The Importance of Expression Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Expression Essay â€Å"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind†(Mill). This quote, by John Stuart Mill, is a quote that I originally disagreed with. Before reading the essay, I thought on all of the different examples in which the silencing of a certain opinion can be beneficial to the masses. A particular example that still sticks out to me is the silencing of the Westboro Baptist Church, a prolific hate group known for speaking out against marine funerals and picketing tragedies such as the Sandy Hook Massacre. How could such a volatile group of hate mongers possibly have any right to such opinions? But after reading a few different essays on the subject, and applying the opinions and logic of the authors into my daily life and other real world situations, I came to the conclusion that all ideas and opinions should be openly debated, respected, and tolerated regardless of how society views the subject matter, so as to enlighten and instill progress in mankind. In modern times, I have frequently noticed how quick people are to jump down the throats of those who do not share their similar opinion. A good example of this is the group of people I hang out with, who are all extremely liberal. As soon as I would make any commentary against certain controversial subjects, such as Affirmative Action and abortion, my friends would immediately disagree with everything I say. Instead of using proper etiquette in their arguments, they digress to sarcasm, name calling, and bias. To them, silencing my opinion is more important than enlightening me, and even if their intentions were to do so, the overly aggressive way in which they argue is extremely counterproductive. It was almost as if they viewed me as immoral person simply because I did not agree with them on certain things. Not only is this mentality prevalent in small social groups, but across the world people are being jailed for having beliefs that contradict with the beliefs of the general public, and this is happening not only in countries that deny their citizens freedom of speech. In Sweden, four men were arrested for handing out leaflets that called homosexuality â€Å"deviant† and â€Å"morally destructive† (William). In England, a man was arrested for displaying in his window a 9/11 poster proclaiming â€Å"Islam out of Britain,† (William) and in France a man was arrested for writing an article debunking the plausibility of poison gas technology in Nazi concentration camps (William). It seems that, ironically, the more politically correct the world becomes, the more intolerant it is towards unfavorable opinions. The first point I have learned and applied to my life is temperance in arguments. In many cases, opinions are withheld because of the fear of verbal abuse, sarcasm, personal attacks, and extreme bias. Temperance is very important when arguing with another person, as well as a certain level of etiquette. The worst and most demeaning thing a person can do is stigmatize there opponent as an immoral person just because they don’t agree with them. Attacking someone you don’t agree with in this way may not be the same as taking legal action to silence them, but it is still a silencing technique none the less and is just as immoral. When you stifle one opinion in favor of another, no matter how ridiculous of an opinion it is, and no matter how certain you are that you are correct in your views, the supported opinion loses nearly all inherent meaning; it is passed to future generations who accept it simply because there is nothing else to accept. Not only are no arguments made against the doctrine, but no arguments are made in favor of it either. Overtime, people forget the beliefs meaning, its semantics are lost, and it becomes nothing more than a collection of fixed forms. An opinion is like a hypothesis; it is based on some fact, but must be tested repeatedly to see if it can be proven true. An idea that is not argued frequently and passionately loses its meaning, and people become apathetic to its cause. Another reason all opinions should be openly debated is that, although popular opinion on intangible subjects often contain most of the truth, rarely, if ever, do they contain the absolute truth. Sometimes a coalition of two opposing ideas can lead to a compromise that contains a more absolute truth. To accept that an opinion is false simply because everyone tells you so is complete ignorance, the same can be said about silencing an opinion. To silence an opinion is to assume that said opinion is infallibly false. Any person, group, or organization that claims to know such an infallible truth is ignorant indeed, because to proclaim an absolute truth, you must prove that the truth can be applied to every single situation regardless of context. To my knowledge, anything that is claimed to be an absolute truth, that cannot be physically tested, cannot be proven. For example, one may argue that â€Å"racial discrimination is wrong† is an infallible truth. Well I could argue that, in some religions, such as Rastafarianism, only allow people of a certain color, in this case African American, to join their religion. Would this make all Rastafarians who agree with this morally wrong? These is an example in which an unpopular opinion, â€Å"racial discrimination is not morally wrong† can be bogged down by social stigmas perpetrated by the media, but still contain a portion of the truth. Even though, in general, such a statement can be perceived as negative and immoral, its flaws do not outweigh the portion of truth contained within it enough to justify condemnation. A common complaint against my points would be the viewpoint on morality. In my essay I have defended every opinion that would usually be regarded as immoral. It would be wrong to say, though, that I am defending the actual meanings of these opinions, I am certainly not a racist bigot, but I am defending the right of people to have these opinions. So, why should hate groups, such as the Westboro Baptist Church, have the right to preach against so many principles that I hold dear? Through the readings of various essays in my HMXP book, I have learned that it is because of temperance. Without temperance, I am just as bad as the Westboro Baptist Church, when I chastise the arguments of my peers without having an open mind, I am just as bad as the media in today’s society, and when I try to silence others who are trying to voice their opinions, in a way I am just as bad as the governments in Europe who are preventing people from speaking their minds. If I can make an effort to change my ways, and make an effort to become less ignorant and open minded, even towards things that seem ludicrous or inane, not only will I be able to strengthen my beliefs, but I may also exchange old beliefs for new, more credible ones. All in all, if everyone in the world respected one another’s opinions, tolerated each other’s beliefs, and openly debated issues with a certain level of temperance, then the world would advance both morally and intellectually.

