The Disease of Drug Addiction free essay sample

For example, in his capacity as the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Alan Leshner wrote that the reason we ought to think of addiction as a disease is that it ‘is tied to changes in brain structure and function’(Leshner,1997). This reasoning is echoed in the work of several other authors. Heyman, Heather and Alexander, among others, have challenged the disease status of addiction on primarily empirical grounds (Heyman, 2001; Heather, 1992; Alexander, 1988). Philosophical accounts of disease, which attempt to clarify the concept, come in many shapes and sizes. For example, Boorse argues for a naturalistic conception of disease in which a disease must be reflected in a loss of function in an organ (Boorse, 1977). At the other end of the spectrum, Nordenfelt argues for a normative conception, which defines diseases as conditions which prevent us from meeting our ‘vital goals’ (Nordenfelt, 1995). It is still an open question whether Boorse’s view, Nordenfelt’s view or some other view gives the best rendering of what we mean when we call something a disease, but the published accounts can support the claim that changes in brain structure and function are enough to constitute a disease. We will write a custom essay sample on The Disease of Drug Addiction or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The concept of addiction as a neurobiological disease has taken hold, thanks largely to the efforts of both NIDA and the World Health Organization (WHO) that addiction is a disease (NIDA, 2009 ; WHO, 2004) Substance Dependence or Drug Addiction† The term â€Å"substance dependence† has gained great currency because of its use in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM, both in its revision of the third edition (DSM- III- R; American Psychiatric Association [APA] 1987) and in its most recent edition (DSM- IV; APA 1994), avoids the term addiction, preferring instead to use the diagnoses of substance abuse and dependence, collectively referred to as substance use disorders. Beginning with DSM-III-R, the criteria used to diagnose substance use disorders were applied more or less equally to all of the substances that are commonly mis-used by individuals. In the DSM, therefore, individuals are differentiated onto three mutually exclusive categories: no substance use disorder, abuse only, or dependence. With this approach, abuse is diagnosed only if the individual does not meet the criteria for dependence. Accordingly, an individual meeting the criteria for both abuse and dependence is diagnosed only with dependence. The most recent text revision of the DSM (DSM-IV-TR; APA 2000, p. 192) identifies impaired control over substance use as the essential feature of dependence, which is â€Å"a cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms indicating that the individual continues use of the substance despite significant substance-related problems. † The dependence syndrome, which forms the basis for the diagnostic approach used in DSM-III-R, was first described for alcohol by Edwards and Gross (1976); it was later broadened to include other drugs (Edwards et al. 1981). However, as was true for DSM-III-R (APA 1987), the inclusion of abuse as a distinct category in DSM-IV deviated from the purely dimensional approach (in which all dependence occurs on a continuum, varying from no dependence symptoms to severe dependence) taken by Edwards and colleagues. This dimensional approach recently has been supported by findings from a large, nationally representative sample of more than 43,000 people. Saha and colleagues (2006) found that, except for alcohol-related legal problems, all DSM-IV criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence formed a continuum of alcohol use disorder severity. Moreover, only one of four diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse (i. e. , hazardous use) fell among other criteria associated with mild dependence, whereas the other three abuse criteria clustered with the most severe symptoms of dependence. These findings call into question the distinction between abuse and dependence and the identification of abuse as being milder than dependence. O’Brien and colleagues (2006) have argued against the use of the term substance dependence, calling for a renewed emphasis on addiction. Dependence, they pointed out, is often confused with physical dependence (i. e. the adaptations that result in withdrawal symptoms when substance use is discontinued), which can occur with therapeutic applications of a variety of medications. This terminological confusion may make clinicians reluctant to prescribe pain medications, for example, for fear of causing addiction. By emphasizing the behavioral aspects of compulsive substance use, addiction captures the chronic, relapsing, and compulsive nature of substance use that occurs despite the associated negative consequences. On that basis, these authors urged the APA to restore the use of the term addiction in the DSM-V, which currently is in development. A disadvantage of the term addiction, however, is that it often is used pejoratively and can lead practitioners to avoid its use for fear of stigmatizing their patients and damaging their relationship with them. Further, the term addiction has been used so widely and variably that, like â€Å"alcoholism,† its meaning has been diluted, substantially limiting its value. The terminology used to describe alcohol and other drug use disorders is of key importance to both the study and the clinical care of people suffering from these conditions (Kranzler, Ting-Kai; 2008). Addiction Is a Disease Drug addiction is a compulsive behavior that creates a desire to use a dangerous substance, despite the health repercussions and sometimes irreversible consequences. Drug addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease. It is important not to confuse drug addiction with drug dependency, drug dependency does not always manifest into drug addiction. Understanding what happens in the brain with addiction is key to understanding drug addiction. Once a brain is exposed to a substance it changes.

