Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Description of economic crisis and discussion of outcomes Essay

Description of economic crisis and discussion of outcomes - Essay Example The mortgages taken by banks were financially engineered to create securities and trading was allowed on the same. Eventually, corporations from all over the world took exposure in such credit assets. On the maturity of their tenure, most of the customers failed to repay their loans. This was bound to happen, because these sub-prime customers never had the financial capability to finance their obligations. The banks sold off the mortgages to make up the losses suffered due to the non repayment of the loans taken by the customers. However, contrary to the earlier business forecasts prices of real estates decreased considerably. This translated into banks obligations, it meant that the companies who had an exposure in those toxic assets suffered huge losses, being unable to recover their investments as most of the mortgages were being traded in the form of securitized investment vehicles and collaterised debt (Credit crisis: More sub-prime bad news, November 6, 2007) Subsequently, the baneful effect of these transactions spread all over the world. The domino effects hit most of the developed countries financially. Consequently, investors got panic stricken and started withdrawing their investments from equities and other risk bearing investments. It led to a crash in the major stock indices globally. The pronounced effects of the crisis became evident due to the tightening of credit flow in the economy. A lack of capital halted the production activities and dampened the buying attitude among consumers all over the world. The credit crisis had spiraled into an insolvable puzzle due to the imbalance caused in the basic demand supply equations. All this have gripped the minds of global citizens with fear and apprehension of a pandemonium in their lives. The government of almost all the countries is acting in unison to combat the fear of the citizens. The credit crisis has built fear

Monday, October 28, 2019

A View from the Bridge Essay Example for Free

A View from the Bridge Essay Eddie Carbone, the protagonist of the play, is in many ways a tragic hero and like all tragic heroes has a fatal flaw. Eddie’s harmatia is his incestuous feelings for Catherine. Arthur Miller has used the character of Eddie as an everyman perhaps to show that any person can make mistakes with ones feelings. Through the character of Eddie we witness the downfall of a decent man who loses control of his actions.  In the early stages of the play, we see Eddie over protective of Catherine but possibly in a paternal way when he says ‘I don’t like the looks they’re giving youheads are turning like windmills’ although it is quite normal for a father to protect his daughter Eddie’s problem is really with how the men are looking at Catherine rather than her well beings. The reader is also made aware that Eddie has made a lot of sacrifices for Catherine ‘I took out my own mouth to give it to her’ clearly when it comes to his family Eddie puts other people before himself this is also evident as he allows Marco and Rodolfo, people he has never met before, to stay illegally at his home. Later in the play there are clues about his true feelings for example when Catherine lights Eddie’s cigar she does it eagerly saying ‘here! I’ll light it for you’ the cigar is a phallic image and hints Eddie’s subconscious desire for Catherine as it gives him unusual pleasure. Eddie is unaware of his attraction to Catherine so his feelings are manifested in hatred towards Marco and Rodolfo. Eddie’s dislike for Rodolfo is displayed almost immediately after they arrive as ‘he is coming more and more addressed to Marco only’ this suggests that Eddie has no intentions of getting to know Rodolfo as he feels threatened by him. Miller builds up the aggressive nature of Eddie’s behaviour and also how quickly he establishes how volatile he can be. In the middle of Rodolfo’s song the playwright shows us how unsettled Eddie is when the stage directions indicate that ‘Eddie rises and moves upstage’. When he interrupts Rodolfo he is very sharp. At no point does he use his name but instead calls him ‘kid’. Superficially it seems he is preventing him from singing for his own safety but already the reader is aware that there is something more bubbling under the surface, especially when Miller tells us that Eddie’s face is ‘puffed with trouble’. The shocking actions of Eddie when he kisses both Catherine and Rodolfo shows further evidence of their love for one another as Catherine screams ‘Eddie! Let go, ya hear me! I’ll kill you! Leggo of him’ here we can see that the love between Catherine and Rodolfo is much stronger than that of Eddie and Beatrice, and how it is taking over from Catherine’s affection for Eddie. At the beginning of ‘A View from the Bridge’ Eddie and Beatrice are presented as having a loving and close relationship. It is when in Act 4 Eddie is waiting for outside his apartment for Catherine and Rodolfo to arrive home that Beatrice is blunt with him and says ‘when am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie’ it shows us she doesnt feel like his wife because he is distracted by Catherine, it also suggests they dont sleep together as husband and wife. Beatrice is a good woman and a good wife. She tries to warn Eddie against his feelings for Catherine but it shows us that he cant do anything about them so therefore is basically doomed. At the end, there is reconciliation between Eddie and B when they come together and share their love with Eddies dying words ‘Then why – Oh, B!’ this is Eddies eventual realisation of his love for B. Eddie’s betrayal not only comes a shock to the audience but is incredibly ironic as in his previous dialogue Eddie retold the story of Vinny Bolzano and said to Catherine ‘ you think I’m blowing steam here’ this shows that Eddie thinks its unimaginable for someone to betray their own family. He gives his opinion and says ‘Him? You’ll never see him no more a guy do a thing like that? How’s he gonna show his face? Here Eddie is disgusted even by the consideration of telling on a fellow Italian. It also shows that he feels strongly about the ‘Italian law’ which makes it more surprising when he goes against it as it suggests that his incestuous feelings for Catherine turned him into a complete different person. Miller presents Eddie as a respectable image in the community, a husband and a guardian. Eddie feeling as a jealous lover leads him into conflict with his community. He placed his desires above family responsibilities. His respect and honour meant everything for him , but he was blinded by his love for Catherine, so everything else was forgotten. Eddie dies for, not that of the community values but for his own pride.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

An essay on different genres including the Ghost genre and the Fantasy

An essay on different genres including the Ghost genre and the Fantasy & Adventure genre I have chosen two completely different genres to base my essay on. Firstly, I have the mysterious and gripping Ghost Genre; the books I have studied are â€Å"The Woman in Black†, â€Å"The Langoliers† and the spooky film, â€Å"The Others†. The second genre is Fantasy & Adventure. The book I am studying is â€Å"Lirael†, a recent book written by Australian author Garth Nix. â€Å"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring†, directed by Peter Jackson is the film that I am analysing. There are many, definite trends to ghost stories, no matter what the novel is about. They are all usually set in remote areas and are about haunting. Death is usually common in scary stories also. Dense fog creates mysteriousness in the ghost genre and scary stories. It is not just used in books, but is a frequent trick displayed in films. The Langoliers is a gripping novel about a flight from L.A. to Boston, where the passengers somehow disappear when the plane is caught in a time warp, and pilot Brian Engle is left on his own, attempting to land the stray flight. â€Å"Brian peered out of the cockpit window. Outside, all that was visible were peaks of the Rocky Mountains, which were engulfed in a dense, dark fog.† The above quote is used by writer Stephen King to make the reader believe that the plane is now completely lost as the pilot cannot see any landmarks to pinpoint where he is! In the film â€Å"The Others† mist is constantly used when snapshots of the outside of the house are shown to create an eerie atmosphere. This works very well as it looks like the mansion is in the middle of nowhere and that the inhabitants are trapped inside, because if... ...the â€Å"L.O.T.R.† Merry and Pippin (two hobbits) are captured, Boromir is slain by an Orc and Frodo and Sam leave and decide to complete their task alone. In â€Å"Lirael† Sameth realizes that his friend Nicholas has been captured by Hedge and sets off to find him, ending the book on a cliff-hanger! I have found that, like Ghost stories, the Fantasy Genre has certain trends too. There are two sides, good and evil, the main characters are usually on quests and have a companion, and the weather matches the mood of people involved in the story. Also, in both â€Å"Lirael† of course the â€Å"L.O.T.R.† magic is used frequently. ‘Train of thought’ is not used often though as so much is happening in the novel. To summarise although all stories within a certain Genre are totally contrasting, they are similar in their sentence structure, characters, and of course†¦ storyline.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Exegesis of Isaiah 7:14-16

