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

Review - Research Paper Example dality of IMRI with CT and ultrasound to identify that IMRI presents no limitations when it comes to neurological imaging, the report does not lag behind in discussing the primarily important applications of IMRI. It is claimed by the report that with advancements made in IMRI systems over time, not only the scan time is reduced resulting in minimum patient exposure but the image quality in terms of contrast and resolutions has also dramatically enhanced. Starting with the GE Double Donut system which was the first ever IMRI system introduced, a question can definitely be raised about the advantages mentioned in the report about this system like if superior access to the patient and no patient movement required during the imaging procedure happen to be the reasons enough for the level of popularity this system amassed? Not enough credible facts related to imaging time and contrast quality are mentioned in the advantages of any of the systems talked about in the report, which leaves the readers doubtful to some extent about the advantages associated with IMRI systems available currently in terms of time and quality. Though there is much detail contained in the report about the core technicalities associated with IMRI systems like low field and high field systems, one would definitely like to get more information about the pulse sequences running in these systems. Also, some questions concerning the benefits of IMRI related to breast e xaminations and how it can be preferred over mammography for breast cancer detection remain unanswered. One of the most effective improvements which can be made to this report would be going into less detail about the IMRI magnets and hardcore physics of the low field and high field IMRI systems, while relying more on introducing the benefits in terms of image quality, exposure time, and how capable a certain IMRI system is of imaging a totally disabled person who cannot cooperate with the physician in any way possible. Another

Select a country and analyze the recent state of their fiscal policy Research Paper

Select a country and analyze the recent state of their fiscal policy - Research Paper Example To ask which comes first is like asking the perennial question, â€Å"Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?† On the one hand, there is the leisure and pleasure travelers who come from around the world come to enjoy its pristine beaches and breathtaking coral reefs. Then while there, they make a little side trip to the business center to open an offshore bank account, invest in the stock market or buy the nice lot they have spotted while trekking. On the other hand, there are the business people on their nth business trip to the Caribbean islands to have their corporation or business registered. They are also there to buy stocks, invest in trust and mutual funds, or open an offshore bank account. And while waiting for their business to get processed, they check-in into a resort and go scuba diving on one of the island’s amazing reefs. Aside from its natural wonders, the government of this three-island country lures investors with its zero direct taxes. Yes, you hear d it right. The 57,000 Caymanians pay no direct taxes to the government. There is no tax on income, donation, and inheritance. Capital gains tax and corporate taxes are also unheard of in this Caribbean haven. Finally, there are no property taxes in Cayman Islands. At most the government collects a six percent to seven and a half percent (6% to 7.5%) stamp duty for the sale of real property, which is based on its value at the time of sale. There is also a one percent to one and a half percent (1% to 1.5%) fee that is collected for mortgages of real property (Cayman Islands Government FAQ). Simply put, for the Caymanians, it means that there is no need to declare your income, what your properties are, or any other assets for that matter (Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce). The government does not collect data how much you earn, how much you spend or how much you owe. The government is not interested to know how you earned your wealth. They don’t care if you worked for it, inh erited it or received it as a gift. For the foreigners, zero direct taxes means there are no restrictions on land ownership. Foreigners can purchase land for as much as they can afford. There are no limits on investment opportunities. The government does not want to know what you invested into and how much money you put in a certain business. Foreigners can open as many bank accounts as they like. As a matter of fact, if you show up in person and present yourself for interview by the bank, you only need to present your passport to open an account. No certification of identification is necessary (Investing in Cayman) As a matter of fact, this zero direct tax system is the country’s major selling point to investors who are always on the lookout for better terms for their money. The primary industry of financial services, together with its allied professional services industry which includes lawyers, bankers, accountants, and financial advisors account for 55% of the countryâ₠¬â„¢s Gross Domestic Product (Teather 11). More specifically, this industry provides 12,500 jobs which is 36% of the employment rate of Cayman Islands. The 55% GDP actually account for 40% of the total revenue of the government. Finally, financial service is what brings in 30,000 visitors annually to the three islands of this Caribbean nation. I have focused my research and discussion on the zero direct tax rates in Cayman Islands because I

