6 Good Reasons to Study English Grammar

6 Good Reasons to Study English Grammar If youre reading this page, its a safe bet that you know English grammar. That is, you know how to put words together in a sensible order and add the right endings. Whether or not youve ever opened a grammar book, you know how to produce combinations of sounds and letters that others can understand. After all, English was used for a thousand years before the first grammar books ever appeared. But how much do you know about grammar? And, really, why should anybody bother to learn about grammar at all? Knowing about grammar, says David Crystal in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (Cambridge University Press, 2003), means being able to talk about what it is we are able to do when we construct sentences  - to describe what the rules are, and what happens when they fail to apply. In the Cambridge Encyclopedia (one of our Top 10 Reference Works for Writers and Editors), Crystal spends several hundred pages examining all aspects of the English language, including its history and vocabulary, regional and social variations, and the differences between spoken and written English. But its the chapters on English grammar that are central to his book, just as grammar itself is central to any study of language. Crystal opens his chapter on Grammar Mythology with a list of six reasons to study grammarreasons worth stopping to think about. Accepting the ChallengeBecause Its There. People are constantly curious about the world in which they live, and wish to understand it and (as with mountains) master it. Grammar is no different from any other domain of knowledge in this respect.Being HumanBut more than mountains, language is involved with almost everything we do as human beings. We cannot live without language. To understand the linguistic dimension of our existence would be no mean achievement. And grammar is the fundamental organizing principle of language.Exploring Our Creative AbilityOur grammatical ability is extraordinary. It is probably the most creative ability we have. There is no limit to what we can say or write, yet all of this potential is controlled by a finite number of rules. How is this done?Solving ProblemsNonetheless, our language can let us down. We encounter ambiguity, and unintelligible speech or writing. To deal with these problems, we need to put grammar under the microscope and work out what w ent wrong. This is especially critical when children are learning to emulate the standards used by educated adult members of their community. Learning Other LanguagesLearning about English grammar provides a basis for learning other languages. Much of the apparatus we need to study English turns out to be of general usefulness. Other languages have clauses, tenses, and adjectives too. And the differences they display will be all the clearer if we have first grasped what is unique to our mother tongue.Increasing Our AwarenessAfter studying grammar, we should be more alert to the strength, flexibility, and variety of our language, and thus be in a better position to use it and to evaluate others use of it. Whether our own usage, in fact, improves, as a result, is less predictable. Our awareness must improve, but turning that awareness into better practiceby speaking and writing more effectivelyrequires an additional set of skills. Even after a course on car mechanics, we can still drive carelessly. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, Like everything metaphysical the harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of the language. If that sounds a bit too lofty, we might return to the simpler words of William Langland in his 14th-century poem The Vision of Piers Plowman: Grammar, the ground of all.

