The Outsiders Essays (2376 words) - Films, The Outsiders, Greaser

The Outsiders The Outsiders Presentation In this book examination, about the book The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton I will talk about character and plot advancement, just as the setting, the writer's style and my assessments about the book. In this piece of the examination I will give some data about the subjects of the book, also, about the creator. The creator composed the story when she was only 16 years of age, during the 1950s. The book was fruitful, and it was sold, and as yet being sold, in numerous duplicates as a youthful grown-ups novel. There was a film made about it, and today there are as yet numerous schools that utilization this book in middle school and secondary schools for English classes. There were plays made about the book as well. The Outsiders is about a group. They live in a city in Oklahoma. Ponyboy Curtis, a multi year old greaser, recounts to the story. Different characters incorporate Sodapop and Darry, Ponyboy's siblings, Johnny, Dallas, and Good for nothing, that were likewise group individuals and Ponyboy's companions. This story manages two types of social classes: the socs, the rich children, and the greasers, the poor children. The socs circumvent trying too hard to find something and greasers to pummel, and afterward the greasers are accused for it, on the grounds that they are poor and can't influence the specialists. I trust you would appreciate furthermore, take in something about the book from perusing this investigation. Plot Development The plot improvement in the book, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, was simple to follow. In this piece of the book investigation I will give some more insights regarding the plot improvement. There were no snares or obstacles in the start of the book, the primary sentence begins immediately with the plot?without any forewords. This is the start of the main sentence: At the point when I ventured out into the brilliant daylight from the obscurity of the film house... (page 9). As should be obvious, it goes directly forthright with no preambles or any sort of presentation. The plot improvement in the story was reasonable and straightforward. It was clear and basic, and the occasions have happened in a sensible request. The closure of the story was somewhat anticipated. I foreseen the passing of Johnny in light of the fact that a messed up neck generally implies passing. The passing of Dally was not as unsurprising as Johnny's passing since it was said that: He was harder than the remainder of us?tougher, colder, meaner. (page 19). I did not believe that such an intense individual would get himself murdered on account of a passing of a companion, in spite of the fact that it was said a brief timeframe before the demise of Dither that: Johnny was the main thing Dally cherished. (page 160). The peaks toward the finish of the story were the passings of Johnny and Dally. Here are citations about the passings: Johnny's demise: The cushion appeared to sink a bit, and Johnny kicked the bucket. (page 157). Tarry's passing: He was snapped half around by the effect of the shots, at that point gradually folded with a look of bleak triumph all over. He was dead before he hit the ground. (page 162). To finish up I can say that the plot advancement was straightforward and simple to comprehend and to follow. The creator sorted out it such that fits the genuine substance of the plot. Character Development The characters in the book, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, were most certainly not very heroic?they were simply humans?it was anything but difficult to accept this is the manner in which they ought to be. The characters in the plot give the peruser a feeling this can be a genuine story. The creator has made the character of the characters through the depictions of Ponyboy?the narrator?and through their activities. Following are a few instances of these techniques for getting acquainted with a character. Here is a model for a depiction of Ponyboy: Steve Randle was seventeen, tall and lean, with thick oily hair he kept brushed in muddled whirls. He was presumptuous, savvy, what's more, Soda's best mate since grade school. Steve's claim to fame was vehicles... (page 17). The peruser can locate this sort of portrayals nearly wherever in the story, yet particularly in the first place. I think the writer put them there on the grounds that the peruser

Proposed European Union Financial Transaction Tax Essay

Proposed European Union Financial Transaction Tax - Essay Example Everybody and ordinary undertakings were to stay unaffected (Vella, Fuest and Tim, 2011). The proposed charge was to be discrete from typical bank charge that some provincial organizations are requiring on money related establishments to help in protecting them from the expenses of any potential bailouts. Research has uncovered that the duty has the capability of social affair around 58 billion Euros for every year. Be that as it may, the part conditions of the European Union are as yet unsure on whether to consent to the proposition (Beck, 2011:73). Incredible Britain is one of the states that are energetically contradicting the release of the FTT. The England administrator has featured various reasons supporting their negative remain on the worry. This figure spoke to about 37% of the complete abroad trade advance on the planet. In London, the dollar exchange is multiple times as large as in America. Likewise, the Euro exchange the city is over double the sum exchanged the entire E U district (Benton 2003:54). The United Kingdom’s monetary administrations area is the main business in England, having overwhelmed the creation segment during the 1990s. Proof of this presents itself in the way that, in the 2009/2010 budgetary year, the British government rounded up 53.4 billion pounds in charge continues from the business. This sum added up to 11% of the absolute assortment in the nation. This sum is essentially bigger than the total of the country’s yearly military financial plan, and is almost equal to the country’s training spending assignment (Stevis, 2012). The county’s fiscal administrations division speaks to about 28% of the country’s whole entirety of administration related fares, with the banks driving the charge. Because of its status as the greatest money related power, in thought with all other European Union individuals, the nation stands to be the greatest failure from the presentation of the FTT charge law (Bijlis ma, 2011:485). As per the United Kingdom organization, the forcing of the FTT charge law will incredibly influence the general country’s enthusiasm, including destabilizing the economy, and affecting the development of instability rates in its business sectors. Also, the expense won't get any significant returns. The nation has introduced to the European Union documented reports enumerating the various potential harms and unfriendly impacts that the law, whenever made operational, would incur on it (The Telegraph, 2012). The legislature is anxious about the possibility that that the law will debilitate subordinate exchange, increment exchanging focus instability, and radically decrease its markets’ liquidity proportions. Also, they contend that the duty will prompt higher paces of joblessness, increment the inclination to dodge charge among residents, and significantly exhaust the present measure of accessible assessment continues (House of Lords.). Research on the pot ential effects of the proposed charge has demonstrated that the assessment will influence the drawn out development in the EU by 1.75 %. This rate, when separated, suggests to an expense of about 25.55 billion pounds to the UK economy (Boyle, 2009:342). Be that as it may, the figure is only a normal, and examiners conjecture that the absolute entirety could be far a lot bigger, considering the country’s remarkably outsized monetary segment. What's more, look into on the issue uncovers that the assessment would impact a fall of subsidiary exchanges adding up to about 90%. The country’

Why Mental Health Disorders Co-Exist With Substance Use

Why Mental Health Disorders Co-Exist With Substance Use Addiction Print Why Mental Health Disorders Co-Exist With Substance Use By Sherri Gordon facebook twitter Sherri Gordon is a published author and a bullying prevention expert. Learn about our editorial policy Sherri Gordon Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on June 10, 2015 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on July 05, 2019 iStockphoto   More in Addiction Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery The numbers do not lie. Mental illness and addiction often overlap. In fact, nearly 9  million people have a co-occurring disorder according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Yet, only 7 percent of these individuals get treatment for both conditions. And nearly 60 percent receive no treatment at all. Understanding Comorbidity Comorbidity refers to the fact that  two conditions, such as mental illness and substance abuse, often co-exist together. What this means is that in many people with addictions, there  is an underlying mental health issue as well. While neither condition actually causes the other, they do often exist together. Whats more, one condition can exacerbate the symptoms of the other. To better understand how comorbidity is possible, it helps to recognize that both are chronic brain diseases. In other words, when someone struggles with an addiction, their brain has been permanently rewired by the substance they abused. This, in turn, causes the brain to function differently than before. Just like diabetes or heart disease, a person with an addiction must manage his condition for the rest of his life. It is not as simple as stopping the drug use or alcohol condition. Many times, this is simply not possible. Likewise, the changes that take place in the brain due to substance abuse occur in the same brain areas that are impacted by depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Consequently, it should not be surprising that there is a high rate of comorbidity between addiction and other mental illnesses. While scientists have yet to prove a direct link, some mental health issues increase the risk factors for substance abuse. What this means is that  some people with mental illnesses will turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with the pain of their  mental health issues. Why Addiction and Mental Illness Co-Occur Even though there is a high rate of comorbidity between addiction and mental illness, it does not mean that one caused the otherâ€"even if one condition appeared first. Instead, there  are still a number of factors that need to be considered, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. For instance: Drug abuse can cause people to experience one or more symptoms of another mental illness. For example, there is an increased risk of psychosis in some marijuana users.Mental disorders can lead to drug or alcohol abuse because some people use substances to self-medicate. For instance, tobacco products sometimes lessen the symptoms of schizophrenia and may improve cognition. There also is some evidence that indicates that addictions and mental illnesses are caused by underlying brain deficits, genetic influences, and/or exposure to trauma early in life.? For instance, it is estimated that  40 to 60 percent of a persons vulnerability to addiction can be attributed to genetics. There also  are several regions of the human genome that have been linked to an increased risk both for substance abuse and mental illness. Another common factor between mental health issues and addiction is the age at which the symptoms appear. During the teen years, people are still developing, maturing, and growing. As a result, significant changes in the brain occur during adolescence. For instance, teenagers are more prone to take risks and act impulsively. These behaviors, while common among teens, can influence the  risk of addiction and other mental disorders. Finally,  people who are physically or emotionally traumatized are at a much higher risk of substance abuse and possibly even addiction. This connection is particularly concerning for veterans returning to the country. In fact, one in five military servicemen and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan have reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression. Some studies suggest that half of all veterans diagnosed with PTSD also have a co-occurring substance abuse problem. Why It Is Difficult to Diagnose Both Conditions Co-occurring disorders are sometimes difficult to diagnose. One reason is that the symptoms are often complex and can vary in severity. As a result, it is not uncommon for  people to receive treatment for one disorder while the other disorder remains untreated. Sometimes this happens because the symptoms are so similar or overlap. In other words, both mental health issues and addiction can have similar biological, psychological, and social components. Another reason for not diagnosing both conditions might include inadequate  training or screening.  In any case, the consequences of undiagnosed, untreated, or undertreated co-occurring disorders can lead to a higher likelihood of experiencing homelessness, jail time, medical illnesses, and even suicide. Whats more, people with mental health issues who also abuse substances like drugs or alcohol are at an increased risk for impulsive or violent acts. They are also are more likely to develop an addiction and end up in legal trouble. And achieving lasting sobriety is  increasingly difficult for them. Treatment When Comorbidity Exists Research suggests that co-occurring  conditions need to be treated at the same time. In fact, for the best outcome, it helps when people with both an addiction and a mental health issue  receive integrated treatment. With integrated treatment, doctors and counselors can address and treat both disorders at the same time. This, in turn, often lowers treatment costs and creates better outcomes for patients. Whats more, early detection and treatment of both conditions can greatly improve the persons recovery and  quality of life. However, it is important to note that  people who have both an addiction  and another mental illness often have symptoms that are more persistent, severe  and resistant to treatment compared with patients who have either disorder alone. For this reason, maintaining sobriety may be very difficult for them. Get Treatment From the 9 Best Online Therapy Programs A Word From Verywell Making a correct diagnosis of both an addiction and a mental health issue is vitally important to a patients success. When this occurs, his chance of recovery increases. ?But there needs to be increased awareness of comorbidity for this to occur. Too many times, one of the conditions goes undiagnosed and untreated.  Once the treatment for co-existing conditions improves though, this will help reduce the social stigma that makes people so reluctant to pursue the treatment that they need.

