The thoughts of Sussex Essay Example For Students

The thoughts of Sussex Essay We went as a full group to observe the inter-agency working in the court. Although all the parties in the courtroom worked together, and have a resounding semblance of order it soon became apparent that the majority of the collaboration happens behind the scenes at the Crown Prosecution Service. The CPS put together all the evidence for the case and they also ensure that all the relevant people will be in attendance at the hearing. We tried to follow up this visit with a visit to the CPS but unfortunately they were unable to accommodate us. The second observation that I attended was at the Pendleview Blakewater Mental Health Unit at Queens Park Hospital in Blackburn. The person who we met and showed us around was Anne Gillespie, a social worker within the unit, who was very helpful and informative. The team in which Anne works was set up 7 years ago, and has been collaborating with other agencies since it began. Anne is a social worker within a multi-disciplinary team, and although Anne works for Social Services, she told us that she collaborates with mainly health services, including nurses, doctors, the psychiatric doctor, and the community support worker. We will write a custom essay on The thoughts of Sussex specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Freeth (2001) informs us that to provide a genuinely user-centred service requires inter-professional collaboration and effective teamwork (p38). As well as this she also liaises with other social workers, GPs, occupational therapists and community support workers outside the hospital. The team as a unit collaborates with as many voluntary organisations as possible to try and take the focus away from the mental issues and try and resolve the problems in their lives, such as alcohol or substance abuse. They use organisations such as relate, age concern and other agencies that deal with drugs and alcohol abuse, and many more besides. The overall impression that Anne gave was that inter-professional collaboration was very effective in this unit, although it took time for people to adapt to the roles of others, and feels that one of the most positive things to come from inter-professional collaboration is that it helps achieve a continuity of care. This is achieved mainly from the use of the ECPA (Electronic Care Programme Approach). This is a special system on the computer that many professionals from many agencies have access to. The system allows for good accessibility to patients files. Every service user has their own file on the system in which the details of their case have been logged, either in the hospital or in the community. The consequent visitors to the client after the database has been set up can easily access the records which hold valuable and up to date information about care plans, referrals and safety profiles. The ECPA is a really effective way of collaborating between professionals that has the added bonus of not being very time consuming. The ECPA allows several agencies to update the profile of the service user on the database which any other professional can access. This means that the paper files are no longer necessary as all of the reports can be located easily within minutes. It was found by Molyneux (2001) that common documentation systems are beneficial to good Interprofessional collaboration (p344). Although Anne felt that her team worked very effectively within the hospital as well as with other agencies she did feel that there were some barriers to working effectively. The barriers include the inability to communicate effectively between professionals, the lack of understanding of the roles of the other professionals, as well as uncooperative agencies, and the use of jargon within agencies that sound foreign to other agencies (Sussex, 2004). .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f , .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .postImageUrl , .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f , .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f:hover , .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f:visited , .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f:active { border:0!important; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f:active , .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u614fb1b52c00e9aecd922631ee3ec46f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: One Hell of a System EssayAnother factor that does not facilitate good inter-professional collaboration is the differences in the terms and conditions in the contracts of the professionals involved with the service user; this can lead to a conflict of interests and can mean that the professionals have different goals, and this inevitably means that they will find it difficult to liaise with each other, which ultimately leads to the needs of the service user not being adequately met (Sussex, 2004). Freeth (2001) also echoes the thoughts of Sussex (2004) and believes that structural differences between organisations and conflicting agendas can make sustaining inter-professional collaboration difficult. Anne works for Blackburn with Darwen social services within Queens Park Hospital, and the hospital has patients from Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, and because of her contract she can only deal with service users that live within Blackburn with Darwen. This means that the hospital then has to get a different social worker to come and deal with other service users that live outside that area.

Nativism essays

Nativism essays Nativism is a dangerous idea. It keeps people from bring free and deprives them of there god given rights secured by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. An example of this is in The Case of Sacco and Vanzetti. In this incident two men (both foreigners form Italy) for a crime that was never proven that they did. They went through court and not once did they ever receive a fair trial. They were later put to death. All of this was probably due to nativism activists and their non-open minded and very opinionated ideas. This alone is proof that the nativism activists back in the day were racist and only wanted to have America for the Americans. Other incidents of nativism are when people are believe or think that foreigners are lower races and that they could not be woven into the fabric of there society. There were even laws that were made just to keep foreigners out of the country, and laws that made it possible for them to be deported if people thought that they might be dangerous. An example of this would be the Alien and Sedition Acts, which gave the president power to exclude or deport any foreigners that was believed to be dangerous. This also gave him power to send any one to court for whatever reason. Nativism has been going on sense America was founded up tell now. Lists of well-known nativism acts are The Protestant Crusades of the 1830s, Chinese Exclusion of 1878-89, and the English only movement in the 1980s. And there is even nativism in the 90s, which started, when Americans wanted to maintain their culture. Lots of problems led people to believe that immigrants were the problem, which led to anti-immigrant mindsets. Its hard to believe that some people out there just dont want foreigners here, be it because of there race or that they just dont like them. ...

How to Use the Tiny Word Ne in Italian

How to Use the Tiny Word Ne in Italian â€Å"I have two brothers. How many brothers do you have?† â€Å"I have three brothers.† While the above conversation is perfectly acceptable and constitutes a real interaction, it sounds strange because the two people talking find it necessary to repeat â€Å"brothers† over and over again when they could use a replacement like â€Å"of them†. In Italian, you would do that using the word â€Å"ne† and unlike English, you cant just say I have three or How many do you have?. Like reflexive, indirect and direct object pronouns, tiny  words like â€Å"ne† can drive the Italian language student insane. What’s the real definition? Where do you place it? When do you use it? However, the power in a tiny word like â€Å"ne† is its flexibility and as you have more conversations, it’s easier to recognize how much it helps to smooth out conversations. While you can easily learn the definitions of the pronoun particle â€Å"ne† and where to place it in a sentence, it’s most helpful to start with fixed phrases where you might be more familiar with hearing or using â€Å"ne†. Common Phrases Che ne pensi? - What do you think (about it)?Non ne ho. - I don’t have any (of them).Vattene! - Get away (from me)! Definitions AboutAnySomeOf itFrom itFrom themFrom there It can also replace a prepositional phrase beginning with da or di. For example, â€Å"Ho appena letto quel libro! Che ne pensi? - I just read that book! What did you think (of it)?† Where to Put â€Å"Ne† in a Sentence When it comes to placement, â€Å"ne† typically goes before the conjugated verb. For example: Parliamo di Mario. - We talk about Mario. → Ne parliamo. - We talk about him.Ne avete molti di amici. - You have many friends. → Ne avete molti. - You have many of them.Ho due fratelli. - I have two brothers.  Ã¢â€ â€™ Ne ho due. - I have two of them.Quanti bambini ci sono?! - How many children are there?! → Ce ne sono quattordici! - There are fourteen of them!Hai del caffà ¨? - Do you some coffee? → Sà ¬, ne ho. - Yes, I have it.Hai bisogno di due francobolli. - You need two stamps. → Ce ne vogliono due. - You need two of them. Using â€Å"Ne† in the Past Tense If you use â€Å"ne† in the present perfect  tense (il passato prossimo), you have to make sure that the verb agrees in number and gender with the direct object. Quanti film di Fellini hai visto ? – How many Fellini movies have you seen? → Ne ho visti tre. – I’ve seen four of them.Quante mele avete mangiato? - How many apples did you (all) eat? → Ne abbiamo mangiate sette. - We ate seven (of them). Pronominal Verbs and â€Å"Ne† You may also see â€Å"ne† within other verbs, and these are called pronominal verbs. Here are some examples of those: Andarsene – To leaveVenirsene – To come out of itAverne abbastanza – To have enough of somethingFregarsene di qualcosa – To not care at all about somethingNon poterne pià ¹ – To not be able to do (something) anymore

