Psychological Measures in the Multicultural South African Context Essay

South Africa is deeply embedded in the roots of its past and so it inevitable that psychological assessment today would be greatly influenced by the history of our country. Foxcroft (1997) argued that there is a grave importance to understand the impact that South Africa’s past apartheid policies have had on the development and use of psychological testing. In her paper she addresses the impact of Apartheid policies on test development and use as well as linguistic, cultural and norm factors that would pose a threat to the fair, unbiased and ethical use and interpretation of psychological tests. This assignment will follow a similar outline, whereby the past and present of psychological assessment will be discussed in order to understand why the status of psychological assessment has not progressed to the level that was expected of post-apartheid South Africa. Finally, the laws or statutory controls that have been used to regulate measures will be discussed. It is important to firstly understand what psychological testing is and when it can be used. According to Krupenia, Mouton, Beuster and Makwe (2000), a psychological test is an â€Å"objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior† (Setshedi, 2008). Tests must meet three important criteria; validity, reliability and standardization. According to Gadd and Phipps (as cited in Groth-Marnat, 2009), a standardised test is one which keeps the test items, administration, scoring, and interpretation procedures consistent thus allowing comparisons between scores. The aim of standardising tests can therefore be described as structuring tests so as to compare different persons’ scores (Gadd and Phipps, 2012). However, a problem arises due to the diverse and multicultural contexts of South Africa. It becomes difficult to yield fair and unbiased results without taking into consideration the language, culture and norms of the participants. The Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998 (Section 8) refers to psychological tests and assessment specifically and states that: â€Å"Psychological testing and other similar forms or assessments of an employee are prohibited unless the test or assessment that is being used: Has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable, can be applied fairly to all employees and is not biased against any employee or group† (van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004). However, this has not been fully achieved and psychological testing in South Africa faces many challenges. These challenges or pitfalls owe themselves to the ideologies of the past, namely, Apartheid. The status of psychological testing in South Africa today cannot be considered without reflecting on the past discriminatory laws and practices of apartheid. These laws discriminated politically and were based on demographics, that being race and social class. The policies and legislation passed during apartheid influenced the way in which test development was approached (Foxcroft, 2004). According to Foxcroft, 2004, the development of new culturally relevant tests has been minimal and the reason for this is that there is a â€Å"dire shortage of test development capacity in South Africa at present. † Joseph & van Lill (2008) state that these large inequalities perpetuated during Apartheid may be embedded in South Africa’s social and economic structures and as a result, variables such as language, race, socio-economic status, the environment and social and educational backgrounds serve as major challenges to the validity, reliability and standardisation of psychological testing. As was mentioned , â€Å"The practice of psychological testing in South Africa needs to be understood in terms of the impact that past apartheid political policies have had on test development and use† (Foxcroft, 1997). To understand this, it is important to reflect on the history of psychological assessment in South Africa. History of psychological assessment There is close relationship between science and politics in South African psychology (Claassen, 1995; Cooper, Nicholas, Seedat, & Statman, 1990; Nell, 1997) and so it is not surprising that the development of psychological tests during the apartheid era was shaped by the politics and ideologies of the time. Under the apartheid regime, there was segregation along racial lines of residential areas and education. Job policies ensured that certain jobs were reserved for certain groups, namely the white population. Claasen (1997) asserts that psychological testing was introduced to South Africa through the British and the development of psychological tests has followed closely to the patterns of tests in the USA. South African tests however, were developed in a context of unequal distribution of resources as a result of apartheid policies and were thus used to exploit black labour and deny black people access to education and economic resources, thereby perpetuating apartheid. It was therefore inevitable that psychological tests would follow the same kind of segregation along racial lines. As a result, assessment became an asset to the Apartheid regime and was reinforced by those scientists who believed in the Western concept of Intelligence (Foxcroft, 1997). Laher (2012) speaks of tests that were standardized for educated white South Africans but were administered to â€Å"illiterate, uneducated or poorly educated black South Africans† without investigating as whether the test was free of bias and suitability for the latter group of individuals. This, once again was done so as to use the results to justify that the white race was superior. Socio-political developments in the latter half of the 1980s led to the start of the abolition of racism advocated by apartheid. It later became apparent that there was a demand from the industrial and educational sectors of society, for common tests that would not be unfair or discriminatory against race or culture (Claassen, 1995). Test developers were then under a great deal of pressure to give consideration to test bias and to also develop unbiased psychometric tests that were not designed to place one group as superior to the other and that would not discriminate along racial lines (Claassen, 1995; Owen, 1991; van Eeden & Visser, 1992). However, it appears the transformation of test development and testing practices has made less progress in the 1990s than was expected and this can be pinned down to the challenges faced due to the â€Å"multicultural and multilingual context of South Africa† (Foxcroft, 2004), thus making the process of transformation more complex. The perception that psychological testing was unjust somewhat changed in the post-apartheid years, however, this transformation of test development and testing practices has made less progress than was expected because of the complexity of developing unbiased and fair testing practices (Foxcroft, 1997, pp. 30). Some of the major pitfalls associated with psychological assessment stems from the â€Å"dire shortage of test ability capacity in the country at the moment† (Foxcroft, 2004). There are very few tests that have been developed in SA, that account for the multicultural, multilingual and socio-economic aspects of the country. South Africa boasts eleven different official languages and an array of different cultures and norms. Although, language and culture are both linked they are completely different and thus pose individual challenges to the assessment process. Culture According to Hall and Maramba (2001), the role of culture in psychology in general, has been of a secondary nature and has acted as a â€Å"moderator or qualifier of theoretical propositions assumed to be universal in scope† (as cited in Gergen, Gulerce, Lock & Misra, 1996). Hall and Maramba (2001:12) further go on to say however, that there is an increasing awareness that European American psychological theories may be of limited relevance in non – European American contexts and thus by considering cultural issues, it can only help in making psychology more comprehensive and relevant. It is therefore important to understand the role that culture plays in the psychological assessment process. The fact that culture has been somewhat ignored in psychological testing becomes a major pitfall as according to Foxcroft (2004), â€Å"the South African society has a diversity of cultures in which appreciation for the culture of origin exists alongside variations in acculturation towards a Western norm† (as cited in Claassen, 1997). Culture-fairness of tests and applicability across different groups of people has emerged as some of the most important themes associated with the fair and ethical use and interpretation of tests (van der Merwe, 2002) and thus it is vital that these objectives are met. With this said, the onus is on the psychological assessment practitioner to use caution when interpreting results especially within the context of South Africa. Without measures with culturally relevant content and appropriate norms, fair testing practice may be compromised thus leading to test bias. The debate around norming The debate around the norming of psychological tests is a complex one. The question practitioners ask themselves is whether norms should be used or not. Some say it is a way of â€Å"addressing the inequities in cross-cultural applications of tests† (Paterson & Uys, 2005), others felt that creating different norms for different groups could be seen as discriminatory and almost comparable to apartheid practices (Paterson &Uys, 2005). A comment from a participant in the study done by Paterson and Uys (2005), put the whole debate into perspective and stated that, â€Å"You should not develop a norm on those people for whom the test does not work. That is a prerequisite: you can only norm on groups where your test is reliable enough to use† (Paterson & Uys, 2005). Foreign tests Psychological tests in South Africa are adaptations of foreign tests and from roughly the 1920s to the 1960s were developed specifically for the white population, not taking into consideration culture and language so as to further differentiate between the white and black population. This has become a major challenge for psychological assessment today as there are very few psychological tests that have been developed in South Africa, that take into account cultural biases, norms and language. The works of Joseph and van Lill (2008) looks at the history of this country and they suggest that there was a recognised demand for tests that were more suitable for the different race and language populations. This need or demand grew during the latter parts of the apartheid era, where there had been a need for change to the discriminatory policies and ideologies of the time. This all occurred during the 1980s to 1994. During this time there had been many studies, which served to prove bias in foreign tests being used in South Africa. The first thorough study of bias was by Owen (1986). He investigated test and item bias using various tests, for example, the Senior Aptitude Test, the Mechanical Insight Test and the Scholastic Proficiency Test (van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004). He found that there were significant differences between the test scores of black and white participants. His conclusion was that understanding the reasons for these differences and counteracting them would be a major challenge. This proved to be true as even now, psychological test bias in terms of demographics and culture remains a major pitfall of the assessment process. Retief (1992) concluded that â€Å"personality tests seldom retain the level of reliability† and even loses some validity when used across cultures and the validity (Joseph & van Lill, 2008). Abrahams (1996) and Abrahams and Mauer (1999) concluded in another study that some tests such as the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) â€Å"could not be used across different racial groups, as the reliability was not acceptable for the black groups† (Joseph & van Lill, 2008). These results highlighted problems with the construct and item comparability of the test. From the conclusions made by the above psychologists, it is proposed that in order for an imported psychological test to be adopted in South Africa, it must be carefully researched, before it can be used within our South African context (Joseph & van Lill, 2008). Language From looking at the imported tests into South Africa, that being those imported from Europe and the US, it is evident that they have been developed and standardized in English. This poses a major problem in the South African context. Joseph and van Lill (2008) state that taking into account the history of South Africa’s language policies and differences in language proficiencies; it is evident that when a psychological test is administered in English, individuals from a different demographic group find difficulties in understanding the test. South Africa boasts eleven different official languages and not everyone in South Africa can speak fluent English. According to Joseph and van Lill (2008), this may have a negative influence on an individual’s performance on a test (Meiring, Van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2006). Thus, it is of great importance that language be considered when assessing the appropriateness of a psychological test in a multi-lingual context (Van de Vijver & Leung, 1997). There have been some tests that have been translated, for example the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), which has been translated for Setswana-speaking University students in an attempt to standardise the WCST. However, even though translations have been made, there appears to still be some problems as English words with multiple meanings cannot be adequately translated. English idioms cannot be expressed in another language without changing the entire sentence structure along with the underlying logic of the sentence—and when that happens standardization, and the guarantee of fairness it promises, is lost† (Richmond, n. d). The 16PF test used as an example to illustrate the use of foreign tests also serves as a good illustration here. Abrahams (2002) concluded that participants whose home langu age was neither English nor Afrikaans found that the items of the 16PF were more difficult to understand (Joseph & van Lill, 2008). Tests such as the General Scholastic Aptitude Test (GSAT); Ability, Processing of Information and Learning Battery (APIL-B) and Paper and Pencil Games (PPG) are the only psychological tests available today in all eleven official languages. From the cases above, it is clear to see that issues relating to standardization, norm development and cross-cultural relevance to test material are evidence that there are major pitfalls associated with psychological measures used in a multicultural South African context. Statutory Control It is important for certain measures and instruments in psychological assessment to be regulated by law, especially when it involves culture. If there are tests that do not take into account culture and norms, fair testing practices may be compromised (Foxcroft, 1997); thus the need for strict statutory control of psychological assessment. According to Mauer (2000) there are two pieces of legislation that regulate the assessment process. The first piece includes acts and regulations which take the form of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996), the Labour Relations Act (66 of 1995), and the Employment Equity Act (55 of 1998), (Mauer, 200). â€Å"These Acts deal with matters of individuals’ rights and with specific substantive issues† (Mauer, 2000). The second piece of legislation is the Health Professions Act (56 of 1974) in which â€Å"the scope of the profession of psychology, and the responsibilities and duties/functions of psychologists are addressed within the context of health care in the country† (Mauer, 2000). According to Mauer (2000), it is also important to note that the law restricts psychological assessment measures to only registered psychological professionals. The Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, Section 8 (Government Gazette, 1998), stipulates that: â€Å"Psychological testing and other similar assessments are prohibited unless the test or assessment being used – (a) has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable, (b) can be applied fairly to all employees; and (c) is not biased against any employee or group† (Mauer, 2000). Apart from legislation, there are also guidelines which help perpetuate fair and ethical practices. According to the International Test Commissions International Guidelines on Test Use (Version 2000) the following fair and ethical practices must be adhered to: â€Å"1). The appropriate, fair, professional, and ethical use of assessment measures and assessment results taking into account the needs and rights of those involved in the assessment process; 2). Ensuring that the assessment conducted closely matches the purpose to which the assessment result will be put; 3). Taking into account the broader social, cultural, and political context in which assessment is used and the ways in which such factors might affect assessment results, their interpretation, and the use to which they are put the test is valid for the purposes for which it is being used; 5). Appropriate norms are consulted; 6). Lastly, where tests that have been developed in other countries are concerned, appropriate research studies need to be undertaken to investigate whether the test is culturally biased and special care should be taken when interpreting the results of such tests† (Foxcroft & Roodt, 2001). From points three and six, it is evident that culture, norms and language hugely determine if a test will prove to be free of bias and is ethically fair. If these variables are not considered, the test is considered inappropriate and biased. This is a serious pitfall for psychological assessment in South Africa. Concluding remarks Ultimately, there are two questions to ask here. The first question is asked by van de Vijver and Rothmann (2004) and that is whether the profession of psychology in South Africa is prepared for the challenge that is implicit in the Equity Act. According to van de Vijver and Rothmann (2004), â€Å"the law is ahead of the daily practice† of psychological assessment and even now no country can live up to the expectations and demands proposed by the Act. To help achieve the propositions of the act, it has become one of the main goals of the assessment profession in South Africa to bring current practice and harmonize it with legal demands of the Equity Act (van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004). This can be done by â€Å"developing new instruments and validating existing instruments for use in multicultural groups† (van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004). The second question that is inherent in the argument around historical and current pitfalls is: can the current status of psychological assessment (which is proving less satisfactory than was expected) be attributed to the past racially discriminatory and unethical policies that made up apartheid? In my opinion, the past always shapes the present and future. Apartheid policies, although abolished have left a great impact on the social and economic structures of the country. According to Claassen (1995); Cooper, Nicholas, Seedat, & Statman (1990); Nell (1997), there is a close relationship between science and the politics of the time and thus it can be concluded that the development of psychological tests during the apartheid era was shaped by the politics and ideologies of the time. Today, without considering the culture, norms and language of the context in which we live, psychological tests may perpetuate the type of bias experienced by minority groups during the apartheid era. It is important for there to be new developments of psychological tests that take into account the multicultural and multilingual nature of South Africa and turn them into positives, instead of test that are rendered inappropriate and unethical.

