Environmental Footprint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Environmental Footprint - Essay Example However, the presence of either infection threatened the existence of the other one, such that the presence of coliforms seemed to reduce high standard plate counts and vice versa. Findings showed major causes for this contamination to be the seepage of surface-water through weakened walls of private wells, aquifer pollution during cold weathers and the poor controls over microbial redevelopment through chlorination during summers. We recommend that there must be close surveillance and periodic or seasonal testing of water supplies, especially through private routes. Additionally, masses must be educated regarding potential risks of infections and precautionary measures that must be taken in order to mitigate possibilities of drinking water contamination. Introduction Drinking water is said to be contaminated if it exhibits concentration of 4 coliforms per 100 ml of water. Although, former researches have revealed that 90% of rural drinking water supplies are contaminated with colifo rms, much work needs to done in this area to resolve conclusions that are backed up by strong evidences (Stukel et al., pp. 571). Contamination of drinking water through coliform, Staphylococcus aureus and standard plate count bacteria has been a prime concern of regulatory authorities and public at large in recent years due to significant number of casualties in this regard. As a result, various studies have been conducted to address these concerns, including a popular experimentation study by Sandhu, whereby correlation of coliform bacteria with characteristics of supply source and pH strengths of water was tested (Sandhu et al., pp. 774). Another study was conducted by Whitsell and Hutchison, indicating most significant dangers linked with coliform-containing contaminated water supply to households (Whitsell & Hutchison, pp. 777). In a more recent research, the relationship between coliform contamination and rainfall was studied through experimentation, targeting drinking water s ystems of smaller communities (Stukel et al., pp. 571). Much experimentation has been done in this area in the past; however, most of them focused on municipal supplies of drinking water to address a greater risk since the majority of population use public water supply rather than private. Surprisingly, of the reported contamination cases and waterborne diseases to date, 69% of affected households were using private supplies (Lamka et al., pp. 734). This study is intended to highlight frequency and magnitude of contamination of drinking water raised from private wells and springs that reaches millions of households. It will also be aimed at verifying our initial thesis that drinking water contamination mainly stems from usage of untreated groundwater and poorly maintained private wells. The details of experimentation have been discussed in areas to follow. Materials and Methods Our experimentation was outdoors-based and the most difficult task was to locate an area that will be most favorable for our experimentation and capable of generating appropriate results on a timely basis. The land selected for our experiment contained rich and deep soils with weathered basalt bedrock lying beneath it. A sample of 78 households was selected neighboring around this study area. Majority of these

Mitsubishi believes in EEO Now Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mitsubishi believes in EEO Now - Case Study Example Sexual and racial discrimination are some of the central concerns that organizations have to confront. It then appears that managing the human resources should therefore be taken as an integral aspect of the organizational performance. Equal Employment and Opportunity (EEO) created the need for organizations operating in the United States to consider abiding by the fundamental equity issues that confront the world (Heitmann 2009). The case of sexual and racial discrimination evidenced at Mitsubishi was certainly a low ground for the organization. In any case, it occurs that the company instituted several changes in the American division after the occurrence of these disheartening events. The changes that were thereby made at Mitsubishi were therefore much imperative and necessary given that they were driven by need and time. The HR management therefore did the most appropriate thing upon the launch of investigations to determine the authenticity of the claims and the extent of the whole situation. The performance of the organization is much dependent on the morale of the employees and the pride they demonstrate towards their particular jobs. If employees are disheartened on the account of the presence of discrimin ation in the organization, it certainly implies that performance will automatically be altered. The decision reached to settle the sexual harassment lawsuit is a positive connotation on the commitment of the organization toward addressing its core concerns. More importantly, Mitsubishi compensated all the workers who had complained of racial discrimination in the organization. These radical decisions serve to demonstrate the much regard that the organization bestowed upon the workers. Indeed, such a strategy became quite imperative considering that productivity of the American plant had greatly dwindled and the company’s headquarters even

Causes And Prevention Of Child Abuse Social Work Essay

Causes And Prevention Of Child Abuse Social Work Essay Many difficulties stem from the victims that have faced and will face child abuse and neglect on a daily basis. The research into the root causes, effects, intervention, and prevention of child abuse and neglect has become abundant to the point, that it is unclear as to which approach would be most successful in curbing the tide of child violence and neglect. A thorough analysis of the research that is currently available helped to enable finding options for addressing the problem, how early prevention works, warning signs to look out for, and effective programs developed for schools. To properly evaluate how effective the current wellness programs in preventing or treating victims of child abuse and neglect, it is important to first define what the issue entails. Each State provides its own definitions of child abuse and neglect based on minimum standards set by Federal law. Federal legislation lays the groundwork for States by identifying a minimum set of acts or behaviors that def ine child abuse and neglect (Child Welfare Information Gateway). An essential aspect of the Federal government, in this sense, is to define the laws broadly so that the states can make more stringent regulations as they see fit. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act as amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum: Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm (Ibid). Uniting a movement to improve programs and literature so the issue can be prevented from occurring to a child is paramount to a youths development in any region of the world. It is therefore extremely important to note the issues early, so that possible victims and caretakers can be proactive versus reactive. Examination of child abuse and neglect victims in the field of psychology has shown that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦problems with self-management, impulse control, frequent anger outbursts, substance abuse, developmental delays, antisocial [behavior], [as well as] difficulty with concentrating in school and symptoms of psychopathology, for example, depression, psychotic disorder (Christoffersen DePanfilis, 2009, p. 32). These symptoms cannot always be avoided, no matter what treatment is applied later, which is the reason that early education is crucial. Developing a holistic approach to treat such conditions early on and to continue to monitor, as well as, educate participants is definitely the best route to take, but it can also be expensive and possibly unaffordable. Research