To CASE A HYPERTENSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

To CASE A HYPERTENSION - Essay Example ctor also found rales of crackles on his chest upon auscultation and this poses a risk as Dr Ally may suffer a heart failure which is his main problem. This is the reason why the doctor ordered him to take some rest and restart his high blood pressure medication to curb the impending condition (Kataoka and Matsuno, 2008). According to the case study, Dr. Ally is undergoing pathophysiological changes in his eyes and heart owing to the fact that he recently suffered a bout of epistaxis which refers to severe nose bleeding, dizziness and a blurred vision. For instance, the blurry vision can be attributed to damaged blood vessels otherwise referred to as retinopathy and if left untreated this could result to blindness. On the other hand, the impending heart failure could be caused by damaged arteries and this could be fatal (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2012). According to the doctor, the patient could have developed congestive heart failure (CHF) due to hypertension, a condition that causes the heart to weaken thus rendering it unable to carry out its pumping activities normally. In this case, the patient could be suffering from left sided heart failure and this can be explained by the rales of crackles on his chest which the doctor encountered upon auscultation. In addition, his feelings of fatigue after work and his developing of dyspnea while climbing the stairs are another clear indication that he has a left sided heart failure. Treatment for this condition includes drugs for hypertension as well as a procedure known as cardiac catheterization which is used in unblocking the heart arteries. The doctor is also likely to advise his patient to embark on a change in lifestyle where he is supposed to stop taking alcoholic substances, go soft on salt and also indulge in regular moderate exercises. Some of the medication likely to be administered includes Beta-blockers, Digitalis, Diuretics which include triamterene, furosemide, spironolactone, bumetanide

Preservation of Green Spaces in Urban Areas Research Paper

Preservation of Green Spaces in Urban Areas - Research Paper Example Invasion into the urban free space is inevitable; human population have resorted to finding alternative spaces for economic and social pursuit in areas otherwise meant to preserve the green spaces. In so doing, the original and intended purpose of such places lose value and meaning. Vegetation clearing on the parks, coupled with worldwide waste management ignorance is threatening to veil the aesthetic and biophysical value accorded such spaces. Such spaces, if not adequately managed and maintained would not only undermine their sustainability but also lead to loss of urban artistic image and value. Global environmental changes also attribute to such forms of negligence as prolonged or unabated loss of urban vegetation cover. There is a strong indicator that urban free space holds a significant role in the biophysical cycles that determine socio-economic, political, and social directions on a global scale. However, degradation of such free spaces may also occur naturally. For instance, the impacts of climate change and the global warming exacerbate deterioration of urban free space in terms of both quantity and quality. It would call upon collective responsibility from both the government or local authorities and members of the public to ensure restoration, management, and preservation of urban green spaces. Various factors contribute to losing of urban green spaces all over the world. Most of such factors majorly revolve around and mainly emanate from anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, industrialization, and urban expansions. Soil pollution is a major vice negatively affecting the green spaces that exist all over the world especially in highly developed countries of the world. Most cities and towns exhibit heavy soil and land pollution owing to intensive industrial processes, chemical spillages, and construction activities. In America, the situation is similar since it is one

