Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Emotions & the monster Essay

Acceptance is very important in society, and the same perceptions apply just as much today as they did in the 1800’s. It is part of human nature to make instant judgments, and to form first impressions of a person before you know what they are really like, and this is what happened to Frankenstein’s monster in this book. Although it is almost impossible to avoid making these snap decisions, they can almost always be changed later on, and put right once you get to know the person. Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are, regardless of appearances or stature, however this is not always the case. This can be related to the treatment the monster receives upon meeting other people. He is not â€Å"the norm†, and is undoubtedly ugly to look at, but that does not make him a bad person. Shelley manages to show this in such a way that the reader feels sorry for the monster, but we can see that it is something that is unlikely to change, as it is a normal part of society and human nature. Shelley shows her disgust at this harsh treatment through the monster’s feelings, which are shared with Victor later on in the book, and it is as if the author is pouring out her emotions, rather than the monster’s. The hideous figure, the disfigured stature of this monster is the first thing noticed by Victor Frankenstein. â€Å"His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles. † This reference to the monster’s yellow skin depicts the same behaviour conducted in modern day racism. The colour of one’s skin does not dictate the intelligence, attitude and personality of a person. Regardless of the yellow skin of the monster, which would repulse and overwhelm most people, there is no need to carry over that emotion to judge the monster’s intellectual side. The mind and body are two very different things; human beings have yet to distinguish that fact. Mary Shelley clearly feels very strongly about this unfair prejudice in place in society, and has tried (very successfully) to show her readers just how unjust it really is. However, until people actually do something about it, it is just a part of society which we will probably never be entirely without. We may feel that it is wrong, but it will always be there, and it is something people have learnt to deal with in society. The novel, â€Å"Frankenstein†, actually reflects quite badly on the society in which Mary Shelley lived. It suggests that this type of behaviour was carrying on back then towards â€Å"different† people and was accepted as part of every day life. Humans have always and will continue to be scared of the unknown. Some might say that what you don’t know about can’t hurt you, but there is a sense of mystery and darkness behind unidentified things. This fear is ever increasing alongside the amount of horror films and novels, by which the general public is heavily influenced – maybe sometimes too heavily. The public has always been influenced by the media, which is created by society, and with an increasing amount of stories and films out with the intention of scaring the audience, people are getting more and more prejudiced towards the unknown. Luckily this is counteracted by an increasing knowledge of other cultures and races, but Shelley lived in a society where people were still very ignorant about other people, and automatically assumed the worst. Although it is not shown outright, in â€Å"Frankenstein†, the monster actually experiences this fear as well as the villagers when he comes into their town. Their fears were of the same thing – the unfamiliar; however their reactions were completely different. Some villagers threw rocks, and were trying to drive the monster away as if it was a worthless piece of society; others simply ran away in shock, screaming and scared. This is not justified by anything except his demeanor. The monster, on the other hand, did not reply in a violent manner at all, he just tried to hide from all people from then on. This just goes to show how much people are affected by small things in their life. One incident such as this could ruin an entire life, and the villagers did not realise just how selfish they were being. They did not think about his feelings, and left him to support himself, poor and defenseless. The public do not realise how much little things they may pass off as unimportant affect others, and in this case, society ruined the monster’s life. From that moment and for the rest of his existence, the monster knew not to interfere with human beings, for their nature was clearly different to his. The monster, like all human beings, wanted to be accepted for his intellectual abilities and personality, and both him and humans have it in their nature to be afraid of the unknown, yet the villagers had an unmistakable advantage over the monster – the monster was still innocent and nai ve, unsure of the world around him and ignorant of human nature. He was not accepted by anyone, purely because of his appearance. This fact is obvious as no one as yet had even had the chance to get to know the monster’s personality, not even the monster himself had had this opportunity, because he could not speak and did not know anything about society. Therefore human nature plays an incredibly important role in the novel, because without it the villagers would probably have accepted the monster, and he would never have turned out how he did.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Dynamic Character Essay

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, the main character, Guy Montag, qualifies as a dynamic character. A dynamic character is, by definition, a character that undergoes important changes throughout the course of the novel. Because he goes through a metamorphosis as he struggles through internal conflict during the novel, Guy Montag is a dynamic character. In the beginning, Montag is a very normal man relative to his society. He is a city fireman and burns books and houses without regret. Montag loves everything about his job; the power, the destruction of houses and books, and even the smell of the kerosene that he churns out daily. He even feels pride and satisfaction in the jobs he carries out. His change, though, soon begins when he meets with a peculiar girl named Clarisse. Clarisse makes Montag actually think, an uncommon thing in this peculiar society. Her pure innocence brings out a different side of him; one that doesn’t involve thoughtless burnings. He then, as a result of her insight, begins to question himself and even the society he lives in. Another influence on Montag is the suicidal woman whose house he was about to burn. He ponders what in books can be important enough to die for. Her gruesome suicide pushes Montag over the edge and he forces himself to finally open a book. Montag continues his metamorphosis from a heartless book burner to a philosophical learner. Guy continues gaining information and forming his opinion about his odd society. Montag soon realizes that there is no return from his change when he is forced to burn his own house and murder Beatty. In a way he is burning his own past and all that goes with it. His subsequent fleeing of the seen also symbolizes the final step in his change. It is Montag literally leaving his past of senselessness and destruction. Guy Montag becomes a sensible, book loving educator. His metamorphosis is complete with memorizing books in a contribution to end the norm of his  society. He makes a tremendous change both mentally and physically. Because of his change, though it caused him great hardships, Guy Montag is a dynamic character.