The Salvation Army Hostel For The Homeless Social Work Essay

The Salvation Army Hostel For The Homeless Social Work Essay Introduction According to Hardcastle, Powers and Wenocur (2004), Community practice is the application of practice skills to alter the behavioural patterns of community groups, organisations, and institutions or peoples relationships and interactions with these entities. Drawing from this simple definition of community practice, the report focuses on the work I carried out as an Applied Community studies student working with homeless people at the Salvation Army (SA) hostel in Coventry where I completed 140 hours of practice learning as an Assistant Project Worker. For personal reflection and intellectual development the report evaluates the themes around homelessness (causes and bio-psycho-social impacts of homelessness). The theories, legislation and policy underpinning work with homeless people is discussed, and for argument`s sake, the effectiveness of intervention methods is critically analysed while particular emphasis on factors contributing to inequalities in health and social care such a s ageism, gender discrimination, race and ethnicity and social exclusion to promote an anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice (Dominelli 2002 and 2008). An evaluation of my learning outcomes will be made, and the report will argue that relying on funding from the local government affects the administration and provision of welfare services at the centre, which in most cases creates ethical dilemmas for Project Workers. Further, the report will argue that complying with the local authority on who to give help makes the Salvation Army to depart from its core values based on Christian principles: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and giving shelter to the homeless (Walker, 2001) among others Christian values, for example, its work with asylum seekers. The report also recognises that lack of continuity in the community affects casework with individuals. The essay concludes by identifying areas of good practice. description of SA and work carried out The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth to help people identified as socially undesirables (Prostitutes, criminals, drug addicts) to embrace Christianity (Murdoch, 1996; Walker, 2001). To date, the Salvation Army has centres worldwide and provides social aid to people in need, including disaster relief (Chronicle of Philanthropy 30 October 2008). It runs youth programmes and provides accommodation to homeless people but on a temporary basis. In Africa the Salvation Army works with refugees and displaced people among other community works. It operates as a non government organisation agency that provides relief to people in need. Social support intervention is guided by the Salvation Armys 11 Christian doctrines, or soldiers covenant, as an army against social ills. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy (30 October 2008: 10) the Salvation Army was the largest charity in the USA giving away more than $2 billion in social aid in 2007. The Salvation Army hostel (Coventry) provides accommodation to 80 residents, mostly men (75 rooms are reserved for men with only five reserved for women). The implications of this gender variation will be discussed later. In addition, it takes only homeless people between the ages of 18 and 65, and this concept will also be discussed later in relation to ageism. In addition, the centre does not provide accommodation to people who have no access to public funds, such as asylum seekers, and there are no facilities for homeless families, although the Salvation Army in Leamington has only one family unit. Again, this will be discussed in relation to society stereotyping single people, especially men, as more likely to become homeless. The centre also runs a resource centre which help service users to bid for houses on Coventry Home finder, and job search. In addition, the centre also hold cooking courses to promote healthy eating and budget meals among residents, and used sport (football ) to encourage healthy living interaction through sport, and clients participated in football once every week. I worked as an Assistant Project Worker in a team of 20 staff that included 10 project workers. My job included attending referral meetings, carrying out risk assessments and identifying reasons for homelessness, profiling where a key worker asks the homeless person a series of questions in line with the National Monitoring and Evaluation Services (NMES). My duties also involved helping the service users to bid for houses, signposting them to the Job centre, organising cooking and football events. Critical analysis of relevant theory to practice. The report now analyses the discourse of homelessness in view of the bio-psycho-social needs of homeless people. Maslow (1954) identified seven basic human needs, of which shelter is among them (Taylor, 2010). In England, homelessness is a major issue, and between January and March 2003 there were 31 470 households identified and accepted as homeless by the Local Authority homeless (Wright et al 2003). According to Wright et al (2003), people who are homeless usually have socio, medical and psychological needs, and are stereotyped as anti-social, violent, migrants, and undeserving. Further, they also face isolation, lack of choice, and stigmatisation (Homeless Network 1999 Report). They are also likely to be discriminated and socially excluded because of their ethnicity, gender, race and age (Wright et al 2003). Power and Hunter (2001) concur with this assertion and argue that some of the homeless peoples most immediate challenges include nutritional deficiencies, cold weather, poor personal hygiene and drug and alcohol misuse. In addition they have higher incidents of morbidity and mortality (Wright el al 2003). Some of their medical needs/problems include a chronic history of severe alcohol dependence, with gastrointestinal, neurological, cardiovascular or metabolic complications (Wright et al, 2003 pg 9). They also have higher incidents of depression and risk of suicide (ibid). For effective intervention with homeless people to promote their health and well-being, staff at the Salvation Army works jointly with health partners (GPs), housing departments, non-statutory organisation and social services departments. Most people who use the services (homeless) at the Salvation Army hostel are single white men, ex-convicts, drug and alcohol misuse, and refugees. Underlying bio-psycho-social issues included HIV, substance misuse, isolation, and unemployment. An understanding of these underlying needs was important during a risk assessment so that they could be identified and appropriate intervention provided, for example, where homelessness was caused by unemployment, the person would be sign-posted to the Job Centre, or assisted to fill in job application forms. Getting a job would empower the person to become financially independent and offer a more permanent solution to a recurring problem. Similarly, people who lost their houses due to drug and alcohol misuse would be referred to other agencies such as Recovery Partnership for rehabilitation (solution focussed intervention). The SA worked with the Coventry City Council, who referred homeless people to the centre. The Local Authority pays  £147 per week towards the accommodation of the homeless person, while the person is required to pay  £10. The City Council is also the major funder for the agency, a concept which eroded its independence and community standing as a Christian based sanctuary for the homeless regardless of creed, race (based on verses from the Bible). As a result asylum seekers who had no recourse to public funds were denied services. This experience highlights some of the challenges faced by community workers in their quest to promote social justice, which is defined as the embodiment of fairness, equity, and equality in the distribution of societal resources (Flyn, 1990). This makes their role controversial as they become border guards (Ravi Kohli, 2006), and gatekeepers of resources (Limbery, 2005). The project workers also works hand in hand with GPs, the Job Centre, drug and alco hol rehabilitation centres, Community Psychiatrists and independent and local housing agencies. This requires good team working skills, and I will comment on the development of my team-working skills later in this report. Working with homeless people for statutory organisations is underpinned by legislation such as the Housing Act 1996, and the 1985 Housing Act. Local authorities have a duty under Section 183 of the Housing Act 1996 to provide or prevent homelessness. They have to make inquiries (Part 7 of the 1996 Act) where someone is likely to become homeless within 28 days. In addition, someone is prevented from becoming homeless if there is a casework intervention that will provide the person or family with accommodation sustainable for at least six months (Communities and Local Government Recording Homeless prevention and Relief E10 of the P1E Quarterly Returns, 2009). The Local authorities can work with partner organisations to help prevent homelessness, although these partner organisations have no duty to prevent homelessness. A partner organisation is any organisation which is assisting the local authority in tackling and preventing homelessness (ibid: 12). It may be funded by the Local Autho rity to help in preventing and tackling homelessness. In addition it can also be any organisation where the Local Authorities can refer people for assistance to prevent homelessness; and these include voluntary organisations and independent organisations for housing advice under s.179(1) of the 1996 Act. The Salvation Army is one of the voluntary organisations (faith based) that provide temporary accommodation to prevent homelessness. The Green Paper Independence, Well-being and Choice: Our Vision for the Future of Social Care for Adults in England (DoH, 2005) and the White Paper Caring for People (DoH, 1989) recognise assessments as key to any methods of intervention and good care for people. Assessments were carried out to identify the causes of homelessness, the persons history, entitlement to services, needs (medical, social and psychological), while a risk assessment was carried in all assessments in order to protect the service user from risk of self harm (suicide, intravenous drug use, substance misuse, financial abuse etc). According to Parker and Bradley (2006:11), a risk assessment is the likelihood of certain outcomes, whether positive or negative, occurring under certain circumstances or dependent on decisions made. It was important to carry out a risk assessment to establish the likelihood of people repeatedly becoming homeless, as some would return within three months to the centre. As such, a risk a ssessment sought to establish the best method of dealing with the presenting situation to reduce repeat homelessness, and where homelessness was attributed to drug and alcohol misuse, gambling, etc, the likelihood of that happening again was assessed before appropriate intervention methods were implemented. However, Webber (2009) argue that risk assessment in social work (and this can also be applied to community work) is laden with assumptions while lacking scientific thoroughness which can lead to rationing and excluding some service users. In particular I found that in some cases risk assessment led to the exclusion of some service users whose homelessness was seen as voluntary. One can argue that is being judgemental and not in-line with an anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice (Dominelli 2006). However, in the same breath as risk assessment led to exclusion of service users, it also helped to identify those at risk of harm (physical and emotional) as a result of home lessness. After identifying risks, an assessment of needs was also carried out to identify the needs of the person, such as shelter (which would be the reason for coming to the centre), financial needs and those who were eligible to receive social security benefits would be referred to the Job Centre and/or Social Services department for housing benefit. In addition, those who were homeless because of debt would be referred to national debt agencies to device ways of alleviating the debt. Others would have lost their jobs, which led to repossession of houses or eviction. Those with medical needs were referred to specialist services. In summary, I found the role of carrying risk assessments and assessments of needs very educative while I also applied theory into practice while I assumed a managerial role (commissioning services and signposting). In addition, liaising with other agencies improved my communication skills, advocacy skills and negotiating skills, all skills which are vital to effec tive community practice. Skills required by community workers include community organisation, administration, social planning, social action and social development so that citizens can become active in their own environments (Hardcastle et al 2004). The model of intervention used with homelessness is that of empowering individuals to become self reliant and self sufficient. Social planning involved liaising with other external agencies such as the Coventry City Council, Refuge Centre, Job Centre and Social Services to help clients to get houses, social security benefits, as well as to help clients get jobs. My duties of coordinating services and signposting service users to these external agencies were part of social planning, organisation and action. One of the most intervention methods used at the centre is crisis intervention.   According to Jackson-Cherry and Erford (2010), a crisis intervention involves providing emergency psycho-social care to assist individuals in crises situation to restore a balance to their bio-psycho-social functioning. Similarly, Wilson et al (2008) define a crisis as a breakdown or disruption in a persons usual pattern of, or normal functioning. Homelessness and losing a tenancy in most cases is a result of long-term crises, and individuals respond to crises by striving to maintain their equilibrium through using their coping mechanisms (Jackson-Cherry and Erford, 2010). In addition crises can arise where problems persist and the precipitating events are threatening, and usual coping mechanisms fail to work (Wilson et al 2008). An analysis of some of the people who came to use the centre showed that they were going through crises such as financial, debt, unemployment, domestic violence, which affect ed usual coping mechanisms in others. In addition, losing a house can also lead to a crisis and affect the individuals coping mechanism. In a situation of homelessness caused by a crisis, or leading to a crisis, the role of a community worker is to solve the immediate crisis by offering shelter while looking for long term solutions (Wilson et al, 2008), which in turn leads to solution focussed intervention discussed below. Crisis intervention involves carrying out an assessment to identify needs, make referrals and implement a treatment plan or solution (Roberts, 2005). However, as already argued above, not all cases presented as crises were offered appropriate intervention, such as the case with asylum seekers, families, and people below the ages of 18 and above the age of 65, who were referred to other agencies. In addition to crisis intervention, solution focussed intervention method was also used at the Salvation Army hostel. Solution focussed intervention is change oriented, and encourages service users to find solutions to their problems (Wilson et al 2008). Solution focussed works by placing the responsibility on the service user (empowerment), providing them with tools to identify the extent of their crises, and where they are in the crisis. Gamble (1995) cited by Hardcastle et al (2004) argued that community practice involves using empowerment-based interventions to strengthen participation in democratic processes, assist groups and communities in advocating for their basic needs and organising for social justice. Bidding for accommodation, job search, referring service users with drug and alcohol problems to Recovery Partnership were some of the solution focussed methods of intervention provided on the model of empowerment. In addition to finding solutions as a tool for problem solvi ng, the Salvation Army also uses person-centred intervention method which sees the client as unique thereby requiring unique intervention. Person centred care (PCC), was developed from Carl Rogers person centred counselling (Nay and Garratt 2004). It promotes building relationships between client and professionals, which is empowering as it seeks to put the individual at the centre of their care (Wilson et al, 2008; Nay and Garratt, 2004). The project workers at the Salvation Army recognise that homeless people are individual people with different needs, and not a homogeneous community, hence support is tailored to meet individual needs. The report critically analysed the main functions of the Salvation Army hostel for the homeless. As a student I felt that although the faith-based centre is doing its best to help homeless people, the SA has diverted from its original ethos of helping people in need regardless of race and creed, and this was notable especially with the way asylum seekers are turned away because of their immigration statuses. The role of the Church and philanthropists in helping the need and the poor has its roots before the Reformation, when welfare assistance to the needy was provided by the Church, based on the seven corporal works of mercy (the thirsty must be given drink, the hungry to be fed, the naked to be clothed, the sick visited, the prisoners visited etc) (www.victorianweb.org); through to the Elizabethan Poor Laws (1601), when the church provided relief to people through its parishes (Payne 2002). However, because the Salvation Army gets most of its funding from the Local government, this limits what it can do as a church. Implications for practice. In relation to providing shelter to people between the ages of 18 to 65, one can argue that this is ageism (Dominelli 2006) because it assumes that people below 18 and over the age of 65 cannot become homeless. Ageism does not promote anti-discriminatory practice, and it is also oppressive (Dominellie 2006). In contrast The Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations 2011 abolishes the retirement age of 65 years, which means that the government recognises that people can still be active after 65 years of age. The centre also views homelessness from a gender point of view by allocating 75 of the rooms to men and leaving only five to women. This is based on the assumption that men are more likely to lose their homes especially through domestic violence (perpetrators of domestic violence) yet there is increasing evidence suggesting that there are also male victims of domestic violence (Shupe et al, 1987) . In addition to homelessness, single women are also like ly to lose their homes for the same reasons that men lose their homes (such as unemployment, drug and alcohol misuse, gambling etc). The report highlighted that there is no family unit at the Salvation Army in Coventry, while Leamington has only one family unit. Under the current economic climate, many families are losing homes due to repossession of houses and unemployment. As such it is also possible to have families becoming homeless. During my placement I witnessed whole families being turned away because of lack of facilities to accommodate families. One can also argue that by not having family units, the system views single people as more likely to become homeless. This issue of separating families was also practiced during the Poor Laws Amendment 1834, when families were separated in workhouses to punish the undeserving poor. For continuity of care the Salvation Army must continue to work in partnership with GPs, Community Psychiatrists and other health professionals during the recovery pathway so that people do not relapse when they return to the community. In terms of workloads, the project workers were allocated at least 10 service users each. In relation to time, comprehensive assessment to identify risks and needs, this workload was viewed by most workers as unmanageable, especially when allocated to service users with complex needs (accommodation, medical, drug and alcohol misuse, access to benefits etc). This also reduced the time of building rapport with clients (Trevithick 2000 and 2005) for effective intervention methods. The placement provided me with a forum to apply theory to practice, including relevant theoretical intervention methods, understanding policy and legislation, as well as exposing me to the challenges faced by community workers when they work with people towards individual and community development strategies. I also gained an insight into social and health inequalities leading to homelessness and how these impact on peoples lives. My communication and interviewing skills were also enhanced (Trevithick, 2000 and 2005) as I spoke to different service users and professionals. Working with external agencies improved my team working skills (ibid). Values of a community worker include ability to empathise, to work in a non-judgemental manner, to be patient as well as to promote empowerment through social justice. Conclusion The conclusions to be drawn from the above report and analysis of the role of the Salvation Army with homeless people in Coventry are that the church and the voluntary sector play a significant role in the provision of welfare to citizens. However, there is also need to reform some of the Salvation Armys policies to address issues of ageism, gender, challenge oppression especially with asylum seekers, and become inclusive to women and families who become homeless. Recruitment of volunteers can also be encouraged to reduce workloads. While the methods of intervention may be appropriate, however, assessments are not needs led but resource led, which makes it difficult for project workers to fulfil their roles to promote social justice.

Shakespeares Hamlet †Ophelia Discussed Essays -- GCSE English Litera

Hamlet – Ophelia Discussed Courtney Lehmann and Lisa S. Starks in "Making Mother Matter: Repression, Revision, and the Stakes of 'Reading Psychoanalysis Into’ Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet" make a statement regarding the effect of Ophelia’s words, even though she was considered mad at the time: Hamlet's own disgust toward the body and sexual behaviour, coupled with Ophelia's erotically-charged songs, did not suddenly become "about" sexuality after Freud. On the contrary, censorship of the play in performance during various historical time periods indicates that the tragedy has always been perceived of as highly erotic, and often dangerously so. Even in the context of twentieth-century interpretations of Hamlet, critics have been reluctant to engage in genuine confrontations with the problem of the play's sexuality and its underlying anxiety. For this reason, Jacqueline Rose has claimed that critics writing on Hamlet, beginning with T. S. Eliot, have conflated their puzzlement over the play with the Western notion of "woman" as the bearer of an impenetrable secret. (2) Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, presents almost a dozen male characters for every one female character. The only prominent female characters are two: Ophelia, Laertes’ sister and Polonius’ daughter; and Gertrude, the queen and wife of Claudius and mother of Hamlet. This essay will explore the character, role, and importance of Ophelia. The protagonist of the tragedy, Prince Hamlet, initially appears in the play dressed in solemn black, mourning the death of his father supposedly by snakebite while he was away at Wittenberg as a student. Hamlet laments the hasty remarriage of his mother to his father’s brother, an incestuous act; thus in his first soliloqu... ...akes of 'Reading Psychoanalysis Into' Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.1 (May, 2000): 2.1-24   http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-1/lehmhaml.htm Pennington, Michael. â€Å"Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. From Hamlet: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996. Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Rpt. from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.

