The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter One

â€Å"Things can be just like they were before,† said Caroline warmly, reaching out to squeeze Bonnie's hand. But it wasn't true. Nothing could ever be the way it had been before Elena died. Nothing. And Bonnie had serious misgivings about this party Caroline was trying to set up. A vague nagging in the pit of her stomach told her that for some reason it was a very, very bad idea. â€Å"Meredith's birthday is already over,† she pointed out. â€Å"It was last Saturday.† â€Å"But she didn't have a party, not a real party like this one. We've got all night; my parents won't be back until Sunday morning. Come on, Bonnie-just think how surprised she'll be.† Oh, she'll be surprised, all right, thought Bonnie. So surprised she just might kill me afterward. â€Å"Look, Caroline, the reason Meredith didn't have a big party is that she still doesn't feel much like celebrating. It seems-disrespectful, somehow-â€Å" â€Å"But that's wrong. Elena would want us to have a good time, you know she would. She loved parties. And she'd hate to see us sitting around and crying over her six months after she's gone.† Caroline leaned forward, her normally feline green eyes earnest and compelling. There was no artifice in them now, none of Caroline's usual nasty manipulation. Bonnie could tell she really meant it. â€Å"I want us to be friends again the way we used to be,† Caroline said. â€Å"We always used to celebrate our birthdays together, just the four of us, remember? And remember how the guys would always try to crash our parties? I wonder if they'll try this year.† Bonnie felt control of the situation slipping away from her. This is a bad idea, this is a very bad idea, she thought. But Caroline was going on, looking dreamy and almost romantic as she talked about the good old days. Bonnie didn't have the heart to tell her that the good old days were as dead as disco. â€Å"But there aren't even four of us anymore. Three doesn't make much of a party,† she protested feebly when she could get a word in. â€Å"I'm going to invite Sue Carson, too. Meredith gets along with her, doesn't she?† Bonnie had to admit Meredith did; everyone got along with Sue. But even so, Caroline had to understand that things couldn't be the way they had been before. You couldn't just substitute Sue Carson for Elena and say, There, everything is fixed now. But how do I explain that to Caroline? Bonnie thought. Suddenly she knew. â€Å"Let's invite Vickie Bennett,† she said. Caroline stared. â€Å"Vickie Bennett? You must be joking. Invite that bizarre little drip who undressed in front of half the school? After everything that happened?† Caroline stared. â€Å"Vickie Bennett? You must be joking. Invite that bizarre little drip who undressed in front of half the school? After everything that happened?† For a moment Caroline looked helplessly frustrated. Bonnie thrust her chin out, put her hands on her hips, and waited. Finally Caroline sighed. â€Å"All right; you win. I'll invite her. But you have to take care of getting Meredith to my house Saturday night. And Bonnie-make sure she doesn't have any idea what's going on. I really want this to be a surprise.† â€Å"Oh, it will be,† Bonnie said grimly. She was unprepared for the sudden light in Caroline's face or the impulsive warmth of Caroline's hug. â€Å"I'm so glad you're seeing things my way,† Caroline said. â€Å"And it'll be so good for us all to be together again.† She doesn't understand a thing, Bonnie realized, dazed, as Caroline walked off. What do I have to do to explain to her? Sock her? And then: Oh, God, now I have to tell Meredith. But by the end of the day she decided that maybe Meredith didn't need to be told. Caroline wanted Meredith surprised; well, maybe Bonnie should deliver Meredith surprised. That way at least Meredith wouldn't have to worry about it beforehand. Yes, Bonnie concluded, it was probably kindest to not tell Meredith anything. And who knows, she wrote in her journal Friday night. Maybe I'm being too hard on Caroline. Maybe she's really sorry about all the things she did to us, like trying to humiliate Elena in front of the whole town and trying to get Stefan put away for murder. Maybe Caroline's matured since then and learned to think about somebody besides herself. Maybe we'll actually have a good time at her party. And maybe aliens will kidnap me before tomorrow afternoon, she thought as she closed the diary. She could only hope. The diary was an inexpensive drugstore blank book, with a pattern of tiny flowers on the cover. She'd only started keeping it since Elena had died, but she'd already become slightly addicted to it. It was the one place she could say anything she wanted without people looking shocked and saying, â€Å"Bonnie McCullough!† or â€Å"Oh, Bonnie.† She was still thinking about Elena as she turned off the light and crawled under the covers. She was sitting on lush, manicured grass that spread as far as she could see in all directions. The sky was a flawless blue, the air was warm and scented. Birds were singing. â€Å"I'm so glad you could come,† Elena said. â€Å"Oh-yes,† said Bonnie. â€Å"Well, naturally, so am I. Of course.† She looked around again, then hastily back at Elena. â€Å"More tea?† There was a teacup in Bonnie's hand, thin and fragile as eggshell. â€Å"Oh-sure. Thanks.† Elena was wearing an eighteenth-century dress of gauzy white muslin, which clung to her, showing how slender she was. She poured the tea precisely, without spilling a drop. â€Å"Would you like a mouse?† â€Å"A what?† â€Å"I said, would you like a sandwich with your tea?† â€Å"Oh. A sandwich. Yeah. Great.† It was thinly sliced cucumber with mayonnaise on a dainty square of white bread. Without the crust. The whole scene was as sparkly and beautiful as a picture by Seurat. Warm Springs, that's where we are. The old picnic place, Bonnie thought. But surely we've got more important things to discuss than tea. â€Å"Who does your hair these days?† she asked. Elena never had been able to do it herself. â€Å"Do you like it?† Elena put a hand up to the silky, pale gold mass piled at the back of her neck. â€Å"It's perfect,† said Bonnie, sounding for all the world like her mother at a Daughters of the American Revolution dinner party. â€Å"Well, hair is important, you know,† Elena said. Her eyes glowed a deeper blue than the sky, lapis lazuli blue. Bonnie touched her own springy red curls self-consciously. â€Å"Of course, blood is important too,† Elena said. â€Å"Blood? Oh-yes, of course,† said Bonnie, flustered. She had no idea what Elena was talking about, and she felt as if she were walking on a tightrope over alligators. â€Å"Yes, blood's important, all right,† she agreed weakly. â€Å"Another sandwich?† â€Å"Thanks.† It was cheese and tomato. Elena selected one for herself and bit into it delicately. Bonnie watched her, feeling uneasiness grow by the minute inside her, and then- And then she saw the mud oozing out of the edges of the sandwich. â€Å"What-what's that?† Terror made her voice shrill. For the first time, the dream seemed like a dream, and she found that she couldn't move, could only gasp and stare. A thick glob of the brown stuff fell off Elena's sandwich onto the checkered tablecloth. It was mud, all right. â€Å"Elena†¦ Elena, what-â€Å" The air was no longer warm and scented; it was hot and sickly sweet with the odor of rotting garbage. There were black pits in the green grass, which wasn't manicured after all but wild and overgrown. This wasn't Warm Springs. She was in the old graveyard; how could she not have realized that? Only these graves were fresh. â€Å"Another mouse?† Elena said, and giggled obscenely. Bonnie looked down at the half-eaten sandwich she was holding and screamed. Dangling from one end was a ropy brown tail. She threw it as hard as she could against a headstone, where it hit with a wet slap. Then she stood, stomach heaving, scrubbing her fingers frantically against her jeans. â€Å"You can't leave yet. The company is just arriving.† Elena's face was changing; she had already lost her hair, and her skin was turning gray and leathery. Things were moving in the plate of sandwiches and the freshly dug pits. Bonnie didn't want to see any of them; she thought she would go mad if she did. â€Å"You're not Elena!† she screamed, and ran. The wind blew her hair into her eyes and she couldn't see. Her pursuer was behind her; she could feel it right behind her. Get to the bridge, she thought, and then she ran into something. â€Å"I've been waiting for you,† said the thing in Elena's dress, the gray skeletal thing with long, twisted teeth. â€Å"Listen to me, Bonnie.† It held her with terrible strength. â€Å"You're not Elena! You're not Elena!† â€Å"Listen to me, Bonnie!† It was Elena's voice, Elena's real voice, not obscenely amused nor thick and ugly, but urgent. It came from somewhere behind Bonnie and it swept through the dream like a fresh, cold wind. â€Å"Bonnie, listen quickly-â€Å" Things were melting. The bony hands on Bonnie's arms, the crawling graveyard, the rancid hot air. For a moment Elena's voice was clear, but it was broken up like a bad long-dis-tance connection. â€Å"†¦ He's twisting things, changing them. I'm not as strong as he is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie missed some words. â€Å"†¦ but this is important. You have to find†¦ right now.† Her voice was fading. â€Å"Elena, I can't hear you! Elena!† â€Å"†¦ an easy spell, only two ingredients, the ones I told you already†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Elena!† Bonnie was still shouting as she sat bolt upright in bed.