Social Work in the Justice System

This paper explores the many facets social work provides in collaboration with the criminal justice system escaping widespread notice as well as the roles played in the judicial court systems. This paper takes a look at the point and the many purposes of forensic social work. Covering their role in multidisciplinary mitigation teams and collaboration between social workers and lawyers in criminal defense also the type service social work practitioners provide to inmate populations; the active involvement in an inmate’s daily life both during their sentence as well as the service and assistance a forensic social worker will be providing following an inmate’s release and reintegration back into society. A field of social work not widely publicized or acknowledged by the majority of the American population, pointing out the lack of interest in the field by the Universities offering accredited social Work degree programs and the educational opportunities lost because of the lack of acknowledgement of this field of social work practice. The Field of Forensic Social Work It’s Function in the Criminal Justice System and the Populations Who Benefit Forensic Social work is not a field widely known to students like myself. For those majoring in Social work in colleges and universities throughout the United States this particular field of social work practice is not really offered as often as other courses like helping skills or social policy. It’s an issue I see as becoming a problem in the near future because of the field and its functions. The educational opportunities presented in teaching forensic social work are in my opinion in my opinion. Its functions alone include policy and program development. Mediation, advocacy and arbitration, teaching, training and supervision as well as ehavioral science research and analysis just to name a few. We the students are at a loss by a lack of acknowledgement of the field Forensic Social work and it not being an offered course taught within our curriculum is a travesty to the future of the social work profession and the population forensic social workers advocate for. The objective of this paper is to bring to light a field in social work not widely publicized or acknowledged by a large majority of universities offering social work programs. Escaping widespread notice, a substantial number of social workers function in the space in which mental health concepts and the law form a gestalt says (Hughes & O’Neil. (1983). Most of those whose social work service fall under core areas that make up the field of forensic social work don’t even know it. Why is it then, that in a field in which the services provide so much to those with so little, with a tremendous base of knowledge utilizing a broad base of skill, skill spanning across many other fields not just in â€Å"basic† social work practices. Parallel to the growing field of forensic psychiatry in the criminal justice system is the growing field of forensic social work. It’s development is dependent on that of forensic psychiatry; For this reason forensic social work it goes unobserved (Hughes, et. al. , 1983). I want to shed some much deserved light on this neglected field of service. It is a field of social work that needs to be preserved in its collaboration with the criminal justice system. Stewart Sinclair points out that â€Å"Forensic Social Work continues to work directly with patients and to maintain a vital link between the family and the institution. † (S. Sinclair, 2002 ,Sam Peckinpah’s forensic social work blues: will the tin star keep shining) Forensic Social work is not a field widely known to students such as myself. For those majoring in Social work in colleges and universities in the United States this particular field of social work practice is not offered as often as other courses such as helping skills or theory and practice. It’s an issue I see as becoming a problem in the near future because of the field’s functions. The educational opportunity presented in teaching forensic social work is valuable. The functions alone include policy and program development. Mediation, advocacy and arbitration, teaching, training and supervision as well as behavioral science research and analysis just to name a few. We the students are at a loss by a lack of acknowledgement of Forensic Social work and it not being an offered course in our curriculum. Brownell and Roberts (2002) operationally define forensic social work as ‘policies, practices and social work roles with juvenile and adult offenders and victims of crimes’ (Brownell P & Roberts AR 2002, A century of social work in criminal justice and correctional settings, Journal of Offender rehabilitation, 35 (2) 1-17, pg. 3) As times progressed a growing knowledge and understanding of mental illness and psychiatric problems became more of a deciding factor in the task of determining just and effective dispositions. The criminal justice system is not equipped to provide the proper type of facilitation needed to accommodate. Instead judges and lawyers reached out to community mental health agencies but they too were unable to adequately provide resources needed. According to Gary Whitmer (1983) resulting from this dilemma the courts adjudicate with a sense of futility, knowing that it is not the defendant’s reasoned criminal intent but an illness that had brought him or her to court and that, if left untreated, this illness will bring the defendant back to court sooner then later. The Office of the Appellate Defender (OAD) is a not-for-profit organization that has been providing high quality appellate and post-conviction representation to indigent persons since 1988. The office of the Appellate Defenders fills an important need in the criminal justice system and advocacy for the destitute. OAD is the second longest-standing institutional indigent defense office and oldest provider of appellate representation to indigent persons convicted of felonies. (www. ppellatedefender. org ) Attorneys participate in the Office of Appellate Defender's comprehensive training program, which focuses on appellate advocacy, client relations, procedural and substantive criminal law. The up and coming collaboration between the fields of Public defense and forensic social work is monumental in the need for holistic trial representation. But the need for holistic representation does not end at sentencing. According to The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers describes the †catch basin for the reakdown of social services inside communities† depicting the defense function within the criminal justice system given by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The assistance that social workers can provide is an appellate office takes on the role of assisting with the legal representation thorough investigation, mitigation and counseling. Social workers also provide institutional advocacy on behalf of clients. Another important function provided is that of case management, support and necessary referrals for clients preparing for release. (M.  Rothstien, Reaching through the Prison Wall; 2000) The value of social works to assist in the interview, evaluation, crisis response, short-term case work, negotiation and referrals in trial offices is admirable. For criminal justice offices, social worker involvement practice generally focuses on investigations and mitigation; the importance of forensic social work in the role of legal representation. . (M. Rothstine; 2000) The National Institute of Justice research in action journal issue from February 1999 gives an in-depth focus on case management in the criminal justice system. The services provided are much like if not identical to the processes thought by Professor Blake in theory and Practice I. These include intake, assessment, classification, referral, intervention, monitoring, evaluation and advocacy. (National Institution of Justice/ Feburary1999 p. 3) All of which are association with the majority if not all of the fields that make up Social Work. During the assessment stage of the case management process the interview leads into the documentation of individual history. Each individual walking this earth has a unique story to tell. And these stories paint the picture that portrays where we are in our lives at any given point in time. The job of a multidisciplinary mitigation team is to link client’s history, life circumstances, and the commission of the crime accurately and clearly. Often complex, it reveals that the client’s behavior stems from a number of integrating factors. In their article, â€Å"From Misery to Mission: Forensic Social Work on Multidisciplinary Mitigation Teams,† Guin, Noble and Merrill(2003) provide mitigating factors and circumstances inking characteristics and history to criminal behavior in the representation on behalf of defendants in capital cases (Guin, Noble, and Merrill/ From Misery to Mission: Forensic Social Works on Multidisciplinary Mitigation teams) â€Å"The capital mitigation process comes to life when a social worker, using a life history model of investigation, assumes the role of mitigation specialist, who, by capitalizing on social work theory and research, practice knowledge and skills yields vital information that, through objective presentation of fact, guides sentencing decisions. (p. 424) Social Workers are given the task of one of the most important components of building an understanding of the individual you’re advocating for and conceptualizing a rundown of an individual’s life history. Documenting of a defendant’s life history a forensic social worker is gaining insight on possible links to the development of criminal behavior. The intake is a way of establishing a rapport and may involve crisis intervention. The interview is almost always performed face to face and may be videotaped for later use in a court of law. Next is the assessment phase. This phase involves interviews, substance abuse evaluations, and specialized psychological evaluations. Some of the bases covered include family medical history for any red flags involving mental illness, significant incidents of past trauma, this may include both physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect. Another aspect that is a much importance is the family dynamic. Some criminals come from a childhood of moving from foster home to foster home until aging out of the system at the age of 18. Others may come from a financial comfortable family with a dog and a white picket fence. According to The National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW), the forensic social work practitioner provides: consultation, education & training, diagnosis, treatment and recommendations in various agencies. In addition, the NOFSW also points out that within the field of forensic social work, a clinician may undertake policy, program development, mediation, advocacy, and arbitration. Green; Thrope; Traupmann; the Sprawling Thicket Australian Social Work/June 2005) Barker and Branson (2000) summarize the Field of Forensic Social Work narrowing it down to 10 core areas. Some of these areas: 1. testifying in courts of law as expert witness. 2. Systematically evaluating individuals so that the resulting information can be used in court or by legal authorities. 3. Investigating cases where criminal conduct may have occurred and presenting the results to judges, juries, and other law authorities. . Recommending to the courts of law ways to resolve, punish or rehabilitate those found guilty of criminal acts or negligence in civil actions. Also included in the 10 core areas of Barker and Branson’s Legal aspects of Professional Practice in the forensic social work field are to; facilitate the court ordered sentence of the convicted person, monitoring and reporting progress to the courts. 6. Mediate between individuals and groups involved in disputed and conflicts. 7.  Testify about professional standards of social work to facilitate cases of possible malpractice or unethical conduct. 8. Facilitate development and enforcement of licensing laws to r egulate professional practice. 10. Maintain relationships with their own clients that uphold the letter and spirit of the law and ethical principals of their profession. (Barker & Branson Legal aspects of Professional Practice, 2000) Mark Cameron and Elizabeth Keenan created a practice model that is adapted from the structures offered by Grenscavage and Norcross known as The Common Factors Model.  Cameron and Keenan provide three addition new and potentially useful conceptualizations. First, is the conceptualization developed on the basis of ways in which factors function in practice as condition and process that are activated and; Facilitated by strategies and skills for change? Second is the System of Action. Suggesting that conditions and processes interact as a â€Å"system of action†; factors reciprocally influence each other, inevitably producing change. The third conceptualization is based on Locus of practice competencies. Finally common factors are convinced as pertaining not only to the social worker and the client, but all those involved in the change work, including family, informal social supporters, and helpers in social services, education, health care organizations, and the judicial system. † (Cameron & Keenan; The Common Factors Model; p. 65) Roberts and Brownell (1995) define Forensic Social work as â€Å"the practice specialty in social work that focuses on Law and educating law professional about social welfare issues and social workers about the legal aspects of their objectives† as defined by Barker,(p. 60). They go on to pen a section entitled Professional Recognition of forensic social work as a Field of Practice. This is an important part of why I chose to do my capstone paper on Forensic Social work in the first place. I’ve came to realize what little attention is given to this particular field of social work practice in general. Roberts and Brownell (1995) discuss the need for social workers them selves to recognize that a specialization in forensics has developed in recent years not just in social work but among other professional groups such as psychology, psychiatry and nursing. A Century of Forensic Social Work: Bridging the Past to the Present, 1999) The fact that there should be a distinct and prominent role for forensic social workers; the need to recognize that this area of practice; if we were to consider social work in corrections and probation, forensic mental health, substance abuse, family/criminal court, domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, it is a natural outgrowth of the leadership exerted by Jane Adams, Julia Lathrop and other prominent forensic social work ers in the late 1800’s.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Abortion - Essay Example It is well supported by a few religions including the Christianity. Abortion has been debated since ancient times, Aristotle presented his views about the issue as "delayed ensoulment". According to Ted Lockhart, "perform actions that we are maximally confident are morally permissible". This argument is known as the "moral certainty" argument. Every mother has the right to decide upon the birth of the child and therefore Ted Lockharts suggestion served to deal abortion as a practical solution in contrast to the moral issues. It is the preference which should ideally have women as the choice maker as under a given circumstances women is the best judge to nurture the fetus and later the child with utmost care and devotion, lacking to do so could culminate into psychological problems in the child. In the present situation where women are contributing equally to the economic growth and development, continuing with the pregnancy may hamper career growth. It is essential to understand that the personal ethics of women are imperative to pursue the pregnancy. Moreover, the anatomy of the body should also allow the continuity of the pregnancy, especially at the later stages of life when the female cannot afford to continue with the pregnancy and hence termination of pregnancy should be allowed. It is not moral to give birth to the unwanted child and nurture the child with least botheration. In certain cases conception could be the result of contraceptive failure or a woman may not be prepared for; such cases dem and legalization of abortion. Any pregnancy cannot occur without the male partner. It is therefore necessary to have a consent of the father as well before aborting the child. If the father agrees to take up the responsibility of the child, women gains confidence. In the present era where relationships are fragile, women do not want to have any binding to forgo her career or liberty. Now-a-days living relationships are prevailing and under such

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice is Central to Effective Essay

Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice is Central to Effective Learning and Teaching - Essay Example This not only soothes him but wakes in him a wish to excel in his academic life. This is called inclusive practice. The students’ participation in the teaching process is also a form of outcome as is considered as important as the teaching and the learning process itself. The whole process is beneficial enough for the educator as well because knowledge is being shared by working with students and thus improved learning is made possible. The learners or those who are using the services bring out their own ideas and innovation and thus the teacher tends to be at a more informed teaching position. According to Ross (2006), â€Å"Inclusive Practice is good practice, and is also about human rights and anti discriminatory approach to mental health. Inclusive practice underpins  anti discriminatory  practice and is  the practical way  in which we put our equality   policies/agenda into action.† 4. Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice An ideal curriculum design fo r inclusive practice in schools with the aim of improving children’s health and social care should, according to linear tradition theory, help the students make predictions and decisions and efficiently solve the problems by bringing out examples from real life. For example, the curriculum should be flexible enough to accommodate paper and pencil discussion along with the use of the latest technology based tools. It should eliminate the gap (as proposed by the gap theory) between the teacher and the students. Moreover, an ideal curriculum should encourage the students to work in groups in an informal environment where teacher does not act as a boss or a dictator; rather, the students act their own instructors. They discuss the topic among themselves; ask each other questions; and, try to... This report approves that an inclusive practice curriculum design not only focuses on lesson plans and syllabus, it also arranges extracurricular activities for the children and â€Å"includes approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, the quality of relationships within school, and the values embodied in the way the school operates†. A good curriculum maintains an easy but intellectual assessment criterion to assess the capability level of children as to what they have learnt. It should be able to accommodate the latest technology based teaching and expertise so that the disabled children are also able to get individual learning offered by the ICT tools. It should provide opportunities to the students to better cooperate with the teachers and with peers. This essay makes a conclusion that designing a perfect curriculum that guarantees inclusive practice, especially in children residential schools and care houses, is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the concerned school authorities. It as â€Å"a continuous, cyclic process† which involves an extensive decision-making process so as to meet the learners’ needs efficiently. The curriculum should be able to adjust both the curricular and non-curricular activities so that the students tend to learn different aspects of life and try to apply this learning in different areas of their personal lives. This way, not only they will be able to meet the academic demands of their curriculum, but also they will be able to excel in their everyday lives. Thus, inclusive practice is vital to engage students in the teaching process to eventually enhance their learning process.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