Better Decisions, Better Life Essay

John Updike, who is known for his brilliant prose style and the sensual details in his stories, takes everyday tasks and gives a whole new perspective to it. Like in â€Å"A&P†, which is a narrative from the perspective of a nineteen-year-old boy working in the checkout line. Even though Sammy is just an average boy, something significant happens that day at the grocery store. The story revolves around Sammy’s journey from adolescence to adulthood and his resignation from the job at the grocery store marks the major change. Even though Sammy’s conscience disagrees with his decision, his need to escape the monotony of his life drives him to take it. The author uses various symbols to present a gradual progression into Sammy’s decision in the end. As a teenage boy in a town in Boston in the 60s, Sammy did not have much going on for himself – his responsibility was to earn some money to manage the household expenses. For his he had to work at the grocery store. His co-worker Stokesie, who is only three years older than him, is married and has two children. He hopes to become the manager of the grocery store and is the only other co-worker mentioned in the story. Sammy obviously feels a strong connection with Stokesie, as they both eye the bikini clad girls together. Also, he mentions that the only difference he can tell between Stokesie and himself is the number of years they are apart (Updike 531). But from the tone in which Sammy talks about Stokesie, it is easy to see that he does not respect his co-worker as much. Instead he feels as though he is looking into a mirror of the future and he lives a life similar to Stokesie’s. Updike’s intention was to portray Stokesie as the future reflection of Sammy. Although when the girls enter the grocery store dressed skimpily, they present Sammy with a whole new world. Sammy says â€Å"you never know for sure how girls’ minds work†, instead he imagines it to be â€Å"a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar† (Updike 530). He observes little details about all of these girls and ranks them on the basis of his perception. The two girls he gives the position of followers were not given much thought, except for their swim suit colors and their build. However, the girl that he ranked as the leader, or the â€Å"Queenie†, received most of his attention. Other than the color of her hair and bikini, he mentions how â€Å"there was nothing between the top of the suit and the top of her head except just her† (Updike 530). Also, he notices that she held her head so high that her neck looked stretched, but he did not mind that because that meant â€Å"the more of her there was† (Updike 530). This shows that Sammy is extremely intrigued by the girls, especially Queenie, that the more he could examine her, the more satisfied he would be. She was something different from his everyday experiences. The colors described are significant to the theme of the story. The girls were described to be wearing plaid green, bright green and beige bikinis (Updike 529,530). They are presented as a contrast to the dull colors of the store. These bright colors represent a colorful and unknown province. Also, the floor of the grocery store is a checkerboard green-and-cream. Even though these colors are close to the colors of the girls’ bathing suits, the checkerboard pattern dissolves the radiance of these colors against the curiosity in the girls itself. This was a new event in Sammy’s life. After all, a grocery store check-out clerk does a job such as this mostly out of necessity. Evidently Sammy has grown tired of rude customers. He describes one elderly female customer as â€Å"a witch about fifty with rogue on her cheekbones and no eyebrows† (Updike 529) when she caught him swiping one of her items twice. Sammy felt as though it pleased her to correct him. He imagines people who come shopping at A&P to be sad souls. He describes some other female customers as â€Å"houseslaves in pin curlers† (Updike 531). Also, he designates the customers at the grocery store â€Å"sheeps† while narrating the story. He seems to address the herd mentality that people tend to have – to stick together when there’s trouble. Clearly, he doesn’t look up to this cowardly behavior. He complains about this since the beginning of the story. However in the end he changes this attitude. Not only the customers and Stokesie, but Sammy does not respect the manager either. Although he has never been vocal about it, Sammy mocks Lengel in his head and accuses him of hiding behind the door labeled â€Å"Manager† all day (Updike 532).This shows Lengel’s gutless personality. When Lengel walks in on the girls checking out, he asserts his authority and lets them know that they must dress appropriately in the store (Updike 532). It was the last straw for Sammy and he quits his job, even after Lengel warns him about it (Updike 533). Lengel’s warning further shows that he has always taken the safer way and that’s why he has never been able to stand up for his beliefs. Sammy did not want to be someone like Lengel, so he decides to break free. When Sammy stands up for the girls, a part of him did expect some appreciation from them. But the underlying reason is much bigger than a simple ‘Thank you’. It is about his freedom from the routine lifestyle that he was getting used to. Continuing the life he had would eventually lead to the same monotonous life that Stokesie and Lengel had. Also, Sammy’s course of action changes through the story. In the beginning he would complain about the people he came across and worked with, but he had not ever taken any step to change that. Quitting the job was the major step that would change his life. Although, he may not have a stable job anymore, this decision has definitely made him a better person. Work Cited Updike, John. â€Å"A&P.† 1961. Approaching Literature: Writing + Reading + Thinking. Ed. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford, 2008. 529-534. Print.

