The Feminization Of Poverty Essays - Feminist Economics,

The Feminization Of Poverty The Origins of the Feminization of Poverty The United Nations Development Fund for Women reports that women are still the poorest of the world's poor, representing 70% of the 1.3 billion people who live in absolute poverty. They also estimate that nearly 900 million women in the world have incomes of less than $1 a day. In the United States alone, women are about 50 percent more likely to be poor than men. The feminization of poverty in America has steadily increased since the 1950's. Researchers have investigated the reasons for this increase, citing everything from teenage pregnancy to the rise in ?deadbeat dads.? Over the last thirty-five years there have been several trends in our society that have contributed to the feminization of poverty. In 1978, Diana Pearce published a paper citing that poverty in America was becoming more and more ?feminized.? She cited that almost two-thirds of the poor over the age of 16 were women. Pearce also claimed that even though there were more women entering the labor force between 1950 and the mid-1970's, women's economic status had declined. She argued that the blame for this feminization of poverty belonged to the government because of their lack of support for divorced and single women. She argued, ?for many the price of that independence has been their pauperization and dependence on welfare? (McLanahan 1). Further examination of the issue has shown that various changes in the family have contributed to the feminization of poverty. The last thirty years has seen a steady increase in the amount of children born outside of wedlock. In 1960, about six percent of all births were to unmarried couples whereas by 1996 over a third fell into this category (McLanahan 5). This influx of births to single mothers has weighed greatly on women in poverty. The statistics of children born to unmarried black couples is even more dramatic increasing from 22% in 1960 to 70% in 1996 (McLanahan 5). Most women in the lowest quintile of the population have come from generations of poverty before them and their only hope of survival is to get on their own and try to get education or job training. With the birth of children, these impoverished women now have two or three dependents to support and the cycle of poverty continues. Most of these women do not have families to support them and they are left with only one option ? government support. This has contributed a great deal to the rise of single mother households. Another contribution to the rise in female-headed households has been the increase in divorces. Sarah McLanahan, a researcher at Princeton University, noted that in 1950, ?most people remained married until they or their spouses died, but today over half of all couples end their marriages voluntarily. The divorce rate ? the number of divorces each year per 1,000 married women ? rose steadily during the first half of the twentieth century and increased dramatically after 1960. Over half of all marriages contracted in the mid-1980's were projected to end in divorce.? After the marriages are ended the custody of the children almost always goes to the mother. Now the mother becomes the single provider in her family, facing a job that pays far less than the job her male counterparts have, and on top of that her needs are greater because she has custody of their children. Karen Holden and Pamela Smock noted the problems women face after their marriages have ended: ?Women's post-dissolution economic hardship is due to multiple interrelated factors, often only superficially coupled with the marital dissolution event. In particular, the division of labor during marriage, lower wages paid to women both during and after marriage, and the lack of adequate post-dissolution transfers to women imply that unless changes in women's work roles are mirrored by social policy initiatives and men's assumption of equal responsibility for children (both within and out of marriage), economic prospects for previously married women will remain poor (Holden 52).? As single mothers, these women are thrown into unfamiliar territory, and the outcome has been a greater amount of women below the poverty threshold. With this rise in female-headed households below the poverty line has