The cultural effect of automobile on Americans in the 1920 Essay

The cultural effect of automobile on Americans in the 1920 - Essay Example The automobile had come a long way by then from the era of the Model T Fords that looked like square boxes mounted on wheels. The assembly line manufacturing method of Henry Ford had become the norm in car manufacturing and allowed the people to afford the automobile at lesser than the usual price. Now, no place was too far for the public to reach. Everything was only a car ride away. However, the road infrastructure still needed to keep up with the rapid growth of the automobile economy. The affordable cost of the new range of factory line produced automobiles helped to give rise to the era of American consumerism. Americans no longer purchased goods simply for consumption. Due to the effective advertising campaigns of automobiles, first as print ads and then as commercials on radio and television, the American psyche was awakened to a new and powerful type of happiness. A happiness that lay in their ability to buy things such as automobiles which, according to the sales pitches, was guaranteed to bring them hours, days, months, or even years of happiness with their family members and friends. Now, Americans purchased a lifestyle instead of an item. They now spent their hard earned cash with the knowledge that the purchase would bring them a sense of happiness. The automobile was the greatest expression of the happiness a person could find in his rising social status. From the era of 1910 to 1950, Americans began to develop a special relationship with their cars in part due to the influence of the automobile advertisements and the cars ability to provide a freedom of movement to a person. Customizing the car also became the ultimate in personal expression for young people. The automobile had a tendency to reflect the character of the owner. There was a sense of dependence on the automobile that could often be misconstrued as an

Friday, July 26, 2019

Cellphone (iPhone) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cellphone (iPhone) - Research Paper Example The latest introduction in this line of products is the smart-phone, which has led the way in changing the perceptions previously held by individuals about the mobile device (Vogelstein). One brand that has been one of the frontrunners in this product is the iPhone. The I phone is a brand of smart-phones that have taken the cell phone market by storm ever since its introduction and can be said to be one of the most popular brands across the globe. It is designed as well as sold by Apple inc., a large company in the United States that has been one of the leaders in modern technological devices (Murtazin 23). Apple is also responsible for other brands as well such as the I Mac computer and the I Pad. There are a number of other smart-phones that have entered the market but it can be said that most have not been able to enjoy the worldwide brand recognition that is experienced by Apple as a result of the iPhone (Vogelstein). A number of models of the iPhone have emerged over the years a s the company has sought to stay ahead of the competition. These new models have come with new and improved features that have been designed to make life easier for its user in their daily activities. There are seven generations of models of the iPhone that are currently available to the market but with the introduction of new generations, the older ones gradually lose their popularity. The Impact of the iPhone There are a number of ways in which the iPhone has impacted the field in which it operates in. The introduction of the iPhone can be said to have changed the way that individuals use cell phones and as mentioned earlier, can be referred to as one of the leaders of smart-phone technology (Vogelstein). Some of the positive influences that the iPhone has had on the society include: Improved Communication The iPhone has ensured that the means of communication available to the public have improved drastically in comparison to earlier cell phones and the narrow range of options tha t it offered (Murtazin 21). Communication is an essential part of the society and it takes place between individuals on a daily basis. The lack of communication would lead to a stand still in the operations of the society and can be said to affect the lives of individuals who have, over grown reliant on modern devices for their communication needs (Roy et al 65). The iPhone offers a better means of communication as it has been designed to rival the normal mobile devices that can be found in the market. The iPhone has also widened the range of options that an individual has when choosing to communicate with someone as a result of the various applications that have emerged over the years in support of the smart phone. Previously one could only call an individual they wished to communicate with and no other alternatives were offered for those who perhaps did not exactly wish for this type of communication. It can be said that the iPhone has enhanced the spread of Computer Mediated Comm unication (CMC) by individuals all over the world as its platform have made easier for individuals to use this new technology as a means of contacting one another (McQuail 12). The ability to communicate via different methods allows one to choose their preferred choice. Enhanced Internet Connectivity The introduction

Thursday, July 25, 2019

I attach the file with options on the topic of the BOOK REVIEW Essay

I attach the file with options on the topic of the BOOK REVIEW - Essay Example Since the debate of left and right has been valid and intact for the last several decades, portraying the images of modern and conservative respectively while exercising power and ensuring good governance, the author strives to depict the realities, concepts and misconceptions associated with it in general in the contemporary times (67). Giddens claims that although modernity has made its sure headway, the imperative significance of traditionalism and conservatism could never be negated or refuted at any cost. It appears to be more explicit in the sense that the previous era rightists used to look for sticking to the age-old ways of life, and used to defend the patterns of their life in a conventional manner; nevertheless, the same characteristics have been shifted to the modern, or leftist, communities, which observe great perils regarding the spread of purported contemporary era radicalism (82–5). As a result, dealing with the radicals has turned out to be a great challenge for the peace-seeking political administrations. Hence, the western societies appear to be maintaining a defensive approach while supporting the modernity at the time when the purported radicals seem to be standing against modern patterns of life with the aim of crushing the ways that are contrary to the social norms and moral values abided by almost all societies of the world for the last centuries to go. Hence, the governments of the developed nations appear to be afraid of the consequences of the reaction of radicals to allowing such freedoms including extra-marital cohabitations, same-sex relationships and marriages, illegitimate pregnancies, government controlled economic activities and application of latest scientific and technological equipment on a massive scale. Thus, the political administrations have to undergo serious reservations because of the perils of a severe reaction to the modern ways of life from the radicals. One of the most distinguished characteristics attribu ted to the contemporary radicals includes their support of the free market instead of keeping their weight in favour of the government controlled economic system advocated by socialism to be the essential element of a welfare state (136–7). Hence, the concept of welfare state with regard to the socialist economic system seems to be opposed and rebutted by the present-day radicals, who used to organise demonstrations and launch social movements for immediate enforcement of the same (192). Therefore, power appears to be shifting from modernity to radicalism-conservatism in various parts of the globe, and the developed nations have to make strong decisions in order to combat with the opposition from radicals. The Marxist-Socialist perspective, Giddens asserts, looks retrospective while narrating the relation between man and

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

International Hospitality Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Hospitality Analysis - Essay Example The sector has been through several upheavals. When the economic performs well the consumer confidence is high and people are keen to spend their disposable incomes on holidays and easting out. As the same time, the sector is also sensitive to unforeseen events beyond its control – like threats of terrorist attacks, foot or mouth crisis and the bird-flu outbreak (LSC 2006). In addition, there are other drivers of change which include minimum wage and holiday entitlement, health and safety, no-smoking legislation. The economy becomes affected due to changes in legislation, changing market forces, and periods of recession and inflation (Wilson et al. 1997). In fact everything from the impact of globalization to consumer savings can impact this sector. Hospitality is the fastest growing industry and exhibits tremendous diversity both with respect to the types of job available and the workers. As far as the human resource is concerned, there is a huge demand in the sector but the availability of staff is difficult. This sector is characterized by low rates of pay, high staff turnover, low levels of training, low skills levels, unsocial hours, seasonal nature of work, predominance of casual staff, and the non-professional image of the industry (LSC 2006). This sector traditionally recruits a young workforce yet the biggest challenge that this sector faces is that of skills shortages. The local people are reluctant to enter this sector because of low wages and job uncertainties. The hospitality sector in the developed countries is facing labor shortages and can expect to face even greater shortages in the future (Choi et al. 2000). As per the economic law of supply and demand, this means that the sector needs to offer higher wages to attract skilled staff as there is short supply of staff. If the sector offers higher wages, the profitability is affected specially during economic downturn. As such the hospitality managers need to prepare themselves for the future. In

Structured Sentencing in North Carolina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Structured Sentencing in North Carolina - Essay Example Less severe crimes that do not involve victim body injury or threat to body injury is assigned lowest classes while crimes involving victim injury is assigned highest classes. Misdemeanor crimes are classified in to four categories (Class AI, Class I, Class 2 and Class 3). Class AI is the most serious while Class 3 is the least serious misdemeanor crime (Tonry 86). Structured sentencing is based on several core principles. One of the principles is rationality of the sentence. The sentencing should consider the severity of the offense as indicated by the harm suffered by the victim and also the criminal record of the offender. Another principle is truthfulness. Early parole releases should be avoided since the jail term should be closed related to the sentence imposed by the courts. Another principle of structured sentencing is consistency. The sentence received by offenders with similar prior criminal record and convicted for the same offense should be the same. The last principle is resource prioritization (North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission 3). The sentencing should be accompanied by adequate prison and community-based resources. Prisons and jail terms should take priority for violent crimes or repeat offenders while community-based rehabilitation programs should first be utilized for the non-violent crimes, and for offenders with no prior criminal record (Tonry 86). Felon offenses are classified in to six prior record levels starting from Level I for offenders with no prior criminal conviction to Level VI for severe felonies involving violence and numerous prior criminal records, and convictions (Tonry 89). Structured sentencing in North Carolina has three sentencing levels. The levels include the active sentencing that involve jail terms, intermediate sentencing that involve supervised probation and community sentencing that may involve community service, restitution and fines. Active sentencing is done for high offense classes and fel onies with numerous prior records. Judges may impose active, community punishment or intermediate punishment for convictions of Class AI misdemeanors regardless of the past criminal record. Class 1, 2 and 3 misdemeanors, the Judge may impose a community punishment regardless of the prior criminal history (North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission 8). Offenders serving a jail term of more than 90 days are incarcerated at the State prison system while those serving less than 90 days of jail term, are incarcerated in County jail system (Tonry 73). Intermediate punishment requires the offenders to undergo supervised probation. The first type of intermediate punishment is the split sentence, whereby the convict will serve a jail term followed and later undergo supervised probation (Tonry 85). Another type is the Electronic house arrest whereby the convicted offender will be confined in one area and monitored through the use of computer technology. The third type is intensi ve supervision where the convicted offender is closely supervised and monitored. The fourth type is the residential center, which is a highly structured program requiring overnight residence of the convicted offender. Another type of intermediate punishment is the Day reporting center, this involve a highly structured and close supervision program during the day and in