Deception Point Page 11

Now Rachel was impressed. The President had protected himself with typical Herney aplomb. By hiring the ultimate team of skeptics – outsiders who had nothing to gain by confirming the NASA discovery – Herney had immunized himself against suspicions that this might be a desperate NASA ploy to justify its budget, reelect their NASA-friendly President, and ward off Senator Sexton's attacks. â€Å"Tonight at eight P.M.,† Herney said, â€Å"I will be calling a press conference at the White House to announce this discovery to the world.† Rachel felt frustrated. Herney had essentially told her nothing. â€Å"And this discovery is what, precisely?† The President smiled. â€Å"You will find patience a virtue today. This discovery is something you need to see for yourself. I need you to understand this situation fully before we proceed. The administrator of NASA is waiting to brief you. He will tell you everything you need to know. Afterward, you and I will further discuss your role.† Rachel sensed an impending drama in the President's eyes and recalled Pickering's hunch that the White House had something up its sleeve. Pickering, it appeared, was right, as usual. Herney motioned to a nearby airplane hangar. â€Å"Follow me,† he said, walking toward it. Rachel followed, confused. The building before them had no windows, and its towering bay doors were sealed. The only access seemed to be a small entryway on the side. The door was ajar. The President guided Rachel to within a few feet of the door and stopped. â€Å"End of the line for me,† he said, motioning to the door. â€Å"You go through there.† Rachel hesitated. â€Å"You're not coming?† â€Å"I need to return to the White House. I'll speak to you shortly. Do you have a cellphone?† â€Å"Of course, sir.† â€Å"Give it to me.† Rachel produced her phone and handed it to him, assuming he intended to program a private contact number into it. Instead, he slipped her phone into his pocket. â€Å"You're now off-the-grid,† the President said. â€Å"All your responsibilities at work have been covered. You will not speak to anyone else today without express permission from myself or the NASA administrator. Do you understand?† Rachel stared. Did the President just steal my cell-phone? â€Å"After the administrator briefs you on the discovery, he will put you in contact with me via secure channels. I'll talk to you soon. Good luck.† Rachel looked at the hangar door and felt a growing uneasiness. President Herney put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and nodded toward the door. â€Å"I assure you, Rachel, you will not regret assisting me in this matter.† Without another word, the President strode toward the PaveHawk that had brought Rachel in. He climbed aboard, and took off. He never once looked back. 12 Rachel Sexton stood alone on the threshold of the isolated Wallops hangar and peered into the blackness beyond. She felt like she was on the cusp of another world. A cool and musty breeze flowed outward from the cavernous interior, as if the building were breathing. â€Å"Hello?† she called out, her voice wavering slightly. Silence. With rising trepidation, she stepped over the threshold. Her vision went blank for an instant as her eyes became accustomed to the dimness. â€Å"Ms. Sexton, I presume?† a man's voice said, only yards away. Rachel jumped, wheeling toward the sound. â€Å"Yes, sir.† The hazy shape of a man approached. As Rachel's vision cleared, she found herself standing face to face with a young, stone-jawed buck in a NASA flight suit. His body was fit and muscle-bound, his chest bedecked with patches. â€Å"Commander Wayne Loosigian,† the man said. â€Å"Sorry if I startled you, ma'am. It's pretty dark in here. I haven't had a chance to open the bay doors yet.† Before Rachel could respond, the man added, â€Å"It will be my honor to be your pilot this morning.† â€Å"Pilot?† Rachel stared at the man. I just had a pilot. â€Å"I'm here to see the administrator.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am. My orders are to transport you to him immediately.† It took a moment for the statement to sink in. When it hit her, she felt a stab of deceit. Apparently, her travels were not over. â€Å"Where is the administrator?† Rachel demanded, wary now. â€Å"I do not have that information,† the pilot replied. â€Å"I will receive his coordinates after we are airborne.† Rachel sensed that the man was telling the truth. Apparently she and Director Pickering were not the only two people being kept in the dark this morning. The President was taking the issue of security very seriously, and Rachel felt embarrassed by how quickly and effortlessly the President had taken her â€Å"off-the-grid.† Half an hour in the field, and I'm already stripped of all communication, and my director has no idea where I am. Standing now before her stiff-backed NASA pilot, Rachel had little doubt her morning plans were cast in stone. This carnival ride was leaving with Rachel onboard whether she liked it or not. The only question was where it was headed. The pilot strode over to the wall and pressed a button. The far side of the hangar began sliding loudly to one side. Light poured in from the outside, silhouetting a large object in the center of the hangar. Rachel's mouth fell open. God help me. There in the middle of the hangar stood a ferocious-looking black fighter jet. It was the most streamlined aircraft Rachel had ever seen. â€Å"You are joking,† she said. â€Å"Common first reaction, ma'am, but the F-14 Tomcat Split-tail is a highly proven craft.† It's a missile with wings. The pilot led Rachel toward his craft. He motioned to the dual cockpit. â€Å"You'll be riding in back.† â€Å"Really?† She gave him a tight smile. â€Å"And here I thought you wanted me to drive.† After donning a thermal flight suit over her clothes, Rachel found herself climbing into the cockpit. Awkwardly, she wedged her hips into the narrow seat. â€Å"NASA obviously has no fat-assed pilots,† she said. The pilot gave a grin as he helped Rachel buckle herself in. Then he slid a helmet over her head. â€Å"We'll be flying pretty high,† he said. â€Å"You'll want oxygen.† He pulled an oxygen mask from the side dash and began snapping it onto her helmet. â€Å"I can manage,† Rachel said, reaching up and taking over. â€Å"Of course, ma'am.† Rachel fumbled with the molded mouthpiece and then finally snapped it onto her helmet. The mask's fit was surprisingly awkward and uncomfortable. The commander stared at her for a long moment, looking vaguely amused. â€Å"Is something wrong?† she demanded. â€Å"Not at all, ma'am.† He seemed to be hiding a smirk. â€Å"Hack sacks are under your seat. Most people get sick their first time in a split-tail.† â€Å"I should be fine,† Rachel assured him, her voice muffled by the smothering fit of the mask. â€Å"I'm not prone to motion sickness.† The pilot shrugged. â€Å"A lot of Navy Seals say the same thing, and I've cleaned plenty of Seal puke out of my cockpit.† She nodded weakly. Lovely. â€Å"Any questions before we go?† Rachel hesitated a moment and then tapped on the mouthpiece cutting into her chin. â€Å"It's cutting off my circulation. How do you wear these things on long flights?† The pilot smiled patiently. â€Å"Well, ma'am, we don't usually wear them upside down.† Poised at the end of the runway, engines throbbing beneath her, Rachel felt like a bullet in a gun waiting for someone to pull the trigger. When the pilot pushed the throttle forward, the Tomcat's twin Lockheed 345 engines roared to life, and the entire world shook. The brakes released, and Rachel slammed backward in her seat. The jet tore down the runway and lifted off within a matter of seconds. Outside, the earth dropped away at a dizzying rate.

