Tow Qustions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tow Qustions - Essay Example Furthermore, program evaluation seeks to evaluate if the program is worthwhile, needs improvement or re-focusing. The program evaluation that sparked my interest is the assessment of the juvenile justice programs. The juvenile justice programs are tasked with transforming delinquents into socially functioning individuals. Rarely do citizens question the effectiveness and success of such a respected public institution. This evaluation utilizes SPEP (Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol) to determine the efficiency of the juvenile institution (Rossi et al., 2004, p23). The SPEP compares several juvenile justice programs to determine their effectiveness. Prior to evaluating this effectiveness, the researchers developed a meta-analysis of the programs. Meta-analyses are a definitive way used in assessing the best practices from the analysis of several studies on programs. The meta-analyses aim at improving the program, in our case the juvenile justice, to achieve efficiency and effectiveness (Bardach, 2012, p68). Other techniques used in the evaluation program for the juvenile justice program are the OJJDP’s strategy that assesses the current juvenile systems. This program evaluation aims at improving on the juvenile justice record of positively changing the lives of delinquents. The evaluation aims at instigating change and reform in this system responsible for the lives of misguided youths. It further aims at disapproving certain methods used in, such as the use of confinement to discipline delinquents. The results of the program evaluation are not definitive. However, the researchers leave several guidelines and recommendations that suggest the best way forward for the juvenile justice program. This way is based on the results gathered from the research. All stakeholders of the program are addressed individually as the evaluation seeks to improve on the program’s effectiveness

Peabody Trust Essay Example for Free

Peabody Trust Essay In 1862 George Peabody, an American from Philadelphia who moved to London in 1837, founded the most famous society providing homes for the skilled artisan classes. With ? 150,000 0f initial capital at his disposal, Peabody had several buildings constructed in the inner city Spitalfields district of London by early 1864, in later years; Peabody built dwellings in Bermondsey, Chelsea, Islington, and Shadwell. His goal was to house the working poor in healthy dwellings as long as they were of good character, conducted themselves responsibly, and paid their rent on time (Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 93). The Peabody Trust is a non-profit organization that builds and manages high quality social housing for people on low incomes. Their fund had its greatest impact on the London housing market during the first fifteen years after its founder’s death in 1869; unfortunately, no major projects were undertaken between 1885 and 1900, the worst years of the housing crisis, as the Peabody Trust had at that time to pay down the huge loans taken out during the first twenty years of its existence (Tarn 10). Peabody Trust’s approach is truly innovative. Taking a long-term view of regeneration, the organization works closely with its customer (the tenants of its homes) and suppliers to alleviate homeless and provide opportunities for quality accommodation and employment. Core to the organization’s work is the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of urban development. An outstanding commitment to empowering staff, suppliers and customers has created a culture of creativity in which growth is almost inevitable. In the last decade, the number of properties owned by Peabody has nearly doubled. A similarly innovative approach to raising funds ensures that finances pose no barrier to this substantial growth. In fact, the Trust is one leading raisers of private finance in the housing association field, raising ? 80 million through Business Expansion Schemes and ? 200 million through debenture stock issue. Peabody Trust has one major advantage over most organizations; most of its employees have bought into the Trust’s ethos and work before they walk in through the door. The management, however, is far from complacent. In addition to the culture of openness that permeates, employees are genuinely empowered. Peabody’s innovative approach to fundraising means that they find it fairly straight forward; finances have not represented a barrier to development as an active developer at all. Key to the success of the scheme was the creative approach of the financial director, who shares Peabody’s commitment to innovation. The financial regime is unusually free, enabling the organization to act innovatively. On the other hand, in 1883 the Peabody Trust was severely criticized for housing only the aristocracy of the working classes, it is clear that wherever the Trustees built they provided rooms at rents lower than those generally prevailing in the immediate neighborhood. It is significant that in an area of Westminster where there were only ninety-six one-roomed tenements available, the Peabody Trust added sixty two, but just as important is the fact that in a congested part of central London they were able to offer three rooms for about the price of two in neighboring streets. No wonder that the Peabody superintendent wrote that in his twenty-eight years of managing various model dwellings, he had never experienced so great a rush for places. If the buildings had been six times as large, he declared, â€Å"I would have no difficulty in letting the rooms†. (Medical officer of Health’s Report 58). The Peabody Trust, of all the mode dwelling companies, appeared to have had the greatest and most continuous demand for its rooms. The rent structure and activities of the Peabody Trust were bitterly attacked by several of the model dwelling companies. In part this stemmed from the definition by the other companies of Peabody’s original intentions, in part from jealousy and rivalry. Many felt the Trustees should concentrate on building in the most run-down areas of London (FRSS 103). The other companies feared that the activities of the Trust would jeopardize the entire working-class housing movement by thwarting the principles of five percent philanthropy. Meanwhile, one of the representatives of the Peabody Trust admitted before the same committee that the Trust’s policy of letting at well under market rates might discourage commercial and semi-philanthropic builders, but he suggested, perhaps not too seriously, that the only solution then was for the Trust to buy up its competitors and reduce their rent levels, a solution which would certainly have made the Trust a public body. There even existed a widespread feeling that at the rate the Trust was accumulating money and property it might one day become the sole builder of working-class housing in central London. Like the other companies, the Peabody Trust was very careful in its selection of tenants. The Trust often turned down applicants whom it considered able to afford other accommodation, and it was very strict in its determination to obey Peabody’s injunctions concerning moral character. One can only hazard a guess that the Peabody Trust and the model dwelling companies which cooperated with the Board under the Cross Act attracted to their model dwelling well paid labourers and artisans from nearby streets, and thus, through the leveling-up process, made it easier for those displaced under clearance schemes to find vacant lodgings in the immediate vicinity. Hardship and dislocations inevitably occurred, but without the willingness of the Peabody Trust to assume the duties of a semi-public body and build on a scale matching the demolition work of the central London government, the first large attempts at slum clearance would either have been totally abortive or would have even more harmful effects. Of all the agencies erecting model dwellings, the Peabody Trust excited the most interest and stimulated most controversy. It did more than any other model dwelling society to draw attention to the peculiar difficulties involved in constructing dwellings in central London. They are actively involved in a number of urban regeneration initiatives, their approach is a holistic one, embracing social, economic and community development issues as well as physical improvements. In 1999 Peabody joined forces with South work Housing and appointed ECD Architect s to prepare a master plan for the redevelopment of the Coopers Road Estate. Shortly afterwards they acquired an adjoining site, fronting the Old Kent Road, known as â€Å"Success House† and invited proposals from ECD for a mixed-use high-rise building. Concurrent with these activities, Peabody have been carrying out a ‘community mapping’ exercise, liaising with a developer to redevelop the site of neighbouring redundant pub and planning improvements to Ken House, an existing Peabody estate that abuts both sites. The redevelopment of these sites will act as an important catalyst for regeneration of the wider area. Planning approval for the Coopers Road site was obtained in November 2001 and a start on site is programmed for January 2003.

Coming of Age in Mississippi Essay -- essays research papers

The first main event that I believe led to Anne Moody becoming an activist for Civil Rights was when she was younger, her cousin George Lee was babysitting and he burned down the house in a fit of rage and when Daddy gets home he blames it on Essie Mae (Anne Moody). This foreshadows all of life’s injustices that will be thrown her way. The next time was when she made friends with white neighbors and they decided to go to the movies, Anne couldn’t sit with her friends, she had to sit in the balcony with all of the other blacks. She did not understand why it was this way. Another event was when she was in high school, she changes her name to Anne Moody, and a white boy, whose name was Emmitt Till who was visiting from Chicago, whistled at a white girl, and then a group of white men murdered him. This bothered Ann, and she didn’t work or sleep for days. When Samuel O’Quinn, a black empowerment activist and NAACP member tried to organize a meeting, the Princi ple Willis, who is an Uncle Tom, tattled on him. Samuel was shot by a mob of white men. The first experience of a civil rights movement was when she was attending Natchez College in Mississippi. The lunch lady served food with maggots in it. The cook, Miss Harris, knew that the food was spoiled but didn’t care. Anne organized a protest and it was successful. This was a hint of what was yet to come from Anne.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blacks in the south didn’t know what it was like to be equal to whites. They’ve been to... Coming of Age in Mississippi Essay -- essays research papers The first main event that I believe led to Anne Moody becoming an activist for Civil Rights was when she was younger, her cousin George Lee was babysitting and he burned down the house in a fit of rage and when Daddy gets home he blames it on Essie Mae (Anne Moody). This foreshadows all of life’s injustices that will be thrown her way. The next time was when she made friends with white neighbors and they decided to go to the movies, Anne couldn’t sit with her friends, she had to sit in the balcony with all of the other blacks. She did not understand why it was this way. Another event was when she was in high school, she changes her name to Anne Moody, and a white boy, whose name was Emmitt Till who was visiting from Chicago, whistled at a white girl, and then a group of white men murdered him. This bothered Ann, and she didn’t work or sleep for days. When Samuel O’Quinn, a black empowerment activist and NAACP member tried to organize a meeting, the Princi ple Willis, who is an Uncle Tom, tattled on him. Samuel was shot by a mob of white men. The first experience of a civil rights movement was when she was attending Natchez College in Mississippi. The lunch lady served food with maggots in it. The cook, Miss Harris, knew that the food was spoiled but didn’t care. Anne organized a protest and it was successful. This was a hint of what was yet to come from Anne.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blacks in the south didn’t know what it was like to be equal to whites. They’ve been to...

