Critically analyse the trend towards incorporating nurse practitioners Essay

Critically analyse the trend towards incorporating nurse practitioners into healthcare systems has been evolving over the past several decades in Australia - Essay Example This evolution in advanced nursing practice in Australia and other countries is because of increasing demands on the health care system and changes in the delivery of health care which include the growing cost of acute health care; the increasing number of specializations in health care; the greater avoidance by medical practitioners of particular client groups such as people in rural and remote communities, those with chronic illness, and low socio-economic groups; and the extensive upgrade of nursing education and training. These factors fuel the development and extension of the scope of nursing practice and the consequent increase in the allocation of clinical discretion, responsibility and autonomy to nurse practitioners (Pearson & Peels, 2002). The value of nurse practitioners will be fully realized only when they also focus on advocating for changes to the social and economic conditions that are at the root of many of the medical conditions they will be required to manage. This paper proposes to analyze the development of the role of the nurse practitioner in Australia from a socio-political perspective. The nurse practitioner is defined as â€Å"a registered nurse with appropriate accreditation who practices within the professional role. The nurse practitioner has autonomy in the work setting and has freedom to make decisions consistent with his/ her scope of practice, and the freedom to act on those decisions† (NSW Health Department, 1998). By the turn of the century after several years of struggle and conflict with the medical profession to crystallize the importance of the nursing role in health care, legal recognition was proclaimed for nurse practitioners in New South Wales, Ausrtralia. This brought about legislation, authorization, acceptance and implementation of the advanced professional role and status of nurse practitioners (N.P.), practice privileges, and protection of the N.P. title in five states: New South Wales,

Gilgamesh and Odysseus Essay Example for Free

Gilgamesh and Odysseus Essay Odysseus main challenge is to help defeat the Trojans in the battle of the Trojan horse. All the men who survived the war and the sea were safely back at home, other than Odysseus, he still had a long journey ahead of him. In the beginning of his journey, his challenge was brought upon him by the powerful God of the sea Poseidon. Poseidon became Odysseus enemy after a Cyclops held him and his crewmates captive. After escaping the Cyclops, Odysseus blinded it with fire and his sword. The Cyclops was the son of Poseidon, after telling his dad what happened Poseidon became full of rage and swore to Odysseus that he would pay for what he had done, and he would wander the seas for ten years as his punishment. After leaving the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus encountered Aeolus, who gave him a bag of winds that would have directed him back to Ithaca. However, one of the crewmembers was anxious to see what was in the bag, that he opened the bag while Odysseus was sleeping. Seeing that Odysseus was the only one that was directed to open the bag this caused terrible winds to come out which blew the men further off course. After many other challenges, at sea Odysseus ended up the only survivor. A few days later, he came to the island of the goddess Calypso; she fell madly in love with him, and held captive on her island for seven years. Upon that seventh year things started to change for Odysseus. Athena, daughter of Zeus and Odysseus’ protector, discussed his fate with the other gods that who assembled in Zeus’ home. All of the gods besides Poseidon sympathized with Odysseus, because of what he did to his son. Zeus however told the God Hermes to tell Calypso to let him go and give him a raft, food, and clothing for his journey to Ithaca; this did not settle will with Poseidon. Poseidon again wrecked Odysseus’ raft and which led him to have to swim to an island naked and exhausted. He woke with laughing women around him, who took Odysseus to meet there parents. They later found out who he was and his role in the Trojan war and helped him on his journey back home. A few more things that took place in his journey back home. When Odysseus finally got home back to Ithaca to be with his family he appreciated what he left behind even more. Odysseus when through many tests, all physically, mental, and emotional but he still survived and overcame his adversities. A woman- a goddess formed Enkidu from clay, by the name of  Aruru. A woman (Shamhat) seduced Enkidu. Gilgamesh sent Shamhat, the harlot to Enkidu as a gift but Enkidu was too full of himself to understand the depth and implications of it. The intercourse was for six days and seven nights. Shamhat was supposedly helped Enkidu become a man and a civilized human being. They learned that the love of a woman was valued above all others. In conclusion, the main comparisons between the journeys of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey were men facing several trials and tribulations that women had been the main cause of the problems and challenges. In Gilgamesh, Enkidu had challenges from the goddess and in Odyssey; Odysseus had challenges from the gods and goddess.

Free College Admissions Essays - The Colors of Our World :: College Admissions Essays

The Colors of Our World White sees black as criminally minded Black sees Asian as racially blinded Asian sees Jew as money-motivated Jew sees white hoods, white-robed hatred Around and around but it stops when I found That I start with my own heart I gotta break down My own racist mind, mind be free Take me one step closer to equality Most of my life has been spent in an almost completely white community. Until last summer, I had only known one person of color, a kid on my middle school cross-country team. We got along pretty well except for the time he hip-tossed me before a meet and cracked a bone in my arm. I notice that at times I find myself prejudging others on the color of skin. I was forced to confront all that I believed on the issue of race and equality when I was accepted as a counselor for our church camp. Along with the 28 other summer counselors, I arrived on the grounds to discover those who would become my lifelong friends. One of them was a black teenager, Justin. Being accustomed to spending time with only whites, at first I had problems adjusting to being with that which was different. Now I look back and wonder how Justin dealt with being the loner among an all-white team. All thoughts of race and any other differences among any of us soon faded as we became a close family. Of course, remarks were made now and then to the color of Justin's skin, but always in loving fun. For example, we often got together as a group to hang out at the beach or pool in the evenings to play beach football or swim. One time Adam, another summer counselor, acted scared wondering where Justin was because he could not see him in the dark. So he yelled out, "Hey, Justin! Where are you? I can't see you. Smile." Everyone laughed at the joke including Justin, giving his location away by the white of his teeth.

College Education Is Essential In Todays Society :: essays research papers

College Education is Essential In Today's Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today's society a college education is an essential part of pursuing a career. While in college a person can determine his strengths and weaknesses in whatever path he decides to take in life. A college education is also the first step in being self-sufficient and living by yourself. College life also gives a person a chance to express his ingenious and creative abilities and to supplement the skills that he learned in high school. City University will give me an unprecedented opportunity to achieve these goals and to reach a new plateau in my scholarly studies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my life I plan to pursue a career in the aerospace field. To get a job in this field one needs a college education and City University fits the bill. Its curriculum and accomplished professors will give me the chance to achieve my goal. Each of the independent colleges of the university system is highly specialized and particular to its own field of training. This will help applicants like me concentrate on my specific career path. I have visited the university campus twice and each time I have been impressed by the devotion of the faculty to ensure that the student's educational needs are met and surpassed. I perceive that the university is concerned about the educational well-being of its students. This is exemplified by the abundant tutoring opportunities that the university offers. Not only is the staff exceptional, City University has phenomenal technology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  City University is on the cutting edge of technology which is indispensable in the aerospace field. The EOS computing environment is a substructure for building a bridge to the future. This system will give me many opportunities to use its resources to intensify my skills while pursuing my occupation. Having access to millions of computers all over the world, with the information I need at my fingertips will propel me to a higher level of intellectual aptness. The immense number of computer clusters available at the university enables a student to arm himself with the knowledge needed to aid him