Finding a Good Translator

Finding a Good Translator The general expectation of a good translator is an individual proficient in his/her language pairs, who can deliver a quality translation which accurately conveys the intended message to the reader. Finding that person, however, can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Here is my advice on how to find that needle.Seeking a translation agencyMany translators, particularly early in their careers, provide services through a translation agency. Usually, these translators dont actually work for the agency, which is more of a middleman between the translator and the client. Translation agencies provide advantages such as a system of quality control, facilitating business between translators and clients. Professionals may also be tested for their translation skills and ability to deliver work on time, adding an element of safety and reliability when looking for a translator.Another perk of translation agencies is that translator profiles may include reviews and ratings from their clients . While the criteria vary by client, a substantial amount of feedback is a fair reflection of the translators competence. In fact, a string of positive reviews speaks louder than any credentials.Its certainly possible to find a good translator working independently, but its more difficult. If you find such a translator, you should take it upon yourself to verify if the translator is certified, if other clients are satisfied with the translators services, etc. This research can take valuable time, which is why agencies tend to do the heavy lifting. Not to mention, agencies may provide additional services such as supporting tools, notarized translation certifications and editing.Translators do not translate wordsSeasoned translators will tell you that just knowing a second language isnt enough to be a translator. In fact, I would say translation is more of an exercise of textual interpretation, not unlike studying literature: the translator must analyze the words, grasp the meaning be hind those words, and keep that meaning in a different set of words. More than switching one language for another, translation is a process of semantic deconstruction and reconstruction. Therefore, we are talking about a whole skillset involving an analytical mind, research skills, intuition and cultural knowledge.A good translator also knows the importance of adapting the source text to the target audience. This process is known as localization. Even countries that speak the same language tend to differ in linguistic nuances, figures of speech, slangs, phrases, etc. A popular saying in a country may not convey the same meaning in a different language. The verses of a poem may not rhyme in a direct translation. Lyrics are a daunting endeavor, due to the complication of matching the target language to the beat of the song.Therefore, in addition to being culturally savvy, a good translator needs to be familiar with different writing styles in order to work on a variety of translation assignments, such as CVs, essays, prose, research texts, powers of attorney, letters, speeches, etc.In my case, my native language is Portuguese (BR), but English is such a constant part of my everyday life that I feel comfortable translating from English to Portuguese and vice-versa. This is what you should look for in a translator.Computers do not replace humansSince the Industrial Revolution, technology continues to take over jobs in the march of progress. Translation is not one of them, to my own relief (at least, at the time of writing). Although automatic translators have slowly improved over the years, due mostly to human input, human writing by nature has a level of subjectivity that a machine just isnt capable of processing. An automatic translator also doesnt ensure proper grammar structure, especially in complex sentences and idiomatic phrases. Even grammar/spellchecking tools are infamous for failing their job on occasion.Therefore, professionals never rely on automatic translators for their work, and you shouldnt ask them to either. Only a human mind can read between the lines to provide accurate translations.Can you translate this?Its impossible for any human being to know everything, let alone in multiple languages! A translator who claims to be specialized in all subjects is a flat-out liar. Translators should have the humility and maturity to recognize their strengths and limitations, and they should be upfront about it with their clients.Therefore, when looking for a translator, check if the translator has at least a working knowledge of the subject. Someone who translates scientific files may not be cut out for a legal document. A translator who does both might be unable to deal with artistic writing, and so on. If the translators profile/resume doesnt list his/her specialties, ask the translator. Request samples, show the source text (or part of it) to the translator, if possible. Good translators never accept jobs beyond their abilities.A good translator must understand your needs, and you must explain your needs to the translator. Is the translation just for you or for someone else? Is it an application letter for college? Do you need a translation for your website? Are you publishing a book? Give clear and detailed instructions; a good translator will keep your instructions in mind and make sure the translation suits your purposes.Honesty is the best policyUnlike most services, translation clients are at a natural disadvantage because its difficult to check the quality when you dont understand the target language. The best solution in this case is to consult a native speaker of the target language, especially if you want to publish the translated text.An ideal translation should look like it was written by a native. A translation riddled with errors and/or awkward wording wont go unnoticed by a native speaker, even if the person never saw the source text. Poor translations also lead to misinterpretations, and, in t he worst-case scenario, this can damage not just the translators reputation, but also the clients image. Therefore, a good translator always treats assignments with responsibility and professionalism, double-checking their work before delivering it.Once the terms of a project are mutually agreed on- such as price and deadline- a professional will deliver it on time. A good translator may deliver the translation early, if possible- but never a rushed product. Translation projects demand varying levels of research (even if the subject is among the translators specializations), so the translator will make sure to deliver the best possible work.However, despite our best efforts, translators are still human and translation is a constant learning experience. Therefore, how the translator responds to negative ratings and reviews is extremely important. If youre unhappy with a translation, make it known. A good translator should listen to your concerns and attempt to rectify the issue at no additional cost to you. Otherwise, your feedback will serve as a warning for future clients.Good translators dont sell themselves shortThere is a bitter pill to swallow, but Id be remiss if I didnt bring it up. Being a translator myself, I know this part might sound biased, but think of it as insight into the translators point of view.Obviously, I cant speak for every translator out there. Each translator is different. And since translators usually decide their own prices, the costs of their work can vary greatly. Most of the time, however, the price is indicative of the translators ability and experience. A translator may charge by the hour or by the word. Factors such as taxes, deadlines, and extra services such as a translation certification can also affect the price.Generally speaking, you can expect a professional who translates for a living to charge as much as $0.10 USD per word on average. Once again, this can vary; some may charge more, some may charge less. A translator m ight even be flexible depending on what you need translated. For example, something simple such as a personal letter might be charged a lower rate than a full study on the applications of acetylsalicylic acid. The deadline is also influential; quick deliveries will certainly cost more.However, dont forget that were talking about a highly specialized line of work. You can expect any translators worth their salt to have years of experience and/or study under their belts. And as explained earlier, this expertise goes far beyond simply learning another language (which is a challenge in and of itself). Therefore, offering $0.03/word to a translator charging $0.07/word is almost an insult. Most of the time, these fees are not decided lightly and the costs are justified. Nobody likes spending a lot of money, but translators must make ends meet like any other professionals.Lets talkSomething I learned in my life is that communication is the basis of a successful relationship, whether its pr ofessional or personal.If youre interested in a translators services but still have doubts, it never hurts to contact the translator directly. Ask all the questions you want, request samples, try to learn everything you need to know about the professional. A little talk can go a long way.A good translator should respond in a reasonable time period. You can generally expect a reply within 24 hours, through the agencys messaging system, the translators personal e-mail or any other contact methods the translator might make available. And this goes both ways: a good translator should contact the client in the event of unresolved problems or situations that may prevent the completion of a translation project. Translators will also inform clients of their availability and other pertinent details. The point is that good translators are accessible and upfront toward their clients.If youre lucky enough to be a native speaker of the translators second language, this is also your opportunity t o measure the translators fluency by yourself. If the translator seems to communicate about as well as a native, thats a good sign.

