished. Both perspectives, therefore, are valuable when striving towards holistic health and social care provision. These are issues I will be mindful of in my future practice and I will endeavor to continue to practice with integrity and in an anti-oppressive way in order to implement person centered care provision. To conclude, as a result of my practice experience and learning achieved from the conference, I feel strongly that a critical part of my future role as a qualified social worker is to facilitate the sharing of information between professionals. When appropriate, to advocate the service users individual wishes and to ensure all professionals are aware of these shared common goals. I feel this will contribute significantly to achieving the highest level of care for the service user and aims to support the safeguarding of both adults and children. (Word count 1338 ) Section 3. References Ashcroft, J. Meads, G. With, Barr, H. Scott, R. Wild, A. (2005) The case for Interprofessional collaboration: In health and social care. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. Banks, S. (2006) Ethics and values in social work. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillen. Barbour, R.S. (1985) Dealing with the transsituational demands of professional socialisation. Sociological Review 3: 495 531. Carpenter, J. Hewstone, M. (1996) Shared learning for doctors and social workers: evaluation of a programme, British Journal of Social Work 26: 239- 57. Centre for the advancement of interprofessional education (1997) Interprofessional education: A definition. London, CAIPE. Conyne, R, K. (1999) Failures in group work: How we can learn from our mistakes. London, Sage Publications Ltd. Cook, G, Gerrish. K, Clarke, C. (2001) Decision making in teams: issues arising from two evaluations. Journal of Interprofessional Care 15: 141 51. Dominelli, L. ( 1996) Deprofessionalising social work: Equal opportunities, competences and postmodernism. British Journal of Social Work 26 : 153- 75. Dominelli, L. (2002) Anti-oppressive social work theory and practice. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillen. Drake, S. Williams. V. The Intermediate care team: Interprofessional working seminar 7th October 2010. UWE Bristol, IPE Level 2 Conference. Dunning, J. (2010) Claim of extra  £2bn for social care challenged as cuts loom. Community care ( Magazine) 28 October 2010, p.5. Fook, J. (2002) Social work critical theory and practice. London, Routledge. Frost, N. Robinson, M. Anning, A.(2005) Social workers in multidisciplinary teams: issues and dilemmas for professional practice . Child and family social work 10: 187 96. Johnson, D.W. Johnson, F.P. (1994) Joining together: Group theory and group skills (5th edn), Boston, Allyn Bacon. Laming, Lord (2003) The Victoria Climbie Inquiry: report of an inquiry by Lord Laming. London, The Stationary Office. Available from: http://www.Victoria-Climbie-inquiry.org.uk/ (Accessed 29 October 2010). Laming, Lord ( 2009). Peter Connelly Serious case review. Available from: http://www.haringey/scb_org/executive_summary-peter-final.pdf (Accessed 17 November 2010). Lombard, D. (2009) Negative coverage often fails to give right of reply. Community care (Magazine) 12 May 2009, p.21. Making partnership work for patients, carers and service users: A strategic agreement between the Department of Health, the NHS and the community and voluntary sector (2004). Available from: http://www.dhgov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4089516.pdf (Accessed 28 October 2010). McGregor, K. (2010) Unison campaigns to boost appreciation of social workers. Available from: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/articles/2010/03/15/114049/unison-campaigns-to-boost-appreciation-of-social-workers.htm (Accessed 04 November 2010). Meads, G. Ashcroft, J. With, Barr, H, Scott, R. Wild, A. ( 2005) The case for interprofessional collaboration in health and social care. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. Molyneux, J. (2001) Interprofessional teamworking: what makes teams work well? Journal of Interprofessional care 15: 29 35. Mullender, A. Ward, D. (1991) Self directed groupwork: Users take action for empowerment, London, Whiting Birch. NHS Community Care Act ( 1990). Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/19/contents (Accessed 16 November 2010). Payne, M. (2000) Teamwork in multiprofessional care, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillen. Payne, M. (2006) What is professional social work? Bristol, The Policy Press. Petch, A. (2002) Intermediate care: What do we know about older peoples experiences? Available from: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/18593513/x.pdf (Accessed 14 November 2010). Putting people first: A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care (2007). Available from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_081119.pdf (Accessed 01 November 2010). Reeves, S. Zwarenstein, M. Goldman, J. Barr, H. Hammick, M. Koppel, I. (2009) Interprofesisonal education: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. The Cochrane Collaboration, Wiley Sons. Roe, B. Beech, R. (2005) Intermediate and continuing care: Policy and practice. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Skills for care ( 2009) National occupational standards for social work. Available from: http://www.skillsforcare.org/developing_skills/national_occupational_standards/National_occupational_standards_(NOS)_Health_and_social_care.asp (Accessed 01 November 2010). Walker, S. Beckett, C. (2003) Social work assessment and intervention, Lyme Regis, Russell House Publishing. Section 4.