Employment Law and HRM Strategy Essay

Employment laws play a critical role in human resources management strategies and in an organization operation. Employee laws are design to protect the employees by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) â€Å" federal enforcement agency enacted to ensure that employers follow and abide by rules set forth in the Civil Rights Acts of 1964†(Web Finance, 2012). However, the act insisted of â€Å"people should be given the same opportunities and equal changes to obtain employment regardless of their color, race, gender, national origin, or religion† (Stewart & Brown, 2012, pg. 0). After researching the employment laws of Georgia by visiting ga. gov and after inserting â€Å"employment laws,† the research will give a descriptively analysis of a description of a scenario that will correspond with the employment law provide. Next the analysis will describes a recommended plan to manage the HRM situation within the confines of the law. Third, the approach will be justified by the scenario to HR management. Fourth, the analysis will describe a competitive advantage may be gain by ensuring HRM practices meet the necessary employment laws. Final, a speculation will be made with an assumption of the situation was not handled in accordance with the appropriate employment laws. ? Description of the scenario that corresponds with employment law: The scenario that was beneficial compliance with the Georgia Employment Law is â€Å"disciplinary action training for supervisors of diverse employers. † The current state that analysis was research of the state of Georgia and the informative information that was providing from www. ga. gov.  Georgia’s employment laws and the HRM strategies are in compliance with the state’s regulations. However, Georgia is considering as an at-will provision. Meaning which the employers have the right to â€Å"freely discipline or discharge employees provided that the adverse employment action is not motivated by any discriminatory intent or administered in a discriminatory manner†(Morris & Manning & Martin, 2012). When an employer is actively training for supervisors of diverse employers the same Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC) guidelines are applied throughout the training. Employers have to determine when terminating or have to discipline an employee to comply within the state’s laws by not violating the federally protection classes that is consist of age, race, national origin, religion, sex, or other status. If these actions are violating the individual(s) have the right to suit the organization. However, just last month the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC) requested that all employers review their anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies. Reason being, the† Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued some serious concerns to the employers in an afforded to reiterate its commitment to justice from vulnerable individuals† (Flahardy, 2012). The reason for the request for the Title VI and the ADA applicants was concerns from a previous case that was review in the courts. The 6th Circuit rules that counseling recommendation violated the ADA† (Byrne, 2012). The action suit was proceed after an employee by the named of Emily Kroll’s suited White Lake Ambulance, for counseling constitutes a â€Å"medical examination,† under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Emily Kroll was employed with the emergency medical technician at the White Lake Ambulance Authority (WLAA), in which Whitehall, Mich. , in 2003 (Byrne, 2012). However, her supervisors initially considered her to be good employee until, a personal affair occurred when her marriage with a coworker failed. Krolly’s supervisor concerns grown after; Krolly and a colleague proceed into an argument and Krolly fail to administer oxygen to a patient. Krolly’s supervisors asked her would she attended counseling sessions whereas, Krolly’s supervisors claimed that they did not specific an exact theory. Emily Krolly refused the counseling and proceeds to resign from her position. Thereafter, Krolly proceeded to file suite with White Lake Ambulance (WLAA), claiming that â€Å"her supervisors† request that she obtained counseling violated under the act â€Å"Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Byrne, 2012). Description of a recommendation plan that concerns HRM situation: Human Resources Management (HRM) is a critical part of an operational organization. Human Resources Management (HRM) is an organizational fundamental that deals with issues related to people such as: hiring, termination, performance organization development, training, benefits, and ompensations. However, when proceeding to make recommendations; although process has to be plan out that will incorporate certain situations and thoughts for future objectives and goals that need to be obtained within the confining of the law. However, in the case analysis, the first recommendation should have been Krolly’s supervisor should have directed her to the Human Resource Division when Krolly’s supervisor became aware of Krolly’s workplace behavior begin be problematic following an affair of a coworker. After this incident, another recommendation would be extra training courses such as: extra training courses related to the current incident, employers, and employees relationship, patients awareness. Included within the extra training courses, the Human Resources Division have to comply with the State or Federal laws and compliance with Title VII, of 1964 civil right Act. Also included in the training, the Human Resources Division should review employee’s handbook with the entire staff. Justification of the HR management’s scenario: The approach of justifying the Human Resource Division’s scenario, request for the entire staff to proceed to an important meeting. Within the meeting, the Human Resource Manager will take the approach of outlining the key elements of the importance for the meeting. The HR manager will review the current laws of Title VII, of 1964 and how it coheres with the organization’s policies and procedures. The HR manager will address to the managers and employees that the organizations have to stay within comply of the rules and regulations of the organization. The HR manager will have to address related important information that would pertain from the previous incident. The HR manager also has to address to each individual, if questions or concerns developed throughout the training; the manager will suggest to the employees, to address any concerns or questions that may develop throughout the training. Final, the HR manager will be addressed to the staff, at the end of the training session; an agreement document will have to be sign, stated that all individual understood the reason for the extra training course. Description of a competitive advantage of ensuring HRM practices: A competitive advantage of ensuring HRM practices that meet the necessary employment laws would depend on how efficiently the HRM division within the organization? The competitive advantage of ensuring HRM practices is whoever, is in charge of the HRM division is well train in order; for the right qualified person(s) to relate accurate information to the employees. An experience HRM manager(s) will have an inspiring attitude to encourage other people. Speculation will be made with the assumption of the situation according to the law: The speculation according to the scenario and complying with the law; if the writer were Emily Krolly’s supervisor or manager whereas, she would have made the decision to have a sit down with Emily and discussion the reasons she did not attended to the patients care? In comply with the law; the writer would acknowledge the guidelines of the laws and the expectations of the organization in taking care of patient’s well-being. The other incident that occur, the writer would direct Emily to the HR managers and let he or she handle the situation. In conclusion, the analysis address the scenario of Emily Kroll’s suite was complying with the Georgia’s law and with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requirements. The analysis describes recommendations that manage the HRM situation. Final, the analysis identifies a competitive advantage aspect of ensuring HRM practices meet the necessary employment laws.