Human Rights and Social Justice

Human Rights and Social Justice Integrated Paper Vicki MacWhinnie-Ilundain Fordham University Viewpoint and Concepts that Best Clarify the Dilemmas in Hugo’s Case Hugo’s story highlights the value conflicts that social workers face in every-day practice. The policies that dictate the funding, the scope of services, and the eligibility for the services that Hugo may need in order to actualize his basic human rights were developed within a system that continues to practice within the Rawlsian theory of social justice frame work. Therefore, these government policies tend to support the concept that people are only entitled to their â€Å"fair and due share† of services and/or access to resources if they are working to enhance the good of the over all society (Banerjee, 2005, p. 13). In Hugo’s case, there are psychological, cultural and physical factors that may impact his ability to maintain gainful employment. These individual aspects of Hugo’s life situation are not taken into consideration in determining how long he can receive supports, or what types of supports he receives. The state-funded financial benefits that Hugo requires in order to have his very, basic needs met; such as food, clothing and shelter, have a five-year limit. Because there is no consideration to human rights behind the 5-year limit, Hugo has unmet human rights. This creates a value conflict for Hugo’s social worker, who is working within a system that has Rawlsian infused policies; yet, is mandated by the National Social Work Code of Ethics to promote social justice in a manner that respects the unique strengths and dignity of the individual (NASW, 2008). You can read also  Justice System Position Paper The social worker working from a human rights-based perspective; where according to Ife (2008) â€Å"there is a obligation on every member of society to respect and support people’s rights†, will address Hugo’s unmet needs that stem from this 5-year limit policy as unfulfilled rights rather than assessing them as needs for which Hugo may or may not qualify to receive services (p. 113). Adding to the complexity and value conflict of the social worker’s role is the need for the social worker to partner with Hugo to identify not only his assets; but to also identify the barriers he faces. The social worker can develop a more in-depth understanding of Hugo’s barriers by exploring the levels of oppression Hugo experiences and his positionalty vis-a-vis all the systems and individuals he interacts with in society. Hugo is experiencing oppression at a structural level as a result of his position as an immigrant from Haiti who has experience trauma. Hugo has psychological and physical impairments as the result of past trauma, he is of an ethic background that is not part of the privileged class in the United States, and he was born outside the United States. These characteristics, which Hugo inherited through birth and via traumatic life experiences, tend to lead to discrimination in the United States. As a result of systematic discrimination, Hugo belongs to a subordinate group in the society and is oppressed by the dominant group. Mullaly (2010) explains that this â€Å"web of oppression †¦occurs for the most part because of the sanctioned ways that social institutions, laws, social policies, and social practices all work together to benefit the dominant group at the expense of subordinate groups† (p. 197). Challenges in Social Work Practice as a Result of a Paradigm Shift In this process of identifying assets and barriers, the social worker may face further value conflicts that impact their ability to empower Hugo to claim his human rights: The social worker has a moral and professional obligation to help Hugo advocate for his human rights. This will include supporting Hugo’s desire to participate in a lawsuit against the US government, who created the 5-year limit on public financial support. In Hugo’s circumstance, the legal mandate that limits the total amount of years he can access funding is impeding Hugo’s right to food, shelter, substance abuse treatment, psychological care, and safety. As an employee of a state funded program, the social worker is not allowed to ignore this mandate or seek to undermine it in any way. The social worker is faced with the challenge of partnering with Hugo to support his quest to actualize his human rights while working within a legal mandate that restricts Hugo’s access to the resources he requires in order to claim his human rights. The social worker is also challenged to reframe the way they conceptualize their interventions with Hugo. By choosing a rights-based approach, the ocial worker’s dialogue regarding Hugo’s rights will not only have a more global tone, but it will require the social worker to use additional skills to engage Hugo in a discussion that empowers Hugo to define his rights. Ife (2008) asserts that this type of social work practice has the potential to do more than just address an individual’s minimum needs but allows for social work to be transformative by building a society â€Å"hel d together by mutual respect for human rights of all citizens and based on notions of interdependence, mutual support and collective well-being† (p. 13). The challenge for the social worker is to elevate discussions and practice beyond working just with the individual case by engaging in dialogues and actions that â€Å"link their profession to economic, political and social aims of society as a whole† (Riechert, 2007, p. 31). The social worker faces many challenges when making a paradigm shift from a needs-based approach of social work to an elevated practice that focuses on human rights. The needs-based approach, where the provider identifies or diagnoses the â€Å"client’s† needs into narrow categories, and then provides a focused â€Å"intervention†, is deeply ingrained in the traditional models of practice. For example, the medical model is still widely accepted as best practice and is often used in social service programs and agencies. When taking the human rights approach, the social worker will reframe Hugo’s experience so that his rights are identified first, then used to re-conceptualize the needs that have to be met in order to actualize his rights. The social worker also faces the challenge of advocating for Hugo to receive services that support his right-based needs in systems with competing values. The rights-based approach conflicts with agency practices at a mezzo level, such as the use a medical treatment model that may not be culturally sensitive or focused on Hugo’s rights. The social worker may also experience conflicts of values on a macro level when advocating for funding for Hugo’s services. The state and/or federal government, who provide funding for the social services, may place a value on providing the least amount of services for minimum cost to tax payers rather than on Hugo’s unmet rights. On a micro level, the social worker may experience difficulties building rapport with Hugo because of their differences in gender, ethic background, power, education, and socio-economic status. Level’s and Dimensions of Hugo’s Well Being The Universal Declaration of Human Rights established global principles of human rights that set the precedence that all people have the right to an â€Å"a standard of living adequate for their health and well being; including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability†¦ or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control† (United Nations, 1994). Hugo’s social worker can discuss Hugo’s well being in a human rights framework by exploring the domains of wellbeing that impact Hugo’s daily life. The social worker and Hugo may need to establish a language to use as they talk about Hugo’s life experiences, if they are going to successfully switch from a needs-based paradigm to a rights-based paradigm. The social worker can use the seven domains of wellbeing to help deconstruct the needs-based thinking and language that has been the context for the â€Å"interventions† Hugo has received from social services in the past. Discussions using the domains of wellbeing may include: education, mental health, physical health, political and legal, cultural, and spiritual. After reaching the 5-year limit for public financial benefits, Hugo does not have access the resources required to provide food, shelter and clothing. Hugo’s metal and physical functioning has been impacted after experiencing a series of traumas, limiting Hugo’s access to education and employment. Hugo experiences multiple levels of oppression and discrimination which he may have internalized making it difficult for him â€Å"to recognize his abilities, cope with normal stresses of life, work productively and make a contribution to his community† (World Health Organization, 1999). Hugo has experienced physical traumas that have impacted his physical capabilities. As an immigrant in the United States Hugo does not have fair or equal access to legal support or protection by laws. The discrimination that Hugo experiences also impacts Hugo’s ability to be seen as a valued member of the society his is living in. The social worker can support Hugo by exploring all aspects of Hugo’s well being so he can discover how to start to advocate for his rights that are encompassed by each of these life domains Plan of Engagement, Empowerment and Participation After further exploring various aspects of Hugo’s well being, that would also include Hugo’s assets or strengths, the social worker and Hugo may want to develop a plan of action to guide their work together. Hugo identified immediately that he wanted to access to the group who is collecting data for a lawsuit against the US government. Although it may be considered a conflict of interest for the agency that employs the social worker to be involved with the lawsuit against the state, the social worker can connect Hugo to the group so that he can work directly with them. The social worker could also met with her supervisor and/or agency director to discuss what networks or committees the agency attends in the community. Often these groups hold more power than a single social worker or agency and work directly with governmental agencies to make recommendations or to advocate for policy changes that best serve the interest in their communities. By using these approaches, the social worker is assessing her own positionality in her agency and community so that she can best support the requests of Hugo, without disrupting the relationship she has with her employer. The social worker can also start researching what resources are available in the community that can address the barriers that Hugo is experiencing while trying to claim all of his human rights. Once a comprehensive list of services and or resources is developed, the social worker and discuss each of these resources with Hugo to get his feedback about what he thinks might be useful to him. The social worker would provide information about the advantages and risks and/or disadvantages to using any of the resources so that Hugo could make an informed decision. If there is a resource that Hugo is interested in utilizing but does not quite meet the criteria or does not have the funds to access, the social worker can work with the agency and funding sources to see if there are alternative ways for him to access the resource. Even if Hugo does not get immediate access to the resource, the social worker has left a path of documentation and advocacy that can be used to work towards access to these types of resources in the future. Over time, the social worker can build a strong relationship built from trust and mutual respect with Hugo. In order to do that the social worker will need to understand how her positionality relates to Hugo’s and how that impacts Hugo interactions with the social worker and visa versa. It appears as though Hugo has used multiple community services in the past, yet he still has not actualized his rights. The social-worker can explore with Hugo what services were helpful to him in the past and what aspects of the services became barriers to him changing his over-all well being. If the social worker finds with the services in their community are; for example, not compatible with Hugo’s cultural beliefs, then the social worker can work in the community to advocate for changes how services are provided. Other agencies may be open to expanding how they provide services to include all members in their community. The social worker can accomplish these strategies by adopting the capability approach. Nussbaum (2007) describes the capability approach as â€Å"a species of a human rights approach. It makes clear, how- ever, that the pertinent goal is to make people able to function in a variety of areas of central importance. †(p. 21) By empowering Hugo to further develop his cognitive, physical and social skills, the social worker can provide opportunities for Hugo to attain his identified rights-based needs. The social worker encourages capability building by advocating that Hugo receive services that will build specific skills, not just treat a diagnosis. Over time, Hugo can learn to identify and articulate his rights, reframe them into needs and demand services that allow him to claim his rights. In doing so, Hugo will request services that have the components that he recognizes as necessary for his well-being. References Banerjee, M. M. (2005). Social Work, Rawlsian Social Justice, and Social Development. Social Development issues, 27(1), 7-24 Ife, J. (2008). Human Rights and Social Work Towards Rights-Based Practice (2nd ed. ). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Mullaly, B. (2010). Challenging Oppression and Confronting Privilege (2nd ed. ) New York, NY: Oxford University Press. NASW. (2008). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Work. Retrieved from http://www. socialworkers. org/pubs/code/code. asp Nussbaum, M. (2007). Human Rights and Human Capabilities. Harvard Human Rights Journal, 20(1) 21-24 Reichert, E. (2007). Challenges in Human Rights A Social Work Perspective. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. United Nations. (1994). Human rights and social work: A manual for schools of social work and social work profession. Geneva: United Nations Center for Human Rights. Retrieved from http://www. ohchr. org/Documents/Publications/training1en. pdf.

