A Case Examination of Policy for Natural Resource Management Essay

A Case Examination of Policy for Natural Resource Management - Essay Example In terms of public sentiment it’s understood that there is substantial public divide in regards to zoning considerations. The older residents of the town generally reject increased zoning and public policy measures, while the newer residents have sought a more structured policy. Adding to the dilemma are two major land use considerations; namely, the land areas in question contribute in substantial ways to the Albany metropolitan region’s water supply, and an impact on the surrounding natural habitat. In addition to these natural concerns, there are concerns related to changes in the social environment and increased need for infrastructure to meet the demands of development. One of the notable features of the public community is that while older and newer residents disagree on the extent of public control the land should be under, they both are in agreement in regards to the sorts of preservation that should occur. In these regards, the question becomes more one of gove rnmental control than it does of disagreements over the types of measures that should be enacted. Even as the older residents oppose government policy measures, it’s clear that they must be enacted; as such, the following policies represent a compromise between desires for land control and the need for regulatory measures. Zoning In terms of zoning there are a number of concerns that must be addressed when deciding on a course of action. The most overarching concern is the balance that must be achieved between land-use and water supply. This policy reports recommends that a comprehensive investigation be made into the proportion of land use and water supply that is necessary for the adjoining reservoir. In developing a suitable compromise between old and new residents a zoning policy were be enacted with different regulations for current and future residents. Upon determining these figures, zoning will be determined along a proportion system. In these regards, there will be established a policy that balances resident seniority and land size, with zoning policy. Transfer and Purchase of Development Rights; Land Trusts; Differential Property Taxation While current landowners will experience a proportionate allotment of land-use within the specified figures, the transfer and purchase of development right s to future owners will be given increased restrictions. In these regards, individuals seeking to purchase development rights for recreational procedures will only be able to do so within the boundaries of the proportionate measures. Current land owners seeking to transfer development rights to outside parties will need to do so within the proportionate standards that are established by the water supply statistics. This will ensure that the base land needs for the adjoining reservoir will never be circumvented through increased land use. Another major concern of current residents was maintaining the current social climate, as well as the increased infrastructure needs brought on by the new residents. As a means of addressing these concerns it’s recommended that the regional authority institute differential property taxation. In these regards, outside of the proportional restrictions put in place for the adjoining reservoir, there will be no zoning that restricts the developme nt of a specific type of use. However, the regional authority will institute a quarterly tax rate that is designed to regulate the transfer, purchase, and development of property. It is understood that increased taxation on recreational land use will slow down development in this zone. This will ensure that a steady social climate is maintained and that the region has the funding to support increased infrast

Family work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Family work - Assignment Example c) I think the US should regulate working hours to se to shield workers in both public and private sectors from being exploited. An eight hours working day should be acceptable and employees should only work for five days. Any overtime should be a request and compensated commensurately. In setting such a law I will consider ILO and other international organizations as well as the UN guidelines on work hours. d) Closing borders is a good measure that will help prevent illegal immigration into the US. However, focusing on the demand side for labor by illegal immigrants you see a need for punishing employers. Firstly, sneaking into a country to earn a living is less grievous a crime compared to sneaking around fair-labor to employ low-wage immigrants. Sneaking around fair labor standards encourages the employment of illegal immigrants on poor wages. Such employers should be fined heavily so as to bar them from repeating their unethical acts. Nations differ markedly in a number of issues. One notable difference among nations is culture; all nations of the world have unique cultures which not only influence development but also the way of doing business. In China for instance business is greatly influenced by strong relationships and trust while in the west the business environment runs on the principal of capitalism where contractual agreements are influential. Approaching business can therefore differ significantly from the west. Another notable difference is the legal environment; some nations encourage free markets while others such China protect certain sectors perceived as being important to the national economy. Labor laws also differ with some nations focusing a lot on rights of employees while others don’t. in China for instance laws on copyright are not well developed and therefore proprietary issues can easily arise when doing business. The United States differs with developing

Discussion of the history of cosmetics Essay Example for Free