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

The attack on the world trade center and the rise of islamic threats Term Paper

The attack on the world trade center and the rise of islamic threats - Term Paper Example Terrorism refers to the threatened application of force, violence or coercion against individuals, society or governments and their properties, in order to coerce or intimidate the society and the government, to achieve the ideological, religious or political objectives of the terrorist groups2. Despite the fact that the threat of terrorism is rising from the extremist views of the minority militant Islamic groups, most especially from the Middle East, South Asia and some parts of Africa, their threat is real, and it has hit the whole world. The most worrying aspect of Islamic terrorist threats is that they are not simply targeted to a given country, society or group, but to multiple targets, which are perceived to have a connection with their perceived enemy. Thus, it is never known when and where the terrorists will strike next. The attack on the world trade center, popularly known as the 9/11 attack is the most conspicuous terrorist occurrence in the world, considering that the terrorists targeted and hit the heart of the world’s superpower, to simply send a message that none of the societies or countries in the world is safe or immune from the threat of terrorism3. Despite the fact that there has been a reawakening of the world to the live fact that terrorism is real and is bound to cause more scare to the world than it could have been anticipated, the world has not been able to completely devise measures that could help to neutralize this threat effectively. Thus, the threat of terrorism continues to scare the world, especially for any society or country that is perceived to have a connection with the west, which is the greatest target of the militant Islamic terrorist groups4. The actions of these extremist Islamic militants have been pitched on the Muslim religion, with such terrorist groups cla iming to be fighting a holy war against the societies that have not adhered to the requirements of their religion, which they hold as true and supreme. In this

Monday, July 22, 2019

Opinion Essay on Inventions Essay Example for Free

Opinion Essay on Inventions Essay In my opinion, the most important invention of all time in the history of human civilization and enterprise is the internet. Why the internet? Simply because I believe this invention has made the world a better place. In almost everything we do, we need the Internet. Whether it is to look for a job, research for a project or even find love. The Internet is a dominant factor that plays an important role in our lives. We just simply cannot escape the influence that the Internet has on us. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft enterprises, once said â€Å"The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow†. This quote may seem short, but to me, it significantly holds a deeper meaning that defines the power and potential of the Internet. The interesting part was that this famous entrepreneur had said this quote in 2003 which by then the internet was not a worldwide phenomenon like it is today. It is undeniable that this invention has done many wonders to our lives. The Internet has defined and simplified all means of communication, research and entertainment in our lives in this technological era. Internet was invented in the beginning of the 19th century but deigned and published in the year 1973-1974 to suit consumer needs and wants. This invention was solely meant for military purposes, to be used as a communication network for US militants. However, this invention failed to convince the military and was modified and published for the use of the public. This invention may not have proved its original purpose but it has indeed benefit society through its many functions and benefits. From the looks of what internet has done for us, it is evident that Internet has changed and improved life as it is. Basically our daily communication has changed for the better. It has made the world a smaller place to live in. Communication such as social websites or programs has brought great convenience as people globally can communicate and interact with one another with just a click of a button. It creates a cyber-world that promotes interaction in the midst of society, breaking the barrier s in telecommunications. Read more:  The World is a Smaller Place these Days Essay Examples of social websites or programs are Skype, Facebook, Twitter and MSN. Friends and family can always keep and touch. Websites like Facebook also enable people to know each other social activity without physical contact, this has definitely change people in this generation to know more people and have more friends. The best part of it all is that discrimination cannot be found in the Internet space as people cannot be seen physically. Businesses also rely on the Internet as a medium of promotion, marketing and advertising to gain publicity and fame to their companies. People can form partnerships or businesses without having the necessity of meeting each other face to face. Just like Bill Schrander once said, â€Å"Almost overnight, the Internets gone from a technical wonder to a business must.† I definitely agree with this statement as it is now apparent that physical distance becomes irrelevant with just with a click of a mouse button. Partners can hold conferences with the use of social programs that connects people worldwide. Advertising and marketing are also made easy through the use of the Internet, playing a big role in businesses today. This proves the immeasurable convenience the Internet has given us. Things that was impossible in the past, has been made possible with the invention of Internet. The improvement in the world’s communication is significant, contributing to the reason why it is the best invention in history. It has indeed made the world’s society hold a deeper connection between one other as cultures and lifestyles are being communicated vice versa creating a mutual understanding around the world. Internet has greatly played a role in the research department as the Internet is where countless of data and information is shared all over the world. A famous professor of mathematical literacy once said â€Å"The Internet is the world’s largest library. It’s just that a ll the books are on the floor.† This quote explains it clearly and precisely what the quote stated, the internet stores all the information. This information can easily be found in one floor. This quote is actually comparing the present to the past, when everybody had to gain knowledge and obtain information by reading and gathering books from in the library. It is inconvenient and definitely not like the internet, where any information can be found easily. The Internet has truly changed our world making it more convenient in general, unlike the past. We do not need to waste time searching for countless of books just to obtain information needed. In addition, the Internet brings the world one step ahead in education as students can attain knowledge with the click of a button. Internet has also become a universal storage system, because a human mind cannot withstand the information of the world throughout time. With this, information can be stored and shared to everybody in the world. The improvement of research is important because as time passes, humans will always strive to gain a better understanding of the universe and review all the past data which is stored in the Internet. When more knowledge is gained, we can apply, create and innovate the world to become a better place to live in. This is why the internet is of great importance, as the accumulated information will prove helpful for generations to come. The final reason why Internet is the best invention of all history is that internet does not only improve the world necessities in the means of convenience, communication and research. Internet also satisfies human pleasure. With the many programs, websites and applications, the Internet contributes to the expansion of entertainment. The definition of entertainment is an activity designed to give pleasure and relaxation to an audience. This is what internet is providing to us. Entertainment is a form of pleasure but is also important for human because they cannot handle continuous labor whether mentally or physically. With the invention of Internet, human pleasure is met. The Internet has a connection with the world and this is where people share their music and talents through the internet. Websites such as YouTube is a great example. Internet also allows free access to music, video and books. So the society does not need to be entertained by going out and using money. Instead, people can just go on the computer and get entertained through many websites. Entertainment as a whole help reliefs the stress and worries of many people. This is why I believe internet is the best invention in all history of human civilization and enterprise. In Conclusion, Internet is every combination of any other invention like phone or television. With internet, almost everything can be done through the power of the world wide connection. This shows how significant of value this invention is as it simplified all our means in communication, research and entertainment in our lives. The different programs have advance and improve our communication. The Internet’s ability to store unlimited information have brought the world one step ahead for convenient research and education. This is why I strongly believe Internet is the most important invention of all time in the history of human civilization and enterprise. Works Cited 5, December. History of the Internet. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 May 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet. Internet History Invention of the Internet. The Great Idea Finder Celebrating the Spirit of Innovation. Web. 02 May 2011. http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/internet.htm. Internet Is The Greatest Invention In The World Till Now! Voice Of Dingchao. Web. 02 May 2011. http://www.handingchao.com/internet-is-the-greatest-invention-in-the-world-till-now/. Internet Quotes. Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Web. 02 May 2011. http://thinkexist.com/quotations/internet/. Internet Quotes, Sayings about the World Wide Web. The Quote Garden Quotes, Sayings, Quotations, Verses. Web. 02 May 2011. http://www.quotegarden.com/internet.html. John Allen Paulos. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 May 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Allen_Paulos. Life of Marsa. Web. 02 May 2011. http://lifeofmarsa.blogspot.com/.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Moral and Ethical Role of Government