Outline and Evaluate Infradian Rhythms Including Research Essay

Infradian rhythms are biological rhythms that last for more than 24 hours. They are controlled by the hypothalamus, an endogenous pacemaker which requires input from exogenous zeitgebers so the rhythm can run correctly. An example of an infradian rhythms is the mentstrual cycle. This is controlled by the pituary gland which is an endogenous pacemaker. The pituary gland releases hormones which cause an egg in the ovaries to ripen and produce oestrogen. Whilst it is known to be biological due to its universal nature, there are large individual differences such as the length of time and the age the menstrual cycle begins. Reinberg conducted research into infradian rhythms where a woman spent 3 months in a cave only with dim lighting. Her sleep/wake cycle slightly lengthened whereas her menstrual cycle shortened suggesting that light affects menstrual cycles. However, this is a case study which means it lacks generalisability even more so as there are large individual differences with the menstrual cycle. On the other hand, Russell et al applied female donor’s underarm sweat which has been combined with alcohol to the upper lips of female participants. The menstrual cycles of the participants began to synchronises therefore suggesting that pheromones act as exogenous zeitgebers. Pheromones are biological substances similar to hormones but are secreted into the air and then transmitted to other animals of the same species, or in this case humans, before being absorbed into their bloodstream. However, despite the sample size being small it was a well controlled single blind study meaning that the participants didn’t know what experimental group they were in. McClinock and Stern provided further support for the study when they found pheromones in donor’s sweat affected the recipient’s menstrual cycles, therefore suggesting that exogenous zeitgebers have a regulating effect. It may be the cases the synchronised periods have an evolutionary significance because it allows women that are living together to synchronise pregnancies so they can share child care. However, it has also been found that women working in proximity to men have shorter cycles; an evolutionary advantage which provides more opportunity for pregnancy. Likewise, the purpose of a menstrual cycle is to conserve energy. Therefore it is better to restrict periods of fertility, highlighting the need for endogenous control. On the other hand there are ‘side effects’ of the menstrual cycle such as pre menstrual tension which has been associate with increased aggression. Lewis found that pre menstrual tensions has been cited as a defence in criminal trials. A second infradian rhythm is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It involves having severe depression in the winter months. Levels of melatonin are higher in winter and may lead to increased depression and sleepiness. However, it has led to a treatment called phototherapy which is being exposed to bright lights for several hours a day in order to reduced the effect of too much serotonin. This in turn, lowers melatonin levels. Hamster research again has provided us with more knowledge of infradian rhythms. Male hamsters have annual rhythms of testosterone secretion based on the amount of light that occurs each day. As the breeding season begins, the days lengthen thus when it ends, they shorten. Rusak and Zucker made lesions in the SCN, the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, part of the hypothalamus in a hamster which destroyed their annual breeding cycles and led to male hamsters secreting testosterone all year. The 24 hour clock that daily light levels were measured against was destroyed so the seasons couldn’t be determined. Carlson found that if it was less than 12 hours of light for hamsters, it is winter where if it more than 12 hours it is summer, and therefore the breeding season. However, the research was invasive and led to brain damage, meaning it caused harm to the hamster. As it has also been conducted on animals, it cannot be generalised because it lacks population validity despite being informative. Circa-annual rhythms which means they happen once a year are also examples of infradian rhythms. When studying migration, Gwinner kept wild birds in cages exposing them to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. This lack of external stimuli led to migratory restlessness thus suggesting there is endogenous control. However, it may be triggered by the availability of food, an exogenous cue. As the wild birds were kept in cages, they also experienced harm because they were not in their natural setting either. Pengelly and Fisher conducted research into hibernation. Similar to Gwinner, they controlled squirrels artificially by exposing them to light 12 hours a day followed by 12 hours of darkness, keeping the temperature at 0 degrees. The squirrels hibernated from October to April. However, as the animals were not in their natural habitat, the studies lacked ecological validity because it was artificial. The research findings are positive as they have established the existence of endogenous pacemakers regulated by exogenous zeitgebers. However, to an extent the findings are deterministic because we need exogenous zeitebers to help our endogenous pacemakers as it has been found in studies by Siffre and Aschoff and Weber that without external cues, our biological rhythms are slower than what they need to be. In addition, some of the research is idiographic because they are small samples and or case studies meaning they lack population validity.

criminal Justice

Every day, across America, crimes are being committed, criminals are being apprehended, and then processed through the justice system. While this cycle is taking place, the media has to decide which of these stories will get the front page of the newspaper, which story will talk radio discuss during your morning traffic jam, and what stories could possibly be turned into made for T.V. movies. The news organizations can cover any stories that they choose, good or bad. More often than not they will cover a story involving some heinous and atrocious act. Something so bad that it will make people ask, â€Å"What kind of person could do such a thing?† While this is part of the media’s responsibility, they tend to single out certain crimes and use the victims and the defendants as characters for their own brand of reality television. One example of this was the recent trial of California manure salesman, Scott Peterson. For over one year, all major American news networks devoted hours of time each day to covering the testimonies and evidence that eventually led to his murder conviction. While this was taking place, day in and day out, there were many more everyday crimes that no one, aside from the people involved, ever heard about. Shortly after the verdict in the Scott Peterson case, a 36 year-old man by the name of Chai Vang murdered six people, men and women, on the opening weekend of deer season, after a dispute with him for hunting on their land. For one reason or another, this story has not received much publicity nationwide. Sometimes the name of the defendant alone is enough to cause the media to go into a frenzy. In the summer of 1994, retired football star and Hertz rental car spokesperson O.J. Simpson was arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and Beverly Hills waiter, Ronald Goldman. In the media’s eyes, this story took top priority over all most everything else happening in the world. Eventually, Mr... criminal Justice Free Essays on Media/criminal Justice Every day, across America, crimes are being committed, criminals are being apprehended, and then processed through the justice system. While this cycle is taking place, the media has to decide which of these stories will get the front page of the newspaper, which story will talk radio discuss during your morning traffic jam, and what stories could possibly be turned into made for T.V. movies. The news organizations can cover any stories that they choose, good or bad. More often than not they will cover a story involving some heinous and atrocious act. Something so bad that it will make people ask, â€Å"What kind of person could do such a thing?† While this is part of the media’s responsibility, they tend to single out certain crimes and use the victims and the defendants as characters for their own brand of reality television. One example of this was the recent trial of California manure salesman, Scott Peterson. For over one year, all major American news networks devoted hours of time each day to covering the testimonies and evidence that eventually led to his murder conviction. While this was taking place, day in and day out, there were many more everyday crimes that no one, aside from the people involved, ever heard about. Shortly after the verdict in the Scott Peterson case, a 36 year-old man by the name of Chai Vang murdered six people, men and women, on the opening weekend of deer season, after a dispute with him for hunting on their land. For one reason or another, this story has not received much publicity nationwide. Sometimes the name of the defendant alone is enough to cause the media to go into a frenzy. In the summer of 1994, retired football star and Hertz rental car spokesperson O.J. Simpson was arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and Beverly Hills waiter, Ronald Goldman. In the media’s eyes, this story took top priority over all most everything else happening in the world. Eventually, Mr...

