Wednesday, July 31, 2019
The Return: Midnight Chapter 16
ââ¬Å"Once upon a time,â⬠began Bonnie, ââ¬Å"there were a young girl and boyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ She was immediately interrupted. ââ¬Å"What were their names?â⬠â⬠Were they slaves?â⬠â⬠Where did they live?â⬠â⬠Were they vampires?â⬠Bonnie almost forgot her misery and laughed. ââ¬Å"Their names wereâ⬠¦Jack andâ⬠¦Jil . They were kitsune, and they lived way up north in the kitsune sector around the Great Crossingsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ And she proceeded, albeit with many excited interruptions, to tel the story she had gotten from the star bal . ââ¬Å"So,â⬠Bonnie concluded nervously, as she opened her eyes and realized that she'd attracted quite a crowd with her story, ââ¬Å"that's the tale of the Seven Treasures, and ââ¬â and I suppose the moral is ââ¬â don't be too greedy, or you won't end up with anything.â⬠There was a lot of laughter, the nervous giggling of the girls and the ââ¬Å"Haw! Haw haw!â⬠kind of laughter from the crowd behind them. Which Bonnie now noticed was entirely male. One part of her mind started unconsciously to go into flirt mode. Another part immediately squashed it. These weren't boys looking for a dance; these were ogres and vampires and kitsune and even men with mustaches ââ¬â and they wanted to buy her in her little black bubble dress, and as nice as the dress might be for some things, it wasn't like the long, jeweled gowns that Lady Ulma had made for them. Then they had been princesses, wearing a fortune's worth of jewels at their throats and wrists and hair ââ¬â and besides, they had had fierce protection with them at al times. But now, she was wearing something that felt a lot like a baby-dol nightgown and delicate little shoes with silvery bows. And she wasn't protected because this society said you had to have men to be protected, and, worst of al â⬠¦she was a slave. ââ¬Å"I wonder,â⬠said a golden-haired man, moving through the girls around her, al of whom hurried out of his way except Mouse and Eren, ââ¬Å"I wonder if you would go upstairs with me and perhaps tel me a story ââ¬â in private.â⬠Bonnie tried to swal ow her gasp. Now she was the one hanging on to Mouse and Eren. ââ¬Å"Al such requests must go through me. No one is to take a girl out of the room unless I approve,â⬠announced a woman in a ful -length dress, with a sympathetic, almost Madonna-like face. ââ¬Å"That wil be treated as theft of my mistress's property. And I'm sure we don't al want to be arrested as if we'd been caught carrying off the silverware,â⬠she said and laughed lightly. There was equal y light laughter among the guests as Well, and movement toward the woman ââ¬â at a sort of mannerly run. ââ¬Å"You tel real y good stories,â⬠Mouse said in her soft voice. ââ¬Å"It's more fun than using a star bal .â⬠ââ¬Å"Mouse, here, is right,â⬠Eren said, grinning. ââ¬Å"You do tel good stories. I wonder if that place real y exists.â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, I got it out of a star bal ,â⬠Bonnie said. ââ¬Å"One that the girl ââ¬â um, Jil , put her memories in, I think ââ¬â but then how did it get out of that tower? How did she know what happened to Jack? And I read a story about a giant dragon and that felt real too. How do they do it?â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh, they trick you,â⬠Eren said, waving a dismissive hand. ââ¬Å"They have somebody go someplace cold for the scenery ââ¬â an ogre probably, because of the weather.â⬠Bonnie nodded. She'd met mauve-skinned ogres before. They only differed from demons in their level of stupidity. At this level, they tended to be stupid in society, and she'd heard Damon say with a curled lip that the ones that were out of society were hired muscle. Thugs. ââ¬Å"And the rest they just fake somehow ââ¬â I don't know. Never real y thought about it.â⬠Eren looked up at Bonnie. ââ¬Å"You're an odd one, aren't you, Bonny?â⬠ââ¬Å"Am I?â⬠Bonnie asked. She and the two other girls had revolved, without letting go of hands. This meant that there was some space behind Bonnie. She didn't like that. But, then, she didn't like anything about being a slave. She was starting to hyperventilate. She wanted Meredith. She wanted Elena. She wanted out of here. ââ¬Å"Um, you guys probably don't want to associate with me anymore,â⬠she said uncomfortably. ââ¬Å"Huh?â⬠said Eren. ââ¬Å"Why?â⬠asked Mouse. ââ¬Å"Because I'm running through that door. I have to get out. I have to.â⬠ââ¬Å"Kid, calm down,â⬠Eren said. ââ¬Å"Just keep breathing.â⬠ââ¬Å"No, you don't understand.â⬠Bonnie put her head down, to shade out some of the world. ââ¬Å"I can't belong to somebody. I'm going crazy.â⬠ââ¬Å"Sh, Bonny, they're ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"I can't stay here,â⬠Bonnie burst out. ââ¬Å"Well, that's probably al to the good,â⬠a terrible voice, right in front of her, said. No! Oh, God. No, no, no, no, no! ââ¬Å"When we're in a new business we work hard,â⬠the Madonna-like woman's voice said. ââ¬Å"We look up at prospective customers. We don't misbehave or we are punished.â⬠And even though her voice was sweet as pecan pie, Bonnie somehow knew that the harsh voice in the night shouting at them to find a pal et and stay on it, had been this same woman. And now there was a strong hand under her chin and Bonnie couldn't keep it from forcing her head up, or from covering her mouth when she screamed. In front of her, with the delicate pointed ears of a fox, and the long sweeping black tail of a fox but otherwise looking human, looking like a regular guy wearing jeans and a sweater, was Shinichi. And in his golden eyes she could see, twisting and turning, a little scarlet flame that just matched the red on the tip of his tail and the hair that fel across his forehead. Shinichi. He was here. Of course he could travel through the dimensions; he Stillhad a ful star bal that none of Elena's group had ever found as well as those magical keys Elena had told Bonnie about. Bonnie remembered the horrible night when trees, actual trees, had turned into something that could understand and obey him. About how four of them each grabbed one of her arms and legs and pul ed, as if they were planning to pul her apart. She could feel tears leaking out behind her shut eyelids. And the Old Wood. He'd control ed every aspect of it, every creeper to trip you, every tree to fal in front of your car. Until Elena had blasted al but that one thicket of the Old Wood, it had been ful of terrifying insect-like creatures Stefan cal ed malach. But now Bonnie's hands were behind her back and she heard something fasten with a very final-sounding click. Noâ⬠¦oh, please noâ⬠¦ But her hands were definitely fixed in place. And then someone ââ¬â an ogre or a vampire ââ¬â picked her up as the lovely woman gave Shinichi a smal key off a key ring ful of identical keys. Shinichi handed this to a big ogre whose fingers were so large that they eclipsed it. And then Bonnie, who was screaming, was quickly whisked up four flights of stairs and a heavy door thunked shut behind her. The ogre carrying her fol owed Shinichi, whose sleek scarlet-tipped tail swung jauntily from a hole in his jeans, back and forth, back and forth. Bonnie thought: That's satisfaction. He thinks he's won this already. But unless Damon real y had forgotten her completely, he would hurt Shinichi for this. Maybe he would kil him. It was an oddly comforting thought. It was even ro ââ¬â No, it's not romantic, you nitwit! You have to find a way to get out of this mess! Death is not romantic, it's horrible! They had reached the final doors at the end of the hal . Shinichi turned right and walked al the way down a long corridor. There the ogre used the key to open a door. The room had an adjustable overhead gaslight. It was dim but Shinichi said, ââ¬Å"Can we have a little il umination, please?â⬠in a false polite voice, and the other ogre hurried and turned the light up to interrogation-lamp-in-your-face level. The room was a sort of bedroom-den combination, the kind you'd get at a decent hotel. It had a couch and some chairs on the upper level. There was a window, closed, on the left side of the room. There was also a window on the right side of the room, where al the other rooms should be in a line. This window had no curtains or blinds that could be drawn and it reflected Bonnie's pale face back at her. She knew at once what it was, a two-way mirror, so that people in the room behind it could see into this room but not be seen. The couch and chairs were positioned to face it. Beyond the sitting room, off to her left, was the bed. It wasn't a very fancy bed, just white covers that looked pink, because there was a real window on that side that was almost in a line with the sun, sitting as it always was, on the horizon. Right now, Bonnie hated it more than ever before because it turned every light-colored object in the room pink, rose, or outright red. The bow at her own bodice was deep pink now. She was going to die saturated with the color of blood. Something on some deeper level told her that her mind was thinking of such things as distractions, that even thinking about hating to die in such a juvenile color was running away from the bit in the middle, the dying bit. But the ogre holding her moved her around as if she weighed nothing, and Bonnie kept having little thoughts ââ¬â were they premonitions? Oh, God, let them not be premonitions! ââ¬â about going out of that red window in a sitting position, the glass no impediment to her body being thrown at a tremendous force. And how many stories up were they? High enough, anyway, that there was no hope of landing withoutâ⬠¦Well, dying. Shinichi smiled, lounging by the red window, playing with the cord to the blinds. ââ¬Å"I don't even know what you want from me!â⬠Bonnie found herself saying to Shinichi. ââ¬Å"I've never been able to hurt you. It was you hurting other people ââ¬â like me! ââ¬â al the time.â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, there were your friends,â⬠murmured Shinichi. ââ¬Å"Although I seldom wreak my dread revenge against lovely young women with red-gold hair.â⬠He lounged beside the window and examined her, murmuring, ââ¬Å"Hair of red-gold; heart true and bold. Perhaps a scoldâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Bonnie felt like screaming. Didn't he remember her? He certainly seemed to have remembered their group, since he'd mentioned revenge. ââ¬Å"What do you want?