Actions vs. Words Essay Example

Actions vs. Words Essay Example Actions vs. Words Essay Actions vs. Words Essay Abstract There are various types of communication, the most common form of communication is verbal. Verbal communication is used on a daily basis, but there is non-verbal communication that could contradict the words being stated or written. In this paper, I will examine such contradictions in verbal and non-verbal communication in my office. I will also examine various types of listening skills important for deciphering non-verbal communication. Non-verbal Communication – Actions vs. Words Verbal communication is very important in the business world, but it is often the non-verbal language that accompanies the verbal communication that determines what is taken from the conversation. A person may verbally confirm that they are fine with a situation, but their non-verbal communication (body language) may convey otherwise. Concept To Promotion is typically a very smooth running organization, there are very conflicts among the team members. There is also limited opportunity for discipline. I was recently included in a meeting in which two team members were being reprimanded for a conflict that had been handled poorly. These two individuals have dominant personalities, which means that they both want to be in charge of the assigned task, which led to conflict among the team. The meeting included the company president, the human resource director, the individuals involved and myself. I was asked to the meeting as I am the warehouse supervisor and one of the individuals involved was a warehouse employee. These employees each thought that the work should be performed according to their own schedules without regard to the requirements of the company. The specific task assigned was a direct mailing for a large electronic corporation. According to USPS and UPS standards shipments will not be accepted for next day delivery after 5 P. M. on normal business days excluding holidays. The individual in charge of the project was to process the file, print labels and postage for the mailing. The warehouse employee was to pull the mailings and apply the labels to them in time for them to ship. The file was not being processed in a timely fashion and causing the warehouse employee to rush and still not be able to meet the deadlines. During the meeting each person was addressed individually in regards to their behavioral choices and interaction within the team. Both individuals indicated verbally that they understood the situation and how the disagreement should have been handled. I did however observe one individual rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, which indicated to me that she felt that the meeting was a waste of her time because the other individual was clearly at fault for the situation. This particular individual did not take criticism well and was offended by the conversation in the meeting. I am sorry to say that this particular individual did not take what was said to heart and was fired due to repeat issues. I believe that if this individual were pulled into a private conversation with her manager or the president regarding her non-verbal communication during the meeting and been assured that this was a serious situation. Her manager should have confirmed that this type of behavior would not be tolerated and if continued it could lead to termination. This individual would have greatly benefitted from direct communication in which the seriousness of the situation was laid out in clear terms, which could leave no room for interpretation. Listening skills are also important when interacting in a business environment. A manager must be able to not only listen to verbal communication, but non-verbal communication as well. This would help to ensure that situations such as the one outlined above be avoided. If the individual’s manager had picked up one her body language during the meeting the situation could have been dealt with more effectively. Managers should be taught how to listen to non-verbal communication such as body language, facial expression and attire in order to effectively manage subordinates. It is very important that managers pay close attention to a subordinate’s non-verbal communication in any situation, but especially in a discipline setting. By addressing non-verbal communication as well as the issue at the same time a manager can be assured that the individual understands how serious the situation is and how to handle future situations to ensure that there will be no further discipline required. Communication when dealing with subordinates should include mainly words with denotative meanings. This will help the manager be certain that the individual understands what is expected and these expectations will be met.

Beauty Is All A Girl Needs †English Essay

Beauty Is All A Girl Needs – English Essay Free Online Research Papers Beauty Is All A Girl Needs English Essay In many children stories beauty is a highly emphasized trait. Though it many not seem that way, but in stories like Joseph Jacobs’ â€Å"Catskin† or Grimm’s â€Å"Cinderella† beauty is a major factor behind the events of the story. Both stories basically boil down to, if the girl is beautiful, she is going to be fine. In Grimm’s â€Å"Cinderella† the concept of beauty is what it’s all about. When Cinderella is at her house she wears rags and beat up clothes because she is doing all the house work. She is not beautiful because she has to work. But when she is at the wedding and in her lovely dress, everyone notices her and even the prince himself is impressed. â€Å"Her sister and her step mother had no idea who she was. She looked so beautiful in the dress of gold that they thought she must be the daughter of a foreign king.† (Grimm 119). When she puts on her dress she becomes a totally different person, the kind that isn’t supposed to be cleaning the house. She is so beautiful that the prince then goes a quest to find her again. But because she isn’t wearing the dress he can’t be sure. Her now lack of beauty has caused the prince to go around with her sister. Because Cinderella is back in her rags, she can’t be the one from the wed ding. Without her dress on, she once again changes back into the cleaning lady. When the prince does finally find her, she puts her dress back on and changes back into the â€Å"daughter of a foreign king†. And because she is so beautiful she gets to marry the prince and never have to clean again. She doesn’t get married because she is a nice person, funny or anything other sort of trait a person looks for, it’s simple because she was the most beautiful person at the wedding. Joseph Jacobs’ â€Å"Catskin† the young girl had many fine dresses made for her. When she was looking for work she was the same as Cinderella, she wore her catskin dress so she looked like a cleaning lady. But when a ball comes around she sneaks out and puts on her most lovely dress and impresses everyone with her beauty, including the prince. She does this a second time and â€Å"†¦everyone was surprised at so beautiful a face and a form dressed in so rich and rare a dress†¦.† (Jacobs 124). Once again the theme her is, look the best, then the prince will want you and you will never have to do anything ever again. This theme is condensed into about 2 pages but its still as strong. Before she met the prince she was working in the kitchen. In her catskin no one could she here beauty because of her horrible dressing. â€Å"†¦you go among all the fine lords and ladies with your filthy catskin? A fine figure you’d cut!† (Jacobs 12 3). Proving that in the wrong clothing, she is ugly. If it was not for her stash of great dresses she would have never impressed the prince enough. And because she was the most beautiful and married the prince, â€Å"†¦they lived happy ever afterwards.† (Jacobs 125). Once again stressing that if you look good, bag the rich guy, you are all set. Grimm’s â€Å"Cinderella† and Jacobs’ â€Å"Catskin† both show beyond a doubt, that if the you are beautiful you are all set. Women need not have any other real skills, talents or what have you, so long as they are beautiful. And in today society this idea of being as beautiful as you can is being forced on everyone, everyday. Research Papers on Beauty Is All A Girl Needs - English EssayThe Hockey GameHip-Hop is ArtMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Fifth Horseman19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThree Concepts of PsychodynamicStandardized TestingWhere Wild and West MeetBringing Democracy to Africa

Richard Attenborough's Gandhi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Richard Attenborough's Gandhi - Essay Example The movie also serves to reveal the atrocities of the colonial enterprise in India. Thus, not only does the movie reflect the anti-colonial feelings of the intelligentsia of the world of the seventies and the eighties, it also shows the audience the farsightedness of Mahatma Gandhi, who realised the economic effects of the enterprise on the people of the country. Several aspects of the life of the man are discussed in the story, which do not find mention in conventional narratives. In this respect, the film is different from other films on the man, in that it does not seek to glorify him mindlessly. It talks of the Mahatma as a human being who had several weaknesses of his own. The film talks of the man in his capacities as a politician, a social reformer, a husband and a friend. It also talks of the contributions of Christian missionaries in the development of his philosophy of life. Many of these aspects of his life were untold before the release of this movie. As far as this is co ncerned, the movie can also, in many ways, be considered to be a historical document. The movie begins with the assassination of Gandhi that is followed by a narration of the events of his life that preceded it. The opening serves to highlight the irony of the life of the Mahatma where he is killed by the very people whom he had served. The event has many more nuances to it than the scope of the movie allows it to depict. The rise of Hindutva and the clamor for a Hindu nation which Gandhi had rejected had led to the growth to dissatisfaction among some sections of the Hindu society. Since the movie seeks to depict the life of Gandhi, it does not go into these details. It reveals the fissures within the society that Gandhi had sought to unite and free. The failure of non-violence as a philosophy is hinted at here. In a society as complex as the one that one saw in India during the 1940s where people of various races and religions lived together, there could have been no one-stop solu tion. This also is consistent with the movie’s aim of depicting Gandhi as a human and not as almost a divine messiah, as he is often perceived by historians and journalists alike. The film then moves on to Gandhi’s life in South Africa where he was a lawyer. The episode where he is thrown off a train because of his racial belonging is one of the most important episodes of Gandhi’s life and he himself had often said so. The seeds of revolt that had begun to develop within him could be traced to that event. He understood that discrimination based on race needed to be stopped for the social and economic development of people of color. The subsequent developments in South Africa where Gandhi mobilizes the people of color to protest against the inequalities in the society is documented in a manner that is dramatic and may not have adhered to exact descriptions of what happened during those times. However, the larger details of the event are according to what historia ns have written about it. The origin of the theories of non-violence that Gandhi had developed was in South Africa where Gandhi had seen the cruel face of colonialism and the violence that went with it. He gave this form of protest and resistance the name Satyagraha. This form was dedicated to the understanding of truth and the movie reveals the paths that Gandhi takes in his quest for this truth. The

