Hipaa Violation

Course Project Rough Draft MGH HIPAA violation case Jennifer Brummage Medical Law and Ethics In the health care business, there are certain standards and laws that have been put in place to protect our patients and their personal health information. When a health care facility fails to protect their patient’s confidential information, the US Government may get involved and facilities may be forced to pay huge sums of money in fines, and risk damaging their reputation. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was established in 1996. This Act was put into place in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system. The HIPAA law includes a Privacy rule and a Security Rule. Hospitals, Doctors, and employees in the medical field are expected to adopt the national standards and aim to keep patient information confidential. When a hospital or medical employee fails to meet the standards set, lawsuits can ensue and they can be fined large sums of money relating to the incident. The Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individual’s medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. The Privacy rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect personal health information. The rule also gives patients’ rights over their health information, including rights to examine and obtain a copy of their health records. The Security protects individual’s electronic personal health information that is created, received, used or maintained by a covered entity. The Security rule requires appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic protected health information. The Office for Civil rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing the HIPAA standards. When a complaint is filed, it is the job of the OCR to investigate. OCR may also conduct compliance reviews to determine if the health organization is in compliance with the HIPAA laws. When the OCR accepts a complaint from an individual, they will notify the person and the covered entity named in it. Then both parties will submit information about the incident. The OCR will review the information to determine whether or not a violation has occurred. When violations have occurred and have been proven, the US Government will impose a fine that they see appropriate. When Health organizations such a private medical practices, hospitals, and clinics fail to meet the standards described in the HIPAA act, investigations, bad press, and fines are surely to follow. There have been a number of cases in the past few years that have been investigated for HIPAA violations. One of the more recent and highly publicized cases was that of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). On March 6, 2009 is was reported that an employee of MGH had removed from the hospitals premises a folder of documents that included the private healthcare information (PHI) of approximately one hundred and ninety two patients. The employee had removed the folder from the hospital’s medical records room, so that she could bring her work home with her in order to complete some paperwork. The information that was included in these files were documents that had billing encounter forms that contained the names of the patients, their date of birth, social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, medical record number, the patients diagnoses and proposed course of treatment, their provider and the providers address and phone numbers. The folder also contained documents that included the practices daily office schedule for three days and the medical record number for 192 patients. The employee was aware that she was not permitted to remove this confidential information from the hospital premises. In doing so, she violated the HIPAA law. On March 9, 2009, the employee who removed the documents from the hospital was commuting to work on a subway train. According to the complaint that was filed, the employee had removed the folder containing the documents from her bag and placed them in the seat beside her. The documents were not in an envelope and they were bound only by a rubber band. Upon exiting the train, the MGH employee left the documents on the subway train. The documents were never recovered. This incident was later reported to the Office of Civil rights (OCR) by a patient who was informed by the hospital that his medical records had been lost by an employee and left them on a subway train. The One hundred and ninety two patients involved had been patients of the hospitals Infectious Disease outpatient practice, which includes HIV/AIDS patients. The fact that the patients involved in this case were potentially AIDS patients, made the violation that much more serious. Investigators had to take in to account that these people had their medical records lost, and in those records were their phone numbers and addresses and possibly their place of employment. If these documents fell into the wrong hands, the potential for destroying the patients’ lives was very high. Had a person with malicious intent got ahold of their information, they could have harassed the patient and possibly spread their personal information around, which could have had devastating consequences. The Office of Civil Rights began their investigation of Massachusetts General following the March 2009 Complaint. Because of the potential violations that MGH faced, they agreed to pay the United State Government $1,000,000 to settle potential fines. MGH is one of the nation’s largest and oldest hospitals. The Hospital is highly regarded and respected, and many hospitals took notice when the investigation into possible HIPAA security law violations began. In addition to agreeing to pay the United States Government one million dollars, the hospital and the General Hospital Corporation agreed to sign a Resolution Agreement with the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agreement required that the hospital develop and implement a comprehensive set of policies and procedures to safeguard the privacy of its patients. In signing this resolution agreement, it was the HHS hope that other hospitals and clinics throughout the nation would recognize that the OCR is very serious about investigation every claim that is filed with them. The OCR wants other hospitals to see that if a violation has occurred and a patient’s privacy has been violated, there will be consequences. The OCR wanted to make an example out of Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to the fines and the signing of the resolution agreement, OCR and HHS asked MGH to enter into a Corrective Action Plan. The HHR wanted the hospital and its employees to not only be held responsible and made an example out of, they also wanted the hospital to raise the awareness of its employees. The Corrective Action Plan (CAP) was designed to develop and implement a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that ensure the patient’s private health information is protected when Removed from the hospitals premises. It was to ensure that the employees were trained and informed of the new policies and procedures so that future mistakes could be prevented. The hospital was also required to have the Director of Internal Audit Services of Partners HealthCare System Inc. to serve as an internal monitor who will conduct assessments of MGH’s compliance with the CAP and render semi-annual reports to the HHS for a 3 year period. It was the mistake of one person that caused so many changes in MGH’s system. It was a costly mistake, but ultimately is has helped the United States Government make hospitals aware that if the standards set are not followed then there will be consequences. The HIPAA laws that are set in place are meant to protect patients. Even the US Government and the employees of MGH are someone’s patients, and they would also want their privacy respected. Hospitals across the nation, private practices, doctors and healthcare facilities should take notice, they need to make sure their employees are trained and informed of the policies and procedures regarding patient’s privacy and security. Every hospital in the nation should raise their own standards so that they are above the ones set for them. Patients will take notice and be appreciative and more trusting when receiving care. In conclusion, this HIPAA violation could have possibly been prevented had MGH implemented the Action Plan in the beginning. The hospital should have had a program that required all employees to take prior to starting work with the hospital. Had the employee that left the documents on the subway been through a class on HIPAA laws and the correct way of handling PHI, maybe the incident never would have occurred. Hospitals should hold a class as part of the hiring process to thoroughly train their employees on this issue. It could be used as a preventive measure and save the hospital from large fines in the future. References * FierceHealthcare. com, HIPAA violations. Feb 25 2011 (54198) * HHS. gov. News Release MGH HIPAA violation. Feb 24 2011 * US Department of Health and Human Services. HIPAA Law, July 19, 2011 * Zigmond J, Modern Healthcare, ISSN: 0160-7480, 2011 Feb 28; Vol. 41 (9), pp. 13 * http://www. hhs. gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/index. html

The Tudors

THE TUDORS: The birth of the nation state. The new monarchy Henry VII is less known than Henry VIII or Elizabeth I but he was more important in establishing the new monarchy. Henry VII firmly believed that war and glory were bad business, and that business was good for the state. Henry had more power and more money than earlier kings. His aim was to make the crown financially independent. When he died in 1509 he left a huge amount of money. The only thing on which he was happy to spend money was the building of ships. Henry VIII was quite unlike his father. He was cruel, wasteful with money, and interested in pleasing himself. The reformationHenry VIII was always looking for new sources of money. He disliked the power of Church in England because, since it was an international organization, he could not completely control it. In 1531 Henry persuaded the bishops to make him head of the Church in England, and this became law after Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy in 1534. The bre ak with Rome was purely political. He wanted to control the Church and keep its wealth in his own. He used the Parliament to make the break legal. Through several Acts of Parliament between 1532 and 1536, England became politically a Protestant country, even though the popular religion was Catholic.After the acceptance of the Reformation Henry closed monasteries and other religious houses. Monks and nuns were thrown out. The dissolution of the monasteries was probably the greatest act of official destruction in the history of Britain. Elizabeth I Elizabeth I became queen when Mary died in 1558. She wanted to find peaceful answers to the problems of English Reformation. She wanted to bring together again parts of English society which were in religious disagreement. And she wanted to make England prosperous. She considered trade the most important foreign policy matter, and also encouraged merchant expansion.She recognized Spain as her main trade, rival and enemy. Mary, the â€Å"Qu een of Scots†, was the heir to the English throne, she was a strong Catholic. When she returned to Scotland, soon made enemies, because she got tired of her husband and she agreed to murder him and married the murdered so she was unpopular among people and finally she escaped to England. Elizabeth kept Mary as a prisoner for almost 20 years. In 1587 she finally agreed to Mary’s execution. England and her neighbours During the Tudor period, from 1485 until 1603, English foreign policy changed several times. Mary queen of Scot and the Scottish reformationMary was troubled by bad luck and wrong decisions. She was Catholic, she returned to Scotland as both queen and widow. During her time in France, Scotland had become officially and popularly Protestant. The Scots were careful not to give the monarch authority over the new Protestant Scottish â€Å"kirk†, as the church in Scotland was called. This was possible because the new Reformation took place while the queen, Mary, was not in Scotland. The Kirk taught the importance of personal belief and the study of the Bible, this led to the idea that education was important for everyone in Scotland.Protestantism had spread quickly through the Scottish universities. The new Kirk disliked Mary and her French Catholicism. Then Mary was married again, to Lord Darnley, later she got tired of him, consequently she agreed to murder her husband and married the murderer, Bothwel. Scottish society was shocked. In addition to her Catholicism and her French culture, she had shown very poor judgment. She destroyed her chance of inheriting the English throne. She found herself at war with her opponents, and was captured and imprisoned. She escaped to England, where she was held by Elizabeth and after nineteen years she was executed.Refer to society during Tudor times. †¢ Tudor parliaments. The Tudor monarchs did not like governing through Parliament. Henry VII had used Parliament only for law making. Until th e end of the Tudor period Parliament was supposed to do three things: agree to the taxes needed; make the laws which the Crown suggested; and advise the crown, only when asked to do so. †¢ Rich and poor in town and country. During this period the population increased, England had social and economic problems than ever before. The price of food and other goods rose. But a greater problem was the increase in population.Living conditions got worse. Many landowners made money from sheep farming; they could sell the wool to the cloth industry. Many people became unemployed. In 1601 Parliament passed the First Poor Law. This made local people responsible for the poor in their own area. The lives of the rich and poor were different. The rich ate good quality bread while the poor ate rough bread. The rich showed off their wealth in silk clothing, while the poor wore simple clothes of leather or wool. †¢ Domestic life. Women in England had a greater freedom than anywhere else in Eu rope.However, there was a dark side of married life. Most women bore between eight and fifteen children. Marriage was often an economic arrangement, there weren’t deep emotional ties. Both rich and poor lived in small family groups. People worked hard and died young. Poor children started work at the age of six or seven. Unmarried women suffered badly during this period, after the dissolution of the monasteries they became beggars on the roads of England. They had little choice in life. †¢ Language and culture. At the beginning of the Tudor period English was spoken in different ways.Since the mid-fourteenth century, London English had become accepted as Standard English. Educated people began to speak â€Å"correct† English, and uneducated people continued to speak the local dialect. Literacy increased greatly during the mid-sixteenth century. England felt the effects of the Renaissance, it also influence religion, encouraging the Protestant Reformation. In music England enjoyed its most fruitful period ever. Literature was England’s greatest art form; William Shakespeare filled the theatres with their exciting new plays.