Lord Stirling in the American Revolution

Lord Stirling in the American Revolution Early Career Born in 1726 in New York City, William Alexander was the son of James and Mary Alexander.   From a well-to-do family, Alexander proved a good student with an aptitude for astronomy and mathematics.   Completing his schooling, he partnered with his mother in a provisioning business and proved a gifted trader.   In 1747, Alexander married Sarah Livingston who was the daughter of the wealthy New York merchant Philip Livingston.   With the beginning of the French Indian War in 1754, he commenced service as a provisioning agent for the British Army.   In this role, Alexander cultivated close ties to the Governor of Massachusetts, William Shirley.    When Shirley ascended to the post of commander-in-chief of British forces in North America following the death of Major General Edward Braddock at the Battle of the Monongahela in July 1755, he selected Alexander as one of his aide de camps.   In this role, he met and befriended many of the elites in colonial society including George Washington.   Following Shirleys relief in late 1756, Alexander traveled to Britain to lobby on his former commanders behalf.   While abroad, he learned that the seat of the Earl of Stirling lay vacant.   Possessing family ties to the area, Alexander began pursuing a claim to the earldom and commenced styling himself Lord Stirling.   Though Parliament later declined his claim in 1767, he continued to use the title. Returning Home to the Colonies Returning to the colonies, Stirling resumed his business activities and began building an estate in Basking Ridge, NJ.   Though he received a large inheritance from his father, his desire to live and entertain like nobility often put him into debt.   In addition to business, Stirling pursued mining and various forms of agriculture.   His efforts at the latter saw him win a gold medal from the Royal Society of Art in 1767 for his attempts to commence winemaking in New Jersey.   As the 1760s passed, Stirling became increasingly displeased with British policy towards the colonies.   This change in politics moved him firmly into the Patriot camp when the American Revolution began in 1775 following the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The Fighting Begins Quickly appointed a colonel in the New Jersey militia, Stirling frequently used his own fortune to equip and outfit his men.   On January 22, 1776, he gained notoriety when he led a volunteer force in capturing the British transport Blue Mountain Valley which had grounded off Sandy Hook.   Ordered to New York City by Major General Charles Lee shortly thereafter, he aided constructing defenses in the area and received a promotion to brigadier general in the Continental Army on March 1.   With the successful end of the Siege of Boston later that month, Washington, now leading American forces, began moving his troops south to New York.   As the army grew and reorganized through the summer, Stirling assumed command of a brigade in Major General John Sullivans division which included troops from Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The Battle of Long Island In July, British forces led by General Sir William Howe and his brother, Vice Admiral Richard Howe, began arriving off New York.   Late the following month, the British commenced landing on Long Island.   To block this movement, Washington deployed part of his army along the Guan Heights which ran east-west through the middle of the island.   This saw Stirlings men form the right flank of the army as they held the westernmost part of the heights.   Having thoroughly scouted the area, Howe discovered a gap in the heights to east at Jamaica Pass which was lightly defended.   On August 27, he directed Major General James Grant to make a diversionary attack against the American right while the bulk of the army moved through Jamaica Pass and into the enemys rear. As the Battle of Long Island commenced, Stirlings men repeatedly turned back British and Hessian assaults on their position.   Holding for four hours, his troops believed they were winning the engagement as they were unaware that Howes flanking force had begun rolling up the American left.   Around 11:00 AM, Stirling was compelled to begin falling back and was shocked to see British forces advancing to his left and rear.   Ordering the bulk of his command to withdraw over Gowanus Creek to the final defensive line on Brooklyn Heights, Stirling and Major Mordecai Gist led a force of  260–270 Marylanders in a desperate rearguard action to cover the retreat.   Twice attacking a force of over 2,000 men, this group succeeded delaying the enemy.   In the fighting, all but a few were killed and Stirling was captured. Return to Command at the Battle of Trenton Praised by both sides for his audacity and bravery, Stirling was paroled in New York City and later exchanged for Governor Montfort Browne who had been captured during the Battle of Nassau.   Returning to the army later that year, Stirling led a brigade in Major General Nathanael Greenes division during the American victory at the Battle of Trenton on December 26.   Moving into northern New Jersey, the army wintered at Morristown before assuming a position in the Watchung Mountains.   In recognition of his performance the previous year, Stirling received a promotion to major general on February 19, 1777.   That summer, Howe unsuccessfully attempted to bring Washington to battle in the area and engaged Stirling at the Battle of Short Hills on June 26.   Overwhelmed, he was forced to fall back.   Later in the season, the British commenced moving against Philadelphia via the Chesapeake Bay.   Marching south with the army, Stirlings division deployed behind Brandywine Creek as Washington attempted to block the road to Philadelphia.   On September 11 at the Battle of Brandywine, Howe reprised his maneuver from Long Island by sending a force Hessians against the Americans front while moving the majority of his command around Washingtons right flank.   Taken by surprise, Stirling, Sullivan, and Major General Adam Stephen attempted to shift their troops north to meet the new threat.   Though somewhat successful, they were overwhelmed and the army forced to retreat. The defeat ultimately led to the loss of Philadelphia on September 26.   In an attempt to dislodge the British, Washington planned an attack at Germantown for October 4.   Employing a complex plan, American forces advanced in multiple columns while Stirling was tasked with commanding the armys reserve.   As the Battle of Germantown developed, his troops entered fray and were unsuccessful in their attempts to storm a mansion known as Cliveden.   Narrowly defeated in the fighting, the Americans withdrew before later moving into winter quarters at Valley Forge.   While there, Stirling played a key role in disrupting attempts to unseat Washington during the Conway Cabal.   Later Career In June 1778, the newly-appointed British commander, General Sir Henry Clinton, commenced evacuating Philadelphia and moving his army north to New York.   Pursued by Washington, the Americans brought the British to battle at Monmouth on the 28th.   Active in the fighting, Stirling and his division repulsed attacks by Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis before counterattacking and driving the enemy back.   Following the battle, Stirling and the rest of the army assumed positions around New York City.   From this area, he supported Major Henry Light Horse Harry Lees raid on Paulus Hook in August 1779.   In January 1780, Stirling led an ineffective raid against British forces on Staten Island.   Later that year, he sat on the board of senior officers that tried and convicted British spy Major John Andre. In the late summer of 1781, Washington departed New York with the bulk of the army with the goal of trapping Cornwallis at Yorktown.   Rather than accompany this movement, Stirling was selected to command those forces remaining in the region and maintain operations against Clinton.   That October, he assumed command of the Northern Department with his headquarters at Albany.   Long known for overindulging in food and drink, by this time he had come to suffer from severe gout and rheumatism.   After spending much of his time developing plans to block a potential invasion from Canada, Stirling died on January 15, 1783 only months before the Treaty of Paris formally ended the war.   His remains were returned to New York City and interred in the Churchyard of Trinity Church.      Sources Mount Vernon: Lord StirlingSterling Historical Society: William AlexanderFind a Grave: William Alexander

Operating strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operating strategies - Assignment Example It is also playing an integral roll in problem in problem solving, implementation and knowledge building to build durable trust based relation ship. And also do your best for superior quality and unique impact. Serve all clients as firm clients by influencing our scale and global network of knowledge resources. Also try to develop and broadcast world class research practice. Try to manage client and firm resources in cost effective manner too. If you want to make any kind of reputation and want your company brand as a standard than you have to deliver best of the firm to each and every client. These strategies also give publicity to your product as a standard one. Al ways try to develop and excite your people through a great active learner ship and make bigger, industrial opportunities. Always promote the wide ranging working atmosphere. And also support the compulsion to be descent to work. Respect the responsibility of individuals for balancing professional and private life and also showing care and consulate for every individual. 4. Govern Yourself Through a Partnership Based on Some Values: Always live by the principles of a concerned partner ship and benefit from individual freedom and take for granted the responsibility of mutual accountability and self governance. And always operate as single form. Operating Strategies in Immediate Staffing Group: Operating strategies should be very unique regarding immediate staffing issues for production of new product. The new generation of product will involve the new technologies that are not known by many current engineers. We mean to say that for the production of new generation we need a persons having command in all aspects that are