Moral and Ethical Role of Government Ethics and morality form a central position in the functioning of the government. Under normal circumstances, it is the role of the government to ensure a just society where order and harmony exist. As a result the government has to establish and enforce ethical and moral standards so as to ensure that the society functions well. Decision making is the governments chief role. Therefore it must make ethical and moral considerations in order to make decisions that are in line with the welfare of the society. Ethics and morality are used interchangeably. The two terms are related in several ways. Nonetheless, there is an inconsequential dissimilarity linking the two. Most commonly is the fact that morality goes deeper than ethics in defining human behavior and conduct. Ethics refer to the standards that make the society a better place of all while morality provide for more deeper considerations that amount to religion and spirituality. In order for the government to ensure that ethical standards are adhered to, ethics and aspects of morality are entrenched into the law. This makes it conveniently possible to enforce ethical standards and ensure that all people conform to the law. However, certain aspects of ethics and morality cannot be made legal. This will make the society more complicated since certain morality aspects and ethics are perceptive. This brings into perspective the facet of belief and religion which formulates different people to hold diverse views on the concept of ethics and morality. The upshot is that, the government plays a significant role in enforcing ethics and morality. As a result it is expected that the leaders ensure that the society is just and orderly for all. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the role of the government in morality an ethics. To succeed in this endeavor, the paper will discuss different aspects of morality and ethics. Role of Government One of the central purposes of the government is to enforce the law. The law represents the will of the people who have their own cultural and ethical perceptions of reality. As a result the government enforces the ethical and moral values of the people it governs. In other words it can be rightly said that the government serves to accomplish the peoples perceptions of reality as represented in their ethical and moral values. This makes the role of the government more complex not forgetting that not all values of ethical and moral consideration can be enforced by the government. However, the government remains the prime custodian of peoples values. Ethics and moral values have a great influence on the operation of the society. It is therefore true that the government exercises control over the society. This is true in light of the task of enforcing laws. In order to get a better understanding of the role of the government as far as ethics and morality is concerned; more focus should be on the law (Preston Bishop 2000). The law is the governments instrument of power. To perform its functions, the government relies majorly on the law. On the other hand the law is perceived as being representative of the ethical, cultural and moral values of the people. Therefore as much as the law might not be the perfect tool of enforcing ethical and moral values, it remains the governments chief weapon against unprincipled practices and immorality. The law describes what is right and acceptable in society and therefore provides a blue print towards an ethical and just society. In order to affirm their quest for a just society, citizens are expected to adhere to the provisions of the law. Therefore, the law binds the society together bringing harmony among different people. Failure to conform to the law is perceived as breaking ethical standards established and is thus punishable. Therefore, the law is perceived as the peoples will to be enforced by the government. There are a lot of challenges the government faces in its ethical and moral roles. First and foremost are the different perceptions of ethics and morality. This is coupled by the practical reality that the law does not fully represent ethical and moral standards. Perceptions are a great threat to the governments role. This is due to the fact that certain parameters which are legal are sometimes perceived as violating ethical and moral standards. A good example is the issue of abortion. As much as abortion might be legalized, it still remains a debatable ethical issue. This is due to the fact that it is seen by some members in society as unethical. Other issues include divorce and promiscuity. These conflicts underline the fact that the law is not a sufficient tool of enforcing ethical and moral values. It underscores the failure of the government to ensure a just society through enforcing the law. Ethical and Social Obligations Ethics and a society are inseparable, due to the fact that ethical standards are the adhesive of a healthy society. Therefore there can never be a society without standards that define behavior and conduct. A just society can only exist in line with a set of values that represent the ethical and moral values of the people. A society on the other hand is governed by a group of leaders through the institution of government (Kizza, 2010). Therefore, it is obvious that it is the role of the government to ensure that the society is just and orderly. This is what is referred to as social obligations of the government. In essence the government is a tool of the society. It is established by the society to govern it and enforce laws that are deemed to represent the wishes, values and convictions of the people. The governments social obligations are nothing but the functions of ensuring that ethical and moral standards are adhered to accordingly. This involves the task of ensuring that the laws set represent the ethical and moral values of the people. Conversely, the government needs to go beyond the institutional role of enforcing laws to more welfare operations. This is line with the fact that the law in itself is inefficient as far as ensuring the enforcement of ethical and moral obligations is concerned. Decision Making A critical look at the origin of government points at the true essence of the institution. Several theories outline the origin of politics or government. Nevertheless, the contract of social theory is much relevance to the governments decision making role. Under the social contract theory, members of the society came together and surrendered their freedoms in exchange for order. In order to achieve this objective, the people established a government which was to govern the state on their behalf. Among the principal roles given of this institution was that of making decisions on behalf of the people (Cremer 2009). Therefore the governments most significant role is that of decision making. The role of making a decision is supposed to be in line with the interests and values of the society. This underscores the big role played by the government in ensuring a just society for all. Therefore in making a decision the government plays an important part in enforcing ethical and moral standards. Apart from enforcing the law which is perceived as the will of the people, the government has the authority to make decision that affect the functioning of the society. Therefore in making these decisions the government ought to put ethical and moral obligations in prime focus. In this role the aspect of public trust emanates. The government has been given the public trust which must be reflected in every decision it makes. Therefore public officials must make decisions that not only promote ethics and morality but also represent the same. In making decisions the government needs to be guided by two principal aspects. First and foremost is respect of the law. The law is the supreme guarantor of morality, ethics and justice. Therefore due importance should be granted to the law in the process of making decisions. Decisions that are contrary to the provisions of the law should be discouraged. The law should be the common denominator of all government decisions. This will protect the people from leaders with evil intentions. Another critical aspect of consideration is that of ethical consideration beyond the law. This should be interpreted in a positive manner to mean that the law should be upheld in high esteem but should not be the end of ethics. Certain aspects of morality and ethics are not entrenched in the law but should be upheld in decision making. This regards appointments and other aspects of governance. This calls for integrity on the part of state officials in the discharge of their duties. Need For Appropriate Actions Leadership is a delicate affair which involves a lot of aspects. Since leadership involves the tasks of vision, direction and governance a lot of care must be made to ensure that ethical and moral; standards do not take a back seat. The government is bestowed with a daunting task of ensuring order and justice in the society. This is to be achieved through the enforcement of laws that represent the ethical and moral values of the society. This is also done through the making of legal and ethical decisions. The government therefore plays a primary role in the whole concept of ethics and morality. Through its actions, decisions and operations the government has a lot of impact on the functioning of the society. There is need for appropriate actions on the part of the government so as not to undermine ethics and morality (Kiel Lennick, 2007). Since the success of a society depends on the manner in which ethical standards are adhered to, the government officials ought to be careful in th eir actions so as to promote a just and orderly society. It is against this background that governments need to put several measures in place so as to ensure that the aspect of ethics and morality plays an important role in its functions. This will result in a justly moral and ethical society which is what will make life better for the people. As far as the governments role in achieving justice and order in society is concerned, a number of considerations are necessary. Caution must be exercised in the process discharging the functions of the government. State officers ought to conduct their activities in manner that does not undermine ethical and moral values. To start with, it will be necessary to vet people before appointment to such positions. This will ensure that all those who get these positions are people of integrity. This will go a long way in ensuring that the role of the government in guaranteeing ethics and justice is not undermined by the quality of personnel in its ranks. Suggestions The ethical and moral role of the government is instrumental in ensuring justice and order in the society. Therefore it is upon the officials in the government to ensure that their actions and activities go in line which fostering harmony among the people. This will be achieved if all the laws are enforced in line with the peoples ethical and moral values as envisaged in the law. On top of these, the decision making arm of the government must be fully used to enhance ethical and moral values in the society. It will be against the purpose of ethics should state officials make illegal and unethical decisions. Apart from that state officials must be men and women of integrity so as not to compromise the values of the society. In order to succeed in this endeavor it will be appropriate for the government to classify its moral obligations into two. These are institutional duties and the social responsibilities. The former refers to the use of laws and structures of governance to enforce total adherence to moral and ethical values. This will call for the enactment of laws that represent the ethical and moral values of the people (Fisher 2003). Through the law, the government will ensure that there is justice and order in the society. Those who break the law should be liable for punishment. These will dissuade offenders and make society orderly and harmonious. Social responsibilities refer to those roles that affirm ethical values in the cultural set up. Through this arm, the government will set up and fund several organizations and commissions to cultivate tolerance, orderliness and ethics among the society. This will call for equity and equality so that all sections of the society feels taken care of. On to p of this is the decision making role f the government. The government should use its authority to make decisions in promoting justice, order and ethics. Conclusion The government is the chief custodian of morality and ethical values in the society. It is the role of the government to ensure that moral and ethical standards are maintained in the society so as to assure order and justice. The political system gives government the sole responsibility of ensuring stability, harmony and conformity in the society. It is along this line that the government plays an immense role in guaranteeing ethical and moral values. This role can be performed in many ways. Most commonly the enforcement focuses on the enactment of laws that represent the cultural and ethical values of the people. These laws are enforced so as to ensure conformity. Those who break the law are liable to punishment in accordance to the law. Through exercising the provisions of the law, the government achieves its objective of creating a just and orderly society. However, since ethics and morality are relative terms, not all aspects of ethics and morality can be entrenched into the law. This poses a challenge to the governments role of fulfilling ethical obligations. Therefore, it vital for the government to come up with other means of achieving justice and orderliness through ethics. Through its social obligations the government enforces ethical and moral standards in the society. This can be through its decision making arm and also through the establishment and funding of agencies and organizations that cultivate a culture of ethical values. The government also guarantees ethical values by granting freedom to the people to exercise their spiritual and religious convictions. Moral and ethical as pects have spiritual and cultural connotations, therefore through equality and freedom the government ensures justice in the society. The government plays a central role in ensuring ethics and morality in the society.