Discussion of the history of cosmetics Essay The dawn of modern cosmetics began divided into the following categories: Grolier (2005: 188-191). a. Powders face powder usually contains talk, chalk, kaolin, and mixtures of zinc oxide, titanium oxide and various powdered pigments. Properly prepared, this mixture spreads easily, adheres to the skin, and absorbs some moisture. b. Emulsions these are fine particles of oil dispersed in water. Vanishing creams and cold creams are examples of emulsions. Thinner emulsions, which contain more water relative to the oil content, are used as cleansing lotions and hand creams. c. Lipsticks this is made up of oils, such as castor oil, mixed with waxes and pigments or dyes, and hardened into molds. Since the materials used in manufacturing lipsticks are actually taken into the body, the choice of ingredients is limited to those which are known or assumed to be non-toxic. d. Eye Makeup these are eyebrow pencils, eye shadow, and mascara are, like lipstick, compounds of oil, wax and pigments. They, too, must be made of non-toxic or non-injurious materials. Cosmetics have come a long way in modern history and played a significant role in adorning both men and women for various occasions. It has been so widely-used that its functions have traversed into extremes for beautification purposes – it can either conceal or flaunt an asset of a person. It can serve as mask or a highlighter. This just means that it has the ability to change the appearance of the person according to the manner it was used. At the end of the day, personal psyche dictates that every person intends or strives to become pleasant to the eyes of the millions of people around him or her. What is beautiful has also changed over the years. The definition of what is beautiful goes across regions, beliefs, religion and societal perceptions. Burke (2003:75-77): According to the twentieth century philosopher Charles Hartshorne, â€Å"Beauty is the centerpiece of this classical trinity and that nothing in our experience is exempt from the touch of the beautiful†. Beyond aesthetics, what is beautiful is how one perceives it to be, in that if he or she can find beauty in there. Therefore, the quality of what is beautiful has emerged from mere prettiness or elaborate ornamentation into an instrument of life towards survival in the continuous evolution of life in this planet. It can be found that the link between biology and beauty has dictated the development of humans and other species. Scientific studies strengthens the debate that the beautiful will emerge as the survivors given that their counterparts find them more attractive than the rest and that they are perceived to produce the most beautiful offsprings. In this biological quest for a successful and healthy reproduction process, the preference is indeed given to those mates who appear healthy. A healthy individual is visually manifested in their skin and hair, by the movement of their body, by a proportioned and toned body. These are the people judged to be beautiful. If the experts are correct in these assumptions or scientific observations, men usually look for women who appear young and fertile. This is where cosmetics leverage onto. Burke (2003:75-77): The cosmetic industry tries to address this so-called â€Å"need† that women continue to appear young despite already going beyond their fertile or child-bearing years. Nevertheless, beyond the need to reproduce our genes, the core of beauty still delves on the ability of a person to identify and bring out the beauty in their lives. We need not generate only life in this world, but also generate beauty that will make life even more worthwhile. It is the appreciation of beauty in our surroundings even without the use of any form of artificial adornment such as cosmetics that will enable one to realize the beauty of life, that it is worth-knowing and worth living after all. Given how important the nation for beauty is perceived across nations, and beyond borders, how cosmetics value this perception and its effects to the human well-being is crucial. Dermatological diseases have sprung in the recent years that come in a range from minor cosmetic problems to even life-threatening problems, as displayed in some disorders commonly due to skin differentiation processes. Zeeuwen (2004:176). With this statement, one should also be vigilant and be a knowledgeable end-user of these products that attempt to change certain elements of your natural state of appearance or being to some extent. The law of economics reminds us that with in every level of quality increased, price is directly affected as it is directly correlated.

The Delivery Of Social Work Services

The Delivery Of Social Work Services The second part of the report concentrates on to understand process of ageing. It will then assess the role and function of social work within wider socio-political policy context especially in terms of poverty and inequalities. Finally it will be demonstrated how the identified issues may inform the policy and organisational context and the points raised will be summarised in the conclusion. According to World Health Organisation, most developed world countries have accepted the age of 65 years as a definition of elderly or older person. (WHO: 2012) However, in the United Kingdom the Friendly Societies Act 1972 S7(1)(e) defines old age as, any age after fifty, where pension schemes mostly are used age 60 or 65 years for eligibility. (Scottish Government: 1972) Ageism can be defined as process of discrimination and stereotyping against people because of their age. It affects many institutions in society and has a number of dimensions such as job discrimination, loss of status, stereotyping and dehumanization. Ageism is about assuming that all older people are the same despite different life histories, needs and expectation. (Phillipson: 2011) According to Erikson (1995) psychosocial stages of life older age has been defined as the period of integrity versus despair. This stage involves the acceptance and reflection on ones life. The authors describe older people as a group of marginal concern that has moved to one of central importance in social work profession (Phillipson: 2011) This is caused by the speed of demographical change that is most remarkable in its expand. The number of older people is increasing both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of the total population. The ageing of the population indicates two main factors such as the downward trend in the birth rate and improvements in life expectancy. (Phillipson: 2011) In Scotland in 2010 there were an estimated 1.047 million older people age over 60, where older people are one fifth of Scottish population. (Age Scotland: 2012) In the last hundred years Scotlands life expectancy has doubled from 40 in 1900, to just over 74 for males and just over 79 for females in 2004. By 2031 the number of people aged 50+ is projected to rise by 28% and the number