Marketing theory and concepts Essay

Every business wither it’s small or big, aim to meet the needs of their actual and potential customers. In order for them to do this, they need to follow some sort of theory and concept. This assignment will be looking at the marketing theory and marketing concepts which are portrayed in the traditional marketing literature, and how they have limited application in guiding small business marketing practice. Marketing plays a vital role not only in developing, producing, and selling products or services, but also in guiding recruiting labors and raising capital. Although it can be said that successful entrepreneurs undertake marketing in unusual ways. They mainly rely on interactive marketing methods, which is often communicated through word-of-mouth rather than a more traditional marketing mix. Entrepreneurs monitor the marketplace through informal networks rather than formalised market research, and generally adopt more entrepreneurial approaches to marketing activities. However, depending on the business model, a complex and formalised initial market research can be crucial for a successful market entry. There are many marketing theories that are used in traditional marketing literature such as Schumpeter (1934) who said that entrepreneurs proactively ‘created’ opportunity, using ‘innovative combinations’ which often included ‘creative destruction’ of passive or lethargic economic markets. According to Schumpeter the role of an entrepreneur is to innovate, and by doing this, you move the economy from one equilibrium to another. This kind of innovation could come about from one or more introduction of a new product; a new method of production; the development of a new market; the use of new sources of raw material, and the reorganisation of a new industry or its processes. He also distinguished between the entrepreneur and the capitalist. Schumpeter agreed with the fact, that in practice an innovator could also actually be a capitalist. Another well-known theorist next to Schumpeter is Kirzner (1973) who said that entrepreneurs should have a sense of ‘alertness’ to identify the opportunities in the market and exploit them accordingly . He states ‘The  pure entrepreneur, on the other hand, proceeds by his alertness to discover and exploit situations in which he is able to sell for high prices that which he can buy for low prices. Pure entrepreneur profit is the difference between the two sets of prices. The discovery of a profit opportunity means the discovery of something obtainable for nothing at all. No investment at all is required; the free ten-dollar bill is discovered to be already within one is grasps’ (Kirzner, 1973, 48). The marketing concept has changed significantly over time. In today’s business world the customer is at the forefront, not all businesses in the past followed this concept, as they placed other factors first rather than their customers this is shown as follows:Production Oriented was the focus of the actual business and not the customer needs, as where this has now changed and we can see that it is more focused on customer needs. Production Orientation is when the company believe that they have a superior product, based on quality and features. Due to this thinking the company assume the customers will like it to. In today’s market the customers decide as to what product they like. Sales Orientation is the focus where the company makes a product or provides a service, and then sells or offers it to the target market. This causes problems, as consumers may not like what is being offered to them, which is why companies are making sure that they test their services out, to a small group of the target audience. Market Orientation concept has not actually changed over time, it puts the customers first, as the companies try to understand the needs of the customers by using appropriate research methods. These methods are then developed to make sure information from customers, are fed back to the company for them to see what the target audience are interested in . SMEs who may adapt the marketing concept or 4Ps do so fully rather than explicitly (Carson and Gilmore, 2000). Jaworski and Kohli, (1990) also commented on the limitations of the marketing concept (p15). Therefore, the  SME approach is characterized by networking with stakeholder’s awareness to customer needs (Gilmore, Carson and Grant, 2001; &Hill and Wright, 2001). Which is characterized by the size of these firms and their closeness to customers, (Gilmore, Carson, O’Donnell and Cummins, 1999) as well as inexpensive forms of marketing such as word of mouth (Gilmore 1999). It is vital for SMEs to set the 4Ps, target a market and position themselves, but how this is done and planned is an important issue as it helps guiding a small business to success. Differences between traditional market literature and variants produced during the 1960’s were mainly attributable to the addition of concepts popularized during that decade. For example, Cundiff and Still covered an analysis of the 4 P’s of marketing with the concept that marketing is a subsystem of business. (Cundiff, E.W., Still, R.R. 1976)The basic principles of marketing are generally applicable to large and small businesses. Marketing in SMEs has been recognized as a problematic area for researchers for over 20 years (Chaston and Mangles, 2002; Siu and Kirby, 1998). SME marketing in practice is considered to be mainly done though networking (Gilmore 2001) or a combination of transaction, relationship, interaction and network marketing (Brodie 1997). Recently the use of Internet marketing (Chaffey 2000) or e-commerce (Rayport and Jaworski, 2001) has become popular in all types of businesses including SMEs. Marketing in practice in small firms seem to rely mainly on personal contact networks (Hill and Wright, 2001; Gilmore 2001; Brodie 1997) and is often driven by the particular way a manager does business. According to Gilmore (2001) marketing in SMEs is likely to be chaotic, informal, loose, unstructured, spontaneous, and reactive and conform to industry norms. Gilmore (2001) showed that as a result of networking there was a high level of communication between the SME manager and their competitors then what is usually reported in the marketing literature as well as competing firms may be quite supportive of each other. Similarly, networking with customers usually involves building a relationship with one or two key individuals in those companies. If these individuals were to leave then the relationship the company would break (Gilmore 2001). SME owners must recognize that  building relationships are vital to a company’s success and they invest a considerable amount of time and effort in maintaining good relations with regular clients (Gilmore 2001). The foundation and existence of an effective networking is concerned with maximizing marketing opportunities and ensuring the enterprise’s survival and development (Gilmore 2001). Something, which is more important, in today’s world, is having a foot in the business market, which is constantly changing to meet customer needs. The tables have been turned on the fortunes of many long-established firms. It’s believed that a majority of firms that are in trouble, and those that have failed recently, have done so because they have been let down by their own marketing. Traditional marketing is now being turned. The ideas of marketing and branding strategy that passed for conventional wisdom before do not hold true today. A small but growing number of innovative firms have adopted completely new and differentiate approaches in marketing, reflecting a clear and unmistakable change in the global culture. In this era of globalisation and the Internet the consumer is behaving in a radically different way and is no longer vulnerable to the overworked ploys of marketing. The present times call for a new competition one that strays from the prescriptions that traditional marketing theory holds, that sometimes works in a way that it is counter to it and that lays focus on network-building and â€Å"pulling the customer† above all else. Many experienced hands in corporate boardrooms are oblivious to these shifting sands and evolving trends, and are paying the price as a result. In general the basic principles and concepts of marketing are as relevant to SMEs as it is to larger firms, but some theories, tools and techniques of marketing are not as relevant or useful to SMEs. The nature of SME marketing is the concept, which is mainly dominated by the inherent characteristics of the entrepreneur and the SME itself. Although not all small business may take the marketing theories and concepts in to consideration, while carrying out some sort of market research they will have come a across them. They may have limited application in today’s marketing world but they do provide the basis for which a business can start their research on which helps guiding them in to the marketing practice. Therefore marketing theories and Concepts  portrayed in the traditional marketing literature has limited application in guiding small business marketing practice although they give the business a rough base to start their market practice. Competition and Entrepreneurship, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and LondonCarson, D. and A. Gilmore, (2000), â€Å"Marketing at the Interface: Not ‘What’ But ‘How'†, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Vol. 8Kohli, A. K. and B. J. Jaworski, (1990), â€Å"The Construct, Research Propositions, and Managerial Implications†, Journal of Marketing,(Gilmore, Carson and Grant, 2001; &Hill and Wright, 2001). Gilmore, A., D. Carson and K. Grant (2001), â€Å"SME Marketing in Practice†, MarketingIntelligence and Planning, Vol. 19(Gilmore, Carson, O’Donnell and Cummins, 1999) â€Å"Added value: A QualitativeAssessment of SME Marketing†, Irish Marketing Review(Cundiff, E.W., Still, R.R. 1976), Fundamentals of Modern Marketing, 2nd ed.)Chaston, I and Mangles, T. (2002) â€Å"Small Business Marketing Management.†Siu, W. and Kirby, D.A. (1998) â€Å"Approaches to small firm marketing: A Critique.† European Journal o f Marketing, vol. 32, no. Brodie, R.J., Coviello, N.E., Brookes, R.W. and Little, V. (1997) â€Å"Towards a Paradigm Shiftin Marketing? An Examination of Current Marketing Practices.† Journal of Marketing Management,Chaffey, D., Mayer, R., Johnston, K. and Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2000) â€Å"Internet Marketing.† Prentice Hall, Harlow, EnglandRayport, J. F. and Jaworski, B. J. (2001) â€Å"e-Commerce.† McGraw-Hill, Boston, USA. Hill, J. and Wright, L. T. (2001) â€Å"A Qualitative Research Agenda for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises.† Marketing Intelligence and Planning,http://www.druid.dk/uploads/tx_picturedb/ds1998-9.pdfhttps://www.mises.org/journals/scholar/wood.pdfhttp://knight.fcu.edu.tw/~gunning/subjecti/workpape/kirz_ent.pdfBooksHandbook of Entrepreneurship Research and Interdisciplinary Survey and Introduction By: Zoltan J Acs, David B

Machiavellian Politics In The Prince Essays - Machiavellianism

Machiavellian Politics In The Prince Essays - Machiavellianism Machiavellian Politics in The Prince The Prince, written by Niccolo Machiavelli, is one of the first examinations of politics and science from a purely scientific and rational perspective. Machiavelli theorizes that the state is only created if the people cooperate and work to maintain it. The state is also one of man?s greatest endeavors, and the state takes precedence over everything else. The state should be one?s primary focus, and maintaining the sovereignty of the state one?s most vital concern. The state is founded on the power of its military. Therefore, a strong military is vital to maintaining the state. Machiavelli believes that men respect power, but they will take advantage of kindness. He believes that when given the opportunity one must destroy completely, because if one does not he will certainly be destroyed. The prince should lead the military, and he has to be intelligent. An effective politician can make quick and intelligent choices about the problems that coneztly arise before him. He must also have virtue, which means he is strong, confident, talented, as well as smart. A prince cannot be uncertain, because uncertainty is a sign of weakness. Fortune controls half of human?s actions, and man?s will control the other half. Virtue is the best defense for fortune, and virtue must be used in order to keep fortune in check. The prince must take advantage of situations based solely on if it is best for the state. He should choose his decisions based on contemporary and historical examples. A prince cannot consider whether his acts are moral or immoral, and he instead must act in an unbiased manner for the state. Also, it does not matter how the state achieves its goals, as long as these goals are achieved. Finally, regardless of the personal morality involved, the prince should be praised if he does good for the state and berated if he hurts the state. Machiavelli?s principles have widespread influence, and they are quite similar to some of Thomas Hobbes ideas in Leviathan. Machiavelli has a very low opinion of the people throughout history. In general, he feels that men are "ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceiver." "They shun danger and are greedy for profit; while you treat them well, they are yours. They would shed their blood for you ? but when you are in danger they turn against you." Machiavelli basically has little respect for the people, and he feels as though they have not earned much either. He uses this as justification for the use of fear in order to control people. He also feels that men are "wretched creatures who would not keep their word to you, you need not keep your word to them." This sense of fairness justifies breaking one?s word to men. Machiavelli also writes about how hard it must be for a prince to stay virtuous. He concludes that with so many wretched men around virtue is hard to create in oneself. "The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous." Overall, Machiavelli is very pessimistic about the abilities of the people. He feels that after examining people through history, his conclusions of wretched men are correct. Machiavelli tells us that the sovereign must take whatever action is necessary to maintain order in society. In time this will result in the most compassionate choice too. Machiavelli explains that, Cesare Borgia, by using cruelty was able to achieve order and obedience in Romangna. This contrast with the inaction of the Florentines, who allowed internal conflict to develop in Pistoia, resulting in devastation of the city. Therefore, a number of highly visible executions can be a very effective means of controlling the people and in preventing a major out break of violence and murder. Machiavelli also cites the tremendous military successes of Hannibal. Even though Hannibal led an army of different races over foreign soil, he never had any dissension because of his reputation of extreme cruelty. Machiavelli further concludes that it is difficult to be loved and feared simultaneously. Hence, one should always prefer to be feared than to be loved. During adverse times, the fear of punishment is far more effective in maintaining control than depending people?s