Assessment and Accountability in Nursing

Assessment and Accountability in Nursing Mentors have responsibility to assist students to develop their clinical skills and knowledge on placements. As well as developing clinical skills, students also develop their interpersonal skills and as a result of this experience gain maturity. (NMC, 2008) .To determine students have achieved the professional standards or competence, mentors must make assessments while their placement. This is vital to protect the public from unsafe and incompetent practitioners. Assessment is an essential role of a mentor. A good assessment process gives the students valuable feedback, it helps them to identify where they are, highlights, deficits in their learning ,identifies what they need to do and enables them to set realistic future goals.(Danny Walsh 2010). A good assessment process help us to predict future behaviour of the nurse we train. However we can cut down the risks by ensuring that the assessment processes itself meets certain standards and criteria which are considered best practi ce. Proper assessments of students are essential because, they are the future nurses are responsible for protecting the public in patient care, (Necklin and Kenworthy, 2000:108).Through assessment mentor can identify the strength and weakness, knowledge and practical skill of a student. According to (Walsh 2010) student nurses are assessed for variety of reasons in their clinical practice. Examples of this; to monitor the students’ progress to give feedback, to discover learning needs, to encourage students, to monitor their progress, to assess students level of competence, to assess knowledge, skills and attitudes, to measure the effectiveness of the teaching and to safeguard the patient and protect the public. As students work alongside with mentors, need to encourage students to perform patient care through instructions, guidance and supervision. While they are caring the patients mentors can observe and give feedback, this means while student is learning she is being asse ssed. Managing the process of assessment and feedback is hugely important. Students fail their placements for a wide range of reasons, but certain key factors can help minimise this happening. The student needs to feel welcomed and wanted to be able to perform into the placement quickly and so get on with meeting their competencies. Duffy (2003) cited several reasons for students failing and the key aspect was the lack of a good mentor/student relationship. Mentors must be meeting with students regularly can identify the problems or deficits the students going through. Learning needs should then be identified and action plan must be put in place. Mentors and assessors have the right and responsibility of making professional judgements about the performance of their student. (ENB and department of Health, 2001).Students needs to be respected while maintaining their professional standards, it is important to recognise the rights and to be supported to succeed in clinical practice. Mon itoring progress is about finding the students quality and quantity of learning and any difficulties students may experiencing that can be identified and action plan to be applied. There are different methods of assessment like observation of patient care, questions and answers, reflection, briefing, self assessment peer assessment, testimonies, portfolios.(Stuart 2003). Duffy and Hardicre (2007) identify the reasons of a failing student are lack of insight, lack of interest poor communication or interpersonal skills, personal issues, being over confident. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC2004a) states that nurses are accountable for their own practice. The public has a right to expect competence from the qualified professional in healthcare. With the purpose of assessment as a form of quality control for the healthcare professions, assessors should be able to identify failing students and provide enough support and resources to overcome the difficulties.

Long-Term Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Long-Term Care - Essay Example The aging of America has helped to bring the issue of the state of long-term care system in the limelight. It was in 1988 when Presidential candidates talked in their debates for the elections while Congress first tried decisively to cobble a national policy on long-term care by introducing four major bills on long-term care financing (Kuchler 1). However, while America is aging, life expectancy has also lengthened so that more and more older people are joining the ranks of senior citizens - consequently, expanding the ranks of those who will face disability in the near future. In the past, the policy was geared towards institutional care, mostly nursing homes and residential care facilities, but now efforts are being done towards more a home-based or community-based care due to the wishes of the families of patients. Another socio-cultural force that has brought the long-term care system to its current state is the role played by informal caregivers, especially women. Women and relatives of the elderly and the disabled have traditionally been assigned the task of being the caregivers of the family. As a result of higher educational attainments, rising divorce rates, and more opportunities for women in the labor force, the long-term care system has been faced with the issue of dearth of informal caregivers. ... The shortage of care-giving professionals will continue to affect the state of the long-term care system in the future. Long-term care financing as well as delivery has been tasked as a matter of policy to Medicare and Medicaid, with the former including long-term care service only as an adjunct in case of acute illness for people with disabilities and the latter, as the institutional source of long-term care funding for very economically hard-up people. The policy has been criticized for failing to provide support for people who need long-term care service. Medicaid only could be relied on to provide long-term care when their financial resources have dried up and thus, "the system is excessively harsh" (Feder, Komisar and Niefeld 54). Partly the result of the inadequacy of the coverage of long-term care financing, most people especially from the middle classes rely on out-of-pocket expenses to pay for long-term care. It is estimated in one study that 20% of older people will spend US$25,000 from their own pockets to fund future long-term care needs (Johnson, Toohey and Wiener 2). There are continuin g policy debates on how to integrate Medicare and Medicaid and how these debates will fare in the coming years and thus shape whether the long-term care system will be up to the challenge of providing better services and financially viable options for the country. As the age group called the baby boomers or those who were born between 1946 and 1964 reach retirement age and who currently comprise more than a fourth of the American population, some have sounded alarms that this phenomenon is a healthcare crisis in the making (Achison n.p.). When this age group will become part of the population that will stop paying taxes that fund Medicare and would be