Emma Goldman Essay

In January 1886 a 16YOA Jewish girl- Emma Goldman arrived to in New York City from St. Petersburg, Russia, where her parents ran a grocery store. As soon as immigration officials had examined her and approved her entry into the US, she hurried to Rochester, New York, where her half-sister lived. Emma was extremely independent-minded. Her father had tried to force her to marry when she was 15, saying when she protested that â€Å"all Jewish daughter needs to know is how to prepare gefulte fish, cut noodles fine, and give man plenty of children† Defying her father, Emma had flatly refused to marry. â€Å"I wanted to study, to know life, travel,† she explained years later. She had also found the harsh government of Russia Czar unbearable. Like most immigrants she expected the United States â€Å"the land of opportunity,† to be a kind of paradise on earth. Moving in with her stepsister’s family, Emma got a job in a factory sewing coats and earning $2.50 a week. She paid her sister $1.50 for room and board and spent 60 cents a week on carfare to get to and from her job, leaving her only with 40 cents for all her other needs. But when she asked her employer for more money he simply told her to â€Å"look for work elsewhere.† This she did, finding a job at another factory that paid $4.00 a week. In 1887 she married Jacob Kirshnern, another Russian Immigrant, but they did not get along and soon divorced. She moved to new Haven, Connecticut, where she worked in a corset factory. In 1889 she moved to NYC. There she took up with a group of radicals most of them either socialists or anarchists. She herself was by this time an ardent anarchist, convinced by her experiences with all with the darker aspects of American Capitalism that all governments repressed individual freedom and should simply be abolished. In New York, Emma fell in love with another Russia-Born radical, Alexander Berkman. They started a kind of commune with another couple, sharing everything equally. Emma worked at home sewing shirts. Alexander found a job making cigars. They never married. Next, the couple moved back to New Haven, where Emma started a cooperative dressmaking shop. Then they moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where, with Berkman’s Cousin an artist, they opened a photography studio. When this business failed, they borrowed $150. And opened an ice-cream parlor. Nearly all immigrants of that period retained their faith in the promise of America life even after they discovered that the streets were not paved with gold and that the people and the government were not as perfect as they had expected. But Emma was so disappointed that she became even more radical. The harsh punishment meted out the anarchists who were accused of Haymarket bombing of 1886 shocked her deeply. In 1892, when she and Berkman learned of the bloody battle of Pinkertons and striker during the Homestead steel strikes, they closed the ice-cream parlor and went back to New York. They formed a plan to assassinate Henry Clay Frick, the arch villain of the Homestead Drama. First they tried to manufacture a bomb, but that proved to be beyond their powers. Berkman then went to Pittsburg, where, posing as a representative of an agency that provided strikebreakers, he got into Frick’s office. Pulling a pistol, Berkman aimed for Frick in the shoulder. Berkman then stabbed Frick, but still homestead boss survived. Convicted of the attempt on Frick’s life, Berkman was imprisoned for fourteen years. The next year Goldman was herself arrested and sentenced to a year in jail for making an â€Å"incendiary† speech urging unemployed workers to distrust politicians and demand government relief. Upon her release, she was taken up by leading native-born radicals. She got to know Lillian Wald and other New York settlement workers, but while she respected their motives, she disparaged their methods. It did little good to teach good table manners to people who had no food, she believed. Leaving the US, Goldman went to Vienna, where she was trained as a nurse. When she was returned to America, she worked as a mid-wife among the New York poor, an experienced that made her an outspoken advocate of birth control. She also helped organize a theatrical group, managed a touring group of Russian Actors, and lectured on theatrical topics. In 1901, Goldman was arrested on charges of inspiring Leon Czolgosz to assassinate President McKinley, Czolgosz had attended one of Goldman’s lectures, but there was no direct connection between the two, and the charges against her were dropped. In 1906, Goldman founded Mother Earth, an anarchist Journal. When Alexander Berkman was released from prison later that year, she made him it editor. Mother Earth denounced governments, organized religion, and private property. Goldman believed in primitive form of communism in which all would share equally and no one would have power over anyone else. By this time Goldman had become a celebrity. â€Å"Her name in those days was enough to produce a shudder,† recalled Margaret Anderson, editor of a literary magazine. â€Å"She was considered a monster, an exponent of free love and bombs.† During the next decade Goldman campaigned for freedom of speech all over the US and in Canada and lectured in support of Birth Control. She even developed a plan so that subscribers to Mother Earth could also get the American Journal of Eugenics, a Magazine that advocated contraception. In 1915, after Margaret Sanger was arrested for seminating information on birth control, Goldman did the same in public speeches. She was arrested and spent two weeks in jail. Goldman regarded the Great War- and Especially American entry in it- as a calamity beyond measure. When congress passed a conscription act, she Berkman, and a few other radicals organized the No-Conscription League, not so much to persuade men to resist the draft as to provide and and comfort to anyone who did so. In 1917, Goldman and Berkman were convicted of conspiring to persuade men not to register for the draft. They served two years in federal prison. In 1919, they were deported to Russia. Two years later, disillusioned with the Bolsheviks, she left the Soviet Union. â€Å"Red Emma† Goldman was not a typical American, but she was in many ways a typical immigrant. She held on to the culture of the old country; most of her close friends in the United States were Russians. But at the same time she learned English and quickly became familiar with American ways. She worked hard and developed valuable skills. Gradually moved up the economic ladder: from sweatshop laborer, to factory worker, to running a shop, to nursing, to lecturing, and editing magazine. And while she was critical of the government and economic system of the United States, she was a typical immigrant also in insisting that she was an American patriot. â€Å"The kind of Patriotism which loves American with open eyes.†

INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING AND ADVERTISING COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT Assignment

INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING AND ADVERTISING COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT - Assignment Example Television advertisements have a wide scope of coverage. A new brand of coffee should be able to create a strong original appeal to potential buyers and have competitive features to other beverages. The target market does not have conspicuous boundaries. As a result, it is difficult to predict such as market. Television advertising can reach many people at a time. With the use of the media, marketers can incorporate the advertisements at usual times when consumers use the class of beverages (Blick, 2011). Otherwise, television advertisements are very expensive and should only be used when there are high projections of revenue. A new recipe for cereals is mostly applicable to chefs and households. Television media is the best place for marketing the product. It would appeal to the youth and young individuals. Advertisements should be mostly placed during programs that appeal to the audience that marketers intend for the product. Television has the advantage that they appeal to many people (Hutt, & Speh, 2013). Otherwise, they are budget intensive. Marketers can also use hospitals to market the recipes because slimming could relate to health issues. The target market can be patients with obesity. Target market can also be clients at gyms. A recipe is a service product. It poses challenges on how to present it to the audience. Intangible products are difficult to deal with because they do not have physical properties that individuals can use to please clients. The most appropriate media for the recipe is one that facilitates demonstrations. In television media, there is an opportunity to offer demonstrations on how to undertake the recipe. The advertisements can be incorporated at strategic times. Lastly, marketers can offer demonstration sessions for chefs and the public to inform them of the new recipe. The market segment for this product is mainly the youth. Minor budget is not intensive and would require specific timing of events. Marketers

Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Death Penalty - Essay Example Many people argue that this type of punishment is unacceptable while others argue that it is not unusual punishment and if someone can kill another human being without remorse then that person should be put to death as well. Many states set a standard in which the Death Penalty is allowed for and which crime the person has committed to get the Death Penalty. During this paper we will learn about the history and the Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty. We will also see why it works or doesn’t work and why people are for and against it. It is my belief that the Death Penalty should be for people who commit harsh crimes and kill other people. History The death penalty is a form of punishment that has been there even before Christ and has been administered by many civilized societies on wrong doers for various offences; however the first ever documented capital punishment case was that of George Kendall, in Virginia. He was a Spanish spy who was convicted in 1608. From then till pr esent, around 20,000 people (documented figure only) have been given death penalties by various courts of laws. (Acker, 2003). When the concept of state prisons was absent, fines and capital punishment were used as a means to discourage crimes and offences. The punishment was normally meted out in public so as to make an example out of it. The European law was stricter and had some 200 offences punishable by death penalty as compared to the American law in the early periods of colonization. The American law had major crimes such as murder, rape, adultery, sodomy, etc. that could result in capital punishment. Another reason for the public show of the punishment in the early years was the simple method of hanging used for the punishment which in later years was replaced by more sophisticated techniques like electric chairs and gas chambers so as to reduce the suffering of the offender. Thus with new techniques and increasing public sensitivities towards such punishments the public dis play was halted in the mid-19th century. (Acker, 2003) The 18th century also saw some changes in people’s opinion regarding the punishment and they began opposing it. Thus with time the crimes for which death penalty could be ordered were reduced and included just serious offences. The European Enlightenment era saw further criticism and the western nations started abandoning the practice with United States as the only exception. Even US law had the punishment abolished for certain period (1973-1977) but it was again legalized for certain crimes and situations (Acker, 2003). Why such serious crimes are committed? There are various reasons for which people commit crimes which are punishable with death. Offenders usually choose to commit such a big crime mainly due to revenge, grudge and greed of property. Research also reveals that murders are usually done by family members, relatives, friends, or by some known person. This may be because that person wants to take revenge from his relative/friend or is interested in his wealth etc. Moreover, as friends and relatives are mostly aware of the schedule of the person so it is easy for them to target the person (Ehrlich, 1975). Other than revenge, unemployment and poverty also result in serious crimes such as murder. The murder rate is directly proportional to the rate of unemployment and inversely proportional to the labor force participation rate (Ehrlich, 1975). Moreover,

The Probation System of Georgia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Probation System of Georgia - Term Paper Example As observed in the past years, the crime rate has increased leading to a consequent upsurge in the number of criminals in the population, in the state of Georgia. This resulted in set up of improved probationer and management responsibilities. Therefore, the probation operations were more successful such that an improvement in case management was observed. Improved case management resulted in supervision that is more efficient from the probation officers in such a way that they did not affect the society in a negative manner. There was also the creation of an environment whereby the departments run by the probation officers are redirected such that the probation officers handle cases of higher risk probationer population. The state of Georgia also developed the Probation Reporting Contact Centre. It was specifically developed to help in the improvement of processes by the probation officers and acted as a reliable source of information and assistance. The Probation Reporting Contact Centre was also observed to offer relief to the probation officers through offering compliance reports and offering routine content. This was made probable by the formation of an Interactive Voice Response system, which handled the automation of notes system documentation and call reception automation. The adoption of this new system also meant that the probation officers received customer support from staff members designated to make live telephone conversations. The Probation Reporting Contact Centre proved to be an efficient and effective way since it offered a low risk operation whereby all stable probationers were in a position to report their residences and at the same time comply with the court order conditions of probation. Through this body, the probation officers were also able to participate in self-improvement programs with translation in better service delivery (Palmer, 2008). The probation officers are responsible for the management of all cases and the decision-making activities pertaining offenders in the state of Georgia. These probation officers are highly qualified in the field of handling cases of delinquency and hence the all the assisting technologies were designed in such a way that all the data concerning patients was delivered to the probation officers in a timely manner electronically. The transmission of patient’s data electronically prepares the probation officers psychologically such that they are able to prepare prior to meeting with the patient. As a result, the tactics and approaches employed by the probation officers are informed as they already have an insight of the case at hand. This increased the effectiveness of the probation programs making the probation system in Georgia robust. The Probation Reporting Contact Centre acts as a very essential reporting tool for the probation officers. This is because this organization was formed and designed in such way that it acts as a positive sanction and supervision tool. The use of this instrument has proven to be very successful in the sense that the community receives safer and faster probationer supervision and compliance. This is evident through instances whereby the probationers are not always required to report to the office to offer their service as a probation officer in person. This in turn translates into the overcoming of many shortcomings posed such as time wastage on the job owning to the wait time in most probation lobbies and childcare expenses. The incorporation of this new technology in probation offices,

A Critical Analysis of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Essay

A Critical Analysis of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) - Essay Example There are seven main parts that are covered at this stage. They include the social and emotional development. This allows the children to recognize who they are as well as respecting other people in the society. At the same time, the children learn how to perform certain activities such as dressing. Communication and problem solving are other important areas of learning at this stage (Silberfeld 2009, p.67). The children begin developing the confidence needed when communicating. At the same time, they learn how to solve problem through games and listening and answering questions from stories. The curriculum also ensures that children understand the world they live in and development physically and creatively. They understand the world around them through use of different materials and tools to create their surroundings. The EYFS is used as a platform that prepares children for what they will become in future (Beckley 2009, p.98). The knowledge and the kind of preparation at this stag e dictate how the children will respond to learning in future. The environment in which the children are raised is imperative. It determines whether such children become intelligent or not. While certain settings foster intelligence, others do not (Carr 2005, p.65). it is imperative for teachers to know that children at this stage learn more from observation and what they hear. The children believe the information passed to them. They are not able to criticise like their counterparts in late childhood (Callaway 2005, p.67). For that reason, accurate information is vital at this state. This includes the information on chats, which the pupils are expected to read. It is difficult to undo what the children have already recorded in their mind. The curriculum is the most important tool in ensuring that the children acquire the best learning while still in their early stages (Glazzard et al. 2010, p.98). However, one of the most striking feature is the fact that play becomes an integral p art of learning (Edwards 2001, p.38). Children understand better, when concepts are addressed through play. It has been effective in ensuring that children develop both physically, cognitively and socially (Glenda 2003, p.98). Through play for instance, most children are able to discover their potential. This is especially when such children are involved in activities that involve role-play. It is therefore imperative that the curriculum involve all kinds of play to ensure that the children concentrate and get the best out of learning (Goffin 2011, p.78). The following discussion will focus on the role of curriculum in promoting learn as well as how play promotes learning. The environment where the children are exposed is supposed to be safe and free from any materials that would cause any harm. It is the responsibility of the school management to ensure that the structures are well constructed and are safe to be used by the children (. The classroom for instance should have enough space where the children are allowed to play and interact. With the current need for inclusion, I it is also vital that the designs of such classes make it possible for children with disabilities to learn. They ought to be made part of the class and benefit just like any other child. In addition to that, the current classes may have children from different cultural backgrounds. The teacher has a responsibility of ensuring that such students benefit from this kind of setting. To help understand the above themes, I visited a primary school in New Ham East London. It was a class that had the children at the age of between 3 and 4. The class had a total of 25 pupils with one main teacher. The class has children from dif

Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Budgeting - Essay Example Not planning earlier can bring up capacity issues; cash flow issues etc. for the organization. An estimation of costs and revenues is required to know the estimated profit. The profit is not attained in a single day. All days need to be planned to achieve those profits, daily operations are therefore need to be managed; budgeting prepares the managers for the whole day decisions, which he cannot act to on a single day basis. A clear thinking and understanding is developed. Budgeting in advance also helps determine the borrowing requirements, early relationship building with the lender, communicating earlier the borrowing needs. And reasonable budgets and forecasts to repay can build up credibility in the eyes of the lender. Once the borrowing needs are determined and committed in the pipeline, the spending timing and needs are allocated as and where required. The budgeting exercise can become hectic and set accountability for the managers. This leads to driving their focus away from the day to operations but not really. It builds up coordination and integration among the cross functional areas and within everyone in different functions of the organization. Everyone is considered accountable for his or her actions; a sense of ownership develops amongst the employees and hence a company would want its employees to be motivated enough to achieve their and company's goals. This only happens when objectives of both are aligned and employees are motivated enough to achieve the same. These overall benefits in day to day affairs. Major inputs to the master budget and usefulness of each The major inputs to the master budget are operating and the financial budget. Master budget also helps create a linkage between the two afore mentioned budgets. Each of these budgets has their own importance and none can succeed without the other. The operating budget comprises the sales budget, production budget, the direct materials budget, the direct labor budget, the factory overhead budget, the inventory budget, cost of goods sold budget, selling and administrative expense budget, and the budgeted income statement, which is the snapshot of the operations of the organization for a period. Whereas, the financial budget comprises the cash budget, the capital budget, and the budgeted balance sheet. All these inputs on a standalone basis do not have any meaning until seen within the full picture. Sales budget will determine the top line for the company and production budget support sales because it has to be determined how many units are to be produced to support that level of sales. Materials, labor and overhead determine the costs, similarly the selling and administrative expenses. The inventory budget helps in knowing how many units are carried from the earlier period and how many will fulfill the demand for the period. Financial budget takes care of the funding aspect. Why would a company want to create a master budget There are many purposes that a company can serve by developing master

The Truth Behind the Elgin Marbles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Truth Behind the Elgin Marbles - Essay Example With all these in mind, Elgin marbles indeed represented rich scenes of Athens history. His controversial acquisition of which happened in Athens between 1801 and 1805, when he claimed to have obtained a permit from the Ottoman authorities to remove some of which from the Parthenon (British Museum, n.d.). The issue on the Elgin Marbles came about when Elgin starts to remove about half of the remaining Parthenon sculptures by transporting it by sea to Britain. The collection which includes objects from other buildings of Acropolis such as the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, and the Temple of Athena Nike were housed in the Elgin Room at the British Museum where it remained until the Duveen Gallery was built. Here, he faced some criticisms, associating his actions to vandalism or stealing. On the other hand, there were some people who supported him. This resulted to the growth of a public debate reaching the courts of the Parliament as to whether the Marbles should remain in the British Mus eum since it was purchased by the British government or to be returned to Athens (British Museum, n.d.). ... However, though Elgin claims that he was given permission by the Sultan to do so, he is not able to show the original document that proves the truth to it, although there are said to be translated versions of which in Italian, the authenticity of which are being doubted upon. To confirm the legality of Elgin’s action, he requested to have an examination of the documents that would make the purchase authorized. In the process of doing so, they found out that the claimed document was an accurate translation of an Ottoman firman that is dated July 1801. According to Elgin, he took this as an authorization to remove the marbles from Athens. Now, the question is if any of the Ottoman’s party was informed by this activity of Elgin when it is alleged that the said Italian copy of the firman was not presented to them by Elgin or anyone from his party. According to one of his associates, named Rev. Philip Hunt, he was not able to bring the document because he was not informed th at he was going to testify as a witness to this agreement. The issue gets trickier when William St. Clair, a biographer of Lord Elgin attests to have Hunt’s Italian document and guarantees the accuracy of the English translation when the document presented to the committee actually did not have any signature or the Ottoman’s firman that automatically nulls its validity. Also, the lines contained in the document pertaining to the removal of the marbles in fact only holds a permission for Elgin’s team to fix scaffolding, make drawings, and measure the remains of the ruined buildings and nothing was said about taking it all away (British Museum, n.d.).