Zipcars Business Motivational Model for Customers and Partners Case Study

Zipcars Business Motivational Model for Customers and Partners - Case Study Example By introducing the Zipcars, the company helps the customers to save up to seventy per cent of their savings because they only pay for the hours they use the cars. Additionally, the cars are energy efficient and contribute less to the discharge of exhaust fumes into the environment. This motivates customers further. As a means of further motivating customer, the company has collaborated with several other organizations, businesses, and universities through some specific programs. As a way of reducing costs for businesses, Zipcar rents vehicles to them to use during the week when they are needed most. The same thing happens with universities as well. These services motivate the organizations to work harder with the mindset of cutting down on costs. It also aids cities in saving on their parking space. On a scale of 1 to 5, I will give the business a motivation of four while 3 to the universities. The cities’ motivation could be 2.5. 2. As Its Simplest Best The idea behind Zipcar is to help businesses cut down on the costs of running their businesses. Apparently, most business organizations incur huge costs in keeping and maintaining their motor vehicles. The same applies to universities and colleges that face the danger of vehicle wreckages and damages due to student’s responsibilities. Additionally, with as much as $ 1 million going into savings from the Zipcar system, the cities are worth adopting the strategy. With these concepts in mind, potential beneficiaries of Zipcar’s services would be easily convinced to adopt the services of the firm. 3. Figure 6.3 Zipcar’s business model involves the four simple steps. These are â€Å"joining, reserve, unlock, and drive.† In this model, the firm urges its clients to join it through registering as members. The organization has 500,000 members with cards. A person pays a fee of $25 to join. In the reserve, one retains membership with the firm. The person pays an annual membership fee o f $50 to reserve his or her place to restore the membership card. The membership card allows the client to unlock the potentials that come with the company. Then the customer drives away with the car 4. Zipcar’s Rapid Growth and Strength Zipcar is growing at an express rate. This is because ten years after its formation, it was able to offer a whooping 8000 vehicles across the urban areas of Canada, North America, and London. Additionally, the firm has also expanded its operations and penetrated deep into the market by collaborating with other business enterprises to cut down their operating costs and increase the profit margins for the firm. However, the firm has an excellent operational model. Its cars are energy efficient. Nevertheless, by collaborating with several business enterprises, the firm will be forced to use heavy trucks in some cases. Apparently, heavy trucks are key contributors of carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. This will jeopardize Zipcar’ s strength of ensuring environmental sustainability. Discussion Questions of Case 4.2 The compelling reason for the successful business plan competition is the strong vision. This is partially attributable to the kind of approach it used in presenting its ideas to the audience. Although it is a business enterprise driven by the need to make profit, it puts emphasis on its humanitarian assistance mission across the disadvantaged populations in the developing world. Apparently, most people are touched by the deplorable conditions that some populations of the world go through. The marketing strategy for D.Light would involve demonstrations to potential clients. As a cofounder, I will seek the approval of the governments of these countries with downtrodden populations and offer some samples to the

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Case Study - Essay Example For the general information from the Head Office a mail feedback form should be available on the system of the employee. Since the employees are not functioning from offices Instant Messages through virtual messengers can’t be used because simultaneous online presence of employees is impossible. The Daily Correspondence can be effectively handled through emails and single text message can be used to convey information to all the employees instantaneously. In case of inter personal communication with a personalised message on the mobile phone, to check email can help. Alternately, all employees can be asked to activate mobile phone message flash for every email received with help Internet service provider and mobile phone operating company. Another effective way to coordinate communication will be by asking all employees to check their emails at least thrice a day. This will ensure deliverance of routine correspondence and messages. Another alternate way is to flash a message o n the telephone asking the employees to check their emails for time sensitive information. Telephonic conversation should be used to convey bad news messages. The employee delivering the message can add a sobering influence in such a case. In case of some bad news or emergency messages, that relates to all the employees, email should be used and a simultaneous message to check emails can be delivered on the cell phones. ii) When most of the staff are telecommuters and operate largely from virtual offices, the cheapest, the fastest method, the most reliable and foolproof method of communication is through online Instant Messaging. The messenger of any commercial operator like AOL, Yahoo, or Google can be used. Alternately, a small and a specific web application can be developed that is installed on the telecommuter’s computer system. The moment, the computer is switched on, the telecommuter goes online. A buddy list on everybody’s messenger can be