The Respect of Soldiers Rank - 4852 Words

In the U.S. Military services, rank determines who gets to tell whom what to do. The higher one s rank the more authority (and responsibility) they have. U.S. Military personnel fall into one of three categories: (1) enlisted members, (2) warrant officers, and (3) commissioned officers. Warrant officers outrank all enlisted members, and commissioned officers outrank all warrant officers and enlisted members. Rank and pay grade are closely associated terms, but not quite the same. Pay grade is an administrative classification, associated with a member s pay. Rank is a title and denotes the member s level of authority and responsibility. An E-1 is the lowest enlisted pay grade. That person s rank is a Private in the Army and†¦show more content†¦military for the first time in 1817, when cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., wore them on their sleeves. From West Point, chevrons spread to the Army and Marine Corps. The difference then was chevrons were worn points down until 1902, when Army and Marine Corps enlisted personnel switched to the present points up configuration.Navy and Coast Guard petty officers trace their insignia heritage to the British. Petty officers were assistants to the officers aboard ship. The title wasn t a permanent rank and the men served at the captain s pleasure. Petty officers lost their rank when the crew was paid off at the end of a voyage.In 1841, Navy petty officers received their first rank insignia -- an eagle perched on an anchor. Ratings -- job skills -- were incorporated into the insignia in 1866. In 1885, the Navy designated three classes of petty officers -- first, second and third. They added chevrons to designate the new ranks. The rank of chief petty officer was established in 1894.During World War II, the Army adopted technician grades. Technicians of a given grade earned the same pay and wore the same insignia as equivalent noncommissioned officers except for a small T centered under the chevrons. Technicians, despite the stripes, had no command authority over troops. This evolved into the specialist ranks, pay grades E-4 to E-7.Show MoreRelatedEssay The 7 Army Values and Malingering1450 Words   |  6 Pagessoldiers.† Duty, â€Å"Fulfill your obligations.† Respect, â€Å"Treat people as they should be treated.† Selfless Service, â€Å"Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates above your own.† Honor, â€Å"Live up to the army values.† Integrity, â€Å"Do what’s right legally and morally.† and Personal Courage â€Å"Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral).† These seven Army values are taught to Soldiers in basic training and are reinforced through out a Soldier’s military career. They are expected toRead MoreRespecting Ncos in the United States Army1053 Words   |  5 PagesOfficers are the backbone of the United States Army. Respect for the non-commissioned officers is integral for any Army mission. Respect is an Army value and as such, should influence a soldier’s actions daily. Throughout this paper I will first define and describe respect in the United States Army, then outline the role of respect in a military environment, how respect empowers non-commissioned officers to lead soldiers and how showing respect to superiors and subordinates builds habits that willRead MoreNco Respect Essay1566 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many reasons why lower enlisted soldiers should respect non-commissioned officers in the military. It is important to respect an non-commissioned officer in order to keep the balance in the wo rk place. Even if respect is not deserved or given back to you, the military still expects you to give them respect because they are appointed above you. Not showing them respect will result in getting yourself in trouble that will make yourself look bad to your other superiors. Punishments willRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Exposure By Wilfred Owen1218 Words   |  5 Pagesperson has is often shaped by their life experiences. The reader can see how war can change a soldier’s ideals as they experience it. In the poem Exposure, Wilfred Owen writes about the mental toll war takes on the human mind. He writes about how the soldier is â€Å"worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous but nothing happens†. This shows the soldier’s paranoia during the night. The soldier’s cannot rest even though it is quiet, because they are afraid of what they cannot hear. Their paranoiaRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of A Noncommissioned Officer ( Nco ) C orps1521 Words   |  7 Pagesthe benefits being NCO Corps breaks up some of the responsibilities a commander has and disseminates them to trusted, and experienced individuals in a unit. Keeping good order and discipline, ensuring training is properly conducted, addressing soldier’s problems in an effective and timely manner is the core responsibilities of a NCO. NCOs are also responsible for establishing a line of communication from the top the chain of command, to the bottom, and enforcing the Army standards in accordanceRead MoreNon-commissioned Officer and Respect1023 Words   |  5 PagesRespect is one the 7 Army Values and probably one of the most important in today’s Army. Discipline also works alongside respect even though it is not one of the Army Value’s; it falls under Self-less Service. You can’t have respect without discipline because it creates a sense of unity among soldiers which under extreme circumstances the military cannot afford to have any causality because of one individual’s decision to disrespect one of leaders appointed over me direct orders. Self-lessRead MoreMilitary Discipline and Respect for Authority Essay1032 Words   |  5 PagesMILITARY DISCIPLINE AND RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY Discipline is used in the civilian world as of coarse the military world. As a basic everyone is expected to address everyone by their proper tittles. In the Army, saluting is to show respect toward an officer, flag, or our country. When talking to an officer, stand at the position of attention unless given the order â€Å"at ease†. discipline is a specific form of instruction which develops self control, character, and efficiency. Discipline is theRead MoreMilitary Bearing1023 Words   |  5 Pagesin how he carries himself. That detracts greatly from the perception of the individual as a whole. How the soldier dresses and keeps himself is also a major factor. A clean, sharp, properly worn uniform not only reflects on the soldier, but the soldier’s unit as well. A dirty uniform gives others the impression that the organization as a whole does not take standards and professionalism seriously, greatly affecting the impression from other persons. Beyond physical appearance, how the soldier conductsRead MoreThe Leadership Theory Of The National Guard1866 Words   |  8 Pagesmilitary are constant changes. Technology and policies constantly change in the military. The most recent change is same sex marriages are eligible for Tricare benefits. Transgender training has now been implemented into the ranks. As a leader, you must adapt and ensure the ranks understand and comply with these changes. â€Å"In more stable preindustrial times of the 19th century when our society was largely agrarian, early leadership scholars were in search of specific traits, or distinguishing qualitiesRead MoreMilitary Officer Is Defined As One Who Holds A Position And Command Of Their Subordinates936 Words   |  4 Pagesleadership and development, mentor, and direct at all levels of leadership within any organization. Since joining the US Army, I have been mentored by enlisted and officers. As ascending through the ranks, I soon became keen to the role of the military officer. I have always aspired to climb the ranks within the military, and it soon became evident that I had the potential to become more of a leader, mentor, and excel at advanced responsibilities and expanding my influence. I decided that I wanted

Importance of Relationships Depicted in the Great Gatsby...

Relationships In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there is an importance of relationships. They can be between lovers, friends, and families. The novel shows these, but also the wrong types of relationships such as people having affairs. People form relationships so they are not alone and they try to stick together through the hard times and the good times. In every relationship there are differing situations that affect the outcome and success of the relationship. One major relationship in this novel is between Tom and Daisy. Even though they are married, they do not have the best relationship. Daisy was in love with Gatsby five years ago, but while he was away she met Tom and got married. She is shallow and†¦show more content†¦They are only hurting their spouses so this is not a good, healthy relationship. The relationship between Daisy and Gatsby is also an affair. Five years ago they were in love, but when Gatsby was shipped out to war Daisy did not wait for him. She married Tom while Gatsby sat around waiting for her to come back to him. He truly believed they were meant to be together so he never dated anyone else. Gatsby knows that Daisy only cares about money so he flaunts his newly made fortune in hopes of luring her in. He some how looks past the fact that she is using him for his money and gave her his heart. He is stuck in the past and he wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you (116). Daisy was tempted to leave her husband until she found out Gatsby made his fortune illegally. She killed Myrtle, let Gatsby take the blame which resulted in his death, and then she disappeared. This was not a true relationship because they were only trying to relive the past. When Nick tried to explain to him that he cannot repeat the past he exclaims, Cant repeat the past? Why of course you can!(116). Over time people change and though Gatsby tried to look past the fact that Daisy moved on, in the en d they were not together. One more relationship from the novel is between Nick and Jordan. This exemplified most relationshipsShow MoreRelatedDifferences Between The Great Gatsby Movie And Movie1339 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Gatsby: From the Page to Film Undeniably, ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald and its film adaptation, which follows the storyline of Nick Carraway during the 1920’s, were both great successes, with readers widely recognizing the book as an American classic, and the film making a worldwide gross of about $351 million dollars, while also winning two Oscars. Although the movie is a satisfactory adaptation there are still some minor and major differences between the two that standRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By Baz Luhrmann1290 Words   |  6 PagesLuhrmann’s 2013 highly anticipated rendition of the poignant love story The Great Gatsby, is awarded for his sumptuous sets, glamorous costumes and of course his venerable casting. However, does the intricate Baz Lurhman successfully convey the complex themes in Fitzgerald’s classic? Rachel Spackman scrutinizes and compares the latest films’ rendition of the novel. Baz Luhrmann’s extravagant production of the classic ‘The Great Gatsby’ is filled with lavish visual displays, gaudy costuming and esteemedRead MoreAnalysis Of F. Scott Fitzgerald s Great Gatsby 822 Words   |  4 PagesDestine AP Lit Mrs. Hargis 9/27/15 MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEET Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald Date of Publication: 1925 Genre: Jazz Age novel (Louis Armstrong, Al Capone, etc.) Biographical Information about the Author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896. He was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and his parents were both born in Maryland and Irish. You could say he grew up very lower middle class. Fitzgerald’s views of relationships began at an early age. It was interesting because many ofRead MoreAmerican Dream In The Great Gatsby1366 Words   |  6 PagesDream and without that, life would be without pleasure and thus without meaning. The novel The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald, provides a sight of the individuals living in the 1920s, where the characters chase the American dream under the influence of an affluent society. Fitzgerald displays the crumbling concept of the American Dream and demonstrates through the characters of Myrtle, Daisy, and Gatsby how the pursuit of the American Dream corrupts and destroys. The desire for a luxurious lifeRead MoreThe Great Gatsby And America s Tragedy1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Gatsby and America’s Tragedy The 1920’s resemble an epoch of the most significant economic prosperity that the Western world has ever seen. The Roaring Twenties, or the Jazz Age, was a period of immense change for all people after The Great War. Women could vote, cars and telephones were immensely popular, jazz music peaked, and airplanes became widely used, all things never before witnessed in world history. In the heat of this era, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby emerged, highlightingRead MoreCompare Sonnets From The Shakespeare And The Great Gatsby1424 Words   |  6 PagesPortuguese (SFP) and The Great Gatsby (TGG) composed by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (FSF) explore the way love and spirituality have been altered by the composers over the seventy years between the texts. In EBB’S SFP published in 1850, hope, purpose and passion are accentuated. However, by the 1920’s, FSF believes that these concepts have been corrupted and are no longer possible in a materialistic and loveless contemporary America. In EBB’S sonnets, affection is depicted as a powerful force thatRead MoreThe Film Of Jay Gatsby Essay1482 Words   |  6 Pages The 2013 film adaption of Jay Gatsby, a man who rose from poverty as a child to being a millionaire with all the makings, huge house, servants, hundreds of friends. He exemplifies the self-made man theory; he is successful both socially and financially. He basically created a completely new person for himself from his past life. But with all the wealth and status Gatsby accumulated, on the surface it made him appear to be living the American Dream but it actually leads to his demise. Many differentRead MoreThe Literary Works Of The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1564 Words   |  7 Pagesorder to achieve their goals — but at what cost? When striving for success, people tend to neglect other important areas of their lives such as their health, emotional well-being and more importantly their loved ones. The literary works of The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald; the play Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller and Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into the Wild, depict the value of non-material, intangible possessions. The three pieces exhibit characters who neglect their lovedRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2039 Words   |  9 PagesThe Great Gatsby, perhaps one of the most famous novels during the 1920s, contributed to Fitzgerald’s reputation. Fitzgerald revealed the two sides of the wealthy: reality and perception. Many people of the middle class and the lower class believed the riches had a fancy life. This prosp ect of the middle classmen perhaps made the stereotypical dream of being wealthy and rich. However, the wealthy people were not as perfect as they were seen as by the lower statured people. The novel focuses on howRead MoreThe American Dream, Flawed Or Within Reach?1774 Words   |  8 PagesToth The American Dream, Flawed? Or Within Reach? Most people wonder what the American Dream is. What they are missing is there is no right answer to that question? It can be depicted through wealth, lifestyle, and even happiness or lack thereof. Over the course of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary masterpiece The Great Gatsby, the novel reveals to the reader that the American dream is unachievable such as, wealth surrounding the characters’ lives and chasing after their dreams will only end up in one’s