Government Is a Necessary Evil Essay

Authors have debated the role of governments for hundreds of years. Two of these authors, are Thomas Paine and Henry David Thoreau. â€Å"In Common Sense by Thomas Paine, he expresses his opinion on how the government is a â€Å"necessary evil†, and in the 21st century the government still appears to be evil. † Thoreau also expresses his concern with a government in â€Å"Civil Disobedience†. Both of these authors had valid opinions, and if they still were alive today they would be outraged with the U. S. Government. Paine was a hard working man. He participated in many events throughout his life, including fighting in the American Revolution. There was no doubt that Paine was a patriotic man, he simply did not agree with the values and ideas of a government. He had a strong concern for the rights of men, and expressed it clearly through his literary work, Rights of men. Michael Williams states in â€Å"Visionaries and Sceptics: Tom Paine and some Contemporaries†, â€Å"While Paine shares their concerns with the rights of women, his principal focus is on the revolutions he witnessed in America, and later in France, on the deleterious effects of tyrannical government, and on an idealistic vision of the future, once these effects are eliminated. (Williams p. 1). This shows that Paine was not only concerned with the ideas of a government; he was well rounded and cared for many people. He was not a stubborn, grouchy man that did not agree with authority. Paine wanted to fix the problems in the government. Paine was not naive, and he realized that the government will always be around. He was looking for a way to make it better. He knew that without a government there would be no order. Williams also states† The first section of Common Sense is headed as ‘the origin and design of government in general’, and it offers a sustained attack on the principles of monarchy and, in particular, those of the English monarchy. †(Williams p. 6). It does in fact attack on the principles of monarchy, especially the English monarchy. Paine was originally from England and he had a special love for England. He did not want to see the English people being treated unfairly due to the monarchy. Paine thought that king’s were unfit to govern. Paine did not believe that one man should make the ultimate decision on how people choose to live their lives. Although Paine was concerned with England, he was equally concerned with the thirteen colonies. Many historians believe that Common Sense sparked an American Resolution, and during the war Paine always encouraged and inspired patriots with a series of pamphlets entitled The American Crisis. Paine did not want to be a part of the problem; he wanted to be a part of the solution. According to The Norton Anthology of American Literature,† Paine received a number of political appointments as rewards for his services as a writer for the American cause, but too indiscreet and hot tempered for public employment, he misused his privileges and lost the most lucrative offices. †(The Norton Anthology of American Literature p. 325). Paine wanted to make a change in the government and society, but is interpersonal tact prevented him from doing so. Many people lost respect for Paine, because people looked up to him and was hoping he would help make a change. He did make change but not as much as he could have. Paine had a lot of potential and influenced many people. The author of â€Å"Tom Paine: Utopian? †, Mark Jendyrisk states â€Å"Paine lived with a dual vision, one both forward-looking and traditional. †(Jendryisk p. 139). Even though Paine did not agree with the old Puritan ways and their ideas of a government, Paine still had traditional values. His values were not as extreme as the Puritans. Paine had high hopes and goals to fix the â€Å"old fashion† way of thinking and to help change the corrupt world. Jendryisk also stated, â€Å"He believed that republican government could nurture or create a uniform, shared public-interest and citizen self-control. † (Jendryisk p. 139). Paine wanted a republican government where everyone could talk about their opinions without being ridiculed. Paine wanted people to have a say on how the society should have been ran. Paine knew the government was a necessary evil, because without the government the society would not have order. The government is necessary for many reasons, and without it society would be troubled and lost. He also knew that power will eventually make a person corrupt, and that is why there should not be a Monarchy. The Monarchy would mean one man; a king would be over a mass number of people. Paine strived for a more republican government, where more people in the society would have a say. According to Jendryisk,† In all his major works and especially in Common Sense, Rights of Man, and The Age of Reason, he smashes the idols and shibboleths of his time: kingship, established religion, aristocratic hierarchy, and unexamined tradition. † (Jendryisk p. 140). Not only did Paine despise the government’s way, like the set up of kings, he also disliked established religion. Paine was not a religious man, and the Puritans put a â€Å"bad taste in his mouth† when it came to religious ways. A lot of people also had unexamined traditions, traditions that have been around for years and did not make any sense, and people still abided by them. Paine lived by two things, common good and individualism. If the people of his day could have practiced those two things, everything would have went a lot smoother with society. Jendryisk also points out that, â€Å"Paine sees human progress as inevitable, but he recognizes the need for direct action to motivate that progress. † (Jendryisk p. 141). Paine has faith that the government will get better and will change. He knows that change is a good thing, especially in this certain situation. Paine also realizes that the religious extremist will eventually calm down as well. This will help change a lot of different things in the government, such as laws. Many of Paine’s literary works helps contribute to the progress and definitely motivates others. Henry David Thoreau had several of the same values and thoughts about government that Paine had. Cathryn McIntyre, the author of The Politics of Thoreau: A Spiritual Intent, states that†Thoreau’s views are always worth considering when assessing the political landscape of any time, but as I read through his politically inspired essays and lectures I am continually impressed, not by his political views, but by the way his spiritual awareness influenced his political views, and in fact all of his thinking, and it is that spiritual awareness, not his politics, that interests me most. †(McIntyre p. 1). Unlike Paine Thoreau has religious beliefs, and talks about his views often. Thoreau believed that people had a duty to God and themselves before the government. Even though Thoreau did not believe in the old ways and traditions, he still had religious beliefs, so this proves that he was not being a â€Å"rebel†. Thoreau simply did not believe in an organized government. Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience, and in this he is more resistant than Thomas Paine was. Comparing Paine and Thoreau to two men that were fighting for the same thing but different in many ways when it came to their values would be, Martin Luther King Jr. nd Malcolm X. Paine is more like Martin Luther King Jr. and Thoreau is more like Malcolm X, because of how resistant they both were. Thoreau once refused to pay his taxes, because he was unhappy with the government and the way they were handling the slavery and Mexican-American War situation. He spent the night in jail as his punishment. Carl Bankston III, the author of Thoreau’s Case for Political Disengagement states, â€Å"His refusal to pay the poll Tax does not come from any moral compulsion to right the wrongs of the world, but from the ethical desire to avoid doing wrong himself. (Banston III p. 7). He believed the U. S. was unjust because of slavery; the Declaration of Independence says â€Å"All men are created equal. † McIntyre also states,† Thoreau believed if you confine a man under government rules, tie him to his occupation, and monopolize his time with strictly material pursuits while holding him back from a direct relation with nature or from a direct connection to the divine, you will have a man who is leading a life of quiet desperation. †(McIntyre p. 1). Thoreau is stating that the government cannot control everyone’s life. All of the strict, unnecessary rules will make people miserable. So Thoreau’s simple solution to the government was to not follow the majority and to have your first obligation to yourself and what you believe. He thought people should do what they believe is right and not follow the laws made by the government. Even if this meant breaking the law, he still thought your personal belief came first. He did not believe people should obligate and devote themselves to the evils of the government. In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau states, â€Å"Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. †(Thoreau p. 834). Thoreau is asking the society, do they want to be miserable and wait for things to change or do they want to take a stand and do something about the problem. Thoreau believed that society could make a stand by disobeying the rules, because if you obey the rules nothing will be changed. He knew that society had to let the government know that many people had an issue with the particular law or rule. Thoreau thinks the government rarely proves itself useful and that it derives its power from the majority. This is why Thoreau did not like the majority, he says the majority is the strongest group, and not because they hold the most legitimate viewpoint. Everyone seemed to have the same simple state of mind, and did not want change and to become more â€Å"of the world†. Although Thoreau was against slavery and the war, he really did not have a plan to fix it. According to Bankston III, â€Å"While Thoreau was opposed to slavery and to the Mexican War; he does not provide us with a blueprint for the peaceful and free society that he wanted to see conscience bring into existence. †(Bankston p. 11). Thoreau had many negative things to say about the government and society but did not take charge. Like many people in the 21st century, everyone has a complaint and no one has a solution. This is how Paine and Thoreau differ; Paine had a plan and tried to make the society better in any way. Another literary work by Bankston III, Civil Disobedience, states â€Å"He says that he was born to live in the world, not to make it a better place to live. †(Bankston III p. 1). This proves the theory that Thoreau had no intention to make the government better, and try to get rid of the evil. Much like many people in the 21st century, they complain and dislike the government system but never do anything to change it. Thoreau did not believe in voting or petitioning, he felt it does not make a difference. Many people in the 21st century have the same beliefs as Thoreau. Although Paine had a bad temper and could have excelled more in making the government and society better, he did make many changes and influence a lot of people. Indeed Thoreau had a mentality to not make a change, he still influence many people with his writing. Thoreau had good intention and could have been a great leader. The Government is a necessary evil, it is now and it has always been. Paine and Thoreau eventually lost hope in a change; they realized the government will never change. They accepted the fact that no matter what there will always be a government, and when people receive the power to lead and to make decisions, they turn corrupt.

Research Paper on San Diego County CAFR Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

On San Diego County CAFR - Research Paper Example The city functions under and is administrated by the State of California’s laws and its own Charter, as periodically modified since its acceptance by the electorate in 1931 (CAFR 24). The weather of San Diego County is portrayed by mild winters with most of the annual rainfall between November to March and warm and dry summers. It is known for its natural deep water harbor, long relationship with the U.S. navy, mild year-round climate, extensive beaches, and latest emergence as a biotechnology and healthcare development center. Most people who visit the county head to the wild animal park, San Diego zoo, sea world or Lego land. The national, regional and international economic condition has badly affected San Diego County’s City services and revenue. It has also exaggerated the health of the business community. In this tough economic environment, the City of San Diego has effectively balanced its annual budget and also implemented them on time i.e. by June 30 each year. This paper will provide an analysis of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) of San Diego County and the city also meet the Governmental Accounting Standard Board (GASB) 34 requirements because the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report has been prepared in conformance with the standards and principles for reporting as set forth by GASB 34. Governmental Accounting Standard Board (GASB) With the implementation of the GASB 34, the financial reporting model for local and state governments has been changed. The financial statements under GASB 34 must include: Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A); Government wide Statements involving Statement of Activities; Statement of Net Assets; Fund Statements; Notes to Financial Statements and Required Supplementary Information which includes the budgetary comparison. The CAFR of San Diego County meets the GASB 34 requirements as it is prepared in conformance with the standards and principles for reporting as required in GASB 34. Th e CAFR of the City also contains MD&A, Statement of Net Assets; Statement of Activities; Fund Statements; Notes to Financial Statements and Required Supplementary Information which includes the budgetary comparison of General Funds. The objective of the City’s CAFR is to provide with the financial statement which is of material misstatement. It maintains the accuracy of data; and fairness and completeness of the presentation. In addition, the City is keeping on to progress a complete internal control over the framework of financial reporting to ascertain satisfactory management of taxpayer funds (CAFR 22). According to GASB 34 and 51, in the government wide statements; all major assets are capitalized by the City of San Diego. Capital assets of both proprietary and governmental funds are utilized at the government wide level and proprietary assets are accounted at the fund level (CAFR 41). 2011 2010 With the execution of GASB 54, there was a considerable reclassification betw een Unrestricted and Restricted Net Assets. Restricted Net Assets resulted in an increase of $949,227 i.e. by $376,845 and Unrestricted Net Assets goes down by $394,573 (CAFR 36). The statistical section provides information as required by GASB 44. In addition to the financial sta

Why Did the Labour Party Win Power in 1945 and Lose It in 1951 Essay

Why Did the Labour Party Win Power in 1945 and Lose It in 1951 - Essay Example The Labour Party was formed by the agreement of several labour unions to come together to form a political party. Back then, trade unions were powerful organizations and had the solid following of their members in order to push for their interests in one common and solid voice. The Labour Party has had its shares of success and failures since it was first established. The last prime minister representing the Labour Party was Gordon Brown, who took over from Tony Blair, also from the Labour Party in 2007 (Lynch 25-65, 2008). However, one of the most successful victories for the Labour Party in the history of UK elections was in 1945, when the party won its biggest majority, led by Clement Attlee, who was deputy prime minister under the coalition government headed by Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill was the conservative party head, and Prime Minister of Britain, and he was the one who led Britain to victory in the second world war that ended in 1942. Under these circumstances, it w as expected that he would win another term as prime minister in the 1945 elections. However, this was not the case as was dictated by many factors. First, there was the intergenerational difference between the masses and the leaders in power. While the former was made of younger people, many of whom had served in the war, the latter was made up of a minority few of the older generation (Butler and Stokes 1-35, 1974). The older generation was outnumbered due to deaths, emigrations to other countries and resignations. In these circumstances, the masses felt that they were not well represented. The conservative party had a majority of this older generation, while the Labour Party’s leadership was made up of fairly younger people, whom the masses could identify with. This increased the Labour Party’s popularity leading to their landslide victory in 1945. Issues of class also had a hand in aiding the Labour Party win the 1945 elections. The post-second world war environment in Britain was such that majority of the people were trying to rebuild their lives by working in different places to make ends meet. Many of these people were labourers and had to work long hours in order to earn their living. The general feeling was that the then current government was not doing enough to expedite changes that could improve their lives (Heath, Jowell, and Curtice 12-58, 1985). Within this atmosphere, the Labour Party came up with a manifesto that promised to do all these and more for the people. Their campaigns were effective and the people decided to give them a chance, hence a majority voted for the Labour Party. Attlee is considered one of the Labour Party’s most significant figures, because he managed to steer England from more problems during the Second World War by stopping Churchill from carrying out some schemes considered wild and dangerous, both to the United Kingdom and its allies, as well as to its enemies. Attlee was prime minister of UK for 6 years, until 1951, when he lost in the general elections of 1951. However, in his time in office, Attlee affected a lot of changes in the social and economical environment in the UK. For instance, he nationalized many industries that had been privatized, making them out of reach for many regular citizens. These included the steel, electricity, gas, coal, wireless and cable services, aviation, and road and railway industries. Attlee was also the one responsible for nationalizing the Bank of England which still stands to date. Attlee introduced a national health scheme by the passing of the National