â⬠she gasped. ââ¬Å"You are a hindrance, I'm afraid. And I find you very suspicious ââ¬â and delicious. Young women with red-gold hair are always so elusive.â⬠Bonnie couldn't find anything to say. From everything she'd seen, Shinichi was a nutcase. But a very dangerous psychopathic nutcase. And al he enjoyed was destroying things. In just one moment there could be a crash through the window ââ¬â and then she'd be sitting on air. And then the fal would begin. What would that feel like? Or would she already be fal ing? She only hoped that at the bottom it was quick. ââ¬Å"You seem to have learned a lot about my people,â⬠Shinichi said. ââ¬Å"More than most.â⬠ââ¬Å"Please,â⬠Bonnie said desperately. ââ¬Å"If it's about the story ââ¬â al I know about kitsune is that you're destroying my town. And ââ¬â ââ¬Å"She stopped short, realizing that she could never let him know what had happened in her out-of-body experience. So she could never mention the jars or he'd know that they knew how to catch him. ââ¬Å"And you won't stop,â⬠she finished lamely. ââ¬Å"And yet you found an ancient star bal with stories about our legendary treasures.â⬠ââ¬Å"About what? You mean from that kiddy star bal ? Look, if you'l just leave me alone I'l give it to you.â⬠She knew exactly where she'd left it, too, right beside her sorry excuse for a pil ow. ââ¬Å"Oh, we'l leave you aloneâ⬠¦in time, I assure you,â⬠Shinichi said with an unnerving smile. He had a smile like Damon's, which wasn't meant to say ââ¬Å"Hel o; I won't hurt you.â⬠It was more like ââ¬Å"Hul o! Here's my lunch!â⬠ââ¬Å"I find itâ⬠¦curious,â⬠Shinichi went on, Stillfiddling with the cord. ââ¬Å"Very curious that just in the middle of our little dispute, you arrive here in the Dark Dimension again, alone, apparently without fear, and manage to bargain for a star bal . An orb that just happens to detail the location of our most priceless treasures that were stolen from usâ⬠¦a long, long time ago.â⬠You don't care about anybody but yourself, Bonnie thought. You're suddenly acting al patriotic and stuff, but in Fel ââ¬Ës Church you didn't pretend to care about anything but hurting people. ââ¬Å"In your little town, as in other towns throughout history, I had orders to do what I did,â⬠Shinichi said, and Bonnie's heart plunged right down to her shoes. He was telepathic. He knew what she was thinking. He'd heard her thinking about the jars. Shinichi smirked. ââ¬Å"Little towns like the one on Unmei no Shima have to be wiped off the face of the earth,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Did you see the number of ley lines of Power under it?â⬠Another smirk. ââ¬Å"But of course you weren't really there, so you probably didn't.â⬠ââ¬Å"If you can tel what I'm thinking, you know that story about treasures was just a story,â⬠Bonnie said. ââ¬Å"It was in the star bal cal ed Five Hundred Stories for Young Ones. It's not real.â⬠ââ¬Å"How strange then that it coincides so exactly with what the Seven Kitsune Gates are supposed to have behind them.â⬠ââ¬Å"It was in the middle of a bunch of stories about the ââ¬â the Dz-Aht-Bhi'iens. I mean the story right before it was about a kid buying candy,â⬠Bonnie said. ââ¬Å"So why don't you just go get the star bal instead of trying to scare me?â⬠Her voice was beginning to tremble. ââ¬Å"It's at the inn right across the street from the shop where I was ââ¬â arrested. Just go and get it!â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course we've tried that,â⬠Shinichi said impatiently. ââ¬Å"The landlady was quite cooperative after we gave her someâ⬠¦compensation. There is no such story in that star bal .â⬠ââ¬Å"That's not possible!â⬠Bonnie said. ââ¬Å"Where did I get it, then?â⬠ââ¬Å"That's what I'm asking you.â⬠Stomach fluttering, Bonnie said, ââ¬Å"How many star bal s did you look at in that brown room?â⬠Shinichi's eyes went blurry briefly. Bonnie tried to listen, but he was obviously speaking telepathical y to someone close, on a tight frequency. Final y he said, ââ¬Å"Twenty-eight star bal s, exactly.â⬠Bonnie felt as if she'd been clubbed. She wasn't going crazy ââ¬â she wasn't. She'd experienced that story. She knew every fissure in every rock, every shadow in the snow. The only answers were that the real star bal had been stolen, or ââ¬â or maybe that they hadn't looked hard enough at the ones they had. ââ¬Å"The story is there,â⬠she insisted. ââ¬Å"Right before it is the story about little Marit going to a ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"We probed the table of contents. There is the story about a child andâ⬠ââ¬â he looked scornful ââ¬â ââ¬Å"a sweetshop. But not the other.â⬠Bonnie just shook her head. ââ¬Å"I swear I'm tel ing the truth.â⬠ââ¬Å"Why should I believe you?â⬠ââ¬Å"Why does it matter? How could I make something like that up? And why would I tel a story I knew would get me in trouble? It doesn't make any sense.â⬠Shinichi stared at her hard. Then he shrugged, his ears flat against his head. ââ¬Å"What a pity you keep saying that.â⬠Suddenly Bonnie's heart was pounding in her chest, in her tight throat. ââ¬Å"Why?â⬠ââ¬Å"Because,â⬠Shinichi said cool y, pul ing the blinds completely open so that Bonnie was abruptly drenched in the color of fresh blood, ââ¬Å"I'm afraid that now we have to kil you.â⬠The ogre holding her strode toward the window. Bonnie screamed. In places like this, she knew screams went unheard. She didn't know what else to do.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Issues with Juveniles
Juveniles can break the law just like adults can. The difference is in the way they are treated after the fact, from the police interaction to the type of punishment they will ultimately receive. In most cases getting to the child before criminal behavior begins may stop a life of crime before it begins. In this paper I will be going over the importance of child development, crime control, interrogation and Miranda warnings, crime prevention, deterrence, and punishment. Children that grow up in homes where the parents are not around or do not care about them are more likely to become caught up in a life of crime than the kids that have a loving family. Children that have parents that are criminals themselves will probably become criminals as well. ââ¬Å"According to one researcher, 63 percent of boys with convicted fathers themselves had criminal convictions, compared to 30 percent among those who did not have convicted fathersâ⬠. (Worrall, 2008, p. 259) If a child does not have a positive role model to follow, they will follow the negative one. This is also true if the father is not in the home or part of their lives or if their parents are in to drugs. Lack of parental supervision, improper abuse, rejection, neglect, conflict between the parents and many other problems can also lead to behavioral issues in children. Domestic violence in the home, single family households and families with large amounts of people are also more likely to produce children that have behavioral issues as they develop. Lack of attention or negative attention is hard on a child and it has been proven to lead them to a life of delinquency. There are many steps that families can take to work on crime control before it becomes a problem. The first is parent training and education. ââ¬Å"Just as there are good drivers and bad drivers, there are good parents and bad parents. â⬠(Worrall, 2008, p. 261) Parenting does not come overnight. It takes time and practice and information. Sometimes the harm to children is done accidentally and knowing this, the government has started programs such as the Strengthening Families Program. The SFP was founded in 1983 and is for parents who are also drug abusers and teaches them appropriate parenting skills. Parenting classes can be done in and out of the home and appear in several forms. One such form is during pregnancy when a nurse practitioner comes to the home and gives the expectant mother information on her pregnancy and on things to expect when the child is born. Head Start programs are provided to poor African-American families so that their children are given extra help with educational needs. Research has shown that these and other programs have been successful in lowering the rate of delinquency in juveniles. The chance of child abuse is lower in families that have gone through treatment than those who have not. Mothers are bettering their lives through the programs as well so the rate of arrest is lower in the mothers and their children than those left untreated. Once a juvenile has police contact, the interaction is very different than it would be if it were an adult. There are several rights that a juvenile has to protect them. The first right is the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution states: ââ¬Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. (Bartollas & Miller, 2008) Juveniles have the same rights to privacy that adults do. If the police want to search a juvenile or their home or vehicle they must provide a search warrant unless the juvenile waived their rights, consented to the search, or got caught in the criminal act they were committing. Interrogation of a juvenile, confessions, and Miranda Warnings go hand in hand. Juveniles, as well as adults, are to be read their Miranda rights at the time of arrest. These Miranda Warnings give the juvenile six rights including: the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, an attorney provided if they are unable to afford one, whatever the juvenile says to the police is fair game to be used later in court, if a juvenile starts talking they may stop at any time, and whatever the juvenile says to persons other than the juvenile officer or court personnel may be used against the juvenile if they are tried as an adult. The juvenile officer is responsible for providing the juvenile with these rights and must protect the interest of the youth. ââ¬Å"A juvenile officerââ¬â¢s role in the interrogation process is the protection of the juvenileââ¬â¢s rights by initial explanation and subsequently by stopping the interrogation if it is so requested by the juvenile. Participation by the juvenile officer in the interrogation of a juvenile renders the confession and evidence discovered as a result thereof inadmissible [sic] in a subsequent adult prosecution. (McCarver, 2006) All questioning of the juvenile must be done by law enforcement. ââ¬Å"The admissibility of