Ethics in Healthcare Settings SL1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ethics in Healthcare Settings SL1 - Essay Example These dilemmas revolve around four principles on ethical theory: respect for autonomy, beneficence, justice and non-maleficence (Dunbar, 2003). This paper focuses on the ethical dilemmas that result from the need to observe the dictates of the principle of respect for autonomy. Bernhofer defines autonomy as â€Å"the right of individuals to make decisions regarding their own healthcare regardless of what others think of these decisions† (2011). This gives all patients the right to self determination regardless of their capacity, age or even imprisonment (Lo, 2009). It is the right of the patients to know, consider, refuse and request any form of care or treatment being offered. Therefore, this principle, also referred to as people’s self government argues for the capacity to make informed and un-coerced decisions by any rational individual. The evaluation of this principle elicits the debate on whether this conception accurately portrays the process of decision making in healthcare setting. The principle of autonomy could be infringed when the service provider dishonors the wish of a patient on the preferred treatment. It could also occur if information would be withheld for example on the pain involved with the employment of a particular treatment approach (Sutrop, 2011). Interestingly, (Bernhofer, 2011) notes that patients get better managed and become better satisfied with full extension of autonomy rights. The author gives the example of Patient Controlled Analgesia, PCA noting that adequate ordering of analgesics and proper programming of the pump for individual patients results in personal control over pain hence effectiveness of the analgesics. Nonetheless, there arise situations where strong reasons to act in particular manner get balanced by cogent counteractive arguments (Lo, 2009). Not always would experience, common sense, being good and having good intentions guarantee appropriate response to situations

Comparing and Contrasting Economic Ideas Essay Example for Free

Comparing and Contrasting Economic Ideas Essay Introduction – As individual leaders in modern economic thinking and attitude, economists Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes was hailed and criticized by many different individuals and institutions because of their contribution to global economy attitudes as well as because of the sometimes very radical ways that the two required of economic leaders to resort to so that they can follow the economic model that either Friedman and Keynes designed. Both are right and wrong when it comes to understanding economy and providing a solution which can be used to unlock the mysteries of the changing economic dilemma that the world experiences which requires the input of economists. And during their time, Friedman and Keynes enjoyed the god-like loft from which they stood, one at a time, when the world was bowing to the economic thoughts that they made. Similarities: Friedman and Keynes economic thoughts meet in the middle While Friedmans and Keynes thoughts and focus on economics have inherent differences, some observers believe that the two economic ideas espoused by Friedman and Keynes also have some similarities. For one, the two economists and their ideas are in agreement when it comes to the stable growth rate of money supply and its role in fluctuation and employment[1]. Also, the two were inherently economist in inclination they stand on similar grounds even if it means digging and building that ground using different shovels and different strokes. Second, the economic ideas of the two individuals share the similar characterisitcs of being popular and widely used and regarded before the ensuing change in political landscape made the idea of obsolete and useless; for Keynes and his economic idea about the role of the state in economic leadership, the flowering of his idea came after the world, particularly the US, felt the squeeze to the economy after the two world wars and the occurrence of the Great Depression, his idea ultimately subsiding by the time the world came closer and closer to the 80s. For Friedman, his economic idea got its turn after it proved having the solution to the problem the Keynes model cannot answer, and after enjoying his moment in the spotlight for some years, the global crisis that engulfed the world pushed Friedman’s ideas closer and closer to the trash bin. Friedman and Keynes and their ideas share the similar pace when it comes to public acceptance, as well as the same characteristic that their ideas each are pets of US presidents; former US president Richard Nixon was a Keynesian while another former US president, Ronal Reagan implemented a Friedman approach in economics[2]. Another similarity in the economic idea of Friedman and Keynes is that their ideas allowed for the identification of an entity or institution or idea that was the reason for the failure of the economy. Take for example the Great Depression, for those adhering to the Keynesian belief in economics, they are inclined to believe that there is someone or something at fault why such occurrence happened, and that is the idea of free market. Friedman thinking will also lead the individual towards the same belief of having someone or something at fault, and that is the Federal Reserve, so far as Friedman economic thinking is concerned. Another similarity shared by Keynes and Friedman and their attack and pattern in developing economic thought and assuring the audience needed for the establishment of the popularity and acceptance of their particular economic thought is the manner by which their economic thoughts and ideas were built and spread around those who will either criticize or embrace it. Wood (1991) explained, â€Å"The most surprising aspect of Friedman’s achievements is that he has not to a greater extent earned the gratitude of the profession. To a large degree this is due to the sharply critical form in which he has presented his ideas.†[3] In his attacks on the positions of other he has at times tended to depart from the more careful and guarded way in which he typically presents his own results. This has assured him of a wide audience, because it is often easier to attract adherents to a revolution in thinking even a counter-revolution than to a less dramatic evolution of a hypothesis. This is a characteristic which Friedman shares with Keynes and explains why both have been at the same time highly controversial and highly successful in the development of economic thought. Economists in a head-on collision – Despite the similarities found in Friedman and Keynes and their thoughts and the pacing and social acceptance lifespan of their ideas, Friedman and Keynes and their ideas in economies are more accepted, criticized and reviewed because of how the two ideas find contrasting points against the other. They and their ideas have significant differences that they are described sometimes as the great polarizers of the economy and the economic belief and attitude. For Friedman, Keynes was incorrect about the idea of the state and its active role in dictating the economy. For Friedman, the more suitable solution is for the state to know that its role in the economy is focused on ensuring the growth of money supply. Friedman stressed the importance of monetary policy versus the idea of Keynes and the role of state spending. Friedman also challenged the manner by which Keynes explained the behavior of the consumer especially during the cases of inflation and the ensuing unemployment[4]. The Keynes-Friedman Showdown While it is understandable how there will be purely separate groups that support the thoughts of Keynes and the economic thinking of Friedman, there are instances that the two modern day economic thinkers figure in colossal showdowns (which is not of their doing, of course, but the doing of other people and institutions particularly award giving bodies that set out to identify who is the best between the two). An example of these instances is the during the time globally popular and highly respected weekly glossy magazine TIME undertook the task of naming the recipient of the Economist of the Century honor to wrap up the end of the twentieth century[5]. Skousen (2001) wrote about how the members of the selecting group were torn between Friedman and Keynes, and how Friedman ultimately bested Keynes despite the fact that some TIME magazine staff, including editor in chief Norman Pearlstine, believed that the award should go to Keynes. Pearlstine believed that the manner by which Keynes articulated the importance of free markets as well as the significance of the undue government intervention that will resort to the creation of danger in the economic landscape[6] is an important modern day economic idea that will benefit not just one country but the world, especially now that the world is experiencing global trade and economics. Cambridge University in 1970, during the time Friedman faced a highly partisan, pro Keynes crowd who rooted for their favorite Nicholas Kaldor which Friedman soundly defeated during the debate[7]. Some would say that the surprising Friedman win in that particular debate (which silenced the murmuring crowd of infidels) was due largely because of the absence of Keynes himself, but it may also point to the fact that Friedman and his economic ideals holds true in some aspects. Conclusion – Many scholars, critics, new economists, political analysts and historians until now continually debate about the similarities and differences of Keynes and Friedman and their economic ideas. More importantly, they debated about how each economist and each idea they gave to the world helped in shaping world economy as it is today. Some say that Milton was unlike Friedman, while some think they are the same. Some believe that Friedman was better than Keynes, while others feel otherwise. Others go to the extreme, considering that the two lived in an interconnected life, that one completes the other, as DeLong believes that Friedman was not a competitor to Keynes, but more of the man that completed Keynes[8]. The issues and points arising in the debate focused on the person and their ideas bring about immense complexity that the end is always hard to see, predict and achieve. But for the differences of Friedman and Keynes, it is no doubt that both economist contributed immensely in the field of economics, and because of that, they were showered not just with official honors but with very flattering commentaries by critics and observers. Mark Blaug was quoted by Skousen in his book as attributing to Friedman and his great ability for debating and fighting for his position in economic ideologies[9] that resulted to his earning the respect of even his most critical and previously unimpressed adversaries. Skousen (2001) believes that Friedman is the most famous economist alive, but he was quick to counter his proposition by reminding the readers that Friedman was not a giant at first in the circle of economic thinkers, owing largely to the fact that Friedman and his economic ideas (i.e. his monetarism beliefs) were heavily criticized early in his career as an economic thinker. [10]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Truly, both Keynes and Friedman created such economic ideals that went to the extent that it became antagonistic with each other. But professionals knew that underneath it all, the more important thing to consider is the fact that the differences and similarities found in Keynes’ and Friedman’s works gave the world what it can used to manage changing economic difficulties. Works Cited: DeLong, J Bradford. â€Å"Friedman Completed Keynes.† Project Syndicate. 2006. 23 May 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.project-syndicate.org. Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.† Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   23 May 2008 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/374612.html. Macesich, George. â€Å"World Economy at the Crossroads.† Greenwood Publishing Group,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Incorporated, November 1997. Skousen, Mark. â€Å"The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thinkers.† Sharpe, Me., Inc., March 2001. Wood, John Cunningham. â€Å"Milton Friedman: Critical Assessments† Vol. 14. Taylor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Francis, Inc., August 1990. [1] Macesich, George. â€Å"World Economy at the Crossroads.† Greenwood Publishing Group,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Incorporated, November 1997. p. 12. [2] Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.† Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   23 May 2008 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/374612.html. [3] Wood, John Cunningham. â€Å"Milton Friedman: Critical Assessments† Vol. 14. Taylor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Francis, Inc., August 1990. p. 465. [4] Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.† Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   23 May 2008 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/374612.html. [5] Skousen, Mark. â€Å"The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thinkers.† Sharpe, Me., Inc., March 2001. pg 379. [6] Ibid. [7] Skousen. pg 380. [8] DeLong, J Bradford. â€Å"Friedman Completed Keynes.† Project Syndicate. 2006. 23 May 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.project-syndicate.org. http://webdiary.com.au/cms/?q=node/1757. [9] Skousen, p. 380 [10] Ibid.