PESTEL Analysis of China and the UAE

PESTEL Analysis of China and the UAE UAE Economy Introduction The economic development of the UAE and China make these developing nations excellent choices for overseas expansion, globalization and foreign direct investment (FDI). Globalization of developing nations strengthens their economies and global distribution channels. The UAE is now considered one of the wealthiest and fastest developing nations worldwide. China is fast becoming an economic leader and manufacturer in the world, famous for its cheap labor factory workers. The UAE’s wealthy economy has been increasing at a rapid pace due to its real estate boom attracting huge FDI. China has eliminated many of its trade barriers and now has an open free trade economy that appeals to many global nations seeking new target markets and consumers for their products. Both the UAE and China are quickly becoming significant growth economies that attract global FDI from countries all over the world wanting to expand and find new import/export partners for their goods. UAE PEST Analysis (P)olitical The UAE Government is made up of a Federation of the seven Emirates ruled by President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi. The UAE government is very supportive of their free trade open society and encourages FDI and globalization. The court system is still being established since its rulings are not always enforceable due to the large foreign population. The legal regulations are similar to the western world and becoming stricter each year (Ahmed, 2007, 1-2). (E)conomic The UAE population consists of three million people and 60% of them are in the workforce. The UAE population growth rate is currently 9.4%, with only 13% of UAE Nationals making up the workforce and 87% foreigner expatriates taking over the Emirates market. With such a large expatriate workforce (87%) entering UAE due to the real estate development and investments in the region. The UAE GDP increased by 15% to 450 billion dirhams in 2007, and the economy grew even faster at a pace of 16.7%. Its GDP real growth rate is 10%, and it shows $99 billion in oil revenues, and $121 billion in non-oil revenues. The UAE exports equal $48 billion with partners in Korea, Singapore, India, Thailand and Japan. The oil and gas exports equal $75 billion. The UAE imports equal $30 billion of manufactured goods, transportation equipment, animals and food products from the UK, USA, Europe and Japan. The primary language is English, however, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Tonga and Russian are also common. The dominant religion in the country is Islam, however, there are also many Christians in the nation. The minorities include the local UAE Nationals, Russians, Chinese and westerners, while Indians are the dominant nationality. The minorities’ religious rights are respected by the majority. It is a very multicultural society and Hofesteds cultural dimensions framework can be used to describe the culture of the country. UAE is showing high economic growth that is attracting new foreign investors, which helps to generate more revenues and demand for the real estate sector (20%) (Ahmed, 20 07, 1-3). The level of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the economy is very high, with the majority of it going into real estate development and trade. The primary suppliers of FDI to the country include Europe, the USA, UK and Russia. Globalization has greatly improved the situation in UAE by bringing in thousands of products, services and workers from all over the world which has helped to develop the economy worldwide. The UAE legal system is honest and fair for local citizens. Foreign firms operating in the country do not face any political risk. The UAE belongs to the GCC regional trade bloc and has been a member of the WTO, World Bank and the IMF for almost seven years. The country’s huge wealth has resulted in not needing to borrow funds from the World Bank or the IMF. The UAE has experienced a balance of payments trade surplus in the past year of over 100 billion dirhams, due to the construction and real estate markets. Its official reserves account has increased by over 50 bi llion in the past year. The countrys currency is called dirhams and its value relative to the dollar is 3.67, and 3.98 to the euro. The currencys value has increased a bit in the past five years relative to the dollar and the euro because it is relying on a fixed exchange rate policy. The has no trade barriers to imported goods because they are encouraging all products to be imported and exported from the UAE since it re-exports 75% of its imports for profit (Ahmed, 2007, 1-3). (S)ociocultural UAE citizens have a very high standard of living, western lifestyle, and their financial positions have continuously increased over time. This has allowed for a very materialistic high society with lots of money to purchase houses, cars and other material items. The society is open and free with all types of hotels, restaurants, tourism, recreational activities and sports. The multicultural nature of the country allows for many foreigners to go there to work in well-paying positions. An overall country analysis shows the future trends of development and expansion that the UAE is undergoing will lead to an estimated 4.8 million people living there by the year 2010 (Cateora, 2007, 68). (T)echnological The UAE region is composed of a large population of very young professionals who are extremely technologically-knowledgeable. The IT industry relates to the tourism, hotel, computer and IT service sectors. The number of Internet users in the GCC region has increased ten-fold since 1998. The Internet and IT software solutions industries in the Gulf region have doubled the rate of Europe. Estimates of personal computer sales in the GCC show about 12% growth in the quantity of units sold by 2003, compared to the global growth of 8%. The UAE has the most satellite, Internet and mobile phone users in the Middle East (Cateora, 2007, 68-69). China External Environmental Analysis: Pest Analysis (P)olitical The People’s Republic of China’s current political system is Communism, with the capital city being Beijing. There are 23 different provinces (including Taiwan) and five separate regions in China. Their independence day was 221 BC under the Ch’in Dynasty, January 1, 1912 under the Manchu Dynasty, and October 1, 1949 when the People’s Republic was formed, which is their national holiday. The Chinese constitution was created on December 4, 1982, and their legal system involves a very complicated set of cultural statutes and customs for criminal law. The government is trying to upgrade the commercial laws to adapt to the new needs required due to an increase in foreign trade (Forsyth, 2004, 35-38). (E)conomic China’s population is 1.3 billion people, 22.3% aged 0-14, 70.3% aged 15-64, and 7.5 aged 65 and over. China’s GDP is $6.449 trillion, with the GDP real growth rate at 9.1%, and GDP per capita at $5,000. The GDP by sector is 14.8% for agriculture, 52.9% for industry, and 32.2% for services. Investments make up 43.4% of the GDP in China. However, the Chinese population has 10% of its people living in poverty, with the lowest 10% equaling 2.4% of the household income, and the highest 10% equaling 30.4%. The inflation rate is 1.2%, labor force 778.1 million, unemployment rate 