Social Policy and the Social Security System Essay

Social Policy and the Social Security System - Essay Example As addressed by bush in the State of the Union Address in 2005, "One of America's most important institutions - a symbol of the trust between generations- is in need of wise and effective reform. Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th Century, and we must honor its great purpose in this new century. The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social Security." The threat of bankruptcy that the Social Security System is facing is a source of much concern throughout the United States and is an issue that the past and current administrations have taken very seriously (The Problems Facing, 1). Since its establishment in 1935 with the signing of the Social Security Act by President Roosevelt, the Social Security System has undergone a great number of changes. Originally formatted to provide income to retired workers, the Act was adapted in 1939 to include coverage for the dependents and survivors of deceased workers, greatly increasing the payout to each retiree. In 1956 the system had two major changes, the first being the creation of Disability Insurance and the second being the allowance of early retirement for women at the age of 62 (History of Social Security, 1). The same early retirement was allowed for men by 1961. In 1972 the issue of inflation was addressed with the introduction of Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) (History of Social Security, 1). The COLAs had many problems, which were remedied in 1977. Created in 1983 was the National Commission on Social Security Reform. "The commission called for 1) an increase in the self-employment tax; 2) partial taxation of benefits to upper income retirees; 3) expansion of coverage to include federal civilian and nonprofit organization employees; 4) an increase in the retirement age from 65 to 67, to be enacted gradually starting in 2000" (History of Social Security, 1). The Social Security system went through a major change when The Social Security Trustees' Report in 1996 announced starting in 2012 the system would begin running deficits, exhausting the trust funds by 2029. The very next year it was decided by the Social Security Advisory Panel that Social Security's funds would be invested in the private sector. Payroll taxes were drastically affected by this change. (History of Social Security, 2). Social Security is a system initially established in 1935 when the vast majority of women were housewives (The Problems Facing, 1). When the program was established, many factors attributed to the great success of the program. One of the contributing factors was the much lower life expectancy in the United States. In many cases, workers would not live long enough to qualify to receive Social Security. As a result, "there were more than 40 workers to support every one retiree" (the Problems Facing, 1). Those statistics have drastically changed since the establishment of the system. Today, the average life expectancy is 77 years old. In addition, more than 60% of women are currently working. With this change of statistics, the ratio of workers to retiree's has shifted, causing the gradual

Economics of Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Economics of Advertising - Essay Example No company can imagine economic growth without this strong tool called advertisement. Even non-profit organizations and public authorities to promote national programmes such as health campaign, anti drug campaign, literacy drive, cultural mission etc use this vehicle to reach their people. Some organizations which frequently spend large sums of money on advertising but do not strictly sell a product or service to the public, include political parties, interest groups, religion-supporting organizations, and militaries looking for new recruits. Additionally, some non-profit organizations are not typical advertising clients and rely upon free channels, such as public service announcements. The advertising industry is large and growing. In the United States alone in 2005, spending on advertising reached $144.32 billion, reported TNS Media Intelligence. That same year, according to a report titled Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2006-2010 issued by global accounting firm Pricewat erhouseCoopers, worldwide advertising spending was $385 billion. The accounting firm's report projected worldwide advertisement spending to exceed half-a-trillion dollars by 2010. Nowadays, advertisement has become the common medium of commercial interaction in competitive bids. Advertising has gone through five major stages of development: domestic, export, international, multi-national, and global. For global advertisers, there are four, potentially competing, business objectives that must be balanced when developing worldwide advertising.... me organizations which frequently spend large sums of money on advertising but do not strictly sell a product or service to the public, include political parties, interest groups, religion-supporting organizations, and militaries looking for new recruits. Additionally, some non-profit organizations are not typical advertising clients and rely upon free channels, such as public service announcements. The advertising industry is large and growing. In the United States alone in 2005, spending on advertising reached $144.32 billion, reported TNS Media Intelligence. That same year, according to a report titled Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2006-2010 issued by global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, worldwide advertising spending was $385 billion. The accounting firm's report projected worldwide advertisement spending to exceed half-a-trillion dollars by 2010. Nowadays, advertisement has become the common medium of commercial interaction in competitive bids. Advertising ha s gone through five major stages of development: domestic, export, international, multi-national, and global. For global advertisers, there are four, potentially competing, business objectives that must be balanced when developing worldwide advertising: building a brand while speaking with one voice, developing economies of scale in the creative process, maximizing local effectiveness of ads, and increasing the company's speed of implementation. Born from the evolutionary stages of global marketing are the three primary and fundamentally different approaches to the development of global advertising executions: exporting executions, producing local executions, and importing ideas that travel. (Global marketing Management, 2004, pg 13-18) MERITS OF ADVERTISEMENTS If a vehicle runs with an

Dyadic partner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dyadic partner - Essay Example When he is confused, he would also tug at his hair. He wears bright colored shirts like red, blue or green, when he is happy. But when he is excited about something and wants to share it with others, he sits upright and looks at other person’s eye. The body language of my partner is therefore vital means of communicating his mood. Whenever he comes in bright tee-shirt, I am much relaxed because I know that when he is happy, he works better with higher productive outcome! When I see him sitting upright on his chair, I know that he has some good news. But my worries are heightened when I see him tugging at his hair or find him looking away rather than talking to me. As I know that these behavior indicate his discomfort with the issue or his doubts which he is wary of sharing. At these times, I pick up the topic or issue that he is passionate about. When he gets involved and comfortable, I broach the subject of which he is wary about. This way, I am able to know his problem and resolve it so that he can focus on his

The Global Reporting Initiative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Global Reporting Initiative - Essay Example To hold these expectations and to communicate clearly about sustainability, a global framework model and continuous metrics and language is required and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) fulfills this. GRI relies on association of the expert from large networks in collaboration with consensus seeking consultation from groups of stakeholders. Since the foundation of GRI, these consultations with practical experience have constantly improved the framework of GRI (GRI 2011). Sustainability Reporting and GRI: A sustainability report allows the organization to reveal sustainable information in such a way that it looks similar like financial reporting. Comparable data that include metrics and agreed disclosures is given in systematic sustainability report. It is an organizational report that gives relevant information regarding economic, environmental, governance and social performance of the company. For the organizations sustainability, the capacity to resist or maintain depends on the p erformance of these key areas. Many companies want to make their operations sustainable and by making a sustainability reporting process, it helps them to set goals, manage change and measure performance. In a sustainability report, communication is made for positive and negative impacts for sustainability (ACCA 2005). ... This reporting is an important step for managing change to a sustainable global economy in which long-term profitability with social justice and environmental care is involved. The rising interest and focus on the impact of businesses on society and environment have increased the awareness level of people and demand for improve and better disclosures that are beyond financial figures have increased as well. The basis of sustainability is now dependent on social, environmental, and economic performance (Barner 2007). Best practices will tell that companies holding triple bottom line concept, are best positioned in terms of their competiveness and brands. The benefits for those companies include better risk management, reputation, and improved infrastructure of governance. Organizations are now expected to do and show more than just fulfilling their duty to give information to stakeholders in their company reports. It is very common now a days that global companies reports on all areas of sustainability reporting that is known as triple bottom line in which companies report on social, economic, and environmental responsibilities. Usually, the economic aspects of reporting have been the main theme of annual reports but now, the strength of annual reports is the disclosure of social and environmental performance (Elkington 1994). Improve reporting and disclosures, beyond the requirement of law or statement are the first step of sustainability report. Following are the drivers towards responsible businesses: Greater Disclosure and Accountability Demand: Different stakeholder groups give immense pressure to companies to display good controlling practices in all fields of their business operations.