Around The World In 80 Days

Types of literary work This lyrical novel is an adventure novel made up of adventurer English who crawled around the world. Inner weaving is historical facts such as the British Empire and global colonies, as well as historically precise places. Theme The theme of this wonderful novel is bold and permanent. At the time of betting, Fokker was sent to the world in impossible hours in 80 days. Throughout the work, Foccer's endless sustainability intertwines with his strict British gentle sensation, which surprises the reader. Celebrities in Bly have reached international standards and her mission is to travel the world in 80 days, as Phileas Fogg did in Jules Verne's 80 day world tour. Bly achieved her goal and in her exile experience her report became a book that traveled the world on the 72nd (1890). After that I entered a small university Indiana ordinary school in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and I learned to become a teacher there. However, immediately after starting the course, due to e conomic constraints Bly was forced to express hope for higher education. After graduating from school, she and her mother moved to the nearby Pittsburgh where they operated the dormitory together. A round-the-world trip for 80 days is a classic trip and an adventure novel. The premise of this novel is that the mission of Phillias Fogg of the hero is to travel around the world in 80 days to reward a lot of money. This task is becoming more difficult, and it seems that Fock is playing continuously. The biggest problem is that spies were mistaken for bank robbery that dropped the speed of Fokker during the journey. My grandfather, John Tisler, never traveled as dramatically as Verne did, but he traveled quite a while traveling around the world. He works for FDA for most of his adult life and his work requires a lot of travel. During his trip his work was to show how to mark the cans that would be sold in the US correctly. A secular reason for the trip, it made it possible for him to tr avel around the world. For many years, he has traveled all over America, Mexico, Germany, France and Italy. Around The World In 80 Days Types of literary work This lyrical novel is an adventure novel made up of adventurer English who crawled around the world. Inner weaving is historical facts such as the British Empire and global colonies, as well as historically precise places. Theme The theme of this wonderful novel is bold and permanent. At the time of betting, Fokker was sent to the world in impossible hours in 80 days. Throughout the work, Foccer's endless sustainability intertwines with his strict British gentle sensation, which surprises the reader. Celebrities in Bly have reached international standards and her mission is to travel the world in 80 days, as Phileas Fogg did in Jules Verne's 80 day world tour. Bly achieved her goal and in her exile experience her report became a book that traveled the world on the 72nd (1890). After that I entered a small university Indiana ordinary school in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and I learned to become a teacher there. However, immediately after starting the course, due to e conomic constraints Bly was forced to express hope for higher education. After graduating from school, she and her mother moved to the nearby Pittsburgh where they operated the dormitory together. A round-the-world trip for 80 days is a classic trip and an adventure novel. The premise of this novel is that the mission of Phillias Fogg of the hero is to travel around the world in 80 days to reward a lot of money. This task is becoming more difficult, and it seems that Fock is playing continuously. The biggest problem is that spies were mistaken for bank robbery that dropped the speed of Fokker during the journey. My grandfather, John Tisler, never traveled as dramatically as Verne did, but he traveled quite a while traveling around the world. He works for FDA for most of his adult life and his work requires a lot of travel. During his trip his work was to show how to mark the cans that would be sold in the US correctly. A secular reason for the trip, it made it possible for him to tr avel around the world. For many years, he has traveled all over America, Mexico, Germany, France and Italy.

David la chapelle photographic series jesus is my homeboy Essay

David la chapelle photographic series jesus is my homeboy - Essay Example Furthermore, such individuals would have been Jesus’ closest companions and most truthful group of disciples. The product of his imagination or speculation saw the creation of a set of six photos labeled, as â€Å"Jesus is my Homeboy.† In 2003, the album was published in British magazine i-D. After the publication, the album was displayed in London and Moritz, Switzerland in 2008 (Jaeger, 85). On an analytical and literary note, La Chapelle’s photos were a series of illustrations that freed from fundamentalists. Such philosophers and theorists viewed Jesus’ teachings as a judgmental and condemning platform that could not uplift the lives of other people in the society (LaChapelle, Mercurio, Torres & Belvedere, 91). Unlike many pieces of artwork of Jesus during modernism, La Chapelle makes it clear that his photographs are not implied to be ironic, shocking or blasphemous in any way. Instead, La Chapelle uses the photographs to express a beautiful sensation and the genuineness of his own belief in Jesus Christ. On the contrary, most observers of La Chapelle’s â€Å"Jesus is my Homeboy† photos say they illustrate the exact opposite. A majority of observers to describe the album â€Å"Jesus is my Homeboy† (Jaeger, 93) has used literary features, such as humor, sarcasm and symbolism. The subjects surrounding Jesus implied that the society is not supposed to cast out or retract from such individuals. Instead, the society should invite and embrace these individuals into the normal system while still making an effort to show similar tenderness and compassion Jesus portrays (LaChapelle, Mercurio, Torres & Belvedere, 164). According to La Chapelle, the leading objective of this set of photographs was to assist in dismissing the judgmentalism from fundamentalists (Jaeger, 221). Therefore, La Chapelle believed he could accomplish this be presenting Jesus in the contemporary society surrounded by the outcasts of the current community. Similar to biblical references, Jesus was surrounded by societal outcasts such as lepers, Samaritans and demon-posses people. The subjects on photos in the set â€Å"Jesus is my Homeboy† have put on modern fashion statements such as do-rags and sweats, tattoos and piercings. These garments and adornments are affiliated with a group of contemporary society in need of mental and social help. In other words, the degenerated or rebellious group of society has been placed closest to a religious deity. Even though La Chapelle’s implication was not of a criminal nature, multi-ethnicity amongst the youths is an accomplishment well defined by the photographs. Apparently, all youths posing as subjects in the photographs are of rap and hip-hop culture. The rap and hip-hop culture constitutes of a group that is regularly stigmatizes by their appearance, fashion and interaction. In the United States, many people not belonging or affiliated with such a culture would fear interacting with individuals embracing such a culture because of the fear conjured up by their character. Ironically, Jesus can see beyond typecasts and invites all such individuals into his companionship (La Chapelle, Mercurio, Torres & Belvedere, 104). Aside from irony, humor develops from the traditional image that Jesus retains in the photos. Despite being in the twenty-first century, Jesus’ image retains the historic characteristic that has been

Engineering Products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Engineering Products - Essay Example The theory developed by French and Raven (1958, p. 453) distinguished five bases of social power.   These are the reward power, the coercive power, the referent power, the legitimate power, and the expert power.   EP’s power policy is the combination of three bases, namely reward, coercive, and legitimate power.     The reward power is the leader’s influence on his followers exerted through the dispensation of valued rewards in return for compliance with instruction.   When EP established the pay plan and the new criteria for promotions, opening upward mobility to compliant managers, it was wielding the proverbial â€Å"carrot† and trying to court obedience to central policy.   Coercive power, on the other hand, is based on the administration of penalties or sanctions for non-compliance with instructions.   In EP, HQ wielded the â€Å"stick† in the form of sanctions and dismissals for managers who insisted on not abiding by HQ’s standa rdization policies.   HQ also introduced punishment in not allocating orders to plants perceived to be uncooperative with central authority. Finally, the exercise of legitimate (or position) power is based on the obligation of subordinates to accept instructions given by the leadership because of its position and title.   HQ used its legitimate power by employing control mechanisms such as: centralizing the decision-making functions on itself; changing the company’s structure to favour standardization; affording rewards and imposing punishments; training of personnel; and imposition of policies and rules (Hellriegel, D. and Slocum, J., 1978, p. 365 ). In EP, however, the changes in the organizational structure may be viewed as a benevolent attempt to gradually inculcate standardization through collaboration.   The manufacturing councils, the engineers’ International College, the internal consultants, and regular meetings of international HR specialists, were all meant to smooth out the transition from localized operations to a standardized system.  