Khmer Rouge essays

Khmer Rouge essays On April 17th, 1975, The Khmer Rouge (a communist group led by Pol Pot), took over power in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. They forced all of the villagers into the countryside to labor camps. During Pol Pots reign there are an estimated 2 million dead because of starvation, torture or execution. Pol Pot declared the year to be zero. He began a radical program to create an idealized agrarian communist society. He crushed all social institutions like banking, religion, all stores, hospitals and schools. Intellectuals and anyone else seen as standing in the way of their new social order was killed on the spot, and from the many who did escape execution usually died from overwork and starvation. Everyone had to work anywhere from 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week. Children were seperated from their parents to work in either mobile groups or as soldiers. All of the people were only fed one watery bowl of soup with a little bit of rice in it. The Khmer Rouge killed people if they did not like them, if the they did not work hard enough according to their standards , if they were educated, if they came from a different ethnic group or if they showed any kind of sympathy when they were taken away from their family, or if their family was taken away from them to be killed. All th e people had to pledge allegiance to Angka, (the Khmer Rouge Government). Their campaign was based on proposing total fear and keeping the people of Cambodia off balance. Once the Vietnamese invaded and released the Cambodian people 600,000 of them went to Thailand border camps. Ten million land mines were left in the ground though, one for every person of Cambodia. The United Nations then installed the largest peacekeeping mission in the world in Cambodia to make sure there were fair elections. Cambodia was ruined by the Khmer Rouge years. Pol Pot really did turn it back into year zero, and up to ...

Free Essays on Pablo Neruda Saddest Poem

Eyad R. Saqr ESOL 102 Response Saddest Poem Tow weeks ago one of my classmates has presented a poem from his culture, and I am sure that it’s a Latin culture. The poem is called â€Å"Saddest Poem† written by Pablo Neruda who is as I understood one of the most famous Latinos poet. This poem was translated to English, even though it didn’t lose its original structure. No one can argue about the main idea of this poem that it’s a sad poem and we can clearly see that from the title. Neruda uses many of the poetry techniques to complete a perfect picture ending with this poem. Sitting, metaphor, sounds, and imagery all were the elements that leaded to this nice piece of literature. When I read this poem, I felt that I am watching a movie or seeing something in front of my eyes. I dived in my imagination to live this poem. It’s about a man who is writing a poem to his ex-lover, we can assume that Neruda is the man because it’s written in the first perspective yet we aren’t sure. He is alone; there is only the night and the stars. He is thinking of her. â€Å"I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too. On night like this, I held her in my arms I kissed her so many times under the infinite sky†(6-8) He keeps thinking of her and repeating â€Å"I can write the saddest poem off all tonight†(1,5,11) he is very sad. Then he moved to describe her and their relationship â€Å"she loved me, sometimes I loved her.†(9) Then he compared losing her with â€Å"to hear the immense night, more immense without her.†(13) â€Å"My soul is lost without her†(18) this is a usual saying but its still a personification as well as â€Å"my eyes search for her†¦. my heart searches for her..†(19-20) There is a very nice line that I like because of it sounds, which showed me how sad he is â€Å"We, we who were, we are the same no longer.†(22) The â€Å"wee† sound is just showing how lost and sad he is... Free Essays on Pablo Neruda Saddest Poem Free Essays on Pablo Neruda Saddest Poem Eyad R. Saqr ESOL 102 Response Saddest Poem Tow weeks ago one of my classmates has presented a poem from his culture, and I am sure that it’s a Latin culture. The poem is called â€Å"Saddest Poem† written by Pablo Neruda who is as I understood one of the most famous Latinos poet. This poem was translated to English, even though it didn’t lose its original structure. No one can argue about the main idea of this poem that it’s a sad poem and we can clearly see that from the title. Neruda uses many of the poetry techniques to complete a perfect picture ending with this poem. Sitting, metaphor, sounds, and imagery all were the elements that leaded to this nice piece of literature. When I read this poem, I felt that I am watching a movie or seeing something in front of my eyes. I dived in my imagination to live this poem. It’s about a man who is writing a poem to his ex-lover, we can assume that Neruda is the man because it’s written in the first perspective yet we aren’t sure. He is alone; there is only the night and the stars. He is thinking of her. â€Å"I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too. On night like this, I held her in my arms I kissed her so many times under the infinite sky†(6-8) He keeps thinking of her and repeating â€Å"I can write the saddest poem off all tonight†(1,5,11) he is very sad. Then he moved to describe her and their relationship â€Å"she loved me, sometimes I loved her.†(9) Then he compared losing her with â€Å"to hear the immense night, more immense without her.†(13) â€Å"My soul is lost without her†(18) this is a usual saying but its still a personification as well as â€Å"my eyes search for her†¦. my heart searches for her..†(19-20) There is a very nice line that I like because of it sounds, which showed me how sad he is â€Å"We, we who were, we are the same no longer.†(22) The â€Å"wee† sound is just showing how lost and sad he is...

Community of practice. What is a community of practice and what Essay

Community of practice. What is a community of practice and what benefits might it bring to an organisation - Essay Example This paper would discuss the community of practice and how it has benefitted organizations over the passage of time. Moreover, it would elaborate over the challenges faced by knowledge-based communities with the advent of the concept of community of practice.With the passage of time and the advancement in technologies, there is more and more pressure over organizations to maintain a competitive advantage over the rivals. For this purpose, it is becoming increasingly important to make efficient use of the resources of the organization. Among the most important resources of the organization come the Human resources. Hence, there are increasing efforts to enhance the efficiency and productivity of the workers. This paper would discuss the community of practice and how it has benefitted organizations over the passage of time. Moreover, it would elaborate over the challenges faced by knowledge-based communities with the advent of the concept of community of practice. DISCUSSION The articl e written by Lauren Keller Johnson (2006) entitled Are you getting the most from your knowledge workers? discussed relevant issues pertaining to managing knowledge workers. According to Serrat (2008), knowledge worker is unique and distinct as this type is described as â€Å"someone who is employed because of his or her knowledge of a subject matter, rather than ability to perform manual labor. They perform best when empowered to make the most of their deepest skills†. ... Communities of practice enable workers to work with others with the same purpose and while creating value through the community of knowledge sharing. Some of the benefits of a community of practice would be described in the following lines. Community of practice promotes and enhances a learning environment for all the stakeholders, according to Johnson (2001) â€Å"the learning that evolved from these communities is collaborative, in which the collaborative knowledge of the community is greater than any individual knowledge† (Johnson 2001: 34). Community of practice promotes the formation of synergies, raises the capabilities of the workforce by gaining insight from one another. The practice also inculcates new information, knowledge and skills of the workers into the corporate culture with the help of knowledge sharing and learning. Furthermore, community of practice endorses innovation and expertise, it connects people from different backgrounds, with diverse knowledge and i ncreases the level of trust as well as motivation enabling them to pool their knowledge and know how in solving business problems that require information across different subjects. The ongoing interactions through a knowledge based environment helps in coordination, organization and development of initiatives across various domains of knowledge. It fosters a sense of belonging among the workers which increases the morale while building the capabilities and knowledge of the workers. Moreover, Community of practice encourages neo-apprenticeship style of learning and nurtures professional and personal development of workers. Community of practice aids in the improvement of business outcomes, it helps in

Did state expansion incur diminishing returns (Lane) or exploit Essay

Did state expansion incur diminishing returns (Lane) or exploit economies of scale - Essay Example It has been argued that the emergence of nation state was basically an attempt to achieve the required level of economic growth. It is therefore generally believed that the consistent increase in the growth of economies of Europe was mostly a direct result of the emergence of nation state due to which different institutional changes took place. It is therefore generally believed that the economic growth of the Europe is mainly due to this notion of Nation State. What is also however, significant to note that economic theory often ignored the use of violence and organized crime and war to achieve the objectives of economic growth? According to Lane (1954) the use of violence created economies of scale against those enterprises which were using the same violent techniques or were engaged in achieving so called territorial monopoly. It is therefore important to discuss as to whether the expansion of State in new territories is essential for the exploitation of economies of scales or it actually result into diminishing returns. This paper will therefore discuss this notion and will present a well balanced argument as to whether the State expansion actually results into achieving the economies of scale or not. It has been argued that the closer connection between the war and the development of nation state started to emerge during the 15th century. This was the period in European history when most of the countries witnessed centralization of the political structures within their countries. Different countries have started to develop centralized governments and the overall concept of nation building started to emerge. What is also important to note that with the development of the centralized power structures within the societies, the overall political power of the central authorities increased too and with that power came the more power to control the economic lives of the citizens of the state also? Much of this