Budgeting Importance Essay Example for Free

Budgeting Importance Essay Abstract Beyond Budgeting has been proposed as an influential idea that will reinvigorate management accounting contribution in business  operation and performance. It is claimed that the traditional system has lost relevance with the modern business environment and is no longer satisfying the needs of managers. Budgets have been ingrained in the culture of business since their inception in the 1920s and managers will find it extremely difficult to radically shift to a system without budgets. The implications of a Beyond Budgeting system are; performance measures relative to competitors and a decentralised organisation structure. Alternatives such as the Better Budgeting techniques may be more favourable to management who desires a formal planning and control system. The Beyond Budgeting concept is still in its infancy and requires further development and practical implementation. Keywords: Budget; Beyond Budgeting; BBRT; Management Control I. Introduction Beyond Budgeting has been proposed as an influential idea that will reinvigorate management accounting contribution in business operation and performance. According to Hope and Fraser (2003) the budgeting system, as implemented by most businesses, should be eradicated. The budgeting debate has arisen due to a movement into the information age (Drury, 2008). It is considered that the environment is now so complex and competitive that budgeting in its existing form is no longer useful for businesses. Dissatisfaction with traditional budgets is growing in the business world and ‘Beyond Budgeting’ has been suggested as a method to reinvigorate the managerial contribution of management accounting. This article discusses how budgeting has evolved into its current state, before examining why this universal technique has come under such heavy criticism of late. The limitations and weaknesses of traditional budgeting system will be supported with appropriate references. At the he heart of this paper is the evaluation whether the Beyond Budgeting model is more relevant in today’s business environment and if it can be a prominent tool in the future practices of management accounting. After critically evaluating academic scholars’ views on this issue, a conclusion will be drawn as to whether Beyond Budgeting really is the way forward. This article is organised as follows: Section II introduces and discusses evolution of various concepts of budgeting; Section III discusses limitations of traditional budgeting; Section IV discusses how beyond budgeting addresses the limitations of traditional budgeting and is indeed the way forward and finally section V concludes. II. Evolution of Various Concepts of ‘Budgeting’ Bhimani et al. (2008) define a budget as a quantitative future plan created by managers to assist the implementation of this plan. Becker et al. (2009) state the common view is that at the foundation of management accounting  systems is budgeting. In the 1920s budgets were born in order to help managers control costs and cash flows (CIMA, 2007). This concept grew into fixed performance contracts involving future income and expenditure estimations. Budgets were used to drive and evaluate management performance. Furthermore, Rickards (2006) believes the main purpose of budgets is to help implement a firm’s strategy, not just controlling and planning. The changes in the economic environment and business processes led to evolutions in budgeting. From the initial cash budgets to more modern techniques of zero based budgeting (ZBB) and activity based budgeting (ABB). Drury (2008) details six functions of traditional budgets: Refining the company’s long term plans; Coordinating the different departments and helping to improve relationships between them; Communicating ideas and expectations from top management to all other employees; Motivating managers to achieve challenging targets and goals.; Controlling the business activities using variance analysis to determine areas requiring attention; Evaluating the performance of managers in relation to achieving targets. A study of 40 managers revealed that budgeting is still very popular (Dugdale Lyne, 2006). They found that all businesses in question were using budgets and that when used alongside other tools; budgets can harmonise, motivate and control. Budgeting is ingrained in the cultures of many companies; therefore it can be difficult to convince managers that the business will be better off without them (Libby Lindsay, 2007). Daum (2002) argues that in the dynamic business environment managers should be looking to grow, expand, exceed targets and limits, and not be restricted by them. He describes many features of this environment such as; complex activities, innovation, retention of good employees. The new business environment is vastly different from the 1920s and although budgets have evolved to adapt to these changes, they are increasingly coming under criticised. III. Criticisms of Traditional Budgeting The traditional budgeting methods are considered too time consuming and unresponsive to external changes. According to a research by Neely et al. (2003) the budget creation uses 20% of management time. Following on from this, Bartram (2006) found that even the leanest and most efficient  companies take 79 days to organise their budgets, whilst 210 days are spent in the worst practice companies. This is a considerable amount to time for a firm to spend on an activity that arguably adds no value to the business. The budget culture has restricted the ability for a firm to reshape into a modern business because the budgets reign and contain management behaviours into old  paradigms (Hope and Fraser, 1997). In today’s environment the traditional systems of frequently found to be an obstacle to innovation and enterprise by management (Daum, 2002). Daum Hope (2003) highlight the growth of organisations as a factor in causing the irrelevance of traditional budgeting methods. Previously, businesses were smaller and staff relationships were built on trust. Trust to act in the best interests of the company. The expansion and development of multinational companies has caused a break down in trust between employees. To combat this, budgets were used as systems of control. However, now this control aspect has become a restriction to progress for a modern and forward thinking company. The following are weaknesses suggested by Neely et al. (2003) and they advocate these as an area for improvement. Budgets lack strategic focus and value creation, instead the aim is always cost reductions. The bureaucratic style restricts flexibility which in turn impacts a firm’s creative instincts. Annual budgeting is too infrequent therefore feeding into the unresponsive argument. Employees may not react well to having controls forced onto them thus having the potential to de-motivate. Also the top down style of budgets strengthens vertical command structures, which can lack adaptability and responsiveness. Working to budgets can cause dysfunctional behaviour as managers are often under pressure to meet targets, this behaviour is also known as budget games. Bartram (2006) breaks down budget  games into five areas. Firstly, ‘The Sky’s the Limit’, this entails management pushing the boundaries and trying to get as large a budget as possible instead of asking for just what they need. This feeds into ‘Mine’s Bigger than Yours’ whereby managers use the size of their budget to judge their own status within the company. ‘Cooking the Books’ relates to a delay of declaring revenue if the targets are already met so that they can use this revenue to meet future objectives. Next is ‘Hey Big Spender’, managers feel that they must spend the entirety of their budget otherwise it will be cut next year. Finally, ‘Bonus or Bust’ is concerned with the managers focus on measures that impact their own salaries or bonuses, whilst ignoring targets which may be more vital to long term success. On the subject of budget games, Jensen (2003) feels the integrity of the whole firm can be compromised when managers partake in this type of behaviour. The traditional system is based on a flawed principle; reward managers for meeting targets but punish if they fail to do so. This only encourages the type of dysfunctional behaviour described by Bartram. In order to end these games, Jensen proposes abolishing the using budgets as a system for rewarding performance. Otley (2003) believes budget system has the potential to create dysfunctional behaviour and discusses his experience of a coal mine that held back stock to meet weekly quotas, an example of ‘Cooking the Books’. The majority of criticism of traditional budgeting methods has been published by the proponents behind the Beyond Budgeting movement, Hope Fraser. Their initial criticisms were used as a spearhead to create a better management tool. Traditional methods rely on past information which can have negative knock on effects. An example is the incremental budgeting tool, where the previous year’s budget is slightly adjusted for the new year without any analysis into areas which are over/under performing. The performance evaluation is generally carried out at the end of the budget period; this can be too late to remedy deficiencies. Leading on from this, the common practice is to carry out fixed percentage cuts when early results appear unacceptable (Hope Fraser, 2003). Libby Lindsay (2007) feel that the problems are originating from how budgets are implemented and used within business, if used correctly they still can be a very effective tool. Ekholm Wallin (2010) agree with Libby and Lindsay, and add that if properly used traditional budgets are a strong framework to plan and measure a company’s operations. Therefore it can be suggested that many of the inadequacies of traditional budgets could be down to the implementation and not the tool itself. Despite the reasoning behind these limitations, Hope and Fraser (1997) report that 99% of European companies use formal budgeting procedures, this figure is likely to remain high even today. In addition, a survey of US organisations by Libby Lindsay (2007) revealed that over 50% of senior managers felt businesses could not cope without budgets and that they were imperative to success. Managers also believed that despite the associated time and costs, budgets were adding value to a company. Ekholm Wallin (2010) feel the annual budget is not dead yet, but it is past its peak and has lost usefulness and become outdated. IV. Beyond Budgeting Beyond Budgeting promotes the most ideal characteristics of a budgeting system; flexibility, coordination and responsiveness (Pilkington Crowther, 2007). It is not just another system of tools; it requires a complete overhaul of the organisations culture and a shift in the management style (Becker et al, 2009). Hansen (2011) states this can be performed in two stages; move toward performance evaluation relative to competition and then implement a decentralized structure. Hope Fraser (2003) believe the limitations of traditional budgetary systems require businesses to abandon budgeting altogether and instead focus on financial and non financial measures. The process should look to external benchmarks and competitors rather than internally set targets. The restrictive nature of budgets is removed and this can enhance the potential of a firm whilst empowering employees to make better decisions. Player (2003) describes Beyond Budgeting as extreme approach but with vast benefits to be r ealised. A key problem area is with rewarding managers using traditional systems. A Beyond  Budgeting reward system is far more appropriate as it is relative to performance measures, often derived from competitors and benchmarks (Hope Fraser, 2003). Daum Hope (2003) argue that Beyond Budgeting is a more adaptive approach to management, with more frequent performance reviews. A second feature is that centralized and hierarchical structures are converted to a decentralized management style. This empowerment pushes authority and decision making to lower levels of the business. The effect can be found in increased productivity and motivation. Managers have embedded budgets into their culture so it is likely they will struggle to manage without them. Hope and Fraser (2001) believe that the volatile nature of the environment mean budgets and plans are redundant. Budgets try to remove surprises from business. Instead, managers should embrace them and look to them as opportunities for improvement. They continue by saying that in order to take full advantage of the opportunities lower level staff need the authority to make strategic decisions. Furthermore the removal of budgets creates extra time for managers spend on  problem solving and adding value to the business, as the time taken to prepare budgets is a particular disadvantage (Ostergren Stensaker, 2011). The Beyond Budgeting model is becoming increasingly popular and many companies are now following its principles. Hope Fraser (1997) discovered that the Scandinavian bank Svenska Handelsbanken abolished all forms of traditional budgeting in 1979. Since then it has grown into the largest bank in Scandinavia and one of Europe’s most efficient banks. Their CEO reported that a cultural change from budgets and targets to improvement has enabled costs to be driven down. Daum (2002) states that Svenska Handelsbanken utilised a decentralised structure to enable each branch to run as an independent profit centre. This is an example of the potential that Beyond Budgeting can unlock. The Beyond Budgeting Round Table (BBRT), a network designed to transform the  traditional budget system, studied 14 companies without budgets or almost without budgets and from this they produced 12 guiding principles to Beyond Budgeting: i. Measure performance against the competition, not internal targets. ii. Motivate employees by empowerment. iii. Delegation to divisional managers allows them to take responsibility. iv. Give operational managers independent access to resources. v. Create customer focused teams. vi. Provide transparent information sharing across the organisation. vii. Set targets on external benchmarks. viii. Rewards in line with beating the competitors. ix. Allow managers to be involved with strategy planning. x. Grant management access to local resources. xi. Coordinate the internal use of resources. xii. Performance measurement information should be available freely. (Daum, 2002) Pilkington Crowther (2007) have found that Beyond Budgeting is most commonly adopted by large firms employing over 1,000 people. The smaller firms (10 50 employees) tend to impose strict budgets for employees to follow. This is likely to be due to the size, management style and ability to train staff in unfamiliar concepts. DeWaal (2005) suggests an entry scan before implementing Beyond Budgeting to ensure that staff feels the current systems are failing. The scan creates discussion into whether staff wants, and if the organisation can, implements Beyond Budgeting. The main advantage of questioning the employment of Beyond Budgeting is that staff will feel involved in decision making and internal business processes. Beyond Budgeting appears to have many advantages over traditional systems but it is not without criticism of its own. CIMA (2007) believe that having no budget  creates various problems. A business will have no framework for planning, coordinating and controlling its activities. The business can lose direction without detailed plans of its current position and future goals. Finally, a drastic culture change can leave employees feeling disillusion and the decentralized structure may be impractical for some organisations. An alternative option for firms that still want a formal budgeting system is Better Budgeting. Better Budgeting entails five techniques that can be used to overcome some of the limitations of traditional methods (Neely et al, 2003). Activity Based Budgeting involves planning using value adding activities, following a similar concept to ABC and ABM. Zero Base budgeting forces managers to justify their budgets every year to try and prevent dysfunctional behaviour and budget games. Thirdly, a Value Based technique encourages a focus on creating shareholder wealth and linkages with strategy. Profit methods consider both short and long term projections whilst ensuring sufficient cash is generated. Finally, Rolling Budgets create frequent budgets to provide more accurate forecasts. A major problem with Better Budgeting techniques is that they can actually take even more management time to be used effectively, which is likely to cause greater dissatisfaction with the processes. The Beyond Budgeting movement is still in the early stages of development and Rickards (2006) feels that further research and practical implementations are required before a real breakthrough in management accounting is achieved. Becker et al (2009) believe that the initial fascination with Beyond Budgeting is fading and that some principles are being put into practice, just not under the umbrella of Beyond Budgeting. Decentralisation and empowerment may be growing in popularity due to the current business environment. V. Conclusion To conclude, Hope’s view is that Beyond Budgeting is a far more effective system which conquers the limitations of traditional methods. He foresees the international expansion of the BBRT and that Beyond Budgeting will become a ‘major management theme for the future’ (Daum Hope, 2003). After evaluating the thoughts and opinions of various academics, this article believes that Beyond Budgeting has an important role to play in the future of management accounting. However, it is unlikely that it will be fully adopted as the BBRT imagined; a number of principles are extremely useful within the modern environment. These may be adopted but management will find it hard to completely abandon budgeting, as it is embedded it business culture. Perhaps some Better Budgeting techniques could be practiced in order to update the failing traditional system. This article supports the argument that traditional budgets are outdated and no longer appropriate for the current environment. Furthermore, budgets can actually destroy shareholder value within a firm therefore it is vital that new systems are developed. It is the view of this article that the traditional budget requires refreshing and revitalizing but is not yet ready for removal. References Bartram, P. (2006). Forecasting the end for budgets. Director. 30. Becker, S., Messner, M. and Schaffer, U. (2009). The Evolution of a Management Accounting Idea: The Case of Beyond Budgeting. Working paper. Bhimani, A., Horngren, C., Datar, S. Foster, G. (2008). Management and Cost Accounting, 4th ed. Harlow: Pearson. Michael Goode, Ali Malik CIMA 213 (2007). Beyond Budgeting. [Online] Available at: http://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/ImportedDocuments/cid_tg_beyond_bu dgeting_oct07.pdf [Accessed: 28/11/11] Daum, J. (2002). Beyond Budgeting: A Model for Performance Management and Controlling in the 21st Century? Controlling and Finance. Daum, J. and Hope, J. (2003). The origins of Beyond Budgeting and of the Beyond Budgeting Round Table (BBRT) An interview with Jeremy Hope. DeWaal, A. (2005). Is Your Organisation Ready for Beyond Budgeting? Measuring Business Excellence, 9(2), 58-67 Drury, C. (2008). Management and Cost Accounting. 7th Edition. Andover: Cengage Learning. Dugdale, D. and Lyne, S. (2006). Budgeting. CIMA Financial Management, 32-35. Ekholm, B. and Wallin, J. (2010). Is the annual budget really dead? European Accounting Review, 9(4), 519-539. Hansen, S. (2011). A Theoretical Analysis of the Impact of Adopting Rolling Budgets, Activity-Based Budgeting and Beyond Budgeting. European Accounting Review, 20(2), 289-319. Hope, J. and Fraser, R. (1997). Beyond budgetingbreaking through the barrier to the third wave. Management Accounting, 75(11), 20-23. Hope, J. and Fraser, R. (2001). Beyond Budgeting Questions Answers. CAM-I Hope, J. and Fraser, R. (2003). New ways of setting rewards: the Beyond Budgeting model. Californian Management Review, 45(4), 104-119. Hope, J. and Fraser, R. (2003). Who needs budgets? Harvard Business Review. 81(5), 125-126. Jensen, M. (2003). Paying People to Lie: the Truth about the Budgeting Process. European Financial Management, 9(3), 379-406. Libby, T and Lindsay, R. (2009). Beyond budgeting or budgeting reconsidered? A survey of North-American budgeting practice. Management Accounting Research. Neely, A., Bourne, M. and Adams, C. (2003). Better budgeting or beyond budgeting?Measuring Business Excellence, 7(3), 22-28 Ostergren, K. and Stensaker, I. (2010). Management control without budgets: A field study of â€Å"Beyond Budgeting† in practice. European Accounting Review, 19(1), 1-33. 214 Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 31, No. 2 Otley, D. (2003). Management Control and Performance Management Whence and Whither? British Accounting Review, 35, 309-326. Pilkington, M. andCrowther, D. (2007). Budgeting and control. Financial Management, 29-30. Player, S. (2003). Why some organizations go Beyond Budgeting. Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance, 14(3), 3-9. Rickards, R. (2006). Beyond budgeting: boon or boondoggle? Investment Management and Financial Innovations, 3(2), 62-76.