Selling Executives on Project Management Assignment - 2

Selling Executives on Project Management - Assignment Example Heerkens (2002)Often times in a project, expectations are not met that are defined in scope and the WBS. Thus, creating contingency strategies is pivotal towards executing a successful project. One of the most pivotal contingency strategies is to have a high incremental cost of resources that continue to plague organizations. One of the strategies I would suggest is financial segmentation. The revenue stream is the focal point that one should examine at Levan. Budget discrepancies are one of the most difficult challenges to deal with when closing down a project because PMs must ensure that they close their projects without any discrepancies. Understanding the segmentation of financials is hectic because it requires signatures, higher authority decisions and collaboration. In midst of the project, most managers forget that budget discrepancies in the beginning can accumulate to be problematic at the end. This not only creates chaos in the project, but diminishes quality, resources and time. The second element I would suggest is that to run more of an Agile environment rather than a waterfall. Agile methodology is one of the best methodologies that have been implemented in the realm of e-commerce. Agile methodology allows organizations to harness growth, breed innovation, and define products that can be tangible and intuitive. One of the best elements of Agile is the fact that one can prototype. The rise of Agile methodology is likely to be more effective because it is very rapid and at the end of each sprint you have something testable and can be given to the client much quicker than waterfall. Heerkens (2002)The techniques that the group found effective were using wireframes and workflows because it is easier to visually understand information than to read 300 page documentation. The third strategy I would suggest is managing change request. It is evident that managing change request is

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 108

Case Study Example As the boss is also in a compromising situation where social media exposes his nakedness. The important fact now is for Paul to understand the pros and cons that are associated with social media. Having the boss as his friend can work in his favor by the boss getting the positive perspective of Paul’s personality hence building confidence in Paul. However, Paul is to desist from making reckless comments that tarnish the image of the company or the boss. Such comments will land him in a bad setting with the boss. Social media improves communication. The friendship will make Paul to easily communicate with the boss as they are friends (Stewart, 2013). The above aspect is critical as it transudates’ to even productivity at the work place. However, it is important for limits to be set on what is communicated on social media. Paul should desist discussing work with the boss on social media plat forms. Matters as asking for sick leave are to be handled in an official manner. Paul should desist from leading the boss to discussing matters pertaining work such as supervisory roles. In case such a topic arises, Paul can let it fade away or totally ignore the conversation as it fades away with lack of attention on the subject matter. Most companies have policies that guide employee’s conduct on social media. Such policies are especially designed and have the capacity to handle Paul’s case. In absenter of such policies, Paul is advised to desist from discussing other employees with the boss on the site and giving personal opinions about the company on the site. Social media is a site that offers an opportunity for people to interact. Paul’s case with the boss is not unique but an increasing headache to many employees. Clearly, bosses that request for friend ship on social media to their juniors are curious and should be handled diligently. Once in friendship with the boss one should be cautious on the photos posted and comments. Some of the bosses

Fast food restaurant Essay Example for Free

Fast food restaurant Essay There are a few issues in the United States that many of us are talking about daily. One of those main issues that are being talked about is food in our society. But even more specific than that, many are talking about how the fast food industry has affected and impacted our society. There is a lot of history of how fast food has started. There were a lot of entrepreneurs many years ago that realized that going into the fast food chain would bring them great profit (Levenstein 229). Some not only went after the food people liked to eat, but also where exactly they started their business. The author Harvey Levensteing tells us that one of the most successful entrepreneurs, Ray Kroc from McDonalds, went after the areas where there were more families with children, and just that helped him become more successful than others (229). So other than a couple of smart guys knowing what industry to get in and being extremely successful, there are many ways that these people have made the fast food industry impact our society in a couple of ways. We all live in this country and since we are all humans we have to make time to eat, whether it is at home or somewhere outside of home, we still have to eat. In that case, we all have seen or been around the fast food industry. Fast food is a growing industry that has had a huge impact in our society today, with its speedy service, the convenience of drive through, and its cheaper way of mass production, it has made us Americans see food in a different way. America now in days is known to want and have everything as fast as we can have it. We Americans, have gotten into this set of mind that if things go faster then everything will be better. Like I have said previously, many entrepreneurs saw that and took advantage of it quickly. It has been researched that people are relying more on food that isn’t prepared at home for meals when you’re not home and even when you are home (Sharkey et al. 1). One of the main reasons for that is that it is time consuming to even go home and cook a meal for a whole family. It saves time to just go right around the corner, usually, and buy a whole meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken. This is an easy way out for those with a fast-paced life which now is almost every American. In many cases when you are tired from working long hours and are starving, a meal from one of the many fast food restaurants just seems holy since you know you will receive it in a matter of just minutes. The fast food chains have adapted with the fast-pace lives which also lead us to other types life styles such as amusement and entertainment (Thomas). With its advantage of saving time and getting as much food as you would otherwise, there is also a disadvantage with fast food being so speedy and gotten us used to it. Since it is a way of getting your food so fast and eating it right away, it takes away from other valuable things there was to eating. We are so wrapped up in just getting eating out of our way that we lose the value to family quality time spent when there is a more home-made traditional meal (â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages†). Clearly, fast food has helped with getting our meal faster, but also made us lose some of our valuable moments. One huge advantage that fast food owners saw was drive-through, also known as drive-ins. This was something that happened at exactly the perfect time it had to. These entrepreneurs saw how the car industry was growing in our society and immediately took advantage of that fact. That is when drive through started because they saw how much American’s loved the car. So they made a food lifestyle revolve around the automobile, which to this day has stuck to our society. Eric Schlosser has a quote of one of the first founders of drive-ins, Jesse G. Kirby, which he states, â€Å"People with cars are so lazy, they dont want to get out of them to eat! † (Schlosser) This shows how America had changed and revolved around what these guys were doing. Clearly they were successful meaning there had to be those of us loving to just go to a place, order and get our food brought right to us. The bad part of this, was that like Kirby said people were being really lazy to get something we couldn’t go without, which is food. This has come to a full circle with how it has impacted our society. Being able to get in your car and drive through a window and get a meal in a matter of minutes is great, but when we are doing this constantly and through laziness, that’s when we go wrong. The fact that there is an easier way to get our food has helped the fact that America is known for an obese country. We can’t completely blame it, but it has had the drive-in impact, which like it has been said, people are that lazy they don’t want to get out of their cars to even eat. To sum it up, drive-in have been an addition to our society that has had several effects. Another big way the fast food industry has impacted our society is the economics of mass production (Levenstein 228). A perfect example of this is what the McDonald brothers did when they were tired of having to deal with things that lead to them spending much more and consisting of more time. So they started something that would stay with us for a long time. What the McDonald brothers did was: [They] fired all their car hops in 1948, closed their restaurant, installed a larger grill and reopened three months later with a radically new method of preparing food. They eliminated almost two-thirds of the items on the menu. They got rid of every item that had to be eaten with a knife, spoon or fork. The only sandwiches now sold were hamburgers and cheeseburgers. The brothers got rid of their dishes and glassware, replacing them with paper cups, bags and plates. They divided the food preparation into separate tasks performed by different workers. The guiding principles of the factory assembly line were applied to the workings of a commercial kitchen. The new division of labor meant that a worker had to be taught how to perform only one task. Skilled and expensive short-order cooks were no longer necessary. All of the burgers were sold with the same condiments: ketchup, onions, mustard and two pickles. No substitutions were allowed. (Schlosser) This is where it all started. Schlosser clearly tells us that they even added the principle of the assembly line. The McDonald brothers saw that making things in more amounts was going to be way cheaper and save time as well. How they changed things impacted society greatly. After the other fast food entrepreneurs saw that this was a genius idea, they all started following the same path. What Schlosser says that the brothers did is still what we see today in almost any fast food restaurant we go out to eat at. How much they produce in a day is mainly by how much us as Americans demand for. This all seems great and beneficial to all, but how beneficial is it to our society as a whole. The fact that the fast food industry has seen that it is cheaper to hire people to a job that is literary a dead end, make the food we eat just as a simple assembly line to satisfy our need to have everything faster, and making everything in huge amounts has been good in a way, but bad in others. This had led to other problems as to how and where they get there food fast enough to have as much as they need for the demand. Much of the process of how they get there food isn’t the greatest which in another way has a bad impact to this country. Clearly us as Americans loved the economics of the mass production, but we should realize everything behind it. In conclusion, we clearly see the impacts fast food has had in our country and society. It has come to change the way we live because food is such an important part of our lives. Us as Americans have had a habit to want things very quickly, we love our cars therefore the drive throughs were a huge success, and the fact that producing things in large amounts and being able to pay less for the work seemed like a genius idea. This has lead to many benefits with the fact that we are living in a fast-paced society. On the other hand, some of it has affected us like being one of the obese countries. This issue is something that will be talked about for years to come. Hopefully someone will find that happy medium where the benefits of fast food stays, but the bad side of it goes away. When that day come will we have a better way of seeing fast food and how much of an impact it has and will have in our society, and we will be able to focus more on those other issues that are being talked about. Works Cited â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. † Buzzle. com. N. p. , 2011. Web. 13 June 2011. Levenstein, Harvey. â€Å"Fast Food and Quick Bucks. † Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in Modern America. New York: Oxford UP, 1993. 227-236. Phoenix College Library. Web. 7 June 2011. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. N. pag. Print. -. â€Å"Fast-Food Nation. † Rolling Stone 3 Sept. 1998: Part 1-2. MC Spotlight. Web. 7 June 2011. Sharkey, Joseph, et al. â€Å"Focusing on fast food restaurants alone underestimates the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and exposure to fast food in a large rural area. † Nutrition Journal 10. 1 (2011): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 June 2011. Thomas, Emma, ed. â€Å"How to Cognate The Good Side of Fast Food Culture. † Sooper Articles. ISolution, 2011. Web. 14 June 2011.