Hedging an Account Payable Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hedging an Account Payable - Case Study Example This financial agreement is a swap that involves the exchange of principal and interest in one currency for the same in another currency after a specific period of time. It is considered to be a foreign exchange transaction but is not required by law to be shown on the balance sheet. In this type, there should not only be a need for our US based company to acquire Pounds but also the UK supplier needing US dollars. If such is the case, both companies could arrange to swap currencies by establishing an interest rate, an agreed upon amount and a common maturity date for the exchange. Currency swap maturities are negotiable for at least 10 years, making them a very flexible method of foreign exchange. This may be recommendable considering that the UK supplier has a subsidiary in the US which may need US dollars for its transactions. The data available to us however indicates does not contain any information regarding this. (Investopedia, 2006a); (Wikipedia, 2006a). Rather a popular form of swap, the interest rate swap is a financial agreement in which one party exchanges a stream of interest for another party's stream. Interest rate swaps are normally 'fixed against floating' but can also be 'fixed against fixed' or 'floating against floating' rate swaps. Interest rate swaps are used to change the company's exposure to interest rate fluctuations by swapping fixed-rate obligations for floating rate obligations or vice versa. To understand how each party would benefit from this   It is considered to be a foreign exchange transaction but is not required by law to be shown on the balance sheet. In this type, there should not only be a need for our US based company to acquire Pounds but also the UK supplier needing US dollars. If such is the case, both companies could arrange to swap currencies by establishing an interest rate, an agreed upon amount and a common maturity date for the exchange. Currency swap maturities are negotiable for at least 10 years, making them a very flexible method of foreign exchange. This may be recommendable considering that the UK supplier has a subsidiary in the US which may need US dollars for its transactions.  