Figures Statistics about child abuse and neglect victims help lay a foundation of what factors are in the equation in order for appropriate policy, regulations, and campaigns to be produced. Mogans Christoffersen and Diane DePanfilis journal article, Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and Improvements in Child Development (2009), studied whether an improvement in mental development of children could be enriched by the reduction of certain abuse and neglect conditions. Their research indicated that, 70 percent of children in the study who had been exposed to physical abuse were exposed to psychological maltreatment as well, while 73 percent of the children who had not been exposed to physical abuse did not experience psychological maltreatment (Christoffersen DePanfilis, 2009, p. 31). Another even more concerning topic is the underreporting with some of the conditions or stimuli found in their research. They found that, child abuse and neglect on the basis of recorded files may underestim ate the number of abused children in the community, (Ibid, p. 37) because of the ramifications of such actions. Child victims can sometimes fear reporting because of not wanting to get in trouble, as well as, adults that fear that they could cause a child to be taken away from his or her family. Preparedness for addressing these types of frequently asked questions should be a key aspect of treatment for victims. The article indicated that a comprehensive assessment should specify the treatment because different types of abuse and neglect require different types of interventions (Ibid, p. 38). Maltreatment of children has numerous more categories than just abuse or neglect. Therefore, a tailored treatment to the situation needs to be used; otherwise the intervention part of treatment will be inadequate. Policymakers and researchers have found that child abuse affects the development of a number of mental and physical factors in a child, which may not be apparent at first glance. While physical abuse might be the most visible sign, other types of abuse, such as emotional abuse or child neglect, also leave deep, long lasting scars (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010). It was found that, our failure as a nation to implement effective policies and strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect costs taxpayers $104 billion per year and does not consider the personal toll on the victimized child (Hmurovich, 2009, p. 12). In these studies, it became apparent that the effects of not attempting to discuss this issue more have adversely affected all of the stakeholders involved. It is therefore within the best interest of the United States, as well as, many countries around the world to be more mindful of the problem. The old adage, timing is everything is crucial to the matter of early intervention and prevention services. A reason for this is, the earlier abused children get help, the greater chance they have to heal from their abuse and not perpetuate the cycle (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010). What may shock many people about this issue is the people that are generally involved in these matters already know each other. About, 95 percent of the sexual abuse of youngsters is done by family members, those who work with children, or those who know them. Current information indicates that strangers essentially make up about 5 percent of the reported documented cases (Friedman, 2010). The stigma that ensues for parents of child abuse victims is that they do want their childs past to follow them around for the rest the childs life. Caretakers and parents of many children might prefer to use alternative methods to resolve the matter in a private way so as to not have it show up anywhere on the childs per sonal record (Ibid). This form of underreporting unfortunately allows the criminal to continue to repeat his or her actions and not get punished (Ibid). It is the responsibility of the community to be a sort of checks and balances to counteract this type of disregard for the greater good of their municipality. Putting research into action, enough to make a significant difference, is the next logical step for thwarting child abuse and neglect. An abused childs life can be and will be forever changed after the action that occurs. Much of the research in academia about the matter, [shows] a strong correlation between child abuse and neglect and debilitating and chronic health consequences, delinquency, criminal behavior, mental health illness, drug dependency and lower academic performance (Hmurovich, 2009, p. 12). The result is a child that has unnecessary issues, which could have been avoided with earlier treatment. In the United States, abuse and neglect is a high enough concern, for the general populace, that it justifies talking and working with families and providers about what they can do. Emotional distress from unpermitted behavior of a penalizing adult or older child always causes deep impacts in the community at large (Friedman, 2010). The community has to therefore communicate wit h children at different stages in the education process. Addressing the Problems A multifaceted approach of, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦child abuse and neglect prevention must be understood uniformly and the message must be to prevent child abuse and neglect from ever happening. To implement a national child abuse and neglect prevention policy, it is essential that funding streams be assessed and then realigned (Hmurovich, 2009, p. 12). After finding where and how much cash will be needed to provide the solutions to the problem it is necessary to make a strategic plan of how to implement the changes. An integral part of the strategic plan should be training community members, specifically youths, in ways to be sensitive to the problems of child abuse and neglect. Training methods can be divided into two distinct groups: information-based approaches and behavioral skills training programs. In information-based approaches information is presented verbally by the trainer or through the use of a video, play, or activity book (Kopp Miltenberger, 2009, p. 193). In information-bas ed training the material that children learn include, how to prevent attacks or abuse, and then are tested to see if they retained the information (Ibid). The other approach known as behavior skills training seeks to see how well a child has retained information by having them perform specific actions. Children in behavioral skills training programs are presented with similar information; however, behavioral skills training programs emphasize active rehearsal of skills by the participants (Kopp Miltenberger, 2009, p. 193). At the moment, there is no foolproof method to determining which families in communities are at higher risk for child abuse and neglect (McCurdy, 1995). There are no social, economic, gender, racial, or political barriers that can properly be correlated or connected with the type of person that will commit such behavior. Since the act of abusing a child seems to cross all barriers; it becomes paramount to find ways to strongly address this issue. Coordinated efforts have been established to try and see if there is a connection between any particular groups of people other than by demographic. The results were definitive, but are not quite as simple to recognize as a standard indicator. A plethora of, theoretical models exist that suggest that certain personal, familial, and environmental factors contribute to an increased likelihood of maltreatment. For example, learning theories suggest that individuals who have been raised in abusive or neglectful environments or have had limited experiences with positive relationships are likely to replicate these parenting behaviors with their own children (Ibid). Models however are only one aspect of the comprehensive effort to reducing the epidemic of child abuse and neglect that occurs in the United States every day. Not only is it