How to Make Nylon - Nylon Synthesis

How to Make Nylon - Nylon Synthesis Nylon is a polymer you can make yourself in the lab. A strand of nylon rope is pulled from the interface between two liquids. The demonstration sometimes is called the nylon rope trick because you can pull a continuous rope of nylon from the liquid indefinitely. Close examination of the rope will reveal that is is a hollow polymer tube. Nylon Materials a solution made from 6 g sebacoyl chloride in 70 ml heptanea solution made from 3 g 1,6-diaminohexane in 70 ml watermetal tweezers or forceps Make Nylon Use equal volumes of the two solutions. Tilt the beaker containing the 1,6-diaminohexane solution and slowly pour the sebacoyl chloride solution down the side of the beaker so that it forms the top layer.Dip tweezers into the interface of the liquids and pull them up to form a strand of nylon. Continue to pull the tweezers away from the beaker to lengthen the strand. You may wish to wrap the nylon rope around a glass rod.Rinse the nylon with water, ethanol or methanol to remove the acid from the nylon. Be sure to rinse the nylon before handling it or storing it. How the Nylon Rope Trick Works Nylon is the name given to any synthetic polyamide. Acyl chloride from any dicarboxylic acid reacts via a substitution reaction with any amine to form a nylon polymer and HCl. Safety and Disposal The reactants are irritating to the skin, so wear gloves throughout the procedure. Remaining liquid should be mixed to form nylon. The nylon should be washed prior to disposal. Any unreacted liquid should be neutralized prior to washing it down the drain. If the solution is basic, add sodium bisulfate. If the solution is acidic, add sodium carbonate. Reference Chemical Magic, 2nd Ed., Leonard A. Ford (1993) Dover Publications, Inc.