History of the Old Testament Exegesis of Isaiah 7:14-16 Historical Context of Isaiah 7:14-16 The book of Isaiah is a vast collection of many works by both Isaiah and other anonymous writers. Although the entire book is dated from the post-exilic period, different sections of the book were written at various times. In fact, the organization of the book isn’t ordered chronologically, but rather by combining separate literary works and booklets (Hastings 424).According to Robert Alter and Frank Kemode of Harvard University Press, the book of Isaiah is broken down into three general sections: Isaiah (or Proto-Isaiah), Deutero-Isaiah and Trito-Isaiah. (Alter 165). Editor and biblical scholar James Hastings noted, â€Å"the book of Isaiah is the result of a long and complex literary history† (425). Since the book was not all written at the same time or by a single author, each sentence seems to come with it’s own fascinating history, with varying contexts lying between each line.Beginning with Proto-Isaiah, chapters 1-39 are thought to have been greatly written by Isaiah, while consisting of â€Å"oracles and eschatology† (Alter 165). Beginning the early period of Isaiah’s ministry at 3:1-15, Isaiah describes the â€Å"social integration of Jerusalem† (Hastings 426). Without divulging too greatly into the historical context of chapter 7 quite yet, Proto-Isaiah addresses the period of the collapse of the northern kingdom before the Assyrians.It reveals Yahweh’s coming judgment towards Assyria for its â€Å"pride and refusal to recognize that it is the instrument of Yahweh’s purpose,† while predicting the â€Å"overthrow of the Assyrian invader† (Hastings 426). Moving on to Deutero-Isaiah, the prophecies in chapters 40-55 are thought to have been composed by an anonymous prophet who lived among the Judean exiles during the time of Babylonian captivity (Alter 174). This prophet responds to the major e vents that had previously taken place. Having over exerted their power and resources, the Assyrian empire collapsed.Proceeding Assyrian’s weakening, the Babylonian empire took control (Alter 176). As Robert Alter states, â€Å"just as Jerusalem is the focus and personification of the whole Judean community, so the Babylonian capital represents the entire enemy nation† (176). Since Babylon is the enemy of the Judeans, much of Deutero-Isaiah speaks of freedom from the oppressing empire. Cyrus the Great, father of the Persian Empire, is portrayed as â€Å"destined by Yahweh to redeem Israel, and to execute judgment upon Babylon† (Hastings 197).Throughout the book, the author tries to give a renewed hope to the Hebrew exiles, while giving the glory of their prophesied redemption to Yahweh. Lastly, Trito-Isaiah is believed to be the product of the writings from a number of authors. From chapters 56-66, this last section of Isaiah is filled with poetry and narratives of the return of the exiled Jews. As predicted, Cyrus the Great defeated Babylon’s king, Nabonidus, and conquered Babylon. Upon Babylon’s surrender to Cyrus’ general, Gobyras, in October 539 B. C. , Cyrus the Great took charge.According to Cyrus, he entered the country with little opposition, claiming to have been â€Å"chosen by Marduk to be his restorer† (Hastings 197). Marduk was the god that Nabonidus had abandoned in order to focus his worship to Sin, the moon-god. In view of that, Cyrus makes it a point to bring the god back. Nonetheless, Cyrus is pictured as â€Å"the friend of Yahweh and Yahweh’s anointed† (Hastings 197). As the new ruler, Cyrus released the Jews from their bondage and gave them his consent to â€Å"return to Palestine and rebuild the Temple† (Hastings 197).The historical background of Trito-Isaiah established, the major themes of this portion of Isaiah include repentance, justice and the path of the righteous (Alter 182). Literary Context of Isaiah 7:14-16 Continuing from the historical background of Proto-Isaiah, Isaiah 7 describes Isaiah’s prophetic warnings to Ahaz, the king of Judah around 732 BC. Prior to Isaiah’s warnings, Israel and Aram tried to attack Judah, to no avail. Following the attack, at 7:3 God sends Isaiah to give a message to Ahaz to seek God or else lose God’s hand of protection.Unfortunately, Ahaz does not comply, and instead buys the help of the Assyrians and even sacrifices his own son to the gods in hopes of protecting Jerusalem (Buttrick 215). However, if Ahaz wanted David’s dynasty to remain, he had to be in obedience to God, as Isaiah 7:9 claims. To his detriment, Ahaz is not willing to engage in faith, a major component of the â€Å"historical emergence of prophecy† in those times (Buttrick 216). God even tells Ahaz to ask for whatever kind of sign that he wishes to prove God’s ability to deliver Judah, but Ahaz refu ses.Although the state of affairs was the same as the preceding verses, the passages 10 and 13 suggest a change in the time and audience. Verse 13 uses the plural when Isaiah is relaying God’s message to Ahaz, implying that the discussion took place with an audience, rather than solely speaking to Ahaz. In verse 10, â€Å"again the Lord spoke to Ahaz† indicates a conversation that occurred at a later point in time (Strong 31). So it is possible that the events did not all occur with the same audience and at the same time.An interesting detail, at 7:13 Isaiah uses the phrase â€Å"my God† when speaking to Ahaz, referencing the fact that Ahaz no longer serves the Lord (Buttrick 218). Looking now to the verses immediately proceeding 7:14-16, God’s passion for His people is revealed. At 7:18-19, Alter writes, â€Å"Invading troops give way to swarms of horseflies and bumblebees that ‘shall come, and shall rest all of them in desolate valleys†¦Ã¢â‚ ¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (Alter 173). This verse reveals Isaiah’s use of poetry to describe prophecies. Also, Isaiah uses metaphors to describe Israel’s destruction by plagues and swords (Alter 173).Isaiah understands that God’s judgment is out of a desire to bring Israel to nothing, so that they would finally look to God. Isaiah portrays God’s ultimate desire for the country’s purification, not for the destruction of the people (Rice 366). At verses 21-22, God’s heart for Israel’s redemption is portrayed through the promise of an abundance of curds and honey (Rice 364). Interestingly, it’s thought that Isaiah may not have written verses 21-25, because the language is so common and plain, whereas Isaiah usually uses such poetic language.Scholars propose, â€Å"these passages represent a disciples recollection of his message rather than his own words† (Buttrick 222). Examples such as these continue to point to the thesis that Isaiah i s in fact the result of multiple authors. Commentary on Isaiah 7:14-16 Isaiah 7:14 â€Å"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. † (RSV) This verse contains many important pieces that all require the context of the situation. George Buttrick makes an interesting comment in noting that â€Å"therefore normally introduces a threat† (218).Following God’s reproach towards Ahaz at 7:13, such a threat is to be expected. Here, Yahweh’s anger stems from Ahaz’ direct refusal of God’s wishes at 7:12. Since Ahaz doesn’t accept God’s offer of a sign for immediate deliverance, God gives Ahaz a sign by his own initiative. The sign, given at 7:14, is to come in the form of a maiden’s son, with the name Immanuel, meaning â€Å"God is with us† (Buttrick 218). The word for â€Å"sign† here is also the same word that is used for th e miraculous, and thus implies that God’s â€Å"saving presence† will come through the child, a symbol of hope (Buttrick 218).Although the maiden has often been referred to as a virgin throughout evangelical history, the original Hebrew text actually translates â€Å"young woman† (Alexander 112), or â€Å"young woman of marriageable age, possibly a virgin† (Buttrick 218). Also, the verse changes tenses, saying, â€Å"the young woman is with child and shall bear a son† (Alexander 112). This is significant because the actual woman who is to give birth may have been a woman whom was pregnant at the time, while the words may in fact be directed to a specific young lady.The answer remains unknown to this day. Isaiah 7:15 â€Å"He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. † (RVS) In this verse, the curds and the honey refers to the most prized foods available to the â€Å"nomadic wanderers, but not the fo od of Ahaz’ court† (Buttrick 220). The child must be weaned before he is able to eat the curds and honey, and thus this portion refers to the period of the child’s beginning stages of development. The context in which these words are being prophesied is â€Å"one of judgment† (Rice 368).In light of this, many scholars believe that the child eating curds and honey means that the child â€Å"will experience want and adversity† so that he will be able to know and refrain from sin and decide to live righteously (Rice 368). It seems as though Isaiah is painting a picture for Ahaz of the way of the righteous, in response to Ahaz’ direct refusal of good and his choice towards evil at 7:12. To add to this point, verses 15 and 16 may have been reversed at some point in history, since 7:15 seems to have the same threatening theme as in 7:17 (Buttrick 220). Isaiah 7:16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land befor e whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. † (RVS) Verse 16 seems to flow as a continuation of the word of hope and deliverance as seen at 7:14. As discussed earlier in this exegesis, prophesies of the days of freedom are also seen at 7:21-22, with promises of abundance and joy. The fact that the child will know how to â€Å"refuse the evil and choose the good† (RVS, 7:16) implies that there is a right and a wrong that the child will learn how to distinguish between (Rice 368).Apart from the ethical decisions, 7:16 may also be referring to the number of years that it may take the child to learn his likes and dislikes, usually about three years (Buttrick 220). When the child is finally weaned, and is almost to the age in which he is beginning to make his own decisions, the enemies of Judah will be no more (Rice 368). As seen at 7:1, the two kings Rezin and Pekah were the enemies of Judah at that time. Therefore, the verse refers to the destruction of their powe r (Rice 368). Summary of Isaiah 7:14-16Overall, this entire passage directs its attention to the sign that Yahweh is to send to Ahaz. It goes into a poetic description of the path in which that sign, Immanuel, will come into this world and the decisions between right and wrong that he will face. Although he will face many trials, he will continue to choose good over evil. As a child, Immanuel is also a symbol of hope; adding to this, his name means â€Å"God is with us,† which shines a light on the deliverance of the exiles (Alexander 112). This last verse brings a revelation of the Hebrew deliverance from the enemies of Judah, the two kings Rezin and Pekah.Although addressing judgment and trials, the passage breathes in the promise of deliverance and exhales a spirit of hope for Judah. Bibliography Alexander, Neil M. â€Å"Isaiah 7:1-25. † The Sign of Immanuel. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001. 110-113. Print. Vol. 6 of The New Interpreter’s Bible, Ed. Clifford E. Baldridge. 12. 1994-2001. Buttrick, George Arthur. â€Å"Isaiah. † Isaiah. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1956. 215-223. Print. Vol. 5 of The Interpreter’s Bible. Ed. Nolan B Harmon. 12 vols. 1952-1957. Hastings, James. â€Å"Isaiah. † Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1963. Isaiah. † The Literary Guide to the Bible. Ed. Robert Alter and Frank Kermode. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1987. 165-183. Print. The Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: Revised Standard Version. Ed. Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. Print. Rice, Gene. â€Å"The Interpretation Of Isaiah 7:15-17. † Journal Of Biblical Literature 96. 3 (1977): 363. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 May 2012. Strong, James. â€Å"Ahaz. † The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988. Print.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Assessment in Early Childhood Essay