surprising that it is usually a family member or close friend of the child that performs the malicious act of child abuse and/or neglect, but also stress can cause onset reactions towards underlying motivations to the action. Individuals under stress or lacking the emotional or financial capacity to deal with the demands of child rearing may lash out at their children. Still others argue that social policies that fail to nurture positive human interactions and leave communities without adequate social, health, or educational infrastructures create an environment ripe for abusive and violent behaviors (Ibid). On the neglect side of the issue, there are also many warning signs that the community needs to examine. An example could be that a home is normally empty with no adult supervision, while the children in the household cause issues in the community or the streets (Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance). Whether it is abuse or neglect that a community is dealing with, it is always crucial to start interpreting the root causes sooner rather than later. Early Prevention Recognizing the signs of abuse before they become a problem that can be solved without criminal or legal action can usually help people have a greater ability to cope. Moreover, it is useful to demonstrate to communities across the country that abuse and neglect are a global problem, and not just one found in the United States (Phakathi, 2009). If the issue were to hit closer to home such as a, husband or boyfriend of the victims mother, than it would not be as hard for the family to notice sexual abuse, according to a study done by the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America (Ibid). Conversely in the same study it was found that, emotional abuse typically came from female relatives (Ibid). Naturally the information found from the study can be used to help recognize and prevent some of the frequently caused risk factors associated with abuse. In order to avoid the externalities that face communities if they do not take a path towards early intervention and prevention, it is helpful to remind them of the loved ones that are in danger if appropriate actions are not taken. Moreover, the pictures of missing children that appeared on milk cartons, billboards, and telephone books were and are constant reminders that untold numbers of children have disappeared, some possibly becoming victims of sexual abuse (Reppucci Haugaard, 1989, p. 1266). Reporting improper conduct can be a difficult aspect to swallow for those that are most at risk because they may not be mature enough to comprehend the gravity of the situation (Ibid). First, the child must recognize that he or she is in an abusive situation. Then the child must believe that he or she can and should take some sort of action. Finally, the child must possess and use specific self-protective skills (Ibid, p. 1267). According to the article Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse: My th or Reality by Reppucci and Haugaard (1989) they found that in order for programs to be effective they must also be age appropriate. Warning Signs Being highly perceptive to the needs of a community or to the needs of an individual child takes training and some common sense. A greater awareness cannot only save the lives of some but improve the lives of many. The research done from the website Helpsite.org on the topic of child abuse and neglect sheds some light on the subject. The warning signs that a child might exhibit include: Lack of trust and relationship difficulties Abuse by a primary caregiver damages the most fundamental relationship as a child that [they] will safely, reliably get [his or her] physical and emotional needs met by the person who is responsible for [his or her] care. Without this base, it is very difficult to learn to trust people or know who is trustworthy. This can lead to difficulty maintaining relationships due to fear of being controlled or abused. It can also lead to unhealthy relationships because the adult doesnt know what a good relationship is (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010). Core feelings of being worthless or damaged [Many are] told over and over again as a child that [they] are stupid or no good, it is very difficult to overcome these core feelings. [The child] may experience them as reality. Adults may not strive for more education, or settle for a job that may not pay enough, because they dont believe they can do it or are worth more (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010). Trouble regulating emotions Abused children cannot express emotions safely. As a result, the emotions get stuffed down, coming out in unexpected ways. Adult survivors of child abuse can struggle with unexplained anxiety, depression, or anger. They may turn to alcohol or drugs to numb out the painful feelings (Ibid). Prevention Programs Child abuse prevention efforts are of 3 general typesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦primary prevention effortsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [which] address a broad segment of the population (such as all new parents), secondary prevention efforts, such as the home visitation (or nurse-family partnership) programà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦target a specific subset of the population considered to be at higher risk for child maltreatment, [and] tertiary prevention efforts target perpetrators of child maltreatment and seek primarily to prevent recidivism (Dias, et al., 2005). The most commonly used programs that fall under primary prevention are student education programs done in public schools. These programs are extremely popular, because they teach children at a very early age what abuse really is, and how to protect themselves against it. Because child abuse prevention education can be a very frightening introduction to sexual issues, (Whatley Trudell, 1988) many of these school based programs are taught as part of a larger p ersonal safety or health and wellness course. This also eases some parents objections that the subject matter is too intense for small children. In addition to arguments regarding subject matter, there are also opponents of school based abuse prevention instruction that feel these programs implicitly challenge the sanctity of the family (Whatley Trudell, 1988) by taking the power to educate children away from the parents. These detractors are in the minority, however, and as of 1991, 61% of all elementary schools report[ed] offering some kind of preventive education (Plummer, 2001). While these programs are popular with public schools nationally, Indiana itself has no law mandating sex abuse education courses, and there is no uniformity among the schools that do teach it. Some education classes are taught as aforementioned, in connection with the health and safety curriculum by the students teacher, while others are only taught briefly, during a special presentation for the class o r the entire school. Still other public schools, and many private schools do not teach the curriculum at all, due to limited funds, lack of staff, lack of trained staff, topic not viewed as a high priority, topic should be addressed by parents, [or] counselors handle the problem when necessaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Lanning Massey-Stokes, 2006). Another common form of primary prevention efforts focus on educating the parents about child neglect, child abuse, and sexual abuse, before an incident arises; often before a child is even born. Because the highest percentage of victims of maltreatment are under the age of one (Wu, et al., 2004), many preventative programs seek to educate parents on how to deal with excessive crying, stress, or post-partum emotions before the birth of the child. One program, utilized in 16 New York hospitals required all families to undergo a Shaken Baby Syndrome tutorial, with bilingual leaflets, a short video, and a question and answer session with a nurse before they were