Student Study Section

STUDENT STUDY SECTION Review questions Study the timeline above and then read the following quotation. The nation that political problems could more naturally be solved by violence than by debate was firmly entrenched in a country in which for a thousand years civil war has been if not exactly the norm then certainly no rarity. From Paul Preton, The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution and Revenge, 2006 1. Looking at the timeline above showing events in Spain in the 19th and early 20th centuries, what evidence is there for Preston’s argument? 2.What factors were causing tension in Spain during this time? (Economic, military, religious, political? ) 3. What example of foreign intervention was there in Spain in the 29th century? STUDENT STUDY SECTION Review questions 1. Draw a mind map or spider diagram of the key issues dividing Spain by 1931 2. Explain the events that led to the fall of Kind Alfonso in 1931. 3. Looking at the long-term issues in Spain and the political even ts of the 19th century, what problems was the Second Republic likely to face? Do you consider that war was inevitable by mid 1931? STUDENT STUDY SECTIONReview questions How did the actions of the Second republic create more tension? In what way did they, in Paul Preston’s words, ensure that Spain’s underlying conflicts ere transmitted into national politics? STUDENT STUDY SECTION Research activity Research the Asturian miner’ uprising of 1934. In Paris, discuss the extent to which you agree that this was an attempted revolution. STUDENT STUDY SECTION Review questions 1. To what extent did economic issues lead to a civil war? 2. What was the impact of international events to the growing divisions in Spain Class debateDivide the class into three groups. Each group needs to argue one of the following: * The right wing was responsible for the Spanish Civil War * The left wing was responsible for the Spanish Civil War * Both left and right were equally responsible fo r the Spanish Civil War STUDENT STUDY SECTION Review activity Look back at the timeline on pp. 235-36. Identify key points where foreign intervention plays a significant role in the fighting. STUDENT STUDY SECTION Document analysisWhat civisms does Salvodo make of the Non-intervention Committee (p. 238)? Research activity In small group, research the different countries, groups and famous individuals that went to Spain to fight in the international Brigades; for example, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade from USA. STUDENT STUDY SECTION Review activities Summarize the key points made in the text in grid: | Nationalists | Republicans | Political strengths/weaknesses| | | Military strengths/weaknesses| | | Economic advantages/ Disadvantages| | | Foreign assistance| | | Class debate Divide the class into two groups.One side will argue that the Nationalists’ strengths won the Spanish Civil War, the other will argue that it was due to Republican weaknesses. The motion is: The strengths o f the Nationalists won the Civil War. Each side must have a series of thematic and coherent arguments. To gain a point, they have to support arguments with clear evidence. STUDENT STUDY SECTION Read the following sources and answer the questions: Document A The nationalists maintained that Guernical had been blown up by the Basques themselves, in order to discredit the blameless Nationalists.A later version said that Republican planes dropped bomb to detonate charges dynamite placed in the sewers. Twenty years later it was still a crime in Franco’s Spain to say that Guernical had been destroyed by the Nationalists. Document B Our consciences were uneasy about it. After living through the raid we knew only too well that the destruction had come from the air. The Reds had hardly any planes, we knew that too. Amongst our own, we’d admit the truth: our side had bombed the town and it was a bad thing. But what can we do about it now? We’d say. It was simply better to keep quite.From a statement by Juan Sangroniz, a Nationalists, quoted in Ronald Fraser, Blood of Spain Document C The Germans said the wind caused the bombes to drift eastwards [the target had been a bridge on the river]. In fact Guernica was a military target, being a communications centre close to the line. Retreating republican soldiers could only escape with any ease through Guernical because the bridge over the river was the last one before the sea. But if the aim of the Condor Legion was destroy the bridge why did they not use their supremely accurate stuka bombers?At least part to aim must have been to cause maximum panic and confusion among civilians as well as soldier. The use of incendiary bombs proves that some destruction of buildings and people other than it bridge must have been intended From Hugh Thomas, The Spanish Civil War, 1977 Questions 1. In what ways are the views expressed in Document A supported by the views in Document B 2. What reasons are identified in Do cument C for the bombing of Guernica? STUDENT STUDY SECTION Essay work Planning essay in an essential way to revise topics as you approach examinations. In pairs or groups, plan out the essays below.Your plan should include: * An introduction written out in full * The opening sentence for each paragraph setting out your ‘topic’ * Bullet points setting out the evidence to go in each paragraph * A conclusion written out in full Each group should present it essay plan to the rest of the class. How much overlap of content is three between the different essay plans? Some hints are given for your planning in the first 3 essays Essay 1 Analyze the causes of the Spain Civil War. You could structure this essay thematically, and consider the key issues in the long term and the short term.Your analysis should then explain why there was tension that intensified over time. Remember to include the ‘trigger’ of the civil war, as this explains why the war broke out when it did. * Themes: 1898-1931 –Economic/Social/Polical/Empire * Themes:1931-36 –Land reforms/Church reforms/Social unrest /Reaction of right/Popular Front * Trigger:1936 –The attempted coup. Essays 2 What were the key effects of the Spanish Civil War? You might want to include material from this chapter on the ‘nature’ of the war in this essay, as well as focusing on the more general results.It might be helpful for you to structure your essay in two parts: effects of the war internally on Spain, and then effects of the war external on the other countries. Remember to attempt to adopt a thematic approach. Essay 3 What was the impact of foreign intervention in the Spain Civil War? You could discuss this question in terms of how the ‘nature’ of the war was affected by foreign intervention: * Polarizing the complex political divisions in Spain * Increasing the brutality and casualty rate * Protracting the war. You could then discuss this questi on in terms of how the ‘outcome’ of the war was affected by foreign intervention† * Germany/Italy/Portugal: Strengthening the military capabilities of the Nationalists * USSR: Weakening the political unity of the Republic, and then undermining its ability to wage war by withdrawing support * NIC and Neutrals benefited the Nationalists Now attempt to make detailed plans for the following essay questions: * In what ways and to what extent, did social and religious divisions lead to war in Spain in 1936? * To what extent was the Spanish Civil War caused by division in Spain and in Spain society? Assess the impact of political and constitutional developments in Spain between 1930 and 1939 * Why did the Constitutional Monarchy in Spain collapse in 1931? * Carlism is a political movement in Spain that looks to establish a separate line of the Bourbon family on the Spanish throne. This line is descended from Carlos V ( 1788-1855). * The Civil Guard was founded in 1844. I ts purpose was to control the peasantry, maintain the status quo and stamp out any anti-monarchist, revolutionary sentiment. It was particularly active in the Basque Provinces and was hated by the peasantry.It was later to play a role in supporting the conservative downers in resisting the reforms of the Second Republic. * The destabilization of the Spanish electoral system is the worth nothing that the Spain electoral system ensured that only a small swing in the number of votes cast had a huge effect on the parliamentary system. Thus, although there was only a minor shift of votes from the left to the right, there was a big change in parliamentary power. The same was ro happen in 1926 when the Popular front gained control. The instability created by the electoral system was a contributory factor to the breakdown of the Second Republic.