Rowntree and Townsends Theories on Poverty

Rowntree and Townsends Theories on Poverty Introduction Sociologists disagree over what poverty actually is. In this essay I aim to discuss and criticise Seebohm Rowntrees theory from 1899 -1950 then I will discuss and criticise, Peter Townsend’s theory. The next section will be to discuss and criticise, Mack and Lansleys theory, and the ideas of Herbert Spencer (social Darwinism) There will then be a discussion of regressive and progressive taxation and an explanation of Marslands theory. Finally I will explain and criticise, John Wetergaard and Henrietta Resler’s arguement that there is a myth surrounding the welfare state. This myth is that the welfare state is progressive and redistributes from the rich to the poor. Poverty and Seebohm Rowntree In the time of Queen Elizabeth the first it was people’s duty to help alleviate poverty. They did this by feeding the poor and visiting the sick and trying to ensure that people were not destitute. After the Reformation things changed and laws were passed to regulate the amount that was spent on the poor. In 1601 the Elizabethan Poor Law was passed and made provision for â€Å"the setting of the poor on work†[1] The Poor Law also said that the poor were responsible for caring for each other. Overseers were appointed in every area to decide how much poor relief would be needed. In the amended Poor Law of 1834 overseers knew the circumstances of the poor in their are and those who were considered lazy would not get much help. These amendments to the Poor Law gave those in power a greater degree of control over the lives of the poor. In the 1860s, Joseph Rowntree, Seebohm Rowtree’s father conducted two studies into poverty.[2] This led Seebohm Rowntree to later conduct his own study which was published in 1901. He made an early distinction between primary and secondary poverty – a distinction which sociologists still use today. Primary poverty meant that a family did not have enough money coming in to cover the basic necessities of food, shelter and clothing. Secondary poverty was where families earned enough but spent their money on things other than the basic necessities. So some spending was regarded as alright while other spending was seen as wasting money, on drink for example. He believed that wages should be increased because then people would be well fed and healthy and would be an efficient workforce. He raised the wages of workers at his own company and said that businesses who refused to do this should be closed down as they were doing the country no favours. His second study which he car ried out in the 1930s was published as â€Å"Progress and Poverty in 1941.† He argued in this study that the main cause of poverty was unemployment, the conclusions of his report influenced the founding of the welfare state. Although Seebohm Rowntree did a lot to further the cause of the poor and to point out the causes of poverty. His remarks about primary and secondary poverty, while still influential today, were typical of those in power. That is to say they carried the message that the poor were irresponsible and needed to be told how to spend the money that they had earned. Peter Townsend – Poverty as a Social Problem Townsend (1979) has defined poverty in the following way: Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diets, participate in the activities and have the living conditions which are customary, or at least widely encouraged and approved, in the societies to which they belong. Townsend(1979:31). Townsend’s work makes it quite clear that poverty is not just a lack of money but encompasses things other than strictly material needs. Those who are poor often live in poorer areas with badly performing schools and poor housing. This often results in ill health. Townsend said that there were two types of poverty, relative poverty and absolute poverty. Research undertaken for the Rowntree Foundation (Howarth et al,1999) found that in local authority housing more than two thirds of the heads of those households were not in paid work and since 1991 there has been an increase of 40% in the number of local authority areas with above average mortality rates. Absolute poverty is not really seen in the west. In underdeveloped countries people are often denied thenecessities e.g. food and shelter which maintain existence. Giddens (2001:311) argues that the idea of absolute poverty is grounded in ‘subsistence’. Anyone without sufficient food, shelter and clothing could be said to be living in absolute poverty. One of the ways in which absolute poverty is measured is by the poverty line which is based on the price of goods in a given society that humans need for survival. Those who cannot afford these goods live in poverty. Not everyone agrees with this and the idea of absolute poverty is highly contested because the use of a single criterion fails to take into account the differences between societies. Needs are not the same in all societies, or even in the same society, nutritional needs are different for people working in different jobs, a labourer for example may need more calories than a bank clerk. Drewnowski and Scott (1966)[3] argue that absolute poverty should also include a lack of cultural needs. This is often argued over because a fixed standard on such needs is bound to fail. These people are more interested in relative poverty. Relative poverty looks at peoples incomes and compares them to a national average. Relative poverty means that people are living in poverty when their life is compared to those of the average family this is because lack of income also means poorer housing. People who live in relative poverty usually live in deprived areas also. Since 1979 increased unemployment and a rise in benefit payments and earnings that are index linked to prices rather than wages, has resulted in a huge rise in the number of people living in relative poverty.[4] In a report inThe British Medical Journal (2000) the writer looked at absolute and relative child poverty in developed countries where some peoples incomes were more than fifty percent lower than the average. It also said that in the league table of relative child poverty one of the four bottom places was held by the UK. An article in the Daily Telegraph (27/08/02) says that the idea of relative poverty is a problem. The article suggests that instead of using household income as the regulator it might be better if statisticians calculated the prices of basic goods and services. Under the present system the rich were becoming richer and the poor were paying for it in increased taxes and a lack of services. Another approach to measuring relative poverty is through people’s perceptions of the necessities of life which is what Mack and Lansley did. Mack and Lansley The work of Mack and Lansley (1985, 1992) listed those things that were considered to be necessary to modern day life if a person was not living in poverty. They did two studies on relative poverty in the UK. Mack and Lansley carried out an opinion poll to find out what people thought were the necessities of modern day life. There were twenty six things that most people considered important these things included new clothes, heating, a bath and indoor toilet. Relative poverty was thus measured by the presence or absence of the things that had been listed. Mack and Lansley’s research found that the number of people living in poverty in the 1980s went up quite a bit, this poverty was defined by the lack of three or more of the basic necessities mentioned earlier. Between 1983 and 1990 when the two studies were undertaken the number of people who were living in poverty went up from 7.5 million to 11 million and the number of those living in severe poverty or who were lacking more than 7 of the items that were considered essential, went up from 2.6 to 3.5 million (Mack and Lansley, 1992). Poverty is also defined by how far people can afford to participate in social activities such as school trips. In recent years this has been called social exclusion. Social exclusion does not look at poverty just in terms of a lack of material things. It looks at the wider picture and this includes wheter people are able to participate in society. There are no clear ways of measuring poverty. Absolute and relative poverty are both complex and ways of measuring what it is to be poor, and not everyone agrees on them. Policy makers say what poverty is and then make laws for it but few of them experience what it is to be poor. A report published by the Rowntree foundation says that what the poor have to say needs to be taken into consideration in research on poverty. Taking into account the opinions of those who actually lived in poverty would provide useful information for existing organisations that might help shape policy making in the long term.[5] In all this there is a feeling that the poor are somehow to blame for the circumstances in which they find themselves. A point which Herbert Spencer writing in the nineteenth century would have agreed with. As far as Spencer was concerned people lived in poverty as a result of dissolute living. He had no sympathy at all for the poor and regarded many of them as criminals and drunks. He believed it was unnatural to help people who lived in poverty as a result of their own behaviour and irresponsibility. If people were too lazy to work then they should not be allowed to eat. He believed that the cause of poverty could be found by an examination of the moral character of an individual. The Poor Laws were wrong because they encouraged the poor to be lazy and to rely on somebody else’s hard work to provide them with the necessities of life. This allowed moral decline to spread through the population. The result would be that both society and the economy would suffer. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century thought was heavily influence by Darwins work â€Å" The Origins of the Species† and Spencer was no exception. He believed in Darwin’s idea of the survival of the fittest. Society could only evolve properly and morally if the honest and hard working members of society were allowed to keep the fruits of their labour. The week and lazy members of society should be condemned to live in poverty because that was what they deserved. Falling into poverty was a necessary evil in society because without poverty work would not exist. Although this may seem repugnant to a lot of people Spencer’s ideas are still rife in modern society. Peter Golding (1978) has said that media reporting of poverty in the nineteen seventies portrayed the poor as welfare scroungers living off the backs of others. The press portrayed people as having a comfortable existence living off social security at the expense of tax payers. The New Right The Conservative Government headed by Margaret Thatcher were voted into power in 1979. Political debates of the time were concerned with a free market economy versus the welfare state. The tory government brought in measures to roll back the welfare state and control spending. This was done through the introduction of marketing and business strategies into policy making. At the same time there was an intense process of privatization because it was thought that public ownership of companies, and the public sector worked against market forces. Introducing marketing principles into social care allowed the Governments to in theory improve services. It also enabled them to retain a greater degree of control. Giddens (2001) says that: †¦the momentum of Thatcherism in economic matters was maintained by the privatising of public companies†¦..(this)..is held to reintroduce healthy economic competition in place of unwieldy and ineffective public bureaucracies, reduce public expenditure and end political interference in managerial decisions (Giddens, 2001:434). The introduction of market forces into social care was considered the best method of Government spending because free markets were considered to be self organising (Olssen 2000).They thought this would increase productivity and improve care and be cost efficient. Government discourses, both Conservative and New Labour have revolved around the notion that the introduction of market mechanisms would result in a more equitable system benefiting all. However, Alcock (1994) says that the Conservative policies resulted in greater unemployment, a rise in the number of homeless people, and a general growth in social inequality. Marsland (1996) disagrees and says that in Britain poverty has been exaggerated. David Marsland Marsland says that the Rowntree foundation deliberately confuse poverty with inequality and that they exaggerate the amount of poverty in Britain. He says that who say poverty is increasing act out of their own self interest because the evidence is not examined impartially. He does not believe in relative poverty but says that in order to truly be poverty it has to be absolute and this is disappearing from Britain because of the increase in living standards that has come about through capitalism. He is also critical o universal welfare provision i.e. those benefits such as education which are available to everyone regardless of their income as he believes they create a dependency culture. Marsland (1989) believes that relying on the government to take care of the people results in an abdication of personal responsibility and welfare hand outs are just another reason for remaining unemployed. Jordan (1989) says that Marsland is wrong in what he says about universal welfare provision creating a dependency culture and that if such a culture exists it is targeted with means tested benefits that only the very poor get. Rather than poverty being the result of an over generous welfare system, Jordan says that it comes from one that is too mean. Westergaard and Resler (1976) argue that the welfare state does not make the distribution of wealth more equal. Poverty is not being eradicated. Any money or benefits that the working class receive will eventually be paid back in tax by themselves. They believe that the welfare state is simply another tool of capitalism and poverty exists because of that system which prevents poor people from obtaining the resources to stop being poor. In Westergaard’s view the policies of the eighties and nineties and the hold that market forces had over Britain meant that even the aim of redistributing wealth through the welfare state had been abandoned. Kincaid says that it is not just a matter of rich and poor it is the fact that some people are very rich while some are very poor. Poverty therefore is a result of the capitalist system. However, such theories do not really explain why some people become poor nor do they differentiate between poor working class and other members of that clas s. So we have plenty of theories but no real solutions. Conclusion This essay has looked at different theories of poverty. Seebohm Rowntree in the nineteenth century who wanted to improve the lives of the poor and believed that increased wages would change things. Herbert Spencer on the other hand believed the opposite. He thought it was wrong to help the poor and believed that if people were hard working and honest then they should keep all of the money they had earned. Some people were born to be richer than others, it was the survival of the fittest. Peter Townsend distinguished between absolute and relative poverty but relative poverty is not easy to define and is still being contested. Even Macky and Llansley’s work on relative poverty does not solve the problem. New Right approaches have contributed to the problems of poverty but Marxist criticisms do not provide answers as to who the poor really are or how they became that way. Clearly this is not an easy question. Howver, if we look back at the definitions of absolute poverty then we can say that this type of poverty does not really exist in Britain today. Bibliography Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Haralambos, M and Heald, R. 1985 Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London, Bell and Hyman. Howarth,C. et al 1999 Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion. York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation. http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1210/poverty.html Mack, J. and Lansley, S. 1985. Poor Britain. London, George Allen and Unwin. Mack, J. and Lansley, S. 1992. Breadline Britain 1990s The Findings of the Television Series. London, London Weekend Television. Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 Poverty and Worklessness in Britain http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf O’Neale Roache, J. 2000. â€Å"One in Six Children Live in Relative Poverty.† BMJ 2000;320:1626 ( 17 June ). The Daily Telegraph 27th August 2002 Townsend, P. 1979. Poverty in the United Kingdom. Harmondsworth, Penguin. Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Haralambos, M and Heald, R. 1985 Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London, Bell and Hyman. Howarth,C. et al 1999 Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion. York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation. http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1210/poverty.html Mack, J. and Lansley,S. 1985. Poor Britain. London, George Allen and Unwin. Mack, J. and Lansley,S. 1992. Breadline Britain 1990s The Findings of the Television Series. London, London Weekend Television. Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 Poverty and Worklessness in Britain http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf Olssen, M. 2000 â€Å"Ethical liberalism, education and the New Right† Journal of Educational Policy Vol 15No. 5 2000 pps 481-508 O’Neale Roache, J. 2000. â€Å"One in Six Children Live in Relative Poverty.† BMJ 2000;320:1626 ( 17 June ). The Daily Telegraph 27th August 2002 Townsend, P. 1979. Poverty in the United Kingdom. Harmondsworth, Penguin. Sociological Review 1 [1] http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/elizpl.html [2] http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RErowntreeS.htm [3] Cited in Holborn and Langley 2002 [4] http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 [5] From input to influence: Participatory approaches to research and inquiry into poverty by Fran Bennett with Moraene Roberts, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Hawaiian Monk Seal: An Endangered Species