Art and Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art and Knowledge - Essay Example This positive tradition which follows the western philosophical thoughts loves to believe that art is largely emotive rather than informative. To illustrate, according to people like Ayer (1952, p.54), the sources of empirical knowledge should be synthetic propositions the truth value of which can be determined. In addition, logical relationships should be derived from analytic propositions which are open to manipulation (ibid). Does art provide knowledge? The historical discussion Admittedly, this traditional belief that art has nothing to do with epistemology arose from the fact that arts are mainly aimed at arousing emotion. In fact, people seek out arts mainly to get oneself lost into the imaginary world created by the arts. Thus, one can easily point out that arts are primarily meant to reach a natural high which is often the result of ones sensory responses. Thus, traditionally, arts and sensory experiences were interlinked and inseparable. Thus, Plato (1992, p. 113) argued tha t the sensory side of human experience is primary in the arts. According to Stolnitz (1992, p. 191), the argument is that senses are a hindrance to the achievement of the high state in which reality can be understood. In fact, the weights and chains of the prisoners incarcerated in Plato’s caves were really surrogates or proxies for the distractions that our senses imposed upon whatever our rational mind could possibly muster. Thus, one can see that the stimulation of senses, which takes place through arts, is rather misleading. As John (2001, p.330) reflects, instead of making one reach critical thinking and rationality, arts lead one away from truth which can only be derived through critical rationality. And as time passed, there arose two extremes in the cognitive triviality of arts (ibid). The opinion of Plato was contradicted by Aristotle (2008, p. 45) in Poetics through the argument that poetry is capable of conveying the knowledge of universals to people. Thus, there a rise two classes of thought; one that believes in the aesthetic value of art, and one that believes in the cognitive value of art. Admittedly, it is possible to develop a third class of thought; that is, aesthetic cognitivism. This class of thought claims that art can give knowledge, and also that this knowledge can enhance the aesthetic value of art. According to cognitivists, it is possible for art to impart knowledge. In order to substantiate their claim, cognitivists rely on philosophical knowledge as derived from various works of literature. The gist of their argument is that though moral philosophy manages to provide an outline of what is good; works of literature are useful and at times necessary to understand the application of the same in various situations. As McKeon (2001, p.241) comments, Aristotle comes up with three types of knowledge; theoretical, practical, and productive. The theoretical knowledge refers to the knowledge about things that are fundamental in nature ( ibid). An example of this knowledge is the products and processes of nature. Practical knowledge refers to the knowledge that teaches what to do to address certain contingencies. Thirdly, productive knowledge teaches one how to make new things. Admittedly, the question arises as to how art can introduce productive knowledge. Thus, one gains the insight that the meaning of the word ‘knowledge’ itself is likely to change according to the nature of the problem one pursues (ibid). Based on the traditional view of scientific knowledge, knowledge is supposed to come along with evidence regarding the truth. In other words, knowledge is the ability to provide warranted assertions. In other words, the term ‘

Reasons for not Encrypting Data Essay Example for Free

Reasons for not Encrypting Data Essay Encryption of data involves using particular software such as PGP to put it in the form only understandable by the intended recipient. However, encryption does not fully guarantee the security of the data nowadays with introduction of sophisticated malwares by hackers. Most of the popular emails used –yahoo, Gmail, and hotmail- encrypts passwords and information on transit automatically and thus it more or less important to first encrypt your emails. For instance, yahoo applies SSL tools to encrypt all data. Using encryption software involves a lot time as one has to validate every email before sending it with a key. A person who has initiated the use of encryption service has to publish hi/her key so that other have access to it as well as other person’s public key. Besides, the key has to be unique and complex to mitigate possible hacking. Consequently, the recipient of the email must be using encryption software as well as have the necessary public and private key to decrypt the information. This means that communication with individuals who are not using encryption software is difficult. A situation whereby a person is the solitary user of software among the others could probably arise (Shankland, 2010). Additionally, key management is challenging to anyone who is not conversant with IT because of vulnerabilities to encryption, such as `brute force` cracking and `back doors`. It is via using lengthy keys and genuine software that can mitigate this although not totally (NetAction, 2001). According to Whitten (1999) if you are using encryption software, one is forced to back it up and some other of user’s action are delicate in that they are irreversible. Thus, a high risk of losing valuable data and they include deleting private key accidentally, publicizing one’s key accidentally, revoking a key accidentally, and forgetting a pass phrase. If a private key is deleted, it is totally gone whereas forgetting lengthy key for instance â€Å"S411!! y are: #1 i/\/! mY! b00k!!! † terminates the usefulness of the encryption program. Reason being that one can no longer be able to decrypt information/data that he/she encrypted earlier. References Whitten, A. (1999). Why Johnny Can’t encrypt: A Usability Evaluation of PGP 5. 0. Retrieved July 28, 2010 from http://gaudior. net/alma/johnny. pdf Shankland, S. (2010, January). Want really secure Gmail? Try GPG encryption. Retrieved July 28, 2010 from http://news. cnet. com/8301-30685_3-10434684-264. html NetAction. (2001). Do you need encryption? Retrieved July 28, 2010 from http://www. netaction. org/encrypt/guide. html#vulnerabilities