In What Ways do Gender Relations Affect Work Organization and Management? Essay

With the influx of women into the workforce during the last 20 years, there has been increased attention to comparisons between men and women on a number of work-related attributes and behaviors. With this increased attention, there has also been some confusion about whether women and men differ to a significant degree, how much they differ, and whether these differences truly are meaningful regarding behavior at work. The principal goal of this work is to consider gender issues that affect work organisation and management. The discussion of gender and work which is included in this paper is selective in focusing mainly on recent research, in which the topic has been considered explicitly. The cases considered provide useful examples of the role of gender in work. The discussion uses definition of gender as ‘a system of culturally constructed identities, expressed in ideologies of masculinity and femininity, interacting with socially structured relationships in divisions of labour and leisure, sexuality and power between women and men’ (Nicolson, 1996. p. 54). Although women and men have always engaged in purposeful activity, the set of activities that many people consider work or employment is not always clear. Historically, men and women worked side by side together in the fields. Today, however, a distinction is made between paid, public work external to the family and unpaid, private work in the home. Each of these spheres of work has come to be sex-typed, with paid work being viewed by many as the domain of males and unpaid work in the home the domain of females. These perceptions are changing but are still deep-seated in many respects (Nicolson, 1996). Stereotyping involves generalizing beliefs about groups as a whole to members of those groups. For example, if you believe that older people are more likely to resist change than younger people, you may infer that an older person you have just met is likely to be rigid and to have a hard time adapting to changes. Through stereotyping, we can categorize people into groups on numerous demographic bases, including gender, race, age, religion, social class, and so forth, and our perceptions of specific individuals will be influenced by what we know or think we know about the group as a whole. Gender stereotypes are socially shared beliefs about the characteristics or attributes of men and women in general that influence our perceptions of individual men and women (Nicolson, 1996). The stereotype literature suggests that our general beliefs about groups of people can affect our assessments of individual group members (Biernat, 1991). Stereotypes can contribute to shared misperceptions of coworkers, job candidates, performance, and credentials (Haworth 90). Stereotypes not only affect the decisions we make about men and women but also affect self-perceptions, decisions, and choices made by those men and women. Furthermore, gender stereotypes can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, in the sense that both men and women may feel pressure to behave in ways that correspond to gender stereotypes. Thus, stereotypes can affect both how men and women behave in the workplace and how their behavior is perceived. In recent years, the influx of women into the workforce in general, and into nontraditional occupations in particular, has led to increased attention in the popular media. One result of the recent profusion of books, magazine articles, and newspaper stories dealing with these topics is an increasing level of confusion about whether there are, in fact, sex or gender differences between women and men; or if there are such differences, in what ways (i.e., personality, skills, leadership, intelligence, etc.) men and women differ, how much they differ, and whether the differences really mean anything (Nicolson, 1996). Given our social expectations of men and women based on gender stereotypes, it is not surprising to observe some differences between men and women in numerous domains at work. For example, men and women differ in their expectations for success on specific tasks, and these expectations are related to achievement motivation on the task. This finding has been interpreted as meaning that women have lower expectations for success than men, and that is why they do not attempt new tasks or perform as well as men on subsequent tasks. However, an equally plausible explanation is that women face more barriers than men on the job, especially sex discrimination, and are less likely to be successful due in part to biased evaluations. Furthermore, women may take this into account when forming their expectations about occupations that do not require lengthy training programs or extensive time commitment. That is, success expectations for a woman may include an implicit assessment of the sexism within her current environment as well as an assessment of her ability to perform a given task (Haworth, 2004). There is evidence (from studies conducted in the 1970s and again in the 1990s) suggesting a small but consistent impact of gender stereotypes on work-related decisions and on men’s and women’s self-perceptions of their behavior, performance, and worth (including expectations for pay).However, the observed differences must be interpreted with much caution. One conclusion drawn from these differences is that women are deficient in some ways compared to men. It is easy to attribute the cause of such differences to internal, skill, personality, or biological explanations. The reliance on internal or person-based explanations inhibit and often precludes the search for equally compelling external, situation-based explanations for gender differences. Most behaviors that reflect gender differences are learned behaviors, and by labeling them as masculine and feminine, scientists may reinforce the association of that behavior with gender (Haworth, 2004). The positive expectations associated with physical attractiveness generalize beyond interpersonal relationships such as dating and marriage into the work setting. Perceptions of attractiveness have a moderate effect on perceptions of the person’s intellectual competence. The link between attractiveness and perceptions of intelligence appears to be similar for both men and women. However, attractiveness appears to have a stronger effect for women than for men on perceptions of job performance (Lewis & Bierlys, 1990). Applicants and employees with higher physical attractiveness are expected to do better work. Once completed, their work is evaluated more positively than identical work by less attractive individuals. In one study, highly attractive authors were evaluated as having better ideas, demonstrating better style, being more creative, and generally producing higher quality work. In the interviewing setting, if an interviewer believes that physical attractiveness is an important job attribute, then being attractive is an advantage. There is extensive research evidence that attractiveness positively influences entry-level employment decisions. Other research has shown few significant effects. Although there is some evidence to the contrary, physical attractiveness appears to interact with the sex-type of the job to influence work evaluations (Crompton, 1996. p. 8). Physical attractiveness is a positive feature for women when applying to lower level positions (e.g., clerical) but not for higher level positions (e.g., management), whereas physical attractiveness is advantageous for men in a wider range of positions. These advantages and disadvantages are similar for such work decisions as evaluations of applicant qualifications, hiring recommendations, starting salary, and rankings of hiring preferences (Nicolson, 1996. p. 68). At work, physical attractiveness is usually an advantage for women and men, but for women, there are limits to these positive consequences. Attractiveness is most beneficial for women working in traditional feminine areas or just entering an organization. However, when women enter more traditionally masculine work, physical attractiveness can be a liability (Biernat & Wortman, 1991. p. 4). One interpretation of these findings is that because women who are physically attractive are also perceived as more feminine (Aaltio, 2002, p. 55), the negative female stereotype of being less intelligent or competent may be activated or salient. Especially in masculine occupations where competence is of great perceived importance, attractive women may face discrimination. Workplace romance can influence organizational effectiveness in a number of ways, including the breakdown of the legitimacy of organizational promotions and structure, excessive transfers, and more terminations (Pierce et al., 1996). Especially when a romantic relationship involves a supervisor and a subordinate, it is likely to result in perceptions of favoritism and inequity concerning promotions among coworkers. When coworkers perceive such favoritism they can become both alienated from the work group (Pugh, 1997) and envious which can result in an imbalance of power within the organization (Grint, 2005). Furthermore, when the power structure within an organization breaks down, channels for advancement become closed off and promotion and raise decisions become distorted and unpredictable. When one investigates the basis for promotions and who is promoted, it is important to examine the values, informal guidelines, and norms surrounding such decisions. Therefore, the relationship between workplace romance and promotion decisions may depend, in part, on the culture of the organization. Should employees participating in a workplace romance be transferred or relocated? Managers appear to perceive job relocation as a reasonable intervention to workplace romance (Pierce, Byrne & Aguinis, 1996. p.7) especially when employees engage in such behavior against formal organizational policy. Furthermore, employees might expect such transfers as a consequence. Some experts (Andrews & Knoke, 1999) suggest that management should offer relocation as one option for couples to consider. However, female participants are more frequently relocated than males, and fewer of these women occupy top-level management or higher status positions. Therefore, organizational relocation decisions in situations of workplace romance may be discriminatory based on the employees’ gender or organizational positions. The decision to terminate or dismiss an employee because of his or her involvement in a workplace romance may also be viewed as a detrimental managerial action, one representing a punitive form of organizational intervention. Yet employees are often dismissed for participating in a workplace romance. Furthermore, a female participant is more likely to be terminated than a male participant, the participant who is lower in status or less â€Å"valuable† to the organization is more often terminated, and extramarital affairs are more likely to result in employee termination as compared to other types of affairs. However, there is a need to identify managerial prejudices and inequitable decisions based on gender, so that if terminations are made within the context of workplace romance, an employee is terminated based on poor performance rather than gender or organizational status (Haworth, 2004). Our personal physical attractiveness plays a tremendous role in our interactions with others in our work lives. There is evidence that attractiveness influences what people expect from us, how people respond to us, and what decisions we make are made about us. Yet many organizational texts do not address this topic. We believe that physical attractiveness is a pivotal factor in the development of relationships, friendships, and romances in the workplace. Furthermore, these relationships greatly shape men’s and women’s experiences of work (Haworth, 2004). The physical attractiveness stereotype is generally, â€Å"What is beautiful is good.† This view appears to hold for younger and older persons and for men and women. Yet the stereotype is subtle, and often we deny its influence on our behavior. Attractiveness appears to influence the expectations we have about each other including intelligence, interpersonal skills, honesty, and guilt or innocence of a crime. Furthermore, attractiveness appears to influence a number of work-related decisions including hiring decisions, work evaluations, interview ratings, and salaries (Pierce, Byrne & Aguinis, 1996). Physical attractiveness is a key factor in interpersonal attraction and liking as well as in the development of romantic relationships at work. Although such factors as propinquity, familiarity, attitude similarity, and reciprocity of liking are important, an attractive individual is more likely to engage in interpersonal relationships than a less attractive individual. Furthermore, interpersonal attraction is one antecedent of sexually intimate relationships including romantic relationships at work. Workplace romances appear to be increasing among American workers. The rise seems to be associated with greater acceptance of office dating, especially among coworkers (less so between a manager and subordinate), and organizational cultures that convey more liberal attitudes about the appropriateness of such behavior. There are numerous outcomes or consequences of workplace romances, and such outcomes may depend, in part, on the type of romance occurring: true love, the fling, or a utilitarian relationship. More negative coworker and organizational reactions occur with utilitarian relationships, followed by flings and true love. Although workplace romances can promote perceptions of inequity among coworkers and increased legal liability for the organization, these reactions are usually is associated with manager-subordinate romances and perceptions of sexual harassment (Pierce, Byrne & Aguinis, 1996). The central argument of this paper is that gender relations are constitutive of the structure and practices of organizations and that this is key to understanding how men define and dominate organizations. These gendered processes operate on many levels, from the explicit and institutional to the more subtle, cultural forms that are submerged in organizational decisions, even those that appear to have nothing to do with gender (Crompton, 1996. p. 60). They include the way men’s influence is embedded in rules and procedures, formal job definitions and functional roles. For example, the structure of a management career, based on men’s experiences, needs and life-cycle patterns, assumes a history of continuous, full-time employment. Or the way in which gender is mapped onto organizational authority resulting in a sexual division of labor whereby it is prescribed that women are better suited to personnel management than other management functions. References Aaltio, Iiris. (2002). Gender, Identity and the Culture of Organizations. Routledge: London. Andrews, S.B. & Knoke, D. (eds) (1999). Networks in and around Organizations, Stamford, Conn.: JAI Press. Biernat M., & Wortman C. B. (1991). â€Å"Sharing of home responsibilities between professionally employed women and their husbands.† Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61. Crompton, Rosemary. (1996). Changing Forms of Employment: Organisations, Skills, and Gender. Routledge: New York. Grint, K. (2005). The Sociology of Work, 3rd edn, Cambridge: Polity Press. Haworth, John T. (2004). Work and Leisure. Routledge: New York. Lewis K. E., & Bierly M. (1990). â€Å"Toward a profile of the female voter: Sex differences in perceived physical attractiveness and competence of political candidates†. Sex Roles, 22. Nicolson, Paula. (1996). Gender, Power, and Organization: A Psychological Perspective. Routledge: New York. Pierce C. A., Byrne D., & Aguinis H. (1996). â€Å"Attraction in organizations: A model of workplace romance†. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 17. Pugh, D.S. (1997). Organization Theory: Selected Readings, 4 edn, thLondon: Penguin.