Moderate Drinking and Reduced Risk of Heart Disease :: essays research papers

Alcohol use has been widely studied and documented, as I have found in my research. One article in particular, "Moderate Drinking and Reduced Risk of Heart Disease" by Arthur L. Klatsky, appears to be a good source that I will be able to use in my final research paper. This article will be a good source for two main reasons: first, Klatsky's article adds to my knowledge of my research topic, and second, Klatsky provides good evidence for his claim. Thus, Klatsky's article will help me write my final research paper. I learned from this article that moderate drinkers have the lowest risk of coronary artery disease and death from cardiovascular disease when compared to lifelong abstainers and heavy drinkers. According to Klatsky, alcohol has "protective" effects. It raises the level of HDL (artery-clearing, high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and lowers the level of LDL (artery-clogging, low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood stream (18). This information about a specific disease and its relation to alcohol is the kind I need to write a good research paper. In addition, Klatsky does a good job of defining "moderate" drinking, a definition that is essential to the article and to my research. He defines moderate consumption as one or two drinks per day (15). A "drink" equals one five-ounce glass of wine, twelve ounces of beer, or one and a half ounces of liquor, all of which contail one half an ounce of alcohol (15). I will use Klatsky’s definitions in describing "moderate" drinking. Klatsky also provides sound evidence to support his claims. He claims that moderate drinkers are at the lowest risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cites a study from the American Cancer Society. This nine-year study of 490,000 people showed a 30-40 percent lower mortality rate from cardiovascular disease among those who consumed one to two drinks per day (20).