Slavery In America Essay -- Slavery Essays

Slavery in America Introduction There has been much debate on the topic of slavery in the early times, although most of the countries considered slavery as a criminal activity. Some countries such as Myanmar and Sudan do not abolish it. They even expedite the slavery system. It is no doubt that slavery violent the human rights. However, it was commonly spread in the early times from 17th to 19th century. In this research, I will talk about the origin of the slavery, the reasons for people to becoming slave and the life of the slave. The Definition of slavery In 1926, the Slavery Convention defined slavery as "...the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised..." In the modern society, slave is a person who is controlled by another using violence or other methods. They do not have permission to escape, they will be returned to their master if they tried to do so. In general, the definition of slavery does not have much change between the early and the modern times, the only difference is the status of slaves would inherit from their mother and father and most of the slaves would keep their status from birth to death. The Origin of Slavery in US When we talk abut the Slavery of American, we must first know the reasons why the slave were mainly came from Africa. There are two reasons. The first reason is racialism that the black skin color of Africans becoming target of the European slave traders. Second, it was because slavery had already existed in Africa before it spread to America. Also, black people have strong body which can resist many diseases and endure the heat of the raging sun. In the16th century, Caribbean, Saint Kitts Nevis, and Virgini... ...s feeling. Conclusion I come to conclude slavery is the product of human fs avarice, conceit and selfish. Because of the benefit, we can destroy a person fs life without feeling any guilty. It is really disappointed and disgusted to look back the history of slavery. It let me see the evil part of human being. But I think it is right to do so. It is a good lesson for us, because it tells us that we should learn from the past, in order to prevent it from happening again. It also reminds us everyone should have been treated equally no matter what their race, creed, or color are. Today, freedom and equality are weakening day by day. The African American story is still replaying on every part of the world, not only between black and white people, but people of many different nationalities. Stories will never end, until equality is created in the heart of each person.

Unemployment in the US Essay -- essays papers

Unemployment in the US Why I Chose These Indicators I chose these indicators because all are something that ordinary people deal with every day. All of us have control over our own spending and how far into debt we go. If we are not making the salary we want then we are free to look for a new job or an additional job. There is also the possibility of going back to school to raise your educational level in order to get a better job. This may, of course, put us deeper into debt. We are in debt as a country, and as individuals, but with the economy as strong as it is people have no qualms about going deeper into debt. There are increases in delinquency rates on consumer loans, record numbers of bankruptcy filings, and an increasing share of income devoted to paying interest on debt. These are signs that some households are becoming overextended. In this paper I discuss bankruptcy, consumer credit, inherited wealth and the difference in the way some generations handle debt. Executive Summary Personal income, installment debt and unemployment are coincident or lagging economic indicators or both. By many measures the US economy is very healthy, but increasing consumer debt and personal bankruptcies raise concerns about the future. Credit card debt is higher than ever, and personal bankruptcies soared in 1995 and 1996 (Silverman 1997). Over 10% of Americans are expected to declare bankruptcy during the 1990s unless the trend changes, and there is no longer public scorn for those who file bankruptcy (Darlin 1997). Consumer credit remains readily available despite rising bankruptcies. This trend is attributed to a credit-friendly social policy which requires credit to be extended without discrimination. Furthermore, easy credit is needed to allow consumers to buy goods. The lending business also remains lucrative. To manage risks, financial institutions resort to diversification and risk shifting. The cost of bankruptcy is also incorporated in the cost of credit (Lykins and Plankenhorn 1996). The post baby-boom group known as Generation X is accumulating a great deal of debt, mostly through credit cards. The average credit card balance of households headed by someone under 25 nearly doubled from 1990 to 1995. There seems to be little desire among these people to live within their means (Shenk 1997). However,... ...e News, 6 October 1997 v13 n37 p40. Lykins, Gregory B., and Robert L. Plankenhorn. AEven with personal bankruptcies at record levels, easy consumer credit is here to stay,@ Illinois Business Review, Winter 1996 v53 n4 pg32. McGinn, Daniel. ADeadbeat nation: why are so many people in bankruptcy court?,@ Newsweek, 14 April 1997 v129 n15 p50. Murphy, Robert G. AHousehold debt and consumer spending,@ Business Economics, July 1998 v33 n3 p38. Seiberg, Jaret. AFed card study finds surprisingly little pure convenience use,@ American Banker, 19 June 1997, v162 p4. Shafer, Tim. ASailing over the fence: the rewards of good credit,@ Credit World, July-August 1997 v85 n6 p38. Shrenk, Joshua Wolf. AIn debt all the way up to their nose rings,@ U.S. News & World Report, 9 June 1997 v122 n22 p38. Silverman, Dick. AConsumer debt builds a house of cards,@ Daily News Record, 1 August 1997, v27 n92 p10. Time. AWhen boomers become busted,@ Time 31 March, 1997 v149 n13 p64. Topolnicki, Denise. AYou=d be surprised what folks will do for money today,@ Money August 1994, v23 n8 p12. Ventura, Michael. AThe psychology of money,@ Psychology Today, March-April 1995, v28 n2 p50. Unemployment in the US Essay -- essays papers Unemployment in the US Why I Chose These Indicators I chose these indicators because all are something that ordinary people deal with every day. All of us have control over our own spending and how far into debt we go. If we are not making the salary we want then we are free to look for a new job or an additional job. There is also the possibility of going back to school to raise your educational level in order to get a better job. This may, of course, put us deeper into debt. We are in debt as a country, and as individuals, but with the economy as strong as it is people have no qualms about going deeper into debt. There are increases in delinquency rates on consumer loans, record numbers of bankruptcy filings, and an increasing share of income devoted to paying interest on debt. These are signs that some households are becoming overextended. In this paper I discuss bankruptcy, consumer credit, inherited wealth and the difference in the way some generations handle debt. Executive Summary Personal income, installment debt and unemployment are coincident or lagging economic indicators or both. By many measures the US economy is very healthy, but increasing consumer debt and personal bankruptcies raise concerns about the future. Credit card debt is higher than ever, and personal bankruptcies soared in 1995 and 1996 (Silverman 1997). Over 10% of Americans are expected to declare bankruptcy during the 1990s unless the trend changes, and there is no longer public scorn for those who file bankruptcy (Darlin 1997). Consumer credit remains readily available despite rising bankruptcies. This trend is attributed to a credit-friendly social policy which requires credit to be extended without discrimination. Furthermore, easy credit is needed to allow consumers to buy goods. The lending business also remains lucrative. To manage risks, financial institutions resort to diversification and risk shifting. The cost of bankruptcy is also incorporated in the cost of credit (Lykins and Plankenhorn 1996). The post baby-boom group known as Generation X is accumulating a great deal of debt, mostly through credit cards. The average credit card balance of households headed by someone under 25 nearly doubled from 1990 to 1995. There seems to be little desire among these people to live within their means (Shenk 1997). However,... ...e News, 6 October 1997 v13 n37 p40. Lykins, Gregory B., and Robert L. Plankenhorn. AEven with personal bankruptcies at record levels, easy consumer credit is here to stay,@ Illinois Business Review, Winter 1996 v53 n4 pg32. McGinn, Daniel. ADeadbeat nation: why are so many people in bankruptcy court?,@ Newsweek, 14 April 1997 v129 n15 p50. Murphy, Robert G. AHousehold debt and consumer spending,@ Business Economics, July 1998 v33 n3 p38. Seiberg, Jaret. AFed card study finds surprisingly little pure convenience use,@ American Banker, 19 June 1997, v162 p4. Shafer, Tim. ASailing over the fence: the rewards of good credit,@ Credit World, July-August 1997 v85 n6 p38. Shrenk, Joshua Wolf. AIn debt all the way up to their nose rings,@ U.S. News & World Report, 9 June 1997 v122 n22 p38. Silverman, Dick. AConsumer debt builds a house of cards,@ Daily News Record, 1 August 1997, v27 n92 p10. Time. AWhen boomers become busted,@ Time 31 March, 1997 v149 n13 p64. Topolnicki, Denise. AYou=d be surprised what folks will do for money today,@ Money August 1994, v23 n8 p12. Ventura, Michael. AThe psychology of money,@ Psychology Today, March-April 1995, v28 n2 p50.