According to Ann Landers, it is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings. The subject of children’s achievement and performance in school, and even before school, has received increasing public attention during the latter 1980s and early 1990s. Over the years educators has seek various methods of assessment to evaluate students. According to Pett, (1990), educators use the term Authentic Assessment to define the practice of realistic student involvement in evaluation of their own achievement. One method of Authentic Assessment is to assemble and review a portfolio of the child’s work. Venn, (2000), stated that portfolio is a systematic collection of students work and related materials that depicts a student’s activities, accomplishment and achievement in one or more areas of the curriculum. In this era performance assessment related to the monitoring of students’ mastery of a core curriculum, portfolios can enhance the assessment process by revealing a range of skills and understandings of young children in Early Childhood Education. The wide use of portfolio can stimulate a shift in classroom practices and education polices. According to Meisels and Steele (1991), portfolios enable children to participate in assessing their own work, keep track of individual children’s progress and provide a basis for evaluating the quality of individual children’s overall performance. There are many benefits of using portfolios in the early childhood classroom. Portfolio assessment has become widely used in educational settings as a way to examine and measure children’s progress, by documenting the process of learning or changes as it occurs. For example if parents feel the need to evaluate their child’s progress in the classroom; the portfolio will be available for this purpose. Hence, with the aid of the teacher and evidence of their child’s portfolio parent will have an understanding of how their child is performing. Another benefit of using the portfolio is that it gives students the opportunity to have extensive input into the learning process and shows depth in their work. According to Murphy and Smith (1990), portfolios can be intended to motivate students and promote learning through reflection and self-assessment. Involving students in selecting their own pieces which are done without pressure and time constrains allow them to assess and give themselves a better understanding of their own work and identify what are their strengths and weaknesses. For example little Johnny is in K2 and his class teacher Miss McLaughlin gives him Art pieces to do on Fridays, at the end of doing all those pieces little Johnny was given the opportunity to choose his favourite piece and tell why he choose that sample of work. On-going feedback is another benefit that portfolio provides. In the early childhood classroom portfolio contains a wide variety of work samples, including successive drafts of work on particular projects/theme in the curriculum. Hence, while evaluating students’ progress, teachers would be able to conclusions about a child’s abilities, achievement, weaknesses, strengths and needs. The conclusion will be based on the child’s development, documentations made in the portfolio and on the teacher’s knowledge of curriculum and stages of development. Finally, when the evaluation progress is completed the teacher can use portfolios to provide students general feedback about the quality of their work; in addition this portfolio can be displayed during parent-teacher association (P. T. A) meetings. Students can also select pieces of their work to include in the portfolio. This encourages students to reflect on their past work and gather useful guidelines for improvement. For instance, kindergarteners are at the pre writing level, hence they tend to complete more hands-on and concrete work at this stage. The facilitator may take a photograph of a child’s completed block structure during the first, second or third semester of the year to show the child’s progress in development. Many teachers use portfolios to evaluate how a student progresses over an extended period of time. The portfolio normally contains the best samples of work done by a student, as well as various students’ work that most demonstrate their strengths and skills. It should be noted that all materials placed in a portfolio should be organized by chronological order and or categorized. Meisels and Steele (1991) believe that the materials placed in the portfolio should be organized in accordance to curriculum area or category of development, such as cognitive, gross motor, fine motor and so forth. Once the portfolio is organized, the teacher can evaluate the child’s achievements. Appropriate evaluation should always be done by the teacher in regards to the comparison of the child’s current work to his or her previous work. When the teacher is evaluating, he or she will be able to draw conclusions about a child’s abilities, achievement, weaknesses, strengths and needs. The conclusion will be based on the child’s development, documentations made in the portfolio and on the teacher’s knowledge of curriculum and stages of development. Finally, when the evaluation progress is completed the teacher can use portfolios to provide students general feedback about the quality of their work; in addition this portfolio can be displayed during parent-teacher association (P. T. A) meetings. Students can also select pieces of their work to include in the portfolio. This encourages students to reflect on their past work and gather useful guidelines for improvement.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

attack on 911 essays

attack on 911 essays There have been many changes in the United States following the attacks of September 11th. In order to better understand the impact and resulting changes of the attacks, we must compare the mentality of citizens and political leaders now as well as during times of war previous to September 11th. We must not only look at our country's reactions but also to how other countries view our inclinations towards fear of bombs and other attacks. By looking at more than one cultures idea's on one situation, we are able to compare and make more informed decisions, and opinions about this difficult time. This is what this paper will attempt to do. At 8:45am, a plane departing from Boston was hijacked and flown into the north tower of the World Trade Center, located in New York City. The flight was later revealed to be the American Airlines Flight 11. This airline was carrying ninety-two people aboard when it crashed into the north tower. There were no survivors from this flight. At 9:03am, a second plane departing from Boston was also hijacked. This plane was flown into the south tower of the World Trade Center, in New York City. This flight, the United Airlines Flight 175, was carrying sixty-five people when it crashed into the south tower. There were also no survivors on this flight. At 9:39am, a third hijacked plane, departing from Washington, was flown into the Pentagon. This flight, the American Airlines Flight 77, was carrying sixty-four people when it crashed. There were also no survivors of this flight. At 10:10am, a fourth plane was hijacked. This plane was departing from Newark and crashed sixty miles south east of Pittsburgh. It was stated in one article that this was not the intended destination for this flight, and that it may have been meant for three possible destinations, Camp David, the White House, or the U.S. Capitol Building. This flight, the United Airlines Flight 93, was carrying forty-five people when it crashed...