How Thomas Hardy portrays women in his stories Essay

The three stories all have very social, historical and cultural impacts on the women of the time. â€Å"The Withered Arm†, is about a woman’s, struggle to cure her withered arm and the jealousy felt by Rhoda who had been used by the farmer in the past and had born his child. Gertrude’s fear of loosing her husband and her superstition make her carry out actions that result in her death. The next story, â€Å"The Distracted Preacher†, is about an independent woman called Lizzy and the choice she has to make. She is involved in smuggling and the head of the gang but is offered a different life by Minister Stockdale, who asks her to marry him and leave. She decides to stay but gets caught and suffers for some years till he returns and offers again to marry him, this time she accepts but only because of circumstances. The third story, â€Å"The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion†, is about a shy, naive middle class woman called Phyllis and her fight between her conscience, her fathers desire and her true love. She chooses her conscience and in the end loses everything. The Withered Arm has two main female roles: Rhoda Brooks and Gertrude Lodge. They both have very different backgrounds; Rhoda is the poor working class woman while Gertrude is the pretty upper middle class women. Rhoda has to work for her son and herself just to eat; she has no husband and so is an outcast from society and has to keep herself to herself. Because of this she has no male role model for her son. Rhoda is a â€Å"thin, fading women of thirty†, which emphasises how hard she works and how tiring her life is. In comparison Gertrude is the typical married middle class woman, with lots of time on her hands. She is youthful and pretty, â€Å"soft and evanescent†, which is why Farmer Lodge married her. Rhoda has a very wicked side, which shows itself when Gertrude arrives in town. She becomes jealous and wants to know all about the well-awaited new wife. She becomes obsessed with her and makes her son find out about Gertrude and follow her, â€Å"Then do you go to Holmstoke church to-morrow: she’s sure to be there†. This jealousy links in with the superstition of that time when Rhoda’s dream about Gertrude having a withered arm comes true. At that time everyone believed each village had it’s own witch. The witch could curse victims and make limbs wither or in extreme cases fall off. From this we can see how worried Rhoda would have been, believing she was a witch, â€Å"that I exercise malignant power against my own will? † This illustrates that Rhoda feel sympathetic for Gertrude and responsible for her arm. She fears what she might do to her and what may happen if she is a witch. Even though she has this evil side, you see that she does contain some sympathetic qualities. For example Rhoda recognises the â€Å"gruesome fascination† which leads her to find Gertrude but she is unwilling to tell her where to find Conjuror Trendle for fear that she will lose Gertrude’s friendship. Hardy shows Rhoda’s point of view throughout the story so you feel sympathetic especially when we find the dead boy is her son. She is very independent and strong so in the end wants nothing to do with Farmer Lodge and the fling therefore refuses his sympathy vote and doesn’t accept his money. Gertrude starts by being very kind and loving, she gives Rhoda’s son some shoes and befriends Rhoda and creates a close relationship with her. Rhoda appears concerned; particularly about Gertrude’s imagined rejection by her husband. Her personality changes for the worst when her arm becomes withered. Gertrude relies on Rhoda for a concerned understanding of the growing separation between herself and her husband, who â€Å"knows the disfigurement is there. † The choice of the word â€Å"disfigurement† reveals his attitude to appearances. Social attitudes demanded that middle class women were beautiful and attractive. She turns vain and selfish, obsessed by her arm and the need to find a cure, â€Å"Her determination received a fillip. † She finds a treatable cure for the arm after trying so many. She’s now determined to try this one even though it involves such indignity. This is all too much for Gertrude when she finds out who the boy is in reality Rhoda’s son. She isn’t so vain and determined, she is actually very shocked and started to feel sympathy for the victim and in end the superstition and shock kills her. In the Distracted Preacher the main female role is Lizzy Newbury a middle class, strong-minded, character who, â€Å"was none the less independent†. This emphasises how Lizzy is able to lead her village in successful smuggling. She’s an attractive, local girl who can take on an immense job for a women in those times but Lizzy does it as well as any man could. Lizzy is a widower and looks after her mother, as well as the customers of her Lodge, where Mr Stockdale goes to stay. She values her job and sees nothing wrong with smuggling, â€Å"If a king who is nothing to us sends his people to steal out property, we have the right to steal it back†. This illustrates how Lizzy doesn’t care whether people think her smuggling is wrong she has reason to do it and she lives off the money and the adventure. The smuggling is tradition: â€Å"My father did it, and so did my grandfather, and almost everybody in Nether-Moynton lives by it, and life would be so dull if it wasn’t for that, that I should not care to live at all†. This shows that Lizzy is no ordinary woman she sticks with what she wants and doesn’t look up to men as a higher being besides she’s a decisive woman and gets her way. She needs to carry on even though her romance with Stockdale gets in the way because he doesn’t agree with it, so Lizzy uses vigorous but absurd arguments to justify her actions. To begin with Lizzy doesn’t want to go away with Stockdale and marrying him, â€Å"It is too much to ask. My whole life ha’ been passed in this way. † She needs to stay in Nether-Moynton where the adventure is and not do what normal females do. Later we see Lizzy’s resolve deteriorates; she needs Stockdale because the money earnt from smuggling runs out. After all her talk about needing smuggling and it being fine to do it, she says it wrong, â€Å"I own that we were wrong, said she. But I have suffered for it: I am very poor now,† Lizzy wants Stockdale now she is poor and worthless and Stockdale offers to take her away from her poverty. Lizzy gives in and takes this offer, then settles down to the married life she once hated the thought of living because of its lack of adventure and predictability. This ending is problematic as Lizzy changed her attitudes totally. This ending was also added for the readers. The story was published each week in a magazine. Hardy wrote the ending to please the audience and give them an ending most women would of taken. There is an alternative ending to this story that isn’t so problematic. This is that Lizzy would have married Owlett a member of the smuggling gang and immigrated to America. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion has one main female role, that of Phyllis Grove an attractive middle class young lady. She is very quiet, keeps herself to herself and just likes to blend into society. She was a woman who lived her whole life without going further than the nearest market. The only family she has is her father so she has no female role model to guide her through life, this has made her very inexperienced in relationships, â€Å"though it is probable that she lost her heart to Matthaus before she is herself aware. † She never realised she was in love with Matthaus; she had never felt love before so never knew what this feeling was. She values her father’s opinion greatly and her father doesn’t like what’s going on between Matthaus and herself. He considers the soldiers merely â€Å"foreign fellows† who flatter young girls with â€Å"unmeaning attentions†. Phyllis finds Matthaus â€Å"refined and well-educated. † He is loving towards her, concerned about her loneliness, he does not put too much pressure on her to escape and marry him. She becomes very conscience stricken between the two men; will she go with her father’s choice (Humphrey) or her romance Matthaus? She decided the best thing to do was to conform to society and her father and marry Humphrey, â€Å"She would stay at home, and marry him, and suffer. † This shows that she is doing this for her father it wouldn’t be love but she could live with it for her families and the moneys sake. Later we see that Phyllis has a problem as Humphrey wants to marry another woman, Belle, and Matthaus and a friend gets shot for desertion. Poor Phyllis has now been torn from fighting between two men to being alone again. We see Phyllis’s life if effected by this, â€Å"while she lived she used to keep their mounds neat,† meaning Matthaus grave. This shows Phyllis’s love for Matthaus still carried on when he died and this tragedy deeply affected her. In the three stories I have read the four female characters all have similarities and differences. Gertrude is similar to all three characters. She is similar to Rhoda because they both believe in superstition and worry about what is happening to them due to it. Through the story we feel sympathy for them: for Gertrude with her withered arm and death and Rhoda for being a single parent and so an outcast and for when she sees Gertrude with her arm on her dead sons neck. The sympathy vote changes throughout the story between Rhoda and Gertrude. Gertrude is like Lizzy because they are both attractive, strong-minded women. Gertrude is different to Lizzy aswell as like her because Gertrude conforms to men’s expectations but Lizzy is independent and only relies on Stockdale at the end. Phyllis is probably most like Gertrude as they are both very traditional women characters for their times. They are weak women who become victims of men and the social influences of their time. Phyllis becomes a heart broken girl due to her fianci messing her around and her actual love being shot. Gertrude becomes obsessed and vain because her husband is disgusted by the fault with her arm and starts to love her less for it. Phyllis has a rich fianci and Gertrude has a rich husband. Lizzy is similar to Rhoda too because they are both strong-willed, independent women that can cope by themselves without men by their sides. This means Lizzy and Rhoda are both very different to Phyllis because she is timid and shy, she can be manipulated easily unlike Lizzy and Rhoda who manipulate other people. Phyllis’s character is very dependent as she does as she is told, conforming to society’s expectations. If things had gone to plan then her life would be totally taken care of without her lifting a finger, when we know Lizzy chose to be independent and Rhoda had to be independent to look after her family. In my view, I admire Lizzy because she is very outgoing and a leader, which shows women to be able to lead men in this world and she can still be attractive and feminine. She seems to put men in their places by refusing Stockdale’s offer of marriage instead of being a stereotypical woman of that time married, at home cooking, cleaning and looking after the children. She speaks her mind when she wants to stay because smuggling gives her adventure and when she tells Stockdale there nothing wrong with smuggling. This is why I like the alternative ending that Hardy mentions in his footnote when she goes to America because she doesn’t need the sympathy for being poor she stays strong and independent. Even though at the end I felt sorry for Rhoda because of her son, I was never fond of her character. She seemed evil throughout the story as if she had other secrets not yet revealed. Her character was very sneaky, holding things back from Gertrude when she was untruthful. I think Rhoda is to blame for all Gertrude’s problems: she placed the curse and took Gertrude to Conjuror Trendle and she paid the price of that horrendous sight. This all made me very sympathetic towards Gertrude and I know how if feels to be superficially stereotyped. She never did anything to Rhoda and died as a consequence to Rhoda’s jealousy. I also sympathise with Phyllis because men ruined her life, her life was ruined by the society’s strict rules at that time to do the right thing and marry for position and money, and the shooting for desertion of her true love. Men have a great impact on women and can make our lives fun, yet some men make our lives more misery than fun. In my opinion Hardy portrays women with respect, he makes them strong and independent, manly in a sense. In the early 1800s women all had their places in the world, which was in the home. Hardy brought these women out of their world and into the beginning of our not so sexist England today. Men and Society had the main impact on women of this era; I believe this is why Hardy’s stories were loved in this age. Women could read them and think that they had a greater role in this era and they were more intelligent than men thought. I also believe men should have read these books to see how independent and important women are to this world. It was very important for women of this era to get their thoughts and strengths across to the world, so they could begin to live as equals to men.