permitted to be discharged (Dias, et al., 2005). Each parent also had to sign a contract stating that they had received the tutorial and understood the dangers of shaking their child. Evaluation of this program revealed that there was a statistically significant reduction in infant maltreatment, and more specifically Shaken Baby Syndrome among recipients of this educational program. There are other preventative programs for expectant teenage mothers, and even parenting education courses offered at many high schools. The state of Indiana offers public high school students a course titled Child Development and Parenting, which covers all aspects of parenting from nurturing a child, to how much money is necessary to meet the needs of a child, as well as how to handle stressful situations in a calm manner (Education, 2005). Many other primary preventative programs assist parents to maintain an adequate standard of parenting by providing parents with information about the challenges of parenting and the skills they need to parent effectively, and by enhancing their access to social supports (Tomison, 1998). These programs not only offer skills training and counseling, but partner with other government and non-governmental organizations that provide welfare services such as WIC, food stamps, and job training courses to help prevent the poverty and hopelessness that can lead to child neglect or abuse. There are also programs that offer education about sex abuse to parents, to help reiterate what their children are taught in school about the subject. Many parents do want to discuss this topic with their children, but studies have shown that many are ill informed about the subject, and may pass on incorrect information to their children. Parents often believe, and tell their children that child molesters are always male, and always strangers, when in fact, most abuse is perpetrated by someone the child knows quite well, who could be either male or female (Wurtele Kenny, 2010). Parents can also endanger their child when explaining what to do in a potential abuse situation. Many parents will tell their child to first say no or try to get away, but some parents will even tell their child to fight back against an abuser, which could have potentially life-threatening results. These educational programs can also inform parents what to do if they believe a child is being sexually abused. According to Wurtele, a study of parents who did not attend child abuse prevention workshops showed that parents more often mentioned notifying the victims parents or the abusers employer in response to a disclosure ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ child sexual abuse, (Wurtele Kenny, 2010) instead of notifying child protective services or the police department, which would have been the correct approach. Educating parents about sexual abuse not only gives them a better understanding of the truth about molestation, but also shows them the proper steps to take when confronted with abuse, and how to pass on correct information to their children. Secondary preventative efforts, or programs that target a specific at-risk sub-population are usually in home visitation programs where a social worker or trained nurse will visit the family and offer parent education and/or family support including information on health, nutrition and safety, and advice on the mother-child interactionand may also monitor the childs wellbeing and assist families to connect to other services and resources (Kovacs, 2003). Families that are selected for secondary preventative efforts are usually either identified as high risk for possible maltreatment, or have had issues of abuse previously and are being monitored by child protective services or another non-governmental agency. In the state of Indiana, Healthy Families Indiana uses a multi-tiered assessment process using participation in WIC and other state funded assistance programs, along with other variables to determine if a family falls under the high risk category, and thus into the voluntary home visitation program (IN.Gov, 2010). These programs help to reduce the stress of the parents, while simultaneously giving them the tools needed to get out of the high risk category through career training, monetary support with WIC and other welfare programs, and development of parenting skills. These visitations also allow the social worker to carefully monitor the child and the home for any signs of neglect or maltreatment before they arise or quickly enough afterward to begin counseling and limit the emotional or physical damage. Finally, tertiary prevention efforts are there to help families that have already suffered from a form of child abuse, and to prevent further abuse, or recidivism, from occurring. These programs are mostly state agencies such as child protective services, which monitor families much in the same way that they are monitored in the home visitation programs. The only difference is that this intervention is not voluntary on the part of the family, and the families are selected based on the specific criteria that abuse has already occurred in some form within the home, making these families even more at risk than any other group (Dias, et al., 2005). While there are distinct differences in the structure, targeted audience, and accessibility of each of the types of prevention efforts, all three have a common problem: awareness. Many organizations, especially non-profit organizations, are either ill equipped monetarily or lack the necessary marketing skills to advertise their programs within the community, and therefore fail to reach families that desperately need their services (Kovacs, 2003). Marketing outlets such as brochures, flyers, television and radio ads, as well as billboards not only increase awareness about the programs in a specific area, but also about the issue of child abuse, how important it is, and how it can and needs to be prevented. The Basics of Nonprofit Marketing In order understand why a public education campaign would be useful, appropriate, and feasible to a nonprofit organizations cause, one must first have some background information on how campaigns fit into the overall marketing strategy for an organization (Andreasen, 2008). Public Education Campaigns Public education campaigns send messages to target audiences in order raise awareness of social issues, change beliefs, and in some cases inspire a behavioral change (Tabachnick, 2001). The goal of a public education campaign is to motivate people and to change social behaviors and norms (Pollard, 2006). Public education campaigns are very important, because raising awareness around issues leads to behavioral and attitude changes, which leads to changes in actions and community norms (Tabachnick, 2001). For example, a child abuse and neglect prevention campaign geared towards adults could educate adults about what the signs of abuse are, then they can start to look for or identify possible signs of abuse when working with children, and eventually they will start to take action and call authorities when neglect happens, or talk with parents before the abuse even takes place. Specifically, a child abuse and neglect prevention campaign can translate complicated messages into specific, easily understood, messages about prevent, they can also reach a wider audience and educate more individuals. Once the campaign is actually implemented, it can reduce the marketing and communications staff time, because the messages are out there and going viral, the research, messages, and implementation strategies can also be reused for long-term projects (Ibid). In order to be upfront and proactive, it is important to address some of the drawbacks of public awareness campaigns. First of all, a successful and effective campaign will take many hours of staff time researching, planning and coordinating. Many organizations decide to work with a marketing and public relations firm to conduct their campaigns as to not take their staff away from every