Barriers to Accessing Health Care Services

In this essay I am going to critically analyse diversity within the National Health Service (NHS. I will briefly focus on barriers to accessing health care services in relation to age, race, disability, gender and culture and sexual orientation. I will consider the barriers which have unintentionally been put into place within different health services for both service users and members of staff, and the measures that have been taken in order to redress these issues by the government, NHS and Department of Health (DOH). Diversity is the inclusion of all irrespective of an individual’s age, race, capabilities, cultural background, gender or sexual orientation. The St. Helens and Knowsley NHS trust affirm this ideal describing diversity as, â€Å"Different individuals valuing each other regardless of skin, intellect, talents or years. † This is a quote the St. Helen’s and Knowsley trust have used from the Equality Act 2000 on their website to show their beliefs surrounding diversity. In society every individual is born differently, such as hair colour, skin colour, male or female, sexual orientation (depending on your belief that sexual orientation is genetic and not environmental), born into different religious and cultural backgrounds. As the U. K. has become ever more a multi-cultural society, issues such as diversity and anti-discriminatory practices have become ever more significant within our society. An individual who has been treated differently or received an unequal quality of service based on a preconceived idea due to a minority group they may identify themselves with have been discriminated against. Within the NHS these minority groups are known as characteristics, as in characteristics which help build an individual’s idea of their own self-concept. Since the Equality Act was up-dated in 2010 the NHS have not only included race, culture, gender, capabilities, religious beliefs and sexual orientation but also now include, pregnancy/ maternity, marriage/civil partnerships and carers as part of their protected characteristics policy. (http://www. nhs. uk). For the first time the law also protects people who are at risk of discrimination by association or perception. This could include, for example, a carer who cares for a disabled person† (http://www. nhs. uk) There are two forms which discrimination can take place the first is called direct discrimination. Direct discrimination is when an individual is treated differently usually negatively or unfairly compared to others based on the individual identifying themself with one of the above protected characteristics. Indirect discrimination is when a law, policy or procedure has been put into place, which applies to everyone, but this law, policy or procedure will disadvantage individuals who associate or identify themselves with the above protected characteristics. However due to organisations focusing too much on anti-discriminatory practice a new controversial concept of positive discrimination has begun to emerge, this is also being called positive/ affirmative action. Positive discrimination is where minorities or individuals, who associate or identify themselves with the protected characteristics, are given preferential treatment to others. An example of this would be two candidates who are both equally qualified for a job, however one candidate is a white, heterosexual male and the other candidate is a black, homosexual female, by positive discrimination the second candidate would receive the position. Positive discrimination can be due to pressure felt by the organisation to employ a diverse work force, to fill a quota to ensure the organisation cannot be accused of being discriminatory or historical guilt for issues such slavery. â€Å"The idea of positive discrimination came from the US where an ‘affirmative action’ programme has been used to try and ensure the make-up of certain workplaces reflects that of society. † (http://www. findlaw. co. uk) It has been suggested that the root cause of discrimination is due to prejudice. Prejudice is a stereotyped, pre-conceived idea of the way an individual or social group should portray themselves within society (Walsh et al, 2005). For example all Irish people drink alcohol excessively. â€Å"Prejudices can be a result of your own beliefs and values, which can often come into conflict with work situations. † (Pg. 194, Nolan et al, 2005). There are no laws in place against being actively prejudice, this is why the law concentrates against discriminatory practices. (Walsh et al, 2005. ) Ageism is commonly thought of as discrimination against the elderly; many nursing and health and social care textbooks affirm this belief, Kydd et al (2009, Pg. 49) state that â€Å"Ageism is the generalisation of old age as a social problem, this has contributed to the negative stereotyping and ageist practices in relation to older people. † However this is a false perception. Ageism can affect individuals of all ages, for example in 2004 the upper age limitations of free breast screening were 69, (http://www. imsersomayores. sic) however due to a growing older population this age restriction was raised to 73 in 2010 and the lower age limitation remained at 47. (http://www. cancerscreening. nhs. uk). Studies carried by the cancer research charity show â€Å"The 5 Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancers in Females, Average Percentages and Numbers of New Cases, by Age, UK, 2007-2009† (http://www. cancerresearchuk. org). Breast cancer is highest in both categories of women aged 2 5-49 and 50-74, however in the group 25-49 breast cancer was more prevalent by 10% (43%) compare to the 34% in the group of women aged 50-74. These figures show there is a need for the lower age restriction to be reduced. This NHS policy for age restrictions on breast screening needs to be reviewed as it can be viewed to be discriminatory towards women in the UK under 47 who are proven to be in need of this health service. Racism is the belief that one race is superior to another; (walsh et al, 2005) throughout history millions have faced discrimination and persecution due to this belief the most prevalent examples of this is in the Jewish community and the Black community. As the UK continues to become a more diverse, multi- cultural society racism continues to plague Britain. Penketh (2000, Pg. 7) affirms this by stating, â€Å"Black people are more likely to be ‘stopped and searched’, arrested, imprisoned and even to die in custody than whites. † Studies carried out by Unison, the UK’s largest healthcare trades union found that 70% of their non-Caucasian client’s employed by the NHS had experienced ‘racism or racial discrimination’ at work, some employees had experienced verbal abuse and physical abuse in relation to their race. (http://www. unison. org. uk). From this study the NHS have brought out an initiative to help eradicate racism within the NHS, part of this initiative is to have a better complaints and redress system in place, as three quarters of the employees in this study who experienced racism or racial discrimination were unsatisfied with the outcome when the incident was reported to their management. Disablism refers to prejudices against individuals who have suffered ‘mental, physical or sensory impairments’. In the past words such as lunatic, spastic and cripple were acceptable words used within health care settings as a way to describe an individual with specific needs. These terms are still rife within society today. (Walsh et al, 2005). Goodley (2011, Pg. 24) states â€Å"People with some form of impairment are likely to experience social disadvantage, a lack of opportunities and unfair discrimination. † Barton (2002) agrees with this as Barton theorises that individuals with a sensory, physical or mental impairment will at some stage in their life experience oppression in both institutional and individual forms, this can be due to absence of choices, barriers to funding, unforeseen deterioration in their impairment or general ignorance. Within the NHS discriminatory practices occurs on a regular basis despite programmes such as ‘Valuing People Now’ being released by the DOH in 2009, this was a three year strategy to help improve the quality of life for individuals with learning difficulties. This year MENCAP have released a report called ‘Death by Indifference: 74 deaths and Counting. ’ This report highlights the failings within the NHS to provide an equal quality of care for those with specific needs and learning difficulties. The main areas of failing that subsequently lead to the needless deaths of many patients with learning difficulties are failure to recognise pain, poor communication, diagnostic overshadowing, and delayed treatments, inappropriate DNR’s and lack of basic care. Throughout the report it is emphasised the lack of compliance not only to the Equality Act but also the Mental Capacity Act, in relation to DNR’s being allocated to patients without the consent or the knowledge of the patient’s family, friends or advocate. Again a major issue within the report is the NHS complaints and redress system in place. MENCAP,2012) â€Å"In this report we deal with the inadequacies of the NHS complaints process. On average it can take 18 months- 2 years to reach the Local stage, and between 2 years- 4 years to complete the ombudsman stage. † (MENCAP,2012, Pg. 7). Sexism is the belief that one gender is superior compared to the opposite sex, it is generally felt that women tend to be sexually discriminated against within society more so than men. (Walsh et al 2005). Within the health care profession a patient may express a preference in the gender of the health care practitioner (HCP) who provides their personal care (Smith t al, 2011). This is not to be seen as sexual discrimination against the HCP, by noncompliance with the patient’s request this can be viewed as discrimination against the patient’s religious and cultural beliefs. However due to under funding and under staffing with the NHS the ability for HCP to fulfil these requests has been compromised. â€Å"Modesty in dress and a requirement to be treated by a doctor/nurse of the same sex is also important in some religions. NHS staff should consider these requirements in order to preserve the dignity of the patient. However, it is not always possible or feasible to provide same-sex attendance, particularly without adequate notice that this might be an issue, and this should be made clear at the time of making appointments† (DOH, 2009) The Royal College recognise the need for a review within staffing levels within their 2011 report Mandatory Nurse Staffing levels, they also acknowledge the impact staffing levels have on a patient, they state, â€Å"There is a growing body of evidence which shows nurse staffing levels makes a difference to patient outcomes, patient experience, quality of care, and the efficiency of care delivered. (RCN, 2011). Within a female dominated profession such as nursing it is felt that males tend to be more so discriminated against sexually than females. A recent example of this on a national news level is the case of Andrew Moyhing, a male student nurse who won a sexual discrimination case against the NHS. He was told by a female staff nurse that he would need to be chaperone by a member of staff as he attached an electro-cardio machine to a female patient, due to ‘intimate care’ required . Mr Moyhing felt this was unfair as female students on the same ward were unsupervised when carrying out personal hygiene and intimate care on male patients. The Equality Opportunities Commission supported Mr Moyhing releasing this statement, â€Å"The Employment Appeal Tribunal was right to find that it was not acceptable to have a chaperoning policy based on lazy stereotyping, Male nurses are still seen as a bit of an oddity simply because there are so many more women in the profession than men despite the fact that so many doctors are male. † (www. ews. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/health). The charity ManKind this year released a report presenting the ‘Seven Challenges Male Victims Face’, it highlights various forms of sexism especially within statutory service such as the NHS, â€Å"Practically all training with in the police, NHS and local authorities is aimed at women as the victims, men as the perpetrators. † (See appendix 2). Cultural discrimination is when a s ociety does not accommodate or recognise the needs of an individual or group of people from a different religious or cultural background. As a society there will be expectations of what the ‘social norms’ are, what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. When an individual or social group show beliefs or needs that do not fit in with our own social norms they can be met with hostility and intolerance. (Walsh et al, 2005). â€Å"Cultural barriers can prevent, for example consideration of spiritual, relational or dietary needs that do not conform to traditional expectations. † (www. bridgingthegap. scot. nhs. uk). There are many areas of patient care which are can be jeopardised due to ignorance of cultural beliefs, examples of these which are emphasised in the NHS guidelines for cultural and religious beliefs are: Diet- many religions are restricted as to what types of food they can eat, and how the food was prepared, for example an orthodox Jew will not eat pork or any meal that has come into contact with a pork product, Muslims also have similar beliefs surrounding food preparation. Personal Hygiene- as mentioned before patients often express preference to the gender of the HCP who assist with their personal care. An orthodox Muslim will only wash in running water, therefore offering a basin of water to wash in may be seen as offensive. Palliative care and Dying- each religion has different views are to how a body should be ‘laid out’, when a patient dies the patient is given the Last Offices, if a patient is Christian a bible is also usually set in the room, however some religions find it offensive for anyone except the family to ‘lay the body out’. http://www. bfwh. nhs. uk). This is why more importance needs to be emphasised on patient admissions and filling in the ADL forms to the best of our ability, as it can prevent any future offence or discriminatory practices. As you can see in the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) (see appendix one) spiritual needs are mentioned, however the contents of the ADL will vary from trust to trust an d all trusts do not include religion or spiritual needs. In the caring profession patients have shown signs of frustration, confusion and anger as their cultural beliefs are not met, over looked or ignored. (Leininger, 1991). Discrimination based on sexual orientation, Roper, Logan and Tierney identify sexuality as one of the ADL (Mckenna et al, 2008), within each NHS trust it varies as to what is recognised as an ADL. As you can see (appendix one) the trust I work for have not included sexuality. Many people within society see sex as a taboo subject and therefore find it a difficult topic to approach and discuss openly, however sexual health is a part of holistic health and should be taken as seriously as any other aspect of health such as mental, emotional or physical. The World Health Organisation defines health as, â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. †(WHO, 1948). Studies have shown that the homosexual community are greatly disadvantaged and are the least likely group that identify with the protected characteristics to access health services. There are a variety of reasons due to this such as, a patient may not be openly gay, when they do access health services a majority of the time assumptions are made the reason for accessing that health service is related to the patients sexual health, also when homosexuals do access sexual health services they feel a stigma of promiscuity has been attached to the homosexual community. (Dunn et al, 2010). In conclusion from this essay I have realised barriers to health service access are a key factor in differential health outcomes among population groups within society. WHO, 2001) Although policies and procedures have been put in place by governing bodies to decrease the occurrence of discriminatory practice, these policies are not always effective; they are only effective when they are enforced by the organisation. Within the health care profession we must always strive to respect an all aspects of an individual’s identify and self-concept (Walsh et al, 2005). Simple measures such as filling in an ADL to the best of your ability can be a preventative method to causing future offence, or discrimination to a patient.