Critical Reflection and Thinking on Clinical Supervision and Learning

Critical Reflection and Thinking on Clinical Supervision and Learning Introduction For the purpose of this essay the terms clinical supervisor and mentor will be used interchangeably as they are seen as essentially the same in this context. Classrooms and textbooks teach one to care for a patient whom many a time s/he will never really encounter as seldom is such a classic patient seen in reality. One ought to acknowledge that one needs to know the theory to be able to apply the practice when on the clinical area. The academic side of ones learning should not be underestimated by placing all the importance in the practical experiences one encounters. Nevertheless the intricacy of generating and putting ones knowledge into real life situations may only be understood through experiential practice. As Eraut (2009) stated learning in university does not provide the same learning contexts as the working environment. Nursing has historically acquired knowledge through various venues such as traditions, trial and error, research, intuition, role modelling and mentorship, reasoning and experience. Therefore experiential learning could well play an important part of the basis of genuine education if utilised and developed well. However as will be discussed in this assignment experiential learning alone at times is insufficient as a basis for education in the complexities of learning in practice, clinical supervisory roles and being a competent health professional. 1. learning in practice Eraut (2007) longitudinal study concluded that under the appropriate settings new recruits learned more on the job than through formal methods. There is a need for apt learning opportunities and a supportive environment to encourage and learning in the supervisee. The Experiential learning cycle described by Kolb (1984) integrates four elements: doing, reflecting, learning and applying that learning. The cycle then integrates four ways of knowing tacit knowledge which can be seen as the underpinning of doing in ones work. One knows automatically and continues to practice intuitively. Next is reflective knowledge which Mezirow (2000) describes as involving openly reflecting and critically reflecting on ones own practice. The last two are knowing that (propositional learning) which materializes from critical reflection and knowing how is the final segment of the Kolbs cycle where one finds competence. One may wonder whether the clinical workplace always enhances favourable conditions for experiential learning to present genuine education. 1.1 The Clinical workplace Glen (2009: pg 498) referring to the apprenticeship model that had been around since Florence Nightingale states that although the model entails structured supervision together with periods for reflection the outcome was more aimed at accomplishing the work tasks that on genuine reflection. The benefit of this model is that it provided newly qualified nurses that had achieved ample experience and seen as a skilful and experienced novice therefore one could see the basis of education from experiential learning in this model. However this model is no longer in use and may have been abandoned too early (Mc Cormack, Kitson, Harvey, Rycroft-Malone, Titchen and Seers 2001). Nowadays nurse education is run differently but one can still remember the concern in the hospital trained nurses when training for nurses went into university level. One of the main issues of concern was that nursing is a practice profession so why the need for extra knowledge to become a competent practitioner? Should nurses not be taught more in clinical practice and less in the classroom? Knowing and doing are not the same thing was voiced out many a time. This adds to the belief of many that learning in practice is the basis of education. The culture of the clinical practice will also have a vital influence on ones experiential learning outcome. The way things are done here (which could be in a positive or negative attitude) at either the clinical practitioners (individual) level or at the organisation level or both levels can effect ones successful end result (McCormack et al 2001). On the other hand numerous other factors such as, the organisation one works in, nurse shortages, working in high patient acuity, inadequate clinical facilities, patients having shorter lengths of stay, unwillingness by the nursing staff to provide clinical supervision and the a scarcity of nurses in the clinical area add to the challenge of obtaining genuine education through experience. Supervisees need to be armed with the necessary skills to analyse problems from varying perspectives. Experiential learning may present the basis of education if the right challenge is provided; that is within the level of the supervisees knowledge and therefore presenting a beneficial outcome. If not the experience may end up being overwhelming and rather than learning through reflecting on a situation it could result instead in utilising eventually ineffective coping methods. One has to exploit an experience through reflection in order to sort out, comprehend, give meaning and hence make appropriate and proactive use of it. Experiential learning thus needs to provide the possibility of developing reflective and other conveyable learning skills in order to promote the education supervisees need and to learn from the experience. 1.2 Critical reflection and thinking Hunt and Wainwright (1994, p.84) point out that: Regardless of the time spent in a particular area of practice, practices that are devoid of rationale for actions are purely task or procedure orientated and lack critical inquiry. Several authors have emphasized on the fact that reflection is requisite in bridging the theory and practice gap (Kolb, 1984, McCaugherty, 1992, Schà ¶n, 1987). Implementing theory into practice necessitates practitioners to critically reflect not only on ones own practice but also on the implications of ones interventions. The literature has moreover highlighted reflection as imperative when endeavouring to incorporate theory with practice (Meretoja, Eriksson Leino-Kilpi, 2002). Lisko and ODell (2010) acknowledged that nowadays working in such a complex clinical environment necessitates one to employ top notch critical thinking, they also add that to offer such experiences for one to learn from and to reflect on has become essential this can be achieved in the many different experiential learning opportunities one encounters. Therefore one notes that the nursing profession is inclining to acknowledge and encourage reflective practice and critical thinking and that it also offers education from experience for both supervisors and their supervisees. Baltimore (2004) highlights that since optimal patient outcomes will depend on nurses actions, nurses need to wholly comprehend a situation in order to critically think. Benner (1984) stresses that recording of practical experiences and reflecting on them is essential in the development and extension of theoretical knowledge. While Kolbs double knowledge theory (Kolb, 1984) depicts that one knows things by being able to do them in conjunction with thinking reflecting about them. One can perceive that it is accepted by the literature that reflection provides the opportunity to go over decisions taken and assess as well as evaluate ones learning in order to improve not only ones own practice but also whoever they supervise. Then again does one working climate with its time constraints enhance all this? Is it possible to perform reflective practice whenever needed (Westberg Jason, 2001)? Is reflection not a complex skill thats basis ought to be taught in the classroom too in order to be fulfilled in practice? Therefore can experiential learning alone provide the ability of how to reflect and even more critically reflect on ones experiences and ultimately gain knowledge from them? In cooperation with reflection comes along the need for feedback and coaching which are seen as important aspects in experiential learning while supervising; not only for the supervisee but also for the supervisor. 2. Clinical supervision Price (2004) highlights the reasons to why the role of a mentor has come into being, illuminating that the learners (supervisees) necessity to mature into a competent and confident qualified nurse and performing practice astuteness, good clinical skills, attitudes and clinical techniques are best acquired in the clinical practice environment. Being assigned to a clinical supervisor may provide the supervisee with opportunities that may not or cannot be portrayed in classrooms or textbooks. One may wonder about whether clinical supervisors have enough morale and positive attitudes left in them to want to carry on providing supervision in such hectic working environments and nurse shortages. Eraut et als (2007) study findings noted that designated mentors in nursing were either excellent in providing a sustenance or practically useless. Therefore is Deweys statement right in the latter situations? Will experiential learning provide competent practitioners in these situations? To become a good mentor/supervisor one reads tall lists about the characteristics required. Rowley (1999) offers a list of virtues a good mentor should hold including commitment towards mentoring and its values, acceptance of one mentees regardless of ones personal beliefs/likes/dislikes, effective teaching qualities, good communication skills with the capability to adapt to ones supervisees learning nature, and set the example of need to be a constant learner and being optimistic towards ones mentees/supervisees. Then Quinn (2007) describes the humanistic qualities necessary, such as understanding, being approachable, supportive and inclusive in addition to being positive towards learners and an excellent management approach to education values. Gray and Smith (2000) add a sense of humour to their list. Therefore one could conclude that the supervisor must consistently show high standards of personal conduct and an apt approach towards ones supervisees; with the belief that the supervisee will therefore take in and try to be like what they have seen as acceptable behaviour in the working place. However Gray and Smith (2000) study findings portray another long list of attitudes supervisors may display to their supervisees this time in the negative, to mention a few: delegating futile jobs, being of an unfriendly nature or worse still being unapproachable, showing lack of interest in their own job in addition towards the supervisee and even unpopular with the team they work within. Such supervisors certainly diminish the opportunity of transmitting education through experiential learning to any supervisee. Burnard (1998) had rightly pointed out that being under the wing of a qualified nurse does not necessarily equal to learning. Learning in practice may mean to some as just getting the job done and the issue of focusing on the learning needs of the student or new recruit are left in the shadow (Andrews Wallis, 1999) and therefore excluding the importance of applying and integrating ones knowledge (theory) to the clinical practice. Even worse, this hinders Deweys belief of experience being the basis of all education. Having the ability to organize the delivery of care in sync with ones teaching and assessing responsibilities, maybe a prerequisite for a supervisor/mentor however as one notices from the literature is no easy task. On the other hand one must keep in mind that just as the newcomers may feel unsafe to practice because they lack knowledge so do some of the senior staff; some people are not capable (or find it extremely difficult) of learning, changing or moving on (Eraut, 2002). Clinical supervisors as all humans differ in how they present their significant attributes and may need to develop and improve their qualities. This will also provide the assistance needed in favour of experiential learning as a basis to education. Identifying and working on these key qualities should assist one in enriching ones supervisees learning environment. Then again the supervisee may also pick up the mal-practices of the supervisor, leaving one with the dilemma of who should be providing clinical supervision? Who can provide Deweys belief in of education through experience? 3. Expertise and Evidence Based Practice Nurses clinical expertise is presumed to be an important factor related to quality of care in the clinical practice. Expert practitioners are seen as fundamental in the process of the training and the professional development of supervisees in addition to the efficient everyday functioning of a clinical area. Therefore it is necessary to articulate what are the particular prerequisites of ones area of practice in order to provide beneficial experiential learning opportunities to ones supervisees. Through expert practice the experts share experience, knowledge and skills in the course of teaching and mentoring not only students and colleagues but also patients and their families; which are or should be an everyday practice to clinical supervisors, and therefore contributing to offering an expert practice and better service to meet the patients needs. Excellence in health care is vital, as excellence applies to continuing learning and research that will augment and further develop nurses in their profession and give a boost to the nursing practices (Castell, 2008). Nowadays lifelong learning and research in nursing practices are acknowledged as prerequisites in order to maintain and move forward nursing competence (Avis Freshwater, 2006; Westberg Jason, 2000). Therefore even if experiential learning is an important basis of learning in practice and is the how, what, why and when all gathered together there still remains the prerequisite of up to date evidence based knowledge/practice. Avis and Freshwater (2006) state that Evidenced based practice EBP is perceived as a significant concept in competent professional nursing practice and is measured by ones ability to integrate EBP in the care on is to provide. EBP is acknowledged as an indispensable factor of nursing competence. But is EBP giving too much importance to scientific evidence and thus underrating the role of individual nursing expertise and its clinical judgement (Hardy, Garbett, Titchen Manley 2002)? Supervisees need clinical supervisors with the apt level knowledge, skills and training not only in their practice but also in their teaching/learning approach and environment in order to enhance and smooth the supervisees individual progress and education. 4. The learning environment learner centeredness Another aspect literature has shown is that clinical supervisors should move on to the importance of providing a learner approach rather than the more customarily utilised teaching approach. Through a learner centred approach one will in addition need to inspire a sense of curiosity that will drive the supervisee to absorb everything s/he can see or hear or read about nursing in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of his/her eventual competent practice. This will necessitate the supervisor to have the supervisees needs at the hub of the activities being performed not an easy task within clinical areas and their always increasing workloads and the time factors of a clinical environment (Waldock 2010). Learners obtain knowledge from experience which they then incorporate into their own system of concepts; and thus the reason why one should emphasise on the importance of the supervisees active share in learning. Supervisees in order to learn from their experiences have the responsibility to discover their own clinical educational needs through their personal agency and find ways how they may retrieve these clinical needs; which may be through their supervisors or others in the clinical area that may provide assistance (Eraut 2008). One must provide a meaningful experience for the supervisee which ends product will be what the supervisee will perceive to be relevant to their learning needs (Wlodowski 1999). Learning centeredness is seen as being beneficial to the supervisee as it will also provide opportunities that may not be encountered during formal teaching environments (McKimm and Jolie 2003). Therefore emphasizing on the notion that experiential can offer the basis to education especially if one notes that basically everything that happens in the clinical area; be it at a clients bedside, in a clinic, ward or operating theatre and the likes, can provide a learning opportunity. The supervisor must however focus on the supervisees learning needs and by working together, given that this is a two-way interaction, s/he will gain the knowledge and abilities required and therefore enhance his/her knowledge. As a consequence this may provide experience as a basis to education. Providing a learning centeredness environment can provide the opportunity for the supervisee to work in conjunction with their supervisor and at the same time presenting the opportunity for the supervisee to not only be involved in the activities but also to learn new skills, techniques, perceptions, to acknowledge the variety of knowledge and expertise others behold and to even witness tacit knowledge. 4.1 Tacit knowledge Observing provides the opportunity to understand quicker and therefore requiring briefer explaining. Another benefit of this attitude of learning through observation and discussion is that it can demonstrate the tacit knowledge a supervisor holds on everyday and intuitive and instinctive decisions that are difficult to explain (Eraut 2009). Epstein Hundert (2002) recognise tactical knowledge as intuition and pattern recognition they continue to add that intuition plays a part in acquiring competent practice. Epstein et als study in addition revealed that doctors now believe that their competence is reliant also on tactical knowledge a fact that nurses have valued for a long time and believe that competence is not only based on explicit knowledge but also tactical knowledge. Certain skills cannot be disseminated by formal teaching alone. Skills are as a result defined in terms of knowing how to do things, an example being Polanyis (1958) Balance Principle which could apply to nursing skills where the novice will watch and then practice. Hence the importance of learning methods 4.2 Learning methods Providing the right learning method is so complex. From the literature one notices that there is no perfect recipe to learning theories. A clinical supervisor teaching supervisees in the clinical setting has a major impact on those supervisees outcome performance. The supervisors methods may have the influence to enhance and facilitate the supervisees learning and accommodate new learning in clinical practice or else to curb the supervisees ability to apply knowledge and skills. Frankel (2009) points out that the premise to clinical learning methods may be ineffective if they are not tailored to the supervisees learning style and continues to highlight that learning methods vary to the individual and thus the importance in providing the most fitting for that individual to learn appropriately. Everyone has some particular favoured method of collaborating with and processing knowledge. This is one of the reasons why one may agree to Eraut (2002) argument that one should not concentrate on which learning theory is right or wrong but on the contrary one should give importance on how to obtain maximum benefit during the learning process. One could add the maximum benefit in order to provide from competent practitioners. The supervisees may be at different levels in their course or novices to certain areas of their workplace and thus learning from experience should not be presented or provided as a one size fits all situation (Quinn 2007). When providing experiential learning as a basis to clinical learning the clinical supervisor has to take into consideration the supervisees previously gained skills and knowledge and also the expectations they may have brought along. As it has been observed there is no strict recipe to stick to in order to produce a right teaching/learning strategy. Together with theoretical education and once one has found a suitable environment, the right strategy for both the supervisee and one that the competent supervisor is apt at carrying out, what is left is both the supervisees and supervisors self motivation to learning, their sense of curiosity and inquisitive minds, willingness to not only knowing more but also to change (Khomeiran, Yekta, Kiger, Ahmadi 2006). 5. Competence It is indispensable that clinical supervisors employ well-established clinical skills and a high standard of competent nursing practice that will sustain effective facilitation of student learning (Gaberson Oerman, 2007). Rutkowski (2007, p.37) describes assessing competency as complicated and being based on direct observations as well as entailing ones opinion of values, which are subjective and hold personal beliefs which may vary from one to another. For experience to be the basis of education one must understand what competency really is and what it signifies. When one thinks of all the controversies on competence one may find it complex to agree that experience alone can provide competent practitioners. Conclusion Although experiential learning may definitely have its importance in providing a basis for education one comes to the conclusion that so do theoretical learning and personal traits of both the supervisor and supervisee. These are indispensable factors to learning in addition to motivation, curiosity, an inquisitive mind and the drive to keep on learning. To know and not to act is not to know. Experiential learning is both transformational and transmissional; it provides changes in ones attitude and behaviour and should not be seen as only as the shift of ideas or knowledge. The practical and academic sides of the supervisor and supervisee are both important. The academic side provides knowledge, broadens ones horizons and tests ones manner of thinking. Experiential and academic learning compliment each other thus the skills gained from both learning styles should bring into being a safe, competent and knowledgeable practitioner and all this may assist Deweys belief of experiential learning being the basis of education.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