aged 75+ is projected to increase by 75% (All our future: 2007) It has been estimated that in the UK in 2005, 683,597 people suffered from dementia, the number is expected to triple by 2051 to 1,735,087 people. (Alzheimers research trust: 2010)The issue require to be deeply analysed in terms of how society will be able to respond effectively to the complex needs of older people. Look beneath the surface the needs and issues of older people The policy All our future (Scottish Government: 2007) indicates the age over fifty as a stage where life circumstances start to change in ways that can be significant for the future. An example of this can be; children leave home, change in working patterns, people have less work and more time for themselves and perhaps more money. It is worth pointing out that caring responsibilities for elderly relatives at this stage can also increase. The time fifty upwards is a time when physical health can deteriorate causing possible health problems such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis or coronary heart disease. What is more, the state of health after that time decrease substantially and become greater in its extend. People must face changes in appearance such as wrinkles, hair lost or change of hair colour to grey. In addition, they physical state deteriorates and they are not as fit as they used to be. Form psychological point of view this must be difficult to accept it. However, ageing can also concerns some psychological effects such as changes in memory function, decline in intellectual abilities or even memory loss. As a result of a degenerative condition of brains nerve cells or brain disorders many people may suffer dementia, Alzheimer or Parkinson disease. Wilson et al. (2008) who draws attention to physical, biological and psychological effects of the ageing, pointing out that ageing is not itself a disease but some specific diseases may be associated with this process. (Wilson: 2008) Social work underwent fundamental changes from the 1960s following broader ideological, political and economic developments. To understand the current role of social work within society and wider policy framework, particularly with older people, it is important to analyse the past socio-political and economic trends that have reflected on contemporary practice. By the 1960s, more attention was beginning to be paid to the social consequences of capitalism that started to be seen as the economic order of an unequal and unfair society. The strong critique of that system is known as radical social work that grew on the ideology of Marxism. (Howe: 2008) The publication of the Kilbrandon (1964) consequently led to introduction of Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, which embedded social work firmly within state sector with the voluntary sector as complementary. (Ferguson Woodward) Social work wanted to be seen as unified profession that offered generic services, to overcome earlier fragmenta tion and overspecialisation of services. Social workers were obligated by law to assess needs and promote social welfare by providing services. However, the government of Margaret Thatcher began to weaken state welfare responsibilities to help people in need leading to the major ideological shift in 1980s called neoliberalism. As a result Barclay Report (1982) intended to clarify the role and task of social workers employed within statutory or voluntary sector, the later Griffiths Report (1988) were similar to Barclay Report in terms of promoting greater choice, participation and independence of service user and carers. However, neoliberalism undermines the role of welfare professionals, allow the rich become richer and marginalise the poorest and most vulnerable individuals. Woodward and Ferguson (2011) argue that neoliberal trend has been continued under New labour government, leading to managerialism and bureaucratisation. Therefore, contemporary practice is drawn by extreme pres sure through the forces of marketisation, managerialism and consumerism, that led to profession dominated by stress, frustration and strongly focus on meeting deadlines. The labour government has also been driven by the development associated with consumerists ideas such as personalisation that place service user at the centre of service design and delivery or direct payments that emphasise independence and individual choice through giving service user their own money to buy own services. For a long time neoliberal economic and social policies in the UK speculated a very different concept of what social work should be about. The Changing Lives report of the 21st Century Social Work Review (Scottish Government: 2006) has brought significant shift within social work polices through an expression of dissatisfaction of social work that was mainly caused by lack of opportunity for relationship based work with service user. The policy has reshaped social work practice towards providing social workers with additional space to develop good social work practice. There have been initiatives to improve recruitment and increase professionalism and standards within workforce as well as improve integration in the planning and provision of social work services. Integration has been developed through Modernising Community Care: An Action Plan (1998) and Community Care Joint Future (2000) that introduce Single Shared Assessment (SSA). In Scotland Joint Future is the driving policy on joint working between local authorities and the NHS. The other key policy themes are personalisation, self-directed support, early intervention and prevention as well as mixed economy of care on the grounds of more effective partnership. (Scottish Parliament: 2008) Another significant report that brought about change in policy and later in Scottish legislation is the Sutherland Report (1999) that provided free personal and nursing car e on the basis of assessed needs. (Petch: 2008) The above review of social work policy framework is a good illustration of constantly changing role and function of social work. Social work operates within socio-political framework of constantly developing policies and legislation of health and social care. The reality and ideology constantly has changed people and society faceing new challenges. Social work makes a key contribution to tackle these issues by working with other agencies to deliver coordinated support and to increase the wellbeing of older