Prison Life History And Today

Prison Life History And Today Prison deals with prisoners from all kinds of backgrounds. Every prisoner has different problems and there are a range of services on offer to help them while in prison to prepare them for their eventual release. Prison is a place used for confinement of convicted criminals (Gaines, Miller, 2009). Aside from the death penalty, a sentence to prison is the harshest punishment imposed on criminals in the United States. On the federal level, imprisonment or incarceration is managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a federal agency within the department of justice (Gaines, Miller, 2009). State prisons are supervised by a state agency such as a department of corrections. Confinement in prison, also known as a penitentiary or correctional facility, is the punishment that courts most commonly impose for serious crimes, such as felonies. For lesser crimes, courts usually impose short term incarceration in a jail, detention center, or similar facility (Gaines, Miller, 2009). Prison life of the 1700s of an accused was not as strict. There were windows that the prisoners could look through in order to solicit for charity from the people walking by, and sometimes prisoners would be allowed to sell things at the prison gates (Prison life, 2011). Although there are many differences between the life of a prison in the 1700s and the life of a prisoner today, there are also many similarities. Each accused individual was captured by the police and taken to the nearest holding cell (Prison life, 2011). These cells were in prisons called local prisons. The individual was then let free or convicted of his or her crime. If convicted, the individual was taken to the closest common prison (Prison life, 2011). During the 1700s there were only local holding jails, common prisons, and houses of correction; later, during the 1800s prisons became more separated and prisoners were assigned to the appropriate prison (Prison life, 2011). The convicted were not stripped of their belongings like in todays prisons, but they were searched for weapons or objects that could be used to escape. Once inside, the prisoner was assigned a small cell made of hard walls, floors covered in dirt and rodents, and a bed (Prison life, 2011). If the prisoner was lucky, this bed consisted of a small hammock tied to opposite walls, but often times it was made of a wooden bench or the floor. For meals the prisoners were scarcely fed, but if they were, little rations of bread and water were given. Many times the prisoners died of starvation and thirst (Prison life, 2011). According to the Burlington County in New Jersey, in the 1800s when the prison was initially designed, each inmate was to have his or her own cell with a fireplace and a narrow, unglazed window placed above eye level (Prison life, 2011.)The rules of the jail directed that prisoners were to be bathed, deloused, and have their clothing fumigated, and that each cell should have a bible or prayer book to improve the soul. Individual cells, planned for felons or criminals, were arranged in sets of four, opening off a short hall at each end of the building (Prison life, 2011). These blocks of cells were to house separate groups, such as routine criminals, first offenders, or women. The bigger rooms on the main hallways were to provide accommodation the debtors, imprisoned for owing money. These were common rooms, sometimes holding three or four men at a time, although there are some records that indicate that up to 30 debtors were housed at one time in the jail(Prison life, 2011). During t heir day, debtors were to be allowed to move about the jail, working at various cleaning chores or employed in the basement workshop (Prison life, 2011). Then the dungeon or maximum-security cell was in the center of the top floor (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). That location was carefully chosen to prevent escape by digging, to minimize communication with criminals in the cell blocks, and to ensure constant surveillance by guards making rounds. This was the only cell without a fireplace. It is flanked by niches for guards or visitors and has one very high, very small window and an iron ring in the center of the floor to which the prisoner could be chained (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). Until 1888, the jail keeper and his wife and family would live in two rooms on the first floor of the jail. The Keepers wife was anticipated to supervise the female inmates and the Keeper was to execute the rules of the jail as devised by the prison board, which was composed of members of the freeholders. The Keeper and his family lived in these quarters until the adjacent brick house, connected by a passageway, was constructed on the corner of Grant and High Streets (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). In keeping with the purpose designed into the structure, the basement level enclosed workshops where prisoners were expected to learn a useful trade, such as how to make brooms, baskets, or shingles (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). The notion didnt work, given the short time most inmates spent in the jail, and over time, the workshops became used as minimum security cells. Another, less supervised pastime of the inmates that endured through the ages was prisoner graffiti (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). Depicting humor, despair, and a belated piety, several fine examples of this art have been photo conserved and are on display throughout the building. The felons eating room, also in the basement, allowed controlled access to the exercise yard with its twenty foot wall. Outside, prisoners could tend a small garden of fresh vegetables. In one corner of the yard, an area was set aside for the gallows, which were dismantled and stored between hangings (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). Food, linens, cleaning supplies, and craft materials were stored in the basement near the kitchen, baking, and washing facilities. Once a day, the prisoners were to be served a main meal of meat and vegetables. The other two meals were usually cooked cereals or grains. They had milk and cider to drink, as well as water (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). One of the inmates was made chief cook, preparing all prison meals, and that inmate slept in a basement cell next to the kitchen. Large washtubs were provided for laundry and regular baths for the prisoners (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). Also the relatively few women who were imprisoned at the beginning of the 19th century were confined in separate quarters or wings of mens prisons (Sullivan, 2006). Like the men, women suffered from filthy conditions, overcrowding, and harsh treatment. In 1838 in the New York City Jail known as the tombs, for instance, there were forty two one person cells for seventy women. In the 1920s at Auburn Penitentiary in New York, there were no separate cells for the twenty five or so women serving sentences up to fourteen years (Sullivan, 2006). They were all lodged together in a one room attic, the windows sealed to prevent communication with men. But women had to endure even more. Primary among these additional negative aspects was sexual abuse, which was reportedly a common occurrence. In 1826 a woman named Rachel Welch became pregnant while serving in solitary confinement as a punishment and shortly after childbirth she died as a result of flogging by a prison official (Sullivan, 2006). Such sexual abuse was in fact so acceptable that the Indiana state prison actually ran a prostitution service for male guards, using female prisoners (Sullivan, 2006). In addition, women received the short end of even the prison stick. Instead of spending the money to hire a matron, women were often left completely on their own, defenseless to attack by guards. Women had less access to the physician and chaplain and did not go to workshops, mess halls, or exercise yards as men did. Food was brought to their quarters, and they remained in that area for the full term of their sentence (Sullivan, 2006). As fearsome as the prison seemed, it was not escape proof. The walls were scaled and the roof penetrated many times in its history. The chosen routes to freedom seem to have been through the roof of the jail, and along the yard wall or the roof of the passageway to a place of descent. One notable escape occurred in 1875(Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). Four inmates punched a hole through the ceiling of an upper corridor cell to gain access to the roof, went down the sloping front wall and down around the woodpile beside the prison yard gate. A fifth accomplice was too large to fit through the hole and insisted at being left behind (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). Despite a quick response by the warden, it seems that at least some of these escapees were never caught. In the Burlington County Jail, some criminals were fated to spend their last days on earth. State law mandated that criminals convicted of a capital crime were to be executed in the County in which they were found guilty, and Burlington County was no exception (Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). Several public hangings were conducted in the prison yard on a gallows erected for each occasion. Originally designed to house approximately 40 prisoners, the Burlington County Prison held over 100 inmates when they were moved to a converted armory that formerly stood behind the jail. Overcrowded conditions required yet another, larger prison which was erected in 1983(Johnson, Wolfe, Jones, 2008). The daily life in Folsom State Prison back in 1880, prisoners were woken up by an early morning bell and were dressed and beds had to be made and stand in their cell doors with their night buckets (Prison life, 2011). Once they were unlocked they marched down to the middle of the building where there was a set of steel doors that were hinged to the floor (Prison life, 2011). When they filed out for the day, they would all dump their nights waste from the bucket down a hole and then limestone would be thrown in the hole and water to flush the waste away. At dinner they would take to with them at so when the prisoner got locked up for the night again, they had their toilet with them (Prison life, 2011). During that time the prisoner would eat beans for dinner which were place on plate and not utensils were used. You had to eat with your face down in the plate and no talking was ever allowed. If you were good prisoners could earn the right to eat boiled beef and vegetables (Prison life, 2011). However if you were a con boss, which is somebody who is the boss of other prisoners, prisoner could then eat a variety of stewed meats and vegetables that were in season and use tin dishes and have utensils and talk during dinner(Prison life, 2011). Prisoners of Folsom State Prison generally worked seven and half hour days with no break. They completed their work day by early afternoon and lights out was enforced by eight o clock with no exceptions (Prison life, 2011). Another example of past prison life was in the Andersonville prison during the late 1800s; to cope with the horrible conditions within the stockade, prisoners turned to various activities (Prison life, 2011). They carved objects, sang songs, played games such as checkers and cards, read any material they could get, and wrote letters and diaries. Letters home were censored by prison officials, and many never reached their destinations. Other prisoners, intent on escape, spent time digging tunnels (Prison life, 2011). Although there are no records of successful escapes via tunnels, some men did escape, mainly from work crews when outside the prison. The horrendous living conditions at Andersonville resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners (Prison life, 2011). Now moving forward to current day prison life, In Arizona, the state prison system has four levels; minimum, medium, closed and maximum. As an inmate goes up in custody level, the less freedom they are allowed. A minimum custody inmate typically lives in dorm style housing units and an open yard (Ranzau, 2009). Inmates would get woken up at 5:30 a.m. and they have free rein to walk the yard, go to chow on their own at the designated times and attend any classes and work assignments they have chosen until the yard locks down for the evening at 8:30 p.m (Ranzau, 2009). A closed custody inmate lives in a two-man cell with controlled movement. Controlled movement means that officers escort the inmates anytime they leave their housing unit (Ranzau, 2009). A closed custody unit usually has a cluster of cells in a building with one control room called a pod. The control room uses a computer to access the doors to the cells though keys can be used to open cells in case of a power outage (Ran zau, 2009). This particular closed custody unit is staffed with one officer in the control room and one floor officer in charge of two pods of inmates (Ranzau, 2009). The inmates are escorted by an officer everywhere they go, either individually or as a group. They are escorted as a group to the chow hall for their meals and to the recreation field for their exercise (Ranzau, 2009). Medium custody inmates also live in a dorm style setting similar to minimum custody inmates. Medium custody inmates have some controlled movement but are not escorted by officers (Ranzau, 2009). The control room officer, only letting out certain segments of their dorm at a time to eat or go to recreation, controls the movement. There are officers on the yard to make sure the inmates get to where they are supposed to go (Ranzau, 2009). A maximum custody unit is strictly controlled. The inmates are only allowed to leave their cell one hour a day to go to a recreation pen. These inmates are fed in their cells through food traps in the door (Ranzau, 2009). These inmates are usually considered the worst type of inmate or they may need protection from the general population for information they have given staff or for something they did on the yard (Ranzau, 2009). One would think prison life everywhere would run as smoothly as this, but no. Currently at Pelican Bay State Prison in northern California there are more than 1,200 inmates, its one of the largest and oldest isolation units in the country, and its the model that dozens of other states have followed. It is a maximum security prison. Although all the inmates are in isolation, theres lots of noise such as keys rattling, toilets flushing, and inmates shouting out to each other from one cell to the next(Sullivan, 2006). Twice a day, officers push plastic food trays through the small portals in the metal doors. It is said they only contact that you have with individuals is what they call a pinky shake, which is when you stick your pinky through one of the little holes in the door. The hallways shoot out like spokes on a wheel(Sullivan, 2006). In the center, high off the floor, an officer sits at a panel of blue and red buttons controlling the doors. The officer in the booth can go an entire shift without actually seeing an inmate face to face (Sullivan, 2006). Far below, an inmate walks a few feet from his cell, through a metal door at the end of the hallway, and out into the yard. The exercise yards at Pelican Bay are about the length of two small cars. The cement walls are 20 feet high. On top is a metal grate and through the grate is a patch of sky (Sullivan, 2006). According to Sullivan, Associate Warden Williams says they dont allow inmates to have any kind of exercise equipment. Most of the time, they do push-ups. Some of them just walk back and forth for exercise. (Sullivan, 2006). It is just basically to come out, stretch their legs and get some fresh air. Each month, officers squeeze soap, shampoo and toothpaste into paper cups for the inmates (Sullivan, 2006). Even though are issued a jumpsuit, in two days at the facility, there doesnt seem to be a single prisoner wearing one. All of them are wearing their underwear, white boxer shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops (Sullivan, 2006). In the psychiatric at Pelican Bay, some inmates stand in the middle of their cell, hollering at no one in particular. Anothers bang their head against the cell door. Many of the inmates are naked, some exposing themselves. Obviously prison life can play a huge toll the mentality. One in 10 inmates in segregation was housed there. Theres even a waiting list (Sullivan, 2006). Recently in Georgia the horrible treatment and conditions of the prison made headlines. Finally fed up with bad food, unjust treatment, poor education and inadequate health care, thousands of inmates in Georgias prison system staged Lockdown for Liberty, which was a peaceful protest on Dec. 9, 2010. According to Charlene Muhammad, a national correspondent for the Final Call newspaper; all of the Black, White, and Latino inmates from Augusta, Baldwin, Hancock, Hays, Macon, Smith, and Telfair State Prisons refused to leave their cells for work and other activities, partly because they feel the Georgia Department of Corrections treats them like slaves(Muhammad, 2010). Ironically in a 2006 report, Human Rights Watch characterized conditions in Georgia prisons as appalling. Many inmates were vulnerable to degrading treatment due to overcrowding and unsanitary facilities, the report added (Muhammad, 2010). More recently, the State Departments 2008 human rights country report for Georgia noted that the countrys prisons and pre trial detention centers failed to meet international standards. It also expressed concern about Georgian Justice Ministry data that showed 94 inmates died while in custody in 2008(Muhammad, 2010). Overcrowding is a huge issue also. Today, there are approximately 20,000 prisoners in Georgia, a 300-percent increase over the past five years, according to a 2009 PRI report (Muhammad, 2010). Georgias prisons are some of the worst in the U.S. Cells are overcrowded, packing prisoners into confined spaces like sardines (Muhammad, 2010). Prisoners are forced to work, doing the maintenance and servicing of the prison for little or no pay. The guards are corrupt and violent, instigating fights between prisoners for their amusement (Muhammad, 2010). Prisoners are forced to pay outrageous costs for the most minimal health care. On top of that most prisoners are denied access to programs for education beyond obtaining a GED. Overall Georgia spends $10,000 less per year per prisoner than the national average. The lack of funding shows in how prisoners are treated. (Muhammad, 2010). Every day prison life for women differs from daily prison life for men. Unlike male inmates, women in general do not present an direct, violent physical danger to staff members and fellow inmates. In fact, hardly any female prisons report any major instances of violence (Saxena, 2008). Violence is more often than not concentrated only in male prisons. In addition, female prisons do not involve the anti authority inmate social code oftentimes established in male prisons (Saxena, 2008). In male prisons, life in prison is normally governed by mandates set forth by gang leaders. This includes no snitching, not cooperating with authorities, and attacking disloyal members. Gang activity is greatly reduced in female prisons (Saxena, 2008). Furthermore, the little bit of gang activity that does occur in female prisons doesnt end up affecting the whole infrastructure like in a male prison (Saxena, 2008). However, being restricted does cause a lot of sever anxiety and anger for many women, especially since they are separated from their families and loved ones (Gaines, Miller, 2009). Sometimes, women are in prison while pregnant and are oftentimes forced to give birth in the prison. Afterwards, their child is either instantly removed, or permitted to stay with the mother for a short period of time (Gaines, Miller, 2009). Woman can also partake in conjugal visits, but this will not make up for all the lost time. Women in prison also cope with their problems differently. Unlike men, who direct their anger outward, female prisoners tend to revert to more self destructive acts in order to deal with the situation. In fact, female inmates are much more likely than male prisoners to mutilate their own bodies and attempt suicide (Saxena, 2008). These activities include simple scratches, carving the name of their boyfriend on their body, and cutting their wrists. Wrist cutting is actually a huge concern amongst prison officials (Saxena, 2008). Blood released from wrist cutting can spread to others and drastically increase inmates and staff members risk of contracting an STD like Aids or hepatitis (Saxena, 2008). Another method utilized by female prisons for adapting to prison life is the falsehood of a make believe family (Gaines, Miller, 2009). These groups normally contain masculine and feminine figures that act as fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters. Unceremonious marriages and divorces may even be performed (Gaines, Miller, 2009). Sometimes, an inmate may hold multiple roles. For example a woman can play a sister in one family and a wife in another. Oftentimes, gay women play the male roles (Gaines, Miller, 2009). Although an extreme difference in prison life exists between men and women, the hurt and frustration still remain the same (Gaines, Miller, 2009). What can be said, though, is that women deal with the situation differently than men. In a study conducted by Mark Fleisher in 2006, according to Heidi Cool, Fleishers research was the first cultural study ever conducted on prison rape in U.S. prisons. This study includes research that he has done over the past twenty years on prison culture. Between 2003 and 2005, Fleisher composed information about prison life rapes by interviewing 564 inmates in mens high security and womens medium and high security prisons in the United States (Cool, 2006). The controlled interviews, with open ended questions, lasted between 90 minutes to, in numerous cases, six to seven hours and generated a widespread compilation of prison slang involving sex and rape and national cultural themes about prison rape shared by inmates across the country. Fleisher figured out that prison inmate life is a culture that is determined by a need for social order and the behavioral rules of prison sexual culture is drastically different from sexual conduct rules for outside of prison (Cool, 2006). The problem of consent is complicated on so many levels but in the end, consensual sex as we know it doesnt have an equivalent meaning in prison inmate culture, he states horrible images of unsafe prisons and widespread rape. The culture of prison sexuality, as well as ideas on rape, are not simply community beliefs transported inside prisons, rather they are different beliefs and create a different social reality (Cool, 2006). There is no equivalent in inmate sexual culture thats equal to our perception of rape. Once a person enters and begins their prison life, they start reexamine their sense of sexuality; men and women who may have never before engaged in same sex relations will probably try it at some point during their sentence (Cool, 2006). Majority of same sex relations are voluntary, which means they dont have to do anything they dont want to do (Cool, 2006). However not all same sex relations are essentially deemed by inmates as homosexual relationships in the prison culture. Theres a broad range of same sex behavior but inmate culture views several acts as homosexual while other related acts are considered straight (Cool, 2006). The only true freedom they have in prison life is their sexual freedom. Another finding that surprised Fleisher according to Cool, was that in the worldview of both men and women inmates, there is a strong belief that men and women have a homosexual identity at their core and that having same sex relations in prison help them come to terms with this emergin g sexuality(Cool, 2006). As for lesbian experience for women, studies have established that even experienced inmates come across heterosexual women with husbands and children, begin same sex relations within days and weeks of their arrival but upon released return to heterosexual behavior (Cool, 2006). Both men and women inmates put in plain words that same sex relations among those different with it as curiosity (Cool, 2006). Within prison life, inmate society interprets mens slow but sure involvement in same sex behavior as getting in touch with their feminine tendencies (Cool, 2006). Inmates say that the bulk of them dont have sexual affairs but eventually an inner homosexual prevails in the life of a prisoner (Cool, 2006). Furthermore, it is very infrequent for the women to be raped or obligated into sex by male or female staff; nevertheless personal relationships can develop between sexual relations. Believe it or not female inmates state they do not participate in having sex with male or female staff members unless it benefits them in some material way (Cool, 2006). Some of the benefits may include bringing them perfume or cigarettes or giving them money, which can be used for food, soap or stamps (Cool, 2006). Within Fleishers report, women prisoners say they will not deal with unnecessary sex among them and staff, although they have been notorious to use allegations of unwanted sex to acquire a transfer or to get revenge in a against a staff member (Cool, 2006). Evidence informs us that presently over 300,000 instances of prison rape occur in a year. 196,000 are projected to happen to men in prison in addition to 123,000 are estimated to happen to the men in county jail. (Cool, 2006). Obviously life in prison has evolved for the better but yet seems to get worse for todays times. It maintains that survival of the fittest mentality and almost an updated caveman reality. Prison life will never get better unless we get over crowding under control and get better standards as to how they are ran.