101%, and budget for revenues at $265.8 billion, with expenditures at $300.2 billion. The labor force includes 50% in agriculture, 22% in industry, and 28% in services. Over 75% of all toys sold in the US are made in China and it controls almost 25% of the globe’s foreign currency reserves. As for per capita income, China has 6% growth (Fouquin, 1998, 105-108). Agriculture and industry are the major markets in China, especially in larger cities like Hong Kong and Shangai, where there is a lot of foreign investment. The public debt is 30.1% of the GDP. The agriculture products are wheat, rice, peanuts, tea, potatoes, cotton, barley, fish and pork. The industries include coal, textiles and apparel, iron and steel, automobiles, telecommunications, electronics, cement, chemical fertilizers, petroleum, and food processing. The industrial growth rate is 30.4%, with $436.1 billion in exports, and $397.4 billion in imports. Their current export partners include 21.1% USA, 17.4% Hong Kong, 13.6% Japan, 4.6% South Korea, and 4% Germany. Their import partners include 18% Japan, 11.9% Taiwan, 10.4% South Korea, 8.2% USA, and 5.9% Germany. The majority of the Chinese people are not very religious and considered atheist, with only 3%-4% being Christian and 1-2% being Daoist, Muslim or Buddhist. The country is not very culturally homogenous and the majori ty of the people are Chinese. The official Chinese languages include Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese (Yin, 2007, 1-2). FDI is beneficial to the host country because it brings in foreign business, products and services that would otherwise not be available. However, FDI can also result in small local businesses going bankrupt due to not having competitive advantages over larger companies. FDI is the key to underdeveloped nations improving their economy and strategic alliances. China’s currency is called yen, and its value relative to the US dollar is 100 to 1. Its value relative to the euro is 110 to 1. The currencys value has only changed a small amount in the past 5 years relative to the dollar and the euro? The country uses a fixed exchange rate policy. China experienced a balance of payments trade surplus in the past year of over three billion yen due to increased globalization and FDI. Its official reserves account have changed a lot in the past year, increasing by over 20 million yen. China does not yet belong to any regional trade blocs and has been a member of the WTO, World Bank and th e IMF for 10 years. The country has borrowed billions of dollars from the World Bank and the IMF in the past year, and how has huge debts totaling over 300 billion dollars. (S)ociocultural China still maintains many of its most traditional values and beliefs of Confucianism, which is taught at many schools and academies. Confucianism is a social order and almost considered their religion since most Chinese do not follow any other doctrine. The basis of Confucianism for the Chinese culture involves family organization and many values related to social life. Social harmony is a major rule to this belief, which also includes many cultural rituals and ceremonies that are thousands of years old and still practiced by the older generation today. However, many of the younger generation are less strict in their Confucianism beliefs, due to modernization of the country and influences by other cultures like America (Redinger, 2003, 1-2). (T)echnological China has 263 million main line telephones, 269 million mobile phones, 160,421 Internet hosts, and 94 million Internet users (which is good for e-commerce and online vendor ordering, shipping and tracking for Sharjah companies). China is undergoing many new technology changes, especially in their banking sector, which still concerns its leaders due to its effect on the stability of the economy. As China learns how to integrate new IT methods into its different sectors, they are still trying to upgrade the skills and knowledge of their workers to meet the technology needs (Rashtchy, 2004, 1-3). Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Hofstede’s cultural dimensions can be applied as a framework for understanding the cultural society of both the UAE and China: Power Distance: the extent to which people accept unequal distribution of power. In higher power cultures, there is a wider gap between the powerful and the powerless (both nations). Uncertainty avoidance: the extent to which the culture tolerates ambiguity and uncertainty. High uncertainty avoidance leads to low tolerance for uncertainty and to a search for absolute truths (China). Individualism: The extent to which individuals or closely-knit social structures such as the extended family (collectivism) are the basis for social systems. Individualism leads to the reliance on self and focus on individual achievement (both nations). Masculinity: The extent to which assertiveness and independence from others is valued. High masculinity leads to high sex-role differentiation, focus on independence, ambition, and material goods (UAE) (Gibson, 2003, 55-58, 303-306). Necessity for MNC CSR FDI Multinational Corporations (MNCs) have a definite duty to practice corporate social responsibility (CSR), especially during globalization into developing nations like China and the UAE. Corporations today are impelled to conduct their global business with integrity and social consciousness to improve their images with the international public. The potential benefits of FDI include helping transfer technology and skills, providing management and training of local workers, aiding in the creation of original skills in administration, marketing and other business techniques, and contributing to the growth of local entrepreneurship. FDI also improves competitive markets, provides access to international markets, contributes to tax revenues and helps input foreign exchange problems. FDI produces employment opportunities for developing nations’ citizens, and raises the rate of domestic wages (Kobrin, 1997, 7-10) (Hay, 1995, 59-63). Conclusion The UAE economy has a free trade policy which allows for all products to be globally traded to increase profitability opportunities. However, China has a strategic trade policy that allows for most products to be traded, yet restricts the main goods that the Chinese manufacturers produce from being imported to reduce global competition. Both the UAE and China are very attractive for FDI, however, for different reasons. The UAE is a famous tourist and hospitality destination, with huge profit potential as a real estate and construction investment. China is famous for its cheap manufacturing labor, raw materials and supplies. China recently opened up its trade market allowing FDI and global trade, which attracts international producers wanting new target markets. Both these nations have very appealing societies that foreign investors and MNCs are focusing on to increase their globalization potential. References Alon, I. (2003). Chinese culture, organizational behavior and international business management. London: Praeger. Brahm, L. (1996). The Business Guide to China. Singapore: Butterworth-Heinemann Asia. Brewer, J. (2004). Foreign business chiefs must learn the art of Guanxi to enter China. Industrial Correspondence. Cateora, P. (2007). International Marketing. Boston: McGraw Hill Irwin. Claasen, L. (2004). Master the culture and business in China pays off. Economy, Business Finance. Forsyth, I. (2004). China seen as a key driver of global economy. Aberneen Press and Journal. Fouquin, M. (1998). The Chinese economy. Geneva: Economica. Gibson, J. (2003). Organizations. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Griffin, R. W. and Pustay, M. W. (2006) International Business: A Managerial Perspective. London: Prentice Hall. Hay, R. (1995). Chinese-American Electronics Industry. Annual Survey. Kenna, P. (1994). Business China. Chicago: Passport Books. Kobrin, S. (1997). Foreign Direct Investment, Industrialization and Social change. MA: Jai Press. Robertson, C. (2002). The Benefits of FDI in China. Asia Monitor: China North East Monitor, Vol. 9, Issue 11. Wang, Y. (1998). Business Culture in China. Singapore: Butterworth-Heinemann Asia. Gopal, A. (2005). Research and Markets: Doing business in Shanghai. M2 Presswire. http://www.researchandmarkets.com/ Yin, C. (2007). China. World Factbook. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications Ahmed, M. (2007). UAE. World Factbook. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications Rashtchy, S. (2004). China Internet market. China Analyst, Vol. 1, No. 18. http://www.piperjaffray.com Redinger, T. (2003). Chinese Culture. Traditional Society and Culture. http://countrystudies.us/china/ Chang, L. (2004). China. Business Travel Guides. www.china-business-travel.com/travelguide Schumacher, W. (2003). National Guidelines in China. http://www.ilo.org/public/

Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay

Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay This short study concerns my experiences in dealing with an adopted service user who wishes to establish contact with her birth mother. The essay takes up the case of J, a 46 year old divorced lady who finds out about her history of adoption after the death of her adopted parents. J tries to directly establish contact with her biological mother, who refuses to meet her, leaving J traumatised and emotionally devastated. The case scenario is provided in the appendix to this essay and is considered as read. This reflective and analytical account concerns (a) my experiences in dealing with Js problems and needs, (b) my thoughts and theoretical knowledge of social work theory and practice with regard to children who are put up for adoption at birth, (c) their various emotional and physical challenges, and (d) the desire that is sometimes manifested by them during various stages of their lives to establish contact with their biological parents. It makes use of established social work theories like the attachment theory and the separation anxiety theory. I also take up the growing prevalence of the use of social networking sites by adopted children to establish contact with their long separated birth parents, and the social work mechanisms available in the UK to facilitate meetings between adopted children and their birth parents. The Challenges of Adoption J was put up for adoption at birth and was adopted by foster parents. She grew up in her foster home in the company of her siblings, who were the birth children of her adoptive parents. The fact of her adoption was however concealed from her by her adopters. J grew up with some feelings of unease between her and her siblings and adoptive parents and suffered from low self esteem when she was young. She also displayed some behavioural problems and found it difficult to establish friendships with other children. Adoption is undoubtedly an important and beneficial social process. It serves the critical needs of different individuals (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). It relieves natural parents of the onerous responsibilities of bringing up children when their circumstances make it impossible for them to do so, on account of social and economic reasons. It ensures safety, security, physical and emotional nourishment, education and improved life chances for unwanted, orphaned or abandoned children (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). It also fulfils the needs of childless couples, single people, and families for a child. Whilst adoption is undoubtedly an important social process, it brings along with it different types of social, economic and emotional challenges for all involved people, the child placed for adoption, the birth parents and the adopters (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). Adopted children, numerous studies have revealed, are prone to the adverse consequences of attachment disorders and separation anxiety (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). John Bowlby, well known for his advancement of the attachment theory, explains the critical importance for infants to develop secure attachments to their primary care givers. Bowlby states that attachment processes between infants and caregivers are biologically based, chosen by evolution to maximise survival chances, and aim to provide infants with feelings of security (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). Such security provides infants with the foundations required to explore their environments, with the full knowledge that their caregivers will be able and available to provide them with protection in the face of adversity or stress (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). The separation of children from their primary caregivers often results in feelings of separation anxiety and the development of attachment disorders if their attachment needs are not met or resolved effectively (Blum, 2004, p 538). Studies on adopted children show that positively formed attachments between children and caregivers improve chances of well adjusted lives, irrespective of the biological relationships of attachment figures with children (Blum, 2004, p 538). Whilst it is known that J was put up for adoption at birth, the exact age at which she was adopted is not clear. Research shows that that children adopted after 6 months of age are at greater risk for development of attachment disorders (Blum, 2004, p 538). Such attachment disorders can lead to emotional disturbance, eating disorders, bedwetting, lack of performance at school, difficulty in development of positive relationships, withdrawal from society and poor life outcomes (Blum, 2004, p 538). The adoptive parents need to take special care to ensure good adjustment of their adopted children. It is important for them parents to meet the needs of infants for love and nurturing on a consistent basis (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Adoption requires an active role from adoptive parents who assume the role of caregivers. As adopted infants explore their new and alien environment, adoptive parents must provide the required guidance, supervision and structure to ensure their safety (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Caregivers must also have the capacity and ability to provide levels of stimulation that do not overwhelm or stifle the infants developmental level. They must be attentive to the internal world of infants by being emotionally available to help them during periods of frustration, rejoice in their achievements and share their joy of exploration (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Secure attachments create positive feelings in children that relationships can be helpful, fulfilling, and valuable and provide