people. The critical analyse of needs of older people and current issues in the delivery of social work services. The first issues when working with older people is partnership of health and social care within four main areas: assessment, care management, intermediate care and hospital discharge. (Wilson: 2008) The main problem is tight budget this is in particular importance especially in statutory setting. (Wilson: 2008) The problem increases when local authority must, as normally is a case, work in collaboration with other bodies. This raises an external question who are going to pay for services? That causes unnecessary delays and constraints. One might expect that new Integration of Adult Health and Social Care Bill (Scottish Government: 2012) will resolve problem by the joint budget and equal responsibilities of Health Boards and Local Authorities. Wilson et al. stresses the importance of rationing services in social work due to low budget that lead to delays in provision of services and lack of time to develop more creative forms of practice. The next issue is the assessment process that is seen as balance between needs and resources. A major element during assessment is the relationship with service user and appropriate methods of communication to understand and be understood. Practitioner must take the time to get know the older person and resist pressure from other professional to do a quick assessment. (Mackay: 2008) The problem of autonomy and protection is the other one in relation to work with older people. This raises the question of capacity, consent and the deprivation of liberty of older people. This group of service users is often a subject of legislation that deprives their rights and liberty, this is because they are likely to be affected by cognitive disorder such as dementia. The term dementia include Alzheimers disease, vascular and unspecified dementia, as well as dementia in other diseases such as Parkinsons. It has been estimated that in the UK the number of patients diagnosed is 821,884, representing 1.3% of the UK population. (Alzheimers research trust: 2010) The assessment of incapacity or mental disorder is not straightforward and ethically and morally difficult for both service user and social worker. Social workers have to manage the balance between acting in accordance with the wishes of the individual and their best interest. It has been suggested by policy and legislation that the views and wishes of people expressed through self-assessment would remain at the heart of intervention. (Department of Health: 2005) The another issue is abuse of older that may have many forms and can be very severe in its extend. Older people are vulnerable to abuse or to not having their rights fully respected and protected. The problem came to public awareness not as long as few years ago. Despite the fact that legislation came into force through Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 it is estimated that elder abuse affects 22,700 people in the Scotland each year. (Age Scotland: 2012) Older people are a subject of physical, psychological abuse, neglect, sexual or financial harm, that normally takes place at home, in hospital, residential care or day centre. Age discrimination is next issue to consider around 24 per cent of older adults in the UK report experiencing age discrimination. (Age Scotland: 2012) The new NHS policy that came to force 1st of October this year, states that it is unlawful for service providers, policy makers and commissioners to discriminate, victimise, or harass a person because of age. A person will be protected when requesting and being provided with services. If anybody will be treated less favourably because of their age, they will be able to take organisations or individuals to court and may be awarded compensation. This mainly relates to health boards individual clinicians such as consultants, GPs or other health professionals. (Department of Health: 2012) Older people are disadvantaged based on the relatively low socio-political and cultural status in contemporary society. They are repeatedly presents as a drain on resources as they no longer actively contribute to grow of society. They do not work and do not pay taxes anymore. Older people are systematically disadvantaged by the place they occupy within society. Wilson et al. (2008: p. 620) rightly suggests that old age is socially constructed. A good example of this is retirement that makes people officially old and unavailable to work, despite factual physical and emotional state of the individual. Other forms of social construction that significantly affect the experience of old age is class, gender, race and ethnicity. (Wilson: 2008) An illustration of this can be statement that older people have much more in common with younger people from their class then they do with older people from other classes. (Philipson: 2011) Disadvantages and inequalities experiences during life can m agnified the process of ageing through differences in access to health facilities, health status and lifestyle that may influence life expectancy. There is no doubt that experience of ageing is subjective and depends on many factors but it seems to be a matter to consider class, gender and race at first place. When discussing poverty and inequalities the things that have to be in mind are issues of discrimination of older women who are less likely to have as a great pension as male due to the fact many women are paid a lower wage then men. Moreover, women tend to live longer than men so they are more vulnerable to live alone and in poverty. (Age UK: 2012) There are many forms of disadvantage associated with older people in poverty such as; low income, low wealth and pension, debts or financial difficulties, feel worse off, financial exclusion, material deprivation and cold home. The first three are experiences by around 20% of older people, half of older people experienced at least one of the nine forms of poverty described above, and 25% had two or more. A minority 3% suffered from three or more forms of poverty. (Age UK: 2012) In terms of ethnicity and race there are significant inequalities in the process of ageing. An illustration of this can be the black community of older people who are more likely to face greater level of poverty, live in poorer housing. In addition, they are more susceptible to physical and mental illness due to often heavy manual work, racism