Monday, October 21, 2019

A Test of Ethics

A Test of Ethics Free Online Research Papers In the past when news was related to cheating, the focus was usually aimed at students who take tests. Current trends are shifting that focus to those who give tests. Reports and studies related to the teaching profession document actions that range from subtle coaching to blatant manipulation (Cizek, 2003). These practices are seen in every level of education including post secondary education. Since the enactment of the 2002 No Child Left Behind law, teachers and administrators are under intense pressure to increase their schools’ test scores (Grow, 2004). With the stakes set so high, a minority of teachers are â€Å"reaching to the test† (Posner, 2004), manipulating testing procedures, and sending the wrong message to students. The majority of educators plays by the book and teach with high moral standards. â€Å"teachers spend an incredible amount of time and energy focusing their curriculum on what is tested, and these pressures lead people to do some peculiar things† (Asimou, Wallack, 2007). At Actis Junior High in Bakersfield, California, seventh-grade teachers altered their lesson plans to cover narrative writing after the principal informed them it would be included on the 2005 writing test (Asimou, Wallack, 2007). In San Diego at Mar Vista High School, an unidentified algebra teacher admitted to tutoring an 11th- grader taking the state math exam (Asimou, Wallack, 2007). â€Å"Teaching to the test† focuses on material that will be on standardized tests. This method of teaching usually results in better test taking skills. However, a rise in standardized test scores does not always reflect improvement in real academic performance. Teaching to the test also narrows curriculum, encouraging administrators, instructors, and students to focus on memorization of isolated facts. This takes away from the development of problem solving abilities, organizational skills, and communication abilities (Posner, 2004). When the government decided to become involved in education, they had standardized tests made up to cover certain subjects. These tests would monitor the progress of students. However, the government also was interested in making sure that educators were teaching properly. Each state is interested in how well teachers are teaching and students are learning. A reward system is in place for teachers and school districts. It is a perceived notion that when students do well, teachers are teaching properly. Studies suggest when Standardized testing begins, usually third or fourth grade, â€Å"teachers stop teaching†¦really teaching† (Patrick, 2007). Teachers will do what they need to do to stay employed. They teach to the test. They avoid being reprimanded, making their school look bad, and loss of their job. Students leave school with a few basic facts and the ability to take a Standardized Test (Patrick, 2007). In the past ten years, there has been a surge of teachers and administrators that cheat. Stacey Moskowitz, a Bronx, New York educator, was ordered by her principal â€Å"to make sure they passed† Standardized reading tests (Labi, 1999). Moskowitz was given cheat sheets to check her students’ answers before they filled in the answer sheets. Moskowitz went undercover to expose New York City’s public school system. At 32 elementary and middle schools, 50 teachers and two principals helped students cheat on Standardized tests. Some hinted at correct answers. Others used scratch paper to avoid multiple erasure marks. Some teachers even changed answers at the end of the day (Labi, 1999). New York City is not the only city experiencing these trends. An Atlanta teacher was caught passing out copies of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills before the exam. Another Georgia teacher was reprimanded when seven of his special-education pupils scored a perfect score o the language section of the test. In Texas, 38 schools were investigated because of numerous erasures on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. An Austin school district was indicted on charges of tampering with the state test results (Labi, 1999). More subtle ways of cheating occur when teachers fail to appropriately supervise students taking the tests. Other educators allow extra time to complete the tests. Some teachers even encourage low-achieving students to be absent of testing days (Cizek, 2003). Cheating in schools is not solely isolated to elementary and high schools. It also occurs in post secondary schools as well. According to Katsilometes and Butterworth (1997) Sports Illustrated Magazine reported and accused the UNLV coach for helping one of their future basketball stars to alter his Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)scores. Sports Illustrated reported that the player took the SAT and passed the NCAA mandated minimum score, which he took nine times before and failed. The UNLV coach was also accused of altering the American College Test (ACT) scores for NBA All Star Lamar Odom. In high school, Lamar Odom was ranked 312th in his class of 334 and he carried a 71.2 average, barely passing, prior to taking the ACT. Lamar scored 22 on the ACT which ranked him in the top 42 percent of all senior high school students nationally. Recently Florida State University was involved in an academic cheating scandal which resulted in two faculty members being terminated. An investigation by the school showed that 23 students were involved in cheating. A part time tutor and a full time athletic department employee were giving teat answers while students were taking the test. They were accused of filling in answers on quizzes and typing papers for students who were absent. Several universities such as Minnesota, Miami (Fla.), Marshall, Kentucky, Howard, Georgia, Fresno State, California, and Baylor had similar allegations in the last decade which resulted in severe penalties (USAToday, 2007 p. 10C). There are several steps that can be taken to prevent cheating. The first and easiest step is to raise the issue of cheating. Make school teachers and administrators familiar and aware of testing guidelines. Encourage and implement ethics training so that the school personnel are aware of appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Second, revise test disclosure laws. Many states have laws that require the return of all testing material after the testing is done. Unethical teachers are known to keep copies of these tests and alter their curriculum. Economic costs increase for the states because each year new tests have to be developed. Thirdly, spelling out the supervision guidelines can reduce cheating. Test supervisors should be educated in professional codes of responsibility and be trained to recognize and react to cheating. Last, schools should investigate and punish cheaters. Currently most tests are given behind closed doors with little outside supervision. At many scho ols, investigating cheaters lie with the school principal or district leaders. Independent sources could more effectively undertake such steps as random sampling, overseeing testing procedures, protecting whistle blowers, and enforce stiffer penalties for those caught cheating (Cizek, 2003). It is clearly evident that educators who cheat are sending the wrong message to students. Blaming standardized testing and the No Child Left Behind act seems misdirected. Teachers ignore their responsibility to their students when the cheat. Cheating distorts our ability to accurately gauge student progress and understand what is happening in our schools (Cizek, 2003). Worse than the lessons lost, however, are the lessons learned. Many of the kids did not even know they were cheating. They were just following the teacher’s orders. â€Å"It’s important for them to do what the teacher wants; they need to think the teacher is looking out for their best interests,† says Moskowitz. â€Å"At that age, in the third grade, I don’t think they had any clue† (Labi, 1999). Bibliography Academic cheating scandal detailed at Florida State. USATODAY, Retrieved Oct 16, 2007, from usatoday.com/printedition/sports/20070928/cnotes28.art.htlm Asimov, Nanette Wallack, Todd (2007, May 13). The teachers who cheat. Some help students during standards testor fix answers laterand Californias safeguards may leave more breaches unreported. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from SFGate.com Web site: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/05/13/MNGMSPPIU91.DTL Balassone, Merrill Teachers stumble, cheat on state tests. (2007, Aug 18). The Modesto Bee Cizek, Gregory J. (2003).When teachers cheat. Education Digest. 68, 28 Grow, Brian (2004, Jul 5). A spate of cheatingby teachers. BusinessWeek Jacob, Brian, Levitt, Steven, D. (2004, Winter). To catch a cheat. The pressures of accountability may encourage school personnel to doctor the results from high-stakes tests. Hoover Institution Stanford University, [4(1)] Katsilometes, John, Butterworth, Scott (1997, July 02). UNLV assistant accused of cheating. Las Vegas Review-Journal, Retrieved Oct 16, 2007, from reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1997/Jul-02-Wed-1997/sports/5648036.html Labi, Nadya (1999, Dec 20). When teachers cheat; Under pressure to improve test scores, are schools giving students the wrong kind of lessons? Time, [154(25)], 86. Patrick, Jane (2007, Oct, 5). Whats wrong with standardized tests and how they can be fixed. The Peoples Media Company, from associatedcontent.com/article/402749/whats_wrong_with_standardized_tests.html. Posner, Dave (2004, May, 4). What. The Professional Journal for Education Phi Delta Kappan, Retrieved Oct 6, 2007, from pdkintl.org/kappan/k0406pos.htlm Research Papers on A Test of EthicsStandardized TestingResearch Process Part OnePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseGenetic EngineeringInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtBringing Democracy to Africa

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Understanding the U.S. Electoral College

Understanding the U.S. Electoral College The number of electors in the Electoral College is established in the United States Constitution. First, within the context of the Constitution, the meaning of  college, as in the Electoral College, does not mean a school, but of a group of people organized toward a common goal. The Electoral College was set up in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of citizens who are eligible to vote. The  12th Amendment expanded voting rights. The result was that the use of the popular vote in the States as the vehicle for selecting electors changed radically. According to the Constitution, the Founding Fathers determined that every state should be given votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation. This gives two votes for its senators in the U.S. Senate plus a number of votes equal to the number of its members in the U. S. House of Representatives. Therefore, every state has at least three electoral votes because even the smallest states have one representative and two senators. The number of any additional electoral votes per state is determined by the United States Census which is completed every ten years. After the Census, the number of representatives is reapportioned to reflect any changes in population. That can mean the number of electors each state can vary in different presidential elections. Because of the 23 Amendment, the District of Columbia is treated as a state and allocated three electors for purposes of the Electoral College. In total, there are 538 electors in the Electoral College. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President.   There is no law that requires the Electors in the Electoral College to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their states. These decisions are made by each state where restrictions fall into two categories- Electors that are bound by state law and those that are bound by pledges to political parties. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration  maintains a website dedicated to information regarding the Electoral College. The website lists the number of votes per state, the records of the Electoral College elections, and links to the Electoral College process in each state. There is also contact information for each Secretary of State on the National Association of Secretaries of State:  nass.org.   The Secretary of State of each state can provide information as to the voting procedure and whether or not the voting is open to the public. Currently, the state with the largest number of electoral votes is California with 55. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration also offers a frequently asked question page with links such as the ones below: Why did the Founding Fathers create electors?How many total electoral votes are there?How many electoral votes does a candidate need to win?What happens if there is a tie in the electoral college?Why dont the candidates get a proportion of the electoral vote?If the states winner chooses electors, wont the person with the most votes win?Why have elections when the states winner receives all the electoral votes?

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The advantages and disadvantages of robots Essay - 1

The advantages and disadvantages of robots - Essay Example In simple terms robots can be defined as a mechanical device that may resemble sometimes a human and is capable of performing several tasks or often complex human tasks which may be programmed in advance or perform on command. The following report includes the discussion about the advantages of robots in this innovative and technological world. The report also includes the description of the disadvantages of robots. Finally a conclusion has been drawn in the report related to the research done. There are several advantages of robots, as they are machines which can perform several tasks and actions which humans cannot do. Robots can work 24/7 without any need of salary and food, and they can also perform tasks with accuracy and consistency. Robots are advantageous because they can perform tasks faster than humans along with more accuracy and consistency. Robots can be used in doing several tasks like in production, household etc. using robots in the industrial sector have several advantages as they can help in improving the quality of products and also will reduce the wastage or breakages. Robots can be very advantages in business terms as they can increase the level of production and can also decrease the cost per unit of production as compared to human labour (Gray, 88). This is because they have the ability to work constantly without any breaks, vacation, and sleep and also has a potential to be more productive than any human worker. Robots also has the advantages of work place safety, as the workers are moved to the supervisory role and the humans don’t have to perform dangerous actions in several hazardous settings. Robots may also lead to savings as higher workers safety also leads to savings. This also leads to lower level of concerns for the workers insurances by employers. Robots also perform each and every task faster than any human which helps in saving of time. Robots measurements and actions are more

Marbury v. Madison and It's Effects on the United States Today Term Paper

Marbury v. Madison and It's Effects on the United States Today - Term Paper Example The rising power of Adams-appointed Marshall also pushed the judiciary into the political struggle between Federalists and Republicans and made the Marbury v. Madison a critical pawn in the government's political chess (Henderson, 2010, p.43). This paper summarizes the facts and decision in the Marbury v. Madison and explores the effects of its ruling on the United States today. It argues that the Marbury v. Madison emphasized the role of the independent judiciary, separation of the judiciary from political squabbles, and the importance of checks-and-balances in the American government. Marbury v. Madison: A summary As his term ended, President John Adams had made a number of federal appointments, including William Marbury, as justice of the peace in the District of Columbia, in the process known as â€Å"midnight appointments.† Thomas Jefferson, the new president, noticed the pile of documents related to these appointments and refused to recognize them, including Marbury's ap pointment. The Secretary of State James Madison should have delivered these appointments, but he followed Jefferson and did not deliver Marbury's commission (Henderson, 2010, p.59). Marbury sued Madison, and the Supreme Court handled the case. ... The primary question is that: Could Congress, based on the 1789 law, broaden the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, as indicated in Article III of the Constitution? Article III clearly stated that: â€Å"In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be a party, the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction. In all other cases before mentioned, the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction both as to Law and Fact† (qtd. in Henderson, 2010, p.60). Marshall argued that according to the Judiciary Act of 1789, delivering these commissions for judges and justices was unconstitutional, since it provided higher authority to the Supreme Court, which infringed on Article III of the Constitution. The Congress did not have the authority to expand the powers of the Supreme Court. Hence, the Supreme Court ruled that the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional and should not be followed. Since the law that prov ided authority to the Court in issuing writs of mandamus was void, the Court could not give a writ of mandamus and Marbury v. Madison had been dismissed. Effects of the Marbury v. Madison Independence of the Judiciary Marbury v. Madison asserted the role of an independent judiciary in having the â€Å"last word in law and the Constitution† (Sloan & McKean, 2009, p.49). Chief Justice Marshall established the Court's authority â€Å"to say what the law is† (Lively, 2000, p.392) and not have the executive and legislative power dictate how the law should be interpreted by the judiciary. This case is a landmark case, because it emphasizes the power of the judicial review in aligning laws with the Constitution. Marshall provided a â€Å"narrow† interpretation of the limits