Malaria case management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Malaria case management - Essay Example Eradicating malaria in the world is one of the top priorities of global health organisations and is a key objective of attaining universal health related targets stipulated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (United Nations 2010). Consequently, both developed and developing countries have reinvigorated efforts to combat the disease that has remained a serious threat to health and wellbeing of people across the world for a long period. Currently, policies to control and prevent malaria infections form an important component of public health systems and primary care services play a pivotal role in their implementation. Some of malaria control and preventive measures include application of insecticide treated bed nets to prevent human contact with mosquitoes, indoor residual spraying with efficient insecticide and eradicating mosquito breeding habitats (Mathews 2011). Other measures include use of anti malarial drugs to treat the infection in all segments of affected population, including pregnant women and HIV/AIDS patients in addition to maintaining sustained malarial surveillance across the world (Mathews 2011). These policies have enhanced management and treatment of malaria in primary care service. However, before investigating impacts of government policies in management and treatment of the condition in primary care, it is important to explore the symptoms and causes of malaria and how they inform nursing practice. Causes and symptoms of malaria Malaria is a vector borne disease transmitted by female anopheles mosquito. The causative malarial parasite is a protozoan of genus plasmodium (MacDonald 1997). There are five major species of malarial parasites responsible for transmission of malaria. They include Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium knowlesi. However, plasmodium vivax and plasmodium falciparum are the most important causes of malaria infection in the world (MacDonald 1997). The initi al symptoms of malaria infection are not specific and demonstrate remarkable resemblance to signs of a minor systemic viral disease (WHO 2009). The symptoms include fatigue, headache, fatigue and lassitude, normally followed by abdominal, muscle and joint pains. These symptoms are accompanied by fever, anorexia, chills, profuse sweating and vomiting. These signs are the major defining characteristics of malaria infection at the early stage (WHO 2009). People in regions where malaria is endemic are usually knowledgeable about these symptoms and consequently, incidences of self diagnosis are prevalent. Achan et al (2011) noted high incidents of malarial over diagnosis in primary care services especially in malaria endemic regions based on the demonstrated symptoms. According to Brieger (2009), the severity of malarial symptoms varies depending on the type of parasite involved. Infection by plasmodium vivax and plasmodium ovale demonstrates more pronounced symptoms of fever and chills than other malarial species. However, fatality rate at early malaria infection is rare but it increases when treatment is delayed and on prescription of ineffective drugs (Brieger 2009; WHO 2009). Delaying treatment of

Spirent Communications Plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Spirent Communications Plc - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the company is headquartered at Sussex, London and presently listed at the London Stock Exchange. The company primarily operates in communication testing and measurement sector but is significantly involved in development of various software and hardware solutions such as transmitter, cable management system and so on, for the global communication industry. Despite various ups and downs in the global telecommunication industry, the company continues to invest in product development and innovation.  This study declares that  the Spirent Group is considerably involved in acquisition and merger which further helps the company to grow its market share, offerings and consumer base. The company has current market capitalization of $427.61 million and about 30.9 percent of market share in the industry. Frost & Sullivan recognized that the company is market leader in segments such as 1GbE, 40/100GbE and 10GbE and appended that the company is way ah ead of its nearest competitors. The company observed a turnover of $413.5 million in 2013 and witnessed 17% growth in the second half of the year with respect to the first half.  The current ratio highlights relationship between the components of working capital, namely, current asset and current liability.  The gross profit and net profit margin reflect the level of profit a firm has earned over its revenue. It can be observed from the figures that gross profit and net profit of Spirent Communications has declined significantly in 2013.

High Fiber diet and regulation of oncogenes Research Paper

High Fiber diet and regulation of oncogenes - Research Paper Example Statistics reflecting the estimated cases of cancer and deaths caused by cancer in the United States have also been taken into account, so as to further strengthen the relevance of the topic. Oncogenes are proto-oncogenes turned bad -- genes that have undergone mutations (American Cancer Society, 2011); mutations are changes in the makeup of a gene’s building blocks, DNA (American Cancer Society, 2011). According to the theory of gene mutation, carcinogen interaction with deoxyribonucleic acid leads to irrevocable genetic changes (Devi, 2005, p. 18). Even a minute alteration in the arrangement of these building blocks can create a strong negative impact (American Cancer Society, 2011). Normally, proto-oncogenes are responsible for the encoding of proteins, which promote cell division and impede cell differentiation (Chial, 2008). On the other hand, these mutated proto-oncogenes â€Å"typically exhibit increased production of these proteins, thus leading to increased cell division, decreased cell differentiation, and inhibition of cell death† (Chial, 2008). The aforementioned process leads to cancer (Chial, 2008); hence, there is a need to regulate these onc ogenes. A â€Å"diet high in fiber† is made known to have a considerable impact in the shrinking of predisposition to â€Å"colorectal cancer† (Doheny, 2011). Doll and Peto were the first to highlight the existence of a link between diet composition and cancer -- an example of which is high-fiber diet and its effectivity in chemoprevention (as cited in Devi, 2005, p. 21). Carcinogenesis begins with initiation as normal genes are exposed to carcinogens (Devi, 2005, p. 16). After which, promotion follows -- a stage wherein the gene is repeatedly exposed to stimuli (Devi, 2005, p. 17). Thereafter, progression occurs; this is the proliferation of the mutated gene (Devi, 2005, p. 17). Devi

Mergers and acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mergers and acquisition - Essay Example Such companies resort to such strategy for companies to have powers over suppliers, buyers or competitors, to benefit from experience curve effects and to reduce unit costs, to turn around opportunities as in the case of Morrison’s and Safeway, as a response to turbulence, technological or regulatory and as sometimes as response to acquisitions by competitors. Reality however has a different way of validating what managers and chief executive officers believe about the prospects of merger or acquisition. It is found through surveys that not all mergers deliver the value added that is expected. This is confirmed by www.olin.wustl.edu/discovery/feature in its article on Making Mergers Work. Olin School of Business (n.d.) said that whether judged by the growth of shareholder value or by the new company’s performance within its industry, the results of mergers and acquisitions have been disappointing. It the suggested to consider the AOL-Time Warner mismatch and the fiasco at WorldCom, a company that failed to integrate its many acquisitions. It further mentioned a 1999 study published in the Harvard Business Review, which found that only 21 percent of acquisitions in several industries could be viewed as clear successes. Olin School of business (n.d.) telling every body that in other words, nearly 80 percent of those acquisitions were either disappointing or clear failures. It then asked the question: â€Å"How can such a commonly practiced, promising business strategy so often end in disaster?† The Harvard Business Review survey, according to Olin School of Business (n.d.) from CFOs surveys conducted from the Forbes 50 revealed the top 10 roadblocks to achieving synergies from their answers as follows: The Olin School of Business (n.d.) then mentioned that The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation was intrigued

Comic hero Essay Example for Free

Comic hero Essay Conventions at the time also saw men as higher in marriage than women; but perhaps views on marriage and old conventions were changing. This may also mean that Shakespeare disagrees with the old conventions. This is why, I believe, he throws a loophole in to Katherinas last speech. She speaks of a wife being obedient to his [the husbands] honest will. Does this mean then that if the husbands will is not honest then the wife need not be obedient? I believe so. I also believe that Katherina has not been tamed at this point of the book, but however she does love Petruchio. This is shown when they arrive outside Lucentios house. Petruchio draws Katherina aside; prithee Kate, lets stand aside and watch the end of this controversy. The pairs agreement to move away from the scene and become an audience here shows their mutual feeling on the controversy and also the pairs new found togertherness. Critics such as Shaw and Billington suggest that there is an interesting incongruity between Katherinas early speeches and her last speech. This suggests to me that Katherina feels that her taming is beneficial, so she goes along with Petruchios act. She does however use subtle hints to show the audience that she is aware of the taming and is using it to her benefit, suggesting she is stronger and in fact is using Petruchio, for example the loophole in her last speech. However, if Katherina is stronger then this interpretation does not work., Petruchio still marries her and gets his way. Katherina is only allowed to be subtle about her opposition and Petruchio is aware of his own behaviour. Also when reading this play it is extremely important to consider at all times, The Taming of the Shrew is a play within a play. It might be deliberately overplayed or ironic in order to make it seem more acted, rather than real. This would also help to make a point about how we set our conventions. So I believe that this mistreatment of Katherina throughout the play is a mockery of the so-called old marriage conventions. The loophole in Katherinas last speech is, I feel, a kind of moral to this story. It helps us to see that the man is perhaps the main force in a marriage but there must also be mutual respect, otherwise it is just sexist. This is the third interpretation of the play that Shakespeare is mocking the conventions of marriage by producing a parody of the plethora of plays at the time like The Taming of A Shrew Act 4 Scene 5 takes place on a public road, it is therefore a neutral location of which nobody has ownership. This neutral location enables the characters to negotiate their roles more freely take for example, Katherina may negotiate who is in control. The audience present, Hortensio and Vincentio, is all male. This may mean that Petruchio is going to simply show-off, in order to show the other males who is in charge of their relationship in order to impress them. The play continues when Katherina starts to play the game, pronouncing Vincentio to be a budding young virgin, fair, fresh and sweet. In a wider context of the play, it seems as thought the play is questioning how women should act in a relationship. Looking back to the induction, the Lord gives the boy many instructions on how to act as a wife, and to talk to his husband with soft low tongue and lowly courtesy, and to say what ist your honour will command wherein your lady and humble wife may show her duty and make known her love?. Also the play is a comedy, therefore is not to be taken too seriously. Petruchio and Katherina often mock the dogmatic viewpoints on both the feminist side, and the side which sees Petruchio as a comic hero.