and cultural pressures. (Phillipson: 2011) Most of older people want to say at home as long as possible this is supported by policy All Our Future (Scottish Government: 2007) that helps people through services such as free personal care, telecare development programme, care and repairs services or travel scheme free bus passes. The policy aims to improve opportunities for older people, foster better understanding towards this group of service user, create better links between generation to work together and exchange experiences, to improve health and quality of life: promote well being and active life within community, improve care support and protection, housing and transport as well as promote lifelong learning. The role of social work in working with older people is described by Marshalls text (1990) and cited by Scottish Government (2005) It has been suggested that a key issues are: communication, including sensitive listening and awareness of non-verbal communication, taking time to assess needs always in the presence of service user. Supporting people in managing crises that arise through loss or change such as bereavement, mental health issues or physical constrains like illness or disability. Offer practical help and organise resources. Working with other professionals and people involve in the process of intervention and together combat ageism. Ageing can be defined as discrimination against older people m The current trends in adults social care have began through Green paper Independence, Well-being and Choice (Department of Health: 2005) and the subsequent White Paper , Our Health, Our Care, Our Say (Department of Health: 2006) these documents set out the agenda for future. This is based on the principle that service users should be able to have greater control over their own lives, with strategies that services deliver will be more personalised than uniform, this is referred to as personalisation. Personalisation enables the individual to participate and to be actively involved in the delivery of services. Personalisation also means that people become more involved in how services are designed by shaping and selecting services to receive to support that is most suited to them (Scottish Government: 2009) Personalisation is a wide term covering a range of approaches to providing individualised services, choice and control. The programme directly response to wants and wishes of servic e user regarding service provision. Personalisation consists of person centre approach, early intervention and prevention, is based on an empowering philosophy of choice and control. It shifts power from professionals to people who use services. (Department of Health: 2010) However, it could be argued that approaches extending service user control in realty can be seen as transferring risk and responsibilities form the local authority to the individual service user (Ferguson: 2007) Another option recently promoting by government is Self Directed Support (SDS), a Bill has been introduced into the Scottish Parliament last year and recently has passed stage three. The bill seeks to introduce legislative provision for SDS and the personalisation of services and to extend the provisions relating to direct payments. (Scottish Parliament: 2012) The SDS approach before has been brought into Parliament were reflected in many reports and policy initiatives such as: Changing Lives, Reshaping Care for Older People. SDS let people to make informed choices about the way support is provided, they can have greater control over how their needs are met, and by whom. Social worker working on behalf of local authority will have a duty to offer SDS if the individual met eligibility criteria. The four options to consider are: direct payment to the individual in order that that person will arrange own support, the person chooses the available support and local authority will make arr angement for services on behalf of that person, social worker will select support and make arrangement for provision, the last option is a mix of the above options. (IRISS: 2012) There is no doubt that the ideas of SDS are glorious because express a great opportunity for service user to expand their control over services provided. However, this raises a question of how many people will be ready to utilise option one of SDS, if a ordinary person who use services will have skills and knowledge to take responsibility for own care such as to employ own carers or personal assistance and to buy own services. One could envisage that it could be possible if the role of social worker will change from care management to brokerage and advocacy. The new model of care requires also to support communication, have experience in employment practice, manage record keeping and pay roll services. A potential care broker will provide assistance to obtain and manage a support package, drawing on individ ualised funding. It can be questioned if social workers who are mostly employed by local authority and accountable to statutory agencies are reliable to perform this task working across three sectors. Service User Involvement Dalrymple and Burke (2006) discuss issues that influence contemporary social work such as social justice, empowerment, partnership and minimal intervention. The service user participation has began in 1990 through NHS and Community Care Act. (Ray, 2012) There is still increasing acceptance that people who receive services should be seen as own experts in defining their own needs. This is in accordance with exchange model of assessment presented by Smile and Tuson et al. (1993), where social worker view the individuals as experts of own problems. The role of practitioner is to help service user to organise resources in order to reach goals that are define by the service user. Government policy addressing to older people highlights the importance of developing services that focus on maintaining independence, encouraging choice and promoting autonomy such as Independent living in Scotland (2011), Reshaping Care for Older People (2011), All our Future(2007). The policies highlights the i mportance of user participation in risk management and risk taking within independent community living for older adults. One of the action enhance independent living is direct payments. This has been seen as a way of improving choice and autonomy of older people. Social workers have a moral obligation to ensure that direct payment, when