Introduction & Conclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction & Conclusion - Essay Example overview of the history of my hometown and some information and trivia of note that helps make the Freetown, Sierra Leone area of West Africa a very interesting place to visit. Not everyone knows that Freetown is the capital city of Sierra Leone and as such, holds the distinction of having the Atlantic Ocean as its major port. This city, with a current population of over 1.2 million has an economy that relies heavily on the harbor for its jobs with the Sierra Leone River providing most income for the population thanks to having the worlds largest natural deep water harbor. As a historical landmark, Freetown is home to the founding history of Sierra Leone. Founded by African - Americans, it once also housed liberated West-Indian and African slaves. All symbolically represented by the Cotton Tree which once stood as the historic symbol of Freetown. Freetown exists with a mostly tropical climate that has only 2 seasons, wet and dry that is enjoyed by the Muslim and Christian residents of the area. All of whom are united by the Krio (Creole language) that is the first language of all Freeportians. English is also spoken widely among the more well educated members of the town society. Comprised of 6 municipalities and governed by a city council, its local government is composed of a typical heirarchy: a mayor with executive authority who also happens to be the city manager, and the elected members of the Freetown City Council who hold their offices for 4 years respectively. It has been led by the All Peoples Congress since the 2004 elections. As a modern 21st century town, Freeport continues to exercise its importance as the economic center of Sierra Leone. With the continued development of the Queen Elizabeth Quay II, the Freetown port is highly capable of receiving a vast number of ocean going vessels in support of the countrys export industry. Industrial developments covering food and beverage processing, fish packing, rice milling, oil refining, diamond

Recruitment and Retention within a Complex International Market Dissertation - 6

Recruitment and Retention within a Complex International Market - Dissertation Example Recruitment is a legal process of obtaining the sufficient number of qualified people at the right place and time so that the people and the organization can select each other in their own best short and long term interests (Richardson, n. d, p.2 ). Recruitment is the process which is adopted by the organizations to fill the vacancies in the organization. Various factors should be considered for the successful recruitment process. Recruitment can be conducted internally and externally. Internal recruitment allows the existing employees to get higher promotions or higher grades, but it will never fill the vacancies completely in the organization. Recruitment can be conducted internally through promotions and transfer of existing personnel within the organization at different places (Richardson, n. d, p.5). External recruitment helps the organization to fill all the existing vacancies. Moreover, it can bring new concepts and ideas to the organization. Internal recruitment is the cheapest and quick option compared to external recruitment. Internal recruitment will create another vacancy in the place of the promoted employee (Recruitment methods, n. d). The strength and weakness of the organization are well known to the internal employees and they can adapt to the environment more quickly than the outsiders. Internal recruitment always shift vacancy from one place to another and at some point in time, organizations have to depend on external recruitment for the complete filling of all the vacancies existing in the organization. Drifting of vacancies inside the organization might not help the organization in the long run. In short, internal recruitment is a temporary solution for organizations whereas external recruitment is the permanent option even though external recruitment is a lengthy process compared to internal recruitment.

Static and dynamic website verification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Static and dynamic website verification - Essay Example We can also explain the concept of the website verification as the act of inspecting, examining, checking, testing, auditing, or else setting up and documenting whether services, documents, processes, items, or match to particular established needs and requirements. To verify a website we measure it’s all the aspects of working and handling attributes confirmed in the terms for that website development and implementation. Website verification is a factual need of modern business practice because according to a recent consumer reports, greater than seventy one percent of online shoppers come out particularly for 3rd party seals of authorization as an outline of website confirmation when going to a website. The outcome of this study is not unpredicted as numerous online intimidations as well as scams have attacked todays web society [2]. These third seals are a most important concern on the checklist of numerous people going to website as it provides them a commanding intelligence of safety. It builds a good enough altitude of self-assurance as well as faith with consumers and merchants. It authorizes viewers of a website to liberally make known confidential information with no badge of hesitation that it could be employed unlawfully [5]. Some of the leading internet security organizations have built 3 fundamentally efficient types of seals to address these 3 indispensable concerns. These are the security seals, privacy seals, and business identity seals [4]. The basic intend at the back of the verification of the website is to access the different types of security imitations. Here we need to access different aspects of the online web based verification. We carry out static and dynamic verification for the better examination of the main security and privacy concerns. Static and dynamic website verification are fundamentally aimed at verifying the below given concerns of the online

Mcdonalds Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mcdonalds - Research Paper Example The company supports several projects established to do social good to the people under the title of social corporate responsibility. A company is considered doing social good when it creates social value through its productive cooperation with stakeholders (Pies, Beckman and Hielscher 269). Managing several subsidiaries and affiliates of the company has caused the company to adopt interactive management, leadership, and organizational styles. Walt Disney World Company is market share oriented; the company therefore uses integrated communication strategies in its advertisement methods. Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Business ethics is a form of professional code of conduct that examines moral principles and problems that arise in the business environment. Business ethics applies to all aspects of a business environment and is beneficial to the conduct of people and entire operation of the organization. Corporate ethics have both normative and descriptive dimensions. The fi eld of business practice and specialization adopts the normative dimensions, while the academics seeking to understand behavior of business employ the descriptive dimension of ethics. The primary objective of social responsibility is to create value for the community (Pies, Beckman and Hielscher 269). ... The company provides equal opportunities for all employees and recruitment applicants without discriminating them because of race, disability, religion, sexual orientation, color, national origin, marital status, or other basis that is against the federal law. Employees are prohibited from harassing any other employee, guest, or other person for reasons that are in contradiction with the law. Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation that businesses integrate into their business models to monitor and ensure their active compliance with the spirit of law, international norms, and ethical standards. Walt Disney World Company participates in doing social good to the people beyond the legal requirements and interests of the company (Barth 1). The company participates in eliminating the undesirable consequences associated with environmental and social issues. The company’s corporate citizenship goals include inspiring communities, kids, employees and pa rents in order to make long-lasting and positive change in the world (Barth 2). The Disney Friends for Change program, which operates in nineteen countries, has attracted two million and five hundred thousand kids to pledge for the environment. Other programs hosted by Disney in relation to corporate social responsibility include Disney Magic of Healthy Living, Disney’s Climate Solutions Fund, and Disney’s Human Rights Policy Statement. Management, Leadership and the Internal Organization Management refers to the act of coordinating people’s efforts to accomplish the desired goals and objectives of the organization. The management focuses on effective and efficient

Standardization of Knowledge Management Annotated Bibliography

Standardization of Knowledge Management - Annotated Bibliography Example The main purpose of this research is to identify and provide critically relevant examples of the role of biomedical ontologies in the data integration, decision support, and knowledge management. The author has primarily explained the importance of standardization of biomedical ontologies and their role in knowledge management with the support of a number of published pieces of literature. The methodology used in this research article is the survey and review of published kinds of literature and operational systems. The strength of the research is that it has followed a functional perspective in the methodology. This statement is confirmed by the fact that the cases of usage of ontologies in operational systems have been included in the research. Some examples of these are the inclusion of ontologies like SNOMED CT, LOINC, FMA, the Gene Ontology, RxNorm, UMLS etc. On the other side, adding to the strength of the research, recent research articles are referred to as well. This provides relevant scientific support to the survey findings. The finding of the research confirms the importance of ontologies in biomedical research. The use of ontologies as a key input towards knowledge management is reiterated in the survey. This indicates the local application of the survey findings with relevance to knowledge management. The conclusions have provided scope for further research on the application of standardized ontologies in knowledge management. However, one weakness that pertains to the research is that the inclusion criteria for the literature included in the survey have not been mentioned. However, the wide range of references included justifies this.

Microeconomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microeconomics - Assignment Example These goods are traded in the market where the buyer and seller first agree on a price level and then the buyer acquires the good. Thus, consumers have to pay for the good in order to acquire its benefits. Cars and cell phones are examples. In contrast, a public good is one that is available for all and does not necessarily need to be acquired by paying for it. For example, street lights or a light house benefit all instead of one person. The increase in the number of public goods by the government helps it to cut across the system of class disparity and allows everyone to benefit from them without actually paying for the goods. The government thus produces public goods to increase the social welfare of the society. Ans 3) Private goods are paid for by the consumers in order to get ownership of the good. Thus, only the person buying it acquires all the benefits. However, the free rider concept comes into play when one entity such as the government is responsible for providing all the benefits that are equally shared by the people. An example of this can be bridges and roads that are used by everyone while the government builds them. Ans 4) The optimal quantity of pollution can never be zero because any production activity in the economy makes pollution an unavoidable spillover effect. For instance, a car manufacturing company will cause air pollution and for an economy that is operating on a free market basis with no government intervention, even though the cost of the pollution will not be borne by the company, it will be a byproduct of that production process. Thus at any point, the optimal quantity of pollution can never be zero unless all forms of economic activity are halted (Mankiw, 2002). Ans 5) Increasing the gas tax would have a number of adverse effects. Firstly, the cost of other goods will increase with the increase in gas tax. The automobile, aviation and shipping industry rely heavily on gas and will raise their prices in accordance to the increas e in tax so that the costs can be covered. In addition to this, the purchase of automobiles will decrease since the gas tax would result in a higher cost of the car for the consumer. Secondly, the demand for gasoline is considered to be inelastic in the short run. This means that the gas consumption would not decrease with an increase in gas prices. Therefore, an increased gas tax would be a further strain on the costs of manufacturers and consumers. Also, this increase would be reflected on specifically the lower and middle income groups that own fewer vehicles than the higher income group. People in rural and remote areas depend on public transportation and thus a high gas tax would be unfair to the low income groups (O’Sullivan & Sheffrin, 2005). Ans 6) Pollution is defined as damage or harm caused to the environment that we live in. A pollution tax will thus reduce pollution by making large and small organizations to take responsibility for the pollution their economic ac tivities cause. The revenue from these taxes can be used to take measures to eliminate the pollutants that are responsible for harming the environment. For instance, a carbon emission tax can allow the government to invest in projects that reduces industry pollution such as CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage). Moreover, a pollution tax will balance the pollution costs that many organizations may not incorporate in their production proces

Product Costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Product Costing - Essay Example This implies that, the cost of a finished unit in inventory will include direct materials and labor, and both fixed and variable manufacturing overheads. It is notable that, absorption costing is the most preferred method for external reporting as per the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Absorption costing is fundamental in tracing the variable costs of production and the fixed costs attributed to the production of the product (Riahi, 2001). It is imperative to note that, absorption costing is dissimilar from the other costing methods since it takes into account fixed manufacturing overhead (the counting expenses ) such as factory rent, utilities and amortization (Riahi, 2001). Absorption costing forms three different types of costing, which include job order costing, process and ABC costing. Job order costing Considering the job order costing, the costs are assigned to the product in Batches or lots (Avis & Killick, 2009). Job order method is used in companies that o ffer bespoke or distinctive products or services. It is common in service industries that, serve customers with inimitable needs. Such services may include tracing of the number of hours spent on each individual client’s account (Avis & Killick, 2009). Fundamentally, the manufacturing cost categories include direct materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. All these jobs are counted as inventory until the good or product is sold. It is essential to note that, the job order cost system requires the manufacturing costs recorded in a document called the job cost sheet. This sheet provides a detailed record of the cost incurred to complete a specific job. Consider the following illustrations that, indicates how three kinds of manufacturing costs are allotted in a job order cost system. Direct materials job cost sheet Direct Labor manufacturing overhead Fixed overhead rate It is noticeable that, direct materials and direct labor costs are allotted to jobs differently tha n manufacturing overhead costs. For instance, the direct costs, requires keeping of track of the costs of specific jobs with a set of records referred to as the source documents. Essentially a source document is a hard copy document similar to the receipt issued after payment (Horngren, Datar & Rajan, 2012). However most companies use paperless system where information is stored in electronic databases. On the other hand, manufacturing overhead comprises of the costs that cannot be directly traced to particular jobs. It is imperative to note that, on assigning these jobs, accountants should use a predetermined overhead rate based on some secondary allotment measure and cost driver. The material requisition form refers to the form that lists the quantity and cost of the direct materials used in a particular job. This is normally done before materials are used on a job. The fundamental purpose of this form is control the physical outflow of materials from inventory and into production . Similarly, a direct labor time tickets refers to a source document that shows how much time a laborer spends on a range of jobs per week. On the other hand, job cost sheet is a document that gives a summary of all the costs incurred on a specific job. Process costing Process costing refers to a costing method where all costs are

Expansion of an Irish College IBAT into Mexico Essay

Expansion of an Irish College IBAT into Mexico - Essay Example Strategic and operational management are linked with each other. Strategic management aims to provide direction, guidance and boundaries of operational management (Steiner, 1997, p.4). Therefore Strategic planning is the process of developing and maintaining a strategic fit in between the organizations capabilities and goals along with the changing marketing opportunities (Kotler, 2008, p.34). The project report is about the expansion of an Irish Collage ‘IBAT’ in Mexico. Thus for this reason PESTEL analysis is carried out to understand the macro environment of Mexico, along with an analysis is conducted upon the education sector of Mexico. When a brand move into a new place it has to face cultural difference which needs to be tackle properly and for which human resource team needs to work effectively so that the business and the employees can adapt to the new culture and environment. Thus IBAT can take the opportunity of the growing education sector of Mexico and add to its advantage. Macro Environment The Macro environment consists of framework, PESTEL. The PESTEL framework aims to categories the environmental influences into six main types which include political, economical factors, social, technological factors, environmental and legal factors. It is essential for mangers to understand the key drivers of change and also the impact of these factors on market, industries and also on individual organization (Johnson, 2008, p.65). Political factors: The basis of Mexican politics lies in the context of modernizing the elements. With the above context certain ongoing trends have appeared in the recent years such as modernization of politics and anchoring of democracy. Regional politics is widely dominated by the local entrenched strongmen who often tend to represent families who have been powerful during the colonial times (Klepak, 2008, p.3). But the country faces some political risk which is based on many possibilities. The first and foremost risk arises from terrorism and drug violence, corruption, congressional Stalemate and Guerrilla activity and sabotage. Therefore, the above factors may put an immense risk on the political condition of Mexico (Schtulmann, 2010). Economical factors: Mexico is ranked as an upper middle income country by the World Bank. In Mexico poverty is widespread, about 44% of the Mexican population lives below the poverty line. The economy of Mexico grew by 5% in 2010 after a recession experienced by the Mexican in 2009 during the phase of global economic crisis. The country’s tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was about 17.5% during the recession which was recorded the lowest among the OECD members. Mexico is among the popular tourist destinations across the globe. It has attracted about 21.3 million tourists in 2010 and has become the tenth most popular tourist destination. Thus tourism has contributed to the economy of the country and has recorded about $11.8billion (US State Department, 20 11). Social Factors: Mexico is one of the most populous Spanish countries in the world. About 76% of the Mexican people live in the urban area. The population of Mexico City is about 22million making it one of the largest concentration of population in Western Hemisphere. Mexico has been able to made significant changes in education sector and the literacy rates over the past few decade have decreased drastically. According to a report of World Bank, enrollment at the primary level is universal and more amounts of children are completing their primary education. Technological Factors: The future of Mexican population depends largely on the utilization of knowledge so that the country is able to meet the economic,