Back-Channel Signal Definition and Examples

Backs .In conversation, a back-channel signal is a noise, gesture, expression, or word used by a listener to indicate that he or she is paying attention to a speaker. According to H.M. Rosenfeld (1978), the most common back-channel signals are head movements, brief vocalizations, glances, and facial expressions, often in combination. Examples and Observations Fabienne: I was looking at myself in the mirror.Butch Coolidge: Uh-huh?Fabienne: I wish I had a pot.Butch Coolidge: You were lookin in the mirror and you wish you had some pot?Fabienne: A pot. A pot belly. Pot bellies are sexy.(Pulp Fiction, 1994)We .. show we are listening and do not wish to interrupt by giving back-channel signals, such as yes, uh-huh, mhm, and other very short comments. These do not constitute turns or attempts to take the floor. On the contrary, they are indications that we expect the speaker to continue.(R. Macaulay, The Social Art: Language and Its Uses. Oxford University Press, 2006)Karen Pelly: Brent might learn a little lesson if his security camera got stolen.Hank Yarbo: Yeah.Karen Pelly: By someone.Hank Yarbo: Hmm.Karen Pelly: Someone he trusts.Hank Yarbo: Yeah, I suppose.Karen Pelly: Someone he would never suspect.Hank Yarbo: Yeah.Karen Pelly: Plot the cameras motion and approach from a blind spot. You could pull it off.(Security Cam, Corner Gas, 2004) Facial Expressions and Head Movements The face plays an important role in the communication process. A smile can express happiness, be a polite greeting, or be a back-channel signal. Some facial expressions are linked to the syntax structure of the utterance: eyebrows may raise on an accent and on nonsyntactically marked questions. Gaze and head movements are also part of the communicative process. (J. Cassell, Embodied Conversational Agents. MIT Press, 2000)And here Mrs. Aleshine nodded vigorously, not being willing to interrupt this entrancing story.(Frank R. Stockton, The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine, 1892) A Group Process Turn-taking and suppressing signals are given by the current speaker; they are used to defend the right to continue speaking on the same subject or with the same level of emphasis. ​Back-channel signals are communication acts by others, such as a person agreeing or disagreeing with the speaker. The types of signal and the rate at which they are used relate to the underlying group process, particularly the group regulatory forces. Meyers and Brashers (1999) found that groups use a form of participation reward system; those who are co-operating with the group receive helping communication behaviors and those in competition are received with communication-blocking behavior. (Stephen Emmitt and Christopher Gorse, Construction Communication. Blackwell, 2003)

Generating Random Numbers in Java

Generating Random Numbers in Java Generating a series of random numbers is one of those common tasks that crop up from time to time. In Java, it can be achieved simply by using the java.util.Random class. The first step, as with the use of any API class, is to put the import statement before the start of your program class: Next, create a Random object: The Random object provides you with a simple random number generator. The methods of the object give the ability to pick random numbers. For example, the nextInt() and nextLong() methods will return a number that is within the range of values (negative and positive) of the int and long data types respectively: The numbers returned will be randomly chosen int and long values: Picking Random Numbers From a Certain Range Normally the random numbers to be generated need to be from a certain range (e.g., between 1 to 40 inclusively). For this purpose, the nextInt() method can also accept an int parameter. It denotes the upper limit for the range of numbers. However, the upper limit number is not included as one of the numbers that can be picked. That might sound confusing but the nextInt() method works from zero upwards. For example: will only pick a random number from 0 to 39 inclusively. To pick from a range that starts with 1, simply add 1 to the result of the nextInt() method. For example, to pick a number between 1 to 40 inclusively add one to the result: If the range starts from a higher number than one you will need to: minus the starting number from the upper limit number and then add one.add the starting number to the result of the nextInt() method. For example, to pick a number from 5 to 35 inclusively, the upper limit number will be 35-5131 and 5 needs to be added to the result: Just How Random Is the Random Class? I should point out that the Random class generates random numbers in a deterministic way. The algorithm that produces the randomness is based on a number called a seed. If the seed number is known then its possible to figure out the numbers that are going to be produced from the algorithm. To prove this Ill use the numbers from the date that Neil Armstrong first stepped on the Moon as my seed number (20th July 1969) :​ No matter who runs this code the sequence of random numbers produced will be: By default the seed number that is used by: is the current time in milliseconds since January 1, 1970. Normally this will produce sufficiently random numbers for most purposes. However, note that two random number generators created within the same millisecond will generate the same random numbers. Also be careful when using the Random class for any application that must have a secure random number generator (e.g., a gambling program). It might be possible to guess the seed number based on the time the application is running. Generally, for applications where the random numbers are absolutely critical, its best to find an alternative to the Random object. For most applications where there just needs to be a certain random element (e.g., dice for a board game) then it works fine.

Current Trends in Nursing Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Current Trends in Nursing Practice - Essay Example The Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) Medicare creates a shared savings program which will enable us to form an Accountable Care Organization which is legally recognized. This will enable us to coordinate our activities while providing Medicare free-for-services. In addition, an incentive given by the new law will play a significant role in motivating me to reach for more people and offer the necessary attention to all people who need our help irrespective of their location (CCH Incorporated, 2010). Therefore, through personal satisfaction, the Act will play a major role in creating a serene working environment and changing my attitude towards the nursing practices. This will enable me to be more satisfied with my work. Previously, there was no legislation that recognized a group of providers who were willing to offer free services to the members of public. Therefore, the inclusion of this aspect will be of great benefit in motivating me to bring together other like-minded nurses in order to make changes in the lives of the less fortunate in the society (United States,

Invstmnt Climat in Uzbkistan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Invstmnt Climat in Uzbkistan - Assignment Example ThÐ µ transfÐ µr of cross-bordÐ µr invÐ µstmÐ µnts has bÐ µcomÐ µ a daily rÐ µality of today’s morÐ µ and morÐ µ globalizÐ µd world. In ordÐ µr to promotÐ µ intÐ µrnational invÐ µstmÐ µnt Ð µxchangÐ µ, thÐ µ statÐ µs insist on mutual facilitation of transfÐ µr of intÐ µrnational capital and arÐ µ trying to takÐ µ all advantagÐ µs connÐ µctÐ µd with thÐ µ inflow of forÐ µign invÐ µstmÐ µnts. For dÐ µvÐ µloping countriÐ µs, thÐ µ placÐ µmÐ µnt of forÐ µign invÐ µstmÐ µnt in thÐ µir tÐ µrritoriÐ µs doÐ µs not mÐ µan only acquiring financial capital, but also an opportunity to strÐ µngthÐ µn thÐ µ stagnating Ð µconomy, acquiring thÐ µ latÐ µst forÐ µign tÐ µchnologiÐ µs, dÐ µcrÐ µasing unÐ µmploymÐ µnt, as wÐ µll as raising thÐ µ qualification of thÐ µ laborÐ µrs and managÐ µrs Ð µmployÐ µd by forÐ µign companiÐ µs. ThÐ µ advantagÐ µs for forÐ µign invÐ µstors liÐ µ Ð µspÐ µcially in thÐ µ opportunity to us Ð µ chÐ µapÐ µr labor forcÐ µ in thÐ µ host statÐ µ, opportunity to Ð µntÐ µr nÐ µw markÐ µts and gÐ µtting an accÐ µss to natural rÐ µsourcÐ µs, which arÐ µ not availablÐ µ in their homÐ µ country. ThÐ µ forÐ µign invÐ µstors, howÐ µvÐ µr, do not fÐ µÃ µl comfortablÐ µ to invÐ µst in forÐ µign tÐ µrritory, unlÐ µss thÐ µy fÐ µÃ µl that thÐ µir invÐ µstmÐ µnt is sufficiÐ µntly protÐ µctÐ µd against non-commÐ µrcial risks. OnÐ µ of thÐ µ indispÐ µnsablÐ µ conditions for attracting forÐ µign invÐ µstmÐ µnts is, thÐ µrÐ µforÐ µ, thÐ µ crÐ µation of favorablÐ µ lÐ µgal Ð µnvironmÐ µnt in thÐ µ host statÐ µ.In ordÐ µr to stimulatÐ µ intÐ µrnational invÐ µsting, thÐ µ statÐ µs arÐ µ usually concluding bilatÐ µral invÐ µstmÐ µnt trÐ µatiÐ µs, accÐ µssing to multilatÐ µral trÐ µatiÐ µs dÐ µaling with intÐ µrnational invÐ µstmÐ µnt protÐ µction and passing national lÐ µgislation aimÐ µd at protÐ µction and promo tion of forÐ µign invÐ µstmÐ µnts.... nformation about thÐ µ invÐ µstmÐ µnt lÐ µgislation of UzbÐ µkistan, its implÐ µmÐ µntation in practicÐ µ and to point out spÐ µcific problÐ µms thÐ µ forÐ µign invÐ µstors havÐ µ to dÐ µal with oncÐ µ placing thÐ µir invÐ µstmÐ µnt in this country. ThÐ µ paper will introducÐ µ somÐ µ basic facts concÐ µrning thÐ µ transfÐ µr of intÐ µrnational capital and thÐ µ main mÐ µans of intÐ µrnational invÐ µstmÐ µnt protÐ µction in addition to discussing thÐ µ currÐ µnt invÐ µstmÐ µnt lÐ µgislation and thÐ µ problÐ µms connÐ µctÐ µd with its application in practicÐ µ. LitÐ µraturÐ µ RÐ µviÐ µw InvÐ µstmÐ µnt Risks ThÐ µ transfÐ µr of cross-bordÐ µr invÐ µstmÐ µnts has bÐ µcomÐ µ a daily rÐ µality of today’s morÐ µ and morÐ µ globalizÐ µd world. In ordÐ µr to promotÐ µ intÐ µrnational invÐ µstmÐ µnt Ð µxchangÐ µ, thÐ µ statÐ µs insist on mutual facilitation of transfÐ µr of intÐ µrnational capital and arÐ µ trying t o takÐ µ all advantagÐ µs connÐ µctÐ µd with thÐ µ inflow of forÐ µign invÐ µstmÐ µnts. For dÐ µvÐ µloping countriÐ µs, thÐ µ placÐ µmÐ µnt of forÐ µign invÐ µstmÐ µnt in thÐ µir tÐ µrritoriÐ µs doÐ µs not mÐ µan only acquiring financial capital, but also an opportunity to strÐ µngthÐ µn thÐ µ stagnating Ð µconomy, acquiring thÐ µ latÐ µst forÐ µign tÐ µchnologiÐ µs, dÐ µcrÐ µasing unÐ µmploymÐ µnt, as wÐ µll as raising thÐ µ qualification of thÐ µ laborÐ µrs and managÐ µrs Ð µmployÐ µd by forÐ µign companiÐ µs. ThÐ µ advantagÐ µs for forÐ µign invÐ µstors liÐ µ Ð µspÐ µcially in thÐ µ opportunity to usÐ µ chÐ µapÐ µr labor forcÐ µ in thÐ µ host statÐ µ, opportunity to Ð µntÐ µr nÐ µw markÐ µts and gÐ µtting an accÐ µss to natural rÐ µsourcÐ µs, which arÐ µ not availablÐ µ in their homÐ µ country. ThÐ µ forÐ µign invÐ µstors, howÐ µvÐ µr, do not fÐ µÃ µl comfortablÐ µ to invÐ µst in forÐ µign tÐ µrritory , unlÐ µss thÐ µy fÐ µÃ µl that thÐ µir invÐ µstmÐ µnt is sufficiÐ µntly protÐ µctÐ µd against non-commÐ µrcial risks.