Health Care Policy, Law and Ethic Essay

As a Chief Nursing Officer, I’m responsible for one of the state’s largest Obstetric Health Care Centers. I just received word of some fraudulent behaviors in the center. To mitigate this type of behaviors I must evaluate how the healthcare Qui Tam affects health care organizations, provide four examples of Qui Tam cases that exist in a variety of health care organizations, Devise a procedure for admission into a health care facility that upholds the law about the required number of Medicare and Medicaid referrals, Recommend a corporate integrity program that will mitigate incidents of fraud and assess how the recommendation will impact issues of reproduction and birth, and Devise a plan to protect patient information that complies with all necessary laws. After completing my evaluation on Qui Tam I will be able to provide a proper protocol to handle or prevent future issue and grow awareness on how fraudulent behavior affects the health care center. Qui Tam is Latin for â€Å"he who brings a case on behalf of our lord King, as well as for himself†. Qui Tam allows a private citizen (relator, whistleblower) to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government, as well as himself, against a defendant who may has knowingly committed fraud or criminal act in which the government was victimized (Showalter, 2012). The private citizen need not have been personally harmed by the defendant’s conduct (Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General, 2010). The government can choose to take over the prosecution, but if the government declines the private citizen can proceed alone. How Healthcare Qui Tam affects health care organizations. Healthcare is a multi-billion dollar industry and has attracted those who want to defraud health insurance companies and the government (Showalter, 2012). Based on the healthcare industry monetary value it has become the fertile soil for white –collar crimes that end in criminal convictions and financial penalties (Showalter, 2012). The punishment for payment fraud and abuse is shared with the abuser and the organization. When an employee is involved in act of fraud and abuse management, officers as well as the organization is held accountable. They share in the punishment even if management, officers or the organization is aware of the abusers actions. . One way to minimize exposure to fraud and abuse is to have a strong corporate compliance program in place. Developing a strong compliance  programs will ensure an organization’s adherence to federal and state regulations such as false claim act, anti-kickback statues, the Starks self-referral laws and HIPAA. Using go vernment regulation as the bases of an organizations compliance program will help significantly in the effort to prevent fraud, abuse and waste within the organization (Showalter, 2012). Healthcare Qui Tam along with state and government regulations has pushed organizations to develop new or stronger compliance programs in the hopes to prevent fraud, promote integrity and improve billing accuracy. Not only has it push health care organization to create compliance program to protect the company these policy also include process for an employee to anonymously report and undesirable conduct they may see. Companies have also created their own fraud and abuse compliance departments that are responsible for educating the staff of any federal and state regulations and created requirement for and standards each depart must to abide by. This department will also be responsible for the investigation of any reported behavior. These measures are put in place to prevent any possible fraud and abuse acts with in the organization. Examples of Qui Tam cases that exist in a variety of health care organizations. To remedy abuse associated with ghost billing, up coding, unbundling, and billing for inadequate or unnecessary care the government put in place the false claims act. During January 2009 through 2012 the justice department used the false claim act to recover more than 9.5 billion dollars in health care fraud cases. Below is an example of a False Claim Act Case. Example of FCA Nelson v. Alcon Laboratories, No. 3:12-cv-03738-M (N.D. Tex.) †¢Complaint filed : September 14, 2012 †¢Complaint unsealed : July 16, 2013 †¢Intervention status : Declined †¢Claims: False claims to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and the federal defense procurement programs in violation of the Civil False Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C.  § 3729 et seq. †¢Name of Relator: Michael Nelson and Steve Gonzales †¢ Defendant’s Business: Pharmaceutical manufacturer †¢Relators’ Relationship to Defendant: Former employee †¢Relators’ Counsel: Bell, Nunnally & Martin, LLP †¢Summary of case: Alcon Laboratories allegedly failed to adhere to FDA regulations in manufacturing, packaging and delivering nonprescription and prescription eye care products sold to the U.S. government under Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other insurance programs held by a variety of military and federal employees and their dependents. Alcon even provide the eye care product to the U.S. Department of Defense †¢Current status: The U.S. declined to intervene in the case: relator may proceed on their own †¢Reason to Watch: This case was viewed similar to United States ex rel. Eckard v. GlaxoSmithKline and SB Pharmco Puerto Rico, which was settled in 2010. This case involved both civil and criminal allegation, but the focus was on failing to comply with the FDA’s regulations regarding manufacturing practices and product quality. This case resulted in a guilty from the defendant, a civil settlement of $600 million, and a criminal fine of $150 million. Anti-Kickback Statue is a criminal statute that prohibits the exchange or offer of an exchange, of any value or form, in the efforts to induce or reward the referral of federal health care program business. This statue was creates to establish penalties for individual and entities on both sides of the prohibited exchange. If convicted the violator can be fined up to 25,000 and sentenced up to five years. In lieu of the fine and the jail time the violator(s) can be excluded from participating in federal health care programs. Listed below is an example of an anti-kickback statue case. Example of AKS United States ex rel. Nevyas v. Allergan, Inc., No. 2:09cv432 (E.D. Pa). †¢Complaint Filed: January 30, 2009 ( Second Amendment Complaint Filed September 27, 2010) †¢ Complaint Unsealed: December 16, 2013 †¢Intervention Status: Unclear from docket †¢ Claims: The relators assert that the defendant caused the submission of claims for payment for prescription drugs induced by illegal kickbacks in violation of the FCA, as well as analogous false claims statutes of 19 states and the District of Columbia †¢Relators’ Names: Herbert J. Nevyas.; Anita Nevyas-Wallace, M.D. †¢ Defendant’s Business: The defendant is an international biopharmaceutical company †¢Relators’ Counsel: Pietragallo, Gordon, Alfano,Bosick& Raspanti LLP (Philadelphia, Pa) †¢Relators’ Relationship to Defendant: The relators are third party physicians who claim they were offered the alleged inducements by the defendant. †¢ Current Status: Ongoing †¢Summary of Case: The relators allege the defendant violated the Anti-Kickback Statues buy offering ophthalmologists and optometrists to prescribe the defendant’s exclusive chronic dry-eye prescription drug Retasis ®. According to the defendant Allergan offer free consulting services, free acesss to a restricted website, invitation to and payment of expenses related to advisory board meetings and offers to fund independent research. †¢Reason to Watch: The defendant entered into a five year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in connection with a settlement of an unrelated criminal investigation and Qui Tam action. Some of the conducted listed in this case may have occurred while the defendant CIA was in place. Also point out possible compliance issues for pharmaceutical companies seeking to grow their business through relationship with physicians (Abhar, Grammel, McGinty, & Willis, 2014) Example of billing for unnecessary services and ghost billing United States ex rel. Fife v. Lymphedema and Wound Institute, Inc., Civ. No. 04:11-CV-271 (S.D. Tex.). †¢Complaint Filed: September 22, 2011 †¢Complaint Unsealed: November 25, 2013 †¢Intervention Status: The United States intervened. †¢Claims: Defendants allegedly submitted false claims for treatment of lymphedema †¢Name of Relator: Dr. Caroline Fife †¢Defendants’ Businesses: The individual defendants are the executives and owners of the defendant company and its affiliates, whose employees provide physical therapy and treatment for lymphatic disease. The individual defendants also managed and operated a network of sleep-study clinics. †¢Relator’s Relationship to Defendants: Relator is a competing physician and professor at the University of Texas who often treated patients who had  stopped receiving treatments from defendants’ facilities. †¢Relator’s Counsel: Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C. (Houston, TX) †¢Summary of Case: The Relator alleged that the defendant provider used unqualified massage therapist to provide services to their lymphedema patients. Also according to the relator the defendant bill for unnecessary services as well as services and supplies that were never rendered. Lastly, the relator alleged the defendant used similar scheme to inflate billing services that were rendered at their sleep clinic. †¢Current Status: The parties settled the claims related to lymphedema treatments for $4.3 million. Additionally, the defendant company’s founder and CEO voluntarily submitted to a 10-year exclusion from federal health benefit programs and the defendant company entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) as of June 25, 2013 (Abhar, Grammel, McGinty, & Willis, 2014). †¢Reasons to Watch: Although the amount of the settlement — $4.3 million — is relatively modest when compared with the $165 million in fraudulent Medicare billings alleged in the complaint, the voluntary exclusion of the defendant company’s CEO from participation in federal health care programs is severe, as an excluded individual will likely find it difficult to continue working in the health care industry (Abhar, Grammel, McGinty, & Willis, 2014). Example of up-coding United States ex rel. Oughatiyan v. IPC The Hospitalist Company Inc., Civ. No. 09-C-5418 (N.D. Ill.). †¢Complaint Filed: September 1, 2009 †¢Complaint Unsealed: December 5, 2013 †¢Intervention Status: The United States intervened, but Illinois and the other 12 plaintiff states declined to intervene †¢Claims: Defendants allegedly encouraged the filling of up-coded claims for services in inpatient and long-term care facilities to federal care programs †¢Name of Relator: Dr. Bijan Ouhatiyan †¢Defendants’ Businesses: National hospitalist independent contractor company and its local subsidiaries â€Å"employing physicians and other health care providers who work in more than 1,300 facilities in 28 states.†1 Hospitalists are physicians who assist in directing and coordinating inpatient care from admission to discharge, and only work in hospitals or  long-term care facilities (Abhar, Grammel, McGinty, & Willis, 2014). †¢Relator’s Relationship to Defendants: Relator is a former employee/independent contractor of dependent. †¢Relator’s Counsel: Goldberg Kohn Ltd. (Chicago, IL) †¢Summary of Case: Relator alleges that IPC The Hospitalist Company (IPC) engaged in the following schemes to cause its employed hospitalists to bill for the services they rendered at the highest reimbursement levels even though such codes were inappropriate, a practice called â€Å"upcoding.† The lawsuit contends that IPC trained its physicians to bill at the highest levels without regard to the actual complexity of the services provided. Additionally, IPC allegedly tracked the coding statistics of its hospitalists and used the results to pressure hospitalists to upcode their services to achieve productivity and profit goals. As a result of these practices, according to the relator, the medical documentation of the actual work done did not support the billing records submitted by the hospitalists (Abhar, Grammel, McGinty, & Willis, 2014). †¢Current Status: Ongoing †¢Reasons to Watch: The defendant has another case (United States ex rel. Ziaei v. IPC The Hospitalist Company Inc., et al., Civ. No. 2:12-cv-01918 (D. Nev.)) with similar allegation, but was dismissed. Our Facility admission Policy, which is in accordance with Medicare and Medicaid referral guidelines. Medicare and Medicare Referral guidelines are based on the Stark law. To prevent any issues or conduct that violates the Stark law our facility will participate in CMS Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS). We will require all qualifying providers to register their NPI with Medicare and Medicare by the deadline date. This system will allow us to submit claims, referral, and review for admittance. This program will catch any potential violations of abuse and fraud. The Physician Self -Referral law is listed below. â€Å"The Physician Self-Referral Law (Stark Law) (42 U.S.C. Section 1395nn) prohibits a physician from making a referral for certain designated healt h services to an entity in which the physician (or an immediate member of his or her family) has an ownership/investment interest or with which he or she has a compensation arrangement, unless an exception applies. Penalties for physicians who  violate the Physician Self-Referral Law (Stark Law) include fines as well as exclusion from participation in all Federal health care programs† Corporate integrity program that will reduce fraud and impact issues of reproduction and birth. A Corporate Integrity program is put in place to ensure the organization and the employees would not knowingly violate any laws that control the conduct of the organization operations. Staff will receive training regarding the health care center’s Corporate Integrity Program and all law associated with the program. †¢Code of Conduct Promote and Preserve the organization values Protect the privacy of the Health care centers patients Protect the confidentiality of the patient and the employee information o Avoid all forms of discrimination Act in accordance of all policies and procedures Comply will all law that apply to the health center operations and practices o Disclose all potential conflicts of interest No accepting of gift, goods and services Adhere to all professional standard Ensure consent for service is received and documented Refusal for services are document Patient is informed/education of risk and requires treat for their condition †¢Submission of claims only for services That are actually for service renders For services that the patient or patient represented consented to oFor services that are medical necessary for the patient condition That have appropriate documentation to support the claim All services will be reviewed before billing All billing staff will be trained and certified No claim will be submitted that fall under the Physician Self-Referral law or Anti- Kickback statues Plan to protect patient information that complies with all necessary laws As one of the state’s largest Obstetric Health Care Centers in the area we have an extensive staff. The first policy is to provide excess to patient information that is in the scope of your job. For example the registration staff will not have access  to the patient’s lab results and the lab technician will not have access to member complete medical history. When a staff member signs on to any system that houses patient information they will only be able to view or update information that is within the scope of the job responsibility. This way the patient private medical records are kept private. Education, training and yearly certification of Health Insurance Portability Act and the organization privacy policy will be required fall all staff members. Certification will only be provided to those that achieve at least an 80% on any test that is provided in training. Failure to comply will result in suspicion until certified or termination. For existing employees yearly certification will be done throughout web base training portal. For our new employees training and certification will be part of their new hire orientation and any future required Training will be done through our train portal. The staff can access the training portal at home. This way our staff and complete the certification at the leisure (with in the due date). Also we have the proper process in place to such as authorization and de-identifying Protection Health Information when share and medical or any sensitive information with others. For example there maybe reason why a department must share the type of patient seen or the treatment provided. There should be not reason that patient’s name, address, or any information that may identify the patient be included in the report. We also require the patient to sign an authorization for every year, which will allow us to submit information to insurance companies for payment, medical necessity review, and appeals. We will also have the patient to sign an authorization form allowing us to spe ak with a specific individual, leave voice mail massages and or email the member about appointment and care. Any unauthorized disclosure of private health information the patient will be notified right away. Various federal and state laws, regulations, rules and guidelines govern the use, Disclosure and protection of health information. These include certain provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), certain provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), and any other patient privacy-related laws, regulations, rules and guidelines will be used as the bases of our privacy policies Bibliography Department of Health and Human Services. (November, 27 2013). Physician sefl Referral: CMS. Retrieved 15 2014, March, from Center of Medicare & Medicaid Services: Abhar, S., Grammel, S., McGinty, K., & Willis, S. (2014, February). Qui Tam Defense: MintzLevin. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from MintzLevin: http://www.mintz.com/newsletter/2014/Newsletters/3691-0214-NAT-HL/ Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General. (2010, October 6). False claim Act: office of Inspector General. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from Department of The Interior Office of Inspector General: https://www.doioig.gov/docs/falseclaimsact.pdf. Abhar, S., Grammel, S., McGinty, K., & Willis, S. (2014, February). Qui Tam Defense: MintzLevin. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from MintzLevin: http://www.mintz.com/newsletter/2014/Newsletters/3691-0214-NAT-HL/ Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General. (2010, October 6). False claim Act: office of Inspector General. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from Department of The Interior Office of Inspector General: https://www.doioig.gov/docs/falseclaimsact.pdf. Dunphy, B. P., Kingsbury, S. P., Miner, T. A., Foster, H. S., & Willis, S. D. (2012). Health Care enforcement : 2012 Trends . MintzLevin. Gumbert, J. G. (2003). Qui TamActions Under the False Claims Act. Medical Journal – Houston. Levine, R. H. (2005). Internal Investigations By Healthcare Organizations: Practical considerations. American Health Lawyers association. Showalter, J. S. (2012). The Law of Healthcare Adminstration (6th ed.). Chicago: Health Adminstration Press. Staman, J. (2013). Health Care fraud and Buse Laws affecting Medicare and Medicaid: An Overview. Congressional research Services report for Congress.

What You Can Learn From Einstein and His Failures [Infographic]

What You Can Learn From Einstein and His Failures [Infographic] Life doesn’t always go as smoothly as you plan. And while it sometimes may seem you’re the only one who struggles, that’s far from the truth. People in powerful positions with successful lives and oodles of respect are not always born as golden children with the smarts, savvy, wealth, and instinct to be on top. Take the one and only Albert Einstein- the founder of relativity, everyone’s go-to example of a bona fide genius. His journey to leaving an indelible mark on the world was far from smooth and easy!Follow the path of his life below (as seen on LifeHack) to see the twists and turns it took (from starting out with learning struggles and being called lazy, to being the mind of the century). Maybe seeing how even Einstein’s  professional life was not without its bumps will inspire you to keep your head in the game and your eye on the prize, no matter what happens.