Communications Character Conflict Essay Essay Example for Free

Communications Character Conflict Essay Essay â€Å"I can’t believe you, all your gifts, all your powers, and you.. you squander them for your own personal gain. (Hal Stewart) ‘Yes! (Megamind) ‘No! I’m the villain! † this is the main conflict between characters’ Megamind and Hal Stewart in the hit motion picture Megamind. Megamind defeats the cities beloved super hero â€Å"Metro Man†, they had been enemies since grade school and Megamind has always been the bad guy causing trouble and Metro Man was always saving the day and the people from the evils of Megeminds treachery. But soon after this deafeat Megamind realizes he misses the way things used to be, there was no more excitement and rush of being the villain in an epic good vs. evil battle. So, Megamind has devised a way that he can give any normal human being all the gifts and powers that Metro Man himself possessed. He settles on a young man named Hal Stewart, a cameraman for a news station, which he filmed the news girl who he claimed to be in love with, but everyone thought she was with Metro Man because he was always saving her. So Megamind gives Hal all the super powers, and gives him a new identity of â€Å"Titan†. However, to Megminds Dismay, Hal starts abusing his powers and begins stealing from banks, and using his powers to get equipment, video games etc.. This is a great example of unproductive conflict. Instead of creating a new evil versus good scenario with Hal or â€Å"Titan†, Hal just commandeers the whole city and puts them all at his mercy. It has many negative impacts the two characters, their relationship, and the situation. The aggression between them and the situation in general becomes increases greatly and turns even hostile because of the flaws in their communication. Megamind has certain qualities about the way he communicates that it often gets him into trouble. In fact pretty much every idea he comes up with in the process, he always seems to get either seriously injured, or suffers in some other way, all because of his communicational handicap. Some of the functions of communication Megamind uses, is he begins a relationship with a character named Hal Stewart to achieve a specific goal premeditated so he could accomplish what he wished to have done. What he wanted done was to turn Hal into a super hero and give him all the powers that the late Metro Man possessed, so that he could resume his role as the villain once again, since he defeated the last super hero he longed for the epic battle of â€Å"Good vs. Evil. † First of all, Hal isn’t the brightest pick to turn someone into a super hero, but Megamind is determined he is the perfect pick after a misunderstood first impression of Hal. Megaminds best friend even shows in many ways, he does not approve of Hal as being the one who has the traits of being a good super hero, most of the ways non verbal. Megamind even changes his own identity as Hal’s â€Å"Space Dad†, for the purpose of guiding Hal into fulfilling his destiny as the city’s new found super hero â€Å"Titan†. So Megamind actually is affecting the situation and their relationship as two different important character’s in Hal’s life and will play play big parts in his decisions. Hal Stewart, aka â€Å"Titan† aka â€Å"Cameraman†, is a very interesting character because of how he expresses his own communicational traits, it is entertaining. His perception of what a â€Å"super hero† means, and what sort of privileges or advantages he believes comes with being â€Å"Titan† are affected by the culture he lives in. Some of his expectations, the most important towards the story and the one that makes the most dramatic influence is; the super hero always gets the girl. This thinking of Hal’s is a mindlessness perception and also selective perception of how he sees a super hero. Obviously he does not get the girl he claims he’s in love with, because the thing he is mindlessness about is that just because you can fly and have huge muscles doesn’t mean you will always get girl, its about what’s underneath, not on the surface, which I believe is the lesson â€Å"Life† is trying to teach him. Another misperception he has is what should be accomplished with the incredible new â€Å"gifts† that he has recently required. Instead of catching bad guys, and making sure justice stands within the city and her people, Hal actually robs banks, and other equipment, video games etc.. nd is determined that the powers mean â€Å"get rich, and get rich quick†. These are all things that Megamind does not anticipate before hand and turns into being the exact opposite of what he wanted, all because Hal’s misunderstanding, and the communicational barriers of Megamind. Although, there isn’t a whole lot of competent communicati on going on with Megamind and Hal, in the end he still gets an incredibly large amount accomplished. The things that were bigger then even his beloved epic good vs. evil battles. He grew in more important ways, he grew as a specimen, and became a happier person, which ultimately should be eternal goal of communication and the functions and steps that are not only necessary and basically impossible to accomplish anything without them, competent or incompetent, things still move forward and things get done. In the end Megamind finds his true purpose and a higher purpose, along the way falling in love and discovering a more meaningful life all thanks to communication, and the culture which helps him perceive and judge.