day duties (Ibid). In fact, some research suggests that it is a must for an individual to have worked with an advertising agency for a successful campaign. An ad agency represents a concentration of creative talent, production skills and proven marketing success, and they are skilled at analyzing public trends and communicating with specific target audiences. A public institution is unlikely to have these skills (Murray Seabeastan). Secondly, campaigns using mass media may not connect with every audience member. Some may feel that the message is not geared toward them and are not relevant. Often time s campaign messages are too complicated and confuse people with new concepts and requests. The golden rule in this instance should be less is more (Ibid). Another drawback is that campaigns can be very difficult to assess their effectiveness. One cannot easily judge how many drove by and actually read a billboard, watched the PSA, listened and remembered the radio ad, etc. This can be very costly to assess who was affected positively by the campaign in large communities (Tabachnick, 2001). Best Practices in Public Education Campaigns There are several ways to conduct public education campaigns, and in fact, there is no one right way. All organizations research, plan, implement and evaluate their campaigns very differently, and have different resources, inputs, and experts guiding this process. However, through research, there are several best practices that have emerged to conduct an impactful and lasting public education campaign. Some of the best practices include: identifying the scope and location, researching the target audiences, messaging, goals, implementation steps, evaluation techniques, updates on campaign, and conducting a reminder campaign. Stop It Now!, a national child sexual abuse prevention program with affiliates in several states, did a great job creating local campaigns and identifying the correct scope for each location. Each of their public education campaigns conducted were based off of their local needs, local stakeholders and had a local look and feel in regards to messaging. Examples of focus areas and specific target audiences messaging for different state campaigns include: Georgias focus is on bystanders caring adults in a position to help, Virginias focus trusting your gut, Philadelphias focus is on warning signs, and Minnesotas focus is on targeting the challenged population. Focusing on local audiences avoids stereotypes, while honoring stakeholder expectations and local sensitivities and proves for a more successful campaign that effectively reaches campaign goals (Tabachnick, 2001). One of the first full-scale public health campaigns designed to target adults for prevention occurred in Vermont, and depended upon a plethora of research to implement a successful campaign. Officials first reviewed the publics attitudes, awareness, knowledge that adults face as obstacles to preventing child abuse (Ibid). Through research they identified several obstacles, such as characteristics of an abuser and enabing factors. Once this background research was conducted, the public education campaign strategies could be planned, implemented and evaluated. When a campaign chooses a message, it is important to be consistent and to use the same one throughout all media channels in order to stick with the public. The messages may also need to be translated or re-written for diverse cultures to identify with (Ibid). An example of this comes from, Paro, a nonprofit health care provider located in San Francisco that was reaching out to a diverse group of local residents that come for low-income homes. The organization was not seeing an increase in the number of clients served and the residents that were aware of their helpful programs. Therefore, the organization made a strategic communications decision to focus on translation services, sensitivity to cultural differences, and response to public feedback. They began by translating their marketing materials in various venues at an appropriate reading level including outdoor billboards and posters, collateral material and their website. Then, they created separate documents for each ethnic gro up in their service region (Hispanics, Vietnamese and Chinese) and paid close attention to the colors of the documents to not offend any particular culture. Finally, Paro made an assertive effort to hire more multicultural employees and set up a member advisory committee. This campaign was literally designed for and by the residents benefiting from Paro services (Nastu, 2007). When planning and public education campaign, it is important to remember that thoughtful well-written messages that the target audience identifies with, need to be future oriented and support solutions that are helpful and essential for the whole community (Hughes, 2009). Once a scope, location, target audience, and messaging is identified, then one can start to implement their campaign through a variety of steps and marketing and public relations strategies. There are many examples of way organizations implement their public education campaigns, which include: hotlines, educational vides, advertising on tv, radio, and print media, public service announcements, pocket guides, social marketing, websites, billboards, transit advertising, community action kits, posters, educational booklets, as well as promotional materials such as t-shirts, wrist

Sympathy in Medea, Aeneid, Metamorphoses, Orlando Furioso, and Hamlet :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Sympathy in Medea, Aeneid, Metamorphoses, Orlando Furioso, and Hamlet  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Euripedes tugs and pulls at our emotions from every angle throughout The Medea. He compels us to feel sympathy for the characters abused by Medea, yet still feel sympathy for Medea as well. These conflicting feelings build a sense of confusion and anxiety about the unfolding plot. In the beginning, the Nurse reveals the recent background events that have caused Medea so much torment: "She herself helped Jason in every way" (13) and now he "has taken a royal wife to his bed" (18). Right away we are angry with Jason for breaking his wedding vows, and we are building up sympathy for Medea as the Nurse describes her acts of suffering. When we first see Medea, she speaks passionately to the women of Corinth and convinces them to side with her. She evokes their sympathy by drawing further attention to her suffering and speaking in terms that bring them all to common ground. Aegeus becomes Medea’s first victim when he, unknowingly, provides the final building block in he r plan for revenge against Jason. We sympathize for Aegeus in his ignorance. Medea now has confidence in her plan, so she reveals it to the women of Corinth. She is going to send her children to Jason’s bride with a poisoned dress that will make her die in agony. We are still compelled to sympathize with Medea at this point because she has justified her reasons for seeking revenge. However, the princess is oblivious to Medea’s plot; she will accept the gift for its beauty then meet an unexpected, agonized death. The image of pain and agony elicits our sympathy as well. Medea presents her most perverse speech when she explains how she will kill her own children then flee Corinth. Alone, these acts provoke pure disgust, but Euripides has developed Medea’s character as a coercive force; we still sympathize with her for her plight, yet we also hate her for her decisions. The women of Corinth try to persuade her away from this morbid choice, but their arguments are i neffective. Euripides employs stichomythia in the exchange between the women and Medea to show Medea breaking down boundaries between self and other, which prevent sympathy (811-819). Euripedes focuses on suffering, ignorance, and rhetoric to leave us torn in our sympathy for every character. Vergil elicits sympathy from readers in the beginning of The Aeneid when characters suffer physically and emotionally.