Moral Panic Sociology Free Essays

A moral panic is defined by Cohen as ‘a condition, episode, person or group or persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests ‘. In other words, a moral panic is an exaggerated reaction of fear towards a group or issue that causes panic in society, felt and reacted to by the public, media, police, and politicians etc. An example of a moral panic would be the increased fear over knife crime in Britain especially over the last few years. We will write a custom essay sample on Moral Panic Sociology or any similar topic only for you Order Now A folk devil is the group/issue at the heart of the panic, which are condemned, feared, labelled and/or blamed. An example of a folk devil would be youths, in relation to knife crime, terrorist, or ‘mods and rockers ‘established in the 1960s. These moral panics and folk devils are created and exacerbated by ‘moral crusaders ‘, the media is most likely the biggest agency that does this. Media reports often greatly exaggerate certain and specific areas of crime or deviance that are aimed to be a moral panic, and to victimize certain groups as folk devils. It reports on, for example, the alleged rising number of knife related crimes, and how a high percentage of youths in a neighbourhood near you are carrying a knife, even if this is a fallacy.  Read also  Sociology and Social Integration. This increase in media attention brings about a what is called a deviancy amplification spiral . This consists of a combination of contributing factors, the increased media attention brings about a heightened sense of public fear, resulting in a real increase in crime, either from the folk devils in question or from copycats, which in turn brings about a police reaction, creating a vicious circle of self-fulfilling prophecies, and the fear and media attention only increases the situation, this spiral also results in these panics lasting a lot longer than perhaps they should. The media uses the weapon of fear to stimulate moral panics, they give the view that firstly these deviant groups offer a threat to the norms, values and attitudes of the majority of society, and that a change will be brought about to people’s lives as these cannot be controlled. The media also gives credence to the view that moral standards are declining, and by exaggerating the crime paints the portrait of a country falling into a downward spiral. A conservative media article How to cite Moral Panic Sociology, Papers

Inequality in Access to Modern Contraception-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theInequality in Access to Modern Contraception in Nigeria. Answer: Introduction Health Care Issues are prevailing every nations of the world. This study emphasizes on Inequality in access to modern contraception in Nigeria. The use of the modern conceptive medicines has been unequally divided in Nigeria. This has created several problems for women in the country. The uptake of the contraceptive pills have caused disastrous effect on fertility of women. This report discusses about the challenges faced in Nigeria related to inequality in modern contraceptive. The Ottawa Charter has been discussed in the report with its implementation of the action area in this case. Data has been collected from the World Health Organization reports. This report outlines about critical analysis of the implementation of action area of Ottawa Charter in this case. The barriers in addressing this area of concern has been discussed in the report. Tis report focuses on strategies to mitigate these barriers and involvement of stakeholders into this matter. Ottawa Charter The Ottawa Charter is an international agreement made by World Health Organization (WHO) for health promotion. Health Promotion is process that enables people for increasing control over and improving the health care services in various health care organization (World Health Organization, 2017). Health promotion focuses on achieving equity on health care. It depicts equality in achieving heath care services for individuals. Health Promotion strategy requires identification of obstacles for securing adoption of health care policies in non-health sectors. In this case, health promotion in Nigeria has been focused by implementing one of the action area of Ottawa Charter. According to the case study, creating supportive environment is the action area that can be used in this case. A supportive environment is required in maintaining the statistical data regarding this case. The condition in the Nigeria has been worse by inequality in use of modern contraceptive. According to the survey done by WHO in Nigeria, there has been reduction in fertility by one child per woman. This has caused 13% reduction in GDP of the country in 20 years. Studies revealed that 30% to 40% of maternal deaths and 90% of induced abortion has occurred due to inequality in use of contraceptive (Fry Zask, 2016). Contraceptive use have minimizes the fertility rate and increase in threat of abortion among women in Nigeria. Fertility decline in an area is demographic depended, consequent reduce in poverty, enhancing economic growth and contributing to families and societies. Therefore, by supportive environment, the mentality of the human beings can be changed. Equality in the use of contraceptive for women might enhance. This policy have helped in maintaining the fertility rate in Nigeria. The supportive environment for use of modern contraceptive by women helps in controlling the rate of abortion and increase the rate of fertility in Nigeria. The family planning has been key option for the couples in the country. Before 1980s, family-planning programs was not a priority in Nigeria (Mendes, Plaza Wallerstein, 2016). Later on, this program has gained attention with the implementation of various policies by the Nigerian government. The policies include Nigerias National Population policy 1988. This policy was revised in 2004. The policy focuses on enhancing the use of modern contraceptives for health goals. The target for policy was to increase the use of contraceptive up to 80% among women (Lee, 2015). The revised policy concludes for a reduction to 75% by 2015. The fertility rate has reduce by 0.6 children per woman every five years and there is a 2% annual increase in proportion of women using contraceptives. Nigeria developed a blueprint for accelerating uptake of f amily planning with a target of increasing the national contraceptive prevalence rate to 36% by 2018 (Davies et al. 2014). According to 2013 NHDS, awareness about contraceptives is more and uptake is low. Only 15% of married women are using contraceptive and 10% are using modern family planning techniques. The statistic variables might be relieved by natural and behavioral components, for example, fertility, sexual movement and want for kids. African social orders are genius natalist, trust that kids are blessing from God, and are social and financial ventures; this has negative suggestions on utilization of contraceptives (Stock, Milczarski Saboga-Nunes, 2016). Couples and women who want more kids are less inclined to utilize contraceptives. Studies have discovered that a reverse relationship exists between quantity of living youngsters and utilization of present day contraceptives (Chen et al. 2016). A solid relationship has been found between womens training, particularly finished essential training and passage into auxiliary level, and ripeness decrease. A few examinations have detailed that womens instruction has a solid positive effect on prophylactic utilize (Gagn, T., Lapalme, J., Leroux, 2017). In Nigeria, training has been found to increment prophylactic utilize. Free of socioeconomic factors, information of contraceptives is determinant of prophylactic utilize. Introduction towards mass communications affects family planning arranging through ideation, which has been found to add to watched fertility decline. Proof from various researches uncovers that introduction to broad communications messages advancing family arranging may influence preventative conduct. In Nigeria, utilization of present day contraceptives, the expectation to utilize them, want for less youngsters were observed to be related with introduction to media message about family arranging. Planning Several steps are required during planning a project. In this, case the use of modern contraceptive among women has been described. The steps that are involved in the planning has been mentioned below: Understanding the timeline, resources, budget and contracts needed to implement the interventions Identification of stakeholders and ensuring appropriate participation and partnership Priorities interventions Phase in programs implementation. For completing a project plan: Prioritize interventions by ability for providing possible gain given the cost and available resources Preparing a budget Constructing a project implementation plan Arranging contracts for delivery of services and agreements on collaborative action Establishing a monitoring system. Challenges There are various challenges in implementation of equality in the use of modern contraceptive. These challenges are described below: Lack in Awareness There is a lack in the Nigerian people regarding the use of the contraceptive for women. The education system of the country is bad that have caused low literacy rate in the country. Therefore, there is an inequality in using the modern contraceptive among women. Due to inequality, the fertility rate of the country has been continuously decreasing by years (Eckermann, 2017). The consequences of the abnormal use of contraceptive in the society has been worse among the women. The health of women has been continuously degrading. Therefore, there is requirement of awareness among the people of Nigeria. Lack in policy The policy against these misconduct activities in the country has not been yet implemented properly. This have caused imbalance in the reproduction rate of the country. The improper use of contraceptive have caused different problems (Sarmiento Sarmiento, 2017). The government of Nigeria has not concerned about this problem. There is no strict policy made by the government against the inequality in the use of the modern contraceptive. Demographic In Nigeria, most of the married women plan their pregnancies without the use of the modern contraceptive. They stop child bearing without using the modern contraceptive. This has affected the reproduction rate in the country. Many women are having their child before 18 years of age, which is detrimental for both girl and child (Kickbusch Nutbeam, 2017). This causes high risk in the life of the girl. The use of the modern contraceptive can help them in this situation. However, they are not using the modern contraceptive. The Ottawa Charter has been an important part of the history in the field of health promotion among people. The ideas associated with the application of the Ottawa Charter has been properly magnified in the first part. The post colonialism gives a framework that depicts destabilized dominant Western discourse. The feature of post-colonial theory is to examine of the effect and legacy of the European colonization. It helps in recognizing the colonial assumption and consequences having inequality in the health promotion. It draws attention towards the Western culture and colonial activities in the society (Furber et al., 2017). The Ottawa Charter have helped in implementing equality among the colonial. The Postcolonial standpoint has been critical for considering different way by which particular colonial vision of the global health has been mobilized. In the case of Nigeria, the inequality in the use of modern contraceptive has been depicted in the paper. The implementation of the Ott awa Charter have helped in mitigating these problems in the country. As argued by (Dyment et al., 2017), in the wider context of Ottawa Charter has its own production that puts in practice with the help of generalized principle. The critical examination of the context of the Nigerian people regarding the use of the conceptive has been performed for implementing the Ottawa Charter. The action areas of the Ottawa Charter has been decided including creating supportive environment (McFarlane et al., 2017). A supportive environment helps in maintaining proper use of the modern contraceptive among women in Nigeria. Proper knowledge and awareness regarding the use of the contraceptive is required among the people pf Nigeria. This might help in understanding them about the use of the modern contraceptive. However, it is difficult not to see colonial imagination at work in a charter that is concerned with the Nigerian context. Various range of strategies are discovered for the implementation of the Ottawa Charter for maintaining balance in the use of the modern contraceptive in Nigeria. The health promotion have become a channelized process in the industry that is required by every organization. The use of the modern contraceptive have helped in maintaining the birth rate of child (Alami et al., 2017). The implementation of the Ottawa Charter in the Nigerian area have helped in maintaining the reproduction rate of the child. The mortality rate of the country has been balanced. The health promotion campaign under the Ottawa Charter have helped in providing awareness about the modern contraceptives among people in society. Emotions and social identity affects the colonial activities in the country. People are socially and emotionally attached to their loved one and require proper health care. The health promotion have been properly managed in the country for helping women from miscarriage. As commented by Eckermann, (2017), the use of the modern contraceptive have helped in providing proper solution for the problems faced by women in Nigeria. The use of the modern contraceptive have provided various approaches for the women in their marriage life in Nigeria. The women in the society are benefited from the action area implemented by the Ottawa Charter. The positive normalization of the health promotion in the western countries have able to position this action area for intervention of everyday behavior of people. The Ottawa Charter masked power imbalances and Western-centric worldviews, while also silencing non-Western voices. Conclusion It can be concluded that the Ottawa Charter have helped in maintaining the equality of use of modern contraceptive among women. The research has focused on inequality in use of modern contraceptive in the Nigeria. The Ottawa charter has been briefly described in the report. The factors implementing in the Ottawa Charter has been properly discussed in the chapter. A critical analysis has been provided at the end of the report that help in proper understanding about the implementation of the Ottawa Charter for health promotion in Nigeria. References Alami, H., Gagnon, M. P., Ghandour, E. K., Fortin, J. P. (2017). Reorientation of health services and health promotion: a review of the situation.Sant Publique,29(2), 179-184. Chen, T. H., Huang, J. J., Chang, F. C., Chang, Y. T., Chuang, H. Y. (2016). Effect of workplace counseling interventions launched by workplace health promotion and tobacco control centers in Taiwan: An evaluation based on the Ottawa charter.PloS one,11(3), e0150710. Davies, S. C., Winpenny, E., Ball, S., Fowler, T., Rubin, J., Nolte, E. (2014). For debate: a new wave in public health improvement.The Lancet,384(9957), 1889-1895. Dyment, J., Emery, S., Doherty, T., Eckhardt, M. (2017). Move Well Eat Well: Case study of a successful settings-based approach to health promotion.Health and Wellbeing in Childhood, 283. Eckermann, E. (2017). Global health promotion in the era of galloping populism.Health Promotion International,32(3), 415-418. Fry, D., Zask, A. (2016). Applying the Ottawa Charter to inform health promotion programme design.Health promotion international, daw022. Furber, C., Pusey, H., Busby, A., Stringer, E. (2017). Integrating public health practice into the graduate's role through pre-registration education.British Journal of Midwifery,25(5). Gagn, T., Lapalme, J. (2017). 1986: Ottawa and onwards.The Lancet Public Health,2(2), e71. Gagn, T., Lapalme, J., Leroux, J. (2017). Letter to the Editor The implications of the professionalization of health promotion in Canada: a response to JR Grahams letter to the editor.Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada: research, policy and practice,37(5), 172. Kickbusch, I., Nutbeam, D. (2017). A watershed for health promotionThe Shanghai Conference 2016.Health Promotion International,32(1), 2-6. Lee, M. S. (2015). The principles and values of health promotion: building upon the Ottawa charter and related WHO documents.Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion,32(4), 1-11. McFarlane, K., Devine, S., Judd, J., Nichols, N., Watt, K. (2017). Workforce insights on how health promotion is practised in an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service.Australian Journal of Primary Health. Mendes, R., Plaza, V., Wallerstein, N. (2016). Sustainability and power in health promotion: community-based participatory research in a reproductive health policy case study in New Mexico.Global health promotion,23(1), 61-74. Sarmiento, J. P., Sarmiento, J. P. (2017). Healthy universities: mapping health-promotion interventions.Health Education,117(2), 162-175. Stock, C., Milczarski, A., Saboga-Nunes, L. A. (2016). Is the Ottawa Charter still relevant? A survey among health promotion practitioners and researchers: Christiane Stock.The European Journal of Public Health,26(suppl_1), ckw168-017. World Health Organization. (2016). The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. 2013.