Social Work Law and Practice Assignment Essay Example for Free

Social Work Law and Practice Assignment Essay â€Å"To be accountable is literally to be liable to be called upon to give an account of what one has done or not done. The account may include all or some of descriptions, explanations, excuses or justifications. † (Banks, 2004, p. 150). Within my current agency context I have a professional accountability which appoints me a duty to carry out and justify my work through; informed theoretical knowledge, professional judgements and legal frameworks which govern the social work profession in the field of criminal justice (Kleinig, 2008). To date I have carried out my ‘supervised direct practice placement’ within a third sector agency whose aim within the ideal of social care and protection is to promote the economic and social welfare in Scotland in working with ex-offenders and young people deemed ‘at risk’ to provide them with the transferable skills they each require to help them find or stay within employment or education (Agency Policy, 2010a). The variety of settings and engagement styles I worked within over this period of time, although diverse, all aimed to uphold the organisations statement of purpose which defines that, â€Å"our work adheres to the use of the organisation’s employability model to; identify, assess and tackle barriers faced by our service users such as debt, family problems and offending. This service delivery should reflect upon the relevant techniques and guidance which focus on reducing re-offending and providing both guidance and advice on conviction relevance and disclosure† (Agency Policy, 2011b). As a social work student I have accountability and adherence to various bodies and individuals whom govern my professional practice. This duty to the work within the lines of multiple accountabilities which are often in tension with each other pose complexity on the work I deliver, which in turn both represents thus public bodies whilst safeguards and promotes the welfare of service users. This statement is agreed by Ingram (2011) who indicates that social workers within Scotland have â€Å"complex interdependencies and relationships in delivering safe, effective, accountable and professional practice† (Scottish Government, 2011). This comment also expands on the crucial professional partnerships I have with other agencies and statutory services. In the purpose of my professional practice I have worked together with the appropriate officials and agencies that all have the common purpose of tackling and delivering practice of various degrees to service users within the criminal justice field. Our service users are the key components of our interest focus and have brought us together to work with a common purpose; their welfare (Banks, 2004). Knowledge of the remit in which other agencies work within is vital, allowing for the reduction in both overlaps and voids in our service delivery (Glasby and Peck, 2004). In my current agency I have used partnership working as a tool to both source information and gather professional opinions from those working with individuals in a different capacity. This has marginally been in liaising with social workers for developed background information on the service users I have worked with and informing their professional decision making with regard to each individual’s progression with the organisation following referral. This multi-disciplinary style of working, although beneficial to my development and progression of work with individuals is additionally a legal standard of conduct which governs my professional performance (Pycroft and Gough, 2010). The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is the regulatory body whom describes and governs the standards of conduct which I am accountable to deliver in my work with individuals. Through my essential registration to them it is their guidance that outlines those standards and values I must adhere to in my professional practice. It is this Council that foresees the essentiality of; â€Å"Recognising and respecting the roles and expertise of workers from other agencies and working in partnership with them† (SSSC, 2003: 6. 7). This code of conduct influenced my role of with a number of service user during practice placement in collecting data both verbally and in the form of documentation from professionals, most commonly their social workers, whilst elaborating on the underlying goals I had in terms of developing ‘employability skills’. This in turn reflected upon my code’s of practice in contributing to the learning of others in improving and developing my knowledge of our each specific; accountabilities, powers and skills within our contrasting roles of working (SSSC, 2003: 6. ). Various research and informative legislation outlines my upheld values and duties within the Scottish context of social work. It is this legal writing alongside academic literature that influences my ‘need’ to act in particular ways and deliver ‘required’ services. It is in balancing my duties and accountabilities outlined by this published guidance that I am obligated to make my informed decisions and professional judgements with regard to my service user group (Lishman, 2007). Alongside this is additionally my duty o service users and my practice organisation, they may both have expectation from the practice I deliver, however striving to compliment this by working closely within the remit of my allowances as a trainee practitioner is what I have aimed to evidence to date (Fraser and Matthews, 2008). â€Å"It seems that the balance of accountabilities of social work practice has become somewhat skewed, with too much emphasis on accountability to the employer and not enough on individual professional accountability† (Scottish Executive, 2006, p. 30). This argument agrees that the delivery of effective practice is often focused more heavily upon one group or organisation. My working has aimed to display professional accountable to all those individuals and appropriate agencies during this practice learning whilst still implementing and working within the legislation that governs my work as a student social worker. Within my individual working with service users I have used both theory and ‘skills’ derived from the professional context such as active listening and open ended questions. These ‘skills’ are essential in portraying my professional competence as a social work student and beneficial to the forming of effective professional relationships and information gathering. As well as displaying my ability to practice these methods within my working I am accountable to do so by the SSSC who state that I must ; meet the outlines standards of practice whilst working in both an effective and safe way whilst within the boundaries of current legislation (SSSC, 2003: 6. 1). This has been displayed most commonly been through the initial contact assessment meetings I have both conducted and participated within. The main purpose of these meetings is to; inform, assess and discuss available routes and options available to each service user whilst anticipating their offending behaviour and criminal convictions and other relevant factors which could influence the sustaining of current or future employment (Agency Policy, 2010b). A common example of my working in this service delivery is in collaborating a disclosure letter with an individual, this document details their criminal convictions and gives an account for their occurrence; whilst drawing on the influences that were apparent for them to have happened. In order to complete such a letter with a service user I have had to obtain signed authorisation from them in order to access their charge sheet which is in the possession of their social worker. This element of work is governed by Shedule 20 of the Data Portection Act 1998; which outlines that the social worker has the authority as an official worker to supply confidential information if requested whilst permitted by the individual who is specified within the data (Gibbons-Wood, 2008). Upon receiving a copy of this official summary of convictions, I then calculate what convictions are ‘spent’ and ‘unspent’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This legislation governs the provision of the ‘employment and guidance’ service the organisation delivers. I worked within the remit of its legal guidance by calculating what convictions need to be disclosed to an employer and what ones do not in each service user’s case. This calculation is made dependant on; nature of conviction, time in between offending and reoffending and the length of sentence/probation period they served (Croall, et al. 010). The outcome of supporting service users to write a disclosure letter is ultimately to have a paper document that will support their job applications and interviews. The letter, in accordance with the relevant legislation provides the information that will allow an employer to assess the relevance of an individual’s convictions to the post being applied for (McLaughlin, 2008). Within this work I was mindful to be honest in my recommendations with regard to service user’s wishes towards employment whilst respecting their decisions and desires towards work. I did not at any point wish to be seen as discouraging or negative about their ambitions but had to be realistic about how the nature of their convictions could affect the post they want. One example of this lies within my working with Stacey*; she was eager to learn about the most appropriate way to disclose your past to en employer including her criminal convictions with the help of the organisation. Stacey wished to pursue a career in child care however had four convictions of ‘assault causing permanent disfigurement’ and several pending charges of