Guccis Marketing Strategy

Guccis Marketing Strategy Critically contrast the key elements of Guccis marketing strategy to its closest competitor. Justify why you have chosen this company as Guccis closest competitor. Guccis focus on Heritage, craftsmanship and philanthropy: Prada a close competitor. With over 7,000 direct employees across the world, I believe we should all see ourselves as custodians of the Gucci brand—a brand that was here before all of us and one that will survive all of us. The long lasting values of the brand ultimately inform and guide every decision we make and they also inspire all of us along the way. -Patrizio di Marco: President and CEO, Gucci (Interbrand, 2009a) Renowned for its Italian craftsmanship, Gucci was founded in 1921 in Florence. ‘Over 90 years Gucci has built a heritage of exclusivity, attention over quality and style, the Made in Italy label, innovation and craftsmanship (PPR, 2010b, pp 46) and is one of the ‘worlds most desired luxury fashion brands (Nielsen Company, 2007). The Brand was highly successful in the 1950s as it became the status brand for Hollywood film stars and European royalty. However, by 1980s Gucci lost its appeal and significant losses were made in the business (Jackson and Haird, 2003). Domenico de Soles financial acumen and Tom Fords creativity transformed Gucci as a successful brand in the 1990s. In 1999 Pinault-Printemps-Redoute purchased the controlling stake and owned Gucci. With the departure of Tom Ford and De Sole, Frida Gianini took the control in 2005. Globalisation helps the evolving luxury market to expand. Factors like growing consumer expectations, clear brand positioning, pursuit for authenticity, exclusivity, differentiation contribute to intensify the competition between luxury brands with high ‘aspirational values (Baker and Sterenberg, 2003). Gucci is among the top 10 luxury brands considering brand value in the latest survey by Interbrand. In the array of luxury market Gucci competes with brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes, Prada, Burberry, Ferragamo, Dior, Dolce Gabbana, Versace, etc. Interbrand Leading Luxury Brands 2009 Rankings: The top 15 Luxury Brands. (Interbrand, 2009d) 2009 Rank 2008 Rank 2007 Rank Brand Country of Origin Sector 2008 Brand Value ($m) 2009 Brand Value ($m) Change in Brand Value in 2008 Change in Brand Valuein 2009 16 16 17 France Luxury 21,602 21,120 6% -2% 41 45 46 Italy Luxury 8,254 8,182 7% -1% 59 60 58 France Luxury 6,355 6,040 9% -5% 70 76 73 France Luxury 4,575 4,598 8% 1% 87 91 94 Italy Luxury 3,585 3,530 9% -2% 98 New United Kingdom Luxury 3,095 New* 99 New United States Luxury 3,094 New* Interbrand Best Global Brands rankings. (Interbrand, 2009d). In order to sustain in the competitive luxury market and define a clear brand positioning and maintain it, brands adopt innovative marketing strategies. The Marketing mix tools like the traditional 4 Ps: product, price, promotion and place along with recently added people, process and physical evidence propel the decisions in direction of the market success. Brands need to provide right product, at right price, in right place and at right promotion in order to match the consumer needs and demands. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes, Chanel, Prada are in close competition. In order to create an emotional attachment between brands and consumers, brands try to convey an image and personality that customer aspires to. Louis Vuitton has been a ‘byword for stylish elegance and sophistication (Louis vuitton, 2009). Gucci is perceived as smart, sexy, modern whereas Prada has an image of modern, trendy yet sophisticated. Chanel is very classic and elegant. Also, Chanel and Louis Vuitton were founded in France and Gucci and Prada in Italy. According to the Interbrand survey for Italys most valuable brands Gucci Ranked first (6,388 million euro) followed by Prada (2,775 million euro). Guccis pricing strategy in 1993 positioned itself below Hermes and Chanel and at par with Prada and Louis Vuitton (Kwak, 2001). Gucci and Pradas product lines include leather goods, ready-to-wear, jewellery, footwear, silks, timepieces, eyewear, skincare, home decor and fragrances. Louis Vuitton has the categories which Gucci has, although Louis Vuitton indulges even in writing instruments and textiles besides Chanel extends into sport accessories .Gucci products are sold in 283 directly operated stores at end of 2009 and in selected ‘departmental stores as well as specialist stores (PPR, 2010b). Intending to accelerate the growth of brand, Prada stated to double the number of directly operating stores in 2007. Considering Guccis 2009 revenue breakdown by geographical area, maximum revenue was from Asia- Pacific region while Europe which includes fashion forward London, Paris and Milan contribute almost equal to Japan. Breakdown of 2009 revenue by product category Breakdown of 2009 revenue by geographical area(PPR- Gucci: Gucci Group ,2010a) Gucci Chanel Prada Louis Vuitton Year of establishment 1921 1909 1913 1854 Country of origin Italy France Italy France Known for Leather goods Fashion and perfumes Leather goods Leather goods and Luggage bags Current Designer Frida Giannini Karl Lagerfeld Miuccia Prada Marc Jacob Product categories Ready-to-wear, canvas and leather goods, bags, footwear, fine jewellery, fragrances, eyewear, watches, travel and business bags, home dà ©cor , etc. Ready-to-wear, fragrances, make-up skincare, eyewear, hats, leather goods, sports accessories, fine jewellery, etc. Ready-to-wear, Nylon bags, leather goods, footwear, Fine jewellery, eyewear, fragrances, travel and luggage bags, Prada phones, etc Ready-to-wear, leather goods, travel bags, footwear, bags, eyewear, watches, writing instruments, home goods, textiles, city guides ,etc. Ad campaign theme Forever now , Spring Summer 2010 Spring Summer 2010= First Spring and lookbook Spring Summer 2010 Store locations Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America. Has 283 Directly operated stores. Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, Oceania. Asia, Middle East, Far east, Europe, North America, South America. Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America. Comparison of brands on basic criteria. Louis Vuitton and Chanels brand image differentiates them from Italian brands like Gucci and Prada which target towards a similar target market which is modern and fashion conscious. Gucci and Prada indulge into similar product lines and pricing levels getting them into closer competition. In 1990s during revamping the brand image of Gucci an important decision made was to develop a strategy expressing Gucci has changed. ‘Brand communication plays a vital role in redrawing the image (Jackson and Shaw, 2006). During the recession competitor brands are trying to be more distinctive. Chairman and CEO Gucci, Patrizio di Marco and his team adopted the strategy to strengthen and fine tune its positioning in the luxury goods market by focusing on its heritage and craftsmanship stressing on balanced brand equity in marketing and communication (PPR, 2010b). It also included cost cutting, adjustments to pricing, global store designs concept and structure simplification. As per Interbrands report 2009b, among global luxury brands, Prada spends highest in marketing and advertising and continued to invest more in social and cultural initiatives, brand extensions and communication. Important factors that help in building brand image. (Moore and Britwistle, 2005) Image no.1 : Louis vuitton spring summer 2010 Image no.2: Prada Lookbook 2010. (The Fashion time Magazine, 2010) (AMO, 2010) Image no.3 : Chanel Spring Summer 2010 Image no.4 : Gucci Spring Summer 2010 ad Ad campaign. campaign. (Bang Jaslyn, 2010) (Gucci, 2010a) Advertising which is guided by current market scenario and competitive environment, helps in communicating and building brand image as it creates powerful image and message to gain customers attention (Jackson and Shaw, 2009, pp.161). Luxury brands communicate their values and aura to the consumers to prove experience through images that operate on aesthetic and expressionist level (Salzer-Mà ¶rling and Strannegard, 2004). Visually stimulating Guccis Spring summer 2010 campaign focuses on sensuality with modernity and Pradas Lookbook 2010 displays uniqueness and creativity. Guccis Ad campaign ‘Forever now launched in 2010 depicts the importance of connecting past and present. The campaign uses images from 1950s focuses on heritage and craftsmanship. Gucci focusing on tradition introduced an Artisan Corner an event where houses skilled artists will travel to Guccis VIP stores where the craftsmanship will be brought to customers sight. Similarly, Pradas film ad campaign 2010 titled ‘First Spring shot by Chinese artist in Shanghai depicts the tension between the straight and gay tensions of silent intimacy (James, 2010). However, the black and white effect of the video takes us into flashback and it depicts that anything is possible in timeless and dreamlike realm. Louis Vuittons ad campaign is inspired from new age traveller, while Chanels countryside rural chic look ad campaign displays beauty and elegance. Image no. 5 : Guccis ‘Forever now ad campaign 2010(Gucci ,2010b) Image no. 6: Pradas 2010 ad campaign ‘First Spring. (Fashioning.com, 2010) Prada attempts to spread a social message to reduce tensions between straight and gay people. Also, Prada signed PETAs campaign in 2007 to ban cruelty against animals and eliminate fur usage from fashion. Gucci and UNICEF partnership began in 2005, since then Gucci consistently support education and healthcare programmes for orphans and HIV/AIDS affected children. Gucci embraces philanthropy taking new initiatives and ad campaigns to support the partnership like specially designed accessories collection, White Tattoo Heart collection (2008) featuring Rihanna in its campaign, Book ‘ Snowman in Africa, fundraising event with Madonna, ‘Gucci for UNICEF Baboushka bag etc. Professor John Fernie said ‘Alliance between charity n business is the perfect way to build brand awareness and establish brand credibility and ultimately boost profits, (McDougall, 2006). As metioned on philanthrpohy section of Guccis official website, Gucci in collaboration with the Film Foundation h as made travelling screening movie of the restored movies to save the treasures in cinemas called ‘Cinema Visionaries. Proceeding in 2010, to increase online presence and reach online customers, brands are delving into digital communication. Brand affiliation is aided by the application of appropriate functionality tools (Okonkwo, 2007). Focusing on innovation Gucci launched lifestyle application for iPhone and iPod touch. Guccis application offers access to products, fashion shows, playlists, city guides, news, ability to compose own music etc. Prada launched Prada phones in collaboration with LG in 2007. The LG designed Prada phone incorporates features like video player, high pixel camera and MP3 player. Chanel also has application on iPhone which shows Chanels runway collections. Image No. 7: Gucci application for iPhone. Image No. 8: LG designed Prada Phone. (Gucci news, 2010) (Mossesgeld, 2007) Luxury atmosphere, aesthetics and appealing luxury stores reflect the brand personality and spread the brand message into the subconscious and psychological levels on a consumer mind (Okonkwo, 2007). Following the strategic concept of global store design by Creative Director Frida Giannini ,Gucci is renovating its stores to embrace the luxurious experience of shopping which complements the brands heritage and exclusivity. In October, 2009 Gucci launched a travelling sneaker store in New York which will later move to London and Tokyo in spring 2010. Similarly proving its exclusiveness, Prada took a radical approach towards the store architecture through Prada Epicenter which communicates a distinct identity into customers mind which is in quest for something new. Image no. 9: Gucci Sloane street, London Store renovated under the Global store design concept. (WallPaper, 2010) Image no.10: Prada Epicenter (Herzog de Muron,2003). [Accessed on 14 November 2009] With Economic downturn, it is highly important for brands to provide distinctive experience to consumers. Brands are striving to create a brand image congruent to the customers image (Aaker and Biehl, 1993) and meet customer needs and demands. Gucci has adopted the strategy to be true to its long lasting values and expand its presence, tune its brand image and positioning by emphasising on the rich 90 years history, heritage and core essence of the brand into its marketing and brand communication coinciding with ‘modernity and aspirational values (Gucci, 2010a). Brands like Prada are using tactful strategies focusing on parameters like timeless, authenticity, social values and culture. Louis Vuitton differentiates its customers through its brand image, brand values in terms of turnover and advertising. Chanel though is close to Gucci considering turnover it targets a more elegant, sophisticated target. Hence, Prada is the closest competitor to Gucci by comparing them on brand c ommunication like advertising, philanthropy and an attempt to standout in the terms of store designs. REFERANCES : Aaker, D. (1991), Managing Brand Equity, The Free Press, New York, NY. Aaker, D. and Biehl A. (1993), Brand Equity and Advertising, Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ. Baker, M., Foy,A,( 2003) Business and Management Research. United Kingdom : Westburn Publishers Ltd. Baker, M., Sterenberg, G. ( 2003) Managing global brands to meet consumer expectations. ESOMAR ,Global Cross-Industry Forum, Research International Qualitatif, December 2003. Barnes James G. (2003) Establishing meaningful customer relationships: why some companies and brands mean more to their customers. Managing Service quality, Vol. 13(3) pp. 178-186. Campbell, C. , Falk, P. (1997) : The Shopping Experience . London: Sage Publications, pp : 67-73, 166-72. Chadha, R. , Husband, P. (2006) The cult of the Luxury Brand- Inside Asias Love Affair with Luxury. London Nicolas Brealey International , pp.25-63, 149, 178, 267-77,280. Crask, M.R., Laskey, H.A. ( 1990), A positioning-based decision model for selecting advertising messages,Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 30 No.4, pp.32-8. Davidson, B., Webb, Bill (2006) :Fashion Retailing, Chapter 6.In Jackson, T., Shaw, D. The Fashion Handbook. London: Routledge , pp: 105-126 Diamond, J., Lift, S. (2003) : Retailing in the new millennium. New York: Fairchild Publications. Easey, M. ( 1995) Fashion Marketing, India, Blackwell Publishing , pp.174-177. Gucci (2010a) Gucci news [Internet]. Available from http://www.keynote.co.uk/market-intelligence/view/product/10322/clothing-retailing> [Accessed on 6th March 2010] Gucci (2010b) Gucci philanthrophy [Internet]. Available from http://www.keynote.co.uk/market-intelligence/view/product/10322/clothing-retailing> [Accessed on 11th March 2010] Hines, T., Bruce, M. (2008) Fashion Marketing- Contemporary Issues. Hungary, Elsevier, pp. 132-133,198-99, 234-36. Husic, M., Cicic, M. (2009) Luxury consumption factors. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol.13 (2) pp231-245. 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(2003), â€Å"Gucci Group: the new family of luxury brands†, International Journal of New Product Development and Innovation Management, Vol. 4 No. 2,pp. 161-72. Jackson, T., Shaw, D. (2006) The Fashion Handbook. London: Routledge, pp. 61-3. 72-81, 105-08, 127. Jackson ,T., Shaw ,D. (2009) : Mastering Fashion Marketing. Palgrave Macmillan, pp: 112-117,161. James ( 2010) Pradas â€Å"First Spring† by Yang Fudong [Internet]. Available from file:///E:/random%20search/gay%20persons%20of%20color%20%20Pradas%20%20First%20Spring%20%20by%20Yang%20Fudong.htm> [Accesssed on 12th March 2010]. Keynote ( 2009) Clothing Retailing 2009 [Internet]. Available from http://www.keynote.co.uk/market-intelligence/view/product/10322/clothing-retailing> [Accessed on 12th March 2010] Kapferer, J.-N. (1992), Strategic Brand Management, The Free Press, New York, NY. Kwak, Mary (2001) Gucci Group N.V. (A). Boston, MA, Harvard Business School, 10th May 2001. 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(2005) The nature of parenting advantage in luxury fashion retailing- the case of Gucci group NV. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 33(4) ,pp 256-270. Moore, C.M. and Doherty, A.M. (2007), â€Å"The international flagship stores of luxury fashion retailers†, in Hines, T. and Bruce, M. (Eds), Fashion Marketing: Contemporary Issues, Butterworth Heinemann, London. Nielson Company (2007) Gucci reigns as the most coveted luxury brand in the world, Market Research World [Internet]. Available from http://www.marketresearchworld.net/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=2053Itemid=77> [accessed on 16 February 2010] Nunes, P., Johnson, B. (2004) Mass Affluence- 7 New rules of marketing to todays consumer. Boston ( Massachusetts), Harvard Business School Press. Palmer, A. (2009) Introduction to fashion marketing, 2nd Edition- Theory and Practice. Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp. 420-23. Okonkwo, U. (2007) Luxury Fashion Branding. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.15-25, 30-37, 132-67, 173-78, 220-23, 260, 278-83, 310. PPR ( 2010a) Gucci: Gucci Group [Internet]. Available from file:///C:/Users/Admin/Desktop/gucci%201/PPR%20-%20Gucci.htm> [Accessed on 10 March 2010] PPR (2010b) PPR 2009 Financial Document [ Internet]. Available from http://www.ppr.com/front__sectionId-43_Changelang-en.html> [Accessed on 8th March 2010] Preiholt, H.,Hagg, C. (2006) Growth opportunities in Luxury goods and real estate. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 10 (1),pp114-119. Salzer- Mà ¶rling, M., Strannegard, L. (2004) Silence of the brands. European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 (1/2) pp. 224-238. Schmitt, B. (1999) Experiential Marketing- How to get customers to Sense, Feel, think, act, relate. New York, The Free Press, pp.72-6. Triplett, T. (1994), â€Å"Brand personality must be managed or it will assume a life of its own†, Marketing News, Vol. 28 No. 10, p. 9. Unknown ( 2009) From Prada to Zara: is the global recession out of fashion. Strategic Direction, Vol. 25(3), pp 9-11. IMAGE REFERANCES : Image no.1 : The Fashion Time magazine (2010)Louis vuitton spring summer 2010- Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaigb :Lara Stone by Steven [Online Image]. Available from http://www.thefashiontime.com/2009/12/louis-vuitton-springsummer-2010-ad-campaign-lara-stone-by-steven-meisel/> [Accessed on 12th March 2010] Image no.2: AMO (2010) Prada Lookbook 2010- PRADA- The Spring/ Summer 2010 Lookbook [Online Image]. Available from http://www.prada.com/> [Accessed on 10th March 2010] Image no.3 : Jaslyn Bang (2010) Chanel Spring Summer 2010-Chanel Spring/Summer 2010 Ad campaign [Online Image].4th Jan 2010.Available from http://www.plussixfive.com/2010/01/04/chanel-springsummer-2010-ad-campaign/> [Accessed on 16th March 2010] Image no.4 : Gucci (2010a) Gucci Spring Summer 2010 ad campaign- Ad campaign Spring Summer 10 [Online Image]. Available from http://www.gucci.com/int/campaign/spring-summer/> [Accessed on 8th march 2010]. Image no. 5 : Gucci (2010b) Guccis ‘Forever now ad campaign 2010- ad campaign Forever now [Online Image]. Available from http://www.gucci.com/int/campaign/forever-now/> [Accessedmon 10th March 2010]. Image no. 6: Fashioning.com (2010) Pradas 2010 ad campaign ‘First Spring- Prada menswear first spring by Yang Fudong Spring/Summer 2010 [Online Image]. Available from http://www.fashionising.com/pictures/pPrada-menswear-First-Spring-by-Yang-Fudong-8206-SpringSummer-2010-4886-73781.html> [Accessed on 12th March 2010] Image No. 7: Gucci news (2010) Gucci application for iPhone- Guccinews,gucci app [Online Image]. Available from http://www.gucci.com/us/us-english/gucci-news/iphoneapp/> [Accessed on 12th March 2010] Image No. 8: Mossesgeld (2007) LG designed Prada Phone- The LG Prada phone set tp launch on March 22 [Online Image]. Available from http://www.thesmartpda.com/50226711/the_lg_prada_phone_set_to_launch_on_march_22.php> [Accessed on 12th March 2010]. Image no. 9: WallPaper (2010) Gucci Sloane street, London Store renovated under the Global store design concept -Retail Directory 2009[Online Image ]. Available from http://www.wallpaper.com/directory/retail/2009/gucci/1089> [Accessed on 13th March 2010] Image no.10: Herzog De Muron(2003),Prada Epicentre [online image].Available from http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/11/new_retail/source/5.htm>[Accessed on 12th March 2010]