The Hawaiian Monk Seal: An Endangered Species The Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus Schauinslandi) is an endemic species located on the Hawaiian Islands. It has the following taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Carnivora, Family: Phocidae, Genus: Neomonachus, and Species: Schauinslandi (fisheries.noaa.gov). It is found predominately on the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, with a smaller population located on the main islands. The monk seal arrived at the Hawaiian Islands anywhere from 3.5 to 11.6 million years ago. They are believed to have entered from the east via a passage way in Central America (fpir.noaa.gov). The animals were hunted aggressively in the 19th century for their fur. Since then, there population has not been able to recover. The monk seals face a number of obstacles to survival. Its population is still declining, as there were an estimated 1,112 remaining in 2015. Historically, its geographic range has been within the U.S. waters near the Hawaiian Islands. They can be found on the isolated beaches of the northwestern islands. They spend much of their time at sea near coral reefs. The seals habitat also consist of submerged sea banks, atolls, and other areas offshore. The monk seal typically forages for food at a depth of 60-300ft. deep (fisheries.noaa.gov). During breeding season, the monk seals are located on the sandy beaches of Hawaii. They prefer remote and secure locations when nursing their pups, which lasts a month until they return to the sea. The life span of a Hawaiian monk seal is 25-30 years. They mature at the age of five, and can grow up to 7.5 feet and weigh 400lbs. An interesting feature of the seal is they are born black, but grow a silver coat later in life. The monk seal is considered a benthic forager which eat fish, eels, octopus, and crustaceans (fisheries.noaa.gov). There are several reasons for the Hawaiian monk seals population has declined at such a rapid rate over the past few decades. First of all, the human population on the islands has disturbed the animals natural habitat. The seals often die after getting caught in fishing nets, and there is a decrease in food available which might be attributed to overfishing in the area. The seals have faced difficulty in finding sufficient food due to competition from other predators as well. Also, the monk seal is a source of prey for sharks which adds to its loss in numbers. Genetic variability is low among the Hawaiian monk seals, which has added to the species difficulty in recovering from its endangered status. This is compounded by the fact that subpopulations fail to migrate or interact with populations of differing islands. This has caused inbreeding which carries with it a host of negative consequences. Genetic diversity helps a species to recover by promoting disease resistance and adaptability to a changing environment. On the other hand, a lack of diversity increases a chance for disease and reproductive failure (Kretzmann 482-483). Inbreeding occurs when the number of potential mates is low, and it carries with it a number of concerns. When a species is facing extinction, the absence of genetic diversity can compound its struggle for survival. DNA testing of the monk seal has shown that its genetic diversity is extremely low. Because of this, an outbreak of an infectious disease could possibly cause the Hawaiian monk seal to become extinct (Kretzmann 487). If the seals were to breed with populations from differing islands, it could hypothetically increase their chance for survival. Mobbing, or the aggressive behavior exhibited by male seals, often results in the death of a female or young seal. It occurs when a group of males attempt to mate with one female and end up attacking the female. The resulting injuries can lead to infection or death. This is causing slower development of the seals population. It is found that in groups of smaller populations with slower growth rates, instances of this behavior are higher. It is thought that mobbing is a learned behavior that may take time to be overcome. Intervention can be used to decrease mobbing behavior, such as removing a set number of males from an area where there is an unequal gender ratio (Starfield and Roth 166, 169). There is currently action being taken to help the species recover. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Captive Care Workshop was created to halt the population decline and help it to recover. The organization believes that an annual reduction in population of 3.9% is due to the poor survival rate of juvenile seals. By supporting captive seals through rehabilitation, nutrition, and relocation, the group hopes to increase survival. It also advocates for other methods of helping the species, such as disentangling seals caught in fishing nets and removing debris from its habitat (Baker and Littnan 11). Other methods include removing sharks from the seals habitat, or relocating pups to areas where there is a lower risk from predators. Captive care and release helps undernourished or ill pups that might otherwise die. Once they are healthy, the young seals are relocated to an area where they will have a better chance of survival (Baker and Littnan 11, 12). It has been found that a high rate of seal pups die shortly after being weaned from the mother. The mother will leave the pup after one month of nursing, and if the pup is unable to find sufficient food, it faces starvation and death. The importance of the conservation efforts by these captive care and release programs cannot be understated. Since the Hawaiian monk seals have low genetic variability, they are more susceptible to disease. It is thought that another species, the Caribbean monk seal (Neomonachus Tropicalis), had a susceptibility for disease which likely hastened its extinction. The morbillivirus is of particular concern for the Hawaiian monk seals. The morbillivirus is a string of viruses that include the measles, which can be spread quickly and easily. Once a seal has become infected with the virus, the lungs and brain are affected, which can lead to death in as little as 5 days. The disease has already killed thousands of Atlantic seals and dolphins. Since the seals have no immunity to these viruses, scientists have taken action to create and administer a vaccination (Rogers). Once scientists found a suitable vaccine, they began to administer it to the seals in 2015. The vaccination process begins with a single injection, followed up with a booster shot one month later. As of September 2016, 43 Hawaiian monk seals have received the vaccination. The group of scientists (HMSRP) administering the shots hope that this project will be successful and grow. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program is also involved in other interventions such as removing seals from fishing nets and hooks, rehabilitating malnourished pups, and relocating seals to higher survival areas. Their efforts have slowed the populations decline by over half in the past 3 decades (Rogers). While the monk seal once had instrumental value, and were hunted for their furs, this led to the near extinction of the species in the early 1900s. Since the seal is no longer used for human purposes, it is now appreciated mainly for its intrinsic beauty. Intrinsic beauty is something that can be valued for its own sake. The monk seal is a rare animal that can be appreciated for its uniqueness, and has been an important aspect of the Hawaiian Islands for over 3 million years. The Hawaiian monk seal is also important to other species and the areas ecosystem. They are an apex predator and play an important role in keeping a number of prey from becoming overpopulated. Therefore, they create a balance needed for in maintaining a diverse and stable ecosystem (Muneoka). This is a significant reason for the conservation of the Hawaiian monk seals. The Hawaiian monk seal has faces so many obstacles over the past century, yet it has been able to survive in spite of these. The most alarming problem that the seals face is lack of food. The juvenile seals are facing a continuing threat of starvation, and they are in constant competition with fisheries and other predators. Protected areas for the seals have been used in the past, and expanding these will likely help. It will not only increase food supply for the seals, but will also prevent them from getting caught by fish hooks or nets. Until there is a greater supply of food for the monk seals, efforts in capturing and rehabilitating the young pups is important. Also, once they seals are at a healthier weight, they can be placed in an area where there is a higher source of food and increased chance of survival. Relocating seals is also helpful in increasing genetic diversity, which will help in the species ability to fight disease. Inoculation of the monk seal is also a good attempt at decreasing the seals vulnerability of disease. One other concern, mobbing, is a factor that is decreasing the chance of the seals survival. Interventions, such as removing males from areas where there is an imbalanced ratio of male to female, are helpful. With all of these efforts, and the noble concern of the people involved, the Hawaiian monk seal is beginning to see a brighter future. The population of monk seals has rising 3% annually over the past 3 years. As of January, 2017, there is an estimate of 1,400 Hawaiian monk seals. This is a great improvement, considering there were 1,112 seals in 2015. Interestingly, the state of Hawaii has dedicated 2017 as the Year of the Monk Seal. In conclusion, with the continuing hard work of the hard working people involved to save the Hawaiian monk seal, there is great hope for the species survival in the future. Works Cited Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi). http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/seals/hawaiian-monk-seal.html. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Historical Timeline of the Hawaiian Monk Seal. http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/Library/PRD/Hawaiian%20monk%20seal/HMS_natural_history_timelineWEB.pdf. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Schmelzer, Isabelle. Seals and Seascapes: Covariation in Hawaiian Monk Seal Subpopulations and the Oceanic Landscape of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Journal of Biogeography 27.4 (2000): 901-914. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Kretzmann, Maria B., et al. Low Genetic Variability in the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Conservation Biology, vol. 11, no. 2, 1997, pp. 482-490., www.jstor.org/stable/2387621. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Starfield, Anthony M., et al. Mobbing in Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus Schauinslani): The Value of Simulation Modeling in the Absence of Apparently Crucial Data. Conservation Biology, vol. 9, no. 1, 1995, pp. 166-174., www.jstor.org/stable/2386398. Baker, Jason and Littnan, Charles. Report of the Hawaiian Monk Seal Captive Care Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 11-13, 2007. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., (2008). Rogers, Kim. Why Rare Hawaiian Monk Seals Are Lining Up to Get Their Shots. Smithsonian (2016). http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/researchers-are-vaccinating-wild-marine-species-first-time-180960479/. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. Muneoka, Lauren. Why Care About Monk Seals? Kahea (2011). http://kahea.org/blog/why-care-about-monk-seals. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