theft. Although she may have been deemed as having the ambition and caring nature which is required for this work her convictions would most likely put a barrier on working with children and those within a vulnerable people grouping. I had to convey this information to her appropriately whilst being sensitive to her feelings. Ultimately I explained that I could not provide a factual answer to whether or not employment in this field would be possible as it is always at the employers’ discretion, however had to be realistic in terms of how these convictions may influence er working with children. Delivering this information in the most; open honest and accurate way I could posed complexity on the relationship I was building with Stacey through this discussion as I was unable to determine how she would respond although I aimed to not allow any false pretences within her expectations. This honesty to service users is a factor governed by my professional duty to practice and uphold the ap propriate ethical decision making and values for social workers (Walker and Crawford, 2010). My values and ethics although in part derive from some personal beliefs and experiences are governed within my professional practice through my accountability to the British Association for Social Workers (BASW*). This association defines my responsibility to service users alongside the ethics and values I must adhere to within my work with them. It is within this guidance that my obligation and duty to respect service user’s backgrounds and beliefs are outlined as well as valuing their thoughts and wishes whilst working at all times to meet their needs and interests (BASW, 2002). The dilemma I faced in working with Stacey came following the discussion we engaged in about her criminal convictions posing limitations on her desire to work with children. She told me that she understood why she may not be able to work in this sector and how limitations to other jobs in the care and support field may also be a result of this. Despite Stacey acknowledging and showing understanding to this information she disclosed that if she thought within any job application that she would not be considered due to her criminal record she would simply claim that she has no criminal convictions or pending charges. This left me with a an ethical decision to make; although I felt that Stacey had many personal attributes and the passion to make a success of a career within child care her not disclosing this information could ultimately put individuals including the children she may come to work with at risk. I was both duty bound and accountable to convey this information to employers or other professionals in this instance for the purpose of both public and child protection if she were not to do so herself and I made this clear to Stacey. Although I encouraged the importance of being honest with employers when it comes to the criminal history of service users I am bound by governmental policy in relation to child protection to share any information that may put the welfare or safety of children in jeopardy (Scottish Executive, 2002). Parallel with my accountability to service users are my additional accountabilities to my organisation and practice of the social work profession in which I represent as a student. I upheld this obligation through adherence to and practice within the diverse organisational policies which were in place and abided by the local and national policy that administers work within the field of criminal justice. A key document which outlines my learning requirements and elements I must both adhere to and demonstrate is The Framework for Social Work Education in Scotland. It is this document, set out by the government, which displays thus guiding principles I am expected to uphold and practice through my work with service users. One of which is my ability to demonstrate within a practice setting a â€Å"high level of transferable skills† (Scottish Government, 2003). This in turn defines my obligation to put my learning of theory and a range of; modules, skills and information I have studied from the social work context into practice within my practice organisation and demonstrate it to a competent standard. An obligation I have which is outlined in sections within the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 is to record with respect to each individual; what I did, why I done it and the outcomes or professional judgements I made in each instance (Davis and Gordon, 2011). In relation to my organisation I fulfilled this duty by keeping records up to date and accurate, documenting only information that was relevant to the welfare of the service user and purposeful regarding their employment needs. Most of my work with the organisation has been with young people aged between 16-25 years who are in contact with social work. A large proportion of my working with them has been influenced by conditions/orders or convictions they have incurred through the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 and Care and Protection (Scotland) Act 1995 (Gibbons-Wood, 2008). However it is dependent on the nature of conviction which deems what legislation most heavily influences the sentencing of each service user and also the diverse nature and aims of the working style being formed with them. In my working with convicted sex offenders I was aware of the relevant legislation and guidance in place a national level which governs my working objectives and outlines my duty to be proactive in sharing information with external organisations and local authority teams. The Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA’S) framework was formed following the Management of Offenders Act 2005. It is this framework that governs my professional working with those convicted of a sexual offence making me â€Å"obligated by a statutory duty to cooperate, all relevant agencies including local authorities, voluntary organisations and, crucially, health services are jointly charged with the ‘management’ of such offenders (Gibbons-Wood, 2008, p. 232). Prior to my first assessment meeting with an individual charged with a sexual offence I used supervision from my workplace supervisor to discuss my concerns over my lack of experience in dealing with those service users convicted of schedule one offences. I felt I required more information on the individual’s circumstances and convictions prior to this arranged contact to aid my preparation and knowledge of his criminal history. I explained to my supervisor that I wished to contact his social worker to collect this information, which would ease my concerns on this occasion with respect to his referral information being extremely brief. This allowed for more relevant preparation to be conducted and a strengthening in partnership working with his social worker as we shared professional opinions and other information relevant to the purpose of his referral to the service. This professional partnership working adhered to the MAPPA framework in assisting our delivery of effective and applicable practice (McNeill and Whyte, 2007). The preparation on this occasion also included me independently requesting a risk assessment to be carried out before meeting the individual via one-to-one engagement. As I have to date had no sex offender or collusion training I requested this be carried out with support from my colleagues. My workplace supervisor explained to me that this is not mandatory within the policies and procedures of the organisation however I explained that I felt it to be necessary on this occasion and how I felt it would positively assist future practice. Following the expression my concern I was forwarded risk assessment paperwork from my superior in which I passed onto the individual’s social worker to be completed. The risk assessment paperwork aimed to allow his social worker to; â€Å"Make professional judgement on the level of risk this individual may pose onto staff members whilst detailing their conviction and victim group and showing what they recommend for risk management for the named individual† (Agency Policy, 2011a). I felt in my request for such an assessment to be carried out I displayed competence in my ability to use resources to aid my working relationships and support a ‘safe’ working environment. Although it was not essentially common practice within my agency is proved to be good practice in assisting my readiness for initial contact. Conclusively, a dilemma I faced throughout the duration of my practice placement was that the agency was not a statutory organisation. This meant that my work on a day to day basis was not always governed by national guidelines and government legislation, instead by organisational policies and procedures which were in certain cases only influenced by this relevant legislation. I responded to this by working as well as I could within the provisions set from both my organisation and those in place for me to best utilise my skills as a social work student. Working in the closest relation to the obligations I have as a trainee practicioner from the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 I acknowledged that; â€Å"the need to have an understanding of legal issues which service users may face even though there may not be a direct social work responsibility involved in the issue† (Brammer, 2010, p. ). I understand that I am not a qualified or approved social worker therefore I am not yet liable for to make individual decisions without the input of supervision from colleagues (Lackey, 2006). However, I aimed to show my accountability to the vast array of individuals and organisations I came into contact with over the duration of direct practice learning despite my obligations lying mostly with the organisation I was practicing within.