Ethics and the Hiroshima Bomb Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics and the Hiroshima Bomb - Essay Example Blackburn in Being Good (2001) would have us believe that there are times that we put aside our moral beliefs in order to accomplish something we believe in. There is the thought that we create a moral environment around us that affects everything we do. He feels that ethics are not futile or irrelevant but may be a hopeless pursuit. Only we can decide what is ethical as it is we that must live with the result (Blackburn, 2001). Was the bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki ethical? This paper will attempt to support the belief of the writer which is no, it was not ethical. The loss of so many innocent lives and the long-term pain of the incident was too much for any reason. We must quickly define our belief here, just before we tell the story. Gradualist ethics is defined by going along with the policy even when we believe it is wrong. This happens a lot with those that work in the government and in other industries. The belief that we have to make a decision because that is what is expected as part of the gradualist’s beliefs and they are willing to do what is expected. The deontological ethic is one where the belief is that one must consider the basic duties and rights of individuals or groups and act in accordance. That decision is made on moral obligation as it is seen by the person making the decision and moral rules are applied. Using others as a means to your own desire to wrong thing to do. In the deontological point of view, it is difficult to support the idea that ethics works differently for the State than for the individual. This writer believes that everyone must do the right thing understated rules whether it is the State or an indi vidual. If this writer believed that the true reason for dropping the bomb was to save lives on both sides, then the decision would be that it was an ethical decision.

The Eden project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Eden project - Assignment Example The prime objective of Eden project is to enhance the awareness of greenery within the economy of UK thereby reducing the impacts of pollution and harmful gases. However, the initiative of Eden project became successful mainly due to the sheer intelligence and confident nature of Tim Smit. This acted as a boon for the project thereby amplifying its popularity and prosperity in the entire globe. Apart from this, the bureaucratic structure of the project of Eden is also another effective cause for its success. It helped in proper allocation and standardization of the tasks such as (allocation of funds, commercial loans sanctions etc) so as to amplify the intensity of success thereby reducing the defects or negative impacts. This helped in improvement of the level of inspiration and devotion of the supporting team members such as Danny Almagor, Deon Kamien, Malki Rose, Tracie Olcha, Amanda Miller and Romy Grace. Along with this, such type of organizational structure also helps in enhanc ing the interpersonal relationship among the members thereby reducing the range of arguments and conflicts. This is mainly due to the presence of extremely clear and defined roles and responsibilities to the members of the Eden project (Vidal, 2004). Along with this, in a bureaucratic structure, the members of the organization or project include very less authority to present any sort of suggestions or ideas regarding its betterment. As the entire control and power is within the hands of the hierarchy i.e. the board members as well as Tim Smit. This is mainly because in such type of organizational structure, the manager or organizer (Tim Smit) is the most powerful person as compared to others. And he is responsible to delegate all sorts of activities and policies within the team members or architects. And so the engineers or architects are bound to follow his ideas and thoughts for the betterment of Eden project. In Eden project, all the members had to obey the orders and responsibi lities delegated by Tim Smit, as he is the supreme authority to assign the varied types of responsibilities among the members of the team as compared to other Pre-bureaucratic or post bureaucratic organization structures. Moreover, in this type of organizational structure, the head or founder (Tim Smit) presents varied types of ideas and suggestions such as (utilization of commercial loans for the betterment of the operations) so as to enhance its level of supremacy and reputation in the market among others. Along with this, high level of contribution and commitment of Tim Smit towards implementation of the idea of Eden project to enhance the level of awareness towards green and sustainable planet proved extremely effective for the economy of UK. Hence, it might be clearly depicted from the above mentioned paragraph that the success of Eden project is mainly dependent over its hierarchical structure and uniform culture. Other than structure, the culture of the organization of Eden p roject is extremely uniform and homogeneous. It is mainly due to the hierarchical structure in which, a single individual is the delegating authority, i.e. Tim Smit. Each and every decision and suggestion is presented before him by all other members, so as to get his accent. Moreover, by doing so, all the members associated with the Eden project might become aware about the information and may also present their

Book Review of Eisenhower Lessons in Leadership Essay

Book Review of Eisenhower Lessons in Leadership - Essay Example He examines his shortcomings as well as successes in a manner that appreciates one's environmental situation. The author reveals that Eisenhower was a great executive who could write assurance letters to mother of soldiers in one moment, apart from being a great military leader. He would also make decisions that would influence millions of people. 2The author presents General Dwight David Eisenhower as a wise strategist and an expert in organization. He was a supreme commander of United States allied forces during World War II. General Eisenhower commanded more than four million soldiers drawn from five different nations. His role resembled that of a top manager in an organization. He played crucial role in directing all military operations in Europe. He successfully planned operation attacks and organized allied troops efforts, which yielded victory. Axelrod applies Eisenhower thinking to the management of organizations, projects, or even people in a series of 232 lessons. This long list is more than what average reader can absorb. It could have been easier to understand the lessons if they were prioritized. Axelrod should have highlighted a list of the most important lesson. However, to make this lesson easy to understand, Axelrod has revealed ten characteristics of a good leader. These characteristics are universal and can be applied in any other organization other than military. Axelrod impresses me by how he brings out a point that illustrates the mode of application of such strategies in politics and for the good of the business world. Axelrod puts Eisenhower’s word into a context that helps the reader out of an exorbitant situation she/he is. I could say that the value of this book is not outlining the principles of leadership that seem significant. The real value is to understand how Eisenhower expresses himself to people who are hopeless, powerful, influential, insecure, and still strive to get the much-needed result. Such challenges paralyze mo st managers. Eisenhower knew how to plan and achieve objective he wants. He was an inspiration to others. He could get things done. One of the most important traits that the author presents about Eisenhower, is his magical ability to work with personality of all types. 3He managed to persuade one of the most temperamental military leaders such as United States army General George Patton, British field Marshall Bernard law Montgomery, and French leader General Charles de Gaulle. In his persuasion, he tried to put their difference aside and work as a team to achieve a common objective of military. His talent to inspire cooperation among allies in Europe was precisely what lacked. The military alliance was unexpected in that it constituted of nations with different ideologies, altitudes, and histories. Bringing the military leaders of this nation to defeat Hitler was truly a huge diplomatic and management challenge4. However, analysis on how he was able to do all this is missing. One w ould expect something little more in depth especially on building a team, converting conflict into common cause and liberation of Europe. The biggest leadership challenge is not knowing what ought to be done in order to attain efficiency. For instance, Eisenhower had to restrict the outspoken George Patton5. In one of the letters he wrote him, he acknowledged that there was no one else of his acquaintance that he would write so

The Eden project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Eden project - Assignment Example The prime objective of Eden project is to enhance the awareness of greenery within the economy of UK thereby reducing the impacts of pollution and harmful gases. However, the initiative of Eden project became successful mainly due to the sheer intelligence and confident nature of Tim Smit. This acted as a boon for the project thereby amplifying its popularity and prosperity in the entire globe. Apart from this, the bureaucratic structure of the project of Eden is also another effective cause for its success. It helped in proper allocation and standardization of the tasks such as (allocation of funds, commercial loans sanctions etc) so as to amplify the intensity of success thereby reducing the defects or negative impacts. This helped in improvement of the level of inspiration and devotion of the supporting team members such as Danny Almagor, Deon Kamien, Malki Rose, Tracie Olcha, Amanda Miller and Romy Grace. Along with this, such type of organizational structure also helps in enhanc ing the interpersonal relationship among the members thereby reducing the range of arguments and conflicts. This is mainly due to the presence of extremely clear and defined roles and responsibilities to the members of the Eden project (Vidal, 2004). Along with this, in a bureaucratic structure, the members of the organization or project include very less authority to present any sort of suggestions or ideas regarding its betterment. As the entire control and power is within the hands of the hierarchy i.e. the board members as well as Tim Smit. This is mainly because in such type of organizational structure, the manager or organizer (Tim Smit) is the most powerful person as compared to others. And he is responsible to delegate all sorts of activities and policies within the team members or architects. And so the engineers or architects are bound to follow his ideas and thoughts for the betterment of Eden project. In Eden project, all the members had to obey the orders and responsibi lities delegated by Tim Smit, as he is the supreme authority to assign the varied types of responsibilities among the members of the team as compared to other Pre-bureaucratic or post bureaucratic organization structures. Moreover, in this type of organizational structure, the head or founder (Tim Smit) presents varied types of ideas and suggestions such as (utilization of commercial loans for the betterment of the operations) so as to enhance its level of supremacy and reputation in the market among others. Along with this, high level of contribution and commitment of Tim Smit towards implementation of the idea of Eden project to enhance the level of awareness towards green and sustainable planet proved extremely effective for the economy of UK. Hence, it might be clearly depicted from the above mentioned paragraph that the success of Eden project is mainly dependent over its hierarchical structure and uniform culture. Other than structure, the culture of the organization of Eden p roject is extremely uniform and homogeneous. It is mainly due to the hierarchical structure in which, a single individual is the delegating authority, i.e. Tim Smit. Each and every decision and suggestion is presented before him by all other members, so as to get his accent. Moreover, by doing so, all the members associated with the Eden project might become aware about the information and may also present their