Social Democracy Cures Social Inequality Essays -- Poverty Welfare Pol

For the last several hundred years with the advent of capitalism and urbanization, the spark that the enlightenment was, has reshaped the world as we know it. Great things were promised from this revolution, but as proven by time and experience this is not the case. Most humans living today are living in poverty and misery with little hope of escaping it; there is a small minority however who live in extravagance and abundance and whose main goal is to keep this arrangement persisting. The most significant problem/disease in our lives today is poverty and social democracy can cure it. Capitalism in its design needs poverty or at the very least excels when poverty is rampant. Liberalism’s focus on individuality does not do enough to protect the impoverished and solve inequality. Conservatism blatantly adores poverty and accepts inequality as natural. Socialism is a great concept but it is completely unrealistic and would only happen through a revolution which in today’s society is highly unlikely. This paper will begin by analyzing the ideologies and there failings in regards to social inequality, and poverty. Beginning with Liberalism, although many of the core liberal ideas have been accepted by all ideologies today, liberalism does only so much to end poverty, most people do not get a fair shake as this paper will show. Next this paper will discuss conservatism’s complete disregard for social policy and its anti-social policies. Thirdly socialism and its current unrealistic goals will be discussed. Finally, Social democracy will be analyzed, its pro-social attitudes while working within the capitalist economy. Liberalism is the dominant ideology of the industrialized countries, in regards that all other ideologies have accepte... ...t has realistic goals that can be achieved through reform. By slow transformation we can rein in capitalisms evils, and help achieve a more equal society. Works Cited Hayes, M. (1994). The New Right in Britian: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. Colorado: Pluto Press. Heywood, A. (2003). Political Ideologies: An Introduction. 3rd Ed. Houndmills, Palgrave Macmillan. Johnston, L. (2001). Ideology. Peterborough: Broadview. McNally, D. (2006). Another World Is Possible: Globalization & Anti-Capitalism . Winnipeg, Canada: Arbeiter Ring Publishing. Miliband, R. (1994). Socialism for a Sceptical Age. London: Verso. Mullaly, B. (1997). Structural Social Work: Ideology, Theory and Practice. 2nd Ed. Toronto: Oxford University Press. Patriquin, L. (2004). Inventing Tax Rage: Misinformation in the National Post. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Fernwood Publishing.