offered, do in fact provide better opportunity for this group of service user to meet their needs in creative way. (Ray: 2009) One may expect that active involvement and participation in service provision will have a crucial role not only in exercise more control and choice but also in challenging social exclusion. Shaping our lives is a notional independent user network that aims to make sure the voice of older people are heard so they have equal chance in defining outcomes in social care. (Crawford Walker: 2008) It could be argued that one of the main needs of older people is the importance of active listening of this group of service user, who are often because of age ignored or disregard. This is supported by Kydd (2009) who highlights how important it is for older people to feel that they are being listened too. In social work there is constant need to evidence based practice on the grounds of empirical knowledge that guide decision making process. An example of this can be three stages of theory cycle presented by Collinwood and Davies. (2011) There is no doubt evidence based practice is important but the view undermine relationship based practice that is equally important. Rightly Wilson (2008) refers to relationship-based as a main feature of social work practice that shape the nature and purpose of the intervention. It is a unique interaction between the service user and the practitioner that help to obtain more information and define the best way of intervention. A fundamental part of working with older people is to recognise and respond to the way in which they may be marginalized. An example can be the role of social worker as advocate that seek; to provide accurate information in relation to the services the individual is entitled and to enable the person to live where she/he wants to live. (Dalrymple Burke: 2006)

My Semester in Greece Essay -- How Education Has Changed My Life

I had so many experiences that I feel as though I lived an entire chapter of my life in Greece. My adventure began in Athens. I took a three week class entitled "Discovering Ancient Athens on Site." The professor was excellent, and I was able to visit some of the most important historical sites in the western world. Imagine seeing a machine used to allot fair and impartial juries over two thousand years ago. Or standing in the room in which Socrates drank hemlock to end his life. The foundations of western society, both governmental and cultural, were laid in ancient Greece. I am very curious in the governmental and economic structures in the world today, and I found studying ancient Greece to be helpful in understanding the world as it is today. In addition to studying ancient Greece, living in Athens for three weeks is also an immersion into modern Greek culture. One of the first things that struck me about Athens (and in fact, in all of the traveling that I have done) is the pollution. I have heard that Athens is considered the most polluted city in the world. I would be surprised if there is a more polluted city on earth. I was slightly depressed when I could not seethe sun on a cloudless "sunny" day. Aside from the pollution, I loved Athens. I will discuss Greek culture later, but it is worth a mention even in Athens (as are the clubs). The daily life in Athens is ... ...ance to the junta, and today's life in Greece. She had seen friends executed by German soldiers, and she is living today simply because a friend did not speak even under terrible tortures. Along with Maya Angelou, she is perhaps the most dignified woman I have ever met. After my time on Paros, I spent three weeks with a family on the island Kephalonia. My family has lived on this island for over a thousand years. I am incredibly proud to be Greek, and I feel that my experience this summer has made me a richer person able to contribute more to the world. I feel that I have connected with my past and my history, which in turn makes me better able to see the future consequences of my actions.

The Lord of the Rings :: essays research papers

In The Fellowship of the Ring, the Protagonist is Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire who becomes the Ring-bearer. The Antagonist is Sauron, the Dark Lord that forged the One Ring to take over Middle-Earth. In the fellowship, aside for the ring-bearer, are three other hobbits, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck, three of Frodo’s closest friends. There is also Gandalf, the wizard; Legolas Greenleaf, son of the Elf King of Northern Mirkwood; the dwarf Gimli, son of Gloin; Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and heir to the throne of Gondor; and Boromir, oldest son of the Steward of Gondor. They all have some talent or purpose in aiding Frodo in the quest. Gandalf is a powerful wizard, second to only Saruman the White. Legolas is an elven archer with a true aim. Gimli wields a powerful axe in battle and is a great craftsman. The true King of Gondor hasn’t yet re-claimed his throne but spends his time protecting and aiding the fellowship members. Boromir, next in line to be the Steward of Gondor, doesn’t always seem trustworthy. However, as time passes he forms a bond with the ‘Halflings’ (the hobbits) and is very protective of them. It is also quite useful for them to have two such humans, strong and tall, they both are a great help. The book takes place in different parts of Middle Earth during the â€Å"Third Age†. The mood is often quite tense with suspense and a sense of doom. They are in constant danger, always being watched or hunted. The hobbits leave their precious homes and travel through the Old Forest to get to Bree, where they meet Aragorn and he aids them in their journey. All five later leave for Rivendell and the mood is quite tense with the Black Riders hunting them down. On the way, they stop at Weathertop, where Frodo is, unfortunately, stabbed with a Morgul blade. Luckily, they all get to Rivendell safely with the help of Glorfindel, an elf. Once there, Frodo is given time to heal before Lord Elrond summons a council and the fellowship is formed with nine members. The fellowship continue on their quest to get rid of the ring and were forced to trudge through Caradhras in order to avoid ‘the dark and secret way’. However, they were forced to take that path, after being forced off Caradhras, through the Mines of Moria where it is believed that Gandalf had â€Å"fallen into shadow† in their escape.