Assessing The Rights Of Children

Assessing The Rights Of Children In general, all around the world Children do not have the right to make major decisions in their life. Most of the decisions that affect the children are made by their parents or guardians such as teachers, social workers etcSo because of this lack of decision making, children are sometimes abused and exploited for the benefit of their guardians. And as a result, the child is both mentally and psychologically harmed. For this reason governmental and nongovernmental organizations and their expertise are trying to overcome this crucial society problem by making laws that protect the children from being harmed by their guardians and the society they are living in. Furthermore, these organizations make sure that childrens get the basic necessities like, education, food, shelter etc†¦ In a sufficient and proper way. There are some international and local children rights that are drafted by international governmental and nongovernmental organization who work toward the benefits and safeties of the children. So we would be discussing who should be considered as a child and what laws exist to protect these children. Then, well briefly describe what Islam says about the rights of children and role of parenting. And finally, we are going to introduce some of the major local and international organizations working on this area and our groups practical part which we created awareness we about the children rights and the role of parenting through surveys and meeting with students . What are children rights? As any human being childrens have rights. And these rights are nothing but human rights with some special protection and care given to the young ones (children). These rights are the right to associate with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs such as shelter, water, food, education, criminal laws appropriate to their age and health care .Children rights are very large and respective to each society. However, most society agrees that we should allow children to be free from being mentally, emotionally and physically abused. Who is a Child? A child is a young person especially between infancy and youth (Merriam Webster , 2010). However, this is a very general and vague definition .The question may arise, how old should the person be to reach youth or in other word what is the range of infancy and who is youth. For these questions there is no specific answer because each and every country has their own ways of considering someone as an adult or not. I think it would be easy to define adult than a child. And this would help us understand the child which is just the opposite of being adult. Adult is the age that someone can legally vote, marry or sometimes can buy alcohols, be charged with crime as the adult age. However, this can vary from country to country. For instance child labor in Syria, Bangladesh or Paraguay is minimum 12 whereas most other countries set 14 to 16 years old. And In USA the figure is completely different. A person to legally work should be minimum 18 years old and 15-17 can only work if they have permission from their guardians only. Marriage is one of the major things that separate adults from children. A married person is usually considered as an adult. Because he/she is going to become a guardian of their children and they should be able to take care of their families. In many countries the age of marriage varies. For instance, in many African countries, such as Mali, Niger and Mozambique, over 50% of girls are married before they turn 18. In Yemen, 64% of girls are married before 18, and in Bangladesh, 81% of girls marry before 18. (Nour, 2006) Another interesting issue that most people consider themselves as an adult is the age to vote and decide who should lead or being able to run for election. In most countries around the world the legal age to vote is 18 however in some countries like Australia and Germany the legal age to vote can be only 16.This shows that a 16 years old in Germany is considered as an adult while in Italy the minimum age to vote to elect a senator is 25 and in Liechtenstein, a person to vote should be 30 years old or above. Also, in different religions scripture there are differences on who is a child or who should be considered as an adult. In Jews, a 13 years old kid is considered as an adult and is able to attended ceremonies and parties. On the other hand in most of the time Islam considers someone who is above 15 as an adult. In short, there is no specific exact age of considering someone a child. However, in each country they have some part of the society that are considered as a child .So with respect to each country there are some right given to the child prior to the age of adolescence. Historical background of the rights of childrens law So far there is no specific point where we can say the history of children rights started, however for the past 50 years and so the rights of the children are becoming clearer and separated from the other general human rights. Universal Declaration of Human rights is considered as the basis for all the international legal children rights. The 1923 declaration of rights of children drafted by Englantyne Jeeb and Dorothy Buxton in London, England in 1919 is appreciated by league of Nation and adopted by the united nation in 1946, and then considered as the Convention on the rights of the Child. The first legally binding international body that incorporates with civil, cultural, political, social and economical rights is the Convention on the rights of the Child monitored by the Committee on the rights of the child. It is human right treaty with 190 ratifications. Only the two countries which didnt sign for this treaty are the United States and Somalia. Somali didnt sign because of the internal problems its currently facing and United Sates didnt sign because of some contradicting rules like childrens rights to inheritance in same-sex marriages and particular rights for youth. The CRC have four major principles. This principles are the principle of non discrimination, the best interests of the child, the right to life, survival and development, Considering the views of the child in decisions which affect them (according to their age and maturity). Childrens rights law is defined as the point where the law intersects with a childs life. That includes juvenile delinquency, due process for children involved in the criminal justice system, appropriate representation, and effective rehabilitative services; care and protection for children in state care; ensuring education for all children regardless of their origin, race, gender, disabilities, or abilities, and; health care and advocacy. (Ahearn, 2007) Children rights can be categorized in to three major categories as Provision, Protection and Participation. Or depending on the child right information network (CNN) we can categorize children rights in to two major categories as Economic, social and cultural rights and the second as Environmental, cultural and developmental rights (Freeman, 2000) Provision is the right to live a standard living, get a proper health care, education and be able to enjoy a child life. This includes being able to have a playing place and recreation places. This helps the child to grow healthy, confident and happy in his life. They will learn how to treat people well, how to care for people and help their society in the future. Protection: Children have the right to be protected from abuse, exploitation, discrimination and neglect. This includes offering the child a safe place to sleep, live and play. The last category is Participation. A child should be offered a place in the society. They should be able to participate in community programs, youth voice activities and decision makings.