a juvenileââ¬â¢s statement taken in the presence of the juvenile officer is determined from the totality of the circumstances on a case-by-case basis. The court will evaluate the juvenileââ¬â¢s age, experience, education, back ground, intelligence and whether the juvenile has the capacity to understand the warnings given to him, the nature of his Fifth Amendment rights and the consequences of waiving those rights. (McCarver, 2006) If a juvenile is tried as an adult they must have been made aware before his confession that it is possible that he may be tried as an adult and anything that any statements he makes can be used against him. Any officer that questions a juvenile must specifically state that he or she may be certified to be tried as an adult. ââ¬Å"In the absence of an attorney, the confession of a juvenile which results from a custodial interrogation may not be used against the juvenile unless oth the juvenile and his parent, guardian or adult friend were informed of the juvenileââ¬â¢s rights to an attorney and to remain silent, and the juvenile must be given an opportunity to consult with his parents, guardian, adult friend or attorney as to whether he wishes to waive those rights. â⬠(McCarver, 2006) Deterrence or prevention is very important in keeping juveniles out of trouble. In my opinion, one of the most effective preventative measures for preventing juvenile crime is community-based programs. These programs, such as, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Bully Prevention Program, and Functional Family Therapy allow youths to be part of the community in a positive way. ââ¬Å"An eighteen-month evaluation found that compared with a control group waiting for a match, youths in the mentoring program were 46 percent less likely to start using drugs, 27 percent less likely to start drinking, and 32 percent less likely to hit or assault someone. â⬠(Bartollas & Miller, 2008) In single parent homes where the parent works it is hard to keep tabs on your child at all times. Getting them into a program will keep the youths occupied and out of trouble in a perfect world. With the statistics listed community-based programs are effective and do a good job of reducing juvenile crime. There are many, many programs like these I listed. The problems that arise are a lack of funding and volunteers. It is important for the communities to sponsor and volunteer for these programs or they really cannot complain about children running the streets, learning negative behaviors, and committing crimes. Another effective preventative measure is programs like the Chicago Area Projects. The projects have three basic goals: Frist, they provide a forum for local residents to become acquainted with new scientific perspectives on child rearing, child welfare, and juvenile delinquency. â⬠(Bartollas & Miller, 2008) Second, they open up lines of communication between the community and the institutional representatives of the larger community, the ones that help influence the local youth. Third, they allow local adults to come in to contact with local youths, ââ¬Å"especially those having difficulties with the lawâ⬠. (Bartollas & Miller, 2008) This and programs like this one have the local communities take responsibility or the youths before they are sent to the juvenile justice system. The adults in the community can speak on behalf of youths in court and they organize programs to keep the youth out of trouble. If a child is distracted in a positive way, they are less likely to act out in a negative way. When punishment is needed, probation is usually the answer. Probation is the number one sentence in the juvenile court. ââ¬Å"About 400,000 youths are placed on formal probation each year, which amounts to more than 60 percent of all juvenile dispositions. â⬠(Bartollas & Miller, 2008) This number has increased greatly since 1993. Probation is a judicial disposition under which youthful offenders are subject to certain conditions imposed by the juvenile c ourt and are permitted to remain in the community under the supervision of a probation officer. â⬠(Bartollas & Miller, 2008) Juvenile probation focuses on programs for the offending youth in order to keep them out of jail. A probation officer is assigned and will work with the juvenile to help meet the conditions of their probation. Some think that the purpose of juvenile probation is to give the child a second chance. This is not necessarily correct. The main focus of juvenile probation is provide programs and services so that the youth will learn to stay out of trouble with the law in the future. There are several reasons why probation is the most desirable alternative to jail time. Juveniles are able to remain free of incarceration but society has protection from further law breaking. ââ¬Å"It promotes the rehabilitation of offenders because they can maintain normal community contacts by living at home, attending school, and participating in community activities. â⬠(Bartollas & Miller, 2008) It also costs less and allows the juvenile to avoid the negative impact of confinement. While treated differently than adults in most cases, juveniles still break the law and encounter the justice system. Juveniles are afforded the same rights as adults but are handled in a way that usually allows them to have a second chance and become a productive member of society. While stopping a life of crime before it begins is the more favorable approach, it is not always a possibility. In this paper I have discussed child development, crime control, interrogation and Miranda warnings, crime prevention, deterrence, and punishment.
Cultural homogeneity and globalization Essay
Cultural homogeneity and globalization are becoming concepts that are subjects of debate in the world eye. Some scholars and politicians argue for the increase of globalization, and some argue against. The world is becoming smaller and more homogenous and this holds many advantages, some disadvantages, and is creating a future that is full of possibilities. According to the Merriam-Webster Online, globalization is ââ¬Å"the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor marketsâ⬠. However, the concept of globalization is much more complex than this. Jan Scholte argues, in her paper about globalization, that, ââ¬Å"Most attempts to quantify globalization have conceived of the process as internationalization. â⬠(8) So, in effect globalization is the concept of the exchange of ideas and goods becoming not a national concept anymore, but an international one. Because globalization increases that amount of goods and ideas that are being traded internationally, it also has an effect on the pervasion of cultural homogeny throughout the world. Homogeny is defined by Websterââ¬â¢s Dictionary as, ââ¬Å"being of a similar kind or type, uniform throughoutâ⬠(221). So, in essence globalization is causing the worlds peoples to become more like on another through the dispersion of goods and ideas. Cultural homogeny is becoming more noticeable in todayââ¬â¢s society because of the large amount of media and other goods that are part of a larger global marketplace. For example, ââ¬Å"Young people everywhere are listening to the same musicâ⬠(Rourke and Boyer 110). This does not mean, however, that young people are all listening to ââ¬Å"westernâ⬠music. Many different types of music are becoming part of young people listening preferences and musicians and other artists from all over the world are becoming recognized internationally. Clothing is another area where there is more of a trend towards homogeneity. Rourke and Boyer note, ââ¬Å"The leaders of China used to wear ââ¬Å"Mao suitsâ⬠; now they wear Western-style business suitsâ⬠(110). As cultural homogeny becomes more of an issue that is receiving media coverage and is becoming more recognized in the world eye, it has been discussed by many scholars as to whether it is advantageous for the worldââ¬â¢s peoples. There have been concerns voiced, ââ¬Å"For example, languages have been disappearing at rates as worrying as those for species extinctionâ⬠(Wurm), and the fact that the world is made up of many rich cultures that might be watered down into ââ¬Å"a less vibrant monocultureâ⬠(Rourke, et. al 113) if globalization continues at its current pace. However, there are many advantages both cultural and economic to globalization and there is a lot of acceptance and praise for its continuation. Rourke and Boyer state, ââ¬Å"Most people welcome the availability of foreign culture. A worldwide survey in 45 countries found that 77% thought that having foreign products available was good, and 61% felt that way about foreign movies and other entertainment mediaâ⬠(113). Part of the argument against globalization by some is that it is limited to western culture pervading all other cultures and taking them over. However, there are examples that can be shown that cultural homogeneity is a worldwide phenomenon. If we look at ââ¬Å"American culture, for example, (it) is influenced by many foreign imports, ranging from fajitas and sushi, through soccer, to acupunctureâ⬠(Rourke, et. al 110). American and other western teenagers have more choices through this concept to listen to and view media from other countries. Also, Rourke and Boyer note that ââ¬Å"the interchange of popular consumer goods is another major factor in narrowing of culture gapsâ⬠(111) and that this is the case throughout the world, not just of goods going one way out of America and other western countries. Globalization and cultural homogeneity are inextricably linked and are changing the way that the world functions in many ways. Media, goods and ideas are flowing freely from country to country, and this is creating a global society that is a mix of all cultures and economies. ? References Globalization. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved March 26, 2010, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/globalization. Homogeny. (2002). Websterââ¬â¢s pocket dictionary of the English language. Trident International. Rourke, J. T. & Boyer, M. A. (2010). International Politics on the World Stage (8th brief ed. ). Primis Online: McGraw Hill. Scholte, J. (2002). What is Globalization? The definitional issue ââ¬â again. CSGR Working Paper, 109/02, 1-8. Wurm, S. A. (ed. ), Atlas of the Worldââ¬â¢s Languages in Danger of Disappearing (Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 1996).