Friday, October 18, 2019

Creating a Plan for Positive Influence Term Paper

Creating a Plan for Positive Influence - Term Paper Example The plan stated below outlines a method of achieving similar goals, devised for a team to work on a given project within one year. It is important to note that at all times; the plan has been devised keeping in mind that the employees are not merely present for the task, but that the task is present for the employees. In this regard, nowhere in the one-year plan, the managers viewed the task as more important than the employees did (Schuitema, 2010). At every point, it concentrates on how the plan is affecting the workers, and focuses on providing a valuable learning and growth experience to them. In addition, after the introduction of every strategy, management should put efforts to analyze the strategy to identify its impact on possible individual differences. The plan is to begin working on the project in the month of January, and complete it by the end of the calendar year, as instructed. This project has been assigned to eight team members, out of which one is the team manager w ho drafted this plan. The executives of the company have assigned this leadership role of management to this specific member based on his greater experience in training and managing members, and the executives hope that this manager will continue to train other members and instill leadership qualities. Thus the first phase of the planning is underway, which is to assign roles to each of the members. Each of the members will be equal contributors to the project, to ensure fairness in workload and consequent appraisal. However, these roles will be assigned to give the members a sense of responsibility and an important feeling in the team because the most devoted members are those who recognize their significance in the team (Drucker, 2008). Employing this way of thinking, the team members will be assigned roles according to the requirements of the project. This first phase will ensure that each member understands his or her significance in the team and thus, endeavors to remain an eff icient part of it throughout the year. Another advantage of doing this would be that once division of labor and delegation has taken place, the duties of each worker become clear, and he/she work toward fulfilling own responsibilities. This ensures efficiency and full concentration of responsible individual in each of the duties. Additionally, one major factor to account is how successfully each member will perform a given task. For this reason, it is important for the management to assign roles at first according to each member’s strengths and weaknesses. This will affect behavior immensely, as when the initial role assigned to a member is one at which he/she is good at, he/she will be more motivated to perform well and will also be more confident while working, thus affecting the productivity as well as the rate of progress of the project. Second phase of the plan is to work out a schedule for changing these roles periodically. Although specialization is a recognized tool o f creating efficiency and productivity in the workforce, it also leads to an intensive disadvantage if these roles are not changed periodically. This is another characteristic of workers that the management needs to take care of because if the workers perform the same roles for too long, it may lead to monotony and

Wilhelm Leibniz's Philosophical Writings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wilhelm Leibniz's Philosophical Writings - Essay Example Mathematicians still use Leibniz's notations and symbols as standards. (Burnham, 2001) This paper also discusses his philosophical writings which span decades. Leibniz was a child prodigy. According to differing sources, his father was a metaphysicist and/or a professor of moral philosophy. Regardless, as a true Renaissance man, Gottfried matured into both and many other things too. He studied law and religion. He sought a way to unite Roman Catholics and Protestants by means of a new Christian theology. He proficiently spoke Latin and Greek before his teen years, and later learned Hebrew. (Speck and Reilly, 1998-2007) Of course, he was a mathematician of the highest capability in his times. A stigma came with his invention (discovery and development) of calculus. His work came quickly on the heels of Sir Isaac Newton's work founding calculus. In scholarly circles there were significant conflicting claims about who deserved credit for fathering the new field of math. Factions of supporters for both great men wanted their man to have sole plaudits. Some accounts of history say this contentiousness stunted the progress of advanced mathematics for almost a century. (Burnham, 2001. see "1. Life" 3) However, Leibniz's works in logic, ethics, morality, truth, reason and theology are the main focus here. They intertwined into a core philosophy that culminates in goodness; more specifically, God's goodness. Leibniz has three main writings dwelling on the essence and marriage of these diverse but related topics. Scholars have pulled them together. They are: - "Philosophical Investigations" (1670), found on the internet citing Leibniz's quotes by number and page - "Theodicy" (1710), a study of good and evil, wrestling with the Question of Evil - "Monadology, Monad" (1714), alludes to 'wave particles' by propounding "connectivity" of all things Leibniz didn't actually publish until very late in his life, 1710 and 1714. Many of his profound concepts have been culled from letters and other documents. He was a "deep thinker" by the standards of any era. He connected the physical "real world" with the metaphysical. Many of his ideas would be incomprehensible to most people today. Those able to stay abreast would be quite challenged on both philosophical and scientific levels of thought. A culture of admiring and critically appraising philosophers, ethicists and moralists pore over and through Leibniz's ideas. Physical scientists have expanded upon his inferences and surmising (combined with those of others, as well) on the composition of the universe. Progenitor of Wave Theory - A Physical Sphere It wasn't called Wave Theory in 1700. But, Leibniz intuited that all matter is somehow connected. He gave credit and responsibility to God. Since then, standing on the "connectivity" concept, physicists have arrived at Wave Structure Matter (WSM). (Haselhurst and Howie, 1998-2007. "Philosophy") The gist of WSM is that waves [of connectivity] course through space between all things that humankind perceives to be separate objects. Leibniz was a stout proponent of such connectivity. Without the technology to delve deeper into finding physical proof, he rationalized a system of thought that was largely based on an a priori rationale about the metaphysical. Since then, physicists, with technological advantages that

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Coca Cola Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Coca Cola Company - Essay Example Unlike many companies that have diverse products for specific market segments, Coca-Cola’s products are affordable for any market and therefore have more mass-focused strategies than individual group segmentation. Coca-Cola products, their sub-brands, have value to consumers of virtually any socioeconomic status and are conveniently priced to have mass group appeal. Demographic segmentation is usually the strategy of choice based on regional ages, incomes, and cultural lifestyles. There is no need for geographic, purchase occasion, or benefit segmentation since sales of Coca-Cola products will be conducted with the audience available during the Games presentations. Psychographic concepts should be included in the segmentation strategy to identify with diverse cultures from Asia, North America, Australia, and Africa. A common consumer need in this environment is thirst, with specific brand selections being the only distinction between what items sell in high volumes. â€Å"A s oft drink, especially a carbonated one, is a frivolous purchase†. This categorizes soft drinks as convenience products that are there to fill a specific refreshment need with multiple target audiences. Because of the reality of this product in relation to consumer needs, excessive targeting strategies would likely defeat the purpose of gaining consumer attention and also strain the marketing budget for ongoing, separate promotional materials. Therefore, targeting involves creating a singular strategy that will have mass group appeal.

Organizing and Elections in Unions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizing and Elections in Unions - Essay Example This study mainly intends to reveal two real life occurrences in which two firms provided real time hurdles to the employees related to their joining unions; however, despite of ULP’s protest against the firms, it proved to be of no use. SOME OF THE INSTANCES WHERE ULP’S CHARGES WERE OF LITTLE OR NO USE The top retail chain in the world i.e. Wal-Mart suffered negativity as the regional National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) directors issued as sum total of thirty-nine complaints against the company during the periods of January 2000 to July 2005. The most disturbing fact was observed to be that out of the thirty nine complaints, thirteen complaints were totally resolved by way of various settlements outside the Court of Justice, two cases are still pending for settlement and four of them were withdrawn. The remaining twenty cases were heard by the US Labour Law. However, while settling thirteen of the complaints, the company complied with all the necessary changes that needed to take place for restraining itself from practicing Unfair Labor Practices but did not hold itself in guilt for restricting its employees from participating in trade unions. In all the cases, the company seemed to hold itself for violating the broad rules and regulations of NLRB. A majority of the cases that were filed against Wal-Mart constituted complaints from its employees. The company was continuously engaged in the violation of labour laws during the period of January 2000 to July 2005. It was also observed that the company had exercised upon many unfair law practices in the organization, violating legal obligations concerning complete rights to its employees such as right to freedom of association which is internationally considered to be allowed to workers1. The reports published in this context further revealed that since the year 2000, the company has been practicing discrimination against unions along with the sympathizers of the unions within its workforce on dif ferent occasions. The company officials were not only charged with the allegation of harassing junior employees on the grounds of race, ethnicity and gender. The company also took many extreme steps where it hired and fired employees in small frequencies without any firm cause which can be justified under the provisions of relevant Court of Law. The top most reason for firing of employees was further observed to be the willingness and efforts made by the employees to join associations or created unions. For instance, it was noted that in April 2000, in one of the stores of the company, which is located in Florida, Wal-Mart unlawfully fired a union supporter named Edward Eagen. The reason for firing him was only because of the fact that he signed a ‘union card’ for supporting unionism within the organization. It has also been noted that the company was engaged in keeping a close look at the employees with the help of surveillance cameras which hindered employee confident iality within the workplace. With reference to these facts, it can be stated that the rights of the employees were exploited at almost all levels by the company. Such interventions practiced by the company as against the rights and interests of employees also affected the company’