Bilingual Education In Miami :: essays research papers

While California debates whether to stop teaching school children in two languages, the school system in Miami, Florida is expanding bilingual education. This city at the crossroads of the Americas is expanding bilingual education under the argument that students will need to speak, read and write in English and Spanish when they reach the business world. The decision to do this almost seems natural for a metropolis where the top-rated television stations broadcast in Spanish, the top-ranked newspaper publishes a separate Spanish daily edition, many top civic leaders speak effortless Spanish and Latinos have become the majority. Educators in Miami, home to the first bilingual public school in the modern era, are baffled by the cultural and political firefight over bilingual education in California.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nowhere is the controversy more intense than in California. On June 2, 1998 there was a vote on an anti-bilingual education initiative, Proposition 227. This proposition would end most bilingual programs in California and give students with limited English skills about one year of special English classes before placing them in the mainstream. To even have something like this on the Ballot in California seems very odd. California has more students with limited English skills than any other state. California has approximately 1.4 million students with limited English and about 30% of them are in formal bilingual programs, including some two-way programs. The most common approach in California is â€Å"transitional† bilingual education, in which students often spend more time being taught in their native language than in English for their first school years. Due to the large population of Spanish speakers in California I would think that educators would want t o mock Miami’s style of teaching both English and Spanish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Miami educators view it differently than they do in California. They look at bilingual education as a business opportunity for students. Miami’s trades with Latin America amount to billions of dollars a year. Top business leaders say that Miami can not afford to do with out bilingual education. James F. Partridge, chief of Latin American and Caribbean operations for Visa International said, â€Å"I don’t give a hoot about the political aspects of it. To me, that’s a lot of garbage. I am interested in the financial well being of this community. We need bilingual people to survive.† Partridge is so concerned about the issue that his office gives remedial lessons in Spanish and Portuguese to dozens of employees whose weak bilingual skills don’t allow them to communicate with clients in those languages.

Personal Development Essay

I have been employed as care worker with my Company, for the last 4 years. Upon joining the Company, I received an induction, which covered guidance and training, in areas applicable for my role. I also received a job description, which informed me of what I was expected to do within my role. When I first started working here, I had no previous experience as a carer, so I found the induction very informative, to support my role, and responsibilities. It informed me of the organisational policies and procedures, which I had to sign, to say I had read and understood their contents. My induction training also made me aware of the legislation that relates to my role, and the GSCC code of practice, that all social care workers must work to. The General Social Care Council,(GSCC) is the social care workforce regulator in England and their job is to regulate the conduct and training of the care workforce. As a care employee, I am required to abide by the code of practice as defined by the G SCC. see more:explain what reflective practice is This code states that I should: * Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers * Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers * Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible form danger and harm * Respect the rights of service users while seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people * Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services * Be accountable for their practice and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills. During my induction period with the company, I received regular supervision with my line- manager, who assessed my progress, and competence to perform my role. When my induction period ended, my supervision then took/takes place every 3 months. My supervision covers:- * All aspects of my practice * My career development needs * My reflections on training I have attended recently, progress with my NVQ or other qualifications * Information about the policy and procedures in my organisation. * Constructive feedback on my service delivery. My supervision is always held in a confidential setting, between myself and my Manager. My Manager records details of what has been discussed, targets identified, and achievement target dates to be met by me and my Manager. This is my personal development plan, and helps me to record training received, training identified, and knowledge gained. My supervision is my opportunity to discuss issues I am concerned about. Sometimes prior to my supervision, I write down notes on issues I want to raise, so that I do not forget whilst in my supervision. I also receive appraisal (performance review), meetings with my manager, these are usually once a year. This is a review of my performance, summarising what I think I have achieved, and what my manager thinks I have achieved over the last 12 months. I discuss my training record and identify what my Personal Development Plan will be for the next 12 months. I also agree some personal objectives or targets for me to achieve before my next appraisal. Other colleagues I work with may have been asked for their opinions on my work as well. As a care worker I must be accountable for the quality of my work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving my knowledge and skills. This means I identify mandatory training I may need, and refresher courses, to keep my knowledge up to date, and so meet the current care standards. I also receive training from observing more experienced colleagues, who can teach me ‘on the job’ techniques. This is ‘informal’ training, but is most beneficial, along with ‘formal’ training courses I attend. All training helps to improve my service delivery, and enables me to use recommended safe practice in my working role. I can develop my knowledge, skills, and understanding by: * Identifying the knowledge, skills and standards required for my job role. * Reflecting on my practice, and making improvements on previous practice. * Receiving constructive feedback from my manager, and colleagues. * Undertake learning activities that inform my working practice. * Put new skills that I have learned into practice. I attend regular staff meetings, where staff members can discuss service users in a confidential setting. This is good practice as it provides a platform for staff to share their experiences, and gain moral support and advice from colleagues. My employer also provides a counselling service for staff members, due to the ‘pressures’, of the role. I can ask my Manager for this service if I feel work pressures are too much, and my Manager and organisation will support me. If I have a work related problem, I can approach my supervisor, and line manager for support. I feel comfortable in doing this, as I am confident that they will address my issues, and help me to resolve them. I have the opportunity to develop in my role, as my employer arranges regular ‘in-house’, training opportunities. My employer has also encouraged me to undertake my NVQ qualification, and has allowed me ‘paid’ time for study. My employer advertises job vacancies internally, and I have been encouraged to apply for more ‘senior’ positions, for my career progression.