Pandemic free essay sample

TuberculosisWe are entering the third decade of what may be the most devastating epidemic in human history: HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS Pandemic is a large-scale epidemic affecting more than one country. AIDS was first clinically diagnosed in the early 1980s but retrospective diagnosis suggests it existed well before this date. AIDS is a syndrome, which develops from an impaired ability to fight diseases. It undermines the body’s defenses against viruses, infections and malignancies. Here, we describe the origins and evolution of these viruses, and the circumstances that led to the AIDS pandemic. Pandemic Assignment Since scientists identified the HIV as the cause of AIDS in 1983, it has spread insistently, causing one of the most harmful pandemics ever recorded in human history. However, concerted global efforts to fight the pandemic are making a significant difference. More than nine million people living with HIV in low and middle-income countries now have access to life-saving antiretroviral treatments. We will write a custom essay sample on Pandemic or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page HIV/AIDS Overview Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) invades the body through the exchange of certain body fluids. The virus invades cells such as T helper cells and begins to replicate itself in the human body. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) of humans is caused by two lentiviruses, â€Å"HIV-1 and HIV-2; HIV-1 accounts for the majority of infections in the world, and has at least 10 genetic subtypes† (Lamptey, Wigley, Carr, Collymore, 2002). Both HIVs are the result of multiple cross-species transmissions of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) naturally infecting African primates. However, as according to Sharp Hahn (2011), one transmission event, involving SIVcpz from chimpanzees in southeastern Cameroon, gave rise to HIV-1 group M—the principal cause of the AIDS pandemic† and noted that by â€Å"tracing the genetic changes that occurred as SIVs crossed from monkeys to apes and from apes to humans†. AIDS Pandemic and the Efforts to Stop HIV/AIDS According to Merson â€Å"on June 5, 1981, few suspected a pandemic of AIDS when the Centers for Disease Control reported five cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in young homosexual men in Los Angeles† (2006). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) reported that all the men had other unusual infections as well, indicating that their immune systems were not working; two had already died by the time the report was published. In a timeline created by AIDS. com, â€Å"this edition of the MMWR marks the first official reporting of what will become known as the AIDS epidemic† (2014). Although â€Å"after pandemic HIV-1 first emerged in colonial west central Africa, it spread for some 50 to 70 years before it was recognized† (Sharp Hahn, 2011) because phylogenetic and statistical analyses have dated the last common ancestor of HIV-1 to around 1910 to 1930. For a while the American government completely ignored the emerging AIDS pandemic. The first attempt to treat HIV was in â€Å"September 1986, when early results from clinical trials involving AZT (zidovudine) – a drug that was first investigated as a cancer treatment – showed that it might slow the attack of HIV† (AVERT, 2013). Although AZT could slow progression to AIDS in HIV positive individuals with no symptoms, a year’s supply for each person would cost around seven-thousand dollars and many did not have adequate health insurance to cover the cost. In 1995, â€Å"FDA announced that the drug 3TC (lamivudine) had been approved for use in combination with AZT in treating AIDS and HIV† (AVERT, 2013) after a number of studies had shown that HIV could quickly become resistant to AZT and that the drug had no benefit for those in the early stages of the disease. On April 5th 1990 Ryan White, schoolboy who had become infected with HIV via a blood transfusion for his haemophilia, died. He was known for his fight to return to public school after he was banned due to fears of spreading of AIDS to other children. â€Å"Following Ryan’s death, the American government implemented a new programme named after him – the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act† (AVERT, 2013). Its aim was to improve the quality and availability of care for low-income, uninsured and underinsured individuals and families affected by HIV. In 2000, the government funded programs such as needle exchange services and abstinence-only education and in 2001 the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) set a goal to halve the number of people infected with HIV each year in the USA to 20,000 by the end of 2005 but by 2003 it was already clear that the CDC’s goal would be missed, the number of new infections had shown no sign of declining. In 2006, President Bush signed the reauthorisation of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, â€Å"since its creation in 1990 the program had provided federal funding for thousands of Americans living with HIV/AIDS unable to pay for their treatment themselves† (AVERT, 2013). In 2007, raltegravir – was approved by the FDA which according to AVERT â€Å"Raltegravir was the first of a new class called integrase inhibitors† and â€Å"the significant progress in treatment proved to be particularly important to thousands of HIV positive Americans whose treatment had been failing due to drug resistance (2013). It was believed to provide extended years of meaningful survival to patients. In July 2010, â€Å"the USAs first HIV/AIDS Strategy was released† (The White House Office of National AIDS Policy, 2010) and reducing new HIV infections was included as one of the Strategys three core aims. According to AVERT (2013), â€Å"in order to reduce new infections without an increase in funding, the Strategy recommended that HIV prevention efforts be intensified in the communities where HIV is the most heavily concentrated†. MedlinePlus concluded that â€Å"there is no cure or vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS, but early detection through HIV testing and treatment can frequently turn this fatal disease into a manageable chronic disease† (2009). The HIV-1 pandemic is a complex mix of diverse epidemics within and between countries and regions of the world. â€Å"AIDS remains the fourth leading cause of death in low-income countries† (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, 2014). While there will never be a solution to HIV and AIDS, a preventive vaccine would do a great deal to curb the pandemic. But unfortunately, the problem with developing a vaccine is that the HIV genome mutates very quickly. Stowell (2006) explains that all organisms vary a little throughout the centuries. The HIV genome mutates around 1000 times more quickly than the human genome around 1000 times more mutations accumulate in a single year, relative to the length of the genome. Antiretroviral treatment has transformed AIDS from an inevitably fatal condition to a chronic, manageable disease in some settings.