The Heliocentric Science

Samir Okasha showed in his book, â€Å"Philosophy of Science: A very short introduction†, what makes science a distinct body of knowledge which make use of â€Å"observations, experiments and theory-constructions† as can be reflected on the works of `De Revolutionibus` by Nicholaus Copernicus and `Letter to The Grand Duchess, Christina` by Gallileo. The works had been both controversial since they are against the normal view during their time. Okasha’s book is useful in understanding the concept of scientific revolutions, or the changes in scientific paradigm which can be reflected in the works of Galileo and Copernicus. This essay would like to show how Okasha’s work can help in understanding the works of great scientists, specifically Copernicus and Gallileo. The essay would focus on the theme of scientific revolution. The essay would start with an introduction of science prior to the time of Copernicus and Galileo. The prevailing science and the role of religion would be highlighted to emphasize the difference between the roles of these two. The highlights of Copernicus’ work would be discussed. It will be followed by the defense made by Galileo against his retractors. Finally, the concept of scientific revolution would be defined and the works of Copernicus and Galileo would be analyzed based on this context. Okasha explained that prior to the development of modern science that started during the 1500, science had largely been Aristotelian. This means that most of the things that are regarded as scientific are based upon the findings and writing of Aristotle. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who studied several areas of knowledge including astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology. Particularly, he put forward that the earth is spherical and finite. Aristotle believed that the movement of the planets is in circular motion. Aristotle also supports the notion that earthly bodies are composed of â€Å"four elements: earth, water, air and fire†. Another important figure in pre-Copernican science was Ptolemy. The well-known geocentric model was set upon by this man before 170 AD. According to his model, the Earth is the center of the Solar System. Everything revolves around Earth. He used the concept of epicycles and equant to describe the movement of the planets and other heavenly bodies. Both Aristotle and Ptolemy hold that the Earth is stationary or does not move. They believe that the heavens –the sun, the planets and the stars are the ones that move. Both also believe that the stars are fixed in the heavens. They imagined that there are shells that hold the heavenly bodies. Science, especially astronomy, had been based on these two thinkers for over 1000 years. Thus, knowledge had been highly dominated and is profoundly based on their ideas. Being able to survive from generations after generations and being unchallenged for more than 1000 years, it is only apparent that these sciences are considered as normal and at some point natural. More particularly, Christianity as a religion gained authority which controlled or dictate knowledge based on their interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. Since the geocentric model is compatible with what is written in the Christian doctrines, it was considered as an absolute truth. During this period new discoveries would only be accepted if it does not contradict the Bible and if the evidences are too compelling that it cannot be disregarded by common sense. Nonetheless, no matter how perfect a normal science is -at first, anomalies would arise which produces doubt about normal science. There will be instances that run contrary to the accepted facts. At some point, these anomalies are treated as exceptions to the rule. However, as mentioned above, Okasha mentioned that one of the defining marks of science is the ability to construct theories which almost always generalizable. As anomalies builds up, the reliability of the theory weaken. New explanations are sought through experiments and observations. New theory is formulated which displace the previous theory. This process of change in accepted science is regarded as Scientific Revolution. One of the most prevalent examples of this shift in scientific belief is the Copernican Revolution. This revolution happened shortly after Nicholas Copernicus published his work â€Å"De Revolutionibus†. This work explicates the possibility that the sun is the center of the Solar System and not the earth. Copernicus tried to explain, at his best, the proof for this change in the model of the universe. Copernicus, himself, had been wary of publishing this discovery. It was not until he was sure about his explanation that he decided to publish his work. He received the first copy of his work before he died. Since Copernicus served as a canon in Frauenburg, Copernicus undertook extreme caution not to upset the church with his discover. Thus, although he had his discoveries in 1515, he decided not to announce his views publicly. Instead he tried to gather more evidence and revised his work. The book consists of six volumes. The first part explained the heliocentric model and the reason why this is so. According to Copernicus, he decided to try the sun-centered model due to the massive contradictions and inconsistencies that he found in the Ptolemaic model. The great number of anomalies involved calls for a new approach. Copernicus explained that the Earth is not fixed or is not stationary. He described the movement of the planets on their axis. This movement, now known as rotation, denotes the movement of the sun and the heavens from east to west. Copernicus also acknowledges that the planets revolve around the sun. He identified the number of days before the known planets can complete one revolution around the sun. Furthermore, the Copernican model also explained the changes in seasons and the advent of eclipses. In the later volumes, Copernicus tried to explain the movements of the other planets and he also explained the process on how he arrived to his conclusion. Since the book detailed explanation about the movement of the planets that are contrary to the literal meaning of the words in the Bible, it is expected that few people would consider and accept the idea. Removing Earth in the center of the universe seems to be a very strange idea that would overthrow the thought that God had made man as something special and that everything exists or was made for man. Okasha cited that the book was â€Å"banned in 1616 based on the assessment of the Catholic Church that the contents of the book contravene with those of the Holy Scriptures†. Copernicus had managed to gain popularity despite being criticized by the Catholic Church. Upon the invention of the telescope by Galileo Galilee, new evidences that support Copernicus findings arose. One of the critical observations made by Galileo was the presence and movement of sunspots. This discovery reiterated the fact that indeed heavenly bodies move in their axis or rotates. As Galileo published his discoveries, he gained negative response and was even accused of being a heretic. To this end, he wrote the `Letter to The Grand Duchess, Christina` with the purpose of clearing his name. In this letter he explained his current situation and his findings. Galileo identified his retractors to include those who judge his work without reading and understanding its contents. Galileo stated that those who are against him are the people â€Å"who has greater fondness to their opinions than truth†. As it appears, this seems to be the case since those that accused Galileo as a heretic did so despite overwhelming evidence from Copernicus and from the findings of Galileo himself that indeed hat is in the center of the Solar System. Galileo tried to clear his name by arguing that his retractors tried to show that his ideas are novel. It appears therefore that the action towards Galileo is a personal attack since previous authors or â€Å"confirmer† such as Copernicus was not mentioned during discussion of his work. He argued that Copernicus was not mentioned because his actions and findings were supported by the Catholic Church. To ensure that Copernicus book will be published, the preface was edited and it was explained that the book only reflects the hypothesis of a single man. Copernicus also addressed the pope in his book regarding the possibility that someone would â€Å"dare to condemn and censure this hypothesis †¦ upon the authority of some scriptural passage twisted to their purpose (Galilei and Finocchiaro, 1989)†. Being accused as a heretic, Galileo argued that his findings are not contradictory to the Bible. He explained that the words in the bible should not be taken literally. Galileo defended himself by making clear that the bible was made in a language and with the information that the masses or the common people can understand. For instance the higher mysteries such as the essence of God himself where described using human qualities and by referring to nature. Galileo elucidate the fact that the Bible did not necessarily discuss the heavens. The writers of the Bible only include those things that are necessary for people to live a â€Å"blessed life†. Galileo summed this argument by citing a statement he heard from an ecclesiastic â€Å"the intentions of the Holy Ghost is to teach us how one goes to heaven, not how the heaven goes†. In the end, the heliocentric model is now accepted as the legitimate model of the solar system. This fact had been confirmed by several sense-experience evidences. The process whereby science changes from normal to revolutionary and back to normal science again is known as the Scientific Revolution. The process is continuous since everything known as science is fallible. Although it is hard to think that there are other models of the solar system other than the heliocentric version, there had been several additions and further discoveries that might change the normal concept of the solar system. With respect to the idea of scientific revolutions, Okasha discussed the arguments put forward by Thomas Kuhn regarding the nature of scientific change. Kuhn coined the term paradigm to represent normal science. A paradigm is consists of â€Å"fundamental assumptions accepted by the scientific community and had solved theoretical problems with the aid of the fundamental assumptions (Okasha, 2002)†. The old paradigm are replaced ones anomalies, such as those mentioned above, exists continually. Scientist and thinkers would try to find a new way of explaining things by taking into account the corrections that must be made. The geocentric model had been accepted as true for more than 1000 years. Although there had been accounts and beliefs that the sun is at the center of the Solar System, they all remained as hypothetical assumptions. The work of Copernicus paved the way for an exposure of the anomalies while establishing a new paradigm. Galileo succeeded in convincing the scientific community, through the use of his invention, to accept the new paradigm. With the aid of Okasha’s book, one is able to get a better view of how the works of Copernicus and Galileo represent the concept of scientific revolutions. It also showed how resistance can affect the acceptance of new paradigm and how new sciences are produced. The process of revolution in the sciences does not take overnight but it takes decades or even centuries to develop.