adequate protection in an occasionally overwhelming world (Blum, 2004, p 545). Whilst secure attachments do not secure immunity from subsequent psychopathology, childhood security is certainly related to (a) increased capacities for stress management and ability to rebound after periods of psychological disturbance, (b) capacity to manage family stressors, (c) increased self-esteem, (d) good peer relationships, and (e) good psychological adjustment (Blum, 2004, p 545). Contemporary psychiatric theory states that adopted children often need therapeutic parenting, rather than normal domestic environments. Such parenting should be based on principles like sensitivity, responsiveness, following the lead of the child, the sharing of congruent and inter-subjective experiences and the creation of an environment of safety and security (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 2). Parents, in order to engage in such therapeutic parenting, require to be committed to adopted children, have reflective abilities, good insightfulness and secured mental states with respect to attachment (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 2). With J showing evidence of emotional disturbance and behavioural problems during her childhood, it is possible that her parents, whilst providing her with a normal and secure domestic environment, did not place great emphasis in responding to her specific emotional needs. Their concealment of her adopted status is possibly an indicator of their concern for the child and their desire to protect her emotions and feelings. Contemporary psychological and social theories however recommend that children be informed of their adopted status (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). Such information, when provided with sensitivity and in appropriate circumstances and environmental surroundings, prevents adopted children from experiencing emotional traumatisation when they otherwise inevitably come to know of their history of adoption and helps them in adjusting to their new homes (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). Knowledge of birth parents is also important, both for the adoptive parents and the adopted chil dren, in order to effectively cope with possible medical problems (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). J came to know about her adopted status by accident when she was 42, after the death of her adoptive parents. The knowledge left her emotionally traumatised and brought back memories of her childhood and of feelings of strain in her relationships with her adoptive parents and their birth children. It is however but fair to realise that Js parents very possibly had her best interests at heart and were also unaware of the future impact of not informing her of her adopted status. Reunion of Adopted Children with Birth Parents J, on knowing of her adopted status and the name of her birth mother, became emotionally disturbed because was not informed of the facts of her adoption, or about her birth parents. Adopted children, as they grow older, often become curious about their birth parents, especially so in situations of little or no contact (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). Studies by Adoption UK, a national charity operated by adopters, reveals that all adopted children do not wish to know or contact their birth parents. Such desires are essentially personal, with some adoptees wishing to know more and others having little interest (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). It is however also true that people who are not interested in contacting their birth parents when they are young, change when they become older, especially after they become parents and experience desires of knowing, contacting and establishing relationships with their own birth parents (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). The emergence of social networking sites like Facebook and My Space have made it far easier for adopted children, who wish to know more about their parents, to establish contact with their birth families (Fursland, 2010, p 1). Such accessibility has introduced significant complexities in the social relationships of adopted children with their adopted and birth parents and is creating difficult challenges for social workers when they are asked for assistance by individuals in need (Fursland, 2010, p 1). Establishment of contact between adopted children and birth parents is an extremely sensitive issue and needs to be handled with care and sensitivity (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Adoption reunion can be a truly enriching and joyful experience, full of anticipation, twists and turns, joy, confusion, excitement, and fear. However reunion, like adoption, is not simple and can turn out to be a difficult, complex and sometimes saddening event (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Reconnecting with birth parents and children is rarely seamless and easy. It requires dedication, motivation, and a leap of faith (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Adoption reunions often give rise to complicated issues that have been dormant for decades and have to now be dealt with and resolved. Many birth parents may have never have shared their childs adoption with anybody else (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 57). Some birth mothers protect their secret because they are afraid of how others might or will react. For some mothers it is a matter of shame and they are instructed not to reveal their secrets to others (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 57). The National Adoption Standards for England, (Department of Health, 2001), along with the Adoption and Children Act 2002, provided birth parents in England and Wales entitlement to a support worker, apart from the childs social worker, from the point of identification of the adoption plan for the child (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). The Standards state that birth parents (a) should be able to access different types of support services, including counselling, advice and information before and after adoption, which recognise the long term implications of adoption, and (b) should be treated with transparency, fairness and regard during the adoption process (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). Most adopted children now have plans for direct or indirect post-adoption contact with birth relatives. Agencies are required to identify contact arrangements in adoption plans and consider post-adoption support requirements of all concerned (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). Existing regulations like The Adoption Support Services Regulations entitle adopted children, adoptive parents, and birth relatives for need assessment regarding contact arrangements and mandate agencies to maintain services to help such contact arrangements (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Helping J J contacted us for support on making contact with her birth parents. The Adoption and Children Act of 2002 has established a framework that provides adopted people, who are more than 18 years old and their birth relatives, rights to request for intermediary services if they wish to make such contacts. Such intermediaries are provided by registered adoption agencies, (either voluntary or local authority), or registered