Defining Stress and Burnout

The relationship amongst Individuals and the organizations can be studied through the methods of Interaction between personnel and groups, as well as the strategies and factors affecting the behavior between each. For the purpose of this literature review, stress and Job burnout will be used to depict a major behavior of the relationship between the organization and its personnel (Ghana 2004). For example, Job burnout and its characteristics can have substantial effects on the organization and its personnel, which is why many researchers in recent decades have chosen to Investigate the phenomenon further.The term Job burnout' came Into play In the United States during the sass when It was identified more as a social problem, rather than a focus of systematic study by researchers (Mismatch 2001). However, the power of the term ‘burnout' made it possible to delve deeper into an Individual's experiences in the workplace and capture their realities, no matter what profession was u nder scrutiny. According to the Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, the phenomenon of Job burnout happens In different Jobs at various levels with major side effects to the organization, TTS personnel and their families (Freakish 2009).Due to the detrimental effects to job performance brought about by the phenomenon in question, defining job burnout, finding the indicators of where it occurs and discovering the preventative measures will be the focus of this paper. Defining Stress and Job Burnout Stress and job burnout have been considered occupational hazards for many people-oriented professions such as healthcare, human services and education. The practitioners In these professions began their Job with enthusiasm, positive expectations and a strong dedication to helping people.The demands of such Jobs are usually understated, but the norms are the same: to work long hours to do what you must to help the client, to put others' needs first and to ultimately be selfless . However these demands often come at a high price when one experiences the beginning stages of Job burnout. Brandenburg, Pines, Aaron's and Kathy define Job burnout as a syndrome consisting of emotional and physical tiredness caused by development of negative occupational tendencies, and missing one's Interest In one's own job (Brandenburg 1975).The key characteristics can be seen through feelings f frustration, exhaustion, anger and cynicism as well as a sense of failure and ineffectiveness. In addition, personnel and even management may suffer from sleep disorders, frequent headaches and anorexia (Freakish 2009). These experiences affect both social and personal functions of their Job performance. Naturally, this not only affects the Individual worker, but the people depending on him or her, and of course, the organization as a whole (Mismatch 1998).When organizational performance is effected negatively, this results in less work, absence from the job, arioso complaints, conflict in work environment, frequent delays, change of position and Job and even the quitting of the job. Ultimately, any manager who has suffered from Job burnout for whatever reason puts his psychological health at serious risk which could hinder the ability to communicate with others and solve personal oppositions Ana tendencies In an accepted, logical manner (Frankness 2 Mismatch and Letter, two of the leading scholars in the analysis and study of Job burnout, have done over 25 years of research on the subject.These experts claim that although there is no standard definition to Job burnout, they agree there are here prevailing dimensions which maintain a consistent structure throughout a variety of professions ( Mismatch 2001). These three components are: exhaustion, cynicism (a distant attitude toward the Job), and reduced professional efficacy. Of these three components, exhaustion is the most meticulously studied due to its predominance in the workplace. Some even argue that becaus e of this strong identification with burnout, the other two aspects of the syndrome are unnecessary to consider.Exhaustion reflects the stress dimension of burnout, yet it fails to encompass the relationship people have with their work. Mismatch and Letter say that exhaustion is not Just experienced – it instigates the motion to disconnect oneself cognitively and emotionally from one's work. This act has a specific name: diversification. This is an attempt to distance oneself and the ones receiving services (perhaps the client) by actively ignoring the qualities that make them engaging, unique people.People use this distancing method to develop an indifferent or a cynical attitude, so that they can manage the demands of their Job without having to view their counterparts as real people but as impersonal objects (Freakish 2009). Distancing is such an expected reaction to exhaustion that the strong correlation to cynicism (diversification) is always found when studying burnout (Mismatch 1996). The third component, lack of professional efficacy (reduced personal accomplishment) can be seen in a work situation with constant, overwhelming Job duties that add to the exhaustion or cynicism.This is because it is difficult to have a feeling of accomplishment when one feels exhausted or indifferent toward the people they are supposed to help. The main difference between the three components is that a lack of efficacy stems from the lack of elevate resources, whereas exhaustion and cynicism arise from social conflict and work overload (Mismatch 1998). Where Does Burnout Happen? According to the Annual Review of Psychology Journal, burnout is an individual experience that is specific to the work context.Therefore, the situational factors of Job burnout must be examined in order to fully understand the reasons behind its presence in many of our major industries. As mentioned above, research indicates that burnout is a response to work overload, time pressures and ot her quantitative job demands (such as too much work for available time). Studies of qualitative demands include role ambiguity and role conflict. Role conflict occurs as the conflicting demands of the Job must be met, whereas role ambiguity happens when there is not enough information given to do the Job well (Mismatch 1997).Another situational factor which is highly consistent with burnout rates is a lack of Job resources such as a lack of social support from management and fellow employees. Another set of Job resources has to do with control and information. If there is a lack of feedback from supervisors and no opportunity for decision making between management and employees, then the chances for burnout are much higher (Pulitzer and Mashers 2003). Based on the situational factors as seen in the quantitative and qualitative Job demands, it is easier to see where (I. . What Job Inaugurates) Joy Turnout occurs ten most. When