History of Airplanes Essay

The history of airplane obviously has begun after the real airplanes have been invented by Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17 1903. Airplanes made getting from one place to another much faster. Increases speed of transportation of cargo and people and also as a war platform. Increased speed medicines could be transported and people could be flown into and out of war zones for treatment at a nearby unit or hospital. This transferred into the everyday citizen’s life outside of war time. What we call today life flight planes and helicopters. Airplanes have changed by becoming faster, larger, and more usable. Airplanes can be used for a lot of things now other than just flying one person around. They can be used for war, transportation, and many other things. The engines have become more powerful; they have acquired more seats, and have been built to have a variety of uses in one single aircraft. The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur were two American credited with inventi ng and building the world’s first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered human flight on December 17 1903. How does the airplane work? When air flows past and airplane wing, it breaks into two airstreams. The one that goes under the wing encounters the wings surface, which acts as a ramp and pushes the air downward and forward. The air slow somewhat and its pressure increases. Forces between this lower airstreams and the wings undersurface provide some of the lift that supports the wing. However, before the first airplanes was invented by the Wright brothers, inventors made numerous attempts to make like the birds and fly. These early inventions included kites, hot air balloons, airship, gliders, and other devices. World War I was the first armed conflict in which airplanes played a major role. When the war began, it was fought largely between ground forces, but as it progressed, the airplane began playing a larger and larger role. As the Allies amassed great air strength, they so ably disrupted German ground forces that the war quickly came to an end. Airplanes have revolutionized (change) society by making it faster to get from one place to another. Also in wars the airplanes could fly over battle fields and drop bombs down to the enemy’s camp creating an easy way to victory. Airplanes changed the world because in the 1800s, there were no airplanes. Then we needed to travel by ships or other transport, and it took a lot of time too. But when airplanes were invented, people saved a lot of time because airplanes went very fast. Now, if want to go places and it is far away from home, we can take an airplane. When we take an airplane we can see beautiful views. But now when humans start wars, they will use airplanes to damage their enemy from above and they can cause a lot of damage and that not well. Progress never stops and people invent more complicated and faster transportation vehicles. Every vehicle changes people’s lives so that they can reach their destination and transport heavy loads quickly, safer and easier. In my opinion, one of the most important transportation vehicles, planes changed our lives drastically. Firstly, planes can transport people and things far away very rapidly. It means more interactions between nations occur. Nowadays one can make business not only in one country but also internationally with the help of airplanes. Having breakfast with your partner in one country you can easily take a flight and have a dinner with you r companions in another country. A new technology inspired by the self-healing powers of plants and animals may allow damaged planes to fix themselves on the fly and point out even minuscule holes to mechanics upon landing. If the technique pans out, then aircraft, wind turbines and perhaps even spaceships of the future may boast embedded circulatory systems with an epoxy resin that can bleed into holes or cracks and then fluoresce under ultraviolet light to mark the damage like a bruise during follow-up inspections. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in March of 1876. The telephone changed the world by making communication easier for people in different parts of the world. Imagine not being able to talk to a friend in another state or country. If telephones aren’t there, talking to someone on the go would be impossible. Telephones have changed in many ways , now we have mobile telephones which are called cellphones .Nowadays, telephones and cellphones look more modern and smaller. Cell phones can now do more than just call people unlike in the 1970’s when it was first made. Now cellphones have games, music, notes, text messaging, etc. Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father taught elocution and his mother was deaf. In 1870, Bell and his family moved to Canada. Alexander graham bell was an eminent inventor who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone. The telephone was invented because he wanted to find away how to communicate with other people apart from talking face to face. The coin operated pay telephone was invented by William Gray of Hartford in 1889. The first rotational dial telephone was developed in 1923 by Antoine Barany in France. The mobile telephone was invented by Bell Telephone Company and introduced into New York City police cars in 1924. Although the first commercial mobile phone service became available in St. Louis, Missouri in 1946, the mobile telephone would not become common for another four decades. Phones only came in one color at that time. Black! You only had one telephone in the house. I would say that the phone has changed the world with communication universally. Society can’t live without their phone. Lives have been saved. Businesses have been started and ended. Most everything is by the Telephone. One thing hasn’t changed people will never stop talking. Good bad or indifferent. The phone is here to stay if you wanted to know what a store has in stock or when the will have a certain in stock you could call them . Also it can be safer because if there was an emergency you could dial 911 and they could come and help/assist you. Telephones and cellphones in many different ways like some people stay too long on their cellphones and don’t really spend time doing anything else whereas some people find their lives easier with a cellphone so that they can communicate with friends and family. The telephone changed the world by making it easy for people from anywhere in the world to contact others quickly. You can live in New York and call someone in California. It has empowered us with the ability to communicate easily, yet at the same time it has isolated us a bit. Since we are able to reach family and friends easily, we don’t always visit them as much as we used to. The telephone has also affected written communication skills. We talk on the phone and text message as opposed to writing letters. Texting is definitely affecting our grammar skill the telephone has many positives and negatives. So what will phones look like in 2050? Based upon phone customer behavior, I imagine the future phones will rely more on integrating our physical lives with our digital lives. They probably won’t resemble the handsets we’re used to now. They’ll be built into other devices and products. Imagine a pair of glasses that can display a digital overlay on top of your physical surroundings.