The Holocaust and the Cultivation of Bigotry and Hate Essay examples --

The Holocaust and the Cultivation of Bigotry and Hate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe was about 9.5 million people. The number represented more than 60 percent of the world's Jewish population at that time, estimated at 15.3 million. So how could two out of every three European Jews be dead by the end of World War 2? The answer to this question lies in the hands of Adolph Hitler. Adolph Hitler has helped destroy the lives of millions of families around the world, but how was he able to take part in these mass killing of Jews all around Europe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Adolph Hitler was 18, he became interested in German nationalism, because he lived on the German-Austrian border. He became interested in politics, only after failing in art. Hitler became close friends with the mayor of Vienna, Karl Lueger. Lueger was an anti-Semite and Jew hater. Even though Hitler still had a few Jewish friends, the messages from Lueger began to sink in. In World War 1, Hitler volunteered his services to Germany, claiming a sense of pride and belonging to the German army. He was not a great solider, but Hitler was stoic, loyal, and courageous. After the war he became increasingly anti-Semitic, which won the attention of his superiors. The Rise of the Nazi party   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the end of 1919, the German army had Hitler, now age 30, and looks into an organization called the German Worker?s Party. Soon after, Hitler joined and became head of propaganda. The party fiercely attacked Communism, and was heavily anti-Semitic. As more and more people feared Communist revolution in Germany, the more and more people joined the party. In 1920, Hitler modified a common ancient symbol to form the swastika, or twisted cross, as a symbol for his party. He then changed the name of the party to the National Socialist German Worker?s Party, or, in the shortened German form, the NAZI party. By 1921, the Nazi party had over 3000 members, mostly drawing in large numbers of ultra-conservatives from Munich. Between 1921 and 1923, Germany had collapsed into financial ruin. Germany was presented with a 33 billion dollar bill, as reparations as a result of World War I. Inflation hit the roof, and the economy was finished. Life savings were completely wiped o ut. As a result, riots broke out. These riots incited extremist political groups into action, quickly bringing Germany to the brink of chao... ...shootings could have been prevented, but instead families and friends will never see their loved ones again. One of the signs that this nation is learning about being sensitive about others feelings is with the South?s flag. That flag may represent the South to many, but to some it represents racism. So after many protest, arguments, and cries, the flag was changed to a new one. That is just a small example of how a giant nation like America could change for the compassion of others. If we could do it then anyone could. Works Cited Doraplean, Andreas. "Adolf Hitler." Microsoft Encarta Multimedia Encyclopedia. CD- ROM. Microsoft Multimedia. 2005 Franklin, Mike. "We Must Remember the Holocaust." 1990. <http://www- tech.mit.edu/V110/N20/frankl.20o.html> (4/26/07) Hilberg, Raul. "Holocaust." Microsoft Encarta Multimedia Encyclopedia. CD- ROM. Microsoft Multimedia. 2005 Keegan, John. The Second World War. New York: Penguin Books, 1989. 79-468. Korn, Joey. "Abe's Story: Excerpts & Synopsis." 1995.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  <http://remember.org/abe/excerpts.html> (4/26/07) Stone, Alan A. "Spielberg?s Success." 1993. http://bostonreview.mit.edu/Br19.3/Stone.html (4/26/01) The Holocaust and the Cultivation of Bigotry and Hate Essay examples -- The Holocaust and the Cultivation of Bigotry and Hate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe was about 9.5 million people. The number represented more than 60 percent of the world's Jewish population at that time, estimated at 15.3 million. So how could two out of every three European Jews be dead by the end of World War 2? The answer to this question lies in the hands of Adolph Hitler. Adolph Hitler has helped destroy the lives of millions of families around the world, but how was he able to take part in these mass killing of Jews all around Europe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Adolph Hitler was 18, he became interested in German nationalism, because he lived on the German-Austrian border. He became interested in politics, only after failing in art. Hitler became close friends with the mayor of Vienna, Karl Lueger. Lueger was an anti-Semite and Jew hater. Even though Hitler still had a few Jewish friends, the messages from Lueger began to sink in. In World War 1, Hitler volunteered his services to Germany, claiming a sense of pride and belonging to the German army. He was not a great solider, but Hitler was stoic, loyal, and courageous. After the war he became increasingly anti-Semitic, which won the attention of his superiors. The Rise of the Nazi party   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the end of 1919, the German army had Hitler, now age 30, and looks into an organization called the German Worker?s Party. Soon after, Hitler joined and became head of propaganda. The party fiercely attacked Communism, and was heavily anti-Semitic. As more and more people feared Communist revolution in Germany, the more and more people joined the party. In 1920, Hitler modified a common ancient symbol to form the swastika, or twisted cross, as a symbol for his party. He then changed the name of the party to the National Socialist German Worker?s Party, or, in the shortened German form, the NAZI party. By 1921, the Nazi party had over 3000 members, mostly drawing in large numbers of ultra-conservatives from Munich. Between 1921 and 1923, Germany had collapsed into financial ruin. Germany was presented with a 33 billion dollar bill, as reparations as a result of World War I. Inflation hit the roof, and the economy was finished. Life savings were completely wiped o ut. As a result, riots broke out. These riots incited extremist political groups into action, quickly bringing Germany to the brink of chao... ...shootings could have been prevented, but instead families and friends will never see their loved ones again. One of the signs that this nation is learning about being sensitive about others feelings is with the South?s flag. That flag may represent the South to many, but to some it represents racism. So after many protest, arguments, and cries, the flag was changed to a new one. That is just a small example of how a giant nation like America could change for the compassion of others. If we could do it then anyone could. Works Cited Doraplean, Andreas. "Adolf Hitler." Microsoft Encarta Multimedia Encyclopedia. CD- ROM. Microsoft Multimedia. 2005 Franklin, Mike. "We Must Remember the Holocaust." 1990. <http://www- tech.mit.edu/V110/N20/frankl.20o.html> (4/26/07) Hilberg, Raul. "Holocaust." Microsoft Encarta Multimedia Encyclopedia. CD- ROM. Microsoft Multimedia. 2005 Keegan, John. The Second World War. New York: Penguin Books, 1989. 79-468. Korn, Joey. "Abe's Story: Excerpts & Synopsis." 1995.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  <http://remember.org/abe/excerpts.html> (4/26/07) Stone, Alan A. "Spielberg?s Success." 1993. http://bostonreview.mit.edu/Br19.3/Stone.html (4/26/01)