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Coca Cola Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Coca Cola Company - Essay Example Unlike many companies that have diverse products for specific market segments, Coca-Cola’s products are affordable for any market and therefore have more mass-focused strategies than individual group segmentation. Coca-Cola products, their sub-brands, have value to consumers of virtually any socioeconomic status and are conveniently priced to have mass group appeal. Demographic segmentation is usually the strategy of choice based on regional ages, incomes, and cultural lifestyles. There is no need for geographic, purchase occasion, or benefit segmentation since sales of Coca-Cola products will be conducted with the audience available during the Games presentations. Psychographic concepts should be included in the segmentation strategy to identify with diverse cultures from Asia, North America, Australia, and Africa. A common consumer need in this environment is thirst, with specific brand selections being the only distinction between what items sell in high volumes. â€Å"A s oft drink, especially a carbonated one, is a frivolous purchase†. This categorizes soft drinks as convenience products that are there to fill a specific refreshment need with multiple target audiences. Because of the reality of this product in relation to consumer needs, excessive targeting strategies would likely defeat the purpose of gaining consumer attention and also strain the marketing budget for ongoing, separate promotional materials. Therefore, targeting involves creating a singular strategy that will have mass group appeal.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Planning strategy analysis with case study Essay

Planning strategy analysis with case study - Essay Example Brief Summary of Housing in London City London city area is the largest metropolitan city in the United Kingdom as well as the largest all over Europe. London city has also a diverse range of people, religions and culture. Currently, there are plans underway to improve the housing system in London. One such idea is the London plan (Books, 2010). The draft of the London plan was written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority on February 2008. The plan identifies areas of opportunity with an aim of reducing social deprivation a well as creating sustainable development. Such areas will be able to accommodate 2,500 homes. They will also be popular town centers. The objective of the London plan is be able to accommodate London’s growth for the years to come. Every occupant in London city will be able to afford a home as well as gaining accessibility to housing policies for example house insurance. This is meant to improve quality of life as well as cre ation of jobs. Another policy used in London to plan and build homes is the Council house which is popularly known as local authority house. The council houses were built and operated locally in areas surrounding London city. There were also houses newly built and spacious to attract interested persons. However, they mainly targeted the working class persons as they could rent the houses at reasonable prices while some were able to purchase houses. Over the years, many people have migrated to London city which has led to population increase. This is viewed as a negative aspect because houses have become less than the people leading to a vice called urban blight. The council responsible for providing houses is now faced with a challenge to relocate the excess people or build more homes. Optioning to build more homes has not primarily solved the issue as there is now reduced space for expansion in London city. Subsequently, this has led to the leaders of London city to consider buildi ng homes in the less developed areas of United Kingdom. Statistical analysis have shown 15% of the population in London having migrated decongesting the city. Nonetheless, a substantial 40% of London city still live in the council housing (Thorpe, 2010). They claim that the new housing schemes built in the less developed areas are not up to standard with the council houses. In light of this, the council has had to hire top architectures that drew new designs of houses that are at per with the tenants standards. The houses to be built were primarily rental homes. Since there were new designs of houses drew by the architectures, they required new building materials as well as new technology in order to achieve their goal. Technology and Building Materials Strategizing and making a low energy building needs planning and design. A lot depends on the type of weather. In a hot climate, the design needs to mainly focus on keeping the building cool meaning small windows and thick insulating walls on the side that receives the most sun. It has also must a good circulation system to draw out hot air while drawing in cooler air. In a cold climate, the main focus is keeping the building warm. The side of the house receiving the most sun should have a conservatory or large