Monday, July 29, 2019
A Hunger Artist, and Everyday Use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
A Hunger Artist, and Everyday Use - Essay Example His temperament weakened due to starvation, he become too fragile that it disgusted the people who carried him out of his cage and his manager set certain rules to the fasting period that took the charm out of the performance for the hunger artist. People resorted to alternative acts and means of entertainment and gave up on staying loyal the act they had once supported immensely. The hunger artist, not doing so well financially, becomes aggravated and fires his manager to join a circus himself. At the circus, he becomes a small part of the circus and not the main attraction. This bothers him greatly because he was once a one-man show that drove thousands to come and watch him. Now his cage was placed in between paths that led to the actual attraction of the circus, exotic animals. People now stole an uninterested glance at the hunger artistââ¬â¢s cage and carried on to pursue something that interested them more (Kafka, Crick and Robertson). The circus manager seldom cared about the hunger artistââ¬â¢s fasting and no one kept count. This lead to his depression and prolonged fasting that lead to his last breaths. When he was discovered dead by the management, he was buried and his cage was inhabited by a young panther. The story covers many themes of true art, one of the major ones being that of the seclusion of an artist from the outside world. Engrosse d in the act itself and becoming selfless to an extent that it affected his own being, is one of the key themes of the story supported by the hunger artistââ¬â¢s life. The hunger artist made his art his world where he performed and remained in his own company. It also depicts that when an artist is bound and retracted even slightly the art loses its creativity and the charm that it holds. When the manager set the fasting period to 40 days the hunger artist became exasperated and lost the true essence of surprise and thrill of fasting for as long
Sunday, July 28, 2019
ECOM AUTO BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
ECOM AUTO BUSINESS - Essay Example Analyzing import Federal policy from the view point of agencyââ¬â¢s interest and governmentââ¬â¢s interest will be important part of the study. The report will try to analyze ethical dilemma in terms of transparency, common interest and fairness to create sound argument to support Saraââ¬â¢s (V.P. of Sales for ECOM Auto) ethical dilemma. Finally the study will try to establish a valid recommendation by taking help of Nash equilibrium. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 1.0 Lobbying 5 2.0 Responsible Lobbying 6 3.0 U.S.A Trade Laws- Traderââ¬â¢s View 7 3.1 Import Quota 7 3.2 Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) 8 3.3 Voluntary Export Restraint (VER) 8 4.0 U.S.A Trade Laws- Governmentââ¬â¢s View 9 5.1 Ethical Dilemma 10 5.1.1 Fairness 10 5.1.2 Transparency 11 5.1.3 Common Good 11 6.0 Answer 2 12 6.1 Recommendation 12 6.1.1 Nash Equilibrium 12 1.0 Lobbying The exercise of lobbying comes in many forms in terms purpose and functionality. Although establishing theoretical definition o f the subject is a complex work but research scholars have tried to underline a theoretical concept of lobbying. They defined lobbying as an act to influence decision of government authority or legislators or public officials for or alongside a particular cause. The process comes in various formats. Various formats can be described in the following manner. 1- Submission of official responses to legislator or government over anticipated legislation. 2- Appointment of professional lobbyists to help the company to move forward in the lobbying process. 3- Participation of associations in membership process with other association in order to lobby for combined interests. 4- The association gets engaged in multi segment partnerships with other partners to promote higher values in lobbying condition. 5- The association creates campaigns in order to elect representative in the lobbying process. Common people or governments perceive lobbying as unethical strategic initiative while lobbying i n the field of business is common legitimate activity. Many of the business lobbying can be classified as against the common interest of people and often create hindrance in the way of sustainable development of society. Negative image about lobbying process is garnished by the absence of transparency in the process. Many companies use critical business legal jargons to define lobbying which ultimately creates barrier in understanding for common people. Stake holders and other interest groups do not equivalent influence over objectivity of lobbying process. Business communities are largely dependent on professional lobbyists in order to understand complex procedures of lobbying process. Complex lobbying process demands huge investment of capital and time in the process. 2.0 Responsible Lobbying Government or legislator acts as primary addressees for lobbying and must align the process with unbiased legal procedure in order to achieve sustainable development of the society. Governmen t can accomplish this by implementing rigorous gearstick against ââ¬Ëimproper and unethical influenceââ¬â¢ to ensure that the discussion between business agency and them is aimed to achieve sustainable development of the society. Responsible lobbying is emerged as latest trend in the field of lobbying process. Companies use responsible lobbying process to construct successful long-standing relationships with public sector and civil society. Corporate and business agencies are trying to establish more visible and ethical lobbying process from the view point of public interest in order to gain trust from the majority of the society. Business agencies focus on various issues like creating sustainable social development for poor, managing environmental opportunities
Saturday, July 27, 2019
If the research budget is limited, there is no need to conduct Essay
If the research budget is limited, there is no need to conduct marketing research - Essay Example This essay discusses that as marketing research is important in the successful promotion of the products/service of an organisation, it must be given due consideration. It is inevitable for an organization to allot a separate budget for marketing research. Undoubtedly, an organisation that desires to thrive in the field can never say excuse for having not enough funds. As far as an organisation is concerned, market research is conducted not only for learning purpose but also for flawless decision making process. It is on the basis of the information gathered through research an organization decides whether or not to make changes in the existing product line. To illustrate, a well conducted research would propose multiple options for introducing new product line or entering into new markets. Apart from obtaining new customers, more importance must be given for retaining the existing customers. Long term loyalty and relationship between the organisation and the customers are not just d eveloped on a single day. They are the result of strenuous efforts made by the organisation by closely understanding the needs and preferences of the customers. Moreover, the data collected through market research can help marketers to make decision on product quality or services expansion. It may result in introducing more innovative product or redesigning the marketing strategy. Similarly, the potential problems associated with launching a new product can also be identified through marketing research. If the probable difficulties are known in advance, firms can take steps to address them on time. The research conducted after a product launch will help the firm to determine further steps. According to Malhotra & Dash (2009, p.45), Marketing research helps an organisation to know the demographics and psychographics of customers. It reveals the number of persons who buy the products, why they buy, when they buy, the frequency of their buying, and the sources of their buying; and it a lso includes the social status and the regional location of the customers (ibid). As market research bring out information regarding age, sex, population, buying behavior, and location, firms can easily determine whether to change their market segments or business destinations to more favorable ones. In the absence of such a study, taking flawless decisions is unlikely. Marketing research is one of the best ways of knowing the strategies of competitors, their identity, marketing network, scale of focus and many more. It is important for a business firm to observe how its rivals carry out business as it evaluates its own progress or loss. By imitating the competitors on an equal scale, one can retaliate on the same manner as the competitors do. These actions would help the firm not only to improve the product quality but also to obtain prospective customers for the organisation. Marketing research can sometimes be used as an evaluation tool which may help in making comparative studie s so that the organization can track its own progress over a period of time. In addition, in some occasions marketing research helps to explore what went wrong. For example, Johnson & Johnson Company probed into the poisoning of their capsules
Friday, July 26, 2019
International Business - Global Team Case Study Essay
International Business - Global Team Case Study - Essay Example From recruitment to compensation, James failed to address various issues such as compensation and work relationship, thereby making it hard for the team to work as a unit. Open work accelerated the working relationship issues in the company. For instance, more challenges such as vacation, time differences, compensation mismatch and favors claims strained the relationship between the team members. These issues could have been resolved before the starting of the program. Unlike the initial intention of diversity which was to give the company an opportunity to deal with varying challenges in the market, diversity made it hard for the team members to communicate (Neeley & Delong, 2009). This is because their cultural, religious, and racial differences acted as a communication barrier rather than an aspect to enable the company to have a global outlook. In the short term, James should improve the communication levels. This is through making it mandatory for the team members to communicate with each other at a particular time (Neeley & Delong, 2009). In addition, in the long term, he needs to develop a reward program to offer the best team members with rewards. This will motivate the team members to work as a single unit and towards a common
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Street Food Sellers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Street Food Sellers - Research Paper Example There are numerous people who sell street food in developing countries and mostly the goods are homogenous is nature , each person will sell the exact same good which is going to be a perfect substitute to market competitors. A large number of producers is also going to determine that one producer or consumer cannot influence the market price. A producer who wishes to increase the price cannot do so as consumers are going to shift to the other business selling street food at cheaper rates. A single consumer cannot influence market price as well, they can signal to the producer as to how much to produce but one consumer cannot dictate market price. The producer has to keep equilibrium at the efficient output. The producer must minimize costs in order to sell at a competitive price in the market. Each producer has a small market share due to the perfectly competitive nature of the goods, one producer will not be able to secure a larger market share due to the same reason it will not be able to affect market price. ... The reason why Street Food sellers in developing countries is an example of perfect competition is due to the fact that the business face the same characteristics of perfect competition and hence is declared to fall under that category. Monopoly ââ¬â A monopoly is a market structure which is characterized by the domination of one firm in the market share of good producing differentiated goods with significant barriers to entry. An example of a monopoly business is South West Gas in Arizona which is a monopoly due to the reason that it falls under the same characteristics as that of a monopoly as it is shown below Since it is the only gas provider in the region the market is dominated by the business .Some characteristics include that there is an in-elastic demand for its product, for example if South West Gas decides that it is going to increase the price of its goods the consumption of that good will not decrease due to a lack of substitutes of that good. There are no or very fe w substitutes of gas, so the business can afford to charge high prices without the fear of the consumers shifting to an alternate good. There is no interdependence on other firms / competitors since it is the largest and only gas provider in the region it does not have to account for the competitorââ¬â¢s actions before devising a market strategy. There are numerous barriers to entry in the market , one due to the economies of scale enjoyed by the monopoly the new firm ( even if it enters the market) cannot rival South West Gas for prices as the monopoly has the advantages of lower costs. Another barrier to entry is the obvious utilization of gas resources in the land by the
Global supply chain and Future Sustainable development Essay