Master of International Business Essay

What is inventory turnover? How can a high inventory turnover ratio be detrimental to a firm? Inventory turnover refers to the number of times that inventory is sold in a one year period. It can be calculated by dividing the cost of goods sold for a particular period by the average inventory for that period. High inventory turnover may signal a low level of inventories, which can increase the chance of product stockouts. 2. Distinguish among cycle, safety, pipeline, and speculative stock. Cycle (base) stock refers to inventory that is needed to satisfy normal demand during the course of an order cycle. Safety (buffer) stock refers to inventory that is held in addition to cycle stock to guard against uncertainty in demand and/or lead time. Pipeline (in-transit) stock is inventory that is en route between various nodes in a logistics system, while speculative stock is inventory that is held for several reasons to include seasonal demand, projected price increases, and potential product shortages. 3. Define what is meant by inventory carrying costs. What are some of its main components? Inventory carrying costs refer to the costs associated with holding inventory. Inventory carrying costs consist of a number of different components, and their importance can vary from product to product. These components include obsolescence costs, shrinkage costs, storage costs, taxes, and interest costs. 4. Discuss the concept of stockout costs. How can a stockout cost be calculated? Stockouts refer to situations where customers demand items that are not immediately available and stockout costs refer to the costs associated with not having items available. Calculation of a stockout cost first requires a company to classify potential customer responses to a stockout (e. g. , delays the purchase, lost sale, lost customer). Next, the company needs to assign probabilities to the various responses as well as to assign monetary losses to the various responses. The respective probabilities and losses are multiplied together and then all costs are summed to yield an average cost of stockout. 5. Distinguish between a fixed order quantity and fixed order interval system. Which one generally requires more safety stock? Why? In a fixed order quantity system, the order size stays constant (although the time interval between orders may vary); in a fixed order interval system, the time interval is constant (although the order size may vary). The infrequency of inventory monitoring makes a fixed order interval system more susceptible to stockouts and thus there is likely to be higher levels of safety stock in a fixed order interval system. 6. Explain the logic of the EOQ model. The logic of the EOQ model is as follows: determining an order quantity requires a company to balance two costs; the costs of carrying the inventory and the costs of ordering it. Inventory carrying costs are in direct proportion to order size; that is, the larger the order, the greater the inventory carrying costs. Ordering costs, by contrast, tend to decline with order size but not in a linear fashion. The EOQ attempts to find the point (quantity) at which ordering costs equals carrying costs. 7. How can inventory flow diagrams be useful to a logistics manager? They present a visual depiction of additions to, and subtractions from, inventory. This could be helpful in identifying any patterns that might be occurring. In addition, inventory flow examples illustrate how safety stock can offset an increased rate of demand as well as longer than normal replenishment cycles. 8. Discuss what is meant by ABC analysis of inventory. What are several measures that can be used to determine ABC status? ABC analysis is an approach that recognizes all inventories are not of equal value to a firm and, as a result, all inventory should not be managed in the same way. Measures that can be used to determine ABC status include sales volume in dollars, sales volume in units, the fastest selling items, item profitability, or item importance. . What are implications of the JIT approach for supply chain management? The consequences of JIT actually go far beyond inventory management and JIT has important implications for supply chain efficiency. One implication is that suppliers must deliver high quality materials to the production line, in part because of JIT’s emphasis on low (no) safety stock. Moreover, because customers in a JIT system tend to place smaller, more frequent orders, it is imperative that suppliers’ order systems are capable of handling an increased number of orders in an error-free fashion. Smaller, more frequent orders, coupled with close supplier location, tend to favor truck as a mode of transportation and this means that production and distribution facilities should be designed to support truck shipments. 10. How does vendor-managed inventory differ from traditional inventory management? In â€Å"traditional† inventory management, the size and timing of replenishment orders are the responsibility of the party using the inventory. Under vendor-managed inventory, by contrast, the size and timing of replenishment orders are the responsibility of the manufacturer. This represents a huge philosophical shift for some organizations in the sense that they are allowing another party to have control over their inventories and this requires a great deal of trust among the various parties. 11. Do substitute items or complementary items present the greater managerial challenge? Support your answer. Either answer would be acceptable. Students should recognize that both substitute items and complementary items present managerial challenges, but the nature of these challenges is different. For instance, one challenge with substitute items might be the amount of product to hold; a challenge with complementary items might be product placement in a retail outlet. 12. Define what it meant by dead inventory. What are several ways to manage it? Dead inventory refers to product for which there is no demand—at least under current marketing practices. Because dead inventory has often been associated with overproduction of items that customers do not want (or need), one suggestion would be make to order as opposed to make to stock. Having said this, an increasing source of dead stock in recent years involves special, highly customized orders that never end up with the customer. Suggestions for dealing with this situation include partial (or full) prepayment as well as a no-return policy. Another suggestion is for companies to more aggressively market their dead stock, and companies might also sell dead inventory via auctions. Another possibility is to donate the dead inventory to charitable causes. A last resort is to simply throw away the dead inventory in order to free up storage space. 13. Explain how an SKU might have different meanings, depending on one’s position in the supply chain. A retailer, for example, might keep records in terms of individual items or case lots, while the warehouse that supplies the retailer may deal only with case lots or pallets loads of a product. In turn, the distributor that sells to warehouses may deal with only pallet loads or vehicle loads, and may only accept orders only for pallet loads or vehicle loads—and not case lots or individual items. 