Power & Duties of a Social Worker Essay

This paper discusses and explores both case studies in order to find the powers and duties a social worker acting in a statutory capacity might exercise in these cases, how might they be exercised and how might wider principles of welfare law impact on their decision making? It also analyses the tensions and dilemmas that may exist, referring to specific legislative provisions, and identify how anti-oppressive practice might influence the resolution of these case studies. It also demonstrates an ability to study relevant law in social work practice and have a critical and analytical understanding of the service delivery standards and powers and duties of social workers, demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of key areas of welfare law that are significant to service users analyses the tensions and dilemmas that arise in the implication of the law in social work practice and be able to demonstrate a commitment to the anti-oppressive practice of social work law. This paper is focused on two separate case studies:First Case Study: Jack and Lauren have two Children named as Makayla aged 18 Months and Christopher aged 5 years. The local Authorities and Children’s Services have a referral from a relative who is concerned that the Children had witnessed Jack and Lauren fighting. What is more Jack brings people back to the house who drink heavily and Lauren has left the children alone at least twice to get drugs. When seen the children appear adequately dressed, clean, healthy and outgoing, and Christopher is attending school most days. The house is sparsely furnished but tidy and there appear to be a small number of toys. Makayla may have a development delay. She also may have difficulties with hearing and vision, which have meant numerous medical appointments, some of which have been missed. Second Case Study: Gracias speaks with pride of her house in which she and her husband raised seven children and points to the antiques she has collected. She knows the history of all the antiques she has had longest, but she looks troubled when asked about other items. Her eldest son has looked after her since he retired. She has eleven grandchildren, but she cannot remember their names. He moved in with her after she left the gas on twice and let a stranger into the house. He fells she could benefit from  re-housing since a stroke affecting her left arm and leg means she struggles with the stairs and with bathing, and recently she has begun to become incontinent at night. On the other hand, she still tends to her antiques with great care. He is also concerned that she is still managing her large account of savings and shares, which he will need to have access to if he keeps her at home. These two case studies are mainly different from each other if we study them with practical approach but certain things can be discussed simultaneously for the both cases i.e. family, approach towards the care of children, approach towards the looking after the parents, affects on children when they are ignored. Defining the FamilyA family becomes a family when two or more individuals have decided they are a family, that in the intimate, here-and-now environment in which they gather, there is a sharing of emotional needs for closeness, of living space which is deemed â€Å"home,† and of those roles and tasks necessary for meeting the biological, social and psychological requirements of the individuals involved. For our purposes in this text we mean by family â€Å"two or more people in a committed relationship from which they derive a sense of identity as a family,† thus including â€Å"nontraditional family forms that are outside the traditional legal perspective †¦ families not related by blood, marriage, or adoption† (Cohen, S., and T. A. Wills. 1985: 85)The state of marriageThe family, marriage, and the individual are inextricably interwoven. This simple fact constitutes a major conceptual and practical problem when considering the prospect of intervention in a marital problem, for it militates against clarity of thought and purpose. Certainly, conceptual distinctions can be made, and these are of central importance in the attempts of social scientists to shed light on the dynamics of family life; but such distinctions tend to rely upon the identification of boundaries that are perhaps seldom recognized, let alone drawn, by the individual experiencing the realities of marital and family life. As the father of modern family studies, Whittaker, J. K. and J. Garbarino. (1983) observed,  Ã¢â‚¬ËœWe know too much about the family to be able to study it both objectively and easily’Some family needs could be considered as being met through a combination of expressive and instrumental functions, such as child care, and health-related supports. This applies on both Case Studies. In line with the above, and in recognition of the diversity of contemporary society, we should emphasize that â€Å"respect for diversity requires that family be defined openly and broadly so as to include whomever the family itself- with its unique culture, circumstances, and history-designates† (Allen and Petr 1998:8). Practitioners should be prepared to understand and account for the special needs of minorities. As reflected throughout this volume, this means that we need to consider carefully in our practice the dimensions of race and ethnicity, including not only their significance for human functioning but also their impact on service delivery. In this regard, Pecora, P. J., W. R. Seelig, F. A. Zirps, and S. M. Davis, eds. (1996) assert: â€Å"Training practitioners for competence with diverse populations is high on the list of corrective initiatives to address †¦ inadequacies† in social work practice. A critical component of such training is learning how to promote the well-being of children and families. Promoting Child and Family Well-Being in Perspective of 1st Case StudyTo aid in our understanding of what families and children need to thrive in our society, we have developed a framework of needs and resources for family and child well-being. The framework is organized as a triangle depicting the three interrelated aspects of child and family wellbeing:†¢ What children need for their optimal Development,†¢ What families need to survive and fulfill their functions successfully, and†¢ The neighborhood, community, and environmental resources that families and their children require. At the center of the model is the overall goal for family-centered social work practice: safeguarding and promoting the well-being and Welfare Law of children and their families. We will refer to this framework throughout the paper, so as to highlight key points about promoting child and family  wellbeing and safety as well as delineate guidelines and principles for assessment and intervention. The model draws from the contributions of a number of sources in an attempt to show the range of interrelated family and child needs that, when met, promote optimal functioning and development. Resilience, Coping, and AdaptationIn their work with children and families, practitioners can be guided by knowledge regarding resilience, coping, and adaptation-key constructs in understanding human beings and human behavior. Before elaborating on each of these constructs, it is useful to consider the competence centered perspective on social work practice, which can serve as a frame of reference for practitioners. Competence-Centered Perspective & Principles of Welfare LawThe competence-centered perspective builds upon ecology as a metaphor guiding the study of the interactions between living organisms and their environments (Bronfenbrenner 1979). In particular, such a metaphor calls attention to the â€Å"influence of external environments on the functioning of families as contexts of human development† (Bronfenbrenner 1986:723). As an orientation to practice, ecology helps us to appreciate that human beings are engaged in continuous transaction with their environment; furthermore, the ecological view provides insight into the nature and consequence of such transactions both for human beings and for the physical and social environments in which they function (Germain and Gitterman 1996:5-19). Evaluation in perspective of Case Study 2By offering a broad conceptual lens to view human functioning and needs, ecology underscores that social work intervention should address the interface between human beings and their impinging environments: practitioners focus on improving the transactions between people and environments in order to enhance adaptive capacities as well as enrich environments for all who function within them (Germain and Gitterman 1996). In using such an orientation, practitioners can help mobilize the actual and potential strengths and resources of individuals, families, and groups while simultaneously seeking to render environments more responsive to the adaptive and coping needs of human organisms (Kagan, S. L. 1995). In addition, workers are helped to understand the relationships  between families and their environments and identify the significant sources of support as well as stress and conflict. They can then assess more objectively the complex personal and environmental factors affecting parents and children and arrive at more appropriate treatment plans and recommendations. The competence perspective draws from ego psychology; psychodynamic psychology; and learning, developmental, and family systems theories. In social work as in other fields, competence is generally defined as the repertoire of skills that enable the person to function effectively. However, a distinction should be made between the notion of discrete competencies or skills and the broader, ecological or transactional concept of competence. The latter may be defined as the outcome of the interplay among:†¢ A person’s capacities, skills, potentialities, limitations, and othercharacteristics. †¢ A person’s motivation-that is, her or his interests, hopes, beliefs, andaspirations, and†¢ the qualities of the person’s impinging environment-such as socialnetworks, environmental demands, and opportunities (Maluccio 1981). Stress, Risk, and Protective Factors in perspective of Both Case StudiesIn the course of their development, families and children encounter a variety of stresses and risks that need to be considered in any interventive plans or services. Stress and risk are closely related concepts. As Roskies (1991:412) indicates, â€Å"In spite of its widespread use, there is no single, precise definition of the term stress.† Saleebey, D. (2002) who is regarded as the father of modern stress theory, focuses on physiological reactions of the human organism in its struggle to resist noxious stimuli or stressors. Along with other theorists, Locke and Taylor (1991:157) define stress as â€Å"the emotional response, typically consisting of fear and/and anxiety and associated physical symptoms resulting from† perceived threats to one’s well-being or selfesteem. We think of stress as internal tension or strain produced in the human being in response to any one or more factors. Risk has been defined as â€Å"any influence that increases the probability of onset, digression to a more serious state, or the maintenance of a problem condition† (Fraser 1997a:3). â€Å"Risk or vulnerability represents a heightened probability of negative outcome based on the presence of one or more† factors such as â€Å"genetic, biological, behavioral, socio-cultural, and demographic conditions, characteristics, or attributes† (Fraser 1997:10). Examples of environmental risks are family dysfunction, child abuse, parental illness, and, above all, poverty. Protective factors are â€Å"those internal and external forces that help children resist or ameliorate risk† (Fraser 1997a:13). Rutter (1985:600) further defines protective factors as â€Å"influences that modify, ameliorate, or alter a person’s response to some environmental hazard that predisposes to a maladaptive outcome.