Simone Weil regards Christianity as a religion for slaves. What does Essay

Simone Weil regards Christianity as a religion for slaves. What does she mean by this, and is it a justified claim - Essay Example universe good outweighs evil†¦ Thus the object of this certitude is an eternal and universal dispensation constituting the foundation of an invariable order in the world. Diving Providence is never represented in any other form, unless I am mistaken, either in the sacred texts of the Chinese, the Indians, and the Greeks, or in the Gospels. She believed that such pseudo-universal religious idea was significantly transformed by the Romans in their unique and odd acceptance of Christianity, with historic outcomes: â€Å"†¦ when the Christian religion was officially adopted by the Roman Empire, the impersonal aspect of God and of Divine Providence was thrust into the background. God was turned into a counterpart of the Emperor.† Weil believed that the ideas of nationalism of the Jews and the Romans were the same—both were cruel, profane, and agnostic, both supported the exploitation and persecution of the inferior by the superior. Associated with this sameness of outlooks was a shared subject matter in the spirituality or worship of the two groups. Both the Romans and the Jews, regardless of their dissimilarities in other aspects, had a similar idea of slavery, essential to the cosmological beliefs of both people. The Jews believe that: In the texts dating from before the exile, Jehovah’s juridical relationship to the Hebrews is that of master to his slaves. They had been Pharaoh’s slaves: Jehovah, having taken them out of Pharaoh’s hands, has succeeded to Pharaoh’s rights†¦ He orders them indifferently to do good or evil, but far more often evil, and in either case they have to obey. It matters little that they should be made to obey from the basest motives, provided that orders are duly executed. With regard to the Romans, â€Å"Such a conception as this was exactly on a par with the feelings and intelligence of the Romans. With them slavery had undermined and degraded all human relations.† Therefore, Weil claimed, in addition to the

Modernist And Postmodernist Interior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Modernist And Postmodernist Interior - Essay Example Most importantly, this paper will show the connection between culture and interior designs. It will do so by analyzing the changes in different cultures currently experiencing change. As a global village, there is increased cultural interaction that has seen a lot of borrowing between cultures. These kinds of interactions are some of the forces that are responsible for shaping modernism and post-modernism development. The most visible progress from modernism to post modernism is not only exhibited through technology but also through architecture and interior designs (Piotrowsky, 2008, p.116). Withal, in the comparison of the two designs, this paper will also elaborate on the close links that tie together interior design and socio-cultural aspects of the society. It will also assess the interdependence between the two broad dynamics of each of these aspects (Tangaza, 2006, p. 80). It will sustain this by analyzing how a change in one aspect directly or indirectly prompts the other to change. In order to bring a clear understanding on the interconnectivity between these two major contexts, this paper will bases its assessment and comparison on relevant theories of modernism and post modernism. These are theories that explain the concepts of modernism and post-modernism in the context of the society and its culture. ... Some of these actors may be hard to achieve or attain for some regions more than it may be for some regions. Perhaps the best question on should be asking now is what exactly modernism and post modernism mean. After that it will be easier to understand the concept of modern interior designs and postmodern interior designs in architecture. The Concept of Modernism and Post-Modernism Some scholars are of the opinion that the concept of postmodernism is one that has arisen out of a desire and endeavor to move away from the eighteenth century enlightment philosophy. They claim that there was a need for man to come with present and more current ways of defining the present times and living by those standards that befit the current age. While this may be true, there is however a clear attempt or omission that skips one step. Postmodernity cannot come ahead of modernity. This brings us to the debate on whether one can clearly distinguish whether the concept of modernity and postmodernity is actually one thing. Can one sufficiently argue that postmodernity concept is one that man coined to celebrate his immense achievements although these achievements are just slightly above modernism? This may not presents clear distinction. Nevertheless, one can be bold enough to say that postmodernity exist side by side like two faces of the same coin. However, postmodernity presents an understanding of man’s response to humanity and making of great strides in his quest to make life better. Postmodernity therefore appears to be a new way of doing things in the best way possible. One can also say that postmodernism is movement towards decentralizing and dispersing of aspects about life. Call it a great shift to make modernity even better. Other scholars argue that postmodernity is

The History of New Jerseys Musicians, Songwriters and Singers Research Paper

The History of New Jerseys Musicians, Songwriters and Singers - Research Paper Example New Jersey was the third state to join the union. Many of the leaders in that period were well educated and cultured men who embodied the values of the European countries from where their ancestors came. Dutch, Swedish and British settlers imprinted aspects of their culture on the early New Jersey landscape, and this accounts for its relatively fast move from a traditional farming economy to extensive industrialization and a focus on trade and shipping, and eventually railways as well. Church music was of course a staple of cultural life in the early days, but the situation as far as music is concerned in the new colonies was very different from that in Europe: â€Å"the great European musical tradition grew over the years in the sheltered environment of courts and cathedrals. American music, on the other hand, made its own way in the rougher area of musical entrepreneurship and amateur music making.†1 The so-called â€Å"middle colonies† of New York, Pennsylvania and N ew Jersey contained a mix of peoples, and so from the beginning there was British chamber music, Irish dance music, and Scandinavian square dancing based on Scandinavian traditional music with violins, all co-existing at the same time. New Jersey author and politician Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) who took part in the creation of the American constitution was a very keen musician: â€Å"In the years before his premature death, by now a highly honoured national figure and Federal District Court Judge, he seemed most proud to proclaim himself ‘the first Native of the United States who has produced a Musical Composition.’ † 2 His compositions were a mix of concert pieces and sacred music, with... This paper stresses that New Jersey artists have been both successful and also very productive over a long period. We have seen how the the rich mix of different cultures arriving with successive waves of immigrants into in New Jersey has brought constant renewal. There is also evidence of the need for good business sense in an region prone to boom and bust economies. New Jersey artists like Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Queen Latifah have brought their huge personalities into their work, and they combine an affection and respect for their humble origins with a worldly wisdom gained from decades of hard work and success in the business. It is hard to explain exactly why so many talented musicians have come from New Jersey. This report makes a conclusion that things are not always easy for working class families, and the struggle for success often involves avenues that are outside, or even in opposition to mainstream society. The combination of blue collar backgrounds and world-beating careers has we see in the artists mentioned above displays one feature that is often lacking in modern American music and that is authenticity. The talents of New Jersey shines through diversity, proving that flaws and setbacks in all our lives can be a force drives us on to achieve excellence. Each generation has taken the musical history of New Jersey and made it relevant to its own time, and in so doing they have topped the charts time after time with no sign that this fount of talent will ever stop.

Modernist And Postmodernist Interior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Modernist And Postmodernist Interior - Essay Example Most importantly, this paper will show the connection between culture and interior designs. It will do so by analyzing the changes in different cultures currently experiencing change. As a global village, there is increased cultural interaction that has seen a lot of borrowing between cultures. These kinds of interactions are some of the forces that are responsible for shaping modernism and post-modernism development. The most visible progress from modernism to post modernism is not only exhibited through technology but also through architecture and interior designs (Piotrowsky, 2008, p.116). Withal, in the comparison of the two designs, this paper will also elaborate on the close links that tie together interior design and socio-cultural aspects of the society. It will also assess the interdependence between the two broad dynamics of each of these aspects (Tangaza, 2006, p. 80). It will sustain this by analyzing how a change in one aspect directly or indirectly prompts the other to change. In order to bring a clear understanding on the interconnectivity between these two major contexts, this paper will bases its assessment and comparison on relevant theories of modernism and post modernism. These are theories that explain the concepts of modernism and post-modernism in the context of the society and its culture. ... Some of these actors may be hard to achieve or attain for some regions more than it may be for some regions. Perhaps the best question on should be asking now is what exactly modernism and post modernism mean. After that it will be easier to understand the concept of modern interior designs and postmodern interior designs in architecture. The Concept of Modernism and Post-Modernism Some scholars are of the opinion that the concept of postmodernism is one that has arisen out of a desire and endeavor to move away from the eighteenth century enlightment philosophy. They claim that there was a need for man to come with present and more current ways of defining the present times and living by those standards that befit the current age. While this may be true, there is however a clear attempt or omission that skips one step. Postmodernity cannot come ahead of modernity. This brings us to the debate on whether one can clearly distinguish whether the concept of modernity and postmodernity is actually one thing. Can one sufficiently argue that postmodernity concept is one that man coined to celebrate his immense achievements although these achievements are just slightly above modernism? This may not presents clear distinction. Nevertheless, one can be bold enough to say that postmodernity exist side by side like two faces of the same coin. However, postmodernity presents an understanding of man’s response to humanity and making of great strides in his quest to make life better. Postmodernity therefore appears to be a new way of doing things in the best way possible. One can also say that postmodernism is movement towards decentralizing and dispersing of aspects about life. Call it a great shift to make modernity even better. Other scholars argue that postmodernity is

The Demonstration of Anthropomorphism using a range of 3D Animation Essay

The Demonstration of Anthropomorphism using a range of 3D Animation Techniques, Evaluating a Range of Tools, Techniques and Methods - Essay Example The revolution in computer technology relative to animation , has immensely changed the face of animation industry. This animation leads to the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects or nonhuman organisms and is generally referred to as called as Anthropomorphism. This anthropomorphism can be demonstrated through the use of various animation tools and techniques including the latest technique of 3D Animation. This project proposes to develop a greater understanding of anthropomorphism and how it is used in the field of animation, also a deeper understanding of how to animate realistic movements, and the steps taken to create animation that is of a professional standard. This leads to the discussion and understanding of a range of suitable techniques, tools and methods that can be employed in the production of such an artefact. All such efforts rely heavily on certain professional animation techniques that are used in portraying a believable message. Much of the concepts related to body language, movement and aesthetics are the controlling factors that instantiate anthropomorphism into a fictional character. To create life like characters , animators must create flawless human-like characteristics which demands thorough understanding of the movement and aesthetics of humans and how these characteristics effect peoples perception of these features. To bring about these effects there has to be a perfect story board design and various animation tools and techniques that render these effects. The important steps in producing a 3D animated shot or animated movie include preparation of digital story board, Modelling, Simulation, Rendering and post production special effects. The above mentioned steps could be accomplished with the aid of special software tools like Autodesk Maya , 3D Studio Max and other rendering and directing tools like Renderman , Diorama, etc. Based on