The Good Governance In Public Sectors Politics Essay

The Good Governance In Public Sectors Politics Essay Principles of good governance in the public sector are very important because it builds a relationship with people in the community. These principles are based on support, respect, communication, fairness, predictability and competence. The first section of this essay will discuss all of them in detail because they all lead into each other. Support is a good principle because if you do not support the public they could turn on you and put someone else in power that will support them and listen to their needs. Support helps build confidence in the public sector by giving the people what they need and want. If the people are happy with you, you will gain their respect, which leads to my next point. Respect begets respect because without it, you could be put out of power, but if you respect the public, the public will respect you and the decisions you have made. You could also get ideas from the public if you listen to and respect their input, which helps you tend to their needs and wants. This could also help you in staying in power for a longer period because you are communicating with the public, which brings in my next point communication. Communication is the interaction of people, who create meaningful interaction together as a team. This is very important in the public sector because you need to communicate with th e public and receive feedback from them before you can make decisions on any matter. The reason for this is so you can make the right decisions. In this way, the communities are happy and know that they are being treated fairly. Fairness is my next point. Fairness is important because you have to treat everyone equally. You do this because it is right to give everybody an equal say in what is happening because they are the ones who have to live with the choices made. Furthermore, if the community gives an idea that you use, give the community the credit and recognition that they deserve. In this way, the community will say that you are fair in your decision-making processes. So, always consider what everyone has to say and be fair to all of them by giving everyone a fair chance. My next point is predictability. Predictability means that you know what someone is going to do before thy do it. In the public sector, it is good because if you know what problems are going to arise, you ca n have an effective plan to deal with the problem before it becomes severe. You can predict what the peoples needs and wants are and supply it to them without wasting any time. This leads into my final topic, which is competence. Competence is the ability to do something very well. It is important because you have to know what you need to do for your job and you need to do it right. If you are competent, the community will see that you know what you are doing and they will trust you and the decisions that you make because they will believe that you have their best interests at heart. There are three separations of powers in the government. They are legislative authority, executive authority and judicial authority. They all have different responsibilities and duties to the public and this section will discuss all of them. To start, legislative authority is going to be discussed. The legislative authority in a democratic society is responsible for the orderly conduct of that society. Legislative authority plays a leading role in the process of state administration, by means of the law of the country and the budget of the rising expenditure and revenue. Parliament is the legislative authority of South Africa. Therefore, the legislative authority has the power to create laws for the country in accordance with the Constitution. It consists of the National Assembly, the National Council of provinces and sittings are open to the public. These laws apply only in the boundaries of the province. The following are some of the functional domains with regard to which the prov inces can make laws: agriculture, environment and local government. The legislative authority at local government level is vested in the municipal council which has the power to make bylaws. Such bylaws may not be inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:146) This ends legislative authority and continues with judicial authority. Judicial authorities main goal is to guarantee the rights and freedoms of the individual and to preserve the sovereignty of the lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Judicial authority of the Republic vests in the courts. The judiciary is independent, impartial and subject only to the Constitutions and the law. No person and no organ of state may interfere with judicial officers in the performance of their functions. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:147) The judicial authority of the Republic vests in the courts, the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, the Magistrates Court and other courts. The judicial authority has the power to give more rights to the people. Some of the rights they gave are the right to life, the right to human dignity, the right to privacy and many more. Judicial authority has a definite influence on the Public Protector. The executive authority is the next and final power. The executive authority consists of a variety of public executive institutions established by some law or government decision and which are financial either wholly or partly from state funds. These executive institutions are referred to as the public service. The public has to execute the laws of the country and function as part of the public sector. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:153) All the powers are different and the have there own goal in mind but all are linked to one greater goal and that is to make South Africa a better place. Every government institution makes an indispensable contribution to the ultimate goal of the state, namely the advancement of the general welfare of society. For this reason, there is a relationship of interdependence between the respective government structures and institutions. This relationship of interdependence implies interaction between the respective government structures and institutions. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:161) Coordination and liaison between the respective authorities and executive institutions, is of great importance. To date, a number of intergovernmental structures have been told to promote and facilitate co-operative government and intergovernmental relations between the respective spheres of government. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:162) These include an Intergovernmental Forum (IGF), Ministerial Forums, Intergovernmental Forums and the Department of Constitutional Development. Approaches to governmental relations are Constitutional or legal approach , Democratic approach, Financial approach and Normative operational approach. Vertical intergovernmental relations can be divided into three. They are relations between the central government and provincial governments, relations between the central government and local governments and relations between the provincial government and local governments. Horizontal relations between government institutions refer to relations between institutions at the same level, and they are particularly important for public managers. At local government level, horizontal relations take place mainly through, among others things, municipal associations and cooperation agreements. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:164) Extra-governmental relations are relations between government institutions and external institutions. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:164) The categories of relations that can be distinguished are social, politics, economics and institutional. There are four factors that may influence go vernmental relations, they are organisation of government institutions, decentralisation, fiscal and financial variables and personnel and human resources problems. Public versus private management. The differences and similarities. Private businesses are run for a profit and public institutions are not, but they are run for the general welfare. In the private sector, the various businesses compete with one another but the public institutions are basically monoplies. Private businesses can become involved in any activity not prohibited by legislations, while public institutions may only carry out functions or exercise competencies expressly delegated to them by the laws of our country. The nature and scope of services or products provided by the public sector are smaller in extent than those provided by government institutions. The transactions of private institutions usually known only to the owner or shareholder and are not divulged to the public while the actions of public institutions should always take place in the open.(Southern Business School, 2007:73) The differences are that legislation plays a prominent role; it is financed by the pub lic funds and is not non profit-oriented; it is directed by politics; accountability to the public is of prime importance; the focus in the public sector; the principles of public administration plays an important role and the method of allocating functions in the public sector is frequently based more on political considerations that on pure efficiency. The similarities are both comprise people and fixed personnel regulations are therefore required, work programmes methods and systems are the same, organisational arrangements and structures for providing time and staff functions delegation of authority coordination and communication are more or less the same, management principals, techniques, functions and skills are generic to both sectors, both follow standard accounting principals and control measures are applicable to both to ensure that predetermined objectives are achieved. Those are the differences and similarities of public and private management. Although there is a broad spectrum of disciplines which can be involved with considerable success. We will focus only on those disciplines that seem more approachable. They are Political Science, Economics, Developmental Administration/ Management, Etnology, Management Science and Sociology. Political Science can be defined as the scientific study of politics. Fields and subfields of Political Science include political theory and philosophy, national political systems, international politics, public administration, political institutions and political behaviour. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61) Political Science studies the public or government sector in terms of its political context, as opposed to Public Administration, which concentrates on the internal functioning of executive government institutions (Cloete, 1986 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61). Economics studies individuals as economic entities and their behaviour in economic affairs that is how they use scarce resou rces (Cloete, 1986, in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61). According to Cloete, Public Administration and Economics are inextricably linked. Development Administration developed as a specialised field of study from Public Administration. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61) Public Administration may well be concerned with the overall improvement of living standards. It implies development but a need nonetheless exists for a discipline specialising developmental principles and morals. Ethnology aims at creating a better understanding of developing communities. In this way, insight is gained into the way of life and institutions of different racial groups, including the way in which they conduct their public affairs. (Cloete, 1986 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61) According to Cronje, Neuland and van Reenen (1987 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:62), management science studies private enterptises in the search for ways to improve their functioning. Sociology involves the study of numerous institutions and other phenomence encountered in human society. (Cloete, 1986 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:62) There are various disciplines in Public Administration and new theories and approaches develop as a result of the interaction between academics and practitioners who study and practice the individual disciplines. Successful management of an institution is closely related to the way people are managed in that institution and it is important that managers understand the individuals in the institution. A manager has to be a psychologist, sociologist, anthropologist and political scientist all at the same time to understand and motivate your employees. There are three guidelines a manager needs to follow. They are guidelines from the body politic, guidelines from community values and prescribed guidelines. Guidelines from the body politic includes political supremacy which is ministers are the political head of public institutions and therefore have authority over the actions of officials, public accountability which includes the public responsibility of the legislative judicial an executive authorities with regard to service delivery and conduct which is in the public interest and tenets of democracy which implies that those who govern must not abuse the power vested in them in their personal in terest or in the interest of one population group only and that deliberations and consultations with the community must take place. Guidelines from communities values include religious doctrines and values systems, fairness and reasonableness, balanced decision-making, thoroughness, probity and honesty, and efficiency and effectiveness. Prescribed guidelines includes legal rules which is every action of a public official must be within the limits of enabling provisions of Acts and regulations, fundamental rights which are binding on all legislative and executive organs of state at all levels of government and it provide for equality, the right to life and respect for protection of dignity, Code of ethics or conduct which specialist unit within the public sector has a set of guidelines governing conduct, the conduct usually do not have any legal authority, but are simply guidelines that have been formed over time, right to information held by the state which is provided in terms of s ection 32 of the Constitution is also important with regard to internal ethical conduct, Just administration action is the normative principles of Public Administration. Measures to prevent unethical conduct are training and development of officials by means of courses, among other things, control measures and checkpoints, participation in departmental decision making, the elimination of excessive secrecy, media coverage of unethical conduct, politically dishonest officials can be removed during elections, the public service commission, the auditor general in his / her capacity, the public protector who looks after the interest of the public, administrative law and legal rules and a code of ethics or conduct for every profession, occupational group and field of activity. There are three different environmental levels in the public institution. The levels are macro-level or general level, the intermediate level and the micro-level or specific level. Micro-environment or internal environment is defined in more specific operational terms. Kast and Rosenzweig (1974 in Van der Walt and Du Toit, 1999:102) define the internal level as an attempt to classify and describe the focus that have an influence on the institution specifically. (Schwella 1983 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:102) describes the micro-environment as that part of general environment that is potentially relevant for the setting of objectives. The specific environment is thus more concrete than the general environment. It may directly influence the availability of resources to be the organisational unit. The influences it may have include supplying, withholding, decreasing or increasing the recourse used by the institution (Van der Waldt, 1992 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:102). Th e core components of micro environment is mission, goal, strategy, resources, institutional culture, inter regulars, external regulators and information. The intermediate environment or task or client environment induces al institutions, groups, individuals and influences with which the institution has direct outward interaction because public institutions are essentially providers of services. The community should be the most important component of the intermediate environment. Another intermediate environmental component is regulators that control and regulate the relationship between an institution, its suppliers, clients and competitors. Regulators include policy, laws, procedures and standardsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Opportunities and threats in the intermediate environment pg102 have a direct implication for the functioning and management of an institution.(Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:102) Intermediaries or facilitation acts as agents linking the macro and micro-environment. Another factor that plays a significant role in the provision of services is ethical norms and standards that are derived from the community. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:102) According to Schwella (1991 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:100) the macro- or general environment level consists of political, economic, legal, social, cultural and technological components. It includes influences outside the boundaries of the institution that is all factors external to the institutions micro- and intermediate environments that influence the functioning of both these environments. It is important to note that these environmental components are interdependent and that there are no absolute distinctions between them. Events in one environment can lead to changes in environments. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:101) Before, public managers were expected to present good ideas about which director the state should take, to decide on courses of action or goals to be accomplished and to use their influence or control to sway the opinions and the views of the staff in that certain direction. A more modern approach indicates that the future leader will be someone who assists the organisation in understanding its needs and potential combines and formats the vision of the group and catalyses the occurrence of group action. The leader will also not just be the head, but will play out every ones roles. Future public managers will need to be able to do certain things by utilising, among others, the following skills and abilities: leadership, deliberation and the skills associated with it viz. mediation, teamwork, negotiation and problem-solving etc. in various cultural settings; communication skills such as written, graphic, oral, technological and foreign languages; the skill of gathering, analysing and evaluating information; being able to critically (using different views and opinions), creatively (having the ability to come up with different ideas) and ethically (not infringing on anyones rights and moral obligations) reason; human relations i.e. dealing with staff, clients etc., which is vital for attaining success in a world that is so diverse in culture and ever changing; commit themselves to their own physical, emotional and psychological wellness, as well as that of others around them; have the ability to appreciate the human experience as being diverse which includes activ ities that are aesthetic and creative; display behaviour that is in accordance with the ethical principals and civic virtues normally displayed by good and responsible citizens of the immediate community, the state or province, the nation and ultimately the world; thinking critically, creatively as well as ethically; interpersonal (with themselves), intra-group (within a specific group) and inter-group (amongst different groups) skills which are important for attaining success in a world so complex; etc. According to Fox et al. (1991) and McCurdy (1995), a public manager has to adopt some new attitudes, which go against the rigid and bureaucratic inclinations of the past. (Southern Business School, 2007:118 119) They suggest that a public manager should become a crusader, an organiser, a pro-active policy formulator, a social change agent, a crises manager, a humanitarian, an interest broker, etc. for this they will need to be critical and honest about themselves and their own positions and allow personal change.