† Problem-solving skills, a sense of self-efficacy, and an internal locus of control are examples of internal forces found in resilient children and youths. Examples of external forces are the strong family presence of a caring, supportive adult in the family and a safe and supportive school set- ting. As Benard (1997) explains, schools can provide a protective environment for many youths and children through the caring and support and high expectations of teachers and other school personnel as well as the opportunities available for meaningful participation in the life of the classroom, school, or community.Under certain conditions the interplay between risk factors and protective mechanisms leads to successful coping and adaptation: â€Å"An individual is able to cope so long as the balance among risks, stressful life events, and protective factors is manageable. But when risk factors and stressful life events outweigh the protective factors, even the most resilient children can develop problems (Werner 1989:80). â€Å"Through her longitudinal, life span study of 618 children, Werner (1994 and 1995) has demonstrated the role of protective factors within the family and community, such as socioeconomic supports, in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. As considered in subsequent chapters, social workers can play important roles in promoting resilience in children and youths. In particular, in conjunction with the concepts delineated in the preceding section, the constructs of risk, stress, and protective factors suggest several interrelated themes that can help guide social work practice with  families and children: †¢ Human beings are engaged in ongoing, dynamic transactions with theirenvironment and in a continuous process of growth and adaptation. †¢ Human beings are â€Å"open systems† that are spontaneously active andmotivated to achieve competence in their coping with life demands and environmental challenges. †¢ Varied environmental opportunities and social supports are necessary tosustain and promote a human being’s efforts to grow, to achieve self-fulfillment, and to contribute to others. †¢ Appropriate supports should be matched to the human being’s changingqualities and needs in order to maximize the development of her or hiscompetence, identity, autonomy, and self-fulfillment. Intergenerational Aspects and Principles of Welfare Law In perspective to Case Study 2Throughout human history and across societies, parents have relied on the extended family, especially grandparents, for help in care of their children. Such reliance is becoming increasingly problematic, due to such factors as the geographic mobility of families and, above all, growing societal problems in such areas as housing, poverty, substance abuse, and family violence. In addition, there is an increasing proportion of mothers at an early age, including early adolescence; the families of these young mothers are often struggling with their own issues, problems, and challenges. It has been estimated that, as of the early 1990s, between 2.3 and 4.3 million children lived in the homes of relatives without their parents (Everett 1995). The U.S. Bureau of the Census (1995) reports that approximately 3.9 million children were being raised in grandparent-headed households in 1995. While kinship caring is more common among families of color, it is seen also among white families. As extensively considered by Hegar and Scannapieco (1999), kinship care is a complex phenomenon-whether provided through informal arrangements or through state supervision. According to these authors, among the issues to be considered are the  following: How should formal kinship care differ from informal care arranged by the families? Should kinship care be classified as either out-of-home care or family preservation? Should foster families licensure or certification be required of kinship families? How long should the state subsidize placement with kin?In view of the above, practitioners need to give increased attention to the intergenerational aspects of family and child Welfare Law services. In particular, agency policies and programs should recognize the crucial role of grandparents in caring partially or fully for their grandchildren, including teenage granddaughters who are pregnant or have children of their own. Since they face multiple tasks during a crucial phase of their own development, parenting grandparents need a social service system that responds to their needs. As recommended by the Child Welfare League of America (Child Welfare League of America 1994; National Commission on Family Foster Care 1991), following are some of the strategies that are especially crucial in promoting intergenerational interventions:†¢ offering services to the parents as well as the grandparents to meet their own needs as caregivers as well as the child’s needs,†¢ providing adequate financial supports, especially in view of the precarious financial conditions of many grandparents,†¢ monitoring the child’s placement in kinship care, so as to ensure the child’s well-being as well as address the needs of the kinship family, and†¢ encouraging practitioners to appreciate and respect each the child’s and family’s cultural, racial, and ethnic identity. In addition, there needs to be attention to the ongoing psychosocial issues that many parenting grandparents experience as they are faced with their own basic physical, emotional, and financial adjustments (Poe 1992), the interaction between parents and grandparents, with its potential for frustration and conflicts, the issue of permanency planning for children placed with relatives, and the parents’ own need for help in connection with their own problems as well as their functioning as parents. Various authors consider these issues in detail. For example, Poe (1992) offers implications for policy and treatment in the situations of black grandparents. Doucette-Dudman and LaCure (1996) present guidelines for helping grandparents and social service professionals cope with the challenges  inherent in grandparent parenting. Generations United (1998) offers recommendations and strategies for dealing with economic supports, health care, education, child care, and legal issues in the situations of grandparents and other relatives raising children. Maluccio (1999) describes intergenerational approaches to helping families at risk, such as foster grandparent programs, mentoring of young mothers by elderly persons, and having older adults work with families experiencing child abuse or neglect. Child-Focused and Family-Centered Practice In perspective of Welfare LawSocial Work Practice requires that we maintain a principal focus on the child within a family-centered context. As discussed more extensively elsewhere, such a focus suggests that, in most cases, the child can best be helped by regarding the family as the central unit of service or focus of attention, whenever and as much as possible. Human beings can best be understood and helped within their significant environment, and the family is the most intimate environment of all. It is here that the child develops and forms her or his identity and basic competence. The family has the potential to provide resources throughout the life cycle, especially as its members are sustained and supported by various services (Germain 1999). The family’s own environment can be employed as the arena in which practitioners intervene to help strengthen communication, parenting skills, and parent-child relationships.As reflected throughout this volume, we consider the following guidelines as especially important in implementing child-focused and family-centered practice:†¢ There is emphasis on prevention and intervention strategies that reduce stress and risk and promote coping and resilience in children and families. †¢ Practitioners must understand the relationship between race/racenicity and issues such as family norms, child-rearing practices, childhood and family poverty, discrimination, and funding of social services. †¢ Assessment and intervention focus on the family’s transactions with its kinship system, school, community institutions, and other social networks that affect its functioning. Intervention strategies are directed not only toward engaging the family in treatment but also toward changing the social  systems that influence it. There is emphasis on case management strategies and community-based approaches that help empower vulnerable clients (Rothman 1994). †¢ Many parents can be helped to become rehabilitated or to plan responsibly for their children through family treatment approaches as alternatives to placement of children out of their homes or as methods of speeding up the reunification of placed children with their families. For example, birth parents of children at risk can be empowered through the use of group training. †¢ When children are separated as a result of hospitalization, imprisonment, foster home placement, or residential placement, family ties between them and their families should be preserved as much as possible, through such means as consistent parental visiting. The natural bonds between children in care and their parents may continue to be important for most parents and children long after they are physically separated for either short-term or long-term periods. †¢ Foster family, group care, or residential placement of a child should be seen as a part of the overall service rather than as the service-as a tool, rather than as an end in itself. In line with this, there should be efforts to have parents, foster parents, or other child care personnel regard themselves as partners in a shared undertaking, with common goals and mutually supportive and complementary roles. †¢ A major source of help often can be the family’s extended kinship system. (Danzy and Jackson 1997) as in situations involving parental substance abuse. As another example, in many cases the extended family, with agency support, can help a parent avert placement or reduce the duration of placement in an unfamiliar setting. †¢ Mutual aid groups, such as those for vulnerable adolescents, gay and lesbian youths, sexual abuse survivors, or bereaved children, can be therapeutic as well as empowering (Gitterman and Shulman 1994). References Allen, R. I. and C. G. Petr. 1998. Rethinking family-centered practice. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 68:4-15. American Humane Association. 1998. Assessing Outcomes in Child Welfare Services: Principles, Concepts, and a Framework of Core Indicators. Englewood, Col.: AHA, Children’s Division. Benard, B. 1994. Applications of resilience. Paper presented at a conference on the Role of Resilience in Drug Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, and Mental Illness, December 5-6. Washington, D.C. Cited in D. Saleebey 1997. Benard, B. 1997. Fostering resiliency in children and youth: Promoting protective factors in the school. In D. Saleebey, ed., The Strengths Perspective in Social Work, pp. 167-182. 2d ed. New York: Longman. Bronfenbrenner, U. 1979. The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Bronfenbrenner, U. 1986. Ecology of the family as a context for human development: Research perspectives. Developmental Psychology 22 (6): 723-742. Cohen, S., and T. A. Wills. 1985. Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin 98 (2): 310-357. Maluccio. 1999. The rationalization of foster care in the twenty-first century. In P.A. Curtis, G. Dale Jr., and J. C. Kendall, eds., The Foster Care Crisis: Translating Research Into Policy and Practice, pp. 225-242. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Danzy, J., and Jackson, S.M. 1997. Family preservation and support services: A missed opportunity for kinship care. Child Welfare 76:31-44. Doucette-Dudman, D. and J. R. LaCure. 1996. Raising Our Children’s Children. Minneapolis: Fairview. Everett, J. 1995. Relative foster care: An emerging trend in foster care placements policy and practice. Smith College Studies in Social Work 65:239-254. Everett, J. E. 1997. Theoretical, policy, research and clinical perspectives for social work practice with African Americans. Special issue. Smith College Studies in Social Work 67 (3): 255-643. Everett, J. E., S. S. Chipungu, and B. R. Leashore, eds. 1991. Child Welfare: An Africentric Perspective. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. Fraser, C. 1995. Suffering children and the Christian Science Church. Atlantic Monthly, April, pp. 105-120. Fraser, M. W. 1990. Program outcome measures. In Y.-Y. T. Yuan and M. Rivest, eds., Preserving Families: Evaluation Resources for Practitioners and Policymakers, pp. 77-101. Newbury Park, Cal.: Sage. Fraser, M. W., ed. 1997a. Risk and Resilience in Childhood: An Ecological Perspective. Washington, D.C.: NASW. Fraser, M. W. 1997b. The ecology of childhood: A multi-systems perspective. In M. W. Fraser, ed., Risk and Resilience in Childhood: An Ecological Perspective, pp. 1-9. Washington, D.C.: NASW. Generations United.1998. Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children: An Intergenerational Action Agenda. Washington, D.C.: Generations United. Germain, C. B. and M. Bloom. 1999. Human Behavior in the Social Environment: An Ecological View. 2d ed. New York: Columbia University Press. Germain, C. B. and A. Gitterman. 1996. The Life Model of Social Work Practice: Advances in Theory and Practice. 2d ed. New York: Columbia University Press. Hegar, R. L. and M. Scannapieco, eds. 1999. Kinship Foster Care: Policy, Practice, and Research. New York: Oxford University Press. Kagan, S. L. 1995. The changing face of parenting education. ERIC Digest (EDOPS-95-7). Urbana: University of Illinois, Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. Kagan, S. L. and B. Weissbourd, eds. 1994. Putting Families First: America’s FamilyLee, J. A. B. 2000. The Empowerment Approach to Social Work Practice. 2d ed. New York: Columbia University Press. Locke, E. A. and S. M. Taylor. 1991. Stress, coping, and the meaning of work. In A. Monat and R.S. Lazarus, eds., Stress and Coping:An Anthology, pp. 140- 157.3d ed. New York: Columbia University Press. Pecora, P. J., W. R. Seelig, F. A. Zirps, and S. M. Davis, eds. 1996. Quality Improvement and Evaluation in Child and Family Services: Managing Into the Next Century. Washington, D.C.: CWLA. Poe, C. G. 1992. Social Work with Children and Their Families: Pragmatic Foundations. New York: Oxford University Press. Roskies, E. 1991. Stress management: A new approach to treatment. In A. Monat and R. S. Lazarus, eds., Stress and Coping:An Anthology, pp. 411-431. 3d ed. New York: Columbia University Press. Rothman, J. 1994. Practice with Highly Vulnerable Clients: Case Management and Community-Based Service. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Rothman, J. C. 1998. From the Front Lines: Student Cases in Social Work Ethics. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Rutter, M. 1985. Resilience in the face of adversity: Protective factors and resistance to psychiatric disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry 147:598-611. Saleebey, D., ed. 2002. The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice. 3d ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Werner, E. E. 1989. High-risk children in young adulthood: A longitudinal study from birth to thirty-two years. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 59:72-81. Werner, E. E. 1994. Overcoming the odds. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 15:131-136. Werner, E. E. 1995. Resilience in development. American Psychological Society 4:81-85. Whittaker, J. K. and J. Garbarino. 1983. Social Support Networks: Informal Helping in the Human Services. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.