telling Turnout earlier In tons paper, it was stated that in the professions of healthcare, education and human services, Job burnout has been prevalent due to the orientation toward emotion and people. Mismatch and Letter said there are actually five occupational sectors where the three emissions of burnout can be seen: teaching, social services, medicine, mental health and law enforcement.For example, in a study conducted by Stress and Health, it was found that physicians in South Africa have high levels of stress due to lack of organizational support, inadequate salaries, making critical on-the-spot decisions, dealing with crisis situations and working overtime. Apart from the inadequate salaries, American physicians were found to have similar sources of Job stress, especially female doctors due to a lack of support on Job stress severity (Pulitzer and Mashers 2003).Mismatch and Letter said there are mainly five occupational sectors which are prone to burnout; however, it would not be logical to limit the study to Just those five indus tries as it seems logical any individual in any Job could become victim to Job burnout, depending on their age, demands of the Job and the length of time worked. Thus, this brings up the issue of who experiences burnout? Who Experiences Burnout? There are three personal factors which have been found to be related to Job stress and burnout: demographics, personality characteristics and Job attitudes.Of all demographic factors, age is most consistently related to burnout (Mismatch 1996). Among younger employees, the level of burnout is reported to be higher than those over 30-40 years of age. Researchers suggest this is because age is confounded with work experience so burnout could occur earlier in one's career. Also sex is an indicator of burnout. Some studies show there is a higher burnout for women because they fall under the dimension of exhaustion, whereas other studies say men are more likely to have higher levels of burnout because they score higher on Hyannis.Some studies say those with a higher level of education report higher levels of burnout perhaps because highly educated people have higher expectations for their Jobs, and thus, are more stressed if these expectations are not met ( Mismatch 1996). Many personality traits have been analyzed in an effort to find which types of people may be at a greater risk for burnout. It has been suggested that low levels of hardiness (sense of control over events, openness to change, etc. , poor self-esteem, an external focus of control (give credit to others) and n avoidance coping style (passive to stressful events) all correlate to high levels of Job burnout. The exhaustion dimension of burnout has been linked to Type-A behavior (hostility, competition, excessive need for control). There has also been connections between individuals who are â€Å"feeling† types rather than â€Å"thinking† types who are more prone to burnout, especially on the dimension of cynicism (Freakish 2009). And lastly, the expectations and attitudes people bring to their Jobs is connected to levels of Job stress and burnout.According to Applied &Preventative Psychology Journal, those with high Job expectations are more likely to work too hard and do too much, which leads to exhaustion and eventually cynicism when the extended effort does not yield the expected results (Mismatch 1998). Prevention of Stress and Job Burnout In Mismatch and Goldberg article â€Å"Prevention of burnout: New perspectives,† they suggest two new approaches to ten prevention AT JODI Turnout. I en TLS approach Is based on the Mismatch multidimensional model and focuses on the opposite of burnout: increasing engagement with work by creating a better ‘fit' between the individual and the Job.The model provides a way to analyze more accurate connections between the Job situation and the personal experience. The advantage to this approach is that it allows for clarity and articulation of the source of the burnout which would aid in designing more effective prevention techniques. The second approach is based on decision-making and redefines burnout in relation to perception of the risk of burnout and how it may lead to choices that actually increase the likelihood of becoming â€Å"burnt† (Mismatch 1996). Both of these approaches can be simply put into two categories: person-centered approaches and taxation-centered approaches.With the person-centered approach, it is suggested that the individual plays a central role in the prevention of burnout. It is often presumed that it is the responsibility of the person, not the organization, to do something about their stress management. In order to do succeed with this approach, the individual must be able to develop preventative coping skills, utilize social resources, develop a relaxed lifestyle, improve health, and at the end of it, self- analyze in an objective, realistic manner that allows them to reevaluate their own arsenal standards and unc onscious expectations (Mismatch 1998).The situation- centered approaches have been given very little attention for strategies to preventing stress and burnout. However, at the situational level, the few strategies that have been suggested tend to focus on ways of enhancing the Job experience. According to â€Å"Then Handbook of Organizational Communication†, one of those ways to enhance job experience is through social support networks. A social support network focuses on the ways in which communication networks help organizational members cope tit stress. They do this by offering the members social support in the form of resources and sociability.Researchers have determined four main components of a social support network: emotional aid, material aid (goods, money and services), information and companionship Cabling and Putnam 2001). There is a significant amount of research which states that the role of networks in providing social support in varying organizational contexts , such as families, communities and neighborhoods, is highly correlated with lowered levels of stress Cabling and Putnam 2001). Conclusion Investigations by researchers and scholars for the past 25 years have shown that there are many sources and indicators causing stress and Job burnout.Many researchers such as Mismatch have devoted their lives to developing interactive models for Justifying and preventing this phenomenon. Many of these methods and strategies have been proposed by people with some type of direct, personal experience with burnout in their particular profession. This is because Job burnout can be seen in almost any industry, especially when it is broken down into its three dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism (diversification) and lack of personal accomplishment. In this literature review, there are sections outlining what Job burnout is, where it occurs, who it happens to and how it can be prevented.