Types of chocolate Essay Example for Free

Types of chocolate Essay Do you like chocolate? How many times do you eat chocolates in a day? Some people like to eat chocolates, some are even obsessed with them. Some people don’t like chocolates because those people think that they will make them fat. Some people just don’t like chocolates, without any clear reason. I believe that chocolate has many benefits which we can’t underestimate. Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. It is Greek for â€Å"drink of Gods†. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC. Chocolate has to be processed from cocoa to be the chocolates we know. Most chocolates are brown-colored, even though there’s a variant of chocolate with white color called â€Å"white chocolate†. Chocolates come in many forms, for example, â€Å"chocolate bar†, â€Å"chocolate wafer†, â€Å"chocolate stick†, and so on. I personally like chocolate bars or chocolate balls. Chocolates have wide range of prices and you can find them in many places. There are chocolates which are very inexpensive, there are also chocolates that are costly. Chocolates are also easy to get, we can find chocolates everywhere. I love chocolates that are very delicious but not too expensive. Chocolates are very close to our life, we often eat them to gain pleasure. Chocolates are one of the most popular holiday gifts. The International Chocolate Day is observed on 13 September. Actually, chocolates have many benefits. That’s why we should not underestimate the power of chocolates. First, chocolate functions as remedy. In Harry Potter films, to heal Dementor’s Kiss, one must eat chocolates. Dementor is a creature in Harry Potter world that can absorb a person’s happiness by â€Å"kissing† them. We can say that Dementor is the manifestation of sadness and sorrow, while chocolates are the manifestation of happiness and joy. So, metaphorically, it says that to lessen sadness, we should eat chocolates. This thing is true because eating chocolates release endorphins in our brain, which can make us feel happier and more relaxed. Chocolate is a good stress-buster, it contains valeric acid that can immediately relax our muscles and nervous system. In my personal experience, when I eat chocolates, I feel satisfied. Second, chocolate can make us more beautiful. In fact, nutritionists claim that there are certain types of chocolate that can make our skin look more healthy and radiant. The high content of flavonoid in dark chocolate can moisturize and make our skin naturally shining and smooth. This ingredient can also absorb UV that can contribute to a better blood flow. There is also a chocolate-based mask, it’s believed that using chocolate mask can prevent wrinkles. Third, chocolate is beneficial for our health. Dark chocolate has been shown in studies to lower blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressure. Eating dark chocolate on a regular basis has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (unhealthy cholesterol) by as much as one percent. Several studies have found chocolates to be one of the best cancer-fighting foods. Chocolate works as cancer fighters by inhibiting cell division and reducing inflammation. Fourth, Chocolate makes us smarter. Again, it’s that increased blow flow to the brain. One recent study revealed that seniors who ate chocolate reported sharper cognitive ability for several a hours after eating it. According to a study done by the Department of Nutrition at the University of Oslo in Norway, people who regularly eat chocolate scored higher on cognitive tests than those who didn’t report eating as much chocolate. Fifth, Chocolate can unite people. Most people like chocolates. I usually share my chocolates to people, and they like them. Sharing can provoke happiness, sharing chocolates can make people happy and satisfied. But, there are a few cautions that we need to know when we want to eat chocolates. It doesn’t mean that we have to stop eating chocolates, but we just have to control it. There are limits in every human’s life, and eating chocolate has some limits too. First, chocolate can be addictive. If we’re addicted to chocolate, any kind of chocolates, it’s most likely that we will spend your money to buy it. We need to know that our money can be spent on many useful things like buying other healthy foods. Second, chocolate is a little bit dangerous. It’s high in oxalate which can cause kidney stones. According to sciencedirect. com, fifteen samples of commercially available cocoa powder were collected from four different countries, the total oxalate contents ranged from 360 to 567 mg/100 g DM. Oxalate is also found in spinach and almonds. Third, 50% of all chocolate, cocoa and chocolate flavoring is harvested by slaves, many of them are children. The cruelty of humanity is inserted in form of chocolate. Using slaves is very wrong, it’s a degradation of humanity. Those children aren’t able to get freedom. As humans, we should have empathy toward those child slaves. There are ways to overcome these obstacles in consuming chocolate. So, we don’t need to worry about consuming chocolate. First, eat other healthy foods other than chocolates. Our body needs much nutrition and chocolate can’t replace those foods. Focus on eating nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables or fish. We can spend our money on buying those healthy foods. Second, don’t eat it too much. I’m sure that chocolate isn’t that dangerous because it’s allowed to be eaten worldwide. And oxalate is also found in other kind of foods like spinach and almonds, but those foods are still eaten by people. So, I think we can still eat chocolate. But, just in case, don’t eat it too much. Third, eat chocolate from organic chocolate companies and fair-trade chocolate companies. Fair-trade is an organized social movement that aims to help producers in developing countries to make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Organic chocolate is linked to fair trade because most organic chocolate companies also support fair trade. Fair-trade chocolate companies don’t employ children to be their workers. Organic chocolate/fair-trade chocolate may be more expensive than regular chocolate, but I think it’s worth it. Because we don’t need to eat happily while the child slaves are suffering. So, chocolate is very good to eat because it has many advantages. But, chocolate also has some disadvantages. There are ways to overcome these disadvantages. We can eat chocolate but we have to control the consumption of it. We should also eat chocolate from organic chocolate companies and fair-trade chocolate companies.