Venus at Vulcan essays

Venus at Vulcan essays A French painter named Francois Boucher, well-known for his rococo style paintings that commonly portrayed rustic and mythological scenes. Francois Boucher was born in France. He was the son of a lace designer. His greatest influence when growing up was Antoine Watteau. He admired his delicate style of painting. When Bocher grew up he decided to leave France and off to Rome. In Rome he studied with the painter Francois Le Moyne. In 1723 won the Prix De Rome. He studied in Rome from 1727 to 1731. When Bocher returned to France he created over hundreds of paintings. Bouchers work caught the eye of the royals, he was made first painter to the king. He became the director of the Royal Academy, and designer for the Royal Porcelain Works. Bouchers work also was a delight to the public, they enjoyed his delicate depictions of divinities. He was also considered the most fashionable painter of his time. One of his greatest paintings is the Venus at Vulcans Forge. Boucher was very ill while in the process of painting this work, and he had only a year to live. His illness did not effect the outcome of his painting. This painting was inspired by Virgils narrative in the eighth book of The Aeneid, in which Venus induces Vulcan to forge the arms for her mortal son Aeneas, champion of the Torjans against the the Greeks. Vulcan strains forward, presenting the sword toward Venus with a sense of urgency and yearning clearly visible on his face. Seized by passion, he is totally under the sway of Venus , a fact Boucher stresses by the doves and putto reclining on his lap and by the putto on Venuss side, who aims his arrow directly at Vulcans heart. Vulcan has succumbed to love, a fire more subtle and more powerful that that with which he forges s ...

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Discussion Many changes have occurred to the civil rights movement over the years. The changes reflect the period in which the people of color strived to gain their rights (Putnam, 2000).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on National Association for the Advancement of Colored People specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Every generation of the movements, such as; Underground Railroad, Abolitionist Movement, and Non-violent Advocates enhanced the efforts of the people of color to advance their rights (Paden, 2010). The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was established after realization that the best way of advancing equal rights was through the judicial system. NAACP safeguards civil liberties of all men and women in the US to make sure that social justice is adhered to. Fundamentally, human beings are made equal and endowed with unalienable rights by their creator. NAACP safeguards this fundame ntal belief (Paden, 2010) Besides the role of monitoring guarding constitutional rights of the coloreds, NAACP plays an influential role of bringing social and judicial changes in the US. It advances political, economic, educational and social equality of the rights of all people to remove racial prejudices. This mission is accomplished through the US judicial system. The NAACP leadership works against discrimination on racial grounds and crimes based on hate by ensuring that they are punished whenever they occur (Paden, 2010). This paper explains how NAACP uses its social capital influence to act in the US political system. This influence is exhibited through: NAACP†s composition; ability to argue issues before the federal court; emphasis on economic programs and initiatives for members; engagement in social programs; prioritization of anti-poverty policy; policy shift that targets low income earners; policy to remove employment barriers for formerly incarcerated; stable rela tionship with financial institutions; and its involvement in provision of quality education and reform.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Composition of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP is made up of local branches, Youth and College Chapters, national membership and Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) programs. This makes the organization to be one of the largest advocacy organization concerned with challenges plaguing African American families. With elaborately spread local volunteer infrastructure, the accumulated and organized wells of local credibility, expertise, and the ability to mobilize, the NAACP continues to be uniquely positioned to play a sustaining role in transformative change in the US political system. For instance: through its State Conferences and local volunteer leaders, NAACP was inst rumental in illegalizing the death penalty and racial profiling in 2009; successively lobbied for the passage of Racial Justice Act in North Carolina in 2009; in New York, members of NAACP assisted in enacting reforms which called for admission of drug addicts in rehabilitation centers; and in Florida, NAACP members assisted in reforming the state’s zero-tolerance school discipline policies (Paden, 2010). Additionally, the NAACP has a comprehensive process of retraining and maintaining its network branches in modern community organization and mobilization. By partnering with Midwest Academy, NAACP established a curriculum that aids the branches to realize their potential as local community organizers and advocates. The association also consists of youth councils, young adult councils and college and prison chapters across US. The group promotes significant programs at both national and local levels. Protection of civil rights and fostering of black economic development are it s primary areas of concern. In addition, the program represents organization’s commitment to fighting drugs, teen pregnancy and other social challenges that plague the black community (Paden, 2010). NAACP’s Ability to Argue Cases before the Federal Courts NAACP argues cases at the national level before the federal courts and lobbies for or against proposed laws and federal appointments. For instance, the association successfully blocked the appointment of judge Bork to the Supreme Court.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on National Association for the Advancement of Colored People specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is a clear indication of how NAACP mobilized its local branches and capitalized on its national supremacy. The group lobbied in Washington, lobbied, protested and testified as part of a major coalition: involving Congressional Black Caucus; Leadership Council on Civil rights; and the American Way. These groups represented minorities, women, labor and religious groups. At local levels, local branches throughout the country lobbied their Senators with cards, letters and phone calls opposing the nomination of judge Bork to the Supreme Court.(Paden, 2010). NAACP’s Emphasis on Economic Programs and Initiatives for its Members The NAACP puts more emphasis on economic programs and initiatives besides playing the primary role of monitoring civil rights and law enforcement. The association has had economic programs and policies to assist its members.   The national programs include: Fare Share and NAACP Economic Development Corp created to help growth and development of minority businesses. Fair Share seeks to enhance participation of blacks in policy making positions on the boards of major corporations, encourage promotions among blacks in management level positions in major corporations, implement an across the board affirmative action program that ensures aggressive recruitment, hiring and promotion of blacks at all levels in the corporate structure. For instance, NAACP managed to secure an agreement with Pacific Bell which increased its advertising with minority owned media by 63%. The program encouraged many companies to buy more products and services from minority vendors. This voluntary agreement has been signed by several firms including; Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corp, Walt Disney Productions Inc, Atlantic City Casino Association and others. NAACP’s Engagement in Social Programs It is also important to note NAACP’s social programs as a significant area of engagement. As NAACP settles to move into the future, the black population continues to be faced with many social problems that are central to the organization’s interest.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To exert more influence to its membership, NAACP engages in developing visible initiatives to address some of these social problems. These challenges have led the organization to adopt new priorities. For instance, new goals and directions were announced in 1987 at the National Convention. The new thrust of the group was to concentrate on the areas of self help, quality education, economic development, and self discipline. This was to be done by freeing communities of crime, drugs, teenage pregnancies and high school dropouts. These problems were addressed by another of workshops in the Convention. For instance, NAACP women’s auxiliary established programs to reduce teenage pregnancy. In addition, NAACP sponsors Afro–American Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics and Back to School/Stay-In-School programs to encourage black youth towards greater academic excellence. The NAACP used to direct economic and social problems facing blacks and minorities to other gr oups, such as National Urban League. The group used to be reluctant to engage into such issues as crime, teen pregnancy and illiteracy as they were outside the organization’s initial scope and would spread their scarce resources. In away, this aspect reduced their power of influence over its membership. Later, however, NAACP made affirm commitment to social programs. To fulfill these, the group engaged in efforts to expand its resource base through drives to attract both individual and corporate support (Paden, 2010).. NAACP’s Prioritization of Anti-Poverty Policy The founding bylaws of NAACP established the association as a highly centralized one whose activities would be implemented by local branches. NAACP was centralized from the beginning and the national body maintained control over branches and membership. In the early 1960s, NAACP became increasingly worried about losing its members to other organizations as civil rights movement picked up steam. The group also risked losing public’s perception of being the preeminent civil rights organization. NAACP had come under criticism for catering to the interests and of the middle and upper classes. This perception and reputation made the group to be particularly concerned with maintaining its relevance to the movement as poverty became an increasingly important issue for civil rights organizations (Paden, 2010).. NAACP’s Policy Shift to Target Low Income Earners The recruitment strategies of other civil rights group became of great concern to NAACP. The group became more concerned with its image as an elite, top down organization as the number of active civil rights groups continued to grow. These new civil rights groups were directly appealing to low income African Americans and stressed the significance of their participation in civil rights struggle. This competition had direct implications for NAACP’s recruitment strategies. The group addressed its image concerning the di rection it took in relation to political action and the masses. It had to move away from over-dependence on the middle class membership. It found the importance of reaching out to a greater number of African Americans. To get closer to the masses, the group targeted simplification of strategies which enhanced awareness. For instance, NAACP instructed all its local branches to request representation on Community Action Program (CAP) boards to maintain the groups visibility as the preeminent civil rights organization. The policy directions to branches were occasioned by the group’s desire to maintain its viability as a civil rights organization for all African Americans (Paden, 2010). NAACP’s Policy to Remove Employment Constraints for the Formerly Incarcerated NAACP also has well established policy of enlisting individuals leave U.S. prisons each year. Since the black community continues to face unique problems poised by those from incarceration yet encounter constraint s to re-entry back to society. These individuals are plagued with numerous constraints such as housing and employment, winning back custody of their children, voting, getting personal loans and obtaining other primary resources necessary for them to rebuild their lives. In 2009, for instance, NAACP developed an employment strategy designed to remove the unnecessary barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated people. The aim was to ensure unnecessary freeze on employment do not hinder qualified people of color a chance to participate in gainful work. The aim was also to encourage better living standards and to prevent discrimination against formerly incarcerated people as they are seeking to rebuild their lives through employment. The group works in concert with public and private sector employers in determining pragmatic solutions to this problem (Paden, 2010). NAACP’s Relationship with Financial Institutions The NAACP also strives to enhance relationship between financi al institutions and the people of color and other disadvantaged minorities. The group advocates for fairness and transparency in the criteria of acquiring quality loans from financial institutions. NAACP also uses its social capital to act in the US political system through advocacy on their economic inclusion. The group is engaged in ongoing programs that monitor and encourage corporate and industry diversity. It also enhances the business strategy of diversity in public and private employment across America including: establishing taskforces aimed at developing strategies to assist largest employers to cease discrimination especially against formally incarcerated individuals; establishing measures of fairness and diversity such as Economic Reciprocity Initiative report cards with respect to employment and wealth creation avenues for the coloreds; opening gateway to leadership among its membership through summer internship program. NAACP partners with the Money Management Institute in this initiative meant to prepare undergraduates from Black Colleges and Universities for leadership roles in the banking industry; and initiation of Madison Avenue Project to eliminate discrimination against coloreds in advertising sector to enhance diversity and equality (Paden, 2010). NAACP Involvement in Provision of Quality Education and Sector Reforms The NAACP recognizes that education defines civil and human rights issues of our time. Many schools in America continue to enhance segregation and do not prepare children to be reliable citizens. The NAACP reasserted its presence nationally in 2009 in education reform by advancing an agenda to improve education quality while bridging racial disparities in access and outcomes that existed. The plan assisted members of the educational community address the challenges in schools at every level of government and to build coalitions with an invigorated sense of clarity and hope. Through these comprehensive plan, the country tackled education disparities by addressing issues such as; quality of teachers, student career readiness, equitable resources, and others (Paden, 2010). To date, the NAACP continues to advance key education programs in communities throughout the US, including: offering support and training to communities throughout the country, ensuring equitable distribution of education resource, and guard against racially disparate use of school discipline policies and teacher quality; enabling minority students access to gifted and talented educational programs; and increase the number of African American board certified teachers in schools throughout the US through an elaborate partnership with National Board of Professional Teacher Certification (Paden, 2010). Conclusion In sum, NAACP has an elaborate well established membership across the US. The group advocates for key cardinal issues that are fundamental to development of colored people. Besides being the custodian of constitutional rights of Afr ican Americans and minorities, NAACP plays influential role of establishing social and judicial reforms in the US. It also advances political, economic, educational and social equality of the rights of all people to remove racial bias. This mission is accomplished through the US judicial system. The NAACP leadership works against discrimination on racial grounds and crimes based on hate by ensuring that they are punished whenever they occur. The paper has identified several issues that NAACP has sought to influence, including: issues of discrimination in social, economic, political, education, employment, and others. Reference List Paden, C. (2010). Civil Rights Advocacy on Behalf of the Poor. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania University Press. Putnam, R. D. (2000), Bowling alone :The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Simon Schuster, New York.