Monday, October 14, 2019

Work Within A Relevant Legal And Ethical Frame Essay Example for Free

Work Within A Relevant Legal And Ethical Frame Essay Assessment activity 1 1. Why is it necessary for employees to demonstrate, in all the work they undertake, an understanding of the legal responsibilities and obligations of the work role? It is necessary for employees to demonstrate; in all work they undertake an understanding of the legal responsibilities and obligations of the work role to support quality care. By ensuring that employees understand the legal responsibilities and obligations applicable to the workplace it becomes possible to set standards to which employees must adhere to. Key Performance Indicators should be set and agreed upon with employees so that all workers are aware of the standards expected to be performed. As a result, employees should be able to demonstrate in all work they undertake, an understanding of the legal responsibilities and obligations relevant to the organisation and to their individual work roles. 2. What are some of the areas, in community service organisations, on which legislation, regulations and statutes might impact? Community service organisations and their employees will need to comply with legislation, regulations and statutory requirements relevant to The prevention of discrimination Anti-harassment Privacy (national privacy legislation and principles) Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Freedom of information Access and equality Social justice Mandatory notification Work health and safety Early childhood education and care 3. For what reasons are laws, regulations and statutes important? Laws, regulation and statues are important because they provide employees with details information regarding company procedures and how they contribute to legislative compliance. It also promotes a workplace culture in which compliance with legislation is a high priority. It provides staff with  immediate information about changes to legislation and how the changes effect there work. It provides a forum for employees to ask questions about legislation, regulations and statutory requirements and also offers opportunities to discuss legislative requirements and compliance processes. Assessment Activity 2 1. Summarise what you consider duty of care to entail. A duty of care (in Tort Law) is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they abide to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could harm others. This means that a person acting in a caring role has a legal obligation to act in ways that protect client and that prevent foreseeable harm. It also implies a legal obligation to have thought or regard for those who might be affected by ones acts or omissions. In forefilling duty of care obligations, therefore, community service workers must know what their duty of care entails and must take steps to provide a reasonable standard of care and to ensure that through their work practice harm to others does not occur. 2. Greg worked in an out of school hours care centre. One afternoon he brought in some CDs and put one on for Alice and Amanda to listen to. They were in the gym because Greg was also watching over some older children playing badminton. Alice and Amanda got up and began dancing around energetically. They hopped, skipped, and bounced around with great joy. Suddenly Amanda fell over. The gym floor was slippery and the girls had taken off their shoes but not their tights. Was there a breach of duty of care? Explain. Greg didn’t have a breach of duty as care. Although he provided the girls with music to listen to (not to dance to) he was not supervising them close enough to notice they had got up and began to dance. Although he was watching the game of badminton he should have kept an eye on the girls regularly as they are also under his duty of care. He should have noticed them dancing energetically but all of his focus was on the badminton game. Although he told the girls to listen to the music and did not allow them to dance the girls are under his care and he should have also supervised them  closely. Assessment Activity 3 How can you evaluate your own skills and why should you do so? Anyone can evaluate their own skills by many of the following ways. Asking for positive and negative feedback from co-workers and supervisors to improve and also motivate and strive to improve. Employees must know what is expected from them including their roles, responsibilities, lines of authority and reporting procedures. By asking co-workers, supervisors or boss appropriate questions it allows you to learn more and feel confident without running any risks. Also many resources should be provided in the child care environment to help evaluate your skills. It is important to evaluate your skills so that as an employee your performance is to a high standard for the organisation. It also allows employees to know what is expected and to identify any performance problems. Evaluating your skills helps to keep the employees organised and confident. Assessment Activity 4 1. What information is normally stored in client files and what is it used for? Client data such as case assessments, past history, personal data, family details, medical notes, psychological and therapeutical assessments, recreational and leisure preferences, etc should be recorded in client files. These client files are used for appropriate authorised staff only. This information is only collected when it is directly relevant to the treatment, service or case management being offered. 2. What legislation and regulatory requirements need to be complied with when collecting client information? When collecting client information there are regulatory and legislation requirements that need to be complied. Privacy and confidentiality is dictated by law and must only be discussed within the facility by appropriately authorised staff. When the clients records are recorded each organisation will have their own method of storing client files but there are also a number of Acts, regulations, administrative circulars and resources to health information. These specify that: Agencies can only collect personal information for a lawful purpose that is  directly related to their functions, if collecting the information is necessary for or directly related to that purpose. If an agency asks people for personal information about themselves, it must tell the person or their authorised representative why it is collecting the information, whether it has legal authority to collect the information, how and by whom the information will be used. An agency must take reasonable care to check that personal information is accurate, up to date and complete before using it The agency must do its best to make sure that the information is relevant to the agency’s reason for collecting it, up to date, of high quality, complete and protected from unauthorised access. A person whose information is held by a government or a private agency has a right to expect the agency will hold it securely and will ensure that access to the information is permitted only for legitimate purposes. The individual concerned shall be entitled to have access to their records, under the principles of access dictated by the Freedom of Information Act 1982. An agency must not use personal information for any purpose other than that for which it obtained the information Assessment activity 5 Why is it necessary to seek the agreement of the client prior to providing services? Every client has their rights and it is necessary to be aware of and protect the clients rights. Clients for instance have the right to the following: Deciding whether or not to undergo medical treatment after receiving an explanation of what is involved and any associated risks Be treated with reasonable care and skill, by appropriately qualified personnel Confidentiality of information about medical conditions and treatment Receive courteous and respectful service, with no mental, physical or financial abuse Receive services that respect their dignity and privacy promotes their autonomy. Receive services from a provider who recognises their individuality, is sensitive to and responds to their needs and preferences, including those based on ethnic, spiritual, linguistic, familial and cultural factors Suitable information about the organisation/s providing the services Work with the service provider in developing a plan of service, and to participate in the review and evaluation or revision of their service plan Raise concerns or recommend changes in connection with the community services provided or in connection with policies and decisions  that affect client interests without fear of interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal Be informed of the laws, rules and policies affecting the operation of the service with which they are interacting Confidentiality of records and personal information Assessment activity 6 1. Draw on the text and your own experience to explain the ways in which organisational policies and procedures can assist with the provision of services A policy is a high level, overall plan embracing the general goals and expectations of an institution or organisation. These policies assist with the provision of services as they are a statement that guides behaviour and sets general parameters related to how the business will be conducted and to what is expected of employees. For example – at my work a child developed hand, foot and mouth and we didn’t know the incubation period. We checked the policy and it told us exactly how long, what it will look like when it isn’t contagious and we will need a medical clearance from the doctor. We were able to refer to the policy to advise and inform the parents on this information. Procedures are the documented instructions on how policies should be practically applied. These procedures assist with the provision of services as it involves staff rosters, managing crisis situations, managing workplace programs and timetable management systems, coping with emergencies, conducting team meetings, administrative systems of the workplace including filing and record keeping, and staff security and safety procedures for responding to physical violence. For example, at my work we have the nappy procedures on the wall above the nappy change area. This reminds all workers and especially casuals of our expectations and procedures of changing each child’s nappies. 2. Why is it necessary that employees perform work according to the policies, procedures and protocols of the organisation for which they work? Policies, protocols and procedures include guidelines and practices developed to address legal, ethical and regulatory requirements. Each organisation has written policy and staff need to know how to access and interpret this documentation and why it is necessary to comply with the different policies and procedures. A policy is seen as a guideline rather than a rule and staff  must comply to these for the safety and wellbeing of the children and adults. It is necessary that employees know what is expected of them and must consistently behave in a manner that supports the organisations policies, protocols and procedures. Following these policies, protocols and procedures also ensures a consistent high level of service to all clients. This will contribute to the organisations reputation and credibility. Clients will know what to expect from the service and will be able to interact on the appropriate levels. Assessment activity 7 1. What are some useful questions that might be asked when reviewing and evaluating existing organisational policies, procedures and protocols? Some useful questions that might be asked when reviewing and evaluating existing organisational policies, procedures and protocols include What is the aim and purpose of the policy, procedure or protocol? What is it attempting to address (eg improve safety, make staff aware of required service standards)? How is its current effectiveness measured? How current is the existing policy on which procedures and protocols are based? How relevant are the policies, procedures and protocols to issues being faced by the organisation, its clients, staff and/or organisation? Are there clear and direct links between the policies and operational procedures? Have organisational policies been disseminated to all staff? When policies were first written, what research was carried out and are the findings still available? What current research or best practice information might improve/ change or impact on the policy content and application and on the associated development of procedures and protocols? 2. For what reasons is it necessary to periodically assess and evaluate policies? It is necessary to periodically assess and evaluate policies to determine whether they are being adhered to and whether they continue to be relevant to the organisation and its clients. Where policies are no longer relevant, outdated or not used then they might need revision. Also due to changing conditions it can be necessary to implement new policies and procedures. 3. Why should staff be involved in reviews and contribute to the  development of new policies, procedures and protocols? Employee’s should also contribute and involve themselves to any policies and procedures that they think are necessary. Each of their opinions should be contributed to the development of reviewing policies, procedures and protocols. Each employee’s voice and insight should be heard and respected. Assessment activity 8 1. What information enables employees to work within their position specifications, role responsibilities and scope of practice? The particular job specifications for each employee outlined in broad terms, (enables employees to work within their position specifications, role responsibilities and scope of practise) the employees role, tasks and relationships with others in the organisation. It also outlines the employees responsibilities and obligations, required skilled levels, knowledge requirements, level of authority and decision making expectations. 3. How can you clarify your job role, scope and responsibilities? You must know what your role is and how you are expected to perform alongside the performance standards. You must understand what boundaries apply to your role and others so that you can contribute to the organisation and perform the work you are expected to do according to your position specifications and role responsibilities. Whilst some of the organisations expectations will be outlined in the job specifications or will be clarified as a result of supervisor instructions, the workplace culture will determine the non-written, informal expectations of the workplace. Other expectations will be clarified by managers and supervisors who provide training, information, instructions and support. 3. What should you do if you are in a situation where the necessary actions are beyond your scope of responsibility? Employees must have a clear understanding of the boundaries where they work. Boundaries, levels of authority and responsibilities will vary according to the job type but legal constraints will also impact on what staff can and cannot do. If you are in a situation where the necessary actions are beyond your scope of responsibility it is best to talk to a supervisor or manager as it is not your responsibility to deal with that situation legally with regards to  clients, the organisation and stakeholders. Assessment Activity 9 1. If you do not understand the task instructions you are given, what action should you take? When you do not understand the task instructions given you should seek assistance and clarification of unclear instructions in order to understand and perform tasks correctly. It is also convenient to make notes during any training so you can rely on yourself and not always others to perform these tasks. 2. You are a new graduate, recently been employed in a community centre. You have been asked to develop the next weeks leisure program for the residents in the facility. You have seen previous programs but would like to try out some new ideas. You are not sure if the program you have worked out is suitable, or whether it fits within budgetary constraints. Who would you ask and why? If I were in this situation I would ask my mentor in the facility (often boss) as they are aware of the routines within the place and the past leisure programs which have been successful and which haven’t. This mentor will be able to provide you with information to see if the budgetary constraints are available and correct and they will tell you if it is suitable. They will provide you with information of what will work well and what they think you could change. 3. Why is it important to seek clarification of unclear instructions or of instructions that you do not understand? It is extremely important to seek clarification of unclear instructions or of instructions that are not understood as they can lead to dangerous or costly mistakes. Never make assumptions in a situation that you are even the slightest unaware of as it can result dangerously. Assessment activity 10 1. Explain what is meant by equity and access Community support workers must adopt a non-discriminatory approach to care provision. They must support the principles of equity, access and social justice. This acts to support the rights on the client when delivering services to them. Equity principles acknowledge there are groups of people who have different needs due to the attributes they were born with or have  acquired and which cannot be changed. Equity legislation ensured that no group is disadvantaged (or advantaged) at the cost of another. This also means that people should also have access to quality care suitable to their individual needs. This might entail providing additional assistance to some people to meet requirements. The quality must be high in both equity and access. 