adoption support agencies and act as mediators between adopted people and their birth relatives. It is recommended that people wishing to make contact with birth relatives do so through intermediaries. J was informed about the intermediary process and services that could be provided by me in mediating with her birth mother but decided to contact her directly. When J contacted our agency and the case was assigned to me to help her with her emotional challenges and her desire to establish her birth mother, I engaged her in a long discussion in order to assess her emotional status, her views about her adopted childhood and her desire to meet her birth mother. I met her at her home on two occasions after taking prior appointments in order to ensure that she was prepared for the meeting and would be able to convey her thoughts better in familiar surroundings. I took care to adopt the person centred approach and deliberately avoided all judgemental feelings about her background as a relinquished and adopted child. The adoption of a person centred approach is necessary for the true implementation of anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory approaches and I was able to understand Js emotional and mental condition with greater clarity and empathy (Mearns and Thorne, 2007, p 9). Whilst my choice of open and close ended questions did help her in opening up and in shedding her inhibitions and reservations, I found her to be disturbed about her adopted status. She appeared to be disturbed with her adoptive parents for their concealment of information about her birth, her birth parents and her adoption, and kept talking of small incidents of her childhood about her parents and siblings. She also spoke about her behavioural problems, her disturbed sleep and her difficulties in making friends at school. J was however determined to establish contact with her mother and decided to contact her as soon as she found out her contact details. I offered to act as intermediary and contact her mother in order to assess (a) her views on the relinquishment of her birth child, (b) her current emotional status and (c) her attitude towards establishing contact with J. The lady (J) was however unwilling to wait even for a few days and was convinced that her mother would like to meet her as much as she did. I did mildly explain to her that her mother could have different opinions on the issue and even offered to expedite the process. Whilst J did provide some indication of being ready for my help at the closure of our second meeting, she subsequently changed her mind and established direct contact with her birth mother. Her birth mother, from what J told me later, was absolutely surprised at receiving the call and was taken aback by the development. She responded to Js introductory communication wit h brusqueness and asperity, informing her that she did not wish to respond to her overture or to establish contact. I do feel that J acted with great haste and the result of the initiative could well have been very different with the use of an intermediary. I would have telephoned Js mother and asked for a personal meeting. I would have again adopted a person centred approach, refrained from being judgemental, and would have engaged her in discussions about her reasons for relinquishing her birth child. I would have then gently brought up the matter of J, her adopted childhood, the concealment of information about her adopted status, and her current emotionally disturbed condition. I do feel that such an approach would have yielded a better response from her mother than Js arbitrary method of establishing contact. Conclusions This reflective account details my experiences of dealing with an adopted service user, who tried to unsuccessfully establish contact with her birth mother. Modern day theory on social work and psychology stresses upon the complexity of adoption and the various challenges that the process brings up for the adopted children, the adopters and the birth relatives. Adopters have particularly significant responsibilities in ensuring, possibly through the use of therapeutic parenting methods, that their adopted children do not suffer from separation anxieties and do not develop attachment disorders. It is important for social workers to understand the emotional implications of these complexities and consider the emotional needs of all involved people with empathy and understanding. It is also important, as my experience with J reveals, for adoption reunion processes between adopted individuals and their birth relatives to be handled with great care and thought. I do feel that I should have been more persuasive and possibly more forthright, without being judgemental, with J on (a) the possibly very different perceptions of her birth mother towards the meeting, (b) the compulsions that forced her to relinquish her birth child for adoption and (c) her current emotional condition and social environment. Such an action would have possibly produced better results at the end. My knowledge of social work theory and practice has been significantly enhanced by my experience with J and will help me to deal with such situations much better in future. Word Count: 2625, without citations and bibliography Bibliography Adoption UK, 2010, Wanting to know more or not, Available at: www.adoptionuk.org/information/217131/wanting_to_know_more/ (accessed January 30, 2011). Blum, H. P., 2004, Separation-Individuation Theory and Attachment Theory, Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association,  (52): 535-553. Bowlby, J., Parkes, C. M., 1970, Separation and loss within the family, In E. J. Anthony C. Koupernik (Eds.), The child in his family: International Yearbook of Child Psychiatry and Allied Professions, pp. 197-216, New York: Wiley. Bowlby, J., 1973, Attachment and loss, Vol. 2: Separation, New York: Basic Books. Brisch, K. H., 1999, Treating attachment disorders, New York: Guilford Press. Cassidy, J., Shaver, P. R., 1999, Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: Guilford. Feast, J., Howe, D., 1997, Adopted adults who search for background information and contact with birth relatives, Adoption Fostering 21:2, pp 8-15. Fursland, E., 2010, Facebook has changed adoption forever, www.guardian.co.uk, Available at: www.guardian.co.uk//19/facebook-adoption-tracing-birth-mother (accessed January 30, 2011). Goldsmith, F. D., Oppenheim, D., Wanlass, J., 2004, Separation and Reunification: Using Attachment Theory and Research to Inform Decisions Affecting the Placements of Children in Foster Care, Juvenile and Family Court Journal, pp. 1-12. Hollingsworth, L., 1998, Adoptee dissimilarity from the adoptive family: clinical practice and research implications, Child Adolescent Social Work Journal 15, (4): pp 303-19. Howe, D., Feast, J., 2000, Adoption, Search and Reunion: The long-term experience of adopted adults, London: The Childrens Society. Mearns, D., Thorne, B., 2007, Person-Centred Counselling in Action, 3rd edition, London: Sage Publications. Levant, F. R., Shlien, M. J., 1987, Client-Centered Therapy and the Person-Centered Approach: New Directions in Theory, Research, and Practice, USA: Praeger Paperback. Appendices

Training and Development Essay -- Persuasive, Continuous Training