Examine Hamlets Relationship with Gertrude Essay Example for Free

Examine Hamlets Relationship with Gertrude Essay At the beginning of the play, during Hamlets first soliloquy, Hamlet contemplates suicide because he is so furious with his mother for marrying Claudius within a month of his fathers death. This is when Hamlet comments, frailty thy name is woman to express his bitter feelings towards his mother for not only the speed of her remarriage and betrayal of his father, but the dexterity to incestuous sheets. The situation, and Hamlets reaction to it, is a trigger of an increasing negative attitude towards all women, viewing them as weak. It is shown through his relationships with Gertrude and Ophelia. The audience learn through the other characters that Hamlet has shown affections towards Ophelia; whether they are genuine and lasting feelings is uncertain as Leartes advices Ophelia that they are not. Leartes asks Ophelia to hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood;/ A violet in the youth of primary nature. Leartes not only says that Hamlets feeling towards Ophelia is short-lived nonsense of his youth but highlights that for he himself is subject to his birth. Polonius also echoes a negative portrayal of Hamlets relationship with Ophelia as he advises her to be somewhat scaner of your maiden presence. Ophelia sees that Hamlets feelings are genuine as he hath importuned me with love / In honourable fashion and hath given countenance to his speech with almost all the holy vows of heaven. However, she is obedient and follows the wishes of her brother and father to keep as watchman to my heart or to not give words or talk with the Lord. The rejection of Hamlet by Ophelia is a significant influence in him believing that frailty thy name is woman as Ophelia could be seen as weak for following the orders of others who assumed that Hamlets affections could not be trusted when she, herself, believed them to be true. Hamlets reaction to Ophelias rejection is extreme and she is affrighted by his state of knees knocking each other with a look so piteous in purport/ As if he had been loosed out of hell. His bitterness has been exaggerated by the antic disposition that he has adopted since learning that his father was murdered by his uncle from his fathers ghost. This would make him feel even more anger towards his mother for marrying Claudius. He is manipulated by the Ghost who encourages his frustration for her when he says, shameful lust/ The will of my most seeming-virtuous Queen. Hamlet is in a vulnerable position as he is shocked by the revelations and is still grieving his father; it is comforting to ally his own feelings with his fathers in his resent towards Gertrude for marrying Claudius so soon after the Kings death and is quick to believe that he is a murderer. Hamlet follows the Ghosts orders to not seek revenge on Gertrude but to leave her to heaven. Hamlets despise for Gertrude festers within him through the play and with it, his views of women. Hamlet follows the Ghosts wishes not to take action against Gertrude and as a result he makes Ophelia suffer for his hatred of his mother. The extreme behaviour which Ophelia reports to her father leads Polonius to believe that he is mad with the very ecstasy of love. Ophelia was obedient to her fathers wishes and did repel his letters, and denied/ His access to me. In contrast to Hamlets mad behaviour a letter written by him to Ophelia shows his strong feelings of affection towards her as he says, To the celestial and my souls idol, the most/ beautified Ophelia. The language is passionate in a very exaggerated style and shows that Hamlet had powerful emotions for her, and a rejection would cause an exaggerated reaction also. In conversation with Polonius, Hamlets bitter feelings towards women come out through quick and crude puns: Let her walk not I th sun. Conception is a blessing, but not as your daughter may conceive. This echoes Hamlets comment that frailty thy name is woman as the punning suggests women are improper and easily influenced. In Hamlets next meeting with Ophelia he is harsh towards her and denies sending her letters but speaks abruptly to her, making connections between chastity, beauty and immorality. He repudiates Ophelia, the woman he once claimed to love, in the harshest terms and urges her to go to a nunnery as she wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners and comments unfavourably on the flirtatious tricks of women such as lisp and nickname. Hamlet says we will have no more marriage, this is not only because he believes women make monsters of their husbands but the resent of his mothers marriage to Claudius is also implied. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to find out what is troubling Hamlet he feels betrayed his mother as his mother and Claudius are together plotting together ways spying on Hamlet; his mother is being led by Claudius. He goes on to say that he has lost all interest in life, Man/ delights not me; no, nor woman either. He talk of men and women separately suggesting that they are different creatures. During the play Hamlet is cold towards both Gertrude and Ophelia, when his mother asks him to sit by her he refuses as metal more attractive. He comments, how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within these two hours, and speaks of country matters crudely to Ophelia. Hamlet is thinking about the way his mother has acted and as he cannot confront her he offends Ophelia. Even though it is not suggested that Gertrude connived at her husbands murder, but by marrying Claudius she is guilty by association, None wed the second but who killed the first. It reminds the audience the way in which the circumstance has changed him to believe frailty thy name is women. Once the play has been stopped, Gertrude asks to speak to Hamlet which is when he confronts her about his feelings as before he had to hold my tongue. He tells her that it was Claudius blasting his wholesome brother. He asks why she would desert his father for his uncle and aggressively shames her in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed/ Stewed in corruption, honeying, making love/ Over the nasty sty. The audience recognise the crude language that he used when speaking to Ophelia as he condemns the frail women. Gertrude is convinced mainly by Hamlets insistence and power of feeling, which illustrates her frailty and tendency to be dominated by powerful men and her need for men to show her what to think and how to feel. Ophelia is driven mad by her fathers death and it contrasts strongly with Hamlets, differing primarily in its legitimacy: Ophelia does not feign madness to achieve an end, but is truly driven mad by the death of her father. After Poloniuss sudden death and Hamlets subsequent exile, she finds herself abruptly without any of them. She is obsessed with death, beauty, and an ambiguous sexual desire, expressed in startlingly frank imagery: Young men will dot, if they come tot, By Cock, they are to blame. Quoth she Before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed. Shakespeare has demonstrated her chaste dependence on the men in her life; similar to Gertrudes character. Ophelia is in such a frail state when in the same situation as Hamlet their fathers both murdered she commits suicide, which Hamlet also contemplated in his first soliloquy. Ophelia is associated with flower imagery from the beginning of the play. In her first scene, Polonius presents her with a violet; after she goes mad, she sings songs about flowers; and then she drowns amid long streams of them. The fragile beauty of the flowers resembles Ophelias own fragile beauty, as well as her nascent sexuality and her exquisite, doomed innocence. Despite Hamlets harsh treatment of Ophelia, Hamlet is grief-stricken and outraged when declaring in agonised fury his own love for Ophelia. He fights with Laertes, saying that forty thousand brothers / Could not, with all their quantity of love, / make up my sum. This shows that his despise of women could not overcome his love for Ophelia in the same way that Hamlet had trusted his mother to believe he is not mad but not tell Claudius that is an act, even though he had felt betrayed by her throughout the play. Therefore, Hamlet was shattered by his mothers decision to marry Claudius so soon after her husbands death, Hamlet becomes cynical about women in general, showing a particular obsession with what he perceives to be a connection between female sexuality and moral corruption. This motif of misogyny, or hatred of women, occurs sporadically throughout the play, but it is an important inhibiting factor in Hamlets relationships with Ophelia and Gertrude. He urges Ophelia to go to a nunnery rather than experience the corruptions of sexuality and exclaims of Gertrude, Frailty, thy name is woman. Gertrude seems to have a powerful instinct for self-preservation and advancement that leads her to rely too deeply on men much like Ophelia who is also submissive and utterly dependent on men. As these are the only two significant women in Hamlets life it is easy for him to conclude that frailty thy name is women.