Free College Essays - Fear in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily :: A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner

The Power of Fear in A Rose for Emily   A Rose for Emily   Life is fickle and most people will be a victim of circumstance and the times. Some people choose not to let circumstance rule them and, as they say, â€Å"time waits for no man†. Faulkner’s Emily did not have the individual confidence, or maybe self-esteem and self-worth, to believe that she could stand alone and succeed at life especially in the face of changing times. She had always been ruled by, and depended on, men to protect, defend and act for her. From her Father, through the manservant Tobe, to Homer Barron, all her life was dependent on men. The few flashes of individuality showed her ability to rise to the occasion, to overcome her dependency, when the action was the only solution available. Like buying the poison or getting money by offering china-painting classes.   Life is sad and tragic; some of which is made for us and some of which we make ourselves. Emily had a hard life. Everything that she loved left her. Her father probably impressed upon her that every man she met was no good for her. The townspeople even state â€Å"when her father died, it got about that the house was all that was left to her; and in a way, people were glad†¦being left alone†¦She had become humanized† (219). This sounds as if her father’s death was sort of liberation for Emily. In a way it was, she could begin to date and court men of her choice and liking. Her father couldn’t chase them off any more. But then again, did she have the know-how to do this, after all those years of her father’s past actions? It also sounds as if the townspeople thought Emily was above the law because of her high-class stature. Now since the passing of her father she may be like them, a middle class working person. Unfortunately, for Emily she bec ame home bound. She didn’t socialize much except for having her manservant Tobe visit to do some chores and go to the store for her. Faulkner depicts Emily and her family as a high social class. Emily did carry her self with dignity and people gave her that respect, based from fear of what Emily could do to them. Emily was a strong willed person especially when she went into the drug store for the arsenic.

Neuropathology Of Downs Syndrome Essay -- Medical Disease Health Essa

Neuropathology Of Down's Syndrome Down’s syndrome is the most commonly identified cause of mental retardation occurring in 1 out of 700 live births. In addition to mental deficiency, characteristics of the disease include epicanthic folds of the eyes, flattened facial features, unusual palm creases, short stature, open mouth, protruding tongue and poor posture. A twenty-two to fifty fold increase in risk of the development of leukemia along with congenital heart defects in forty percent of these individuals is also seen. The increased level of purines often found can lead to mental retardation itself. Neurological impairment and immune system deficiencies make these individuals more susceptible to infection. Also noted are increased risk for cataract development and vision impairment due to defects in the lenses of the eyes. Evidence for the disease can be found as far back as the nineteenth century with many theories for the etiology of the disease. Early hypotheses include links to endocrine gland malfunction, tuberculosis, syphilis and "uterine exhaustion". The idea of uterine exhaustion was based on the observation that many children with Downs Syndrome (DS) tended to be the last born members of large families. This was later accounted for as mere coincidence. The first formal reference to the anomaly came in 1866 in England by a physician at the Earlewood Asylum noting the distinct physical characteristics of this group of individuals. In the 1930’s, Adrian Bleyer hypothesized that the condition was caused by a failure of the chromosomes to separate but could provide no proof for this since an accurate human chromosome count had not yet been obtained by anyone. The correct number of 46 chromosomes was obtained in Sw... ...rebrain Cholinergic and Pontine Catecholaminergic Nuclei in the Brain of Trisomy 16 Mouse, an Animal Model of Down’s Syndrome. Brain Res. Devop. Brain Res.:50(2), 251-264. LeMay, M. and N. Alvarez (1990) The Relationship Between Enlargements of the Temporal Horns of the Lateral Ventricles and Dementia in Aging Patients with Down’s Syndrome. Neuroradiology: 32 (2), 104-107. Patterson, D. (1987) The Causes of Down Syndrome. Scientific American: 255 (8), 52-60. Pearlson, G. D., et. al. (1990) Brain Atrophy in 18 Patients with Down Syndrome: a CT study. AJNR: 265, 811-816. Plioplys, A. (1987) Down’s Syndrome Precocious Neurofilament Antigen Expression. J. Neuroscien.: 79, 91-100. Sacks, B. and S. Smith (1989) People with Down’s Syndrome Can be Distinguished on the Basis of Cholinergic Dysfunction. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry: 52(11), 1294-1295. Neuropathology Of Down's Syndrome Essay -- Medical Disease Health Essa Neuropathology Of Down's Syndrome Down’s syndrome is the most commonly identified cause of mental retardation occurring in 1 out of 700 live births. In addition to mental deficiency, characteristics of the disease include epicanthic folds of the eyes, flattened facial features, unusual palm creases, short stature, open mouth, protruding tongue and poor posture. A twenty-two to fifty fold increase in risk of the development of leukemia along with congenital heart defects in forty percent of these individuals is also seen. The increased level of purines often found can lead to mental retardation itself. Neurological impairment and immune system deficiencies make these individuals more susceptible to infection. Also noted are increased risk for cataract development and vision impairment due to defects in the lenses of the eyes. Evidence for the disease can be found as far back as the nineteenth century with many theories for the etiology of the disease. Early hypotheses include links to endocrine gland malfunction, tuberculosis, syphilis and "uterine exhaustion". The idea of uterine exhaustion was based on the observation that many children with Downs Syndrome (DS) tended to be the last born members of large families. This was later accounted for as mere coincidence. The first formal reference to the anomaly came in 1866 in England by a physician at the Earlewood Asylum noting the distinct physical characteristics of this group of individuals. In the 1930’s, Adrian Bleyer hypothesized that the condition was caused by a failure of the chromosomes to separate but could provide no proof for this since an accurate human chromosome count had not yet been obtained by anyone. The correct number of 46 chromosomes was obtained in Sw... ...rebrain Cholinergic and Pontine Catecholaminergic Nuclei in the Brain of Trisomy 16 Mouse, an Animal Model of Down’s Syndrome. Brain Res. Devop. Brain Res.:50(2), 251-264. LeMay, M. and N. Alvarez (1990) The Relationship Between Enlargements of the Temporal Horns of the Lateral Ventricles and Dementia in Aging Patients with Down’s Syndrome. Neuroradiology: 32 (2), 104-107. Patterson, D. (1987) The Causes of Down Syndrome. Scientific American: 255 (8), 52-60. Pearlson, G. D., et. al. (1990) Brain Atrophy in 18 Patients with Down Syndrome: a CT study. AJNR: 265, 811-816. Plioplys, A. (1987) Down’s Syndrome Precocious Neurofilament Antigen Expression. J. Neuroscien.: 79, 91-100. Sacks, B. and S. Smith (1989) People with Down’s Syndrome Can be Distinguished on the Basis of Cholinergic Dysfunction. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry: 52(11), 1294-1295.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Essay -- Metamorphosis Franz Kafka Es

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have chosen The Metamorphosis as my subject for this paper; I will take a close look at how the death of Gregor Samsa opens the doors to understanding the story. I will give examples of irony through Gregor’s metamorphosis and how this irony brings together the conclusion of the story. Through his death we see the truth behind his parents, which in it’s self is ironic. It is difficult to pinpoint one specific thing to write about in the story; there are just so many things that can be brought to light. If I happen to lose sight of my topic bear with me, there is just so much to be discussed in the novella.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the opening lines of the story we are drawn into climax of the story. We are introduced to the main character, Gregor Samsa, and he has been transformed from a human to a bug. Gregor gives a long description of his looks and how he is trying to maneuver around. One peculiar thing is he does not panic, ironically he is more concerned with getting to work and hiding himself from his family. He is a hard working man that supports his parents and sister. The notion that he takes care of them seems to slip by the reader in the beginning of the story and does come up again until the end of the story. It is only then that everyone must go out a do something to support the family   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We finally see at end of the story how useful Gregor was to his family. By using the word useful I mean how many things he could be used for...