Prejudice Against Gay Parents

Prejudice Against Gay Parents Free Online Research Papers Why is there so much prejudice against gay parenting? Who decides that homosexuals cannot be parents? Within society there has been opposition toward it due to the idea that homosexuality is not natural. But homosexuals are parents, many from previous heterosexual relationships, others through adoption, and very few from sperm donors or invitro fertilization. Research done on these situations has shown no negative effects toward the child. If the child is brought up in a loving environment it does not matter weather one mother, two fathers, or one mother and one father are the people raising the child. The risk of molestation or any other form of abuse of a child, which is being raised by a homosexual, is the same, if not lower that of that of a child being raised by heterosexuals. The standard which society sets for a family and who may raise a child should be examined and reevaluated to include loving parents, not just heterosexual couples. Society has a huge problem with homosexuals having and raising children; this problem is sprung from the idea that homosexuality is not natural. This idea then leads to the argument that since homosexuality is not natural, is it natural for homosexuals to raise or have children? Lets say that it is normal for there to be homosexuals then the argument is that God has prevented them from having children, and they are not meant to raise children. If one takes this argument then you have to take into consideration that by this definition society is condemning heterosexual couples that can not have children. Is this what society wants? Most children that are contained in a homosexual relationship are from previous heterosexual relationships, although the percentages are moving toward the other two forms and the percentages are starting to even out (Shapiro 1996). Gaining custody of a child or children from a previous heterosexual relationship is the most common form of children being placed in a homosexual family. This form of placing a child in a homosexual family is the least controversial because there is one parent from the childs original family. This particular form is the most socially acceptable because the child has usually experienced the relationship that their heterosexual parents had. This means that the child would have a more diverse and better view of his/her choices to do with sexuality; having a better view than a child from a heterosexual relationship. Adoption is another way for homosexuals to acquire children. Some issues relating to this are: if one takes the argument that homosexuals were not made to have children, then you have to agree that heterosexual couples that are not able to have children, should not be able to adopt. (Brienza) The fact of the matter is that we as humans have a common urge or desire to raise children regardless of our sexual tendencies and there should not be any discrimination due to social prejudices. The most controversial way that homosexuals are having children is through the use of donor sperm or Invitro fertilization for the lesbians. Lesbians are artificially inseminated by gaining access to sperm and impregnating themselves. There are two ways for lesbians to become impregnated. Either a man inseminates them naturally, or they go to a sperm bank. This is the major issue because of the very fact that gays cannot have children with their partners, this problem is only there, once again, because of social prejudice. It is socially acceptable for heterosexual couples or females to conceive by non-natural methods, but when a lesbian wants to have a child and follow her natural tendencies there is an uproar. The research that has been done with children raised in gay families is very limited and there have been no documented case studies. This is because the issue has only really come to a head in the last 20 years. This means that the long-term effects, if any, on the childs mental health have not had a chance to be recognized. The research that has been done, however; has not uncovered any adverse effects. The main issue is the family environment that the child is being raised in. If a child is raised in a loving and stable home, they are generally classed as normal children and they usually grow up to join the bulk of society. (Crawford) So the question is whether a loving and stable gay family is different from a loving and stable heterosexual family. There are a lot of good aspects of children being raised in gay families. The children have a greater openness toward minority groups and other groups that are subject to social prejudice. (Benkov) Prejudice is the highest form of ignorance and since the child has grown up in an environment that is very open and they have experienced discrimination at a high level, they will inevitably be more accepting. Children that are raised in homosexual homes are not as affected by taunts when they are growing up as similar children raised in heterosexual homes. This means that these children are much better equipped to cope with schoolyard bullying. Wouldnt it be a good thing that children do not worry about these situations as much? As a result of the children understanding that major taunts are more important than schoolyard minor problem they would not dish out insults. The main concern of society isnt that gays as humans are raising children but the affect that being gay is going to have on the children, and whether or not they are going to turn out normal. An American study found that children of homosexual parents have similar IQs, develop typical friendships, have a normal mental health and are no more likely to be confused about their sexuality (Shapiro 1996). This is not to say that the children are distributed in the same ratio in sexual preference. Actually, homosexual parents have a higher percentage of gay offspring. This is unlikely to do with the parenting style of the gay parents; however, considering that the latest research shows that homosexuality is largely genetic (Shapiro 1996). It may mean that there is an earlier realization of the childs sexual preference. The general social idea is that, both a mom and a dad are essential for a balanced upbringing. If we take the example of a boy, he needs both a mom and a dad for the various parts of his mental and physical development so he can turn out to be a normal man (Not In Their Best Interest). The very fact that normal is dictated by society is the biggest downfall in this argument. If being gay were fully acknowledged by society and seen as part of being normal then there would be no problem with a normal gay person raising children. If homosexuality is genetic then being gay is part of being normal. This means that it would make sense if gay parents raised gay children for the very reason that the parents would be more open and less prejudiced about being gay. Another advantage of gay parents raising children is that they are raised in a world that they can see both sides to sexuality and they can make a more informed choice and follow their inner sexuality. There is only one more issue that is of major concern to the general population and that is the one of pedophilia. This is a major concern because:Even though homosexuals represent less than three percent of the US population, at least on-third of all child molestations involve homosexual activity. Thus, the propensity for pedophilia is far higher among homosexuals(Dudley 1992). Going on these factors, it is a very big risk to let homosexuals raise children. These results are not of homosexual parents but are of homosexual activity, thus not all performed by homosexuals and there is a very slim chance that the figures would include gay parents. If one thinks about the possibility of molesting a child and even their own offspring, it is utterly revolting. There is unfortunately a small percentage of the population that feel that this is normal or feel the need to act in this way. Although the majority of these acts are homosexual in nature the very act that these people perform is perverted and not parenting. In todays society there is a given norm of what a family should and shouldnt be. The very word, family, is referring to a relationship that contains children. The socially accepted version of a family is that there is a mom and a dad and children; not two dads or two mothers. There is a growing number of the latter type of families and society is very split on whether these families are right, and fit for raising children. Society in general has to take a look at themselves and start to work out their own prejudices toward homosexuals. The fact that someone is homosexual is not sufficient enough reason for him or her not to be able to have and raise children in the manner they feel fit. Society will have to get used to the fact that homosexuals are humans too. Bibliography Benkov, Laura \\\Gay With Children\\\. The Advocate. October 1997 p81 Brienza, Julie. Joint adoptions by gays are put on even ground with heterosexual couples. Trail. March 1998. p 98. Crawford, Jill M. \\\Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services\\\ May-June 1999, Volume 80. Dudley, W. (1993) Homosexuality- opposing views. (pp 184-197) USA: Greenhaven Press, Inc. Gays Adopting: The horror Current Events-US. 24 December 1997 http://usnews.about.com/new/497.htm Gallup Poll. Increased acceptance of same sex marriages, adoption. 28 May 1998. Gay couples can adopt. Trial. September 1995 p 107. McGraw, Dan. The governor and gays. U.S. News. 5 April 1999. Not in Their Best Interests. Homosexual activists demand the right to adopt. 19 March 2000. cwfa.org/library/family. Shapiro, J.P. (September 16, 1996) Kids with gay parents: as lawmakers battle gay marriages, a look at how the children fare (pp 75-79) U.S: U.S. News World Report Inc. Research Papers on Prejudice Against Gay ParentsComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseHip-Hop is ArtGenetic EngineeringRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationStandardized TestingThe Spring and Autumn