To Kill a Mockingbird: Innocence

A songbird's melody can evoke happiness in anyone, as can the smiling face of a child. The mockingbird sings for the sake of singing, and an innocent child possesses an inborn joyfulness, as natural as instinct. Yet a mockingbird's song dies as easily as the innocence of a child. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem are portrayed as innocents, uncorrupted by our world of prejudice and racism. Their world is simple, sensible, a child's world.However, three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus, are consumed by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. By the end of the novel, their world has expanded to enclose the irrational nature of humans. Jem and Scout's growing up is portrayed by a series of events that shatters their innocence as easily as a mockingbird can be silenced.Lee uses a combination of insignificant and profound events: the trial of Tom Robinson, Walter C unningham, and their relationship with Boo Radley to develop and display the children’s growth in maturity. One of the first cracks in Scout’s armour of naivete occurs due to the fact that she speaks her mind. On Scout’s first day of school Scout tries to explain to her teacher that she is embarrassing Walter Cunningham by offering him something that he will not be able to pay back. Scout realizes that because her teacher is not a local, she will not know that about the Cunningham’s, but Scout's explanation gets her into trouble.When Scout explains â€Å"Walter’s one of the Cunningham’s,† (26), she was not trying to be insulting, but Miss Caroline mistakes her frank and innocent explanation as arrogance or rudeness and punishes her for it. Scout's perception of the world and her classmates is not yet marred by the social divisions that adults see. When Scout has Walter over for a meal Scout really does insult Walter this time as she q uestions the way he eats by saying â€Å"But he’s gone and drowned his dinner in syrup† (32) and makes him feel self-conscious.She is not doing it intentionally, she is just curious because she has never seen people who eat that way. She is too young to understand the social graces of Southern hospitality that dictate that you are always to make people feel at home and welcome no matter how unusual their habits may be. Scout and Jem are surrounded by racism and prejudice as children, but until they mature , they do not see it for what it is, until something enormously, obviously wrong occurs close to home. At first Scout does not understand what is wrong and keeps asking Jem questions about what is happening.While Atticus is asking questions directed to Mayella, â€Å"Slowly but surely [she] could see the pattern of Atticus’ questions† (244). Although this shows that Scout’s understanding about her father has improved, she is still oblivious to the deeper meaning of the trial. While Jem is explaining to Dill, Scout â€Å"supposes† it is â€Å"the finer points of the trial† (252). With Jem being able to do this, this proves that Jem has matured greatly since the beginning. But what surprised Scout and blew Jem away was the obvious unfairness of the verdict.When Jem states â€Å"You just can’t convict a man on evidence like that,† proves that Jem realizes the injustice that Tom Robinson faced (295). Atticus has shielded Scout and her brother from any outward prejudice against blacks. However, even he could not keep out the thought that coloured were not quite the same. Racism has been so deeply ingrained that Scout didn't realize its intensity and results until that tragedy opened her eyes. As a result, racism and its effects entered the ever-expanding world of the Finch children.Because of the perspective of childhood innocence, Boo Radley is given no identity apart from the youthful superstitions t hat surround him, and it is these superstitions that leave Jem and Scout oblivious to the fact that Boo just wants to protect them. Scout at first describes Boo as a â€Å"malevolent phantom,† (10) while Jem illustrates him as a â€Å"six-and-a-half feet tall† man that â€Å"dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch† (16). With these expressions they demonstrated how innocent the children are.After the children have found gifts inside a knot hole in a tree, their father finds out about their â€Å"game†. When Atticus witnesses his children leaving a note in the hole, he believes his children are causing harm so he tells them to â€Å"stop tormenting the man† (65). When Atticus says, â€Å"You just told me,† Jem did not realize that without actually saying that they were playing the Boo Radley game he still admitted to his father that that is what they were doing. Originally portrayed as a freak and a lunatic, Boo Radley continues to gain the sympathy of the children.When Nathan Radley closes the hole, Scout sees it as no more gifts, but Jem takes it more to heart. Nathan Radley claims that the â€Å"tree’s dying† (83) so Jem asks his father where he says that the tree is fine. When Jem realizes that Nathan had just cut off their connection, he was â€Å"crying,† (84). It is when Scout and Jem need saving that Scout understands that Boo was just merely looking out for them. While saying â€Å"Hey Boo† in person, this shows how mature Scout has gotten during the three years (362).Scout losses her innocence when she realizes that Boo Radley has given so much to them- gifts in the tree, a warm blanket on a cold night, folded up pants on a fence and their LIVES, but they have never repaid him. As if they were the harmless songbirds, the children's innocence is shattered by these events. Through their interactions with Walter, Tom’s trial and Boo Radley social prejudice, racism, mo bs, and â€Å"social exceptions† are now a part of their world. The naivete and purity have been replaced by the knowledge of human nature and the corruption of our world. The world is no longer simple, and the mockingbird is dead.

Community Problems

Many neighborhoods face serious community problems because of certain factors and they have a certain effect on the people living In the communities. I live around a community where there are a lot of car street races which happen on a regular basis and It creates major chaos over the weekends. Seems Like It Is not a major Issue, however, these street races cause major trouble to all the neighbors as It creates noise, causes accidents. Creates trouble for all the stores around, for people traveling at night and so on.Every weekend, a specific parking lot in the town of Formidable is filled with Hot Rods, college students, high school students and even adults, not to mention, cops too. This is a huge parking lot outside a mall which has plenty of room for cars and is connected to a highway-route 110. It is the main attraction for guys and girls with hot rods. I heard a lot of stories about this location and about the races taking place there every weekend so I decided to take a look f or myself before I could believe any of this.One night, I made a trip to this famous parking lot! At first, when I got to the parking lot, all I saw was a few random cars parked with some guys standing around them and talking to each other In groups. I parked my car there and stopped to watch what happens. I was extremely curious because I had only heard of these kind of scenes in movies and never thought it would be the reality. A little after 1 1 pm, a group of cars came into the parking lot with extremely loud exhaust pipes and loud music.As they revved up the engines my adrenaline started pumping. I could not believe what my eyes saw. A large number of cars drove n and parked there. There were people of all different age groups coming in from high school students, to college students and even elderly men around the age of forty who wanted to show off their hot rods. Soon after, some drivers including female drives took their cars out into the driveway and started drifting and pe rforming rolling burnouts to get the crowd excited.I stepped out of my car and stood there to watch. These people were enjoying themselves with loud music, alcohol, dancing with girls and screaming and shouting. I was shocked when a few gig school kids approached me to ask me about my car because these kids were 9th graders who had sneaked out of their houses at midnight with their parents cars for these races. After around half an hour, a group of cars revved up their engines and started moving towards route 110 so I decided to follow.Once we got onto route 110 they start driving like crazy people over speeding and cutting lanes and eventually turned onto a street off route 110. This lane was completely isolated and there were barely any cars parked there so they lined up their cars there and made a roadblock t the two ends of the lane and started having drag races which made a lot of sound and obviously called In for cops. This is where the major problems from these races start. O nce the cops come In, chaos occurs.These guys get Into their cars and started racing off from these race sites In all different directions to avoid getting caught. They go onto the main roads and over speed causing accidents not only for themselves but all the noise they create. They get into accidents, get caught and pay fines, cause trouble to other drivers on the road and so on. This is a major community problem as it attracts a lot of students in the community from not only colleges but also high schools.These kids have illegal modifications on their cars which adds to money in the black market. It also encourages many others to Join this racing league which leads to accidents and deaths. There is a lot of illegal betting and gambling, underage drinking, over speeding and many such laws broken which cause serious community problems every weekend and according to me this should be checked and stopped as soon as possible!