The Cons of Marijuana Usage

The legalization of marijuana is one of the most highly debated about subjects facing Americans today. Advocates of legalization use two major arguments in their effort to have marijuana legalized. First, which is by far the biggest argument is that marijuana has a significant medical use. The second argument is that marijuana does not cause harm to those that smoke it. Both of these arguments can be easily discounted by the numerous studies that have been done on the effects of marijuana both medicinal and recreational. In the following paragraphs we will explore the hard facts of marijuana that will discount the validity of the previously mentioned arguments as well as some common fallacies. I will focus first on the medical fallacy. There currently exists a great debate concerning smoking marijuana as a medicine. Many well-intentioned leaders and members of the public have been led misled by the well-financed and organized pro-drug legalization lobby into believing there is merit to their argument that smoking marijuana is a safe and effective medicine. A review of the scientific research, expert medical testimony, and government agency findings shows this to be erroneous. There is no justification for using marijuana as a medicine. The movement to legitimize smoking marijuana as a medicine is not encouraged by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, health and medical associations, or medical experts; but instead by groups such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the Drug Policy Foundation (DPF). These organizations have little medical expertise and favor various forms of legalizing illicit drugs. The studies cited by the marijuana advocates have been found to be unscientific, poorly researched, and involved pharmaceutical THC, not marijuana. An advocate that claimed he was an expert, testified at the 1987 federal hearings to reschedule marijuana, was in fact a wellness counselor at a health spa who admitted under oath to using every illegal mind-altering drug he ever studied. Another â€Å"expert† admitted he had not kept up with new medical or scientific information on marijuana for over 18 years. Another doctor claimed there was voluminous medical research on the effectiveness of marijuana but under oath, when asked to cite the number of the studies, he replied, â€Å"I would doubt very few. † The fact is that there is not one reliable scientific study that shows smoking marijuana to be a safe and effective drug. The majority of the marijuana advocates’ â€Å"evidence† comes from unscientific, non-scrutinized or analyzed anecdotal statements from people with a variety of illnesses. It is unknown whether these individuals used marijuana prior to their illness or are using marijuana in combination with other medicines. It is also unknown whether they have had recent medical examinations, are justifying their use of marijuana, experiencing a placebo effect, or experiencing the intoxicating effect of smoking marijuana. The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana (THC) is already legally available in pharmaceutical capsule form by prescription from medical doctors. This drug, Marinol, is less often prescribed because of the potential adverse effects, and there are more effective new medicines currently available. Marinol differs from the crude plant marijuana because it consists of one pure, well-studied, FDA-approved pharmaceutical in stable known dosages. Marijuana is an unstable mixture of over 400 chemicals including many toxic psychoactive chemicals, which are largely unstudied and appear in uncontrolled strengths. The manufacturers of Marinol, Roxane Laboratories Incorporated, do not agree with the pro-marijuana advocates that THC is safe and harmless. In the Physician’s Desk Reference, a good portion of the description of Marinol includes warnings about the adverse effects. Seriously, doesn t common sense dictate that it is not good medical practice to allow a substance to be used as a medicine if that product is ingested by smoking, not FDA-approved, made up of hundreds of different chemicals, and self-prescribed and administered by the patient. The federal government, over the last 20 years involving a number of administrations from both political parties, has determined that smoking marijuana has no redeeming medicinal value, and is in fact harmful to health. These governmental agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U. S. Public Health Service. Their latest finding, as recently as 1994, was affirmed in a decision by the U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington, DC Since the pro-marijuana lobby has been unsuccessful in dealing with the federal government, they have targeted state and local governments to legitimize smoking marijuana as a medicine. A careful examination of their legislative and/or ballot proposals reveals they are written to effectively neutralize the enforcement of most marijuana laws. Crude, intoxicating marijuana under their proposals would be easier to obtain and use than even the most harmless, low-level prescription drug. Major medical and health organizations, as well as the vast majority of nationally recognized expert medical doctors, scientists and researchers, have not accepted smoking marijuana as a safe and effective medicine. These organizations include: the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, National