Global supply chain and Future Sustainable development - Essay Example Supply chain management is coupled with modeling the product market and identifying the niche. This allows the producer to understand the scheduling of production and supply. The shift allowing more developing countries to produce market goods has favored Chinaââ¬â¢s market growth. This is because China has low overhead cost when it comes to factors of production such as labor. Though the trend is opposed because of its implications such as child labor, environmental concerns among others this has not deterred its growth. Stakeholders demand constant and reliable supply of goods and services which developing countries are able to provide. The global supply chain taking to use developing countries to produce its goods has spurred speedy development. Large international firms have to assess the market for its goods before establishing a network of outlets. This includes data collection in order to create a framework of regions where the product is in actual demand. Also, firms have to adopt social, environmental and economic goals for the benefit of the developing country. Though, there has been a failure of some firms failing to meet their obligations. The development of sustainable global is a three-stage process. The first step is identifying the motivators. This covers the reason as to why global supply chains would work effectively. Is it the overwhelming unquenched market? Is it the availability of ready and cheap labor? The second stage covers assessing levers. This includes balancing various factors such as expenses against profit when the new strategy is implemented. Will networking increase the profits to the desired level and if so, will the current supply chain be able to accommodate market collapse. The factors are summarized into seven principles, which include, aim, policy, management, industry collaboration, partners accepting such change,
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Ethnographic Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Ethnographic Research paper - Essay Example This has been made possible due to the rapid growth of industries and technological uses in the daily lives of people. Technology is a very important part of the lives of people around the world at this point of time. This also is due to the fact that the economic processes that take place in the world have a lot to do with the cooperation of people across the globe. For instance several parts of a machine that is to be assembled in a certain part of the world would come from different corners of the world and the entire process would not probably be completed at one place. The after sales services would probably be offered from a place different from all of these depending on a host of factors ranging from the availability of raw material to cheap labor to costs of transport. This paper shall seek to analyze conversations that were had with an Indian friend of mine, Amit Kumar (name changed). The differences of opinion and the misunderstandings that happened during these conversatio ns shall form a part of the analysis. The paper shall look at these conversations through the lens of a multicultural world where the cultures of different people have to be understood properly. They also have to be understood as products of globalization themselves where there may be a disconnect between a person and his or her own culture. Amit Kumar hails from Kerala, a state in the Southern part of India. The place is known for its high rates of literacy and the political awareness that people of this state possess. It is also a state that is very diverse in terms of the religions that people follow here and also the kind of dialects that people use, in different parts of the state. There is however, as a result of the process of modernization, a certain amount of a lack of awareness regarding the pre-colonial cultures and art forms that were a part of that culture. There is thus a rootlessness that the people of Kerala feel at this point of time. This can best be seen in the no vel Roots that was written by the very popular Malayali author Malayattoor Ramakrishnan which talks of the reclamation of the cultural roots of a person (Ramakrishnan, 2000). I talked to Amit Kumar regarding this aspect of the Malayali existence at this point of time. Me: How does it feel to go back home these days, Amit? Amit: It is quite disconcerting. The effects of modernity on the lives of people at home even at this point of time seems to be one that has been imposed without taking into concern the particular social conditions of Kerala. Me: why would you say so? Amit: The very basic elements of our culture are not present in the culture that is sought to be imposed upon us. They are then made to be a part of nothing more than attractions for tourists. Amit here may be referring to exactly what Arundhati Roy refers to her Booker Prize winning novel The God of Small Things. In this book, she talks of the marginalization of indigenous cultural forms and their resurfacing as mere elements of the past that cannot be integrated into modernity. Roy uses the trope of the kathakali dancers to make clear how certain symbols of the Malayali society and postcolonial societies in general have degenerated from being frameworks of signs through which a society used to store its memories to being nothing more than a form of attraction that is set up for tourists to watch and enjoy without realizing the importance that that form of art may have for
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Retail or Wholesale Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Retail or Wholesale - Research Paper Example marketing retail goods is disadvantageous in that the retailers do not enjoy discounts when buying goods in bulk as wholesalers do when buying from manufacturers. Retail goods face the challenge of having a low turnover rate, as compared to wholesale goods. This is as a result of selling goods in pieces to consumers; however, wholesale goods have a high turnover rate since many retailers buy from wholesalers in bulk. Another challenge faced when marketing wholesale goods is the risk of wholesalers experiencing a huge loss when retailers fail to buy their bulk goods (Bridges & Strelzoff, 2011). A possible new market segment for a video game is the air industry. The target is families with kids less than 10 years boarding long flights. The business strategy will involve collaborating with airplane companies, which will result in installing the video game devices on airplane seats so that kids can play when on board (Klaas & Gainey, 2007). In essence, the marketing strategy entails selling the video games to airline companies. The conventional way of passing time during a flight is watching T.V., listening to music or reading a magazine. This marketing strategy is different in that it involves passing time and entertaining kids during a flight (Whysall, 2011). Klaas B, Gainey T. (2007). Professional Employer Organizations and Their Impact on Client Satisfaction With Human Resource Outcomes: A Field Study of Human Resource Outsourcing in Small and Medium Enterprises. Journal of Management ,
Monday, July 22, 2019
A research on lyndon johnson and the great society Essay Example for Free
A research on lyndon johnson and the great society Essay Lyndon Baines Johnson, also known as the LBJ, had a vision of a Great Society for his fellow citizens that led him to become the 36th president of United States of America. The humble beginnings of Lyndon were not to be regarded as full of luxuries and paradise travels as he felt the anguish of the poor and socially disadvantaged people and saw the pinch of rural poverty. Before he slided into presidency, earning money for the family constituted his youth that made him surged deeped into compassion for the impoverished people and pursuit for a great society. The main theme of the origins of the legendary LBJ was the rise from social and economic ills and finding ways to instigate change in the mainstream society of America where he was actually isolated from. According to LBJ, ââ¬Å"When I was young, poverty was so common we did not know it had a nameâ⬠. Though he was socially accustomed to think that he would have to deal with poverty and isolation from refinement, Lyndon came to a realization that he was ââ¬Å"special- a young man destined for exceptional thingsâ⬠. Eager to fulfill his destiny and inspired to solve poverty, Lyndon struggled to have a decent yet competitive education with the support of his humble parents, Sam Ealy Johnson Jr. , a farmer and politician, and Rebekah Baines Johnson, a journalist. Solving poverty might be the factor that fueled his political dreams, but it was his father who greatly influenced him in his political actions. His father was a man of ambition and integrity as a legislator serving two terms in 1904. His father was regarded as the agrarian liberal or populist who ââ¬Å"would not allow himself to be bought by lobbyists who dominated the proceedingsâ⬠. Rebekah Bainess line of descent as a journalist had equipped Lyndon with a deep ââ¬Å"sense of inherited superiority. â⬠The parents were astonished in Lyndons youth that was full of revelations and inklings about his future in the field of politics. As a gifted child and empowered by the praises and encouragement from his family, Lyndon went to local public schools, graduating from high school in 11924. After his graduation, Lyndon spent three uyears traveling around and applying for odd jobs before finally landing at the Southwest Texas State Teachers College that later became the Texas State University-San Marcos. It was in his college days that he gave out ââ¬Å"concern, friendship, and benevolent support. â⬠Lyndon said, ââ¬Å" Some men want power simply to strut around the world and to hear the tune of the Hail to the Chief while others want it simply to build prestige, to collect antiques and to buy prertty things-well, I wanted power to give things to people, all sorts of things to all sorts of people, especially the poor and the blacks. â⬠Known as the embodiment of the great Texan spirit of self-denial, conservation, and service, Lydon became a popular figure at the university not in terms of academic performance. This event led to a career milestone for Lyndon. Lyndons career before the presidency was in education. He started as a teacher at the Welhausen Elementary School where he showed the children ââ¬Å"a sense of importance most of them had never known before. â⬠He moved to the Sam Houston High School before landing up a job in the congress as a secretary to a US congressman from the Fourteenth District in Texas in 1931. In this, Lyndon became more empowered to pursue his ambition. He became the Director of National Youth Administration that greatly addressed the ââ¬Å"concern of Roosevelts New Deal to save a generation of young people from ignorance, unemployment, and enduring hardship. â⬠Undaunted by the economic depression, he was elected to House of Representatives and campaigned successfully on a New Deal platform with the help of his wife Claudia Taylor. He joined the Navy for a brief period as lieutenant commander and won a Silver Star in the South Pacific. After serving six terms in the House, he was elected to the senate in 1948. In the 1960, Lyndon became John F. Kennedys running mate and sworn in as Vice President. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, Lyndon sworn in as the President of the United States. A. Foreign and Domestic Policies Several politicians and critics of the LBJ presidency were at one in stating that the administration, together with its foreign and domestic policies, had its peaks and valleys. During the first year of the LBJ administration, the president saw many impressions bestowed upon him as he entirely devoted much effort and time on ââ¬Å"vital domestic matters, both the tax cut and the civil rights law. â⬠Impressions at this time said that the president might not be interested in foreign policies because of LBJs adept focus on the real needs of Americans. LBJ was like a domestic politician who could not care less about external affairs. He said, ââ¬Å"Foreigners are not like the folks Im used to. â⬠After establishing a new civil rights bill and tax cuts, LBJ urged the nation to unite as one in creating a ââ¬Å"Great Society, a place where men are more concerned with the quality of their goals and than the quantity of their goods. â⬠The domestic policies of LBJ were concentrated on issues such as ââ¬Å"civil rights, social welfare, anti-poverty programs, and labor. â⬠The LBJ administration made a great deal about education, Medicare, urban renewal, conservation of the environment, health, voting rights, prevention of crime and delinquency and an amendment to the Social Security Act. The LBJ presidency also made explorations of space with three astronauts successfully orbiting the moon in December 1968. The administration also sought to fight the inevitable crisis from Vietnam that forced the president to impose budget cuts on domestic policies so that he would be able to push through with the foreign and defense policies. The LBJ policies pointing to Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America ââ¬Å"were bound up with the war in Vietnam. â⬠Despite his efforts to stop the Communist war and reach an agreement, the war continued. Heated debate arose with the presidents decision to limit the bombing in North Vietnam in order to instigate negotiations. There are critics who said that the great foreign policy failure of the administration was its treatment to Vietnam. Following his firm stance on Communist Aggression, LBJ was convinced to gove Vietnam limited help. He said that he ââ¬Å"would not permit the independent nations of the East to be swallowed up by the Communist conquest, but it would not mean sending American boys 9 or 10,000 miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves. â⬠To show firmness and decisiveness, LBJ ordered only retaliatory attacks to the aggressive North Vietnam and launched ââ¬Å"Rolling Thunderâ⬠, a sustained bombing campaign to Vietnam. According to LBJ, ââ¬Å"the key to peacemaking was to arrange a settlement that both preserved South Vietnam as an independent state for the foreseeable future and the quickest possible American exit from a war the country by 1968 no longer wished to fight. â⬠Such assumption suggested that LBJ was ââ¬Å"torn between an honorable exit and his desire to not to be the first president to lose a foreign war. â⬠B. The Decision Not to Run for Re-Election When LBJ commanded to limit the bombing of Vietnam, he paired such action with a decision to withdraw from the re-election so that he might find some time for the quest for peace with no interruptions coming from politics. LBJ came to realization that he would not allow the presidency to be involved in any partisan movements which had infiltrated the United States since the advent of the Vietnam war. His policy of military escalation and the US participation in the war had overshadowed his popular standing and he was not able to establish real concessions for the peacemaking process. After his decision, the Vietnam aggression dragged on. By withdrawing from the re-election, ââ¬Å"the administration found it difficult to act decisively,â⬠LBJs decision not to run in the reelection was the outcome of his discernment in which he had to go through with his failing political instincts. Prior to his announcement, LBJ had to endure the criticisms which came with the rapid involvement of the US in the Vietnam war, racial tension in the American soil leading to widespread civil riots in the 1960s and the flaws of the Great Society movements. The flawed policies and programs of the LBJ administration led to Republican gains in the 1966 election and dwindled the hopes of Lyndon to further his participation in the Congress. It was in this turbulent period that antiwar candidate Senator Eugene McCarthy gained momentum to head the ââ¬Å"dump Johnsonâ⬠movement within the Democratic Party. The failure of his actions made it impossible for LBJ ââ¬Å"to leave the White House without attracting hostile protesters. â⬠1968 had been dubbed as the ââ¬Å"year everything went wrongâ⬠for the LBJ administration. II. Political Climate A. The Dominance of the Democratic Party LBJ made his congressional district in Texas as his foundation in his pursuit for a national role in the Democratic Party. He was ââ¬Å"frustrated with the bureaucratic inertia and lack of innovation in fundraising by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC). â⬠It was in this frustration that he developed a finite and negative impression of the national party committees that greatly influenced his leadership to the political party. His support to the Democratic Party saw him finding ways on how to finance hundreds of congressional particularly those who have a good of winning and satisfying their requests. As a congressional campaign manager for the House, his vigorous fundraising strategies to support the candidates earned him the respect and support coming from FDR and the other congressmen whom he helped to win. When FDR asked LBJ the result of the campaign, LBJ replied that the Democratic Party would not lose. He says to FDR that ââ¬Å"Were not going to lose, were going to gain. â⬠Now that the House was run by literate Democrats, what FDR had started, including the Social Security (FICA) Program would soon see radical change. During his presidency, LBJ took the Social Security Program from independent trust fund and transferred it to the General fund in order for the Congress to spend it on valuable measures such as in the enactment and foreign and defense policies pointing to the unending war in Vietnam. LBJs military escalation policy to Vietnam failed and his domestic policies on civil war and racial tension became undone which had shattered the Democratically-controlled House and Senate. These dark moments became the finest hour of Republicans. B. ââ¬Å"The Johnson Treatmentâ⬠Lyndon was renowned for his arm twisting of influential politicians in order to pursure legislation. He became famous for his authoritative glance and powers of persuasion, dispensing them with what became popular as the ââ¬Å"Johnson Treatmentâ⬠. Such coinage was used to describe the domineering personality of LBJ who tend to impose physical size and initimidation in order to advance what he had to say. Lyndon once said, ââ¬Å" I do understand power, whatever else may be said about me, I know where to look for it and I know how to use. â⬠One of the key elements in Lyndons leadership and power was his use of the ââ¬Å"Johnson Treatmentâ⬠that was an eclecic mix of flattery, gentle pleading, logic, and threats. He was able to strategically utilize the ââ¬Å"Johnson Treatmentâ⬠in the way he gained full control of the Democratic Policy Committee, managed relations within the senate, maintained connections with the Republicans and the Liberals who supported civil rights for the African Americans, solidified control under his leadership, and established a coup when he was still a majority leader convincing the Senate to increase public spending on housing sector. It was in this coup that the he became a master politician or the master of the Senate because of his display of single-mindedness, skill and attention to details. But LBJs art of persuading and use of intimidation was no match against the revolutionary nationalists such as Gamal Abdel Nasser who said, ââ¬Å"the West if the enemy, while the Soviets are kindred spirits and purveyors of weapons unobtainable elsewhere. â⬠The ââ¬Å"Johnson Treatmentâ⬠failed to instill a positive effect on Nasser who continually resisted American policies and ââ¬Å"denounced American imperialism in Congo. â⬠LBJ deeply shocked with the unveiling of the ââ¬Å"Blueprint for the Liberation of Palestineâ⬠accompanied by Nasser statement that the only way to liberation was Arab revolutionary action. The failure of the ââ¬Å"Johnson Treatmentâ⬠was equally defined by LBJs unsuccessful leadership to pull the United States out of the quagmire of the Vietnam war. The failure of the ââ¬Å"Johnson Treatmentâ⬠was viewed by the Americans as the failure of his policies toward Vietnam. The solution to the Vietnam unrest was one of the goals of the three presidents before LBJ and just like them, the LBJ sought to determine how to prevent the North Vietnamese Communists from acquiring South Vietnam that the US supported. C. The Civil Rights Movement Reformation of the civil rights proved to be the greatest challenge to LBJs majority leadership and to his presidency later on. In the mind of LBJ, the civil rights issue ââ¬Å"was a fundamental prerequisite to strengthening the American voice abroad. â⬠LBJ sought to ââ¬Å"mount a social revolution in civil rights and the extension of the welfare state. â⬠His policies on alleviating poverty and upholding rights were aiming at demonstrating that ââ¬Å"he was a president who could rise above politics to serve the national interest. â⬠The reform in the civil rights in the US started from a small-scale demonstrations before key players, movements, leaders and organizations finally constructed a vivid change. LBJ was one of the key leaders in bringing change. The turbulent period of the 1940s and the early 1950s was attributable to the ââ¬Å"white southerners who controlled Congress and engineered the defeat of six civil rights bills. â⬠The white group opposed the integration with blacks and ââ¬Å"argued that individual states should have the right to manage their own affairs. â⬠They used states rights in order to promote segregation, ââ¬Å"a system of laws that required African Americans to be separated from the whites. â⬠As such caused a significant backlash that came in the forms of protests and racial violence in the middle of the 1950s as African Americans continued to push harder for equal rights. The period was made more turbulent with the enactment of the Jim Crow laws that reinforced segregation. The Jim Crow laws banned African American students from going to educational institutions with white students and also prevented blacks from going to swimming pools, hotels and other establishments where there were whites. Jim Crow laws prohibited African Americans from voting and denied them many opportunities which were only provided for the whites. Then came Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. , who led the civil rights protests until his death by assassination in 1968. Harder violence was pushed through with the struck down of segregation in schools. As a southerner who had accustomed himself to the separation of blacks and whites thoroughout his career, LBJ ââ¬Å"seemed to be an unreliable advocate of civil rights statute. â⬠He supported civil rights but he was aware that the ââ¬Å"pushing for a strong bill would anger many Democrats in the South. â⬠As a compromise, LBJ ââ¬Å"worked out a deal with southerners to pass a weakened bill and convinced liberal western membbers to pass it in exchange for support for a dam they wanted built. â⬠The bill became the first civil rights legislation enacted by the Congress in 82 years and LBJ took all the credit for it. The Civil Rights Act was proposed by the President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and quickly became a controversial issue. The Civil Rights Act would guarantee African Americans with freedom to vote, to go to places of public accommodation, and with equal opportunity in employment. Although the Congress did not approve of Kennedys initiative, a stronger version of the bill was eventually approved with the constant urging of Kennedys successor, LBJ. On July 2, 1964, LBJ signed the bill into law and soon became the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that gave the federal law enforcement agencies the authority to stop and prevent racial violence and discrimination in voting, employment and in the utilization of public facilities. III. The Great Society A. Civil Rights The Great Society domestic programs of LBJ were aiming at two creating social reforms for the elimination of poverty and racial discrimination. One of legacies of the Great Society programs was translating some of the needs and demands of the civil rights movement into law. During the LBJ presidency, four civil rights acts had secured their passage in Congress. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stopped job discrimination and the segregation in the use of public facilities. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminates the ââ¬Å"use of literacy requirements and other methods to keep African Americans from voting. â⬠In LBJs pursuit for the Great Society, he also gave the nation urban renewal programs, housing subsidies, tax cuts, Traffic Highway Safety Act, National Commission on Product Safety, and environment beautification programs. B. War on Poverty LBJ was determined to ââ¬Å"promote economic growth and commit the nation to a war on poverty. â⬠The war on poverty was deemed as the most ambitious and controversial part of the Great Society. Headed by Sargent Shriver, the war on poverty promised to improve Americans standard of living. LBJ said to Shriver, ââ¬Å"You make this thing work. Appoint all the committees you want to, confer with everybody. â⬠LBJ continued, ââ¬Å"This is number one on the domestic front. Next to peace in the world, this is the most important. â⬠The unconditional war on poverty implemented by LBJ was confronted with resistance from the 88th Congress that later on granted ââ¬Å"$947. 5 million in 1964 for the antipoverty program. â⬠The centerpiece of the antipoverty program was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 that LBJ signed on August 22, 1964 and established the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). The anti-poverty program included the Job Corps and Neighborhood Corps, food stamp program, rent subsidies for moderate and low-income families, a youth employment initiative, and other antipoverty efforts. The initiative lessened the poverty rate in the US from ââ¬Å"22. 4 percent in the late 1950s to 11. 