The Department of Homeland Security and its Impacts on the United States Emergency Preparedness Success or Failure

The Department of Homeland Security and its Impacts on the United States Emergency Preparedness Success or Failure Introduction The September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US made the US’ citizens concerned about the capacity of the government to ensure that they are secure at all times whether while in their country or in foreign nations. The resulting impacts of the terrorism act also had severe ramification on the government’s part. The government was left shocked that its security systems were not able to prevent attacks from occurring.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Department of Homeland Security and its Impacts on the United States’ Emergency Preparedness: Success or Failure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Due to the homogenous effects of the terrorist attack, it was a matter of common knowledge that restructuring of the internal security surveillance system was necessary through the enactment of an appropriate policy in the effort to ensure that such attacks would not occur in the futur e. This prompted the creation of the division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2002. DHS was mandated to shield the US from reacting to terrorists’ attacks coupled with making sure that all Americans were prepared to counter the aftermaths of natural disasters including floods, fires, diseases outbreaks, and earthquakes (Abbott, 2005, p.5).  Disaster preparedness is critical in contemporary times. America depicts well the significance of disaster preparedness owing to the degree in which the US is prone to myriads of terrorists’ attacks and other natural catastrophes. This fact makes it necessary for the US to develop various state apparatus that would enable it to respond towards emergencies that may pose a danger to the American lives (Burmgarner, 2008, p.29). Implementation of policies that aid in the establishment of apparatus for manning terrorism and natural catastrophes is critical since one of the constitutional rights of the Americans is to ha ve their lives protected by the government. The central apparatus that ensures the fulfillment of this legal right is the department of homeland security. FEMA is the central agency that lies within DHS. Since the establishment DHS in 2002, the US has escaped incidents of terrorist attacks. However, natural catastrophes have been recorded since then. These catastrophes often lead to economic losses to a nation. For instance, the US was struck by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hurricane Katina poked holes in the readiness of the Department of Homeland Security on issues separate from terrorism.   Perhaps this claim reveals the resurgence of the debate in the capability of the United States’ policy on emergency management and the ability of the state to deal with complex issues. This paper revolves around this interrogative.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Preci sely, the paper attempts to explore the department of homeland security in a bid to determine the impact of the agency on efforts of disaster preparedness in America. The goal is to determine whether the agency has been effective or otherwise in achieving its mandate. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the DHS is based on the theoretical paradigms of disaster management. Hypothesis In the effort to explore emergency and disaster management in the US’ context, the paper attempts to determine the accomplishments and letdowns of the Department of Homeland Security. It hypothesizes that, amid being well prepared to handle situations articulated to terrorism activities, the department of homeland security is prone to being caught off guard by catastrophic natural disasters. Research Questions In the effort to prove or disapprove the hypothesis in the attempt to determine the effectiveness of the department of homeland security in achieving its mandates, this research paper gra pples with three main questions: Has the disaster management capacity of the United States been overtaken by the fixation on fighting terrorism? What could explain the government’s failure to respond promptly to save the lives of Americans during Hurricane Katrina? What is the nature of the threats that the United States envisions due to the conglomeration of the disaster management organs under FEMA? Research Methodology The research methodology deployed in this research paper is qualitative research. Assessment of various researches for the establishment of theoretical paradigms that may help to explain the applicability of concepts of disaster management in manning all possible dangers that a nation may be exposed to in an attempt to respond promptly before they occur will be considered. This approach forms the basis for making comparison of the extent to which the operations of DHS measures up to the developed theoretical paradigms thus implying that the data used in th e research is mainly derived from secondary sources. Hence, the methodology used in this research paper introduces a challenge of reliability and validity of the inferences made herein. However, this challenge is countered by the use of a wide range of scholarly research in the discipline of disaster management. On the other hand, the instances in which the DHS has been caught off guard by disasters are based on real examples of natural catastrophes that have occurred in the recent past under the full watch of DHS. These examples are crucial in the effort to evaluate the effectiveness of DHS and in the development of theories that explain the DHS policy. Literature Review The uncertainty and unexpectedness of disasters make disaster management technique an incredibly difficult subject because disasters strike mostly when people least expect it (Abbott, 2005, p.3). All countries have probabilities of being exposed to disasters of various types. Bumgarner (2008) defines four types of disasters: natural disasters, environmental emergencies, pandemic emergencies, and complex emergencies (p.25).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Department of Homeland Security and its Impacts on the United States’ Emergency Preparedness: Success or Failure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Examples of natural disasters include volcano eruptions, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes amongst others. These disasters expose people to both primary and secondary impacts. With regard to Varghese (2002), natural disasters have â€Å"immediate impacts on human health, as well as secondary impacts causing further death and suffering from floods that cause landslides, earthquakes that result in fires, tsunamis that cause widespread flooding, and typhoons that sink ferries† (p.102). A well-designed disaster management system within a nation needs to be proactively prepared to avoid or reduce these implic ations before or after the occurrence of the disasters.  Environmental disasters encompass industrial and technological accidents. They are usually experienced due to hazardous materials used in production processes. Such disasters take place where the dangerous materials are used and or transported. Forest infernos are also induced in these types of disasters. On the other hand, pandemic emergencies entail sudden eruption of contagious diseases, which have devastating effects on human health coupled with aftermaths of disruptions of businesses and service delivery mechanism. Consequently, pandemic emergencies truncate into social and economic costs. Complex emergencies entail power failures, â€Å"attacks of certain national strategic installations, and looting† (Lindell, Tierney Perry, 2001, p.19). The emergencies lead to war and or the emergence of conflicts. The resolution of these conflicts and wars has the implication of consumption of state resources at the expense of other needs of the citizens. This case perhaps explains why a nation’s arm of internal security needs to prepare and where possible identify any volatile situation that may lead to war and resolve the causes of conflicts before the situation gets out of hand to warrant the deployment of state machinery to quench the disputes. Now, it sounds plausible to posit the question: how prepared is the DHS to address these types of disasters?  The above query introduces several relevant concepts in the theory of disaster management. These concepts include disaster preparedness, disaster recovery, disaster relief, and disaster prevention. Disaster preparedness entails all the activities that are designed to ensure that damages and losses of life are minimized should a disaster struck (Smith, 2006, p.13). These activities include â€Å"removing people and property from a threatened location and or facilitating timely and effective rescue, relief, and rehabilitation† (Hansen Schramm, 1993, p.56).Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through the deployment of disaster preparedness strategies, nations reduce the effects of disasters. In line with this argument, Hansen and Schramm postulate, â€Å"communitys of the theories that can be deployed to explain some the catastrophes that are attributed to human actions include Jetkinks social constructionism theory. The theory explains the â€Å"manufacturing of terrorism threat, conservation resources model used by Arata et al. (2000) to predict the psychological implication of the Exon Valdez oil spill disaster, and social vulnerability approach† (Enarson et al. (2003, p.4). These theories provide ample insights to emergency managers on the impacts of human behaviors’ capacity to give rise to disasters in some ways. In the first place, they indicate the existence of abundant frameworks and broad-based theoretical paradigm that links human behavior to emergencies and disasters. Secondly, they avail the basis from which true theories for disaster and emer gency management and response can be rested. In the framework for analysis emergency, Donahue and Joyce maintain that emergency management is a complex policy subsystem that involves an intergovernmental, multiphase effort to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters† (2001, p.728). These complexities emanate from the need to determine and allocate behavioral and fiscal incentives that are necessary for the formulation of the disaster and emergency management policy. Before the occurrence of an emergency and or a disaster, spending in the apparatus of disaster management often attracts the public eye scrutiny. Indeed, Donahue and Joyce argue that, in such situations, a conflict exists between the state and public on the hazards that amount to emergencies and disasters so that public resources can be allocated to develop preparedness, response mechanism, and relief strategies. When still struggling with this debate, in case natural calamity strikes, many of the critics hardly turn around to pose a question on the necessity of government intervention. Rather, as Donahue and Joyce explain, â€Å"citizens tend to automatically view the situation as a serious public problem requiring immediate governmental actions† (2001, p.728). In the case of the United States, this governmental action is effected through the department of homeland security. The underlying action is driven by the mandate given to the DHS to reduce incidences and magnitudes in a bid to mitigate the threats associated with the occurrence of disasters and emergencies coupled with preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the impacts of emergencies and disasters (McEntire, 2004, p.17). In this context, emergency and disaster management tools operate as both instruments of emergencies, disaster surveillance, and as apparatus for responding to disasters and emergencies within a nation.  Surprisingly, amid the development of a well-organized apparatus for disas ter and emergency management, disasters still strike. Does it, therefore, mean that all apparatus for disaster management, including the department of homeland security are ineffective? Evans and Drabek (2004) offer an answer to this query by positing that managing disasters gives rise to challenges that are formidable to the governments’ emergency and disaster management apparatus since they present a requirement for making difficult decisions on service delivery systems for the affected people (p.45). In their nature, disasters offset the â€Å"capacity of the governments whose jurisdiction they strike† (Donahue Joyce, 2001, p.728). Therefore, the affected governments have to source aid from other nations. In the absence of a disaster, a government cannot place a diplomatic call for help should an emergency or disaster occur in the future (McEntire, 2003, p.107). This implies that the internal emergency and disaster management apparatus only have resources adequate for the development of emergency and disaster preparedness strategies but not for relief, rescue, and recovery.  The overall objective of emergency and disaster administration is â€Å"to moderate in the most pragmatic way the extent to which the conditions of the affected communities are worsened by a disaster† (Donahue Joyce, 2001, p.730). Directly congruent with this assertion, Donahue and Joyce, (2001) retaliate, â€Å"governments and their disaster managers undertake many actions to support this goal, both pre-disaster (to foretell potential damage) and post-disaster (to correct actual damage)† (p.731). Nevertheless, the traits of disasters hamper these great concerns of disaster and emergency management arm of government. Disasters destroy an extensive portion of the property of a given jurisdiction of a nation or state besides impairing the health of the population affected in such magnitudes and rates that are beyond the capacity of a government to avoid or avert. The repercussion for this is, â€Å"coping with them drains most, if not all, of the jurisdiction’s manpower, equipment, supplies, and money† (Donahue Joyce, 2001, p.731). A challenge is amplified by the unpredictability and uncertainty of magnitudes of damages likely to be caused by the anticipated disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Essentially, natural disasters are hard to predict leave alone to prevent. Hence, the only possible intervention is to evacuate people from disaster-prone areas. Unfortunately, it is impossible to evacuate infrastructures such as houses, health care centers, water supply systems, roads, railway lines, power supply lines, and others. This claim implies that, no matter how a government emergency and disaster management apparatus may be able to predict the occurrence of natural disasters, it is impossible to escape the resulting implications of the disaster. The implications result in the erosion of public resources beyond the rate at which the government may be able to replenish without resorting to seeking external help. This assertion perhaps explains the slow responses on some disaster management apparatus in some nations in the event of the occurrence of a disaster. For effective management of any public problem, causative agents of the problems should be possible to identify because, upon identification of causations, their mitigation amounts to success in the management of the actual problem arising from them. Extending this argument to disaster hazards makes it incredibly challenging to identify the hazards that give rise to disasters since â€Å"the causal relationship between hazards and disaster events is poorly understood with risks being hard to measure (Donahue Joyce, 2001, p.732). Disasters are also infrequent. In some situations, the political tenure of a given government may elapse without disasters being experienced. According to Donahue and Joyce, this condition â€Å"locates gov ernments in a quandary about whether, when, and what action to take to manage them† (2001, p.732). Furthermore, testing of disaster policies does not meet the criteria of Mazmanian and Sabatier’s tests for an implementation process of policy because disasters constitute intractable challenges, which are impossible to address via statutes assigning requisite resources coupled with making a clarification of responsibility lines. Lindell (2007) amplifies this argument by asserting, â€Å"disaster problems are subject to powerful non-statutory variables such as the level of public support, available administrative and leadership skills, and reigning social-economic conditions† (p.92). This argument agrees with the case that lack of a comprehensive and unified definition of the situation that amounts to disasters makes it impossible for derivation of appropriate disasters and emergency response mechanisms. Management of emergencies entails a policy subsystem, which ho uses various functions. All these functions â€Å"demand certain competencies by presenting specific political opportunities through the choice about the distribution of costs and benefits† (Sylves, 2007, p.25). In this context, emergency and disaster management encompasses the distribution of myriads of roles via political bargaining procedure. In case of the United States, the roles of emergency and disaster management are allocated to the DHS. However, it is questionable why scholarly criticism of the effectiveness of the DHS to manage emergencies and disasters is appropriate. Donahue and Joyce respond to this question by informing, â€Å"Public officials do not allocate responsibility for design and implementation of public policy based on a comprehensive evaluation of the competency of each level government† (2001, p.735). Nevertheless, this claim does not imply that a public official is merely a self-interested actor who takes the issues of public interest in a m anner that is effective and efficient. Consequently, interactions between behavioral incentives and functional competencies in the determination of the appropriate subsystem of disaster policy are immensely complex (Holdeman, 2012, Para.1).  