Gatekeeping Survives the Modern Age

A Master of Science in Communication Studies has finally become the heir apparent to an idea I’ve had for many years. Getting a graduate degree was always something I thought worthwhile, but the field of study was not so obvious. I did not want to put forth the time, effort and money without a clear idea of why to choose a particular subject, and then how to put it to good use. My first career as a weekly newspaper reporter was wonderful.Fresh out of college, but with a speech communication major (because that sounded like fun and could get me out of school in four years) I learned the newspaper business from a gentle man in a small town. Because writing is my first love, I was able to easily put information into a readable format. The rest of the responsibilities – interviewing, researching, proofreading, editing, layout, paste-up, photography, developing film and printing pictures, I picked up on the job. I was young and single, then young and married, and life was go od. It got better with children, so I put the newspaper business aside.As a few friends earned their Master’s Degrees, I was envious but not compelled. English and writing were options, but didn’t appear sensible unless I taught high school or contacted New York for literary work (no small feat in those pre-technology days). I was not interested in either. Life with kids was busy and they were the priority for my time. Two decades later I resumed where I had left off. I was ready to work for pay again and fell into the perfect job as a weekly newspaper reporter. It has been a growing experience as I brushed up on and fine-tuned my skills.I dove into controversial issues as well as the mundane, and for the last four years have recorded the news of a very active community. From this has grown the idea that a master’s is the next logical step. I love to learn, as I have from every story written for the newspaper. I am interested in studying the media from ‘th e big picture’ and associating with fellow mass communication enthusiasts. There are particular aspects of the degree I will pursue because it may be the only way to learn computerized techniques useful in the field.Most of my kids are no longer home to teach me that. For my final years of employment I would like to work with a company or non-profit organization, or teach at a junior college. I plan to stay with my perfect job until my last child is out of high school. Then I may be ready for a job with set hours. I’m quite sure that one year at a respectable salary will reimburse the cost of the master’s tuition, compared to a reporter’s wage. At any rate, I am always up for an adventure, and have been excited since deciding to further my education. Pat Fridgen