Sclerosis Association, the American Glaucoma Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology, National Eye Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Dental Research, and the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. There are thousands of studies available documenting the harmful physical and psychological effects of smoking marijuana. The harmful consequences include but are not limited to premature cancer, addiction, coordination and perception impairment, a number of mental disorders including depression, hostility and increased aggressiveness, general apathy, memory loss, reproductive disabilities, impairment to the immune system, numerous airway injuries, and other general problems associated with intoxication. So far I have shown why marijuana should be disregarded as medicinal now I intend to discount some more common fallacies that marijuana advocates like to throw around as well as the argument that marijuana causes no harm to the smoker. First, advocates for marijuana like to say laws against alcohol and drugs don t work so why have them. They often use prohibition in the early 1900 s as an example. Even though prohibition was unpopular and only in effect for about fourteen years, it did impact the use of alcohol. Alcohol use, alcohol-related deaths, and admissions to hospitals for other alcohol related illnesses were all reduced approximately 50 percent. Also, contrary to what you hear, there’s no evidence of a big increase in crime. That probably makes for good gangster movies, but little else. Prohibition was rescinded because alcohol historically had been part of our lives, and the majority didn t support prohibition. Drugs, on the other hand, have not been part of our everyday lives, and over 80 percent of Americans favor drug prohibition A second fallacy is that legalizing marijuana would reduce the number of crimes and would free up prison space for more violent offenders. First of all there are 12 million arrests made annually out of which 1 million are for drug violations, of these only 12 percent are sentenced to prison. Most of the criminals that are locked up already have rap sheets a mile long for different crimes anyways. Now if we legalize marijuana the arrests would stop because of the change in the criminal code but the criminals wouldn t change their behavior and become law-abiding citizens. They will continue to commit crimes to pay rent, buy cars, go to concerts, buy clothes, eat, and buy legal drugs. Thirdly, most advocates like to use the Netherlands as an example of marijuana being legalized and not having any problems. The Netherlands has begun experiencing a variety of problems including a rise in crime, welfare, unemployment, and addicts from other countries migrating there to indulge their drug appetites. A fourth common fallacy is that if we legalize marijuana we would save at least 20 billion dollars annually that is now used towards law enforcement. What this fallacy assumes is that there would be no governmental costs associated with distribution, regulation, and control of legal drugs. Using alcohol as a model, we know these costs can be substantial. Knowing government, there is very little they do that is cost effective. In 1965, when we started Medicare, Congress projected that it would cost this country $12 billion by 1990. The actual costs that year were $110 billion. In 1968 food stamps cost $173 million annually, and now, less than 30 years later, the price tag is $24 billion. And, finally the greatest fallacy that marijuana does not harm the user. The fact remains that marijuana and hashish are intoxicating substances that make the user high. The degree of mental and physical impairment depends on the amount and strength of marijuana smoked. There is a substantial difference between the 2 to 5 percent THC weed of the ’70s and the 10 to 20 percent THC in today’s weed. There is a definite reason why the higher grade is more desirable and expensive, and that’s simply because it gives the user a more powerful high. Studies show marijuana can and often does cause apathy, diminishes mental capacity, causes difficulty in concentrating, decline in performance, and lost motivation. Thousands of studies also show marijuana use adversely affects the brain, reproduction process, immune system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and remains in the body for extended periods of time. In addition, marijuana use often impairs normal thought processes, distorts reality, reduces self-control, and releases inhibitions, all of which increase the chance of harmful and criminal behavior. Many times the user is unaware he or she is being affected unless told by others. A Stanford Medical School study showed pilots to be impaired 24 hours after smoking one joint, even though they felt they were functioning normally. In conclusion, the bottom line is, whenever persons are under the influence, they pose a threat to themselves and others. We don’t need more intoxicated people on our streets, at public events, or driving on our highways. Traffic fatality studies clearly demonstrate a disproportionate number of deaths caused by drivers under the influence of marijuana. Why would we want to make a substance like that legal, inexpensive and readily available to satisfy he desires of a few who already choose to violate our laws? Haven’t the advocates learned anything from our experience with drunkenness?