Training and development has become increasingly essential to the success of modern organisations, yet some still look at training as a problem or as something that is not taken seriously. Training and development is one key approach used by organisations to improve and maintain the capabilities of its workforce. However, many experts distinguish between training and development, being that training tends to be more closely focused and adapted towards short-term performance concerns, while development tends to be adapted more towards expanding an individual’s skills for future responsibilities (Snell and Bohlander 2007). The main reason that organisations train their employees is to bring their knowledge, skills and abilities up to the level required for a suitable performance (Snell and Bohlander 2007). Nevertheless, despite the benefits that these organisations and employees gain from training, some are still not willing to capitalise on it. According to Molander (1989), during the early to mid-1990s, training was not generally seen as a crucial element in a company’s corporate strategy, except possibly for management training. However, recent evidence seems to show that formal training activities have risen in the last few years, with this increase being as a result of heightened competition, provision of new services or improvement of existing ones, changes in product design, and changes in manufacturing processes (Molander 1989). Investments in training and development are linked with a range of organisational and individual benefits, such as being a major determinant of economic growth and organisational performance (Santos and Stuart 2003). According to Pigors and Myers (1977), training is very essential to organisations... ...enced by the trainer’s characteristics and personal manner (Belcourt et al 1996). All these can be summed up in one sentence, â€Å"If the worker hasn’t learned, the instructor hasn’t taught† (Pigors and Myers 1977). In conclusion, although the need for training is now recognised, many companies are still reluctant to invest in this scheme, notwithstanding the fact that training and development is an essential procedure in building an effective work team that can improve organisational productivity. By investing in training, employees acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that increase the likelihoods of their success within the organisation. If organisations are not to be constantly disappointed in their effort to implement new techniques and increase their performance, then they ought to not only provide training, but also ensure that it is the right training. Training and Development Essay -- Persuasive, Continuous Training Training and development has become increasingly essential to the success of modern organisations, yet some still look at training as a problem or as something that is not taken seriously. Training and development is one key approach used by organisations to improve and maintain the capabilities of its workforce. However, many experts distinguish between training and development, being that training tends to be more closely focused and adapted towards short-term performance concerns, while development tends to be adapted more towards expanding an individual’s skills for future responsibilities (Snell and Bohlander 2007). The main reason that organisations train their employees is to bring their knowledge, skills and abilities up to the level required for a suitable performance (Snell and Bohlander 2007). Nevertheless, despite the benefits that these organisations and employees gain from training, some are still not willing to capitalise on it. According to Molander (1989), during the early to mid-1990s, training was not generally seen as a crucial element in a company’s corporate strategy, except possibly for management training. However, recent evidence seems to show that formal training activities have risen in the last few years, with this increase being as a result of heightened competition, provision of new services or improvement of existing ones, changes in product design, and changes in manufacturing processes (Molander 1989). Investments in training and development are linked with a range of organisational and individual benefits, such as being a major determinant of economic growth and organisational performance (Santos and Stuart 2003). According to Pigors and Myers (1977), training is very essential to organisations... ...enced by the trainer’s characteristics and personal manner (Belcourt et al 1996). All these can be summed up in one sentence, â€Å"If the worker hasn’t learned, the instructor hasn’t taught† (Pigors and Myers 1977). In conclusion, although the need for training is now recognised, many companies are still reluctant to invest in this scheme, notwithstanding the fact that training and development is an essential procedure in building an effective work team that can improve organisational productivity. By investing in training, employees acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that increase the likelihoods of their success within the organisation. If organisations are not to be constantly disappointed in their effort to implement new techniques and increase their performance, then they ought to not only provide training, but also ensure that it is the right training.

The Good and Bad of R.A.T. Theory. Essay -- Essays Papers

The Good and Bad of R.A.T. Theory. Why do people commit crime? It depends on who you ask and how you look at it, also what you define crime as. There are many theories out there about why people commit crime. One of these theories is Routine Activities Theory. Routine activities theory was first articulated in a series of papers by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson. Crime and victimization involve the intersection of three factors: targets, guardians, and motive. The following quote gives a description of these three motives. Cohen and Felson assume that both the motivation to commit crime and the supply of offenders are constant. Every society will always have some people who are willing to break the law for revenge, greed, or some other motive. The volume and distribution of predatory crime (violent crimes against a person and crimes in which an offender attempts to steal an object directly) are closely related to the interaction of three variables that reflect the routine activities of the typical American lifestyle: 1. The availability of suitable targets, such as homes containing easily salable goods. 2. The absence of capable guardians, such as police, homeowners, neighbors, friends, and relatives, 3. The presence of motivated offenders, such as large number of unemployed teenagers. The presence of these components increases the likelihood that predatory crime will take place. Targets are more likely to be victimized if they are poorly guarded and exposed to a large group of motivated offenders such as teenage boys. Cohen and Felson argue that crime rates increased between 1960 and 1980 because the number of adult caretakers at home during the day... ...case doctors blames victims.† South China Morning Post Ltd. 29 Nov. 2002. Ragsdale, Shirley. â€Å"Anger against someone who looks like an Arab is misdirected† The Des Moines Register Online. 21 Nov. 2001. Siegel, Larry J. Criminology: The Core. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. United Sates. 2002. Witosky, Tom. â€Å"Pierce deal: Positive Step for Victims?† The Des Moines Register Online. 11 Nov. 2002.