US Virgin Islands Vital Records

US Virgin Islands Vital Records Heres how and where to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates and records in the Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, including the dates for which Virgin Islands vital records are available and where they are located. St. Croix Birth and Death Records Virgin Islands Department of HealthSt. Croix DistrictOffice of Vital Records and StatisticsCharles Harwood Memorial HospitalSt. Croix, VI 00820Phone:  (340) 773-1311 ext. 3086 Dates: Available from 1840 Cost of Copy: $15 (mail-in), $12 (in person) What You Need to Know:Postal money order should be made payable to the  Virgin Islands Department of Health. Personal checks are not accepted. Call to verify current fees. All requests MUST include the signature and a photocopy of a valid photo ID of the individual requesting the record. Requests sent by postal mail must also be notarized, and include a stamped envelope in the amount of $5.60 for return by certified mail or $18.30 for return by express mail. Application for Certified Copy of a Birth Record Application for Certified Copy of a Death Record St. Croix Marriage and Divorce Records Chief Deputy Clerk,  Family DivisionSuperior Court of the Virgin IslandsP.O. Box 929ChristianstedSt. Croix, VI  00820Phone:  (340) 778-9750 x6626 Website:  visuperiorcourt.org/clerk/Family.aspx​ Cost of Copy:  $2 (marriage), $5 (divorce) What You Need to Know:Certified copies are not available.  Money order for marriage records should be made payable to  Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.  Personal checks are not accepted. St. Thomas and St. John Birth and Death Records Virgin Islands Department of HealthSt. Thomas/St. John DistrictOffice of Vital Records and Statistics1303 Hospital Ground, Suite 10St. Thomas, VI 00802Phone:  Ã‚  (340) 774-9000 ext. 4685 Dates:  Available from 1840 Cost of Copy:  $15 (mail-in), $12 (in person) What You Need to Know:Postal money order should be made payable to the  Virgin Islands Department of Health. Personal checks are not accepted. Call to verify current fees. All requests  MUST  include the signature and a photocopy of a valid photo ID of the individual requesting the record. Requests sent by postal mail must also be notarized, and include a stamped envelope in the amount of $5.60 for return by certified mail or $18.30 for return by express mail. Application for Certified Copy of a Birth Record Application for Certified Copy of a Death Record St. Thomas and St. John Marriage and Divorce Records St. Thomas (in person only)Superior Court of the Virgin IslandsAlexander A. Farrelly Justice Center1st Floor, East Wing, Room E1115400 Veterans DriveSt. Thomas, VI 00802 St. John (in person only)Superior Court of the Virgin IslandsBoulon CenterSt. John, VI 00830 Mailing Address (use for both St. Thomas and St. John):P.O. Box 70St. Thomas, VI 00804 Phone:  (340) 774-6680  ext. 6401 Website:  visuperiorcourt.org/clerk/Family.aspx​ Cost of Copy:  $2 (marriage), $5 (divorce) What You Need to Know:Certified copies are not available.  Money order for marriage records should be made payable to  Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.  Personal checks are not accepted.

Gangs in America Why are they so out of control Essay - 2

Gangs in America Why are they so out of control - Essay Example Through the advanced technology in the entire United States, drug trafficking has been simplified and even gang recruitment is easier where the activities are mastermind through the use of technology leading to killings and other insecurity issues (Schneider, 1999). The expansion of gangs in the States has also increased in the streets due to the usage of social networking. The use of drugs and drug trafficking is unlawful and it is unethical to the States. To address the problem the federal government together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation should make sure that the advanced technology that is being used by individuals is monitored. Each and every activity that is taking place in United States should be tracked through the use of social media. Gangs are being recruited and expanding in the social media and thus close monitoring of all the activities should be done to ensure all those unethical practices in the States are curbed and eliminated in New York and California States among others. In California, landmark legislation referred to as Juvenile Crime Enforcement was passed in 1996 and Accountability Challenge Grant Program worthy $50 million was started to reduce the crime and prevent young individuals from conducting criminal activities. Young individuals associating themselves with gangs who threat and others cause mass killing in the States has been an ethical issue in entire United States. The young individuals who engage themselves in criminal activities die in many circumstances since they are confronted by the security officers making the youths to be reduced in the society. To curb this unethical issue, it is important for the federal government to fund and implement the program where juvenile rehabilitations centers will be structured where the violent and chronic juvenile offenders will be accommodated. Counseling and other disciplinary acts should be conducted to ensure that