New to the Media essays

New to the Media essays I have never been to a live play performance before, but I have seen one on video. I loved it as though I was reading a great storybook; being able to stop at anytime and pick up where I left off, but I never thought about the relationship between the performers and the audience. Nor did I think of the impact of all of the aspects that deal with creating a play and giving a great performance. For my first live play I went to go see Polaroid Stories; a play I thought would not be so shocking to a first time audience member. I was wrong; this play almost literally looked me in the face and slapped me. The play had the look of a run down playhouse that had little funding and little direction, but I later pieced it together that they made it part of the play, and obviously you are not supposed to see those who are back stage directing. Additionally, I over looked the performers costumes, the stage lighting, and set design; everything I took for granted. I thought I could see the props and everything that was strategically placed or used, but I missed them all. I was surprised at how these people in charge took the look of a run down playhouse and made it their stage. This was life on lifes canvas and it was totally different from watching television. Everything became so tangible and real. For a moment I lost my self and really got into the play. I didnt think I was watching a group of people on a set acting for my entertainment, I felt I was actually watching life. As if I stepped out of my body for a moment and walked the streets seeing the life of these street kids. You cant exactly get that from television; your mind is constantly running when you watch this play. The fact that the stage was right in front of me does not compare to television. If I took one step forward I would have been on stage, i f I wasnt already. One of the actors I felt breeze by me, and I could smell the smoke ...

The Different Types of Cloning Techniques

The Different Types of Cloning Techniques Cloning refers to the development of offspring that are genetically identical to their parent. Animals which reproduce asexually are examples of clones that are produced naturally. Thanks to advances in genetics, however, cloning can also occur artificially by using certain cloning techniques. Cloning techniques are laboratory processes used to produce offspring that are genetically identical to the donor parent. Clones of adult animals are created by the processes of artificial twinning and somatic cell nuclear transfer. There are two variations of the somatic cell nuclear transfer method. They are the Roslin Technique and the Honolulu Technique. It is important to note that in all of these techniques the resulting offspring will be genetically identical to the donor and not the surrogate unless the donated nucleus is taken from a somatic cell of the surrogate. Cloning Techniques Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer The term somatic cell nuclear transfer refers to the transfer of the nucleus from a somatic cell to an egg cell. A somatic cell is any cell of the body other than a germ cell (sex cell). An example of a somatic cell would be a blood cell, heart cell, skin cell, etc. In this process, the nucleus of a somatic cell is removed and inserted into an unfertilized egg that has had its nucleus removed. The egg with its donated nucleus is then nurtured and divides until it becomes an embryo. The embryo is then placed inside a surrogate mother and develops inside the surrogate. The Roslin Technique The Roslin Technique is a variation of somatic cell nuclear transfer that was developed by researchers at the Roslin Institute. The researchers used this method to create Dolly. In this process, somatic cells (with nuclei intact) are allowed to grow and divide and are then deprived of nutrients to induce the cells into a suspended or dormant stage. An egg cell that has had its nucleus removed is then placed in close proximity to a somatic cell and both cells are shocked with an electrical pulse. The cells fuse and the egg is allowed to develop into an embryo. The embryo is then implanted into a surrogate. The Honolulu Technique The Honolulu Technique was developed by Dr. Teruhiko Wakayama at the University of Hawaii. In this method, the nucleus from a somatic cell is removed and injected into an egg that has had its nucleus removed. The egg is bathed in a chemical solution and cultured. The developing embryo is then implanted into a surrogate and allowed to develop. Artificial Twinning While the previously mentioned techniques involve somatic cell nuclear transfer, artificial twinning does not. Artificial twinning involves fertilization of a female gamete (egg) and separation of resulting embryonic cells in the early stages of development. Each separated cell continues to grow and can be implanted into a surrogate. These developing embryos mature, eventually forming separate individuals. All of these individuals are genetically identical, as they were originally separated from a single embryo. This process is similar to what happens in the development of natural identical twins. Why Use Cloning Techniques? Researchers hope that these techniques can be used in researching and treating human diseases and genetically altering animals for the production of human proteins and transplant organs. Another potential application includes the production of animals with favorable traits for use in agriculture.

Career Self-Efficacy Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Career Self-Efficacy Theory - Research Paper Example A new part of my entrepreneurial careers commenced as I opened a daycare center at home so I could both earn a living and also be near my children. When they finally were old enough to go to school, I resumed my IT career but I realized that I had been out for too long, and I needed to hone my skills so as to catch up, I worked part-time in computer maintenance, until I got a realtors license and started a new career. I have so far managed to juggle family, education and my realtor job and am finally at a point where I am about to complete my degree; I could either look for a job in the computer sector again or use my IT skills to develop my realtor career and possible strike out on my own. From my career trajectory, I can examine myself through several theoretical viewpoints that are concerned with work and career, Donald Super’s theory of living space and lifespan is particularly applicable since it describes a career trajectory in stages of occupational preferences and comp etencies that change as one grows (Savickas, 1997). His theory is founded on the concept of vocational maturity which can correspond to one’s chronological age since people move through a variety of stages throughout their professional life. The first stage is growth which involved the development of a self-concept as one adjusts to their needs and figures out their environment, the stage is normally from self-awareness to when one is around 14. In my case, I had already decided I wanted to be independent which is why I started working at age 12.   The second step is exploration between 15 and 24 where one tries out various concepts before they decide which they will settle for; this was true in my case as I worked various jobs throughout high school and college before I decided to pursue computer studies.