10 Tips to Help Stop Cyberbullying

10 Tips to Help Stop Cyberbullying 10 Tips to Help Stop Cyberbullying Sharon J. of Philadelphia PA, USA, was at work when the call came in. Her 6-year-old son was attacked in class by his peer with a pencil. She was horrified. Racing to the school, and then into the nurse’s office she found her terrified little boy with a bandage on his cheek. The nurse said that a little more to the right and the other child would have taken out Sharon’s little boys’ eye. The bully? A six-year-old little girl who wanted what the boy had for lunch instead of what was in her lunch box. The punishment, nothing. That’s right. After meeting with the mother of the little girl and the principal, Sharon was told, â€Å"kids fight†. She was only a little girl with a bad temper. The Statistics This and many other stories like it pour out of elementary, middle and high schools each day. The number of the bullying attacks is astounding. Almost 80% of students in the USA say that they have been bullied at one time or the other. Parents? If you think that since you are sending your precious child off to college that the bullying is finally going to be over, think again, that statistic above represents college age children. Yes, bullying in college is on the rise. Bullies, Bullies, Everywhere We could rattle off some numbers to try to impress upon our readers how many bullies are out there, but they wouldn’t be accurate. Due to embarrassment, shame, or just no-one to tell, many incidents of bullying are never reported. The facts are: Bullying in college will not stop unless the bullies are reported and they pay for their actions. Laws should be passed that punishes the parents as well as the child in incidents of bullying that cause harm to any individual. Bullying in college leads to suicide, depression, and drop-outs. The numbers will continue to rise unless parents, teachers and those being bullied don’t begin to report what is going on. There is a rise in the act of suicide because of cyberbullying in college. Much bullying begins in the home, and this leads to school and college bullying. Many children that are bullied by overbearing parents tend to show the same disregard for their peers on the school playground, on college campuses, and on the Internet. Adult Bullying? Yes, adults bully other adults. Australia reports show that they are #1 when it comes to workplace bullying. A target could be someone in the office that is: Well liked Smart They excel at their jobs Instead of trying to emulate the target a bully will try to manipulate them or sabotage their work. Many adult bullies are just people that do not cope well in society so they hide behind their bullying tactics. With bullies, it’s all about power. College Challenges After considering that there are adults who bully, parents must take the time to talk to their newly adult children on what a bully looks for in an individual target, and ask them if they are the bullies themselves. This conversation must be had if we are to limit the instances of bullying that are infecting our Universities. Most bullies target those who are Passive Submissive The new kid The quiet kid The kid that is not in a clique The kid that seems to always be in class early The kid with the high grades The kid that does not confront anyone or anything Kids of different races are often bullied Bullies in college have also been known to target handicapped persons and the elderly. As horrible as this may seem to be, it is true. They look for those that weaker than themselves. When Your Child is the Bully No parent wants to get the call that their child is being bullied, but no parent wants to be embarrassed to know that their child is the perpetrator of the bullying. Our first reaction is, â€Å"not my sweet innocent child, they couldn’t be so mean†. The one thing parents do know is their child. Sit down with your child and instead of lashing out at them, ask them what happened. Follow some of these suggestions: While listening to your child, only stop them if they are playing the blame game. Let them know you don’t want to hear what happened with other kids, just want part they played in the incident. Tell them that, when you point your finger at someone, 3 fingers are pointing back at you. Play a game of: what if it was you? Encourage them to have empathy for the bullied victim. Children and young adults need to learn empathy at home. If you as a parent always side with your child and never show them where they are wrong, you encourage them to be bullies. There is a poster that reads, â€Å"Children live what they learn†. This is so true, but that does not make you a bad parent. They could have gotten the bad habit of bullying from television or from their peers. Trying to fit in. Talk to them to see why they did what they did. And discuss ways of stopping it from happening again. If the bullying was cyber-bullying, your child should be made to get rid of the pages that were put up, and then make restitution to the individual that they harmed. Get the school involved in the punishment of the child who bullies and the apology to the victim. This should be a sit down of all parties involved. Sometimes this is enough to set a bullying kid straight. If you as a parent of a bully stops this behavior when it arises, bullies can change. Sometimes it’s physical, a mental imbalance, sometimes it can be the influence of violent games they are exposed to Many parents use video games to get their kids out of their hair. If your child has been exposed to years and years of violent games, they will have a violent nature and this could cause bullying. Cyber-Bullying Tips It was bad enough when you had to worry about the playground or the middle school bully, but with the internet providing the perfects storm for kids to bully, how do you cut the throat of this new threat? One thing parents need to do is to get the facts about cyber-bullying. It usually involves more than just one child doing the bullying and it can span over many types of venues. Some of the lethal weapons used to cyber bully are: Instant messages E-mails Posting pictures of your child without their, or your, permission Stealing your kid’s passwords and sending false messages on social media When your child is attacked by many on social many, this is called attack by proxy. This can be super dangerous because they can have their identity stolen and placed in porn sites without their knowing. The bullies will also post their private addresses and phone numbers. The reasons they do this is beyond one reason, but some are: They don’t think of the consequences of their actions, or They think they are getting back at the victim for some reason,   and   this person doesn’t see themselves as a bully. What Can Parents and Educators Do? First and foremost, have in place a set of guidelines and laws that address bullying behavior, and make serious consequences stick when bullying is observed and acknowledged. Also promote the following: An inclusive atmosphere campus wide. When students are more connected to one another there are less instances of bullying. Have in place policies based on bullying. If they are not in the student handbook, have the handbook redone to reflect the policies. Start groups such as writing groups where students can express what is going on with them in the college community. This gives students a voice. With this   college writing service, start some type of contest for student essays on bullying. Have a reporting place that students feel safe to tell on suspected bullies, confidentially. No student like to feel like a snitch, this is one reason for lack of telling. Model how to act by treating all with respect and dignity. Children, and young adults will usually emulate who is leading them. Offer a class on computer ethics. Teach children the importance of not sharing their passwords with anyone. Show them how to keep information that they find online as proof of cyberbullying. Get trained to handle bullying. Anyone on campus that must deal with children directly would do well to have a workshop on how to handle bullies in college. Listen to both sides, don’t pre-judge what you are hearing from one side of the story. Keep an open mind. Do not ignore it or feel that it is a passing situation. If you are told that a student feels threatened, take it seriously. Intervention is key. When something happens take the time to do something about it right away, refer to the policies on bullying and if you need help, get other adults involved. There truly is strength in numbers in a case of bullying. What can Students do? Students often develop cliques in college, and because you want to be   like by your friends,   you may often feel   the need to back them up no   matter what. In the case of bullying, this is not a way to help your friend. It takes a stronger friend to tell a friend that they are wrong when acting a certain way. If your friend decides that they are not going to like you anymore for telling them to do the right thing, then this is not a friend that you need in your life. When you witness someone on campus bullying another student, whether it is your friend or not, don’t join in. Instead try some of the following suggestions: Stay calm- don’t argue with either of them, instead say something like, â€Å"come on we don’t have to be like that, this is not high-school†. Many students in college do not want to be made to look like they are acting like high-schoolers and will stop the behavior, especially if a friend tells them this. If it is your friend, steer them away from the other person, they don’t necessarily have to kiss and make up or anything like that. Everyone is not going to like everyone. If you walk up on a fight, ask bystanders why they are not doing something and stop the fight. Taking one of the people away with you and showing bystanders that   they should get involved. Talk to a person that you know is a bully when you are alone with them. Confront their behavior and ask them why they choose to act that way. Give them reasons that you would not participate in that type of behavior, and if necessary, let them know that if they continue to show that type of behavior you will not be associated with them. If you are afraid of your friend that is a bully. Report them to an authority that will not tell that you reported them. It is better to do something than to wait for the worst to happen. This is just a few of the things that can be done when one is a bully. Cyber bullying has reached a high peak and if we as those on the sidelines don’t do something to correct the behavior in those that practice the bullying, we are just as guilty as they are, if not worse than them. So, if   you see it, report it, step in and   be a part of the   solution, not the problem.

Accounting Theory British Petroleum

As per Tagesson (2014), most of the corporation activities affect the biodiversity or the environment either directly or indirectly. Therefore, this report has been prepared in order to study and understand the direct as well as the indirect impacts of a renowned corporation named British Petroleum Limited on the ecology. Thus, here, a case study on British Petroleum Limited has been studied and analyzed in detail in order to find out the issues related with the firm. It has been found that the particular company mainly has three issues. At first, consequence of oil spill on ocean ecosystem, secondly, lack of ecology services for governing risks and thirdly, lack of regulation sketch for noticing the reinstatement cost.   Ã‚   Depending on the provided case of British Petroleum, it has been noticed that the specified company is not capable to measure its reinstatement cost. As a result of this, the company analyzes this cost with respect to monetary terms. In addition, it has been identified that British Petroleum does not provide much significance to the harm it causes to the environment. Besides, the company counts this as products that cannot be marketed. So, British Petroleum should focus on the same and measure the value. It has been found that the government of the nation counts the firm as liable to pay fine as it causes harm to the ecosystem through causing oil spills, though the company does not portray the total damages done by it clearly (Ball 2016). As a result, the chief intention of preparing this report is to alert the firm British Petroleum regarding the spoils done by it to the environment.    The report mainly deals with the collection of data from both secondary and primary resources, so both primary and secondary as well as qualitative and quantitative analysis will be performed. Telephonic or face-to-face interview (qualitative analysis) and questionnaire survey (quantitative analysis) will be performed here. The secondary resources include – websites, articles and scientific journals. In order to collect accurate and authentic information, researcher will gather data from the inhabitants of Gulf Coast where oil spills occurred and employees of the company through survey. Nonetheless, both the staffs and the inhabitants of the region might falter to answer the researcher to the survey questions due to the nature of the research (Guthrie and Parker 2014). Oil spills are a type of pollution and thus all the firms of the petroleum sector should remain alert about this. However, British Petroleum does not portray the damages it done to the environment through oil spills. Moreover, the firm is found to cause more incidental oil spills than accidental oil spills. The later pattern of spill occurs accidentally and thus it is named so, but the former kind occurs due to the carelessness, negligence and ignorance of the employees and management of British Petroleum. Both the types of oil spills affect the ocean ecosystem (environment) directly and this has leaded to increase in mortality rate in marine ecosystem. Therefore, the company should pay the cleanup amount and fine charged by the government, but BP Limited aims to cover all the damages done by it to the ecological wealth (Dull, Schleifer and McMillan 2015). It has been found that ecological damage measurement as well as detection is very difficult, so the corporation measures it with respect to monetary value.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The stakeholders of British Petroleum fully trust on the corporation regarding its moral standards and ethical standards, so it should put steps forward for betterment of the ecological and social wealth (Henderson et al. 2015). Furthermore, British Petroleum should follow all the accounting standards of the environment for making it a trustworthy organization for the stakeholders. These standards will assist the corporation to widen a strong relationship between the organization, environment and ecosystem.   Ã‚   It is a common factor that most of the organizations of oil and petroleum industry break their penalty or fines by the application of political bargaining. However, the application of the political bargaining approach does not help the firm to recover all the damages done by it to the ecosystem. Thus, the organization British Petroleum should imply any process-adjusted structure in order to resolve all the risks associated with its operations. Moreover, it can be said that this particular process is considered as the required one for each firm of the particular sector. It has been found that the â€Å"accidental oil spills† generally arise due to collide of autocratic action as this results into featured accounts (Molisa 2014). The unveiled data of a firm is very important for the management department as it helps in estimating the endeavor point for reinstatement cost. Therefore, lack of regulation sketch might affect the corporation negatively, especially in the process of i dentifying reinstatement cost, so the mentioned approach is important for every organization of the oil and petroleum sector. In this research work, the researcher will implement primary research process as well as secondary research method. Thus, from both the primary and secondary resources, the researcher will gather data for better analysis. Thus, the researcher will target the people who live in Gulf Coast and the workers of BP Limited for performing questionnaire survey. In addition, secondary data will be gathered from the secondary sources (like – websites, journals and articles).    The researcher will collect information from a fixed sample size of 50 employees and 150 residents of Gulf Coast and this sample will be selected randomly. The selection of the samples can be done through various techniques, however, in this work, â€Å"Probability Sampling Technique† will be used. There are various kinds of oil spills that generally take place due to the activity of the organization British Petroleum and the percentages of occurring various kinds are shown below: Figure 1: Various patterns of Oil Spills and Their Occurrence Percentage In addition to this, it has been found that due to increased percentage of occurrence of oil spills, the mortality rate of the marine ecosystem has also been increased noticeably. It has been found that the oil spills majorly affect the ocean ecosystem as various kinds of spills take place on a short interval of time. These are: As per the data collected from Gulf, it has been came to know that the oil spills chiefly affect the ocean ecosystem, deepwater but it also affect the other parts of the environment. With the passage of time, the demand as well as the supply of the oil increased, but the workforce, numbers of staffs and contractors started to decrease as the occurrence of oil spills of the firm started to increase. Moreover, the information regarding the budget of Deepwater Horizon has been collected from the organization’s employees and it can be enhanced through the following chart: Figure 4: Financial Plan of Deepwater Horizon On the other hand, the reinstatement cost can be better explained through the following pie chart: Figure 5: Lack of Regulation Sketch Here, genuine information has been collected from both the kinds of resources (secondary and primary) and the participants of research survey can keep trust on the researcher of the project as the gathered data will not be unveiled. It can be concluded that British Petroleum should keep notice on the damages done by it the environment and should implement the accounting standards of environment. Moreover, fines paid by the firm to the government are not enough for improving the harm cause to the ecology. Baker, C.R. and Burlaud, A., 2015. The historical evolution from accounting theory to conceptual framework in financial standards setting.  The CPA Journal,  85(8), p.54. Ball, R., 2016. Why We Do International Accounting Research.  Journal of International Accounting Research,  15(2), pp.1-6. Bp.com. 2017.  Bp.com. [online] Available at: https://www.bp.com [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Deegan, C., 2013.  Financial accounting theory. McGraw-Hill Education Australia. Dull, R.B., Schleifer, L.L. and McMillan, J.J., 2015. Achievement goal theory: the relationship of accounting students’ goal orientations with self-efficacy, anxiety, and achievement.  Accounting Education,  24(2), pp.152-174. Freeman, R.J., Shoulders, C.D., Allison, G.S., Smith Jr, G.R. and Becker, C.J., 2014. Governmental and nonprofit accounting: Theory and practice.  JPAEJOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDUCATION VOLUME 20 NUMBER 3, p.441. Guthrie, J. and D. Parker, L., 2014. The global accounting academic: what counts!.  Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal,  27(1), pp.2-14. Henderson, S., Peirson, G., Herbohn, K. and Howieson, B., 2015.  Issues in financial accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Molisa, P.B.M., 2014. Accounting for apocalypse: Re-thinking social accounting theory and practice for our time of social crises and ecological collapse. Tagesson, T., 2014. Accounting reforms, standard setting and compliance.  Public sector accounting, pp.8-22.

Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing - Research Paper Example Insanity, craziness or madness is a pattern of behaviors which makes people a danger to themselves and others. â€Å"Dorothea Dix played an instrumental role in the founding or expansion of more than 30 hospitals for the treatment of the mentally ill† (I Tell What I Have Seen—The Reports of Asylum Reformer Dorothea Dix, p.624). This paper briefly analyses the history of Dorothea Lynde Dix and her contributions to the society as a social reformer and a dedicated nurse. Dorothea Linde Dix was born on April 4, 1802 in Hampden, Maine. Today the land where Dix’s house stood is called the Dorothea Dix Park (Colman, p.12). When Dorothea was born, Thomas Jefferson was American president and only 16 states were there in America. Maine was not a state at that time. She was grown up first in Worcester, Massachusetts, and then went to Boston at the age of twelve, in order to stay with wealthy grandmother. The major purpose of her journey towards Boston was to escape from her alcoholic and abusive father. Joseph Dix was her father and Mary Bigelow was her mother. The Dix family had two other children also, born after Dorothea. Dorothea’s social activities started at the age of 19. ... She published a small book of facts for schoolteachers during this period which became extremely popular. â€Å"By the time of the Civil War, Conversations on Common Things; or, Guide to Knowledge: With Questions had been reprinted 60 times† (I Tell What I Have Seen—The Reports of Asylum Reformer Dorothea Dix, p.624). This book was written as a conversation between a mother and daughter and she tried to criticize the discrimination in giving education to men and women. Dix failed to get proper education because of the social discrimination existed during her period with respect to the education of the men and women. Only the male community got better education during her period. She has restarted her educational activities in 1831 and opened another model school for the girls. However, she could not continue her activities because of the failure of her health again. She suffered a mental illness during this period and her ill health ended her teaching career which motiv ated her to look for other options of social activities. She went to England in 1836 for better treatment and this journey has shaped her career as a dedicated social reformer. â€Å"Dorothea’s growth and development from a teacher of young ladies to the Samaritan of the mentally afflicted is a fascinating story†(Dorothea Dix, Forgotten Samaritan, p.1441). In England, she got company of a family (William Rathbone family) which engaged in political and social reformation process. Moreover, â€Å"she met prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, and Samuel Tuke, founder of the York Retreat for the mentally ill during this period. (I Tell What I Have Seen—The Reports of Asylum Reformer Dorothea Dix, p.624). Her grandmother’s death

Crisis Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Crisis Management - Essay Example Contrasting with other affected nations, UN said that Indonesia is the only nation where the aid retort is immobile in the preliminary emergency and also in the recovery phase. Few regions inside the district and remote islands were absolutely disjointed with wreckages across entry roads as well as aircraft landing regions. Severe damages were experienced at 1.3 million buildings and homes; 4 fuel depots and 8 ports; 85% of water and also 92% of sanitation system; and 120 km of paths as well as 18 bridges. The World Food Program was expected to feed 500,000 people who were relocated or affected in Indonesia in February, the figure went up from January assessment of 330,000. Health threats were also extremely high, although plenteous measures were in place through local and also international medical squads were kept on the different locations (The Evergreen State College, 2005). The comparatively short timeframes after the impact of Tsunami made it a tricky challenge both for the emergency communications as well as management organizations and also for the people who had to respond in the recovery of the people. This has been confirmed that for majority of the damages occurring in recent history, information, which was necessary to prevent devastation, was obtainable at only few of the levels. However, in most of the cases information was either detained by those in accountabilities who were unsuccessful to take action or by those lacking the power to take action, who didn’t share this with those which could have. Apparently, in the case of rapidly-growing incidents like a tsunami, the advantages of automated resolution gates can be readily visible. On the other hand, from the analysis it can be uncovered consequently that there are lots of reasons why this doesn’t happen and life-critical results are still created by

Multimedia Editing Software Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multimedia Editing Software - Assignment Example The interface is very sophisticated and interesting. It is user-friendly in the sense that the user does not have to search for the options by putting a lot of effort. It is rather very handy. It is based on SolveigMM Video Editing SDK. The quality of the end-product is very high and the speed of editing is prompt because the editing process does not use encoding and decoding process. This saves time and makes it fast. The advanced technology tends to keep almost 100% of the data in the edited video thus ensuring its high quality. This multimedia editing software supports MPEG-2 files with formats .mpg, .mpeg, .vob, .ts. It supports AVI files with .avi extension. AVI files are trimmed without synchronization loss. The software also supports Windows Media files with .asf, .wma, .wmv, and .wm extensions. The MPEG Audio files that it supports are with extensions of .mp1, .mp2, .mp3, and .mpa. It has the ability to facilitate the OpenDML AVI file format extension and supports the native DV AVI format (both Type 1 and Type 2 in Microsoft terms). It executes the editing procedure starting with K frame. The price of this editing software is USD 48.00. Its size is 7.6 MB and works on most of the operating systems like Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, and Windows 7. One interesting usage that it is well known for is that the user can cut different portions of the movie to get rid of all commercials and ads, and then join the movie parts together to watch the whole movie in one go without having to waste time in watching commercials and them wait for the movie to continue. Also, this software allows the user to do batch mode editing, that is, he can edit several portions of the audio or video clip in one go or, in other words, he can do several editing jobs simultaneously. It also allows the user to merge several media files together.

The Fundamental Causes of the Womens Movement Essay

The Fundamental Causes of the Womens Movement - Essay Example In the 1960s, the National Organization for Women fought the good fight to bring women's rights and equality for all to the forefront, while at the same time some women, like Phyllis Schlafly, were very vocal against feminism and women's movement. Nonetheless, reformers have made great strides towards equality in society today, both in the workplace and within the home. The proverbial "glass ceiling" that keeps women from substantial promotions in the workplace still exists, and there are definite strides to be made, however, as time passes and outdated ideals and beliefs are shattered, total equality for women may be just a short distance down the road. The women's rights movement began in the first half of the nineteenth century. From the emergence of the suffrage movement in the 1850's until women obtained the right to vote in 1920, suffrage became the primary goal of the women's rights movement. Suffrage included a set of grievances such as unequal wages, inequality at work, unsanitary working conditions, and limited job options. This movement also targeted the suffering of the non-working woman as well, such as married women's property rights and the suffrage of women overall. This led to the first women's rights convention held at Seneca Falls, New York in 1848 (Baker 24). An outspoken proponent of women's rights was Francis Wright who gained prominence within the women's movement in the late 1820's as a colorful, sensational speaker. She spoke out against slavery and also believed that marriage was a coercive institution and advocated replacing current laws on marriage with a non-legal bond called "generous attachment", based only on mutual respect and love and not regulated by any legal authority (24). Because she was a woman, her speeches were considered radical and improper and her detractors labeled her a "Red Harlot" along with any other woman who followed her or attended her lectures (25). Frederick Douglas, a well-known reformer within the anti-slavery movement, was also a staunch supporter of women's rights, and as early as 1848 demanded the vote as an essential right of women (42). Furthermore, Susan B. Anthony, an American civil rights leader, played a pivotal role and wrote often about the women's suffrage movement. In her writings, many t imes she equated the women's movement with the anti-slavery movement. She stated: the 'Woman Suffrage Movement,' was the Anti-Slavery struggle (31) Anthony was also a paid agent of the American Anti-Slavery Society as well as a suffragist (42). In 1875, a major court case, Minor v. Happersett, arose out of the quest to vote by a woman named Virginia Minor. She attempted to cast her vote in St. Louis and the registrar, Happersett, refused to permit her to do so. Minor was the president of the Woman's Suffrage Association of Missouri and her husband was a prominent attorney. They sued the registrar for denying her what they believed was her privilege and immunity of citizenship. The court in Minor v. Happersett decided against her and Minor appealed her case to the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that if the founders wanted to include suffrage in the constitution, it would have been explicitly stated. The Court refused to interpret the constitution any other way and decided that

International Trade Simulation Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International Trade Simulation Assignment - Essay Example The Island has more immobile resources of natural resources and mobile resources of labor which differs (Fujita, et. al. 140). It trades its resources to gain specialized capital gains from developed country. The specialized capital acquired from developed county help the host country to gain more income and multiply it national revenue employing many people leading to a stable economy. As much as the employment rate increased the inflation curbed making individuals having higher purchasing power thus assisting in the collection of revenue by increasing income tax collection. This effect trickles back to the common person due to return on investment between the trading partners by appropriate governance providing for social amenities achieving social welfare of the host country. The trading partner chosen due to mobility factor of capital that freely invested. Therefore, due to mobility of technology to produce the resources which the host country they had to trade for the capital gain. This is explained by Cobb-Douglas technologies theory that state that the parameters applied to the inputs must vary (Fujita, et. al. 210). Research has found out that capital mobility undermines the free trade. The capital abundant country will gain trade from their capital intensive industries thus import such labor intensive for goods in

Multimedia Editing Software Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multimedia Editing Software - Assignment Example The interface is very sophisticated and interesting. It is user-friendly in the sense that the user does not have to search for the options by putting a lot of effort. It is rather very handy. It is based on SolveigMM Video Editing SDK. The quality of the end-product is very high and the speed of editing is prompt because the editing process does not use encoding and decoding process. This saves time and makes it fast. The advanced technology tends to keep almost 100% of the data in the edited video thus ensuring its high quality. This multimedia editing software supports MPEG-2 files with formats .mpg, .mpeg, .vob, .ts. It supports AVI files with .avi extension. AVI files are trimmed without synchronization loss. The software also supports Windows Media files with .asf, .wma, .wmv, and .wm extensions. The MPEG Audio files that it supports are with extensions of .mp1, .mp2, .mp3, and .mpa. It has the ability to facilitate the OpenDML AVI file format extension and supports the native DV AVI format (both Type 1 and Type 2 in Microsoft terms). It executes the editing procedure starting with K frame. The price of this editing software is USD 48.00. Its size is 7.6 MB and works on most of the operating systems like Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, and Windows 7. One interesting usage that it is well known for is that the user can cut different portions of the movie to get rid of all commercials and ads, and then join the movie parts together to watch the whole movie in one go without having to waste time in watching commercials and them wait for the movie to continue. Also, this software allows the user to do batch mode editing, that is, he can edit several portions of the audio or video clip in one go or, in other words, he can do several editing jobs simultaneously. It also allows the user to merge several media files together.