American Music at the Turn of the 20th Century Essay -- Art Music Hist

To understand whether an ‘American’ music emerged out of traditions in the turn of the 20th century, we need to focus on the term ‘American’ and what musical genres fall under that category. For one, America, in a cultural sense, is seen as one huge ‘melting pot’, an amalgamation of cultures, ethnic traditions, beliefs and styles of music. It is very difficult to label one genre under the category of American music, as a vast amount of styles, in historical terms, have come about from a mixture of styles such as Jazz and Country music. Influences from a variety of ethnic backgrounds provided the chance for the growth and commercialism of genres and made them more mainstream. With the focus being on jazz and Country, it is made clear that these genres came from an array of ethnic traditions formed from their birthplace regions. The idea of music in America being diverse can identify genres as indeed American and that indeed an American music emer ged from traditions that entered the twentieth century. Ethnically, blacks can be credited as emerging the Jazz traditions from Blues roots and other sub-genres such as ragtime, but on a regional front, despite New Orleans being the birthplace of Jazz, it wasn’t made popular and in my opinion, American, until it spread into other cities, thanks to White musicians and composers. When exploring Jazz music, it is essential to explore its roots in Blues Music. Derived from the regional traditions of the south and ethnic traditions surrounding the slaving culture of the 1800s, Blues music can be traced back to the Mississippi Delta plantations and industries that demanded heavy manual labour for Blacks (Crawford, 2001b, 557). The blues inspired jazz at the end of the nineteenth century and i... ...aditions, primarily from the south, created a musical diversity and with that, an American music. Works Cited Candelaria, L. & Kingman, D., 2007. American Music: A Panorama, Third Concise Edition, California, Clark Baxter, Thomson-Schirmer Crawford, R., 2001a. America’s Musical Life: A History, New York, W. W. Norton & Company Inc. Crawford, R., 2001b. An Introduction to America’s Music, New York, W. W. Norton & Company Inc. Ferris, J., [1990] 2006. America’s Musical Landscape, Fifth Edition, New York, McGraw-Hill Malone, B. C., [1968] 2000. Country Music USA: Revised, Texas, University of Texas Mauk, D. & Oakland, J., [1995] 2009, American Civilisation: An Introduction, Fifth Edition, New York, Routledge Taylor, F. J. 2005. â€Å"Black Music and Musicians in the Nineteenth Century† in The Western Journal of Black Studies, 29.3 (2005), 615-620

Friday, July 19, 2019

Total Quality Management Essay -- essays research papers fc

Total Quality Management Total Quality Management Total Quality Management is a strategic system involving teamwork, which is essential to the success of all businesses. This process has been developed and strengthened over several decades. This has caused businesses to work together to improve their knowledge of recent technology and approaches to training. Total Quality Management helps to competitively meet the demands of customers’ by bringing organizations together with management enabling professionals to improve customer quality. Total Quality Management was developed not long after World War II. The United States occupation force’s was aiding Japan to help them develop quality systems to resolve problems concerning the telephone system. W. Edwards Deming and JM Juran were businessmen who were deeply concerned with the issues occurring in Japan. These businessmen eventually brought Total Quality Management to the United States although it was initially limited to munitions and telecommunications. It was a method of sorting out defective products from good products by careful inspection through a production line. (http://tqms.com/). Philip B. Crosby is a businessman who consistently emphasizes the importance of total quality Management through his numerous speeches. He solely believed in carefulness and doing things right the first time in order to prevent errors. Crosby thought it would be a greater loss of sales and money to neglect problems. He strongly believe...

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Present Proposals for Improvements to customer service Essay