Stemming from the above argument, Donahue and Joyce assert, â€Å"Aspects of contemporary emergency management practice are coherent applications of fundamental principles of fiscal federalism and functional theory† (2001, p.733). However, it is arguable that national governments including the United States through appropriate emergency and disaster management apparatus such as DHS engage in programs for management of emergencies and disasters, precisely recovery and responses that are prescribed by the functional theory. If this is the case, how effective is DHS in the management of disasters and emergencies? The next section discusses this query in the context of the developed theoretical paradigms on disaster management. Effectivenes s of Department of Home Land Security Drawing from the literature review, the characteristics of disasters do not give the government an opportunity to prepare for responding to disasters and emergencies only when they are anticipated to occur. Since a disaster can strike any time, the most proactive way of responding to disasters is to have an all-time disaster preparedness national apparatus. Therefore, the occurrence of disasters has led to the creation of agencies and other apparatus to facilitate emergency preparedness in the US. These agencies are the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Following the September 2001 attacks, the US found it imperative to implement policies, which will facilitate disaster preparedness and management. The need is essential upon the consideration of the mandates of both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS is equipped with numerous re sources in order to gather information on the factors, which might have an influence on the safety of the US. This case enables the relevant stakeholders to be aware of the potential disasters, which might compromise the country’s security prior to their occurrence. The claim further allows the authority to implement measures to counter the disasters’ effects hence protecting the inhabitants. FEMA is a section in DHS, which is mandated to coordinate disaster management that is beyond the capabilities of local and state apparatus. This case ensures that there is a plan to counter the effects of devastating disasters.  Theoretically, the development of policy leading to the creation of FEMA and DHS creates the perception that the two organs can respond to all forms of emergencies and disasters. Indeed, this is an anticipation of the public. From the dimension of the criticism of scholars, the question of whether DHS is prepared to handle emergencies and disasters in ca se another catastrophe strikes America (Wormuth, 2009, p.95) remains crucial. McEntire (2004) is also inclined to the perception that DHS may not be may well prepared to handle all forms of disasters that may strike America after the September 2002 attacks (p.12). The author proposes that, from the DHS perspective point of view, â€Å"vulnerability to disasters is due to cultural misunderstandings, permeable borders, fragile infrastructure, and weak disaster management institutions† (p. 12). What this means is that DHS is ineffective in managing disasters and emergencies. Therefore, it is crucial to make an effort to â€Å"correct domestic and foreign policy mistakes† (Lindell, Tierney, Perry, 2001, p.36). However, determining the effectiveness of the DHS from this perspective is inadequate because, as established in the literature review section, disasters are unpredictable. Some natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, cannot be avoided. Consequently, one of the adequate ways of determining how effective DHS is in terms of responding to disasters is through the introspection of the manner in which it conducts the rescue and relief missions. Another, approach for evaluation of the effectiveness of DHS is through the examination of how DHS is capable of precisely predicting areas that would be impacted by disasters. From this basis, DHS can be argued as being highly effective (Wormuth, 2009, p.103).  However, Abc NEWS does not agree with the above argument since it maintains that the US remains vulnerable to both fabricated and natural disasters. For instance, Abc NEWS claims that, following the outbreak of smallpox, the government maintained that it acquired adequate vaccines to cater for all people in the US. However, New York academy of medicine â€Å"finds the government’s actual preparedness plans to be deeply flawed† (Abc NEWS, 2005, Para.6). This assertion raises the question of whether the US is capable of d oing that given that its mandates extend beyond mitigation of emergencies attributed to terrorism: this being the main occurrence that led to its establishment to include management of disasters associated to natural catastrophes such as diseases outbreaks. This claim does not regard the massive awareness of the capability of the DHS to manage disastrous incidences in the US. After the September 2011 incident, the federal government of the United States spent billions of dollars to develop means and mechanisms of preventing future occurrence of a similar disaster in the future. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina struck, leaving massive destructions to property. Indeed, â€Å"president Bush agreed to take full responsibility for the slow and flawed response to Hurricane Katrina† (Abc NEWS, 2005, Para.1). Upon acceptance of these responsibilities, some people are inclined to the argument that assuming responsibility exemplified recognition of the ineffectiveness of the US’ disaster management apparatus in achieving its mandates. The criticism by Abc NEWS is consistent with the discussion of the nature of natural disasters. It was impossible for the DHS to avoid its occurrence. However, upon its appearance, DHS should have responded speedily to reduce the impacts of the disasters as part of its mandate. Unfortunately, it failed. Since 1990, FEMA was charged with pursuing all-hazard-disasters and emergency management approach in matters of development of mechanisms of disaster preparedness and response. Therefore, the role of FEMA has been ensuring the US is prepared for various disasters coupled with mitigating them no matter their causes.  The inclusion of the FEMA in the department of homeland security created a conflict of mandates between the two organs, which were then required to work together. Before the merging of the two, FEMA emerged as incredibly useful in responding to natural disasters. While in the merged state, arguably, FEMA became à ¢â‚¬Å"highly indebted in preparing for mechanism of responding to terrorism though less effective in performing its traditional mission of responding to natural disasters as time, effort, and attention were inevitably diverted to other tasks within the larger organization† (Wormuth, 2009, p.105: Jenkins, 2003, p. 21). Should this exposition then serve to explain the reluctance in responding to the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster?  The above question can perhaps be well answered upon consideration of the roles that were played by FEMA in responding to Hurricane Andrew in 1992. FEMA was able to react speedily to offer support, rescue, and relief to all people who were affected by Hurricane Andrew. Why did this not happen in 2005 during the disaster of Hurricane Katrina? Arguably, the merging of DHS with FEMA influenced the capacity of FEMA to work as an independent body. In this light, Nicholson (2005) argues, â€Å"FEMA will likely perform its homeland security mission at le ast as (if not more) effectively as an independent agency than as part of a department of homeland security† (p.11). Independency is crucial since the nature of disaster makes it imperative for a quick action to be taken without deep consultations.  The occurrence of the terrorist attack of 2001 may also have eroded the effectiveness of DHS and FEMA to respond to natural disasters. Arguably, from the public concern point of view, incidences in which the safety of the American is interfered with by forces outside their territorial boundaries attract more public interest and fear compared with internal forces such as natural disasters. Consequently, the effectiveness of both FEMA and DHS in responding to Hurricane Katrina may be attributed to the conglomeration of the disaster management organs under FEMA and over-concentration on putting in place mechanisms of developing preparedness to disasters associated with terrorist attacks. Therefore, the emergence of new forms of acci dents truncates into the erosion of effectiveness in responding to other kinds of disasters. This argument gains weight by considering, â€Å"the United States has been well behind most industrialized countries in obtaining supplies of the one medicine that works against the bird flu† (Abc NEWS, 2005, Para. 17). Nevertheless, given that some disasters are inevitable and that their probabilities of occurrence are hard to determine, the degree of responding immediately when they occur needs not to be an indicator of the capacity of the degree of effectiveness of a disaster management apparatus, mainly if the disasters were not predicted in good time. The claim holds because, upon the occurrence of a disaster or an emergency within nations, making of a responsible logistical arrangement is necessary at least over a short period following the occurrence of a disaster or an emergency. However, the speed at which DHS and FEMA responded to hurricane Katrina questions the effectivene ss of these organs in responding to disasters that are different from terrorism attacks. Conclusion Many nations across the globe encounter emergencies and disasters. In the paper, disasters were defined as calamitous emergency events that are caused by human beings or by nature and which have social and economic negative implications. It was argued that, although disasters are of different magnitudes, a common characteristic is that they damage the general welfare of the populations they affect. Due to the magnitude of the damages that are caused by disasters, the government is the chief instrument that takes the responsibility of providing aid to the people affected within its jurisdiction through emergency and disaster management apparatus created by the government. The device develops a means and or a mechanism of the emergency and disaster preparedness, response, relief, and rescue. As evidenced by the paper, the concern of each of these elements depends on the period of progre ssion of the disaster from before it has occurred to after it has happened.  In the US, the roles and the responsibility of emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, rescue, and response fall on the department of homeland security and FEMA. While FEMA is a central agency within DHS, the DHS was constituted following the September 2001 terrorists attack as one of the mechanism of restructuring the disaster managing system of the US to enhance better disasters preparedness, response, and relief in the future not only from natural disasters and calamities such as diseases outbreaks but also from terrorist attacks. From the basis of the mandates of DHS, the focus of this paper was to scrutinize the effectiveness of DHS through the articulation of theoretical paradigms on emergency and disaster management. In this extent, it had been argued that, even though the literature on emergency and disaster management provides strong evidence that some disasters are unpredictable, infrequent , and enormous to the extent that they constrain resources available to the government, DHS has suffered inefficiencies in the management of disasters and emergencies. A strong case for holding this position is the sluggish response by DHS to the 2005 hurricane Katrina disaster compared to the rapid response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 by FEMA. Reference List Abbott, B. (2005). A legal guide to Homeland Security and Emergency Management for State and Local Governments. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association. Abc NEWS. (2005). Unprepared for disaster: experts say United States may not be prepared for natural or man-made calamities. Web. Arata, C., et al. (2000). Coping with Technological Disaster: An Application of the Conservation of Resources Model to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 13(3), 23-39. Bumgarner, J. (2008). Emergency Management: a Reference Handbook. Santa Barbra, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc. Donahue, K., Joyce, G. (2001). A Framework for Analyzing Emergen cy Management with an Application to Federal Budgeting. Public Administration Review, 61(6), 728-740. Enarson, E., et al (2003). A Social Vulnerability Approach to Disasters. Emmitsburg, Maryland: Emergency Management Institute, Federal Emergency Management Agency. Evans, J., Drabek, E. (2004). Theories Relevant To Emergency Management versus A Theory of Emergency Management (Monograph No. 80208-2948). Denver, Colorado: University of Denver. Hansen, R., Schramm, D. (1993). Aim Scope of Disaster Management. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons. Holdeman, E. (2012). Emergency Management Is a Complicated Profession [(Opinion)]. Web. Jenkins, P. (2003). Image of Terror: What We Can and Cannot Know about Terrorism. New York, NY: Aldine de Gruyter. Lindell, M. (2007). Emergency Management. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons. Lindell, M., Tierney, K., Perry, R. (2001). Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press. McEntire, D. (20 03). Epistemological Problems in Emergency Management: Theoretical Dilemmas and Implications Epistemological Problems in Emergency Management: Theoretical Dilemmas and Implications (Monograph No. 76203-0617). Denton, Texas: University of North Texas. McEntire, D. (2004). The Status of Emergency Management Theory: Issues, Barriers, and Recommendations for Improved Scholarship. Paper Presented at the FEMA Higher Education Conference. FEMA: Higher Education Conference. McEntire, D. (2007). Disciplines, Disasters, and Emergency Management. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, LTD. Nicholson, W. (2003). Emergency Response and Emergency Management Law: Cases and Materials. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, LTD. Nicholson, W. (2005). Homeland Security Law and Policy. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, Publisher LTD. Smith, F. (2006). Budgeting for disasters- part I. Overview of the problem. The Public Manager, 35(1), 11-19. Sylves, R. (2007). A Prà ©cis’ on Political Theory and Emergency Management (Monograph). Newark, DE 19716: University of Delaware. Varghese, M. (2002). Disaster Recovery. Boston: Course Technology. Wormuth, C. (2009). The Next Catastrophe: Ready or Not? Washington Quarterly, 32(1), 93-106.