Unit 2 HA499 Capstone Project Research On A Real-Life Healthcare Essay

Unit 2 HA499 Capstone Project Research On A Real-Life Healthcare Organization - Essay Example population, as of February 15, 2012, 25% of this actually belong to the so-called baby boom generation, which has already reached retirement (Rogers, 2012). In 2009, the number of American individuals aged 65 and above was almost 40 million, and this statistics is projected to become 72.1 million in 2030 based on the numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau (Rogers, 2012). With the increasing number of the aging population, the medical wing of the U.S. faces a great challenge of addressing this proliferating number, which needs to be prioritized in terms of therapies, medicines, and other forms of medical support. In improving access to health care, there are lots of factor to be considered, such as addressing contextual and individual determinants (Andersen et al., 2011). The contextual determinant refers to the â€Å"circumstances† and â€Å"environment† in which healthcare is accessible, such as the availability of healthcare organizations including medical research facilities (Andersen et al., 2011, p. 4). On another perspective, writing theoretical research concerning the health care industry only generates solutions to problems that may or may not be applied in actuality. For instance, a research published by Anderson, Crabtree, Steele, and McDaniel, Jr. (2005) posed a question regarding the practicality of suggested solutions generated by hundreds of researches to the medical practice. Simply saying, the results earned out from prolific researchers remain abstract and a theory all throughout because physicians, nurses, and other health care workers failed to institute and implement those suggestions (Anderson et al., 2005). A lot of researches characterized the health care industry as a â€Å"mechanistic† organization (Anderson et al., 2005, p. 670). This means that the industry is a simple structure and can be predicted using a relational approach that a particular action is predicted to cause this effect (Miller, 1993 as cited in Anderson

Big Corporations, Big Lawsuits Essay Example for Free

Big Corporations, Big Lawsuits Essay Introduction The lawsuit over the defective design of Firestone tires put on Ford Explorers was perhaps the most publicised event when a company was sued for defective produce. This defect also resulted in a large number of accidents causing over 200 deaths and 700 injuries in the US alone, in addition to accidents in Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, the Arab Gulf Coast, and East Asia. The massive tire recall by Ford and Firestone on August 9, 2000, sent ripples through the American public and added fuel to the legal fire, causing both manufacturers and the public to rethink many issues. Summary of the Lawsuit On August 9, 2000, â€Å"Ford Motor Company and Bridgestone/Firestone jointly announced a recall in the United States of approximately 6.5 million ATX, ATXII and Wilderness AT tires made in Decatur, Illinois because of tread separation problems† (Eto, 2006). This recall came after the increased incidence of driver deaths in accidents in which Ford Exlorers rolled over triggered widespread public concern. At the time, the company was already faced with multimillion lawsuits. For instance, the lawyers for Edelio and Norma Herrera who died in May 2000 overturning in their Ford Explorer on the way from Disneyland demanded $1 billion from Firestone (BBC). The lawsuits filed, for instance, by the law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann Bernstein, LLP, were based on the claim that Firestone and Ford were guilty because it had failed to address the concerns in the testing process. Thus, on June 15, 1989, the auto maker’s engineers prepared a report to the company management in which they â€Å"recommended eight design changes to address the rollover problem and improve the safety of the Explorer† (Lieff Cabraser Heimann Bernstein, LLP, 2006). However, the management refused to make the major improvements recommended by engineers, willing to complete the design by the previously announced deadline. Impact on the Corporate World The lawsuit triggered a nation-wide discussion about the liability of auto manufacturers, business ethics, the need to produce quality products, and the regulation of the industry. The fact that Ford’s management had accelerated production at the expense of safety concerns only to face billions of dollars in lawsuits and a major blow to their reputation later on was a lesson to many managers. The way Firestone and Ford were heaping blame on each other was also an important lesson of how companies should not handle a scandal. To demonstrate commitment to improvement, Ford, for instance, â€Å"ended its relationship with the tyre-maker† (BBC, 2001). The scandal affected one of the largest US auto manufacturers, causing the resignation of its Chief Executive Officers, Jacques Nasser. Impact on Regulations The lawsuits have also alerted the American public and regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that new, tougher laws on safety standards have to be adopted. In 2000, US Congress adopted new legislature that aimed to raise safety standards. However, it was clear that such laws should have been adopted long ago when the danger of rollover crashes in SUVs became apparent. The law required tire makers to submit to the regulators far more information about their produce than before. Impact on the Companies The lawsuits that have been partially successful and partially settled out of court cost both companies, especially Firestone a lot. Thus, the tyre manufacturer found itself spending over â€Å"$1.6 billion in 2001 due to the recall and litigation costs† (Online Lawyer Source, 2004). The company spent $149 million to settle 30 class-action suits all over the US. In 2001, Ford warned its shareholders that â€Å"it could face up to $10bn in lawsuits arising from the Ford Explorer deaths† (BBC, 2001). The result was disastrous publicity for both companies. Firestone in particular took a long time to recover. As of 2004, it was spending several times more on recovering publicity than in the year before (Online Lawyer Source, 2004). Conclusion Thus, the scandal resulted in massive financial losses for the two companies involved and blows to their corporate images. It also made the public pay closer attention to manufacturers’ ethical decision-making. On the government level, safety standards had been strengthened resulting in increased requirements for manufacturers. References Eto, G.C. (2006). Firestone Tire Recall. Retrieved April, 1, 2006, from http://www.garyeto.com/firestone-tire-recall.shtml BBC. (2001, June 17). Firestone faces $1bn lawsuit. Retrieved April, 1, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1393055.stm Lieff Cabraser Heimann Bernstein, LLP. (2006). Ford Explorer Rollover Danger 2006 Update. Retrieved April, 1, 2006, from http://www.vehicle-injuries.com/ford-explorer-lawsuits.htm Online Lawyer Source. (2004). Firestone Recall Information. Retrieved April, 1, 2006, from http://www.onlinelawyersource.com/firestone/information.html