Canice Davidson

I would suggest combining your purpose and thesis statement into a single purpose statement and linking the outcome to some aspect of organizational behavior. For Instance†¦ The purpose of this paper Is to discuss how an organization can create a culture that has a positive influence on behavior at the individual, team, and organizational levels. (Or something like that†¦ ) The goal would be to be more specific so your reader clearly understands what you plan to write about. Take care, Ken MoThe purpose of this paper Is to show how an organization can create a culture that has a positive Impact on behavior at the Individual, team and organizational levels. In order for this t happen there must be diversity. In an organization, cultural diversity consists of the differences in the makeup of the members. This refers to race, age, religion, gender, color, or creed. TO make it sound simple, there should be a variety of different types of people. This has a positive effect, beca use it allows employees of the organization to establish relationships and recognize one another in spite of their differences.People usually define diversity as the things that you can see, but there are also things that make people diverse, such as their way of thinking, abilities, and experiences. There are so many benefits to an organization becoming more diverse. If you look around, our nation and workforce are becoming more and more diverse, and businesses that embrace that will have a more permanent fixture and more than likely be more successful. A diverse workforce stimulates economic growth.As more women, racial minorities and gay employees enter the workforce, our nation's human capital tremendously grows. A study that was conducted by McKinney & Company, found that women went from holding 37% of all jobs to of all jobs. This has accounted for about h of the current GAP. Most large companies import and export goods from other countries. This requires communication with pe ople from different countries and cultures. As these companies grow so does the need for communication. As these need Increases so will the need for a more diverse workforce.Hiring Individuals from other countries allows business to be conducted easily. Having a diverse workforce allows marketing to be more effective. It allows companies to market to consumers from different backgrounds, because you have a employees from different backgrounds and experiences who will know how to effectively reach the trademarked. This in return increases market share. Combing employees with different cultural backgrounds is essential to effective problem loving and Increases creativity and innovation.A 2011 Forbes conducted a survey of 321 large global enterprises that had at least $500 million In revenue. The end result was 85% agreed or strongly agreed, that diversity is critical to providing innovation in the workplace. Because there is such a variety of people that are contributing their ideas, viewpoints and knowledge, there is a wider variety of solutions and ideas to be considered. Canine Davidson By Candied instance†¦ The purpose of this paper is to discuss how an organization can create aThe purpose of this paper is to show how an organization can create a culture that has a positive impact on behavior at the individual, team and organizational levels. That women went from holding 37% of all Jobs to 47% of all Jobs. This has accounted these need increases so will the need for a more diverse workforce. Hiring individuals from other countries allows business to be conducted easily. Solving and increases creativity and innovation. A 2011 Forbes conducted a survey of 321 large global enterprises that had at least $500 million in revenue. The end

Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development

Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development â€Å"‘Discuss the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development. What role do creativity and problem solving play in this relationship? † In today’s world, entrepreneurship and innovation are becoming increasingly crucial as drivers of the economy, especially so in the developing economies where trade plays a major part in generating revenue. In China, small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for almost 70 percent of all Chinese exports, a share that reflects the above statement about the importance of entrepreneurship to economic robustness.Some questions may be raised on whether entrepreneurship lead to economic development or is the latter a prerequisite to facilitate the entrepreneurship and innovation processes instead. This essay , while recognizing the need of certain institutions and framework to be in place and functioning well in order to ease the functioning of business activities, takes the stand that entrepreneurship and innovation leads to economic development more often than of the other way around.Realising its potential, governments’ initiatives have largely been centred on encouraging more entrepreneurs to start up a venture or to expand their existing businesses. In the 2013 National Budget, the Malaysian Government has allocated a fund of RM 1 billion under the SME Development Scheme (News Straits Times 2012). This very government has also recently launched SME Masterplan (2012 – 2020). These initiatives are aimed at supporting and accelerating the growth and development of SME-s across all sectors of the economy.In evaluation though, more start-ups and new business ventures in an economy does not necessarily translate into economic growth and improvement. In order for the desired economic aims to be achieved, we need to ensure that the start-ups and existing businesses thrive and not fail, for doomed enterprises mor e often than not suck resources out of the economy. This essay will identify how businesses, using innovative practices and creativity in both business operations as well as in problem solving, can achieve greater performance and sustainability in order to positively contribute to economic development.Jospeh Schumpeter defines entrepreneurs as innovators who implement entrepreneurial change within markets (Ahamad, 2008). This can be in the sense of introduction of a new or improved good, introduction of a new method of production or business management process, and the exploitation of a new source of supply. In short, entrepreneurship is the act of identifying market opportunities and using innovative approaches to exploit them (Ahamad, 2008). â€Å"Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming† (McAshan, 2011).Such are the words Richard Branson has used to describe the ample opportunities available for entrepreneurs to capitalize on. An entr epreneur can either start a venture by either involving themselves in a established market with certainty of demand for the goods offered, or they can exploit a new market altogether, by identifying a market niche and work on fulfilling the needs of that certain segment. By undertaking the former, entrepreneurs face a large and possibly increasing pool of competitors. This market, as described in the book Blue Ocean Strategy, is the â€Å"Red Ocean†.In contrast, entrepreneurs who venture into an untapped market space, focusing on demand creation, have unlimited potential to grow profitably (Chan & Mauborgne, 2005). â€Å"The only way to beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition. † Entrepreneurs should focus on undertaking the value innovation strategy proposed in the Blue Ocean Strategy. By creating a leap in value for buyers, a venture can open up new and uncontested market space, this makes competition irrelevant (Chan & Mauborgne, 2005).To be su ccessful, entrepreneurs will need to undertake innovative processes in creating the product or service as so to distinguish themselves from the rest of the existing options in the market. In other words, the product or services offered must stand out, have relevance and good purpose, and provides a high value add to consumers. It must provide the wow effect to the masses, which will in turn capture attention and help rake in revenues. Besides product and service innovation, innovation also can be implemented in improving the business management process.For example, all this while, organizations are shaped in the top-down organizational structure. Innovative entrepreneurs might have a different preference on running the firm, and choose to have a flatter structure, defying the norm. This can rake in benefits as in a flat structure, creativity and feedback are encouraged, there is more empowerment of young people by the executives, leading to a more open and vibrant organization. This will provide amazing esults in terms of business performance especially in today’s fast paced business world, which requires enterprises to be nimble and quick to adapt to changes (Griffin, 1999). Besides innovating and introducing a good and impressive product, an enterprise should also aim to develop strengths in multiple areas to gain an advantage over the rest of the field. Edges such as fantastic supply chain system which is due to good contacts and strong relationships with suppliers is a crucial factor in determining how well a business does.Toyota for instance, are famed for their Lean Production System, which is a key factor contributing to their status as market leader in the automobile industry. Besides that, the ability to develop strong brand loyalty with customers by establishing a culture of responsiveness to them is also another example of what an enterprise can focus on doing. It is easy to knock off an innovative product, but an innovative business system i s hard to replicate (Bhide, 1996).Businesses should thus focus on enhancing creativity, building strong networks, utilize technology available to enhance performance, devise effective strategies to be incorporated in the business process, aim to build good reputation among consumers by providing consistent and reliable service and also, be ever-ready to act quickly, on both opportunities as well as issues that will arise every now and then (Bhide, 1994). When faced with a problem, how fast and how well an entrepreneur responds to it will have a telling effect on the business performance.It can potentially act as a morale booster if dealt well, and have adverse effects if not. Spardlin (2012) suggests that a large number of enterprises are simply not rigorous in defining the problems they are attempting to solve. The Creative Problem Solving Process Model suggest the use of an explorer’s mindset, as well as a detective mindset when it comes to defining problems. This is so as to pinpoint the problem, also identifying the opportunities and future-oriented aspects involved (Lumsdaine, 2009). When you ask the right questions, chances are you’ll be able to tackle the right problems well.InnoCentive, an innovation-focused problem solving consulting agency, has devised a four-step process for firms, to be used in defining problems and later solving them (Spardlin, 2012). This process has four main focuses. First, it aims to help users pinpoint the need for the solution, and state what the desired outcome is. Next, it articulates the strategic importance of the solution to the firm. Then, it looks into the methods that may have already been used, recognize the constraints involved and lastly a clear and complete problem statement is produced (Spardlin, 2012).This multi-steps process is important to rally the organisation around a shared understanding of the situation, its magnitude and amount of resources needed to be devoted to the rectification of the issue. More often than not, firms allocate inappropriate level of resources to solving problems faced: too few resources are allocated to high-stakes ones and excess resources are devoted to tackling wrongly defined problems or low priority ones (Spardlin, 2012). After problem definition, idea generation and evaluation follows.Using the artist, engineer and judge mindsets, organisations are encouraged to generate solutions through a creative, innovative and evaluative process (Lumsdaine, 2009). This process works well in brainstorming groups. As ideas are being suggested, chances are a constructive build-on will occur. Ideas will then be synthesized, and the best solution(s) will then be picked. The Pugh Method can be used in tandem with the idea evaluation process: Concepts are compared in an advantage-disadvantage matrix.It can be used to compare the few available ideas in hand, choosing the best one ultimately, and it can also be used to benchmark against an existing concept in t he market (Lumsdaine, 2009). With this, entrepreneurs can now be assured of a well-thought idea for their products or services or even when it comes to solving issues. The implementation of ideas, or the execution is a pivotal area of focus for entrepreneurs. Execution is as equally important as the idea itself. Entrepreneurship is not just all about being creative and inventing or innovating good products and services.A good idea without careful and precise implementation will not help a business reach its potential. Furthermore, an innovative new product or service may do very well when introduced, but its popularity will also attract new companies who will imitate and try to capture a share of the market. Thus the importance of laying strong foundations and fundamentals in terms of implementation must be stressed on by entrepreneurs. Aspiring entrepreneurs should realise the importance of working on establishing the business’ brand name as well as using creativity in erect ing barriers that will deter imitators.This is especially crucial if their innovation of products are easily copied. This can be done by careful planning, acquisition and management of the necessary resources. Clearly, innovation, problem solving and creativity are all connected and play important roles in driving entrepreneurship. A society will be much better off with better products and services, as well as having the luxury of a wider range of product choices to choose from. Entrepreneurship will indefinitely spur economic development in a country.As mentioned above, enterprises contribute to the exports of a country, so in this aspect a country will record better balance of payments performances. Also, as consumers now have better quality goods produced locally, the dependency on imported goods can be reduced, and internal growth is spurred with increased consumption in the economy. Lastly, as firms embark on the innovation drive, more technology usage will mean investment acti vities are bound to increase, contributing to the long run health of the economy. In short, innovation in entrepreneurship is important for economic development.Efforts to strengthen these practices should be undertaken by all parties, including the government. References Ahmad, N. and R. G. Seymour (2008), â€Å"Defining Entrepreneurial Activity: Definitions Supporting Frameworks for Data Collection†, OECD Statistics Working Papers, 2008/01, OECD Publishing. Bhide, A. (1994). How Entrepreneurs Craft Strategies That Work. Harvard Business Review. Bhide, A. (1996). The Questions Every Entrepreneurs Must Answer. Harvard Business Review. Chan K. W. & Mauborgne R. (2005), Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant: Harvard Business Press. Finfacts. (2007).Chinese SMEs boost exports and growth; More created in past 20 years than total number of SMEs in Europe and US combined. Available: http://www. finfacts. com/irelandbusinessnews/ publish/article_1010697. shtml. Last accessed 20th November 2012. Griffin, D. (1999). Benefits in a Flat Organizational Structure. Available: http://smallbusiness. chron. com/benefits-flat-organizational-structure-281. html. Last accessed 30th of November. Lumsdaine, E . , Binks, M . (2009). Entrepreneurship from Creativity to Innovation. Nottingham, University of Nottingham Institute for Enterprise and Innovation McAshan, T. (2011). 50 Great Entrepreneurial