Pre Existing Strategies For Youth Offending

Pre Existing Strategies For Youth Offending For over a decade Labours three successive administrations from 1997 to 2010 has left the youth justice system in a state of near permanent reform. With almost two decades prior to 1997 in opposition Labour had the opportunity to implement ready-made polices on criminal justice which started with the youth justice system by adopting a root and branch reform agenda.  [2]  This paper will critically review the policies pursued by Governments over the past fourteen years to address the social causes of crime amongst young people. The primary question this paper will ask is whether these policies have made a difference to either crime figures or recidivism amongst juveniles. The paper will initially begin by discussing the pre-existing strategies on youth crime employed before the last fourteen years which is crucial to critically reviewing the laws development over the past fourteen years. The second part of this paper will focus on the strategies employed to deal with the social ca uses of youth crime. The final section of the paper will draw the paper together by discussing the impact of the strategies employed by the various Governments to deal and manage youth justice offending by examining their impact upon youth offending. Pre-Existing Strategies for Youth Offending: Much of the twentieth-century juvenile justice system was characterised by a double taxonomy which can be best described as punishment and welfare.  [3]  The last fifty years have seen a bewildering complexity of shifts in the approach of the police, courts and various governmental agencies established to respond to youth offending and the social causes of crime.  [4]  It has been a dissected mix of governmental policies that alternate between punitive punishment and a welfare or care approach. The literature presents the 1960s as a high point in the development of welfarism in the youth justice system with a shift away from penal punishment to family councils and family courts to deal with juvenile offending and the surrounding social causes of youth crime.  [5]   The coming to power of the Conservative government in the 1970s brought a shift back to punitive punishment for youth offenders with an increasing use of juvenile courts with custodial sentences rising from 3000 in 1970 to over 7000 in 1978.  [6]  Alongside this shift towards a strong sharp punishment of youth offending in England and Wales, Scotland sought to introduce an alternative approach with the introduction of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. An underlying feature of this approach to youth offending were welfare tribunals which used lay people such as social workers, teachers and family representatives in coming together to manage youth offending in a collaborative way to tackle both the wider social causes of youth offending and the individual offence under consideration. Pratt argues that there were four major sets of criticisms of the welfare model of youth justice: firstly the treatment-orientated interventions were perceived to be ineffective.  [7]  Secondly, evidence suggested that care could become more coercive than punishment. Thirdly, professional expertise of the members of the tribunals was less important than it was perceived to be, in that members were serving with little experience of juvenile offending. Fourthly, the care model of justice was alleged to be ineffective at dealing with youth delinquency. The election of the Conservative government during the 1980s with a law and order agenda produced a mixed approach to youth offending yet again.  [8]  The 1980s brought an introduction of a multi-agency approach to youth offending and the social causes of crime, with an increased use of formal and informal cautioning of youth offenders which distinguished first offenders from repeat offenders. A distinctive feature of this approac h to youth offending was the introduction of the concept of corporatism into the youth justice system which allowed a system to produce efficient, effective justice that worked.  [9]  The focus was on delivering a youth justice framework that worked efficiently delivering value for money for the government using cheaper alternatives than the court system. The youth justice model of the 1980s enjoined the 1990s with a marriage of punitive sentencing of repeat offenders with an incoherent cautioning system for first time youth offenders which the police patrolled without any consistency.  [10]   New Labour, New Youth Justice Police? It is arguable that, amongst other issues, Labour won its first general election under the banner of its tough talk on criminal justice issues.  [11]  By taking a mixed approach between retributive justice and restorative justice Labour sought to increase the States control, regulation and mangerialism of criminal behaviour and the social causes surrounding crime.  [12]   Labour sought to formulate its youth justice policies around a development of pre-existing philosophies of restorative justice values and practice including responsibility, restoration and reintegration, which would draw upon the experience of the existing framework.  [13]  Labour presented a Third way to deal with law and order which centred upon tackling the youth crime which were premised upon making young people take responsibility for crime through the concepts of responsibility, restoration and reintegration.  [14]  The centre piece of reform manifested itself in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 which have sought to bring restorative elements and values on a formal platform within youth justice.  [15]  In essence the statutory framework represented a clear attempt at modernising youth justice based on empirical evidence.  [16]   The reform advanced by Labour to deal with the social causes of youth offending effectively represented a new youth justice system composed of a Youth Justice Board (YJB) at national level and a multi-agency Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) at local level to administer the youth justice framework.  [17]  This multi-level and multi-agency approach to youth justice redefined the architecture of the youth justice apparatus by reconfiguring the lines of power, management and responsibility.  [18]  In addition to redefining the youth justice apparatus within the criminal justice system, Labour adopted a twin track approach with a perpetual stream of legislative reform focused on reformulating the punishment framework within criminal justice. The main stay of the reforms was provided in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which established the Youth Justice Board, Youth Offending Teams and for a restructuring of the non-custodial penalties available to the Youth Court, other reforms included: anti-social behaviour orders (ASBO) and action plans, to reparation orders and parenting orders.  [19]  For offenders under 18, the system of police cautioning was replaced with a new system of reprimand and warnings, to allow young offenders to have the opportunity of at least one reprimand and one final warning prior to prosecution.  [20]   Newburn argues that the new reforms implemented sought to allow restorative values where possible within youth justice through the development of restorative cautioning, action plans and reparation orders.  [21]  The action plan represented an attempt to allow youth offenders to begin a short intensive programme of community intervention combining punishment, rehabilitation and reparation to change the offending behaviour and prevent further crime.  [22]  Although Labour sought to redraw the criminal justice agenda many of the reforms introduced echoed and resembled the multi-agency approach of the 1980s.  [23]  The crucial difference between this fresh attempt at reform was that part of the multi-agency approach this time was not to divert but rather to intervene and become involved in the process.  [24]  A central driving force in Labours restorative reforms was the influence of communitarian thinking, particularly with the introduction of reparation orders and rest orative cautioning.  [25]  The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 placed local authorities with the responsibility of formulating and implementing annual youth justice plans which dealt with the social causes of crime amongst other priorities. Gelsthorpe and Morris argue that the reforms introduced will allow restorative processes to occupy a marginal place within criminal justice until contradictory values and practices of blaming and punishing are given significantly less emphasis and restorative values and practices are given significantly more emphasis.  [26]  A potential flaw of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 presented in the literature is that significant elements inherent in the reforms are premised on the basis of proportionality which is characteristic of punitive punishment. Wasik identifies that the reparation order is subjected to the normal requirements of proportionality which is linked to the retributive justice value of responsibility of the offender for the crime.  [27]  The central concern among advocates of restorative justice is that this model will not operate with the full potential of restorative justice values and principles which could over time gradually become more punitive than restorat ive in nature. Much of the debate throughout the literature focuses on the various elements of the reforms which can be considered to have restorative ideals.  [28]  The most significant reform was the introduction of Referral Orders as part of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. Dignan and Marsh argue that Referral Orders are potentially one of the most radical aspects of the entire youth justice reform agenda where the court can divert the young offender away from the courts system to deal with the offending behaviour through restorative approaches.  [29]  Crawford and Newburn argue that the reforms implemented by Labour were heavily influenced by the what works paradigm and the language of risk factors.  [30]   Conclusion: Goldson argues that Labour introduced an unprecedented corpus of youth justice legislation both in terms of reach and volume.  [31]  Fergusson argues that the approach to youth offending became a melting pot of contradictions, ideals and ideologies where a hybrid model emerges which encompasses a dissected mix of restorative and retributive values.  [32]  Fergusson correctly identifies that the way governments present policy rhetorically, how they codify it legally, and how those policies are played out in practice are critically different facets of the policy process in the management of crime.  [33]   Successive governments have responded to the social causes of youth crime in various ways throughout the last five decades, in particular the latest strategy employed a double edged sword which leans heavily on punitive punishment for adult offenders with a more welfarist approach in dealing with youth offenders.  [34]  Restorative justice undoubtedly represents one of the most significant developments in criminal justice and criminological practice and thinking over the past two decades.  [35]  It is arguably the social movement for criminal justice reform of the 1990s and into the new millennium.  [36]   Empirical evidence emanating from America, Australia and New Zealand indicate that where the use of restorative justice is prevalent for young offenders, there has been success at reducing youth offending rates and a reduction in repeat offending resulting in greater effectiveness at dealing with youth crime and the social causes of crime.  [37]   The net effect of these new policies aimed at the reduction of youth crime and tackling the social causes of crime represent a more integrated approach by the state to manage youth offending rates. The policies acknowledge the failures of the previous strategies of strict punitive punishment as a deterrent for further offences. The approach of incorporating restorative values, although arguable only at the fringes of the youth justice system, represents a more inclusive justice system which takes into account mechanisms to address the social causes of youth offending.

Why I Love Cats Essay -- essays research papers

Reason I love Cats . The first day I brought Mimi home , I regretted it immediately. She was a kitten then and was crying all the time . It was my first cat and I did not know what to do . I kept thinking that there must be something wrong with her . I wanted to bring her back to the pet shop but I decided to just wait and see what happen . Finally Mimi got used to her surroundings and she became my best friend . Caring for a cat means much more than simply making sure they have plenty of food and water , it requires a lot of patience and love . The reason I chose a cat instead of a dog in the first place is because my apartment did not allow dogs . Most apartment don’t . Also because cat require less attention which I would be able to give . They are independent animals who are usually litter trained and does not need to be walked . Cats are quiet animals and not as aggressive in comparison to dogs . They can also live in small places as they are happy just being indoor . They need less grooming and they clean themselves a lot . People who want to get a cat should be aware of what to expect and the responsibility of having a cat . Cats are very different from dogs and most of the time , they cannot be led with a leash . They hate traveling on cars and have difficulty adjusting to changes . Moving can be very painful and traumatic experience for a cat . They like to cuddle but sometimes , they totally ignore you . They are temperamental animals ...

Ishmael Essay -- essays research papers

A review of... Ishmael   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past few centuries there have been a handful of books written that offer up ideas about humanity that are so completely new to a reader but are so completely convincing that they can force a reader to take a step back and assess all that they know to be true about their life and their purpose. Daniel Quinn has succeeded in creating such a book in Ishmael, a collection of new ideas about man, his evolution, and the â€Å"destiny† that keeps him captive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I began reading Ishmael I was amazed by the ideas offered by Quinn. Like in Rambo and the Dalai Lama by Gordon Fellman I was looking at the world not as it must be but as it could be. I was very suprised and excited, that as a member of â€Å"generation X† that tries so hard to create their own destiny, that I had never perceived or questioned â€Å"Mother Culture†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first one hundred pages if Ishamel I found a number of convincing ideas that I believe I will take away with me. The greatest of these being that the technology that we believe will prolong our existence is the same driving force that propells us to extinction. I believe that Quinn illustrated this idea superbly with his narrative of the aeronauts. Man knew that he could fly but he didn’t know all the rules. And instead of leaving it be until he did he was so sure of himself that he made his attempts blindly and came to a much quicker end than if h...