1 percent in 1973. â⬠C. Medicare/Medicaid Medicare was included in the package that was the extension of the War on Poverty. Representative Hale Boggs said that during LBJ presidency, ââ¬Å"the Congress passed more bills than had ever been passed in all the rest of history of the country together. â⬠Included in the passed bills was a Medicare bill that aim ââ¬Å"to provide health care for the nations elderly and health benefits for the poorâ⬠The Great Society effort federally financed the training for doctors and nurses, establishment of mental heath centers and health facilities focusing on heart problems, cancer and stroke. The Social Security Act of 1965 was passed by Congress to render federal funding for the medical costs of the elderly. This legislation was opposed by the American Medical Association but overcame such opposition to the idea of socialized medicine or public health care and connecting payments with the private health insurance companies. Welfare recipients regardless of age obtained health benefits by the Medicaid program established on July 30, 1965 under Title XIX of the Social Security Act. D. Education LBJ said that he ââ¬Å"no longer can afford second-class education for children who know that they have the right to be first-class citizens. â⬠In fulfilling this aim, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was signed into law on April 1965. The legislation federally funded public schools to help them obtain educational materials and start special education programs to institutions with large number of low-income children. It pursued Head Start, a program initially worked on by the OEO. The Head Start program provided comprehensive aid to the field of education, healthcare, and parent involvement initiatives to low-income children and families. Other programs of LBJ included ââ¬Å"school breakfast programs, Teacher Corps Act of 1965, Adult Education Act of 1968, and the Educational Opportunity Act of 1968. â⬠E. Arts One of the significant contributions of the Great Society effort was the promotion of the arts and humanities. LBJ said, ââ¬Å"The happy relationship between the arts and politics which has characterized our long history I think reached culmination tonight. â⬠LBJ was successful in formalizing federal aid for public radio and television stations, arts institution and higher education. LBJ signed the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities into law that later on established both the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities as separate agencies. He also gave attention on the need for the noncommercial education television in society that paved the way for the enactment of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The law led to the creation of the Public Broadcasting Service and the National Public Radio. National centers and arts facilities also received federal funding during the presidency of LBJ. IV. The Success of LBJ Administration LBJs presidency is greatly remembered for the ââ¬Å"Great Societyâ⬠programs that aimed to improve the quality of living of Americans. The domestic policies enacted by the Congress during the time of LBJ played significant roles in the lives of Americans who were caught up with the loss of Kennedy, violence and economic ills. LBJ gave light to his people by promising them better and healthy living. One of main goals of the Great Society was to eliminate poverty. LBJ showed determination in reaching the promised land of Great Society by urging Americans to rebuild their cities, eliminate urban decay, and attain a renewed sense of community. In order to help his people, LBJ established a list of laws which promoted racial equality, qquaality education, healthcare, and lowered poverty rate. Many of LBJs programs ââ¬Å"made great strides in improving the lives of ordinary Americans. â⬠Some of the laws created impact on the political direction of the nation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave voice to African Americans while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 freed African Americans from violence, racial prejudice and social inequality. The result of the war on poverty was promising enough as the poverty rate of the nation dwindled from ââ¬Å"22. 4 percent in the late 1950s to 11. 1 percent in 1973. â⬠Antipoverty programs of LBJ created millions of jobs, increase in salary and wages and in business profits, and decrease in unemployment rate. Promising results were also seen in the field of education and healthcare as federal funding continued to help citizens exploit what the administration had to offer. Medicare and Medicaid were made to render medical insurance for the elderly and to the poor people. Funding for heathcare benefits continued while the availability of Medicare and Medicaid widened. Support for the arts and culture was also evident. V. The Failure of LBJ Administration Unfortunately, ââ¬Å"LBJ had promised the impoverished much more than he could deliver. â⬠There were many citizens whocame to realize that the administration had just an ââ¬Å"overly optimistic prediction that did not come true. â⬠Resulting from disappointment were black power and violence in the streets which showed the anguish of the nation. African Americans started to lose faith in LBJ and began to demand immediate change. The backlash of LBJs antisegregation efforts began to incite arguments within the southerners while the American people urged the government not to gift black rioters with federal programs. The anger over the desegragation policy of LBJ weakened the Democratic Party and LBJs base of power. LBJs foreign policy dilemmas stirred antiwar protests along with civil unrest. Demonstrations concerning the involvement of the United States in Vietnam began to undercut LBJs presidency. The people complained that the involvement of the nation in the Vietnam war ââ¬Å"took money and attention away from the needed domestic programs. â⬠The people accused Lbj of turning the Vietnam war into national obsession making his War on Poverty nothing more like a skirmish. The presidency of LBJ was equally defined by his Great Society programs and the nations entanglement in the Vietnam war. Problems in the foreign policies of Lbj started from the cold war between the US and the Soviet Union. The conflict was that the Soviet Union and Korea were supporting the commkunist forces in northern Vietnam while the United States was in support of the South Vietnam government. Despite complaints, LBJ pushed through with the Vietnam War fearing that losing South Vietnam would wreak havoc on his political career. VI. Conclusion The administration of LBJ was defined by the successes and failures of foreign and domestic policies. During his stay at the White House, he pursued Kennedys civil rights bill and tax cuts. He promised to promote better living for the Americans though his Great Society programs. But as he was doing well in putting America in the promised land of a Great Society, Vietnma War was intensifying. Later on, antiwar protests and civil violence gained momentum as American casualties increased in Vietnam. It was evident that LBJ could care less about hearing his people and his presidency was all about between him, his instincts, and his advisers. The failure of his foreign policy in the Vietnam war became the measurement of his entire political career. The dilemma was that LBJ considered the Vietnam War as an inherited course instead of treating it as his job as an influential leader. It could be observed that LBJ was an indecisive leader with no firm stance on foreign policies. To make matter worst, the indecisive president was surrounded with political advisers who were not united and binded with the same aim. It was in the topic of Vietnam War that he was not able to fully utilize his ââ¬Å"Johnson Treatmentâ⬠to the advantage of American people. Even though the issue in Vietnam War dominated the entire career of LBJ, it was good to know that his Great Society programs were successful. Such programs were only overshadowed by the riots and violence and the publics demand for more than what LBJ could give. The Vietnam War was just one of the flaws of the Great Society programs since the domestic policies were connected with the foreign ones. The Great Society programs produced favorable results while their negative impact to the world came from the opposition that was not supportive of LBJs presidency. BIBLIOGRAPHY Brands, H. W. The Foreign Policies of Lyndon Johnson: Beyond Vietnam. Texas: AM University Press, 1999. Dallek, Robert. Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a President. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Gold, Susan Dudley. Presidents and Their Times: Lyndon B. Johnson. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. Savage, Sean J. JFK, LBJ, and the Democratic Party. New York: State University of New York, 2004. Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Lyndon Johnson and Europe: In the Shadow of Vietnam. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Webster family case study
Webster family case study The Case Study: The Webster Family, A Family In Crisis? This assignment requires me to outline what model of assessment I will use when working with the Webster family. I will also give a description on how the family was referred to social services for a Section 47 (S47) investigation. There will be a strategy meeting and the details of this meeting will be outlined along with instructions given. There will be a case conference held to discuss whether the children are at risk of significant harm or the likelihood of significant harm. There will be a clear recommendation as to whether I will register these children on the child protection register, justifying my decision. Whilst working with the Webster family I will explain what legislation I used, my research into the theories involved and also I will provide details of any anti-oppressive practice and any anti-discriminatory practice whilst working with this family. Ms Webster and Mr Webster have lived together for twelve years. They have three children, Faith and Hope who are twins and are aged ten and Charity who is seven years old. Charity has Cerebral palsy, is doubly incontinent and is a wheelchair user. Mrs Webster is a teacher and Mr Webster was a probation officer who up until twelve months ago worked full time. Following an accident a work he has taken early retirement on health grounds and is now employed full time as a househusband looking after the children.Ã The family are not known to social services or any other welfare agencies. There have been many tensions building up within the family home since his accident and after a violent row Mr Webster left the family home. After speaking to the headmaster it appeared there had been an incident of domestic violence in front of the children and staff. Previous to this incident, the day before Charities class teacher had had reported to Mr Perry that over the last two weeks Charities appearance had deteriorated, her clothes were unclean and her nappies were soiled and Charity smelled of urine. Charity had also began being aggressive to her friends and to the staff. A staff member had also discovered pressure sores on Charity. When Charities teacher telephoned Ms Webster to tell of their concerns, Ms Webster was frosty in response. After the incident outside the school Mr Webster explained that Ms Webster had attacked him on two other occasions and these incidents again where witness by the children. On both occasions the police were called, however Mr Webster was concerned about social services and did not press charges. After the incident, later that afternoon The Education Welfare Officer (EWO) Ms Murray, went to visit Ms Webster at home but was refused entry. Ms Webster was verbally abusive. Ms Murray then tried to speak to Charity but she refused to talk to her. Ms Murray then went to visit Mr Webster where the twins were staying. The twins seemed fine but a little subdued. Mr Webster stated that he would be looking after the twins and he would like custody of all three children. Following the visit a strategy meeting was formed. A strategy discussion will take place if there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. This will involve The Local Authority Social Care, the Police and other bodies as appropriate for example, a headmaster or a teacher (Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2006).Ã Present in the meeting was myself (duty care social worker), Ms Gold (my team manager), WPC Bond (family protection unit), Mr Perry (headmaster) and Ms Murray (EWO). A strategy discussion is to share information regarding the situation at hand and another aspect is to plan how the S47 enquiry, if there is to be one, should be carried out. We can also agree action is required immediately to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child. The Domestic Violence Unit reported they did not refer these incidents to Social Services as they did not see the children to be at any risk, however Working Together states t hat children may suffer directly and indirectly if they live in households where there is domestic violence and domestic violence is likely to have a damaging effect on the health and development of children. It is often appropriate for such children to be regarded as children in need S17. Mckie (2005) makes some interesting observations on the terms perpetrator and victim in an analysis of domestic violence. The policies and practices connected with domestic violence become gendered in so far as women are conceptualized as those who should act. Mckie (2005). Working Together also says that children who witness domestic violence have been shown to be at risk from behavioural, emotional, physical, cognitive functioning, attitude and long term developmental problems. We do know that Charity has become aggressive and abusive. After the strategy meeting and because of the concerns regarding Charity, It was agreed after a discussion with my team manager that I would visit Ms Webster to discuss the referral from school. From this I would then make an assessment as to whether the child/children are at risk of significant harm or the likelihood of significant harm. The overall decision was that a S47 enquiry should proceed with immediate effect. Some children are in need because they are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Concerns about maltreatment may be a reason for a referral of a family to social services. In such circumstances, the Local Authority is obliged to consider initiating enquiries to find out what is happening to a child and whether action should be taken to protect a child. This is set out in Part V S47 of The Children Act 1989 (Protection of Children). The Framework for the Assessment of Children In Need and Their Families (2000), section 1.28 states that the LA has a duty to respond to children in need to provide services to minimise the effects of disabilities, this applies to Charity. We also have to take steps to prevent neglect or ill treatment. There does appear to be in this, in relation to Charitys case. Section 17 of the Childrens Act says that services may be provided to assist a child in need. This would refer to Ms Webster if she is agreeable because the needs of parent carers are an integral part of an assessment because