Monitoring our home planet Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Monitoring our home planet - Research Paper Example This paper will analyze the identified phenomenon that leads to natural disasters through a critique on the available web based monitoring resources. Earthquakes Earthquakes are sudden tremors that result from sudden release of energy from earth crust. The energy produces seismic waves that are experienced as earthquake. The magnitude of earthquake is determined by the degree of frequency of the resultant seismic waves. It is estimated that 500, 000 earthquakes occur annually and they are detectable with the current monitoring instruments. However, only 20% of the detectable earthquakes cannot be felt or experienced. Distribution of earthquakes around the globe is closely associated with tectonic stability. Regions with active geological activities such as volcanoes, and faults lines are more prone to earthquakes than more geologically stable regions. However, this does not restrict earthquakes to certain areas since areas that have never recorded cases of earthquakes such as New York often experience earthquakes that are below the detectable magnitude. The main earthquake zones around the world are closely associated with regions that have h istory of active volcanic activities, strong tidal waves, areas with natural fault lines and regions within tectonic plate interfaces. Seismometers are used to monitor seismic waves in the earth crust and predict earthquakes. Countries such as Japan, Haiti, Indonesia, and Turkey have experienced severe cases of earthquake in the recent past. Various resources have been set to monitor trends of seismic waves and the possibility of earthquakes. IRIS Seismic Monitor, Live Earthquakes Map and GeoNet – Quakes are some the main earthquake monitoring websites. The web based monitoring technology provides up-to-date information and data on earthquakes. However, the websites have a geographical bias and usually assume the welfare of developing countries. It is evident that the current geological system that depicts seismic hotspots is not accurate. However, the websites are restricted to availability and distribution of earthquakes monitoring infrastructures around the world. Politics plays a significant role in the recording and reporting of earthquakes and related information. Most of the global earthquake monitoring infrastructures such as satellites and seismic wave monitors are controlled by major world powers (Ollier, 1988). This indicates that availability of information concerning earthquakes is closely linked with global politics. In addition, data collection is mainly carried out in area that are of political interest. The seismic monitoring resources do not cover less developed countries or regions of less political interests. However, web based results can be used to predict occurrence of earthquakes in less developed countries through extrapolation methods. Global economics plays a critical role in monitoring and

Parents who neglect their children due to methamphetamine addiction Assignment

Parents who neglect their children due to methamphetamine addiction - Assignment Example The new changes in the law clearly show that using or possessing methamphetamine in the presence of a child is child abuse under the abuse and neglect code. In addition, the same law extends to indicate that manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of a child is felony (Doerner & Lab, 2012). If the mother is petitioned in the new law, it will not serve under the former but it will apply under the latter give that the mother allowed the drug to be manufactured by the boyfriend in the presence of the children and cause bodily harm to the infants. If the boyfriend if proved guilty because of the methamphetamine lab evidence, the mother is likely to bear the same penalties which in my case may be charges for felony. All the children will be withdrawn and placed under foster care (Reardon & Noblet, 2009). As the sole responsible adult to the 2, 5 and 7 year old children, the mother is actually a victim of the case. The mother owes the children a duty to care as a mother hence had the sole responsibility to guard the children against the violent boyfriend after consuming methamphetamine (Doerner & Lab, 2012). Incase the mother is not petitioned, the children according to the law must be kept safe by the department of Health and welfare which is responsible for keeping children safe. The services that the department will offer to the children are designed to assist in children protection while strengthening families to block abuse and neglect (Doerner & Lab, 2012). The department looks into the concerns, notifies the family while assessing the situation and offer services to reduce safety concerns. Among the concerns will be removing the child from the family until it is safe for them to be returned back (Pelton, 2001). According to the US department of Health and Human services, several states define how drug is used,