Panasonic and Japans Changing Culture Essay

In Japan in 1918 Konosuke Matsushita founded Matsushita Electric a consumer electronics company which is known today as Panasonic. Panasonic has offices in 58 different countries and is regarded as one of the world’s largest electronics companies. (Panasonic, 2013) Panasonic alike many other Japanese companies was established on a Confucian value system. The Confucian value system consists of three main elements; reciprocal obligations, honesty and loyalty. These elements form a majority of traditional Japanese values. (Smits, 2010) Hofstede, even though his work has been criticised, recognised some significant aspects of Japanese culture. These aspects included high uncertainty avoidance, high masculinity and a swing towards collectivism. These aspects also contribute largely to traditional Japanese values. These values were represented in such policies as lifetime employment and generous retirement bonuses. (Hofstede, 2013) However cultures are dynamic, they change over time. The major shift in Japanese culture occurred during the 1990’s, which was mainly attributed to the change in perspective of the generation born after 1964. This change was evident in 1999 when Panasonic gave its new employees a decision between different employment packages. The first package gave the employees a large retirement bonus, subsidised housing and services and company social events. The second package gave the employees the same perks except instead of a retirement bonus a larger starting salary. The third package gave the employees an even larger still starting salary however none of the other benefits. In contradiction to traditional values 41% of new employees chose the second package. (Hill, 2011) This shows a move away from high uncertainty avoidance which was triggered by an increase in average wealth and a move towards individualism. The primary criticism of this generation was their lack of commitment to traditional Japanese values in comparison with their parents. One of the more perceptible changes was a switch from a collectivist culture to a more individual culture. (Hill, 2011) It has been theorised that there is a correlation between economic development and a shift towards an individualistic society. This theory correlates with the article which states that a cause for the shift is the fact that the generation born after 1964 grew up in an economically richer society. This shift also affected organisational loyalty in the form of people changing jobs with greater frequency than ever before. (Reiner, 1991) This shift in the paradigm of Japanese cultural values has an effect on traditional values. The ‘modernised’ value system in effect is polar opposite to traditional values which were achieved by a complete cultural shift. Which in turn insinuates that the further the culture evolves the less tradition is left in the value system, if trends current stay constant. This shift in cultural dynamics changes the undercurrents of doing business in Japan. A major change is going to be retention of employees. This is due to the switch from collectivism to individualism and the decrease in personal identification based on company strata in conjunction with decreased company loyalty. The implication of this is companies are going to have to build their HR departments and find ways to lower employee turnover to reduce training costs. However if trends continue the average worker is going to have an increased understanding of a wide range of markets due to numerous career changes whic h allow firms access to a greater number of ideas to cope with increasingly dynamic business conditions. If companies want to optimise the new cultural principles of lowered uncertainty avoidance and the shift towards individualism they are going to have to encourage new product development and add funding to research and development. (Reid, 1999) Panasonic have already identified this and moving towards a greater number of policies in this area. Panasonic have also identified the lack of traditional aspects in the business environment and have implemented policies such as; bonuses based on performance and the new employment package plans. (Hill, 2011) If uncertainty avoidance and individualism continue to increase to Western levels there may be an increase in start-up companies which would increase competition in the market and possibly decrease the market share of existing companies. These changes could also have been influenced by a greater presence of western culture within Japa nese society. However there could be the adverse effect of decreased productivity attributed to a decrease in the number of employees having a personal identification with the company, decreased loyalty as well as a move away from reciprocal obligation and towards entitlement. This also works in the opposite direction and companies may not feel loyalty or obligation to Japanese employees and instead off-shore operations to lower wage countries in order to increase margins. (Reid, 1999) Between 1986 and 1989 there was a rapid acceleration of asset prices in Japan. This also caused uncontrolled credit expansion and money supply in addition with overheated economic activity. Due to speculation and overconfidence of asset prices, the asset prices began to drop in 1991 and collapsed by 1992. The asset bubble collapse lasted for more than 10 years and was generally referred to as the lost decade for Japan. This also led to economic stagnation and as result of lower net income Japanese families decided to pay off debts which caused a deflation spiral. (The Economist, 2010) Since these events the Japanese economy has struggled to recover. Even though recent decisions by the Japanese government has caused the Nikkei to recover slightly it is currently roughly a third of the value it was in 1990. Currently the cash rate in Japan is 0% which means that changing monetary policy cannot increase GDP. This means that for Japan to obtain a substantial increase in GDP it has to increase its goods market. Japan has a debt to GDP ratio of 214% which is the highest in the world. (US CIA, 2013) Therefore an increase in consumption, investment or net exports is needed to advance Japans economy. Panasonic as well as a number of other companies have realised this and has moved to encourage individualism. Individualism encourages entrepreneurship which currently could boost the Japanese economy if successful new product development takes place. (Saito, 2000) The traditional Japanese culture was a benefit to Panasonic during the period of 1950 to 1980. A group orientated culture assisted with strong teamwork between employees allowing greater productivity within the workplace. Due to the element of reciprocal obligation in the Confucian value system policies such as lifetime employment and cheap housing were seen as gifts and in reciprocation of these gifts employees worked harder. Loyalty played a large part in building strong business performance, this is because employees would stay in a business for the entirety of their career so they were able it learn all aspects of the business and better manage it. This amongst other factors also lead to identification with the business by employees, instead of saying â€Å"I am a web developer† they would say â€Å"I am from Panasonic†. This identification encouraged employees to work harder so that their company would succeed. A high uncertainty avoidance allowed managers to only take a calculated risk when the needed to, which reduced the companies liabilities. (Strath, 1996) However even though the traditional Japanese culture was a benefit to Panasonic in the period of 1950 to 1980 it was a liability post 1989. Even though Confucian values encourage team work and other positive attributes it discourages individualism. During this time period due to the economic crisis in Japan Panasonic would if benefited more from an entrepreneurial drive towards new product development. A high uncertainty avoidance also meant that managers were not willing to take risks unless they knew what the outcome was going to be, due to the economic pressures and heightened pace of change within the business community managers were less likely to change things in an environment where the only way to survive is change. During this time period business was becoming more dynamic due to globalisation and increased competitors which meant that Panasonic needed to change its strategy, however managers did not know how to do this because they had only ever worked in the one company an d only knew one way of doing things. Panasonic alike other Japanese companies eventually had to lay people off and cut benefits due to economic conditions. These acts were seen as a dismissing employee’s loyalty and to a point betrayal due to the strong identification with the company which caused productivity changes. (Huffman, 1997) In the last financial year Panasonic recorded a loss of 754 billion dollars and forecasts a loss of 765 billion dollars next financial year. Even though there is no best culture for a business environment, Japanese companies including Panasonic are move towards integrating the current cultural changes into their practices in order to achieve greater efficiency and productivity. The question is will Japanese culture continue along its current trends or do an about face? (Panasonic, 2013) References Hill, Challes. 2011. Gobal Business Today. 7th Edition. McGraw-Hill. Pp 125-128 Hofstede, Greet. 2013. Japan – Geert Hofstede. [ONLINE] Available at: http://geert-hofstede.com/japan.html. [Accessed 24 August 2013]. Huffman, James. 1997. Modern Japan: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Nationalism (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities). Edition. Routledge. The Economist (US). 2010. Japan syndrome, the future of Japan. ISSN 0013-0613 Volume 397, Issue 8709, p. 18 Reiner, Thomas. 1991. Legacies and Ambiguities: Postwar Fiction and Culture in West Germany and Japan. 1 Edition. Woodrow Wilson Center Press. Panasonic. 2013. Annual Report. [ONLINE] Available at: http://panasonic.net/ir/annual/. [Accessed 26 August 2013]. Panasonic. 2013. Global Network – Panasonic. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.panasonic.com/global/global-network.html. [Accessed 22 August 2013]. Reid, David. 1999. Changes in Japan’s Post-Bubble Business Environment: Implications for For eign-Afflilated Companies. Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 38-63 Saito, Mitsuo. 2000. The Japanese Economy (Economic Ideas Leading to the 21st Century). Edition. World Scientific Pub Co Inc. Smits, Gregory. 2010. Economic Thought in Early Modern Japan (Monies, Markets, and Finance in East Asia, 1600-1900). Edition. Brill Academic Pub. Strath, Bo. 1996. The Organization of Labour Markets: Modernity, Culture and Governance in Germany, Sweden, Britain and Japan (Routledge Explorations in Economic History). annotated edition Edition. Routledge. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 2013. The World Factbook, Public Debt. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2186rank.html. [Accessed 22 August 2013].