Consumer Behavior Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer Behavior - Research Paper Example This can be seen in the way that films and cinema in general are advertised to induce consumers or groups of consumers to listen to specific points of view about the films, while blocking out other views (Walters 19). This paper seeks to focus on three theories of the media’s effect on consumer behavior. These are two step flow theory, hypodermic needle theory, and cultivation theory. These theories will be considered alongside how they affect cinemagoers. The hypodermic needle theory is also referred to as the magic bullet theory. This theoretical model implies that mass media portends a powerful, immediate, and direct effect on audiences (East et al 121). This was especially so in the 40s and 50s, during which cinema attendances were at their peak, and several factors contributed to the media’s strong effects during this period. First, television and radio saw a fast rise and increased popularity among consumers. In addition, the persuasion industry, which consists of propaganda and advertising, also saw an increase in use. This theory contends that it is possible for mass media to influence a large and diverse group in society through uniformly â€Å"injecting† them with specific and appropriate messages to trigger the response they desire (East et al 122). In the cinema industry, this theory suggests a direct and powerful informational flow between the sender and the receiver. It graphically suggests whatever message the cinema company sends out is the bullet that is fired from the media that takes the place of a gun into the mind of the consumer (East et al 122). The hypodermic needle analogy is used to show how the messages from the media are directly injected into a passive consumer base, whose opinions are immediately influenced by the implied message. In this case, the media communicates an idea about a film that is consumed by the audience who have no power to resist message’s impact (East et al 122). This theory was especi ally relevant during the 40s and 50s when film critics did not yet have a way to get their opinions out to the public efficiently. However, with the advent of the internet, this theory does not have as much effect on studying film consumer behavior because the audience has a way to validate the message they are getting from the media (East et al 123). However, in this model, the cinema-goers have no way to escape the message’s effects, which means that the message the cinema company puts across about their film will be taken as the truth. The audience is passive and has a lot of information â€Å"injected† into them. This gets to the point that they end up believing what they are told about a specific film because they do not have another information source from which to get information. However, this theory has seen less impact with the emergence of film critics and their role as opinion leaders. The two-step flow theory states that media indirectly affects consumers through the influence of opinion leaders. Most people, including cinemagoers, are influenced second-hand by media via opinion leaders and their personal influence. This theoretical model contends that opinion leaders in the media affect the manner in which consumers will form their behavior (Weimann 98). These opinion leaders are first exposed to media content, which they then interpret according to their personal opinion. These opinions then infiltrate the general public consumers

Marketing Management. Peter Drucker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Management. Peter Drucker - Essay Example According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs buyer's needs vary from physiological to self actualization. A product like car, is required to fulfill the needs like social needs and esteem needs. Brand image and value plays a very crucial role as a decider in fulfilling such needs. Buyer behavior is deeply rooted in psychology guided by dashes of sociology. A product is therefore priced, placed, promoted depending upon the kind of market the company envisages for the product. A company like Nissan will therefore give more thought to the needs of its customers within its most potential markets. Nissan envisions 'Enriching people's lives', while working with a mission statement stating, "Nissan provides unique and innovative automotive products and services that deliver superior measurable values to all stakeholders in alliance with Renault." A brand like Nissan also brings with it the qualities like reliability and prestige, which forms the core of making buying decisions. In today's marke t driven economy, the role of media and promotion has also become very crucial. With increasing competition and decreasing profit margins, a balanced marketing communication campaign forms the back-bone of company's marketing strategy. Nissan Motor Company Limited (Nissan) is engaged in the planning, developing, manufacturing and selling of passenger automobiles, automobile parts, and forklifts. Company's potential markets are Japan, Canada, Australia, the US, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Middle East and some parts of Asia. North America accounted for 43.5% of its total revenues in the fiscal year 2006, while Japan, Nissan Motor's largest geographical market, accounted for 28.4% with Europe accounting for 15%. Therefore, over the years, the company has developed an expertise in understanding the buyer behavior of these two markets in general. Company was established in 1933 to manufacture and sell small Datsun passenger cars and auto parts. It is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. In the annual ranking of top 100 global brands by BusinessWeek and Interbrand in 2006, Nissan figured at the 90th position. The company may not be quite upbeat with this ranking because, its ranking has come down gradually over the yea rs with more competitors entering into the fray thanks to the globalisation and liberalization of economies. The value of brand is equally important in influencing the buyer behavior and providing a winning edge over the competitors. The Nissan brand was valued at $3,108 million in 2006. However, the company's position continues to be threatened by rising raw material prices, which could adversely impact its operating margins. Innovation with regular inputs from R&D is another feature for influencing the buyer behavior, as it helps the company in taking care of the growing needs and concerns of customers and the environment. It is an established fact that needs of consumer keep changing over time. Today's society has also become more caring for the environment and there's a growing concern for preserving the ecological balance by way of minimizing the pollution and using less harmful fuels to keep the ozone layer intact. This calls for continuous inputs into Research and Development activities. Nissan motors has the distinctive advantage of being in the top 50 organisations1 having invested in R&D activities. Incidentally, amongst the top 50