Adoption And Foster Care In California

With the advent of societal changes the numbers of children in foster care has risen, as have the complexity of their problems. In Califoronia, approximately 100,000 children are in out-of-home placement with parental substance abuse the most common reason for entry (California Department of Social Services, 7).A study by Lewis and associates (1995) reported the number of drug exposed infants entering foster care increased 3000% from 1981 to 1993 in Los Angeles County. Takayama and colleagues (1998) reported that nearly 80% of the children entering foster care in San Francisco Country had a substance abusing parent and over 90% of infants entering foster care were prenatally drug exposed.  Foster explains that perniciously addictive crack cocaine and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have largely been responsible for dramatic increases of children with health related problems being placed in foster care (Foster, 11).   â€Å"Children whose parents abuse alcohol and drugs are al most three times more likely to be abused and more than four times more likely to be neglected† (Foster, 14).Another factor increasing foster care population is the reductions in welfare benefits, which have shown a relationship to increases in child abuse and neglect referrals (Children's Defense Fund, as cited in Freundlich, 2000).According to the Children's Defense Fund (as cited in Freundlich, 2000), child abuse and neglect referrals went up 12% when the families' welfare benefits were reduced 2.7%.   These same Los Angeles County figures showed an increase the following year of 20% referrals when benefits were reduced by 5.8%.Many children are placed in child protective custody because of neglect (Foster, 29) with the second most common reason being physical abuse, but in a number of cases children enter foster care because of reasons related to poverty.   Finally, the welfare mandatory work requirements for benefits with scarce provisions for child care exacerbates t he tensions that a single parent faces.With the 5-year lifetime welfare cap and a 20% reduction in the Food Stamp Program many families will not be able to sustain a safe and stable home.   In response to these reductions and pressures, more children may enter into the protective care and stay longer.In addition to reduced income, some families with disabled children stand to lose their Supplemental Security Income, due to tighter eligibility requirements (Freundlich, 35).   In all, there are twice as many children entering the child welfare system as there were 20 years ago (Foster, 35).Adoption in some form has been used to help families since recorded history.   A common form of informal adop tion utilized in colonial America was to indenture child ­ren to a family for the purpose of learning a trade (Hacsi, 164).Later, orphan asylums were operated to feed and house â€Å"poor and parentless children† (Foster, 41). Extreme poverty led some families to â€Å"place- out† their own children until they became economic ­ally viable family again (Hasci, 165). These informal adoption measures were gradually replaced as a new professionalism in child welfare began.The growing involvement of state and federal govern ­ment in child welfare and the establishment of the juvenile court system in 1900 altered and â€Å"greatly increased the numbers of state wards† (Hasci, 172).California led the way in 1915, by regulating and licensing placement home agencies and in 1920, started making payments for out of home care for those declared needy by the juvenile court (Hasci, 172).California state government encouraged adoption rather than boarding-out because it saved money and cut ties to biological parents who were thought of as being â€Å"morally delinquent† (Hasci, 173).Depression era funding created Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) with the goal of keeping children in the home by supporting impoverished families (Hasci, 173).   Th e role of government continues to dictate child welfare policies based on prevailing societal attitudes and current research.During the 1960s, federal foster care funding and the discovery of the â€Å"battered child syndrome† combined to further change the dynamics of child welfare.   Child pro ­tection against abuse became a nationwide concern and there was money in the coffers to fund a foster care system (Foster, 47).Money, awareness, and mandatory reporting laws increased foster care rolls from 300,000 in 1962, to 500,000 in 1977 (Foster, 49).   Numerous laws have been passed to organize and encourage adoption rates.   Originally the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 was enacted to offset an unintended conse ­quence of foster care.Moving from one foster home to another repeatedly exacerbated the adjustment and developmental problems of children already exposed to unstable and unsafe home environments.   It was hoped that this law would expedit e reunification efforts while slowing down foster drift by encouraging preventative strategies.Currently, adoption policy guided through President Clinton's 1997, Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) focuses on a parallel approach which emphasizes reuni ­fication and permanency options simultaneously.   Parents who are unable or unwilling to aggressively pursue reuni ­fication dictates will lose parental rights; however, much less time is wasted because of the joint approach and, therefore, children gain permanent homes sooner (Foster, 55).Although it seems logical now to encourage foster parents to adopt their foster children, affectionate ties were discouraged and sanctioned by many court cases (Stephens, 1992).   Prior to 1974 two-thirds of the states, including California, discouraged adoption by foster parents (Meezan, & Shireman, 14).Information had been postulated too regarding the deleterious effects of a lack of permanence in children's formative years.   As earl y as 1952, researchers Bowlby and Robertson discovered and described the three phases of protest, despair, and detachment that an infant or toddler will display when separated from their affectionate care giver and by 1969, Bowlby had published the first of three volumes about the importance of early and consistent attachment.However, the dissemination of this important finding was not significantly applied to practice until Congress passed the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, thereby recognizing the importance of permanency placement (Katz, 220).In December 1996, President Clinton directed the US Department of Heals and Human Services (DHHS) to develop strategies to achieve permanency more quickly for children in the foster care system and double the number of adoptions to 54,000 by fiscal year 2002.Data available at the current moment showed that while the number of children in foster care increased from 242,000 in 1983 to almost 500,000 in 1995, the number of ad options of children in out of home care stayed between 17,000 to 20,000 during this same period (Maza, 445).Clinton’s directive, disseminated by DHHS as Adoption 2002: A Response to the Presidential Executive Memorandum on Adoption made two important recommendations: (1) States were to develop plans to double their adoptions and set annual targets for the adoptions to be finalized through 2002 and upcoming years; (2)States would be rewarded with an annual financial bonus for each adoption finalized over the baseline number of adoptions (Maza, 449). Subsequently, the Adoption and Safe Families Act was passed and disbursements to child welfare agencies were authorized to increase the number of children adopted.It qualified a state to receive $4,000 for each adoption over the baseline of previous years and an additional $2,000 for each adoption finalized with a Title IV-E Adoption Assistance agreement (an additional payment for children with special needs) (Maza, 450).Medical, b ehavioral, developmental and educational (if appropriate) assessments are necessary to finalize an adoption. These assessments are confidential and are kept in the child’s record to document appropriate and mandated care. In San Francisco County and Los Angeles County, HIV screening is also a routine part of medical assessment for at-risk children in foster care.In 1996, the California state Department of Social Services formed the Adoption Policy Advisory Council to review adoption policies in California. The council created the Concurrent Planning Workgroup to develop and implement a model of concurrent planning as part of this effort (Williams, 18).This group assisted in developing Assembly Bill 1544, which became state law effective January 1, 1998, as Chapter 793, Statutes of 1997. Chapter 793 requires that a concurrent plan be developed for every child entering out-of-home care. Concurrent planning is a well-known approach to facilitating timely permanency for children in foster care.The concurrent plan names the child's permanency alternative to reunification – adoption, guardianship, or emancipation – and describes the services necessary to achieve this if reunification fails.Chapter 793 also explicitly clarified that certain concurrent planning activities -placement in a fost-adopt home, detailing services necessary to achieve legal permanence for child if reunification fails in the case plan, or providing such services concurrently with reunification efforts – could not, in and of themselves, be evidence of a failure to provide reasonable efforts.The law did not require that the permanent plan be pursued concurrently with the reunification plan. When reunification appears likely, â€Å"concurrent planning services† may consist of reassessing the family's situation in 90 days (Williams, 19). Chapter 793 also added a section to the Welfare and Institutions code requiring the court to query the birth mother at an early hearing regarding any presumed or alleged fathers.The court is subsequently responsible to provide hearing notice to all alleged fathers, with a paternity determination required of all men who respond. The hope is to avoid delays due to birth fathers' surfacing at termination of parental rights hearings and requesting parental rights and services, or objecting to termination of parental rights (Williams, 21). The California law also requires that the case plan describe whether the parent was advised of the option of relinquishment.WORKS CITEDFreundlich, M. Adoption and ethics:   The market forces in adoption.   Washington, DC:   ChildWelfare League of America, 2000California Department of Social Services, Data Analysis and Publications Branch, 2000Foster, L. K. Foster care fundamentals:   An overview of California's foster care system.California Research Bureau, California State Library, 2001Hacsi, T. From indenture to family foster care: A brief history of child placing.   ChildWelfare, 74, 162-181, 1995Meezan, W., & Shireman, J. Care & commitment. Albany, New York:   State University ofNew York Press, 1985Katz, L. Effective permanency planning for children in foster care.   National Association ofSocial Workers, 220-226, 1990, MayMaza, P.L. Using administrative date to reward agency performance: The case of the federalAdoption Incentive Program. Child Welfare, 79(5): 444-456Williams, L. Concurrent planning implementation guide. Sacramento, CA:CaliforniaDepartment of Social Services, 2001