International Trade Simulation Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International Trade Simulation Assignment - Essay Example The Island has more immobile resources of natural resources and mobile resources of labor which differs (Fujita, et. al. 140). It trades its resources to gain specialized capital gains from developed country. The specialized capital acquired from developed county help the host country to gain more income and multiply it national revenue employing many people leading to a stable economy. As much as the employment rate increased the inflation curbed making individuals having higher purchasing power thus assisting in the collection of revenue by increasing income tax collection. This effect trickles back to the common person due to return on investment between the trading partners by appropriate governance providing for social amenities achieving social welfare of the host country. The trading partner chosen due to mobility factor of capital that freely invested. Therefore, due to mobility of technology to produce the resources which the host country they had to trade for the capital gain. This is explained by Cobb-Douglas technologies theory that state that the parameters applied to the inputs must vary (Fujita, et. al. 210). Research has found out that capital mobility undermines the free trade. The capital abundant country will gain trade from their capital intensive industries thus import such labor intensive for goods in

Educational psychology Essay Example for Free

Educational psychology Essay Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training, or research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of others, but may also be autodidactic. [1] Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. Education is commonly divided into stages such as preschool, primary school, secondary school and then college, university or apprenticeship. A right to education has been recognized by some governments. At the global level, Article 13 of the United Nations 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes the right of everyone to an education. [2] Although education is compulsory in most places up to a certain age, attendance at school often isnt, and a minority of parents choose home-schooling, e-learning or similar for their children. Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Formal education 3. 1 Preschool 3. 2 Primary 3. 3 Secondary 3. 4 Tertiary (higher) 3. 5 Vocational 3. 6 Special 4 Other educational forms 4. 1 Alternative 4. 2 Indigenous 4. 3 Informal learning 4. 4 Self-directed learning 4. 5 Open education and e-learning 5 Development goals 5. 1 Internationalization 5. 2 Education and technology in developing countries 5. 3 Private v public funding in developing countries 6 Educational theory 6. 1 Purpose of schools 6. 2 Educational psychology 6. 3 Learning modalities 6. 4 Philosophy 6. 5 Curriculum 6. 6 Instruction 7 Economics 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Etymology[edit] Etymologically, the word education is derived from the Latin educatio (A breeding, a bringing up, a rearing) from educo (I educate, I train) which is related to the homonym educo (I lead forth, I take out; I raise up, I erect) from e- (from, out of) and duco (I lead, I conduct). [3] Education can take place in formal or informal educational settings. History[edit] Main article: History of education Nalanda, ancient center for higher learning Platos academy, mosaic from Pompeii Education began in the earliest prehistory, as adults trained the young of their society in the knowledge and skills they would need to master and eventually pass on. In pre-literate societies this was achieved orally and through imitation. Story-telling continued from one generation to the next. As cultures began to extend their knowledge beyond skills that could be readily learned through imitation, formal education developed. Schools existed in Egypt at the time of the Middle Kingdom. [4] A depiction of the University of Bologna, Italy, founded in 1088 Matteo Ricci (left) and Xu Guangqi (right) in the Chinese edition of Euclids Elements published in 1607 Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in Europe. [5] The city of Alexandria in Egypt, founded in 330 BCE, became the successor to Athens as the intellectual cradle of Ancient Greece. There mathematician Euclid and anatomist Herophilus; constructed the great Library of Alexandria and translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek. European civilizations suffered a collapse of literacy and organization following the fall of Rome in AD 476. [6] In China, Confucius (551-479 BCE), of the State of Lu, was Chinas most influential ancient philosopher, whose educational outlook continues to influence the societies of China and neighbours like Korea, Japan and Vietnam. He gathered disciples and searched in vain for a ruler who would adopt his ideals for good governance, but his Analects were written down by followers and have continued to influence education in East Asia into the modern era. [citation needed] After the Fall of Rome, the Catholic Church became the sole preserver of literate scholarship in Western Europe. The church established cathedral schools in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education. Some of these ultimately evolved into medieval universities and forebears of many of Europes modern universities. [6] During the High Middle Ages, Chartres Cathedral operated the famous and influential Chartres Cathedral School. The medieval universities of Western Christendom were well-integrated across all of Western Europe, encouraged freedom of enquiry and produced a great variety of fine scholars and natural philosophers, including Thomas Aquinas of the University of Naples, Robert Grosseteste of the University of Oxford, an early expositor of a systematic method of scientific experimentation;[7] and Saint Albert the Great, a pioneer of biological field research. [8] The University of Bologne is considered the oldest continually operating university. Elsewhere during the Middle Ages, Islamic science and mathematics flourished under the Islamic caliphate established across the Middle East, extending from the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Indus in the east and to the Almoravid Dynasty and Mali Empire in the south. The Renaissance in Europe ushered in a new age of scientific and intellectual inquiry and appreciation of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg developed a printing press, which allowed works of literature to spread more quickly. The European Age of Empires saw European ideas of education in philosophy, religion, arts and sciences spread out across the globe. Missionaries and scholars also brought back new ideas from other civilisations — as with the Jesuit China missions who played a significant role in the transmission of knowledge, science, and culture between China and Europe, translating works from Europe like Euclids Elements for Chinese scholars and the thoughts of Confucius for European audiences. The Enlightenment saw the emergence of a more secular educational outlook in Europe. In most countries today, education is compulsory for all children up to a certain age. Due to this the proliferation of compulsory education, combined with population growth, UNESCO has calculated that in the next 30 years more people will receive formal education than in all of human history thus far. [9] Formal education[edit] Systems of schooling involve institutionalized teaching and learning in relation to a curriculum, which itself is established according to a predetermined purpose of the schools in the system. School systems are sometimes also based on religions, giving them different curricula. Preschool[edit] Young children in a kindergarten in Japan Main article: Early childhood education Preschools provide education up to the age of between 4 and 8 when children enter primary education. Also known as nursery schools and as kindergarten, except in the USA, where kindergarten is a term used for primary education. Preschool education is important because it can give a child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. [citation needed] While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors and designs when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children who already possess that knowledge. The true purpose behind kindergarten is to provide a child-centered, preschool curriculum for three to seven year old children that aimed at unfolding the childs physical, intellectual, and moral nature with balanced emphasis on each of them. [10] This period of education is very important in the formative years of the child. Teachers with special skills and training are needed at this time to nurture the children to develop their potentials. [citation needed] Primary[edit] School children line, in Kerala, India Main article: Primary education Primary (or elementary) education consists of the first 5–7 years of formal, structured education. In general, primary education consists of six or eight years of schooling starting at the age of five or six, although this varies between, and sometimes within, countries. Globally, around 89% of primary-age children are enrolled in primary education, and this proportion is rising. [11] Under the Education For All programs driven by UNESCO, most countries have committed to achieving universal enrollment in primary education by 2015, and in many countries, it is compulsory for children to receive primary education. The division between primary and secondary education is somewhat arbitrary, but it generally occurs at about eleven or twelve years of age. Some education systems have separate middle schools, with the transition to the final stage of secondary education taking place at around the age of fourteen. Schools that provide primary education, are mostly referred to as primary schools. Primary schools in these countries are often subdivided into infant schools and junior school. In India, compulsory education spans over twelve years, out of which children receive elementary education for 8 years. Elementary schooling consists of five years of primary schooling and 3 years of upper primary schooling. Various states in the republic of India provide 12 years of compulsory school education based on a national curriculum framework designed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. Secondary[edit] Students working with a teacher at Albany Senior High School, New Zealand Main article: Secondary education In most contemporary educational systems of the world, secondary education comprises the formal education that occurs during adolescence. It is characterized by transition from the typically compulsory, comprehensive primary education for minors, to the optional, selective tertiary, post-secondary, or higher education (e. g. university, vocational school) for adults. Depending on the system, schools for this period, or a part of it, may be called secondary or high schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, middle schools, colleges, or vocational schools. The exact meaning of any of these terms varies from one system to another. The exact boundary between primary and secondary education also varies from country to country and even within them, but is generally around the seventh to the tenth year of schooling. Secondary education occurs mainly during the teenage years. In the United States, Canada and Australia primary and secondary education together are sometimes referred to as K-12 education, and in New Zealand Year 1–13 is used. The purpose of secondary education can be to give common knowledge, to prepare for higher education or to train directly in a profession. The emergence of secondary education in the United States did not happen until 1910, caused by the rise in big businesses and technological advances in factories (for instance, the emergence of electrification), that required skilled workers. In order to meet this new job demand, high schools were created, with a curriculum focused on practical job skills that would better prepare students for white collar or skilled blue collar work. This proved  to be beneficial for both employers and employees, for the improvement in human capital caused employees to become more efficient, which lowered costs for the employer, and skilled employees received a higher wage than employees with just primary educational attainment. In Europe, grammar schools or academies date from as early as the 16th century, in the form of public schools, fee-paying schools, or charitable educational foundations, which themselves have an even longer history. Community colleges offer nonresidential junior college offering courses to people living in a particular area. Tertiary (higher)[edit] Students in a laboratory, Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University See also: Higher education and Adult education Higher education, also called tertiary, third stage, or post secondary education, is the non-compulsory educational level that follows the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school or secondary school. Tertiary education is normally taken to include undergraduate and postgraduate education, as well as vocational education and training. Colleges and universities are the main institutions that provide tertiary education. Collectively, these are sometimes known as tertiary institutions. Tertiary education generally results in the receipt of certificates, diplomas, or academic degrees. Higher education generally involves work towards a degree-level or foundation degree qualification. In most developed countries a high proportion of the population (up to 50%) now enter higher education at some time in their lives. Higher education is therefore very important to national economies, both as a significant industry in its own right, and as a source of trained and educated personnel for the rest of the economy. University education includes teaching, research, and social services activities, and it includes both the undergraduate level (sometimes referred to as tertiary education) and the graduate (or postgraduate) level (sometimes referred to as graduate school). Universities are generally composed of several colleges. In the United States, universities can be private and independent like Yale University; public and state-governed like the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; or independent but state-funded like the University of Virginia. A number of career specific courses are now available to students through the Internet. A liberal arts institution can be defined as a college or university curriculum aimed at imparting broad general knowledge and developing general intellectual capacities, in contrast to a professional, vocational, or technical curriculum. [12] Although what is known today as the liberal arts college began in Europe,[13] the term is more commonly associated with universities in the United States. [citation needed] Vocational[edit]. Carpentry is normally learned through apprenticeship. Main article: Vocational education Vocational education is a form of education focused on direct and practical training for a specific trade or craft. Vocational education may come in the form of an apprenticeship or internship as well as institutions teaching courses such as carpentry, agriculture, engineering, medicine, architecture and the arts. Special[edit] Main article: Special education In the past, those who were disabled were often not eligible for public education. Children with disabilities were often educated by physicians or special tutors. These early physicians (people like Itard, Seguin, Howe, Gallaudet) set the foundation for special education today. They focused on individualized instruction and functional skills. Special education was only provided to people with severe disabilities in its early years, but more recently it has been opened to anyone who has experienced difficulty learning. [14] Other educational forms[edit] Alternative[edit] Main article: Alternative education While considered alternative today, most alternative systems have existed since ancient times. After the public school system was widely developed beginning in the 19th century, some parents found reasons to be discontented with the new system. Alternative education developed in part as a reaction to perceived limitations and failings of traditional education. A broad range of educational approaches emerged, including alternative schools, self learning, homeschooling and