Case Study-Carlsbad Essay

QUESTION #1 Prior to the Public works department merging to become a part of a Major Service Area (MSA), the employees often performed work assignments that were redundant in different department which is a waste of the City of Carlsbad’s financial resources. This redundancy in work was contributed to the lack of cohesiveness in the entire Public works departments except for the water department. Lack of leadership is also a hindrance to the department’s mission and the employee’s guidance because the Public Works director is also the City Engineer. With too many employees performing job duty functions that require supervision, leadership in the Public Works department has been lacking the necessary guidance employees should expect. The employee tenure ratio varied between long and short assignments which could be an issue for training and coordination of day to day work without the proper leadership. QUESTION #2 I would introduce myself to the employees within the different departments of the Public Works department to clarify how we will be looking to make the organization better and offer an outline of what we may require from them. I will have discussed this conversation with management prior to speaking with the employees. Cummings & Worley (2008) states, â€Å"Before collecting diagnostic information, practitioners need to establish a relationship with those who will provide and subsequently use it. Because the nature of that relationship with those who will provide and subsequently use it† (pg. 121). I would use collection methods such as observation of employees at work, surveys and questionnaires. Because the Public Works department services the residents of Carlsbad, I would also include them in random questionnaires to find out how their service is working and how it can be improved. This will allow the department to receive feedback from those they work daily to service. Through interviews with the employees in small groups or individual sessions, I would like to pose direct questions such as â€Å"What do they need to succeed in their position?†, â€Å"Do they feel as if they are provided enough direction in their day to day?†, or â€Å"What they feel the vision of the organization is?† Cummings & Worley (2008) states, â€Å"Further probing and clarifications is, therefore, possible as the interview proceeds. This flexibility is invaluable for gaining private views and feelings about the organization and for exploring new issues that emerge during the interview† (126). QUESTION #3 I would recommend interventions for the Public Works department such as a process consultation with the open-systems method intervention. Performing the process consultation prior to offering the department any solutions to make any changes will allow us to identify where the disconnect in communication with the employees while providing the ground work for establishing the organizations goals. Cummings & Worley (2008) states, † Rather the process consultant works to help managers, employees, and groups assess and improve human processes, such as communication, interpersonal relations, decision making, and task performance†(pg. 253). Because the Public Works department has been comprised of so many different groups providing a variety of services to the residents of Carlsbad, I would recommend the open-systems method to the intervention. Through this intervention, we will be able to narrowly focus of the core mission of the organization and its purpose while creating an ideal future of how the Public Works department can progress with the inclusion of its employees. Because employees were often doing redundant work, we will use this time to assess how many people are needed on a task and what areas is not being taken care of due to mismanagement of assignments. QUESTION #4 I would begin the implementation of the action plan by interviewing and meeting with employees individually to introduce the goals of the OD intervention and perform interviews during this discussion. I would also perform random interviews with the residents of Carlsbad who rely on the Public Works service to discern their likes, dislikes and suggestions for improvement. I would then reveal the discrepancies of what the employees and management believe they are doing to what is actually happening. This will allow everyone to gauge the disconnect in their services as well as a starting point for improvement. During this time, we can refocus the employees on the vision of the Public Works department. Cummings & Worley (2008) states, † Generally, a vision describes the core values and purpose that guide the organization as well as an envisioned future toward which change is directed. It provides a valued direction for designing, implementing, and assessing organizational changes† (pg.169). Through the establishment of a communications plan, daily assignment check-ins and training the employees will be able to garner a more focused work day and reduce redundant work being duplicated. During the intervention a separate amount of time will be devoted to assess the leadership of the department. With the supervisor splitting duties as the City engineer, we may assess the need for an assistant to properly manage the employee’s daily. Anonymous surveys and observation will be used to garner feedback on how well the action plan works. References Cummings, T. & Worley, C. (2008). Organization Development & Change. (Pgs. 121, 126, 169, 253) Cengage Learning. Mason, OH.

Main thrends in phonemic theory Essay

Methods of Phonological Analysis. The Main Trends in the Phoneme Theory It is generally acknowledged that the phoneme is one of the basic language units. However, it is described by different scholars and representatives of different linguistic schools in different ways. Before we look at the most significant theories, lets say a quick word on the history of phonological studies and mention the names of outstanding scholars who contributed to the understanding of this complicated language phenomenon. In the 1960s there appeared the so-called new phonology which was aimed at explaining how speech is actually produced and understood by the humans. Generative phonology represented by a well-known American linguist N.Chomsky viewed phonology in close connection with syntax and semantics. The ideas of generative phonology were represented in the book by Chomsky and M.Halle The Sound Pattern of English. Classical static phonological models were aimed at creating classifications of the sound system of a particular language. Dynamic models were aimed at establishing the sound pattern of an utterance on the basis of its semantic and grammar characteristics. Now lets try to group these schools into bigger categories and see what is the main criterion in the approach of linguists to the phoneme. In fact, the main criterion is three aspects of the phoneme. Some linguists exaggerate the abstract aspect of the phoneme and ignore the material aspect. Others, on the contrary, pay more attention to the material aspect and ignore the abstract one. We must admit that no theories ignore the functional aspect. I. Conceptions that pay special attention to the abstract aspect. According to mentalistic and psychological view, the phoneme is an ideal mental image, it doesnt exist objectively, it exists only in the mind of the speaker. Actual speech sounds are imperfect realization of it. These ideals were expressed by Baudauin de Courtenay and by Sommerfelt. II.   Conception that can be called functional because special focus is given to the ability of the phoneme to differentiate the meaning. III. The group concerned with the material aspect. The physical view represented by Daniel Jones and B.Bloch regards the phoneme as the family of related sounds. In other words the phoneme is a mechanical sum of its allophones. So, similarity between sounds is considered to be the main criterion for attributing them to a particular phoneme. We see that the representatives of this approach ignore the abstract and functional aspect of the phoneme. 1) to establish distinctive  difference between sounds, that is to establish relevant features 2) to create the inventory of the phonemes and establish the phonemic system of a language.