The Role of Colors on Maps

The Role of Colors on Maps Cartographers use color on maps to represent certain features. Color use is always consistent on a single map and often consistent across different types of maps made by different cartographers and publishers. Many colors used on maps have a relationship to an object or feature on the ground. For example, blue is almost always the color chosen for water. Political Maps Political maps, or those that show government boundaries, usually use more map colors than physical maps, which represent the landscape often without regard for human modification, such as country or state borders. Political maps often use four or more colors to represent different countries or internal divisions of countries, such as states or provinces. Blue often represents water and black and/or red is frequently used for cities, roads, and railways. Black also shows boundaries, with differing types of dashes and/or dots used to represent the type of boundary: international, state, county, or other political subdivision. Physical Maps Physical maps use color most dramatically to show changes in elevation. A palette of greens often displays elevations. Dark green usually represents low-lying land, with lighter shades of green used for higher elevations. In the next higher elevations, physical maps often use a palette of light brown to dark brown. Such maps commonly use reds, white, or purples to represent the highest elevations shown on the map. It is important to remember that on maps that use shades of greens, browns, and the like, color does not represent ground cover. For example, showing the Mojave Desert in green due to low elevation doesnt mean that the desert is lush with green crops. Likewise, showing mountain peaks in white does not indicate that the mountains are capped with ice and snow all year long. On physical maps, blues are used for water, with darker blues representing the deepest water. Green-gray, red, blue-gray, or some other color is used for elevations below sea level. General-Interest Maps Road maps and other general-use maps are often a jumble of color, with some of the following schemes: Blue: lakes, rivers, streams, oceans, reservoirs, highways, and local bordersRed: major highways, roads, urban areas, airports, special-interest sites, military sites, place names, buildings, and bordersYellow: built-up or urban areasGreen: parks, golf courses, reservations, forest, orchards, and highwaysBrown: deserts, historical sites, national parks, military reservations or bases, and contour (elevation) linesBlack: roads, railroads, highways, bridges, place names, buildings, and bordersPurple: highways, and on U.S. Geographical Survey topographic maps, features added to the map since the original survey Choropleth Maps Special maps called choropleth maps use color to represent statistical data for a given area. Typically, choropleth maps represent each county, state, or country with a color based on the data for that area. For example, a common choropleth map of the United States shows a state-by-state breakdown of which states voted Republican (red) and Democratic (blue). Choropleth maps can also be used to show population, educational attainment, ethnicity, density, life expectancy, the prevalence of a certain disease, and much more. When mapping certain percentages, cartographers who design choropleth maps often use different shades of the same color, producing a nice visual effect. For example, a map of county-by-county per capita income in a state could use a range of green from light green for the lowest per-capita income to dark green for the highest per-capita income.

Describe and analyse in detail the dramatic importance and visual Essay - 1

Describe and analyse in detail the dramatic importance and visual impact of the Mediterranean setting in Et Dieu cra la femme (Roger Vadim, 1956) - Essay Example To fully comprehend the effect of the different elements on the movie, the impact of the points has to be analyzed in its total form. The formation of the script is important and the Mediterranean settings play an instrumental role in the setting. The classical conceptualization of the plot is one of the strong points. The impact of the Mediterranean setting on the movie can be comprehended form the overall complicity of the movie with the settings. The film has all the element of the modern day cinema and even pushed the boundaries in terms of the classical representation. This ensured the fundamental nature of the movie. The central characters of the film are justified by the Mediterranean settings in the movie. The central plot of the movie is based on this situation of the movie. The Mediterranean settings added a certain degree of charm to the surroundings. This is seen in the heightened sense of sensuality of the movie. The overall development of the movie was seen to be a result on that stress on sensuality. The elements of drama have been seen in the movie and this has endeared the movie to the watchers. The movies were made in the golden age of French drama. It was seen to have all the elements of the genre in place. The progression of the story is significant in terms of the elements involved in the characterization of the movie. The film was directed by Roger Vadim and starred Brigitte Bardot in it. It is the film that is widely credited to have led to the rise of stardom of Bardot. The conceptualization and the development of the story have a touch of sensuality to it. The story has all th e elements that glamorize the settings. If the plot is very keenly observed, it can be seen that the story has concordance with the Mediterranean settings. The sensuousness of the story has been helped by the concept that the story has shown. This is one of the primal parts of the story that is of significance. The film has a

Exploring the Metta Sutta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exploring the Metta Sutta - Essay Example This is exemplified in the lines "This is what should be done by those who are skilled in goodness and who know the path of peace; Let them be able and upright, straightforward and gentle in speech. Humble and not conceited, contented and easily satisfied. Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways. Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful, not proud and demanding in nature." (Discourse On Loving-Kindness, n.d.). Also, the Metta Sutta develops towards the specific acts of goodness one should involve oneself in such as not going against the law. The fact that human beings are also emotional beings highly influenced by feelings in choosing a course of action, the law is an important guiding factor to successfully achieve peace and order in society. And as Buddhism accepts the idea of suffering which is inevitable in our society, the word "wise" in the lines "Let them not do the slightest thing that the wise would later reprove. Wishing: in gladness and in safety, may all beings be at ease,† for me, pertains to lawmakers who should be discerning in governing people and leading them to a better life so as to be able to avoid suffering (Discourse On Loving-Kindness, n.d.). After establishing ones responsibility to honing a peaceful society, it then likens the love and care people that people in position, people who are stronger, & richer should have towards those who are less fortunate to a mothers, which never fails, unconditional, forgiving, and enduring. This is being encompassed in these verses, "May all beings be at ease! Let none deceive another, or despise any being in any state. Let none through anger or ill-will wish harm upon another. Even as a mother protects with her life, her child, her only child, so with a boundless heart, should one cherish all living beings; radiating kindness over the entire world. Spreading upwards to the skies, and downwards to the