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Essay

Though Blanche, from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, thinks that opposites attract and thus that she will marry Rochester, Bronte has different ideas about foils. Near the end of the novel Jane marries Rochester effectively quieting Blanche’s ideas. However, Bronte does use foils in the novel for a different reason. She uses characters will opposite personalities to reveal more about them, and to keep the reader from overlooking many of the major characters’ traits. For instance, without Blanche, who is a foil of Jane, one may have thought Jane a simple and plain governess and nothing more. Similarly, without St. John the reader could have missed Rochester’s passionate side, or with no Mrs. Reed how supportive Miss Temple really is. Using foils, Bronte reveals more about the personalities of the major characters, and keeps the reader from overlooking many traits. One can see that Jane and Blanche are opposites from before they even meet. While Jane is rather plain and unattractive on the outside, Blanche is described as beautiful with, â€Å"the noble bust, the sloping shoulders, the graceful neck, the dark eyes and black ringlets† (183) Even Jane cannot deny that Blanche is beautiful. In addition, Blanche grows up in a rich noble family while Jane is an orphan who was sent to a lowly boarding school. The opposites do not stop at their looks and backgrounds, for even Jane and Blanche’s personalities are completely different. Jane is an independent, passionate, and respectful young woman, although she often seems very practical and rational. Blanche flaunts herself, gossips, talks about marriage, and can be very rude as shown when she says â€Å"she (Jane) looks too stupid for any game of the sort† (194). While Jane was in the room, Blanche speaks loudly and rudely of her without a second thought. In addition, Blanche only wants Rochester as her husband for his money, and for the title of a wife. She likes the fact that he is not handsome because as a result, she will receive all of the attention. Jane loves Rochester for his personality, and thinks to herself, â€Å"gratitude and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire† (155). Jane does not mind his physical features because she finds him interesting, caring, and the fact that he makes her happy. As foils, Blanche elicits Jane’s noble characteristics, while at the same time making Jane seem more interesting. Instead of seeing a simple governess, the reader realizes Jane’s passion and interesting qualities. Blanche’s outer beauty also helps the reader see the beauty within Jane though her physique is plain. In the novel, St. John brings out many characteristics in Rochester. They seem to be the two sides of Jane, her practical and rational side versus her passionate and emotional side. St. John seems to be powerful and dangerous. Jane feels he wants to marry her because it would be practical, and as he says goodbye to her she notes that â€Å"his look was not, indeed, that of a lover beholding his mistress, but it was that of a pastor recalling his wandering sheep: (454-455). St. John does not love Jane, and he does not try to act so. Unlike Rochester he lacks passion. In contrast to St. John, Rochester really loves Jane and expresses himself when she talks of leaving, â€Å"my deep love, my wild woe, my frantic prayer, all are nothing to you? †¦You leave me here in anguish† (344). The severe intensity of Rochester’s words shows just how much he really loves Jane. In addition, St. John is very self-denying. He takes and feels what he thinks the Lord would want to him to take or feel. He does not want to give love to anyone except his God. Rochester is much different as he succumbs to temptation and love. He has many other personality traits as well, although some are not originally apparent. After Jane saves Rochester from the fire in his room Rochester says, â€Å"If you are not warm enough, you may take my cloak† (159). Rochester can also by very caring and thoughtful, although these traits are much less obvious. They are made clearer through contrast to St. John who lacks empathy and is very harsh and cold. These foils also help the reader understand more about Jane. After being courted by both of them, she chooses Rochester. This symbolizes her choice of emotion and passion over principles and rationality. A less obvious pair of characters who are foils as well is Miss Temple and Mrs. Reed. Not only are they opposites of each other, but they also bring out different sides of Jane herself. When around the uncaring and rude Mrs. Reed, Jane feels angry and suppressed. She finally lets out her anger in a memorable scene after she learns she is going to school, â€Å"If anyone asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick, and that you treated me with miserable cruelty† (34). Because Mrs. Reed, is mean herself, she brings out the bad side of Jane. Miss Temple brings out a much different personality in Jane. Around Miss Temple, Jane is calm and more caring as a result of Miss Temple’s influence. Mrs.  Reed was a hateful and unforgiving person as shown when talking to Jane on her dying bed, â€Å"she (Jane) did not die: but I said she did—I wish she had died! † (249). Even as she dies, Mrs. Reed hates Jane, although Jane did not do anything wrong. Miss Temple believes in forgiveness, and she even helps Jane clear her tarnished reputation. Miss Temple teaches Jane about life as well as schoolwork and is very generous. Mrs. Reed, a horrible mother figure for Jane, helps the reader realize that Miss Temple is more of a inspiration and maternal figure than at first apparent. After Miss Temple marries and Jane becomes unhappy, Jane has a realization as a result of Miss Temple’s motherly influence, â€Å"I remembered that the real world was wide, and that a varied field of hopes and fears†¦ awaited those to who had the courage to go forth† (87). Instead of just being a schoolteacher, Miss Temple helps Jane through her life unlike Mrs. Reed who was supposed to treat Jane as her own child. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the author uses many foils to highlight certain traits in the major characters. She also uses the opposites to help one see personality traits that are not as obvious to the reader. Without these foils, many characters would have seemed different and less interesting. Without Mrs. Reed, Miss Temple would have just seemed like a nice schoolteacher. If St. John had been missing, Rochester would not have seemed very nice or caring at all. Finally, without Blanche, Jane would have seemed much less interesting, and her noble characteristics would have been diminished. The opposites are used to reveal more about the major characters, and to keep the reader from overlooking important personality traits.

Integrated Natural Sciences(Biology, Physic's,Chemsitry,Human Anatomy) Assignment

Integrated Natural Sciences(Biology, Physic's,Chemsitry,Human Anatomy) - Assignment Example Hence it is very helpful and useful to study science using an integrated approach. 2. Explain the LIMITATIONS of science and how science differs from other areas such as art and religion (Science’s domain is based on evidence; whereas religion and art domain’s center upon belief, aesthetics, etc) Science demands proof whereas the domain of religion and art depend upon beliefs and aesthetics. That is why questions like ‘what is the purpose of life?’ or ‘Does God exist?’ cannot be researched by science. 2. Explain what happens to the gravitational force when there is a change in mass and/or distance. The gravitational force increases/decreases proportionally with the change in mass but is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. 1. Explain the role of gravity in the formation of solar systems and galaxies. Stars start of as a cloud of gas and dust. Due to gravitational forces they clump together and contract. This contraction increases the temperatures and initiates nuclear fusion. Similarly the left over materials clump together to form planets. 3. Why does the same side of the Moon always face the Earth? The gravitational pull from the earth slows down the rotation of the moon. The moon revolves around at the same speed at which it is orbiting and hence the same side of the moon always faces the earth. 4. Explain the relationship between thermal energy and gravitational force in a star’s life cycle. The greater the gravitational pull, the greater is the pressure experiences by the gases which increases their thermal energy. Both the forces are proportional to the product of their charge and mass respectively and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The difference between these two is that gravitational force is always attractive while electrical force may be attractive or repulsive. In transverse waves, the wave propagates perpendicular to the direction of motion, for example,

19-64 underinsured final paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

19-64 underinsured final paper - Essay Example ublic policy must take account of these cultural sensitivities, a willingness to recognize priorities and set limits seems to be proportional to the level of frustration with ever-increasing costs. A much-cited example of rational priorities for medical care comes from the state of Oregon, where a commission was appointed in 1989 to make recommendations to the state legislature on how to expand coverage and set priorities in the Medicaid program. Underinsured people were to be added to the Medicaid list to cover every resident whose income was below a certain level, but this could be afforded only by reductions in the benefit package. After much consultation with health professionals and public hearings and community meetings held throughout the state, the commission produced a list of almost 700 condition-treatment pairs grouped in 17 categories and ranked according to priority. According to the plan the Medicaid program would pay only for items above a certain cutoff point on the l ist, to be determined from time to time by the legislature. The plan was implemented in 1994 and has been politically popular among the general public and with Medicare recipients. As of 1998 it is limited to relatively poorer persons eligible for the state Medicaid program, and has not been extended to the general public. â€Å"Managed care has been the single most dominant force which has fundamentally transformed the delivery of health care in United States since the 1990s† (Shi, L. & Singh, D., 2004, p. 324). Once each year there is a major conference of representatives of the funds, the regional associations of physicians, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies, to work out the contribution rate and other details for the underinsured. The government does not provide any funding to the system but is very active in regulating and monitoring it. The basic features of the social-insurance-based health system have been adopted in many parts of the country. The welfare-oriented

Award Winning Books Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Award Winning Books - Annotated Bibliography Example As an immigrant he experiences both failures and triumphs as he continues to hope that his mother is alive. Written in free verse, the book highlights the importance of attitude to the achievement of goals for young readers. The year 1845 in Ireland, when overnight a mysterious blight attacked the potato crops turning them black and threatening food supply of 6 million people. The blight continued on for the next 5 years causing 1 million deaths and 2 million Irish fleeing their homeland. Ethnic and religious prejudices are tackled in the book as well as references to present crises in society. The book also features black and white sketches gathered from contemporary newspapers during the period. The author portrays how the young people of Germany became loyal to Hitler including interviews with surviving Hitler Youth members. It highlights Hitler's tactics for dominating the young people who were "a powerful political force". The book includes stories of young heroes who dared to oppose Hitler as well as those who opted to support him. M.L.K. is Marthin Luther King, Jr. and this book is his biography as told by Bolden in words and scrapbook pictures. The book focuses on MLK's principle of selfless love for one's neighbor as he expounded in his sermons, his daily life and his support of nonviolent protests, and is very inspirational for young readers. Genre: Biography, Nonfiction Suggested Grade Level: Grades 5-8 Awards/ Honors: NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Winner 2008 Burns, L. (2007). Tracking trash: flotsam, jetsam, and the science of ocean motion. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Company. Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer is an oceanographer whose attention is drawn to ocean trash in the form of Nike sneakers appearing on the beaches in Seattle. With volunteer beachcombers and supportive fellow scientists Dr. Curt tracks ocean trash while studying ocean currents. Frightening accounts about trash destroying birds and sea creatures form the climax, which is resolved by the work of the scientists which prevent further destruction. The book is about marine environment conservation and the science of ocean currents and includes a glossary and lists of related books and