Automobiles in Early America Essay examples -- Transportation Technolo

Automobiles in Early America The automobile changed American life, but the process was gradual. Though historians argue the date and inventor of the first automobile, we can say that Henry Ford’s creation of his Ford Motor Company in 1903 marked perhaps the major milestone of the early twentieth century automobile industry in America and around the world. Five years after the company’s inception, Ford’s legendary Model T of 1908 would revolutionize transportation and the world economy. Before the Model T, automobiles in the US were associated with only the wealthier class. Ford sought to make cars available to every American. His cars would assume the general build that continues to characterize automobiles today, and his innovation and system of production would make him a legend.[i] The automobile led to an extremely advanced system of roads and contributed to an American mentality of freedom to move.[ii] Early drivers saw both benefits and difficulties as the automobile became the standard American mode of transportation. Philip Van Doren Stern, American historian and writer, describes the early years of automobiles in the US. Between 1904 and 1907, roads were unpaved and cars were not enclosed, so it was of utmost importance to wear proper attire. Clothes were made to protect against dust and rain, but these high-class riders required this new gear to be made from the best materials, like leather and fur. In the 1920s, when most cars were built completely enclosed, there was no longer a need for these elaborate outfits. During the early years of the century, drivers braved uncharted territory with their automobiles despite the rugged mechanics of the vehicles and the absence of smoot... ...fthompso/MgmtCon/Fordism_&_Postfordism.html [vi] Thompson, Fred. (most of paragraph’s information comes from web site above) [vii] Bellis, Henry Ford and The First Mass Production of Cars – The Assembly Line, About.com [viii] Antique Automobile Club of America, Automotive History – A Chronological History [ix] Weingroff, Richard F. The Federal-State Partnership at Work. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration Public Roads Web site, 1996. [x] Weingroff, The Federal-State Partnership at Work. [xi] Stern, pages 154-173 [xii] University of Houston. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display_printable.cfm?HHID=454 [xiii] Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1984. [xiv] Stern, page 23 [xv] Antique Automobile Club of America, Automotive History – The Assembly Line

Observation as a Social Work Tool and Skill Essay -- Social Work

This assignment is going to look into observation as a social work tool and skill. Firstly, it is going to briefly describe the observation. Secondly it will analyse the interactions using a reflective approach. And finally, it will look into some relevant social work skills and values that relate to the discussed topic. The observation exercise was carried out on the upper deck of a London Bus on a weekday evening and lasted approximately fifteen minutes. The subjects of the observation were a male in his late twenties that appeared to be of Afro-Caribbean origin and a female of a similar age with an Eastern European accent. The male was wearing a tracksuit and had a set of headphones hanging over his shoulders. The girl was dressed in smart-casual clothes. They were sitting next to each other and were having a conversation. At the time of the observation there were not empty seats on the bus. I carried out the observation from a relatively close distance, a couple of seats away from the observed individuals. Due to the nature of what was being said, I learned that they did not seem to know each other. The observed male appeared to be confident and talkative. He seemed to lead the conversation by asking her a number of questions related to her background, marital status etc. He asked her: ‘where are you from?’, ‘How long have you been in London?’, ‘have you got a boyfriend?’ amongst other questions. The observed girl gave the opposite impression. The tone of her voice and her body language showed signs that lead me to believe that she was not entirely comfortable with the situation even though she did made eye contact with him and smiled on a couple of occasions. From an observer perspective I felt a certain level of anxie... ...eflective practice within the social work field. Works Cited Banks, S (2006). Ethics and values in social work. (3rd ed). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Briggs, S (1999). Links Between Infant Observation and Reflective social work Practice. Journal of Social work Practice. Volume 13, (number 2), p: 147-156 Coulshed, V and Orme, J. (2006). Social work practice. (4rd ed). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Dominelli, L (2004). Values ethics and empowerment in Social work theory and Practice For a Changing Profession.Uk: Policy Press Tanner, K and Turney, D (2000). The role of Observation in Assessment of Child Neglect in Child Abuse Review. Volume 9, p337-348 Thompson, N (2009). Understanding Social Work (3rd ed ). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Trevithick, P (2005). Social Work Skills a practice handout. (2nd ed). Buckingham, UK: Open University Press. Observation as a Social Work Tool and Skill Essay -- Social Work This assignment is going to look into observation as a social work tool and skill. Firstly, it is going to briefly describe the observation. Secondly it will analyse the interactions using a reflective approach. And finally, it will look into some relevant social work skills and values that relate to the discussed topic. The observation exercise was carried out on the upper deck of a London Bus on a weekday evening and lasted approximately fifteen minutes. The subjects of the observation were a male in his late twenties that appeared to be of Afro-Caribbean origin and a female of a similar age with an Eastern European accent. The male was wearing a tracksuit and had a set of headphones hanging over his shoulders. The girl was dressed in smart-casual clothes. They were sitting next to each other and were having a conversation. At the time of the observation there were not empty seats on the bus. I carried out the observation from a relatively close distance, a couple of seats away from the observed individuals. Due to the nature of what was being said, I learned that they did not seem to know each other. The observed male appeared to be confident and talkative. He seemed to lead the conversation by asking her a number of questions related to her background, marital status etc. He asked her: ‘where are you from?’, ‘How long have you been in London?’, ‘have you got a boyfriend?’ amongst other questions. The observed girl gave the opposite impression. The tone of her voice and her body language showed signs that lead me to believe that she was not entirely comfortable with the situation even though she did made eye contact with him and smiled on a couple of occasions. From an observer perspective I felt a certain level of anxie... ...eflective practice within the social work field. Works Cited Banks, S (2006). Ethics and values in social work. (3rd ed). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Briggs, S (1999). Links Between Infant Observation and Reflective social work Practice. Journal of Social work Practice. Volume 13, (number 2), p: 147-156 Coulshed, V and Orme, J. (2006). Social work practice. (4rd ed). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Dominelli, L (2004). Values ethics and empowerment in Social work theory and Practice For a Changing Profession.Uk: Policy Press Tanner, K and Turney, D (2000). The role of Observation in Assessment of Child Neglect in Child Abuse Review. Volume 9, p337-348 Thompson, N (2009). Understanding Social Work (3rd ed ). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Trevithick, P (2005). Social Work Skills a practice handout. (2nd ed). Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.