14. Why is it important for a manager to understand informal considerations with respect to inventory management? One reason is that the increasing quest for customer service and customer satisfaction is leading many companies to engage in informal considerations. Even though â€Å"formal† inventory analysis should not be ignored, they should not be applied without taking into account informal arrangements. The informal arrangements may not fit any â€Å"formal† inventory tenets, but many informal considerations tend to do an excellent job of satisfying customers. And, without customers, businesses are not going to be very successful. 15. Discuss some of the challenges that are associated with managing repair and replacement parts. One challenge is the difficulty in forecasting the demand for these products—when will products break down or fail? As such, it becomes challenging with respect to which parts to carry as well as the appropriate stocking levels for them. Another challenge involves the number of warehousing facilities to be used: Should the parts be more decentralized or more centralized? These and other challenges have caused some companies to outsource their repair/replacement parts business. 16. Which presents the greater reverse logistics challenge: (1) Returned items or (2) Refurbished and recycled products? Support your answer. As was the case with question 11, either answer is acceptable. Again, it is important to recognize that both present reverse logistics challenges—but the nature of the challenges is different. For example, there is unpredictability with respect to returned items, in terms of return rates and product content. Refurbishing and recycling, by contrast, are predicated on sufficient product volumes, which require adequate storage space. 17. What are substitute items and how might they affect safety stock policies? Substitute items refer to products that customers view as being able to fill the same need or want. With respect to safety stock policies, if a consumer has little hesitation in substituting another item for one that is out of stock, there would appear to be minimal penalties for a stockout. It is also important that companies understand substitution patterns in the sense that Product A may be a substitute for Product B, but the reverse may not be true. In such a situation, safety stock policies would need to reflect the appropriate relationships. 18. Which supply chain participant(s) should be responsible for managing inventory levels? Why? The key to this question is the word â€Å"managing. Although various inventory approaches may require certain select participants to maintain the inventory, supply-chain effectiveness and efficiency would argue that all supply chain participants should be involved with managing inventory levels. Because the supply chain is a system, one company’s inventory policies and practices can impact the other members of the supply chain. Failure to consider these other participants when setting inventory policies and practices could lead to dysfunctional consequences. 19. Should inventories be considered investments? Why? The text suggests that inventories should be considered investments. Carrying costs for inventories can be significant; the return on investment to a firm for its funds tied up in inventory should be as high as the return it can obtain from other, equally risky uses of the same funds. 20. Since the mid-1990s, many beer and soft-drink cans and bottles have contained a freshness date stamped on them to indicate the latest date that the product should be consumed. What problems might such a system cause for the people responsible for managing such inventories? Discuss. There are a variety of possible answers to this question. One consideration is that product needs to be in places where it can be bought prior to the expiration date. At a minimum, this means that companies need to be able to identify individual products, locate the products, and move the products to the appropriate place(s). The oldest inventory should be â€Å"turned† before other inventory. Another consideration involves what to do with expired product, a situation that brings into play reverse logistics considerations.

Ain Ghazal - Pre-Pottery Neolithic Site in the Levant of Ain Ghazal

'Ain Ghazal - Pre-Pottery Neolithic Site in the Levant of 'Ain Ghazal The site of Ain Ghazal is an early Neolithic village site located along the banks of the Zarqa River near Amman, Jordan. The name means Spring of the Gazelles, and the site has major occupations during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) period, about 7200 and 6000 BC; the PPNC period (ca. 6000-5500 BC) and during the early pottery Neolithic, between ca 5500-5000 BC. Ain Ghazal covers some 30 acres, three times the size of the similarly dated levels at Jericho. The PPNB occupation has several multiroomed rectangular dwellings which were built and rebuilt at least five times. Nearly 100 burials have been recovered from this period. Living at Ain Ghazal Ritual behavior seen at Ain Ghazal include the presence of numerous human and animal figurines, some large human statues with distinctive eyes, and some plastered skulls. Five large lime plaster statues were recovered, of quasi-human forms made of reed bundles covered with plaster. The forms have square torsos and two or three heads. Recent excavations at Ain Ghazal have considerably augmented knowledge of several aspects of the Neolithic. Of particular interest has been the documentation of a continuous, or near continuous, occupation from early through late Neolithic components, and a concomitant dramatic economic shift. This shift was from a broad subsistence base relying on a variety of both wild and domestic plants and animals, to an economic strategy reflecting an apparent emphasis on pastoralism. Domesticated wheat, barley, peas and lentils have been identified at Ain Ghazal, as well as a wide variety of wild forms of these plants and animals such as gazelle, goats, cattle and pigs. No domesticated animals were identified in the PPNB levels, although by the PPNC period, domestic sheep, goats, pigs, and probably cattle were identified. Sources Ain Ghazal is a part of the About.com Guide to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Goren, Yuval, A. N. Goring-Morris, and Irena Segal 2001 The technology of skull modelling in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB): Regional variability, the relation of technology and iconography and their archaeological implications. Journal of Archaeological Science 28:671-690. Grissom, Carol A. 2000 Neolithic Statues from Ain Ghazal: Construction and Form. American Journal of Archaeology 104(1). Free download Schmandt-Besserat, Denise 1991 A stone metaphor of creation. Near Eastern Archaeology 61(2):109-117. Simmons, Alan H., et al. 1988 Ain Ghazal: A Major Neolithic Settlement in Central Jordan. Science 240:35-39. This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.