providing these services which meets the needs of the parents is often the most effective means of promoting the welfare of children, particularly disabled children. My role now is to recommend which route we proceed down. When I went to visit Ms Webster, She was hostile towards me. Ms Webster said she had never been violent to her husband before and denied the incident outside school. Ms Webster claimed she had no problems looking after her children but showed a negative attitude towards Charity. She spoke about Charity as if she was not there and referred to Charity as she instead of by her name. Ms Webster said Charity was hard work and was always soiling her nappies, shouting and crying. Ms Webster seemed angry as she was explaining this. Whilst we were talking, Charity did not say anything but looked as if she wanted to cry. Charitys appearance was unclean and she smelled of urine. Ms Webster was clearly upset about her husbands sexuality, more than for the safety of her children. When entering Charitys bedroom which Ms Webster had reluctantly agreed to, I found bed clothes stained with urine and stools. The en-suite and bath were both unclean. The rest of the home however was clean and tidy. I sp oke to Ms Webster about my concerns and told her that she would be entitled to help if she would accept it. This empowered Ms Webster and allowed her to feel there was help if she wanted it and she was not alone. Ms Webster did say that she thought Charity may have been affected by witnessing the recent arguments and she would make sure Charity was not further stressed that day. It was discussed that Charity had pressure sores; from this Ms Webster became frosty. Reluctantly she agreed to take Charity to see her doctor and I arranged to visit the next day. The following day on the 20th January 2008 I visited Ms Webster, but there was no answer. When I tried to telephone her there was still no answer. As a result from this, there were concerns regarding the domestic violence and the condition of Charity and it was decided that a Child Protection Case Conference was to go ahead. I will explain this model of assessment I used in this case before I go on to the case conference. The model of assessment used is The Framework for The Assessment of Children In Need and Their Families (DOH 2000) more commonly known as the assessment framework. The assessment framework will be integrated into the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children. A key principle of this framework is that it is child-centred; this means that the child is seen and kept in focus throughout the assessment. The child or children are my main priority as a child social worker. It is also rooted in child development which includes recognition of the significance of timing in a childs life. Calder, M and Hackett, S (2003). This particular assessment model is dynamic, fluid and continuous, this helps the intervention because as changes occur in a persons life, it can adapt to the changes and my care plan can also be adaptable. A criticism of this model is the timescales can force social workers towards a procedural model whereas the Exchange Model offers an empowering dialogue with parents. Smale et al (2000) identify a weakness in this model in that this approach may not work if the service user is not engaging in the process or are unable to articulate themselves.Ã Ã It also denies that workers have a professional responsibility and can be time consuming, which may create difficulties given the time constraints of The Assessment Framework.Ã It also overlooks the need to adopt a procedural approach given the various questionnaires/scales utilised. Changes have appeared to have happened over the last two weeks for Ms Webster and her family. Domestic violence, with both parties blaming each other and the deteriation of Charitys appearance and her temper towards others. This leads me onto another concept of my assessment, which is parenting capacity. This is done using the assessment triangle, which includes child developmental needs, family and environmental factors. The DOH dimensions of parenting capacity has six core dimensions of parenting capacity, three of these provisions suggest that Charity is not receiving emotional warmth, Charitys needs for secure, stable and an affectionate relationship, appropriate physical contact to provide comfort and warmth and stability of attachments and basic care to provide food, drink, warmth, appropriate clothing and personal hygiene. Ms Websters capacity concerns me because of her response to Charity and her circumstances involving her cleanliness and her appearance, the way she speaks about Charity, whilst Charity can hear her mother, and her reaction to use support and accept help and the relationship between Ms Webster and Charity. Childrens chances of receiving optimal outcomes will depend on their parents capacities to respond appropriately to their needs at different stages of their lives Calder, M and Hacket, S, (2003). Some of the above factors are included in the integrated model for assessing parenting capacity. The parenting style I would suggest of Ms Webster is neglectful parenting as she is neither responsive nor demanding of Charity. Ms Webster lacks the monitoring and the supervision duties surrounding Charity at the moment. Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a childs basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the childs health or development. Working Together To Safeguard Children (1999). From my assessment I would put forward in my opinion and recommend that Charity to be put on the child protection register S47 but not her two twin sisters, but would offer support under S17. This is because of the declining condition of Charitys physical condition and appearance, due to her persistent soiled nappies, the urine smell on Charity, her dirty clothes, her pressure sores and her aggressive nature toward others. Charity has suffered some the physical neglect of because of the delay of being taken to a doctor by her mother. Charity also suffered abuse due to witnessing the domestic violence and therefore there is a h3 possibility of emotional abuse. Research shows that prolonged and/or regular exposure to domestic violence can have a serious impact on the child and/or childrens development and emotional wellbeing and can lead to serious anxiety and distress and in some cases the repetition of violent behaviour. Department of Health (2006). All these factors could lead to significant harm. These are the categories for registration. The twins will not be registered as they are not in any immediate danger as they are both cared for by their father and his partner at the moment, a police check has been carried out and neither is known, the EWO has no concerns regarding the twins. However this situation needs to be monitored and regularly reviewed to safeguard the children as this situation may change. My reasons for recommending registration are the three incidents of domestic violence over the last three months, one known to have been witnesses by the children. Ms Websters reaction outside school when she was verbally abusive, erratic and aggressive. There are neglect issues. We also need to take account of Charities additional needs. A definition of disability is children and their families whose main need for services arises out of the childrens disabilities or intrinsic condition (DOH 2000). This applies to Charity as she falls within the category and she has a medically diagnosed condition, which is Cerebral Palsy. Both parents are blaming each other for the domestic violence issues. There are concerns by school staff regarding Charitys decline in appearance and her aggression. There is also the issue of family attachments which I noted earlier in parenting capacity. After making a recommendation to register Charity an Initial Child Protection Case Conference was set for 28th January 2008. Ms Webster was informed of the decision by telephone and I arranged with her to visit and give her a copy of the notes before the meeting, this will empower Ms Webster and give her some idea of what will happen. I will also keep the family fully informed throughout, invite parents to meetings and explain procedures in an open and honest way. But I will ensure the parents are fully aware of my concerns regarding the risks towards Charity. The function of a case conference is to bring together the child (where appropriate), family members and those professionals most involved with the child and family, following a S47 enquiry. One purpose of this is to decide what future action is required to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child and how action will be taken and what the intended outcomes are. The core group members are I, Ms Webster, Mr Webster, Ms Gold (team manager), WPC Bond (family protection unit), Mr Perry (head teacher) and Ms Murray (EWO). All the above people involved will all play a part in monitoring and safeguarding the surrounding concerns for Charity. During the case conference I will be looking at recommending the following care plan: Behavioural support, some schools have these implemented by way of school mentor, this could help Charity with her aggression.Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã Anger management counselling for Ms Webster due to the domestic violence issues. Family Resource Centre for Ms Webster and Charity, this could help them both have contact with other families experiencing similar issues. Counselling for mum due to loss and separation and the children. Counselling for Charity to give her a chance to talk to someone about her experiences and how she feels. Charity spending quality time with her father and sisters. With the care plan identified, this can only go ahead if Ms Webster will give her consent as she has parental responsibility. The legislation I have used is Childrens Act 1989/2004 with S47-Duty to asses risk and S17-Duty to assess need. I have also used Working Together to Safeguard Children, this sets out clear guidelines for multi-agency working to protect children from abuse and neglect, this was needed in relation to Charity. I will now move on to theories and research. Neglect can have major long term effects on all aspects of a childs health, development and well-being. Maltreatment is likely to have a deeper on the childs self image and self esteem. Difficulties may lead on into adulthood and the experience of long term abuse could lead to difficulties in forming or maintaining close relationships, one of the skills needed to be an effective parent (DOH 2000). DOH 2000 also says that the child could have feelings of isolation and the feeling of being unloved. Stress could affect the parents capacity to respond to their childs needs. This relates to this case as Ms Webster is very stresses since her husband left her for another man. In relation to physical abuse and Charity witnessing this, this could be the reason as to why Charity is showing aggression towards people. Physical abuse has been linked to aggressive behaviour in children, emotional and behavioural problems (Working Together). Further research that relates to the case is the Attachment Theory because of Charitys relationship with her mum and vice versa. Bowlby believed that the primary caregiver is the mother. He said that children deprived of maternal care would nearly always be affected in some way. Bowlby (1953). However Ainsworth identified three types of attachment, securely attached, insecurely attached (avoidant) and securely attached (ambivalent). As its core, attachment theory is about the way that childhood needs are met and the long term effects of needs being met or otherwise. Ainsworth (1970). In my opinion I would say Charity is negatively attached. A criticism of Bowlby is that he says that the mother has to be the primary caregiver; this is open to much subjection. Children can have attachment figures other than them receiving it from their mother. In some cultures the childcare is shared, not only by mothers but by fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends Beckett, C, (2002). Anothe r criticism is that it is sexist, it tends to lead to maternal deprivation rather than paternal deprivation, it excuses absent fathers from any imitation of parenting skills. It ignores gender bias and how family make ups can change. This is significant in this case as Mr Webster left the family home. Theory on domestic violence is gendered natured in that, it ignores the facts that female to male violence is increasing. This is significant in this case because Mr Webster had suffered domestic violence issues with his wife. Charity also witnessed domestic violence. Helping victims and children to get protection from violence, by providing relevant practical and other assistance is one of the considerations to include when involved in a child protection case (Working Together pg 2004). There are contradictions within the legislative framework. The Children Act 1989 contravenes the Human Rights Act because S8 of the Human Rights act states that in absolute certainty children should not be removed from their family and the Children Act defines harm but not significant harm. The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families is not without contradiction. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation 1999, points out that it would be helpful to strengthen the assessment framework by stating that the responsibility of the local authority is not only to promote and safeguard the welfare of the child but also the rights of the child. Throughout my work I will continue to reflect on my practice and how my own values and assumptions may unconsciously affect my decisions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)