Every child has the right to a mainstream education

Every child has the right to a mainstream education Every child has the right to a mainstream education. This is an entitlement for the parents of special needs children, for them to be able to access this, if they believe it to be the correct decision for their child. Many things need to be considered when doing this such as whether the individual child will be able to cope in this type of school environment and whether their ability will allow them to progress along with their peers. This is something which I believe is not the correct decision for every child as I have witnessed pupils who struggle day in day out with issues such as the playground environment, forging relationships with peers and some who are unable to cope with the unpredictability of what can be the normal school day. Inclusion is important, though it is not necessarily the right choice for every pupil. Inclusion is regarded as successful education of all students (whether with or without disabilities, disadvantages) in the same schools and classrooms, celebrating the resulting diversity, including various abilities and cultures (DFES). The era of mixed ability groupings means teachers need to include every child regardless of need and ability through differentiated work, extra support and with a range of activities to suit all needs. The Governments aim is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. Every child matters and they do within the classroom and school environment. (Every Child matters). Education needs to be personalised so every child can learn to the best of their ability and access resources and materials in lessons, and for most cases this happens. There are many occasions in which I have witnessed, however, where special needs pupils fall short of being included all of the time and are given activities which neither stimulate nor challenge them. These are the pupils which perhaps need the most help to progress. They need to be suitably challenged so they may progress in some way, however big or small. Ofsted (2004) suggested that schools should make sure that pupils with SEN in mainstream schools are able to play a full part in school life, and receive a curriculum and teaching relevant to their needs (p.9). Pupils can often get lost in large mixed ability groupings and this is where a child may feel excluded as the teaching is not always relevant to their needs. This paper shall focus upon inclusion and the experiences of pupils on the autistic spectrum in mainstream schools. Significance for my Practice Every school I have been in has at least one child on the autistic spectrum. This is inevitable now in mainstream schools due to inclusion. Each child I have seen has Aspergers syndrome, high functioning autism. These children are clever and generally are placed in good sets. Educationally these pupils can advance and do well. Socially, however, these pupils struggle and they face difficulties on a daily basis. I am involved with some of these pupils at my present school so the significance for my practice will be vast. Understanding the research in this area and carrying out my own research will allow me to draw conclusions which I can then apply in school, to help these pupils and to in turn make other teachers aware, to allow benefit for these pupils across the school as a whole. Historical Background The Education Act (1944) established the grounding that a childs ability should be measured on age, aptitude and what they are capable of. SEN children were categorised by their disabilities. Although the act was groundbreaking for the whole education system, it was the 1970s that the focus of the individuals own need began to be addressed (Parsons, 1999). Research into special educational needs occurred more frequently in the 1970s after the Warnock Report (1978) which found that 20% of children could have SEN but 2% may need support above what mainstream schooling could offer them. Since then a great deal of research and investigation has been done in all areas of special needs. The government has made a number of acts over the years to ensure this happens, the most recent one being the Special Needs and Disabilities Act (2001) which protects students against discrimination. In 2005 however, Baroness Warnock criticised SEN in the UK and has suggested that small specialist provision is needed and that the bullying of SEN children in mainstream schools is inevitable. The claim fails to include that small specialist provision is still available should parents seek this. Specialist provision is now also within some mainstream schools which have specialist units within to cater for more complex needs. Further literature, which is discussed later backs up this claim to some extent. Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are a range of related developmental disorders that begin in childhood and persist throughout adult life (NHS, 2010). It causes problems and difficulties with social interaction, impaired language and communication skills and unusual patterns of thought and physical behaviour. There are three main types of ASD; autistic disorder, aspergers syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder. The National Autistic Society (NAS) claim that 1 in 100 pupils have ASD and that all schools should be autism friendly with fully trained teachers. This I believe should be the case but with numerous policies and an extensive range of needs within SEN alone, it is difficult to ensure all teachers are trained in everything. This is perhaps where there should be a number of specialist teachers, rather than have all teachers specialise in everything. This however, suggests that in a typical secondary school there could be more than ten children with this disposition. Aspe rgers (high-functioning autism) is common in most secondary schools and the experiences of some pupils are difficult ones. ASD was first identified by Kanner (1943) as a specific pattern of abnormal behaviour. He identified this as being rare but made no attempt to define the amount of people who may have had this. Though the study is very dated, it is still highly influential today and has been a steeping stone for all future research. It is still also relevant to society today as people show the same symptoms as identified and therefore is still of huge importance. Other studies have shown differing prevalence rates of this, including Lotter (1966) who identified a frequency of 4.5 per 10,000 children with autism in an empirical study that was carried out which was epidemiological in nature. This developed the findings from Kanners research, nevertheless further research by Wing and Gould (1979) identified a rate of 15 per 10,000 of children who had social interaction, communication and imagination difficulties. This was the triad of impairments. Patterns of a repetitive nature were also identified whi ch is common today in most children was ASD. The children in the study were not that of the autism Kanner had described. Wing and Gould identified these being part of a broader spectrum of needs. These needs together were identified in 20 per 10,000 children. The prevalence rate is difficult to trust as many people portray elements of ASD yet are not defined as such. Experience has shown this. With prevalence rates, not all of the population can be tested and therefore the rate should be taken as an estimate. Asperger (1944) focused on a group of children who had similar behaviours to what Kanner (1943) had described as autism, but whom had enhanced abilities.   Asperger presented four case studies of children.   In these children he identified some patterns of behaviour and abilities and consequently named these autistic psychopathy.   These behaviours resulted in a lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversation, intense absorption in a special interest and clumsy movements.   Asperger went on further to explain how these children displayed a great understanding and depth of knowledge on their favourite subject.   These claims are great and wholly unjustified on merely a study on only four boys.   Further research is hinted at within the text but as the paper only identified four case studies it should be regarded as a small scale study. It is common now also for girls also to be associated with being diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which is a s ignificant point that Asperger missed. The behaviours identified are some which I have witnessed and which are consistent with my experience. Children with Aspergers syndrome can talk in depth on their favourite topic and can completely change the course of a conversation they are in to talk about this. They can often have one sided conversations on this and are not necessarily talking to anyone in particular on their specialist subject. The limitations of this research lie with the time, these were studies that were done during World War II and therefore behaviour due to trauma from the war could have indeed impended the true behaviour that matched the child.   It could be argued though that there were indeed many other children who presented with these behaviours and abilities, but an in-depth study of just four ensured significant detail and strengths in assessing a range of behaviours over a period of time, which consequently could be later relayed onto other children with a similar disposition.   The considerable delay in the translation of this paper led to Western understanding decades later; his finding are now regarded and accepted worldwide.   Aspergers syndrome is indeed a social construction and the paper should be taken as such but noteworthy research which will be discussed later now backs up the claims made in this paper. What could be regarded as another influential study is done by Wollf (1995). Having studied Asperger syndrome for over 30 years the findings are most definitely worthy to a great degree. The studied children were of average or high ability who were impaired in their social interaction but who do not have the full picture of the triad of impairments. However, these children represent the most subtle and most able end of the autism spectrum; are higher functioning. The majority become independent as adults, many marry and some display exceptional gifts, though retaining the unusual quality of their social interactions. There is great debate on why to even include these children in the autistic spectrum. Wolff suggests that these children often have a difficult time at school and they need acknowledgment, understanding and acceptance from school staff as well as parents. Is this the best option for these children though? To identify them as different and therefore facilitate them to a l ife of indifference as they live with this brand upon them. This makes the research lose some credibility as there should be more justification than they have a difficult time at school. Other children have difficult times at school, for many other reasons. Research Theories and Findings A good proportion of studies have been completed on including pupils in a mainstream school with autistic spectrum disorders. These studies differ in terms of their methodologies and findings. With a huge proportion of pupils in the UK facing difficulties with communication, social interaction and imagination, studies for mainstream schools focus upon high functioning autism in the form of Aspergers syndrome. It is more common to find pupils with Aspergers syndrome in mainstream schools as their intellectual level is greater than those with pure autism. Inclusion and Autism; Pupil Experience Humphrey and Lewis (2008) looked into the views and experiences of a pupil with ASD in a mainstream school. Through a small scale study it found that the inclusion of pupils with Aspergers syndrome in mainstream schools presents challenges and opportunities for the various stakeholders (e.g. teachers, pupils, parents and peers) in this process. The study was purely the views of pupils and their experiences though it is often witnessed by teachers that issues at home equate to problems at school. As a result, it may have been appropriate to include teachers views to ensure the participants were portraying behaviour that was usual. Inclusion is fraught with difficulties, with the whole range of needs that exist in mainstream schools at present. A report shows 1000 examples of inclusion in education from members of NAS, Barnard et al (2000). The findings claim that parents with a child in an autism specific provision were twice more likely to be very satisfied than those who had a child in a mainstream school. It shows that views decline through the later school years, the older the child becomes. The survey was completed by over eight hundred respondents, with half of the children being in a mainstream setting. A majority proportion of these children had statements. Findings are primarily based on opinions of parents but the views could be contested as they do not attend school with their child. The parental opinion on what they think their child should have may exceed the needs that their child actually holds. In a mainstream school I am working in children with ASD are supported in a variety of ways and are making good progress. There are issues that these children struggle with but they are guided through these with help from staff in school and through external agencies support. Humphrey is a leading researcher in the field, with a number of studies looking into the effects of inclusion for pupils. Humphrey (2008) identifies that the number of students with ASD being educated in mainstream schools is growing, though educational experiences of these students are unfounded. Whats more, the article found that pupils with ASD are more than twenty times more likely to be excluded from school than those without special educational needs. This implies that pupils are unable to cope suitably in this setting yet reasons for the exclusions are not explored. The paper identifies strong strategies for behaviour and such, yet without the reasons of why these people are excluded the suggestions on improving behaviour are speculative. Literature also draws upon the debate of whether inclusion in mainstream education is the best route for all special needs children. Wang (2009) identified through a critical analysis that certain difficulties may occur by allowing ASD childr en into mainstream education. It also notes on how inclusion is worth striving for and how disadvantages can be resolved by training educators appropriately. Much research in this area pertains that it is teachers who need to understand more and in turn need to implement different strategies. This shall be discussed further later. Tobias (2009) found that by providing students with a mentor figure and by meeting the needs of the individual rather than applying blanket policies to groups of students with ASD, that these were strategies to support and aid in inclusion which worked well and were consequently perceived as such. This on the other hand, is one isolated example and was a small scale study of just fifteen participants and research in this respect is limited. Most studies seem to take the view that experiences could be improved; bullying was found to be a major issue within literature. Peer Understanding and Bullying A significant number of researchers have identified the need to ensure peer understanding to allow ASD students to be included in the activities associated with school life. Many reports account for many students with ASD being bullied by peers, either because they know they are different and have ASD or because they are seen as different and cannot handle social situations as well as others may. Humphrey and Lewis (2008) identified the fact that much research had suggested these pupils make easy targets for bullies. The symptoms associated with ASD