unschooling. Example alternative schools include Montessori schools, Waldorf schools (or Steiner schools), Friends schools, Sands School, Summerhill School, The Peepal Grove School, Sudbury Valley School, Krishnamurti schools, and open classroom schools. To a greater or lesser degree, ideas from these experiments and challenges to the system may in time be adopted by the mainstream, as to a large degree has happened with kindergarten, an experimental approach to early childhood education developed by Friedrich Frobel in 19th century Germany. Other influential writers and thinkers have included the Swiss humanitarian Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi; the American transcendentalists Amos Bronson Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau; the founders of progressive education, John Dewey and Francis Parker; and educational pioneers such as Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner, and more recently John Caldwell Holt, Paul Goodman, Frederick Mayer, George Dennison and Ivan Illich. Indigenous[edit] Na Schoolyard. Teaching indigenous knowledge, models, methods in Yanyuan County, Sichuan in China Main article: Indigenous education Indigenous education refers to the inclusion of indigenous knowledge, models, methods and content within formal and non-formal educational systems. Often in a post-colonial context, the growing recognition and use of indigenous education methods can be a response to the erosion and loss of indigenous knowledge and language through the processes of colonialism. Furthermore, it can enable indigenous communities to reclaim and revalue their languages and cultures, and in so doing, improve the educational success of indigenous students. [15] Informal learning[edit]. Main article: informal learning Informal learning is one of three forms of learning defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Informal learning occurs in a variety of places, such as at home, work, and through daily interactions and shared relationships among members of society. For many learners this includes language acquisition, cultural norms and manners. Informal learning for young people is an ongoing process that also occurs in a variety of places, such as out of school time, in youth programs at community centers and media labs. Informal learning usually takes place outside educational establishments, does not follow a specified curriculum and may originate accidentally, sporadically, in association with certain occasions, from changing practical requirements. It is not necessarily planned to be pedagogically conscious, systematic and according to subjects, but rather unconsciously incidental, holistically problem-related, and related to situation management and fitness for life. It is experienced directly in its natural function of everyday life and is often spontaneous. The concept of education through recreation was applied to childhood development in the 19th century. [16] In the early 20th century, the concept was broadened to include young adults but the emphasis was on physical activities. [17] L. P. Jacks, also an early proponent of lifelong learning, described education through recreation: A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play, his labour and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself he always seems to be doing both. Enough for him that he does it well. [18] Education through recreation is the opportunity to learn in a seamless fashion through all of lifes activities. [19] The concept has been revived by the University of Western Ontario to teach anatomy to medical students. [19] Self-directed learning[edit]. Main article: Autodidacticism Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) is a contemplative, absorbing process, of learning on your own or by yourself, or as a self-teacher. Some autodidacts spend a great deal of time reviewing the resources of libraries and educational websites. One may become an autodidact at nearly any point in ones life. While some may have been informed in a conventional manner in a particular field, they may choose to inform themselves in other, often unrelated areas. Notable autodidacts include Abraham Lincoln (U. S. president), Srinivasa Ramanujan (mathematician), Michael Faraday (chemist and physicist), Charles Darwin (naturalist), Thomas Alva Edison (inventor), Tadao Ando (architect), George Bernard Shaw (playwright), Frank Zappa (composer, recording engineer, film director), and Leonardo da Vinci (engineer, scientist, mathematician). Open education and e-learning[edit] Main articles: Open education and E-learning In 2012, e-learning had grown at 14 times the rate of traditional learning. [clarification needed][20] Open education is fast growing to become the dominant form of education, for many reasons such as its efficiency and results compared to traditional methods. [21] Cost of education has been an issue throughout history, and a major political issue in most countries today. Open education is generally significantly cheaper than traditional campus based learning and in many cases even free. Many large university institutions are now starting to offer free or almost free full courses such as Harvard, MIT and Berkeley teaming up to form edX. Other universities offering open education are Stanford, Princeton, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Edinburgh, U. Penn, U. Michigan, U. Virginia, U. Washington, and Caltech. It has been called the biggest change in the way we learn since the printing press. [22] Many people despite favorable studies on effectiveness may still desire to choose traditional campus education for social and cultural reasons. [23] The conventional merit-system degree is currently not as common in open education as it is in campus universities, although some open universities do already offer conventional degrees such as the Open University in the United Kingdom. Presently, many of the major open education sources offer their own form of certificate. Due to the popularity of open education, these new kind of academic certificates are gaining more respect and equal academic value to traditional degrees. [24] Many open universities are working to have the ability to offer students standardized testing and traditional degrees and credentials. [citation needed] There has been a culture forming around distance learning for people who are looking to enjoy the shared social aspects that many people value in traditional on-campus education, which is not often directly offered from open education. [citation needed] Examples of this are people in open education forming study groups, meetups and movements such as UnCollege. Development goals[edit] World map indicating Education Index (according to 2007/2008 Human Development Report) Russia has more academic graduates than any other country in Europe. [when? ] (Chart does not include population statistics. ) Since 1909, the ratio of children in the developing world going to school has increased. Before then, a small minority of boys attended school. By the start of the 21st century, the majority of all children in most regions of the world attended school. There are 73 million children,[clarification needed] mostly female children in poor families, who did not start elementary school. There are more than 200 million children, mostly females from poor families, who did not go to secondary school. [25] Universal Primary Education is one of the eight international Millennium Development Goals, towards which progress has been made in the past decade, though barriers still remain. [26] Securing charitable funding from prospective donors is one particularly persistent problem. Researchers at the Overseas Development Institute have indicated that the main obstacles to receiving more funding for education include conflicting donor priorities, an immature aid architecture, and a lack of evidence and advocacy for the issue. [26] Additionally, Transparency International has identified corruption in the education sector as a major stumbling block to achieving Universal Primary Education in Africa. [27] Furthermore, demand in the developing world for improved educational access is not as high as foreigners have expected. Indigenous governments are reluctant to take on the recurrent costs involved. There is economic pressure from those parents who prefer their children to earn money in the short term rather than work towards the long-term benefits of education. [citation needed] A study conducted by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning indicates that stronger capacities in educational planning and management may have an important spill-over effect on the system as a whole. [28] Sustainable capacity development requires complex interventions at the institutional, organizational and individual levels that could be based on some foundational principles: national leadership and ownership should be the touchstone of any intervention; strategies must be context relevant and context specific;[clarification needed] they should embrace an integrated set of complementary interventions, though implementation may need to proceed in steps;[clarification needed] partners should commit to a long-term investment in capacity development, while working towards some short-term achievements; outside intervention should be conditional on an impact assessment of national capacities at various levels; a certain percentage of students should be removed for improvisation of academics (usually practiced in schools, after 10th grade). Internationalization[edit]. Nearly every country now has Universal Primary Education. Similarities — in systems or even in ideas — that schools share internationally have led to an increase in international student exchanges. The European Socrates-Erasmus Program[29] facilitates exchanges across European universities. The Soros Foundation[30] provides many opportunities for students from central Asia and eastern Europe. Programs such as the International Baccalaureate have contributed to the internationalization of education. The global campus online, led by American universities, allows free access to class materials and lecture files recorded during the actual classes. Education and technology in developing countries[edit]. The OLPC laptop being introduced to children in Haiti Technology plays an increasingly significant role in improving access to education for people living in impoverished areas and developing countries. There are charities dedicated to providing infrastructures through which the disadvantaged may access educational materials, for example, the One Laptop per Child project. The OLPC foundation, a group out of MIT Media Lab and supported by several major corporations, has a stated mission to develop a $100 laptop for delivering educational software. The laptops were widely available as of 2008. They are sold at cost or given away based on donations. In Africa, the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD) has launched an e-school program to provide all 600,000 primary and high schools with computer equipment, learning materials and internet access within 10 years. [31] An International Development Agency project called nabuur. com,[32] started with the support of former American President Bill Clinton, uses the Internet to allow co-operation by individuals on issues of social development. India is developing technologies that will bypass land-based telephone and Internet infrastructure to deliver distance learning directly to its students. In 2004, the Indian Space Research Organization launched EDUSAT, a  communications satellite providing access to educational materials that can reach more of the countrys population at a greatly reduced cost. [33] Private v public funding in developing countries[edit] Research into low cost private schools found that over 5 years to July 2013, debate around low-cost private schools to achieving Education for All (EFA) objectives was polarised and finding growing coverage in international policy. [34] The polarisation was due to disputes around whether the schools are affordable for the poor, reaching disadvantaged groups, provide quality education, supporting or undermining equality, and are financially sustainable. The report examined the main challenges that development organisations which support LCPSs have encountered. [34] Surveys suggest these types of schools are expanding across Africa and Asia and is attributed to excess demand. These surveys also found concern for: Equity, widely found in the literature, as the growth in low-cost private schooling may be exacerbating or perpetuating already existing inequalities in developing countries, between urban and rural populations, lower- and higher-income families, and between girls and boys. The report says findings are that LCPSs see evidence girls are underrepresented and that they are reaching some low-income families, often in small numbers compared with higher-income families. Quality of provision and educational outcomes: You cannot generalise about the quality of private schools. While most achieve better results than government counterparts, even after their social background is taken into account, some studies find the opposite. Quality in terms of levels of teacher absence, teaching activity and pupil to teacher ratios in some countries are better in LCPSs than in government schools. Choice and affordability for the poor: parents can choose private schools because of perceptions of better-quality teaching and facilities, and an English language instruction preference. Nevertheless, the concept of ‘choice’ does not apply in all contexts, or to all groups in society, partly because of limited affordability (which excludes most of the poorest) and other forms of exclusion, related to caste or social status. Cost-effectiveness and financial sustainability: Evidence is that private schools operate at low cost by keeping teacher salaries low, but their financial situation may be precarious where they are reliant on fees from low-income households. The report said there were some cases of successful voucher and subsidy programmes; evaluations of international support to the sector are not widespread. [34] Addressing regulatory ineffectiveness is a key challenge. Emerging approaches stress the importance of understanding the political economy of the market for LCPSs, specifically how relationships of power and accountability between users, government and private providers can produce better education outcomes for the poor. A class size experiment in the United States found that attending small classes for 3 or more years in the early grades increased high school graduation rates of students from low income families. [35] Main article: Educational theory Purpose of schools[edit] Individual purposes for pursuing education can vary. The understanding of the goals and means of educational socialization processes may also differ according to the sociological paradigm used. In the early years of schooling, the focus is generally around developing basic interpersonal communication and literacy skills in order to further ability to learn more complex skills and subjects. After acquiring these basic abilities, education is commonly focused towards individuals gaining necessary knowledge and skills to improve ability to create value and a livelihood for themselves. [36] Satisfying personal curiosities (education for the sake of itself) and desire for personal development, to better oneself without career based reasons for doing so are also common reasons why people pursue education and use schools. [37] Education is often understood to be a means of overcoming handicaps, achieving greater equality and acquiring wealth and status for all (Sargent 1994). Learners can also be motivated by their interest in the subject area or specific skill they are trying to learn. Learner-responsibility education models are driven by the interest of the learner in the topic to be studied. [38] Education is often perceived as a place where children can develop according to their unique needs and potentialities[39] with the purpose of developing every individual to their full potential. Educational psychology[edit] Main article: Educational psychology Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Although the terms educational psychology and school psychology are often used interchangeably, researchers and theorists are likely to be identified as educational psychologists, whereas practitioners in schools or school-related settings are identified as school psychologists.