Introduction: In this assignment I will research a business through either the Internet or visiting the actual location and describe what type of customer service does that business have. I will pass judgement by listing all the facilities that the business has installed to facilitate and benefit their customers. I will base my research on the Legoland theme park in Windsor as it has a lot of factors to talk about in my assignment and will prove quite interesting in my understanding in what good customer service is. For task 2 I will describe the Acts of Parliament that protects customers and relate each Act according to how it will affect an customer at Legoland. I will then take another business and I will observe all the factors that has been asked of me to do, such as make notes like the â€Å"friendliness that the business makes to its customers† to questions like â€Å"What are the conditions of hygiene to the customers†, all of which will be taken in to account into an overall conclusion to how that business gives satisfaction to customer service. I will visit Mc Donald’s in Hounslow, being as its a very busy environment it will test their behaviour to all the elements that could effect their service and observe how they deal in those predicaments. I will then interpretative my opinion on how Mc Donald’s could improve there business through an oral presentation. Read more:  Advantages of Off The Job Training For task 5 I will obtain information on how an organisation monitor customer service and explain on how Legoland would take out to improve and increase sales for the long term future. Task 1 and Introduction to Legoland I have chosen to visit Legoland Windsor as my organisation, Legoland has 150 acres of wooded landscape. It is set on a beautiful site, nine million families within our target age range. The lego group was founded in 1932 by â€Å"Ole Kirk Chitarisen who started life as a carpenter. today Lego is consistently the only European toy manufacturer in the worlds top ten best sellers list. The Lego group is always being innovative. Manufacturing new designs and different techniques of satisfying children’s fundamental needs. The lego group is still a family owned business. Around 1.2 – 1.4 million people visits Legoland per year. It has all a child aged 2-12 needs. It is near to main motorways and there are several means of access to Legoland. There are many advantages, for example the effect on the local economy. I am visiting Legoland in order to investigate how the business treats its internal and external customers and what methods they have to solve customer complaints. External customers are people that buy or visits. They are private individuals and businesses Legolands main external customers are families, grandparents with children, children from school trips and foreigners. There are 12 – 14 million visitors every year. It is a great idea for parents to take their children to Legoland as it meets their needs. Legoland has five themed activity areas with forty interactive notes and is full of fun for children aged 2 -12. The services that Legoland offer to its customers. * Toilet facilities: Children always need to go to the toilet nearly each hour of the day therefore , there should be a sufficient amount of toilets around the site. * Baby care Centres: This area is a private area for mothers to changed their baby or to breastfeed. It is ideal for mothers as it is convenient and they can rely on them in case of a emergency. * Lockers: Legoland offers lockers to the public as it saves them carrying their luggage around and they know that it is safe. They are non-refundable coin operated lockers . There are a high amount of lockers provided. * Pushchairs and wheelchairs hire: Both pushchairs & wheelchairs can be hired from Legoland. They have a charge but is fair. To make pushchairs & wheelchairs give more access Legoland have provided slopes instead of steps and wide gaps for access in the attractions. For example freestyle workshop. * Public telephone: There are public telephone located on the mini map. This is very pleasing as not everyone has mobile phones. This may be ideal for parents making calls to a taxi firm or friend to pick them up. * First Aid: There is only are first aid centre on the map. This is unpleasant as first aid centres are vital as children may cause injury to themselves and need assistance promptly. * Lost Parents: There are two lost parents sites located. This is a vital need as children need to know where they are and how far they are. A child may get lost and will not know what to do. Normally if a child appears at a lost parents centre, they announce it on speakers around the site giving a full description of a lost child. * Automatic cash machines; There is one cash machine on site. This is useful as parents do not have to visit banks to withdraw cash. Parents would not have to worry if they run out of money. * Restaurants and cafes: There are eight restaurants & cafes in Legoland. This is pleasing as parents and children will have the benefit of eating when they are ready. They would not have to walk far to find a restaurant. The internal customers of Legoland are the employees, support staff and those who work within the organisation. Their needs would be: * A pleasant environment to work in: The employees would require an environment in which it is clean, safe and suitable. * An average salary: All employee want to earn a sufficient amount of money, so they can purchase more goods/services, or of a higher quality of goods or services. Their salary must be able to cover for their own running costs, food and needs. * Uniform: Some jobs require the employees to wear a uniform. The employees would have to wear the uniform as it is presentable and is a form of advertising. It pleases customers & alerts them that the employees are available. * Changing area: Employees need an area in which they can change their clothes into their uniform. Their has to be a male/female changing room. This is convenient for the employees, as they will not have to wear their to and from work. * Lockers: Employees need locker to store their valuables and to reduce the risk of theft. The employees feel a little safer as they know their goods are store somewhere safe. * Toilets: Staff need toilet facilities as this is a basic need. * Car park: Staff who drive need to know where they can park their vechiles without worrying. In some staff car – parks, only the staff have an entrance to it. Business communication Oral. An event when I spoke to an member of staff at Legoland was: 1) At the main entrance, I went to guest services to ask on some more information on Legoland and perhaps that they might have a student information pack, they replied and gladly and gave me a booklet on all the information on the Legoland Corporation. My opinion of the customer service of Legoland. During my visit to Mc Donald I discovered that many of staff were exhausted, unhelpful and bored. There were not many members of the public as the weather was unpleasant. Due to the poor weather, most of the attractions and shops were closed I went on a few attractions to test the staff’s reaction. For example, we went on a ride called â€Å"the ferrous wheel†. The woman working there was being very sarcastic as the ride was for all ages but aimed at younger children but still didn’t give her the right to tell me and the people I’m with â€Å"I hope you not come back†. We went on another ride called â€Å"casserole†. The man who was supervising the ride who was opposite us and phoned the person on the other side of the path and they both started laughing and making jokes, which quite rude and uncomfortable The procedures Legoland adapt to handling customer complaints are. * Listening to the customers complaints. * Try to assess the situation. * Let the customer fill in a customer complaint form * Reassure the customer saying sorry and it will not happen again An situation where a complaint was proceeded. A man came into a restaurant to purchase a cup of coffee for 85p. He begins to drink and realises that the coffee has gone cold. He goes to the server and tells him that his coffee that he just purchased has been cold when he bought it. The server Written communication I got this leaflet from a library. It has all the information the public need to know about Legoland. It has six different languages for everyone’s needs, it gives the statistic information, opening times, advance booking, season passes and where how to get there. It is a very vibrant and bold leaflet. This leaflet is all you need to know about Legoland. It has a big and colourful writing for children to read and uses words like â€Å"excitement†, â€Å"hours of fun† â€Å"nothing better†. These words are emphasised many times to make Legoland sound fun and interesting. Legoland manufactures many leaflets in order to persuade little children and parents to visit. LEAFET * Here in a leaflet, I got from the front desk It tells the public when the opening times are for certain attractions. The second Leaflet is a addition feature that Legoland have added as their last and closing days to their seasonal year. It is shown in a very bright and vibrant layout with space Legoland character shooting a space war over the miniature site attraction. It would attract people into to going to this event but the thing that would put people off is the times that the fireworks will be displayed which is the late evening so some people might need to leave, so they have to miss that event, if it was some other special event that can proceed in the day then the turn out could be large. N/A N/A These are the four acts which protect customers 1)Consumer protection Act 1987 This act states that all goods brought should be safe to use, and prices should not be displayed in a misleading way. Legoland would have to abide by these rules. For example, the price of goods should not be displayed in a confusing way. The price should be bold so customers can clearly see and understand them. 2) Sales of goods act 1979 This law declares that goods should be: * Merchantable quality (Fit to sell, have no faults or damages) * Fit for their purpose (suitable for the purpose for which they are sold) * As describe (must match description given) For example, at Legoland the goods sold should have no faults or damages. If a women purchases a key ring and discovers that there is a crack in the glass that contains a picture of Legoland, she can take it back either to received a refund or exchange, Legoland may lose customer loyalty through damaged goods so they must maintain high quality products. 3) Trades Description Act 1963. The code conveys that traders must give an accurate description of their goods & services. Legoland must show clearly their goods & services they sell. For example, In the leaflets it describes the goods it sells. 4) Health and safety at work Act 1974 This act states that External customers can sue if they: * get injured because he/she sold a faulty product * suffer financial lost/distress, because of poor workmanship, professional negligence * Injure themselves because lack of care by an employee due to unsafe fittings. For Example, a customer walks into Burger king and slips over and breaks his arm. There were no signs of safety to alert the customer. The customer can sue the business for this. Task 4 Intro: In this part of the assignment I am going to observes the customer service at McDonald. This requires me to purchase something from the fast food chain and take in all the details which will help me explain what are my thought on the overall service of that particular restaurant. ________________________________________________________________ During my visit to a well known restaurant I discovered that many of staff treated their customers very well. I went into a restaurant called â€Å"McDonald†. The service was satisfactory as they treated me in a good manner. There were limited amounts of food to choose from. They had a chicken burger, chicken nuggets, beefburgers & chips, all in total of 6 meals to choose from. I thought there would be more of a variety to choose from. I paid 79p for a medium portion of chips. its was not filling at all, whereas if I went to a general fish and chip shop the portions that they give for 79p is quite handsome and leaves you quite full. The time it took to order an potion of chips was very quick as it was almost instant. It took almost for the cashier at Mc Donald’s to despense the money I gave her in order to give me my order about 40secs, which was very impressive. I was in a long queue to test the amount of time it took to place my order. It took 3 mins to place my order in a queue with 7 people ahead of me. The hygiene of the restaurant was only satisfactory as the place was over crowded and I think due to the poor weather conditions most staff were ill and tired to meet the standards of cleanliness required by the Health and Safety Act to their customers. Despite the hygienic of the restaurant the ergonomics of the seats and tables and all other design features to the chain restaurant is in general quite good. For a family of four could easily seat together in a booth that is to assist a number of people at once to sit. The tables is on average in the right height to eat, and the seats just complement the table with the right height. The only disadvantage to the comfort to the seats is that its 100% plastic and that can be quite uncomfortable if sat down for a long time, but due to the constant redesigning to the restaurants it may just be a costing objective. In overall comfort to the restaurant is very welcoming and due to the winter they have set the climate to a comfortable temperature. The hygiene of the lavatories was at a high standard. No matter how busy it is, Mc Donald’s always maintained the lavatories clean and the all the way into the mensroom neat. The floors are always mopeds and the cubicles are always smelling fresh. The access for the disabled people is just satisfactory. As I walked in I noticed instant that the space between the tray and bin stand and the parallel table was quite close together, and if I just squeezed through a person going the other direction then someone in a wheelchair is going to have a frustrating time getting to order and finally having a place to eat in McDonalds. There is a disabled toilet which is at a very good standard, so Mc Donald’s are to facilitate disabled people but there ideas would need to have concerns on how they are meant to get in their restaurant. Mc Donald’s have always been concern for the environment. From when a customer opens there boxed burger to reading the sheet that covers the tray, Mc Donald’s always mentions and expresses that all there packaging and wrapping is produced from recycled paper and other materials. The majority of the disposable rubbish is always mention to be recycled too. The surrounding environment to Mc Donald’s is clean and members of staff take shifts into picking up any other rubbish that surrounds Mc Donald’s. The bins around the restaurant are always being replaced with an empty black bag, and on the outside of the restaurant which is the front, is a bin which is always being monitored by the staff. The safety of the restaurant was excellent as they had taken all precautions to prevent accidents from occurring. For example a sign symbolising that theirs a wet floor was put up, this was to reduce the risk of injury. The improvements that Mc Donald’s need to take in to action are: The three improvements to customer service that I have chosen are: a) Friendliness b) Availabilty of Goods and services a) Friendliness When I went into Mc’Donalds the staff did greeted me nice but in self forcefully way. As I ordered my fries the cashier almost shouted and said â€Å"Is that all† I quietly replied â€Å"no that would be fine†. Then when I received my order She said â€Å"Thank you enjoy your meal† even when I ordered a portion of fries and in the way she said it was in a insincere way. The way that the staff at Mc Donald’s could improve its courtesy to their customer would be to hire more cashiers and give them a longer break as on the day I went to the restaurant it was a very busy day and the amount of customers and stress combined can did lead to satisfactory behaviour. b) Availability of goods. From time to time McDonalds do have a wider variety of extra value meals but only for limited time period such as the new Chinese themed meals. As in a any other working day you would go into have lunch at their restaurants you would find yourself limited amounts of foods to choose and soon enough you would become fed up of eaten the same thing time and time again. Mc Donald’s could improve this by introducing more different extra value meals and fixing them into the ordering system in the restaurant so they become a regular fixture. How businesses monitor customer satisfaction Legoland monitor the number of customers by looking at their level of sales. If their sales are low, this means that the numbers of customer’s visits are low. This may be due to high price unhelpful or rude staff or validity of goods/services. Legoland monitors the level of sales by seeing if the sales have increased. This means that more customers are buying more. If the sales are rising this may indicate that customers that customers are happy with the service or find the goods at a reasonable price. Legoland monitor feedback by asking their customers to fill a form on their service. If a customer went into a shop to purchase a magazine and was unable to find it, he/she says thank you. This is a method of feedback as the customers was happy with their good/service. Some businesses issue surveys to their customers because then they can detect if people are happy with their good/service. Legoland monitor repeats business by checking the name and address of a person and how many times his names appears. For example a man buys a jumper on credit card. It shows the name and address. Another day, the same man returns and purchases a jacket, his name will appear again. Therefore the company can conclude that this is a frequent customer.