Social Work Partnership Management Case Study

Social Work Partnership Management Case Study Examine the case study above and analyze the potential conflicts in values  between the school, parent and the police. On the basis of your professional value base what could you suggest as a social worker to help and support Allen, his father and the school. Allen, who is 15 years old, has a special needs statement for learning and  behavioural difficulties and attends a referral unit (a special school with  smaller class sizes and varied learning experiences) to meet these needs. Recently Allen has stopped attending the unit, complaining of boredom, bullying  and lack of teachers support to stop the bullying. Added to the concerns Allen  has also been arrested on a couple of occasions from shoplifting, during school  time, with others from the same referral unit. Alans father, Peter, is concerned about him not going to the referral unit, but  has not been into school to sort things out. He tells you (The Social Worker) he  does not believe Alans story about the bullying but at the same time he does  not appear to have done anything to challenge Allens absence. The head teacher from Allens referral unit is clear in saying there is no  bullying. He is keen for the education Department to prosecute Peter for failing  to get Allen to attend school. What Specific Elements of the GSCC Code of Practice and Social Work Values  Are Relevant and Comment on How This Can Help in Applying the Law and Good  Practice. How notions of human rights, utilitarian and Kantian Philosophies Might Apply  to this Situation. How anti discriminatory practice can inform your working with the situation. Protect the rights and The power that young people have in relation to school/social work agency and  how other viewpoints can be balanced alongside the wishes and feelings of the  young person. Initial Assessment Allen is 15 years old and currently displaying behavioral difficulties in school. He attends a referral unit, which is designed to attend to the needs of children with special needs such as Allen. He is also presenting with anti-social behaviors in that he was caught committing theft. This occurred during school hours. Additionally, Allen allegedly told mistruths about being bullied by other students, thus his reason for leaving school. It appears that the school is reaching out to Peter, Allen’s father, with no success. Peter has not been to the school to address Allen’s current behaviors. Foremost, it is important to reflect on the differences in views and values caused by the current situation to better understand the complexities within it. Firstly, the school may not be able to provide additional services without parental consent and collaboration. Therefore, the school is limited in what services can be put in place. Additionally, school personnel may desire that discipline be applied at school and home in a consistent manner, which requires school involvement by parents. Another concern for the school is whether it can safely contain a child who is displaying high-risk behaviors. Although the school is required to work with Allen on his behavioral issues, the school’s resources are limited to children who are able to defray from harmful situations. In the case of this particular child, the school may not have appropriate staff that can provide additional safety and security so that Alan does not hurt himself within school property. There is also the chance that he may attempt to leave the school premises as he has done in the past. Without parental support and possible lack of services to contain Allen, the school may be concerned about liability. Eventually, if he becomes involved in a situation that is either harmful to himself or others, the school may opt to recommend he attend a lock-down facility. Peter, on the other hand, may feel that school should be equipped to handle Allen’s behaviors, especially being that it is a school for children with special needs. Peter may be a single parent and/or have a very demanding job, which may make it difficult for him to attend school meetings. Despite these obstacles however, he is Allen’s legal guardian and is ultimately responsible for providing him with an appropriate educational environment. This entails collaborating with the school. His lack of presence in the school is a display that he is not adequately providing for Allen’s educational needs. Police is obligated to keep Allen safe and at the same time required to enforce the law. Police is also the neutral force amidst the school system and Allen’s father. However, if Allen continues to break the law, the police department will be in the position to support the school’s recommendation for a more restrictive environment. Although it is sometimes difficult for collaterals in a child’s life to work cohesively to provide the best level of care possible, it is all involved adults’ legal and ethical responsibility to do so. Therefore, while working with Allen, Peter and school staff should keep in mind that Allen is protected by stringent laws pertaining to children with disabilities. For instance, in my work with Allen, I must keep in mind the General Social Care Council Code of Practice and Social Work Values that specify the level of care participants such as Allen should be receiving. According to social work practice, I should remember the important principles set forth in this code. First, I should promote Allen’s interests. To do so, I must prove to Allen that I am invested in his well-being and in alliance with him. I should also strive to develop and maintain a relationship of trust and confidence with Allen. Otherwise, he will not be willing to work with me. I am also respon sible for promoting Allen’s independence while also ensuring that he is not vulnerable to harmful situations, harmful to himself or to someone else. I am also compelled to respect Allen’s rights at all times. Following these guidelines ensures that I am adhering to legal and good practice standards.*********** Similarly, the school should also adhere to guidelines regarding how Allen is treated within the school environment. School staff should pay particular attention to laws set forth for children with disabilities. Due to Allen’s behavioral disability, the school cannot expel him, but rather should work with him in an attempt to resolve any concerns. Allen’s father, Peter, is also responsible for Allen’s care and well-being. Peter is bound by child protection and welfare laws, which include specifications regarding parents’ responsibility to provide children with the appropriate educational opportunities. The fact that Peter is unable or unwilling to attend the school to address Allen’s behavioral and truancy issues can constitute as neglect due to the severity of Allen’s behaviors. In addition, Allen is engaging in high-risk behaviors which are potentially putting him in harm’s way while truant. This causes concern of liability by both the caregiver and the school. Clinical Recommendations Fortunately, Allen is protected by child laws which state that he cannot be expelled from school due to his behavior. This law was created specifically for children who suffer from learning disabilities ()********. They acknowledge this and many times use this, very rightfully, to their advantage. For instance, Allen may be well aware that he will not be expelled for the current behaviors he is displaying. Additionally, he appears to be manipulating the situation by falsely stating that he is being bullied. In spite of his acting out, however, Allen has the right to be treated fairly. Thus, the bullying should be investigated despite Peter and the head teacher’s feeling that it is not occurring. Additionally, appropriate services for educational and emotional advancement should be implemented, according to the guidelines specified by the Special Education Needs Code of Practice (2001). It appears that Allen has been acting out behaviorally for some time. It is important to investigate what it is that is causing him to manifest his feelings through negative behaviors. It is vital that Allen begin to see an individual therapist so that he may have a safe environment to discuss his current stressors. I am a licensed Social Worker and would like to work with Allen on a weekly basis. Currently, Allen is socializing with others who are also engaging in the self-damaging behaviors. He is in need of a positive support system. Peter is also in need of supportive services. I will refer Peter to a support group for children with learning and behavioral issues so that he may understand that other families also deal with similar struggles. If Allen is willing to attend, it may benefit him to view other children’s perspectives on their attitudes toward their educational and emotional difficulties (Social Care Institute for Excellence Research briefing 14). Peter may not be cognizant of the severity of Allen’s behavior, which may be the reason he is not willing to collaborate with the school. It may be useful to provide outreach support by sharing pamphlets, making phone calls to the home and providing Internet resources so that Peter may be educated properly regarding Allen’s current needs. It is unsure whether Peter has a strong support system on which he is able to rely. It would be fruitful to explore family and friends that could assist him in caring for Allen when Peter is feeling overwhelmed. The school may also benefit from social work services. Teachers and staff that work with Allen may need to discuss their struggles with someone who could provide clinically sound feedback. I recommend that personnel meet with me and the school psychologist once a week to discuss Allen’s behaviors and help teachers think through effective methods of intervention. Further, teachers may benefit from collaborating with each other and discussing methods of providing consistency for Allen throughout his school day. A mentoring program may also be valuable to Allen. A program that provides Allen with a mentor who is a little older and more mature may assist Allen in understanding perspectives other than his own. In the most ideal situation, Allen should be provided with a mentor who is just slightly older than he, so that Allen can confide in someone who understands his adolescent culture; yet is also a resource who could model positive, responsible behavior. References http://society.guardian.co.uk/scperformance/story/0,11025,629574,00.html Code of Practice for Social Care Workers and Code of Practice for Employers of Social Care Workers. GSCC Code of Practice General Social Care Council Goldings House 2 Hay’s Lane London SE1 2HB 020 7397 5100www.gscc.org.uk Special Education Needs Code of Practice (2001). The Education Act, 1996. Banks (2004) Ethics, Accountability and the Social Professions. Becket and Maynard (2005) Values and Ethics in Social Work. Clark (2000) Social Work Ethics. Hugman and Smith (1995) Ethical Issues in Social Work. Jordan, B (1990) Social Work in an Unjust Society. Payne and Littlechild (ed., 2000) Ethical Practice and the Abuse of Power in  Social Responsibility. Shardow, S.M. (2002) Values and Ethics in Social Work. Spratt, T. Callan, J. (2004) Interventions in Child Welfare Cases. British Journal of Social Work, 34(2), 199-224. SCIE Research briefing 14: Helping parents with learning disabilities in their role as parents

LASIK Vision Correction Essay -- Lasik Seeing Eye blind Essays

LASIK Vision Correction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Are you ready to give up your glasses or contacts? LASIK vision correction is an up-and-coming procedure designed to reduce your dependence on glasses and contacts. My objective is to show both sides of the procedure, the risks involved and the wonderful possibility of not having to wear glasses or corrective lenses. Of patients with moderate vision impairments who have had the LASIK surgery performed, eighty-two percent achieve 20/20 vision or better and ninety-nine percent achieve 20/40 or better (May 60). However, LASIK vision correction is not for everyone. There are definite risks as well as possible side effects involved. Some of the side effects are hazing, night glare and halos, loss of vision, dry eye, infections and corneal abrasions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering on the front of the eye, using an Excimer laser (â€Å"LASIK†). A knife, called a microkeratome, is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of the flap. The flap is then folded back revealing the stroma, the middlesection of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is then replaced (â€Å"LASIK†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Initial clinical trials of LASIK in the United States began in 1996 with Marc Michelson, M.D. being one of the first LASIK surgeons involved. These clinical investigations culminated in the approval by the FDA of the LASIK procedure in 1999 (May 20). â€Å"LASIK is the most popular refractive [or vision correction] procedure worldwide right now,† Marc Michelson tells WebMD (Braslavsky). Michelson says that because the LASIK procedure has become very popular lately, patients need to be careful when choosing a surgeon. He emphasizes the need for patients to seek out someone with experience and a long history of good outcomes (Braslavsky).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many factors taken into account before becoming a candidate for LASIK surgery. Candidates for LASIK surgery should be at least 18 years old and not be pregnant or nursing. Candidates should also have no active eye disease, a stable prescription for one year and have no restrictions mandated by their employer. Having realistic goals is also an important factor. Some common goals are: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be less dependent on gl... ...ford LASIK vision correction. This just is not the case. This surgery is quite expensive and results are not guaranteed. Surgical complications are estimated to occur in between 1.2 and 2.2 percent of patients. The CRS-USA LASIK Study noted that, overall, 5.8 percent of LASIK patients experienced side effects at the three-month follow up period (â€Å"Risks†). My attempt here was to show that there are risks involved with this procedure and to encourage research to be done before a decision is made. Corneal abrasions, infections, hazing, dry eye, loss of vision, and night glare and halos are among the many possible side effects. Are you willing to take the risk?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   WORKS CITED Braslavsky, Andrea M, MS. â€Å"Keeping an Eye on Side Effects of Laser Eye Surgery.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2001 Healtheon/WebMD. 13 Oct. 2001.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . â€Å"Lasik Eye Surgery: Learning About LASIK.† U.S Food and Drug Administration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13 Oct. 2001. . May, Carl J., M.D. LASIK Vision Correction. Utah: MedWorld Publishing, 2000. â€Å"Risks and Complications.† The LASIK Institute. Oct. 2001. 21 Oct. 2001   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The May Eye Care Center and Associates. Bringing Your World Into Focus: Laser   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vision Correction.

Essay --

The Life of Nelson Mandela Most people have heard the name Nelson Mandela from recent news, but many of them haven't heard his whole story. Mandela not only had a monumental impact on South Africa's history, but also helped to shape the country into what it is today. He's not only had a significant influence on his country, but also the world. From early on, he dreamed of helping the South African people fight for their freedom. This dream definitely became reality. Mandela and the legacy he left behind will be remembered for years to come. Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 as Rolihlahla Mandela, but one of his teachers later gave him the name Nelson. He was adopted at the age of nine, and his father died when he was twelve. For college, Mandela started out at the University of Fort Hare, but was expelled nearly a year later for taking part in a protest. He then picked up his education at the University of Witwatersrand and continued studying law. He didn't get his official degree until 1989, during the last few months of being imprisoned. In 1944, Mandela became a part of the ...