2. How can community service workers protect the rights of clients? Community service workers protect the rights of clients by adopting a non-discriminatory approach to care provision. They must not discriminate clients by their age, race, gender, ethnic or cultural background, religion, sexual preference, physical of intellectual disability, medical condition, political beliefs, marital status, family circumstances or responsibilities and economic situation. The protection and preservation of these rights should be integrated into organisational policies and procedures. Clients are entitled to experience a quality of care that respects their unique attributes and caters to their individual needs in a manner that is free from prejudice and harassment. Assessment Activity 11 What actions might a community service worker take if they believe that conflict of interest exists? This might affect them directly or it might involve other staff members. Employees can be exposed to competing value systems and to ideas and expectations that are so dissimilar from their own that they are unsure of how to react and they may also be confronted with situations which comprise a conflict of interest. If a community service worker believe that conflict of interest exists they must contact your boss immediately to stop the situation from escalating. Avoid any informal discussions about it that might influence others on the matter. If you are finding it difficult seek legal advice if you feel it Is impossible to resolve this conflict. Assessment Activity 12 1. What are some of the differences you might come across when interacting with clients, customers, colleagues and workmates in a community service organisation? In a community service organisation you can come across many differences between people, their cultures and their values which can enrich  and enhance all of our lives. Some differences include knowledge, interests, customs, ethnic food, art works, retail products and customs they can incorporate into their lives. It is necessary to accept everyone’s differences and understand and comply with the legislation that has been put into place to support fairness, equity, social justice and non-discriminatory practise regardless of personal values, beliefs, attitudes and culture. This diversity can contribute to everyone’s lives, making it exciting, richer, fuller and a lot more interesting. 2. Explain what the term culture means to you. Culture to me means the quality of a particular group of people who have different behaviour patterns defined by their language, knowledge, experience, religion, beliefs, values, attitudes, music and arts. It is a group of people who have a different way of life to another group of people. These communities and cultures make everyone who they are and extend on the worlds interests. 3. Why is it so important to recognise and understand the difference between people and their cultures? It is important to recognise and understand the difference between people and their cultures because the way we look at situations is coloured by the experience we have had. We view situations through our cultural filters but our view is generally subconscious so we are not aware of the ways in which our perceptions and reactions are influenced. In the community service industry it is necessary to be aware that clients will come from a wide variety of backgrounds and as workers we need to provide services that meet the cultural and preferential needs of clients to refrain from making assumptions, based on their own perceptions, about client’s needs and preferences. They need to understand that the things they consider to be necessary or right might not be considered so by others. When providing these services it is therefore necessary that employees do not make assumptions and they make allowance for the fact that two opposite perceptions can exist. 4. List and briefly describe three strategies that an organisation might follow to ensure that the cultural and diverse needs of a client/ customer are met. To ensure that services are available to all clients regardless of personal values, beliefs, attitudes and culture community services and their employees must: Respect peoples differences and their rights to do things differently.  Imagine your own feelings when others do not respect the values which are vital in your own life. Even if in your culture a certain mode of behaviour is frowned upon it might be acceptable in another country. Respect that different cultures have food requirements due to religious reasons. Provide them with alternative foods when there is a meal they cannot have. Recognise that ethnicity and culture may have an impact on a client’s behaviour. Assist clients to become aware of their own cultural values and let them know we respect that. Allow them to incorporate their beliefs and celebrations to the society, as well as within the organisation. Assessment activity 13 1. Why do you think community service organisations should have policies and expectations regarding professional boundaries, the acceptance of gifts and ethical interactions with clients? Ethics might be defined as philosophical ideals and behaviours that are in agreement with accepted principles for right conduct. These principles, rules and expectations are determined and agreed upon by the society and communities in which people live. I believe there need to be policies and expectations regarding professional boundaries as employees must remember their relationship with their clients are proper and that these boundaries are not crossed. Clients and carers can build strong relationships with one another but the service provided to the clients must remain transparent and professional at all times. Clients can build a strong bond with their carers (more personal than professional) which can put an unaware carer into a vulnerable position. These ethical standards must also be complied with and remain professional. Acceptance of gifts is often not allowed in government organisations due to the appropriateness of the gifts. Clients can also manipulate staff by giving presents. All of these policies are an act to protect workers and their clients from not being taken advantage of and for their own protection. 2. What actions should staff take if they believe that another person is acting unethically or if they are confronted with an ethical dilemma that affects themselves? If you are in this position it is best to report the situation to avoid any further harm. Each employee should be competent to handle potential and actual problems to the level of their responsibility and within the service guidelines and procedures. Where the dispute is outside  the scope of the employee it should be further noticed to an authorised person to handle the matter. The service will have procedures designed to ensure that ethical issues can be resolved fast and efficiently and to ensure a resolution. Disputes should be resolved in a matter which is professional and within the standard requirements of the organisation and any legislative requirements. Assessment Activity 14 1. Why should client-related matters only be discussed within the confines on the facility? Client related matters should only be discussed within the confines of the facility and authorised people within the enterprise. Each organisation has specific guidelines for employees to follow regarding disclosure and confidentiality. Personal and sensitive information about a case or disclosures made by a client to the person overseeing their care should remain confidential unless there is a legal need for this disclosure – self harm. 2. How can staff in community service organisations ensure that client information is protected? Staff in community service organisations can ensure that client information is protected by agreeing to their organisations guidelines and remaining confidential. Staff must be aware that information must only be discussed in ways or places where the discussion can be overheard by unauthorised people. All client information that is collected must be documented, recorded and stored safely within the premises. To ensure all information is appropriately protected, staff can demonstrate effective application of guidelines and legal requirements relating to disclosure and confidentiality. Assessment activity 15 1. How can you encourage clients or their advocates to bring issues or concerns out into the open – to identify and express their concerns? Clients or their advocates might have complaints or grievances that need to be heard and followed up in order for them to not feel this way. To support the clients it will be necessary to help identify the real concerns or issues. Once these have been identified they can be properly expressed. Question the client using open, closed and probing questions. Paraphrase or repeat back to the client the information you receive. This enables you and the client  to agree on the meaning of the concerns. Evaluate any outcomes resulting from your action, and decide, with your client, if further action is required. 2. Why is it necessary to do this? It is necessary to bring these issues or concerns out into the open so there is no disagreement or feeling of concern with these clients or advocates. The community service workers role involves aiding and supporting the client and/or advocate so they can identify and express any concerns they might have. By assisting the client to identify and articulate their concerns, the employee and the organisation are in a position to ensure that client’s needs are met. Assessment activity 16 1. What procedures might be used to refer a client to an advocacy service? The term advocate is often applied in a legal sense to plead the case for a defendant and is another name for legal counsel in some cultures. Often an advocate will act on behalf of disadvantaged or disenfranchised groups whose rights need to be upheld. If you feel that advocacy might benefit a client it is necessary to explain to the client what is involved in the representation by an advocate and why it might be beneficial. Before making a referral the client must be consulted and agree to be represented. If that person is unable to give consent a duly authorised guardian/ family member might be called to give upon consent. Staff can then select suitable advocacy contacts for the client and can offer to contact them on the client’s behalf. The staff member making the referral might offer to attend the introductory meeting in order to support the client and make them feel more comfortable. The client must be fully informed about processes and potential outcomes. 2. Why might this be necessary? It is necessary to go through these procedures to obtain informed consent from an individual client and protect the client’s rights through legal services. If for instance, a client has a physical or intellectual disability that impedes on their communication it affects comprehension you must do everything possible to make sure the client really has given informed consent. Assessment activity 17 Describe the steps that might be followed to aid a client in using the internal complaint management process When dealing with complaints it is necessary to remain calm and not react defensively. Be polite, treat the client and their complaint with respect and demonstrate willingness to negotiate a solution. Document the conversation, store and file it so they are available when needed. Empathise with the client and try to see the issue from their point of view. This doesn’t mean you accept blame but you are willing to assist the client. Give the client a time frame and deliver answers to your questions. Listen carefully to what they tell you Check to ensure that you and the client agree on what the complaint is intended to address. Make sure the clients know that the information they disclose will be respected and that their confidentiality will be remained if appropriate. Ask the client what outcome resolution they are expecting and provide information to the client about the most effective resolution process. If you are unable to handle the complaint or make resolution decisions then it is necessary to escalate to an authorised person who can manage the situation. Follow up on the complaint to ensure that te client has been given sufficient information and is satisfied Assessment activity 18 1. What are some of the signs with financial, physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect? Financial – sudden inability to pay bills, unusual or unexplained withdrawals or transfer of funds between bank accounts, loans made by the client but not repaid by the borrower, coercion to make investments Physical – unexplained accidents or injuries, bruising, burns, bite marks, abrasions, rope burns or fractures. Emotional – signs of fear and anxiety, apathy, resignation, depression, withdrawal and avoidance of eye contact Sexual abuse – psychological and emotional distress symptoms Neglect – malnutrition, malnourishment, dehydration, poor hygiene or skin care, soiled clothing, and in the case of the elderly or people with a disability a lack of aids like dentures, glasses, walking frame or stick. 2. What should community service employees do if they observe such signs? Any  suspected or observed signs of potential harm to a client or a person associated with the client must be taken seriously and reported immediately. Reports should also be made if a person has suspicions or observations that lead to a reasonable belief that a person intends self-harm or suicide. All reports should be clearly indicated and then documented and filed safely in case of any further investigations. All information regarding abuse or neglect should be passed onto the people or authorised bodies to take action to remedy them. Reports could therefore be made, depending on the type of neglect or abuse, to a supervisor, manager, the police or other authorised persons. Assessment activity 19 1. What are some of the cultural differences that might impact on communication processes? Cultural differences such as language used and the forms of language used, religious affiliations, practices and beliefs, spiritual needs, education, work ethics, food choices, preferences and taboos, holiday and religious observances, family customs and holiday celebrations can impact on communication processes. It can affect communication through verbal or written and also the body language gestures and para-language that people use. When communicating with people from other cultures you have to be aware of speaking to fast or slow, using slang words, low or high volume, not listening actively, not asking questions, using inappropriate body language and gestures and/or inappropriate humour. These could become offensive to people from other cultures. 2. What are some of the strategies that might be used to overcome verbal communication difficulties in the workplace? It is necessary to learn about different cultures from which your clients come from and to learn about some of the idiosyncrasies associated with them. Some strategies to help when communicating with people from another culture is to be patient speak clearly but do not shout. Repeat yourself, speak slowly, use signage, gestures, draw diagrams or pictures etc. Use appropriate body language, para-language, gestures and facial expression will also aid the communication process and overcome communication difficulties. 3. Why might a professional interpreter be used? Interpreters are used because they are professionally trained to understand the clients situation and understand both the verbal and non-verbal communication involved. An objective interpreter will ensure that accurate communication occurs while cultural sensitivities and confidentiality are taken into account. In time of crisis or in traumatic or emotionally charged situations, second-language competency can decrease dramatically. Being able to communicate in their first language can make clients feel much more secure and comfortable and qualified interpreters are bound by strict code of ethics, therefore, they practise impartiality and their conduct is professional. 4. How should community service employees recognise and respond to religious diversity? Community service employees should recognise and respond to religious diversity as spiritually it can be an important predictor of the quality of life of individuals receiving these services. Providing for spiritual support and making them allowance for clients to practice their religion is therefore, a responsibility of the organisation. The service needs to determine whether a client embraces some form of spirituality and the ways in which they practice this. Simply asking clients which religion they belong to is not an adequate means or determining spiritual needs. Obtaining a comprehensive history that addresses these issues during the assessment will be necessary. Family and other significant people could also be consulted regarding their perception of the client’s spiritual needs. Clients might have to assist in articulating the things that are important to them personally. Spiritual advice and support for some clients can be very appreciated.