make these pupils stand out from their other peers so this statement could be suggested from observations, the research needs to identify why this is as it found almost all pupils reported being bullied at different levels of severity and frequency. This also seemed to occur regularly. Research on this suggests that it is boys in particular who suffer in school settings. Granzio et al (2006) confirm that the oddness of pupils with Asperge rs syndrome led to verbal abuse and social exclusion on a daily basis from peers. From this it may be reasonable to suggest that social exclusion could lead to other problems in a child such as the child becoming depressed due to social rejection as around one-third of school time is spent outside the classroom (Nelson, 2004). This therefore is an area where more research needs to be done; in particular in that of social integration. Norwich and Kelly (2004) recognise that those with special educational needs are more likely to be bullied than other pupils. When thinking of the difficulties faced by children with ASD; particularly that of social and communication difficulties it is not surprising the rate and frequency that bullying occurs. The World Health Organisation (2007) suggests that social difficulties are exacerbated if dyspraxia or developmental clumsiness is present, which is often the case. Students therefore need to develop an understanding of ASD pupils to allow them to develop some compassion to how they must feel on a day to day basis. Humphrey (2008) established from previous research that students need to understand a little about why students with Asperger syndrome have such quirky behaviours. A little understanding and knowledge can go a long way to show other students how to assist easily, rather than ignore or taunt this student. Most research in this area suggests that more knowledge is nee ded, whether it is for the pupils or school staff. A further study looks into the relationships with peers and the use of the school environment. Wainscoat et al (2008) found through a case control study that Aspergers pupils, in comparison with controls engaged in fewer social interactions, spent breaks and lunch times in adult supervised areas of the school, reported having fewer friends and therefore likely to be the targets of bullying. This once more shows recognition in the fact that experiences of these pupils within mainstream education are not all good. This is one of the few quantitative studies yet provides little understanding into reasons behind the findings compared with the qualitative studies. It provides strong evidence to support these claims through statistics but the structured interview could have included some open questions to allow participants to elaborate. The literature discussed shows pupils are isolated, often bullied and somewhat unhappy. This suggests mainstream education is perhaps not the best place f or all students. There also seems to be a social stigma attached to these pupils as research suggests quirky or odd behaviour. With up to 1 in 270 students at secondary mainstream schools having SEN related to an ASD, Barnard et al (2002) this accounts for a huge proportion of pupils who may be having the same difficulties. This calls out for a greater need for more research in this field to ensure ASD pupils are getting the support they need to deal with these issues and how these issues are dealt with in mainstream schools. Teachers Perceptions Ashburner et al (2010) compare teachers perceptions of students with ASD to their perceptions of typically developing students with regard to their capacity to perform academically and to regulate emotions and behaviour in mainstream classrooms. This was a case control research design and participant bias, in respects to the participating teachers is highly prominent in this research. It was based on teachers ratings from teachers whom already possessed views and opinions on the childrens aptitudes, abilities and more importantly temperament. This, on the other hand, means they had a truer perception of the child that a researcher would not have had and therefore results are plausible. Ashburner et al propose the research findings were concurrent with prior research which suggests that students with ASD exhibit significantly higher levels of behavioural and emotional difficulties at school than their typically developing peers. Jordan (2008) claims that teaching pupils with ASD is hard. It is hard for just the same reason that students with ASD find it difficult to learn in our current school system. Just as these children have no natural intuitive ways to understand their teachers, teachers, in turn, have no natural intuitive ways of understanding students with ASD. Teaching is made more difficult by the fact that no child with ASD is the same and strategies that work on occasions, may not do on every occasion. This is what I have found in my practice. This is where Every Child Matters comes into play and is particularly important, where each child needs support to enjoy and achieve. Jones et al (2007) conducted a review of needs and services for young people with Aspergers syndrome. It identified that within education many children, parents and carers will meet people in their school lives whom have no knowledge of Aspergers syndrome, teachers included. Thirty five children took part in the review and the majority (68%) would have liked their school to be different. Although this is based on ASD children, it goes without saying that most children would like school to be different and therefore more specifics need to be recognised. Within the survey bullying was also identified, yet this was something which school staff failed to mention. Research in regards to teacher understanding comes across not only in research that is based solely on the teacher, but also from research on peers and pupils themselves with ASD. This shows there is a greater need for teachers to be more aware of the whole range of need associated with ASD, not just Aspergers syndrome which is commonly found in mainstream setting. Conclusions from the research The general consensus from the research identified is that inclusion and autism is improving, but improvements still need to be made. There is limited research into social integration of pupils into mainstream schools, which considering the estimated prevalence rate is quite alarming. A significant number of researchers have also identified the need to ensure peer understanding, as well as a greater awareness of ASD for teachers. The majority of the research identified bullying as an experience within school. The percentages of this are soaring and it is something which I believe schools needs to research promptly. Bullying is identified in the research from accounts by the pupils, yet teachers perceptions on this seem somewhat different. Research falls short of statistical evidence and a lot of it is qualitative, but this provides in depth explanations and good quality accounts of experiences within mainstream schools. Part B In analysing the different research studies it seems appropriate to start from near the beginning and look at where new and relevant research stems from. In this respect there will be a focus on Aspergers syndrome (Asperger, 1944). The paper by Asperger (1944) is highly pertinent in understanding a range of autism that may occur in a person. It continues on from the work done by Kanner (1943). A great deal of evidence is collected, including that of family history. The research methods, however, are somewhat lacking. The testing that Asperger conducted on these children often failed in providing any useful analysis and was therefore disregarded. Intelligence tests were conducted where these included construction tests where the child would copy from memory, rhythm imitation, memory for digits (repetition for six digits was expected at the age of ten, one boy who was six thus proved to be above average), memory for sentences (this could not be evaluated) and similarities between different things were tested. Analysis focused on memory for digits, along with observation and parental examples of abilities. The latter is a difficult one to reprehend as parents often believe their child to be above average of other children of a similar age and this for that reason is only their opinion. It is essentially qualitative data in the respect that most of the research is carried out through observations and opinions. The data is essentially more rich with lots of detail and therefore of good quality. The justifications for the intelligence tests were on the basis that the child carrying out these tests were observed and therefore judged on communication and ability. This fundamentally enhances the reliability of the tests as there was a plausible reason behind carrying them out, rather than just purely to measure intelligence. The tests however were adapted to the personality of the child so conclusions from these as a whole need to be somewhat justified more. This was essential in terms of ethical issues to put the child at ease but each of the data sets collected are detached from each other, as each case study had a different method. The research is highly subjective and researcher bias is great due to the nature of the observations. The case studies, however, provide enough detail through comprehensive descriptions to justify the claims made. Overall, this paper has provided a good grounding for all research conducted today in this field and is highly important. The research methods conducted are limited but further research and advancements in technology since 1944 have allowed a greater picture of Aspergers syndrome to be developed over time. In contrast, a recent paper on the views and experiences of Aspergers children in a mainstream school moves away from looking at how these children behave to focusing on how they feel and what their experiences are like. This links to the last paper discussed on what Aspergers is but looks at their perceptions of what Aspergers is, so is not purely from the side of the researcher. Humphrey and Lewis (2010) provide an in-depth analytical paper on how these children cope in school. This is a small scale qualitative study on twenty pupils in North West England. It looks at four mainstream high schools. The research is phenomenological where interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to explore how pupils made sense of their educational experiences. The research was qualitative in its methods; the study incorporated semi-structured interviews and pupil diaries. The diaries were used for a month which made possible vast amounts and quantities of detail from each participant in the st udy. This is difficult to analyse and researcher bias will occur to decide which points are valid and are worth mentioning above others. The diaries were also conceived via different methods; either written, orally or electronically. This could yield different results. The participants had a choice but this may not have necessarily been the correct method to enable them to explain in the greatest amount of detail. All participants did not fill in the diary for a whole month period but a number of participants stopped at differing intervals. This led to varying amounts and different quantities of data sets from each participant. The research should have perhaps been carried out on a smaller time scale to allow for full participation. The diaries, on the other hand do provide good detailed responses as opposed to purely using interviews. For example, a participant proceeded to draw images and diagrams depicting his school life which gave a more rounded picture on his feelings and emot ions. This level of detail allows for greater understanding of their experiences and therefore enables the research to be reliable due to the high quality that it portrays. The semi-structured interviews then back up thoughts and feelings from the participant which also enables prompts from the researcher, to allow greater explanation on why they think or feel this particular way. The paper is high in terms of validity and there is a small chance the participant may be lying as issues were recorded in the diary and discussed further via this route. The study also adds to input from its participants by allowing them to provide commentary on the findings, which were then incorporated into the paper. This ensures the theme on their views is completely adhered to, again adding to the consistency of the methodology. The visual representation of results both allowed for the pupil understanding when they were providing commentary on the paper but it also identifies strong categories and th emes in an area where research is wholly limited. Furthermore, this will provide a strong grounding for further and future research in this particular area. Another study, Wainscot et al (2008), looks at experiences in a mainstream school of participants with Aspergers syndrome, but this focuses more specifically on the relationship with peers and the use of the school environment. Research methods included a case control design where pupils undertook a structured interview on their social interactions that day, at the end of school. This method was justified entirely by suggesting the alternative approach of using a cohort study could result in an unbalanced sample based on the kind of prevalence observed. By justifying the method the paper gains credibility and warrants why the method it chose was to all intents and purposes best for this particular research. Structured interviews provide limited scope for the participant to respond and as a result there was a lack in the depth and quality of answers. For example, a question posed was did you have a good day at school today? This is a yes or no question and reasons behind this answer c ould be vast. A pupil may not have slept well or simply was not in a good mood, but in terms of the research conducted it could be interpreted as the participant not liking school or anything the researcher interprets it as. This is a quantitative study and as such responses were entered into SPSS database and analysed. A snowball sampling strategy was used which was again justified as the characteristics required of participants are rare. The control participants were chosen with dyslexia to further investigate SEN as a risk factor for social isolation. The overall number of dyslexic pupils in the study however, turned out to be just three. The research therefore focused primarily on those with Aspergers syndrome and those without. The case-control dyad matched a whole range of variables; age, gender, academic ability, physical size, lessons attended, socio-economic background and ethnicity. The variables were matched where they could be but not all of the case control dyads were. This implies the amount of variables was perhaps too complex to allow for all true matches. The data was collected at different times, in different years to be specific. This implies a lack of reliability as data was collected over a year apart and therefore the researcher did not allow the research to be consistent; this may well have influenced the second data collection period more notably than the first. The study provides a number of limitations but in essence provides good substantial evidence, with a clear comparison between two groups. The researcher could have had more control over the study as opposed to allowing case-control matches by the schools. Again, as with the previous study discussed a need for more research in this field has been acknowledged and suggestions of peer bullying are further recommended. Barnard et al (2000) carried out a large scale study focusing on examples of inclusion in education from the National Autistic Societys members. Although this is slightly dated, it is one of a few large scale studies on inclusion and autism that has been conduc