The Mortal Deity: Helen and the God-like Trait :: Iliad Greek Gods Greece Essays

The relationship between the gods and mortals of ancient Greece is one of the most interesting topics to analyze. These gods watch over their favorite mortals, meddle in their business, and have love affairs with them. At times selfish and conniving, the gods often appear to be as flawed as the humans who worship them are. There is, however, still a distinct separation between deity and mortal. From the evidence I have seen in The Iliad, I believe that this distinction is based on something I call a god-like trait. If a human reacts towards this trait in the wrong way, and believes he embodies this trait at the level equal or surpassing to that of the gods, tragedy occurs to the human. This mistake in self-recognition will lead to severe consequences unless the mortal repents and accepts his humanity. In The Iliad, Helen makes the mistake of false divinity, and it is her error in associating herself as the paragon of a god-like trait and in refusing to repent that leads t o her ruin. The definition of a god-like trait must first be established before the analysis of Helen’s behavior can be entirely understood. The gods in The Iliad present themselves as having at least one specific trait that they alone can boast of. These gods are the standard for excellence for whatever trait it may be. For example, Zeus was the model of strength, Aphrodite the standard for a beautiful woman, and Apollo the master of archery. For a human to display god-like behavior, the human declares he is the best, conflicting with the premise that the gods are the best at what they do. If the human tries to step beyond his status in his declaration or display, the gods would be offended and severe consequences usually follow. Hubris also plays a large role in god-like behavior, intertwining with it and causing a vicious circle. A god-like trait causes hubris because the mortal thinks that he displays the standard of excellence actually found in the gods. This hubris then would cause the trait to become even more divine and less mortal, leaving the man believing that he is above the gods due to this outstanding trait. Because of the trap this trait creates, it is important to be able to identify it.

Cougars Case

Investment Management Case 1 COUGARS TEAM8: Kun Mao Xiaobin Yang Ruoxi Cao Yang Qiao Jing Liu Riskless zero-coupon bond is the bond bought at a price lower than its face value, with the face value repaid at the time of maturity. The zero-coupon bond is riskless because the investors know exact money they will receive when the bond is maturity. The investors purchase the bond in a lower price and get more money. No coupon is paid before maturity. The investors do not need to pay interest.Besides, because zero-coupon bond is riskless, the bondholders are willing to hold it for long-term investment in order to diversity the portfolio. So it is important in the fixed income security market. If a bond trades at a discount, its yield to maturity will exceed its coupon rate. Zero coupon bonds always sells at a discount. The sensitivity of a bond’s price to changes in interest rates is measured by the bond’s duration. A bond with high durations,its price is highly sensitive to interest rate changes.In other words, the prices of bonds with low durations are less sensitive to interest rate changes. That means interest rates of longer-term bonds are higher than shorter-term bonds’. The term structure of interest rates should be graphed as a curve line of zero-coupon bonds, in fact, it describe the relationship between matures and coupon date. Using the date provided in the case, we can construct the following three yield curves: a. COUGARs Strip Yield Curve This is the adjusted COUGARs strip yield curve that takes the discounted ate (8. 11%) into account. The adjustment is necessary because the prices provided in Exhibit 1 are prices for settlement on December 6, 1983, while Treasury quotes are 20 days before, which is the date of November 16, 1983. The discount factor is 1. 0045, which is calculated as 1+8. 11%*20/360. The yield curve has an obvious upward trend before Nov. 1987 and then the curve keeps flat. To highlight the upward trend, our team s et 8% as the minimum number of the vertical axis. b. Treasury Coupon Yield CurveTo build the treasury coupon yield curve, we select some bonds in the Exhibit2. We have eliminated those bonds with extremely low coupons and with multiple maturity designations. The treasury coupon yield curve also shows an upward trend before Nov. 1987. And then the curve stays flat as a whole and just fluctuates slightly. Also we set 8 as the minimum number of the vertical axis to highlight the trend of the yield curve. c. Implied Spot Yield Curve Because of the lack of data from May 1996 to Nov. 000, we can only build the implied spot yield curve from May 1984 to Nov. 1993. But the incomplete yield curve has successfully reflected the trend, moving upward and then keeping flat. According to the curves, we can observe that Strips yields show the yield of a separate zero-coupon security which is actually converted by coupon and principal payments of the Treasury bonds. Treasury coupon yield, which is t he yield curve based on the treasury quotes, is the stated interest rates of a bond. The rates in three curves should nearly be the same.It is obvious to see that these three curves have the same trend as a whole. All of them go upward before Nov. 1987 and then stay flat. Treasure bond price : (300000000*11. 875%/11. 89%)*[1-1/(1+11. 89%)^20]=267944276 The value of United States Treasure Bond A. G Becker bought is 267944276. Then A. G Becker separated coupons from the principal of coupon bonds then sold the coupons to investors, each of these investments then paid a single lump sum. We can calculate the value of coupon: 300000000*11,875%/2=17812500.The value of coupon in each payment period equals to the face value of each zero coupon bonds. Investors bought the zero coupon bond at a price lower than par value. The fund A. G Becker collected in 1984 equals to sum of zero coupon bonds’ price. The difference between value of treasure bond and capital raised by zero coupon bonds is the value created through COUGARS. Capital raised by zero coupon bonds: 11. 875%/2*300000000*15. 30606=272639193. So we can easily see that the value created by COUGARS is 272639193. 8-267944276=4694917. 8.

Daniel Allistair Kaffee

I do know you. Daniel AlliStair Kaffee, born June 8th, 1964 at Boston Mercy Hospital. Your father's Lionel Kaffee, former Navy Judge Advocate and Attorney General, of the United States, died 1985. You went to Harvard Law on a Navy scholarship, probably because that's what your father wanted you to do, and now you're just treading water for the three years you've gotta serve in the JAG Corps, just kinda layin' low til you can get out and get a real job. And if that's the situation, that's fine, I won't tell anyone. But my feeling is that if this case is handled in the same fast-food, slick-ass, Persian Bazaar manner with which you seem to handle everything else, something's gonna get missed. And I wouldn't be doing my job if I allowed Dawson and Downey to spend any more time in prison than absolutely necessary, because their attorney had pre-determined the path of least resistance. I do know you. Daniel AlliStair Kaffee, born June 8th, 1964 at Boston Mercy Hospital. Your father's Lionel Kaffee, former Navy Judge Advocate and Attorney General, of the United States, died 1985. You went to Harvard Law on a Navy scholarship, probably because that's what your father wanted you to do, and now you're just treading water for the three years you've gotta serve in the JAG Corps, just kinda layin' low til you can get out and get a real job. And if that's the situation, that's fine, I won't tell anyone. But my feeling is that if this case is handled in the same fast-food, slick-ass, Persian Bazaar manner with which you seem to handle everything else, something's gonna get missed. And I wouldn't be doing my job if I allowed Dawson and Downey to spend any more time in prison than absolutely necessary, because their attorney had pre-determined the path of least resistance.