The Importance Of Costs In The Pricing Strategy Accounting Essay

The Importance Of Costs In The Pricing Strategy Accounting Essay It is very important for companies to have a good pricing strategy as it than permits them to earn good profit margin on its product or services and at the same time making it appealing to the customers. Pricing strategies are very important part of business and different organisation spend large sum of money and effort to devise effective and efficient pricing strategies. Following are different types of pricing strategies that different business organisations use in order to attract customers and at the same time to earn profit: Competition Pricing; Psychological Pricing; Cost based Pricing; Price Skimming. Absorption costing The formula that is used by different organisations to calculate the price is:   Selling price. = Cost + profit Cost based pricing: One of the strategies is cost based pricing. This strategy involves first the calculation of the fixed cost and the variable cost of the specific product or service that is offered by an organisation. Once the total cost is calculated than the profit margin is added to each unit i.e. it can 5%, 7% or 9%. The cost based pricing strategy is very efficient strategy as it covers all the costs related to product and service and it also covers the desired profit. Although this strategy looks very simple and easy to use and managers only have to do some financial calculations in order to determine the price of the product or service that is being delivered. But the problem with this strategy is that it doesnt consider the external factors such as market or the competition that also have massive impact on pricing. But as this strategy is very old and the organisation only has to process the internal information to calculate the price thats why it is very popular. The organisation can also justify the prices that have been allocated on the basis of their cost and also prove that the price is the sum of the total cost and the profit. Absorption costing principles: Absorption costing is another costing technique that is widely used it involves the allocation of all the costs that have been incurred by the business organisation to each of its product or the service they offer. This strategy enables them to estimate whether the product will make profit in future or not. During the cost allocation process some assumptions are also made as some costs are fixed and some are variable which depend on the level of production. When absorption costing system is used the profit that are reported by the organisation depend on the level of production and the level of sales by the firm, this is due to the fact the fixed manufacturing overhead is absorbed in the value of work in progress goods and also in the finished goods. But if at the end of the accounting period the stock is not sold out than the fixed manufacturing overhead cost is transferred to the next period. Marginal costing principles: Marginal costing is another significant costing strategy. This strategy gives importance to the behavioural characteristics of the costs. The two elements of the cost are first separated i.e. variable cost in which the cost per unit is same and the total cost changes depending on the level of production and the second element is fixed cost in which the total cost is same irrespective of level of production. It is not very easy to separate fixed and variable costs, the organisation simplify the information to do this and sometimes it is not very accurate. But this costing strategy is very helpful for business organisations to perform different activities such as decision making and short term planning. In this costing system the variable cost is subtracted from the sales revenue to calculate the contribution margin of each product i.e. the amount each product has contributed to cover the total fixed cost that business organisation has sustained. And then the fixed cost is subtracted f rom the contribution margin as fixed cost is treated as period cost and then the net profit is found. 1.2 Design a costing system for use within an organization. The world was hit by the recession in 2007. Now it is been more than six years but still many countries are not able to get rid of it and most of the countries are facing the after effects. The economy has been badly affected by the recession. And therefore business organisations are also giving more attention to the financial aspects of the firm. The business organisations are trying to be prepared for such kind of disasters by using various accounting tools that helps them to closely evaluate their performance whether it is financial or management performance. This also helps them to identify various opportunities. According to Datar et.al (2008) business organisations are giving more attention to cost accounting these days in order to make their financial as well as their strategic decisions. The costing system enables the organisation to easily record the expenses that have been incurred or will be incurred in future. But the other financial technique limits the business organisa tions to sales, marketing and human resource management and does not give the accurate cost of the business activities. There are different costing systems some of them are mentioned above but the three costing systems that are gaining more attention are very popular among business organisations are: Activities-Based Costing System Absorption Costing System Direct Costing System TESCO is a multinational grocery store with millions of turn-over every year; they have been using traditional costing system which is used to cover their huge sales. But now as the competition is increasing in the market due to globalisation and various other factors the number of challenged TESCO is facing is also increasing. Therefore the best costing system for TESCO is activity based costing or ABC system. According to Dekker (2003) the fundamental principle of the activity based costing revolves around value chain analysis and integrated cost evaluation and the sales information that is associated with the supply chain of the organisation. TESCO requires the main costing hub rather than small different departments. It has more than 30,000 products and therefore it is very difficult to keep track of all of them. Any business firm offering this much number of products cannot keep track of the cost and they can be in difficult situation due to overhead cost allocation. Activity based costing system has two divers volume based and non-volume based. The most suitable costing system for TESCO is activity based costing as it helps the organisation to get the exact summary of cost of sales. 1.3 Propose improvements to the costing and pricing systems used by an organization The competition-based pricing policy should be used by TESCO. This strategy helps the firm to finalize the price of the product after analysing the prices set by the other companies that are currently competing in the market. Therefore TESCO should first identify its present competitors that are giving it a cut throat competition. Than after calculating the costs of its products TESCO sets the price of each product. The prices are set either higher, lower or exactly the same prices that are offered by competitors. This decision is actually based on how the competitor will respond to the set price. If there are few competitors in the market than the response of the competitor is very important part of this pricing strategy. Because if this is the case than, when one competitor lowers the price the other competitor will also lower theirs in order to be more competitive. By using this this pricing policy the companies can relatively quickly set their prices and as this strategy does not require accurate market data therefore it requires very little effort to carry it out. Competitive pricing also makes distributors more receptive to a companys products because they are priced within the range the distributor already handles. Furthermore, this pricing policy enables companies to select from a variety of different pricing strategies to achieve their strategic goals. In other words, companies can choose to mark their prices above, below, or on par with their competitors prices and thereby influence customer perceptions of their products. 2.1. Apply forecasting techniques to make cost and revenue decisions in an organization Assumptions for Forecasted Income Statement: The revenues have increased by 5%. The cost of goods sold has increased by 2% The selling, general and admin expenses has been managed to bring down by 3% No further borrowing took place therefore interest expense is same Interest income, income on equity investment and non-operating income has increased by 1%. All the unusual items will be same. Income tax will be 25%. Minority interest in earning and earning from discounted operations will be same. NOTE: All the figures are rounded off to one decimal place. Currency (Millions of British Pounds) As of: Feb 25 2012 GBP % Change Feb 25 2013 GBP Revenue 64,539.0 5% 67,766.0 TOTAL REVENUE 64,539.0 67,766.0 Cost Of Goods Sold (cogs) 59,278.0 2% 60,464.0 GROSS PROFIT 5,261.0 7,302.0 Selling General Admin Expenses, Total (1,634.0) (3%) (1,585.0) Total OPERATING EXPENSES (1,634.0) (1,585.0) OPERATING INCOME 3,627.0 5717.0 Interest Expense (417.0) Same (417.0) Interest Income And Investment Income 114.0 1% 115.0 NET INTEREST EXPENSE (303.0) (302.0) Income On Equity Investments 91.0 1% 92.0 Other Non-Operating Income (Expenses) 44.0 1% 44.0 EBT 3,459.0 5,551.0 Impairment Of Goodwill Same Gain On Sale Of Assets 376.0 Same 376.0 Other Unusual Items Same EBT, INCLUDING UNUSUAL ITEMS 3,835.0 5927.0 Income Tax Expense 879.0 (25%) 1482.0 Minority Interest In Earnings (8.0) Same (8.0) Earnings From Continuing Operations 2,956.0 4,445.0 EARNINGS FROM DISCOUNTINUED OPERATIONS (142.0) Same (142.0) NET INCOME 2,806.0 4,295.0 NET INCOME TO COMMON INCLUDING EXTRA ITEMS 2,806.0 4,295.0 NET INCOME TO COMMON EXCLUDING EXTRA ITEMS 2,948.0 4,437.0 Assumptions for Forecasted balance Sheet: All assets will increase by 3% except the current assets. Current assets will increase by 5%. All current liabilities will increase by 4%. All long term liabilities will increase by 3.95%. Equity will increase by 5%. Currency in Millions of British Pounds As of: Feb 25 2012 GBP % Change Feb 25 2013 GBP Assets http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif Cash And Equivalents 2,305.0 5%http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif 2420.25 Short-Term Investments 1,243.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 1305.15 TOTAL CASH AND SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS 3,548.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 3725.4 Accounts Receivable 2,502.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 2627.1 Notes Receivable http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif Other Receivables 2,244.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 2356.2 TOTAL RECEIVABLES 4,746.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 4983.3 Inventory 3,598.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 3777.9 Prepaid Expenses 420.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 441 Other Current Assets 551.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 578.55 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 12,863.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 13506.15 Gross Property Plant And Equipment 34,772.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 35815.16 Accumulated Depreciation -9,062.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% -9333.86 NET PROPERTY PLANT AND EQUIPMENT 25,710.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 26481.3 Goodwill 3,449.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 3552.47 Long-Term Investments 1,949.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 2007.47 Accounts Receivable, Long Term 1,901.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 1958.03 Loans Receivable, Long Term http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% Deferred Tax Assets, Long Term 23.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 23.69 Deferred Charges, Long Term 677.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 697.31 Other Intangibles 492.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 506.76 Other Long-Term Assets 3,717.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3% 3828.51 TOTAL ASSETS 50,781.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif 52304.43 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif LIABILITIES EQUITY http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif Accounts Payable 5,971.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif4% 6209.84 Accrued Expenses 2,612.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif4% 2716.48 Short-Term Borrowings 415.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif4% 431.6 Current Portion Of Long-Term Debt/Capital Lease 1,423.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif4% 1479.92 Current Portion Of Capital Lease Obligations 32.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif4% 33.28 Current Income Taxes Payable 416.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif4% 432.64 Other Current Liabilities, Total 8,412.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif4% 8748.48 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 19,249.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif4% 20018.96 Long-Term Debt 9,777.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3.95% 10163.19 Capital Leases 134.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3.95% 139.293 Minority Interest 26.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3.95% 27.027 Pension Other Post-Retirement Benefits 1,872.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3.95% 1945.944 Deferred Tax Liability Non-Current 1,160.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3.95% 1205.82 Other Non-Current Liabilities 788.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3.95% 819.126 TOTAL LIABILITIES 32,980.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif3.95% 34319.36 Common Stock 402.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 422.1 Additional Paid In Capital 4,964.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 5212.2 Retained Earnings 12,164.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 12772.2 Treasury Stock -18.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% -18.9 Comprehensive Income And Other 263.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 276.15 TOTAL COMMON EQUITY 17,775.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif5% 18663.75 TOTAL EQUITY 17,801.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif 18,701.00 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 50,781.0 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gifhttp://investing.businessweek.com/research/images/px.gif 52304.43 2.2 Assess the sources of funds available to an organization for a specific project: There are two sources of capital: Equity financing Retained earnings Public stock sale Partners Venture capital companies Corporations Debt financing: Asset based financing Vendor financing Commercial banks But all of the above sources are not suitable for Tesco. It already has floated its stocks in the market therefore only following few sources of funds available to Tesco: Retained earnings The retained earning directly affects the amount of dividend paid to the shareholders. Company can either use its profits as retained earnings or reinvest them or they can give it away as dividend. There are different reasons because of which it is better to use retained earnings to finance the new project instead of giving it as dividend such as company does not have to borrow it and then pay interest on the loan which will incur extra cost. The dividend policy is devised by the directors and they prefer to use retained earnings as an attractive source of fund. Bank lending: Banks are also another important source of funds these days. They lend money to business organisation and charge interest rate on it. The banks lend short term loans in terms of overdraft and short term loans. An overdraft is given by bank which company has to pay back within the set limits. The interest is charged but at a variable rate. Whereas the short term loan is the loan extended by bank for the period of up to three years. Medium loans are another type of loans that are given by banks for the time period of more than three years. The type of loan extended by the bank depends on the credit history of the company. Leasing: There are two types of parties in a lease agreement i.e. lessee and lessor. Lessor is the person who is the owner of the asset and lessee is the person who is willing to use that asset with the payment of certain amount of money. The agreement is signed between two parties after which lessee is allowed to use the asset but he has to make certain amount of payments for certain period of time. We can say that lease is another type of rental. There are different types of assets that can be leased out such as building, house, land furniture, equipment and vehicles etc. There are two different types of lease; operating lease and finance lease. Operating lease is the lease of the equipment for the specified period of time and the lessor has the responsibility of the maintenance of that equipment. The lease period is fairly short. Whereas in finance lease the agreement of lease is relatively long in most cases it is the expected life of the asset that is to be leased. Franchising: This is another attractive source of financing the new business venture for many business organisations. This method requires less financing for business organisation to expand. Two parties are involved in franchising agreement that is franchisor and franchisee. The franchisor gives a right to franchisee to operate its business using the franchisors name but in return franchisee has to pay certain amount of money. The franchisee has to pay an upfront fee to franchisor that covers the business set up cost and then monthly or yearly payments are made that is certain percentage of the franchisee profit. 3.1 select appropriate budgetary targets for an organization The budgeting is very important and essential part of any organisation as it is similar to financial plan that shows the allocation of the financial funds that are available to an organisation to different expenditures. The main drivers of the budget of any organisation are the mission, vision and objectives of that specific organisation. The budget of the business organisation includes different variables Revenues Expenses sales output operating cost fixed cost profits cash flow capital investment The budget of the organisation of the coming year is based on certain key assumptions that are made about the most likely business conditions of the organisation. This help to produce a detailed budget of the organisation which includes monthly sales level, the overall production and also the different expenditures. Business organisations should have flexible budget so that they can easily mould with changing external conditions. For example the actual sales can be higher than the expected value so it is important to change the budget and to increase the costs related to it such as overhead cost, variable cost, labour cost etc. 3.2 participate in the creation of a master budget for an organization Sales (in billions): 1st Quarter  £33,000 2nd Quarter  £30,000 3rd Quarter  £32,000 4th Quarter  £36,000 Costs (in billions): 1st Quarter  £29,000 2nd Quarter  £29,800 3rd Quarter  £29,970 4th Quarter  £31,250 Selling Expenses (in billions): Variable cost: 3% of Sales Fixed cost: (divided in fo