Gender Conflict in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Essay

It is evident that in A Midsummer Nights Dream gender conflict is not the only source of comic disorder in the exposition of the play. This can be seen due to the number of other events and scenes which are sources of comic disorder such as character relationships, stereotypes & status and authoritative conflicts. An element of comic disorder in the exposition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the idea of men having a higher status than women. The theme of men having control over women is also reinforced in the relationship between Hippolyta and Theseus. Theseus states that he has â€Å"wooed thee with my sword, and won thy love doing thee injuries† whether this is taken in a sexual context or a violent one, it highlights the idea of men having the power and force to overpower and subdue women. The fact that Hippolyta is the queen of the Amazons shows just how strong this idea is, as she would have been a powerful and strong warrior herself. The theme of the old having po wer over the young is explored with the idea that Hermias father has complete power over her as she is just a young woman. The fact that only old men hold the high, authoritative positions in Athens again reinforces this idea that the old and the male rule the people. However this is humorous to an Elizabethan audience as the English Monarch at the time was in fact Queen Elizabeth. Famed for her ferociousness and female power, this is greatly juxtaposed with the treatment of the women in A Midsummer Nights Dream. Particularly because Queen Elizabeth was actually a fairly young monarch. The quote â€Å"as she is mine I may dispose of her† directly reinforces the idea that woman are simply the possessions of men whether they be their daughters or their wives. Another representation of these themes is the conflict between Oberon and Titania. Titania is being again the disobedient woman who will not do as her powerful husband wishes. Oberon states in act 2 scene 1 â€Å"Tarry, rash wanton. Am not I thy lord?† which enforces the idea that Titania should be obeying Oberon, not being sarcastic and brazen. She replies to oberon â€Å"Then I must be thy lady. But I know, when thou hast stolen away from Fairyland, and in the shape of Corin sat all day, laying on pipes of corn and versing love to amorous Phillida.† in an accusational tone accusing him of being unfaithful to her. As a woman, Titania is exerting power and makes herself almost Oberon’s equal in their back and forth bickering, however this displeases Oberon as she should be submissive and passive towards his behaviours. So, Oberon decides to  humiliate Titania in order to achieve what he wants, which in this case, is the indian boy. However, Oberon does not have a claim to the boy has he was rightfully given to Titania to look after, due to his mother’s death. The fact that Oberon must humiliate Titania into getting what he wants demonstrates how much of a strong character Titania is and creates a great parallel of whom has the power in the ‘magical’ relationship. This humiliation technique is comic to an Elizabethan man as this meek representation of women would have appealed to the sexist humour and values of the era. We see this conflict with Hermia and her father Egeus when Egeus is taking her to see Theseus the ruler of Athens because of her refusal to marry Demetrius. Egeus has arranged for her to marry Demetrius, a common practice in Ancient Greece and the ancient world. An Elizabethan audience, especially women, would be able to relate to this as arranged marriages would still take place for money and status. A source of comic disorder in the exposition of A Midsummer Nights Dream is the character relationships. Lysanders attempts in the woods to sleep with Hermia are very humorous to the audience as they see the problems with lust and pride of virginity in young love. The quote â€Å"One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; one heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth† shows that although Lysander may be riddling prettily he is implying he wants to be able to hold or be close to Hermias breasts. The repition of the word ‘one’ shows Lysanders desires to become ‘one’ with Hermia, which is a reference to sex. However it also could be that Lysander desires to spiritually be ‘one’ with helana, not just physically but mentally. This could be linked with the way the forest brings out the characters spirituality. In Northrop Fryes â€Å"the green world† he discusses how the main characters escape the order of a city for a forested and wild setting adjacent to the city. This natural environment is often described as a green world. It is in this more loosely structured, fantastic environment that issues surround social order, romantic relationships, and inter-generational strife, which are a prominent part of the â€Å"city world†, become resolved, facilitating a return to the normal order. In correspondence with this, recent literary critics drawn to ecocriticism have occasionally found the concept valuable to their work as well. Lysander’s advances cause comic disorder as they explore the idea of  letting the characters sexuality free in the forest. This is funny to a male and female Elizabethan audience as Lysanders attempts to sleep with Hermia are quickly shunned by a prim Hermia who quickly guesses his hidden meanings. Another couple to cause comic disorder in the exposition are Helena and Demetrius, due to Helenas utter lust and doting for Demetrius. This shows gender role reversal as Helena should be a lady who is wooed and pursued. An example of this being â€Å"We cannot fight for love as men may do. We should be wooed and were not made to woo.† Helena admits that she is consciously gender role reversing, however she will continue to do so until Deemetrius loves her. This is comic as it shows how her attempts to seduce Demetrius fail time and time again and she uses very comic language to express her desperation for Demetrius to return her feelings. For expmale â€Å"I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me the more I will fawn on you†. This unbelievably derogatory analysis of Helena by herself is sad yet comic as she is supposed to be a lady who is reserved and does not make her feelings known, never mind in such a dramatic and desperate fashion. This humour in the exposition sets up the themes of gender role reversal and sexuality in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Puck is obviously a main source of comic disorder in ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ for example his disastrous mix up of Lysander and Demetrius. Though A Midsummer Night’s Dream divides its action between several groups of characters, Puck is the closest thing the play has to a protagonist. His mischievous spirit pervades the atmosphere, and his actions are responsible for many of the complications that develop the main plots in a chaotic way. Puck sees himself as a naughty â€Å"master† that plays with mortal people as if they were puppets. He takes advantage of one of humankind’s weakness, love. For Puck, love is either a nuisance (played more evil than good) or just a comical disaster that humans and other beings stupid enough to fall into it, to entertain him. The audience can see this when he says â€Å"Up and down, up and down; I will lead them up and down: I am fear’d in field and town; Goblin, lead them up and down.† This quotation highlights how mischievous he is and how he tortures humans in their love affairs by causing chaos and malfunction. Puck’s transformations also cause mass comic disorder in ‘’a midsummer night’s dream’’, he famously transforms Bottom’s head into that of  a donkey, and he’s also fond of shape-shifting himself. At one point, he brags that he often pretends to be a stool and then disappears so that old ladies will land on their â€Å"bums†. He also terrorizes the Mechanicals in the woods after turning their friend into a human-donkey (bottom). One could say that Puck parallels Philostrate’s position as Theseus’s â€Å"master of revels.† (In Elizabethan England, the Master of the Revels was a male who was in charge of all the entertainment at court organizing entertainment and parties for the king and court. Philostrate’s job is to make sure Theseus and his court is entertained. Puck’s main job, much alike Philsostrate, is to entertain his king and his fairy comrades with farce and comedy. Puck often in the play takes on the role of the court jester. As Puck says, his duty is to â€Å"jest to Oberon and make him smile† and he does this with the humiliation of Titania, causing her to fall in love with bottom, and by accidently causing hilarious chaos within Lysander, Hermia, Helena and Demetrius’ love lives. Puck either intends to, or ends up causing chaos which is always motivated by love. Therefore Shakespeare uses to him to personify the trials and tribulations that true love brings, whether it be jealousy, controlling natures or disobedience. However it is true that Gender Conflict is a main part of comic disorder in the exposition of A Midsummer Nights Dream. The conflicts between Egeus and Hermia, Oberon and Titania, Helena and Demetrius, Theseus and Hermia & Lysander and Hermia are all to do with issues between men and woman. These issues mainly being sexuality, power and rights. However it is not the only source of comic disorder in the exposition, due to the fact the exposition contains the other themes of comic disorder. Gender conflict is based on the cultural beliefs various societies have established concerning the roles men and women play in those societies. Much of the conflict centres on stereotypes and whether the different genders conform to those stereotypes, so theref ore in A Midsummer Nights Dreams, gender conflict is definitely something that appears a lot in the exposition. Particularly with the disobedience of Hermia and the gender role reversal of Helena with her behaviour towards Demetrius. However, it is evident that Gender Conflict is not the only source of comic disorder in the exposition of A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Using “Too much punch for judy” as a stimulus

In the second lesson we had to act out ‘A night on the town’ in the form of still images, we did this in a group of four (myself, Luke, Reece and lee). Our stimulus for this task was our own visualisation from reading the script. In the first two scenes we had a split stage, showing two men and two women getting ready for their night out, in doing so we wanted to create juxtaposition; so the audience can clearly differentiate between the two groups of people in the still image. In the third scene we had to show a still image of the two men watching the two women in the bar we (me and Reece) had to enhance our facial expressions and body language to seem attracted to the women (Luke and Lee). What we did to show that we was interested in the two girls was have our line of sight directly on them, and our bodies had to be very ‘masculine’ and facial expressions were inquisitive, we made this possible by raising our eyebrows and having wide eyes, and our heads were leaned back at an angle, to show that we are ‘checking them out’. Lee and Luke had to close themselves from the audience, and have them facing the floor, to show shyness. We did this to show a typical night out in a bar, it was a convention. Towards the end of the lesson we had to develop the still images into a role play, using chat up lines and other explorative strategies. In the first scene we had both groups getting ready for their night out, at the same time, but this time we added movement, and speech. Myself and Reece playing the two men, was from east London, so we had a typical cockney accent , and slow and heavy movement, to create a sense of presence. To make the two women to start acting, we marked the moment by using the line ‘come on mate, it’s not like we’re ’gonna’ crash. After that line was said that was the cue for Luke and Lee to start their performance, they were two typical women from Essex; with their role play they enhanced the women by having feminine movements and doing typical gestures for example putting on make-up and asking ‘if this outfit looks nice? The next scene involved us in the bar, we stared with the men entering the bar before the women, and they’ve already settled with a drink. With our characterisation we had created two typical men looking for women to chat up to in a bar, we had a calm and smooth tone to our voices to signify this. Once the two women entered the bar, we froze with a still image that we used in the first exercise, to continue the performance I pretended to whisper in to Reece’s ear ‘I’m having the one on the left. We had a spilt stage where the two groups spoke between each other, while the other group mimed in the background. This was done so the audiences could understand what the men and women’s intentions were. Each group talked about their feelings for the person they want to ‘chat-up with, we did this engage the audience as we are revealing our purposes in this performance. To end our performance Reece walked up to Lee and used a ‘cheesy chat-up line’ so we can finish off with a bit of comedy; the line was ‘Hey babe, I’ve got the pencil; and you’ve got the sharpener! Just after that line we went straight into a still image, to show the shock on all our faces as if to say, that was the worst chat-up line used. In another lesson we had to watch a short advertisement about drink driving, and the effects on alcohol on people. We had to create a short awareness advert that shows the effects of drunk driving, and a way to stop driving while intoxicated with alcohol. Our group consisted of, me (driver), Brandon (passenger), Binte (passenger) and Tyrell (passenger). We came up with a basic outline for a performance. The story was the four of us went on a typical ‘night out’ and got drunk and decided to drive home, as soon as I put the key in the ignition we froze, symbolising that I was having a vision, but was unaware of it. We then used realism to imitate us driving along in a key, by doing standard protocols, or missing them and then realising what happened, we did to show the audience that drinking can slower your reaction and thinking process . Then suddenly Brandon announces that he has another drink in his pocket, this causes a brawl in the car as we fight for the drink, then Tyrell, who is the front seat passenger , reaches around and kicks the steering wheel, causing the car to go astray and collide into a tree, to portray the crash we threw our bodies in different directions as if we got thrown out, we did this as it was naturalism, as it’s natural to get throw about in car crash and go in a completely different direction . Then we re-wound the whole journey, including the crash, this was us using physical theatre and cross-cutting, we did this to enhance and engage the audience as it would be much more interesting to watch instead of simply just cutting back to the firs scene. When we got back to the first scene when I put the key in the ignition we stopped, and then we cut out all sound and I had a quick thought track, while the others were miming in the background, I talked about my vision and what is about to happen, we returned to the performance by Tyrell hitting me and saying ‘hurry up lets go’ like he did the first time, to show that this was the real world now. I suddenly said ‘No! We’re not driving’ then suddenly we pictured another car hitting a tree, which would have been us, this was the repellent from driving.