Top 10 Punctuation Mistakes

Top 10 Punctuation Mistakes Top 10 Punctuation Mistakes Top 10 Punctuation Mistakes By Maeve Maddox Writers can avoid most errors of punctuation by mastering the following conventions. 1. Introductory words, phrases, and clauses are followed by a comma. Incorrect: Moreover students are expected to read at least one English classic every six weeks. Correct : Moreover, students are expected to read at least one English classic every six weeks. Moreover is an introductory word and should be followed by a comma. Incorrect: To become fluent readers students must read outside school hours. Correct : To become fluent readers, students must read outside school hours. â€Å"To become fluent readers† is an introductory infinitive phrase and should be followed by a comma. Incorrect: If you want to write well you must be prepared to practice the craft. Correct : If you want to write well, you must be prepared to practice the craft. â€Å"If you want to write well† is an introductory clause and should be followed by a comma. 2. Nonessential information is set off with commas. Incorrect: Joseph Conrad who was born in Poland began to learn English in his twenties. Correct : Joseph Conrad, who was born in Poland, began to learn English in his twenties. â€Å"Who was born in Poland† is a clause that provides nonessential information and should be set off by commas. 3. Essential information does not require commas. Incorrect: The boys, who vandalized the public gardens, are in police custody. Correct : The boys who vandalized the public gardens are in police custody. â€Å"Who vandalized the public gardens† is essential information because it identifies which boys are meant. It should not be set off by commas. 4. A comma is placed before a coordinate conjunction that joins two main clauses. Incorrect: The cougar moved quickly but the tourist reached the safety of the cabin. Correct : The cougar moved quickly, but the tourist reached the safety of the cabin. The clauses joined by the conjunction but could stand alone as complete sentences: â€Å"The cougar moved quickly† and â€Å"The tourist reached the safety of the cabin.† A comma is not needed with a compound verb joined by a coordinate conjunction: â€Å"The tourist saw the cougar and ran to the cabin.† 5. A comma is not strong enough to join two main clauses. (Comma splice) Incorrect: Circumstances required the children to live in a homeless shelter, nevertheless they kept up with their studies. Correct : Circumstances required the children to live in a homeless shelter; nevertheless, they kept up with their studies. Also Correct: Circumstances required the children to live in a homeless shelter. Nevertheless, they kept up with their studies. A comma splice results when two main clauses are joined by a comma. The main clauses here are â€Å"Circumstances required the children to live in a homeless shelter† and â€Å"nevertheless, they kept up with their studies.† The word nevertheless is a conjunctive adverb. Its function is to provide a transition between two thoughts, but it is not a joining word like and or but. A comma splice can be avoided by placing a semicolon after the first clause or by ending the first clause with a period or other end stop and starting a new sentence with a capital. 6. A comma is not needed before a noun clause in ordinary narration. Incorrect: The spelunkers found, that the caves were closed to protect the bats. Correct : The spelunkers found that the caves were closed to protect the bats. The noun clause is â€Å"the caves were closed to protect the bats.† The clause functions as the direct object of the verb in the main clause, found. 7. A comma is needed before a direct quotation. Incorrect: The wizard said â€Å"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.† Correct : The wizard said, â€Å"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.† 8. Colons should be used after a complete sentence to introduce a word, phrase, clause, list, or quotation. Incorrect: Her favorite flowers are: daffodils, roses, and pansies. Correct : She has three favorite flowers: daffodils, roses, and pansies. â€Å"Her favorite flowers are† is a sentence fragment. A complete sentence should precede a colon that introduces a thought that expands on the meaning of the sentence that precedes it. 9. Main clauses that are not part of a compound or complex sentence require an end stop. When a period or other end stop is omitted, the result is a â€Å"run-on sentence.† Incorrect: The rushing waves capsized the boat indifferent gulls wheeled overhead. Correct : The rushing waves capsized the boat. Indifferent gulls wheeled overhead. The simplest way to correct a run-on sentence is to put a period at the end of the first clause and capitalize the next one. 10. Multiple exclamation points don’t belong in mature writing. Incorrect: Before my astonished eyes, the house sank into the tarn!!!! Correct : Before my astonished eyes, the house sank into the tarn! On the rare occasions that an exclamation mark is wanted in formal writing, one is sufficient. Bonus: Quotation marks should not be used for mere emphasis. Incorrect: Our staff is required to take three â€Å"safety† courses every year. Correct : Our staff is required to take three safety courses every year. In most contexts, placing quotation marks around a word suggests that the word is being used with a meaning other than the obvious one. Writers who enclose words in quotation marks merely for emphasis risk annoying their readers. No one likes to waste time trying to discern a hidden meaning where there is none. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Common Mistakes category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Bare or Bear With Me?Writing the CenturyConfusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Girls Primary Schools in United Kingdom Coursework

Girls Primary Schools in United Kingdom - Coursework Example This does not promote feminism or any related activities thereof but uses their works to relay situational analysis. This serves to focus change mainly in the designation of school curriculum basing on gender abilities, skills and intellect at still a very young formative age which is mostly subject to resigned domestic and weak place in society. This dissertation is an amalgamation of the work carried out over centuries by precursors of the feminist movement which abolished the sign of male dominated tactics where imparting equal education in qualitative and quantitative terms was concerned. This topic is a challenging one as it focuses on a specific area in gender philosophy. The parameters to be studied are now deeply rooted in the history of our educational system and thus hold a large amount of interest and fascination for a student of feminist issues. Further, the time period being studied is of utmost importance where revolutionary trends in feminist approaches are concerned. In this regard, the work of feminists was the foundation stone for modern day theories in a very subtle manner. Every change happens through education and the study of changing trends in education to show the elements of emerging feminist trends of the period is a challenging and fascinating subject. The dissertation progresses on the general hypotheses of social criticism and the trends that emerged thereof, in context of feminist and gender philosophy conceptions. In this way, the underlying model is a realistic one, unlike the predictable idealistic one due to the fact that Wollstonecraft's work demonstrates the fact that she had great foresight. This dissertation will basically focus on the Education Acts of 1870, 1902, 1944 and 1968. In this regard, the dissertation will analyze the various trends that were followed when these acts were formulated in context of pressures like the importance of women's education as well as the situation of young women. Further, the curriculum and activities revolving around primary education will be discussed in context of the three Rs - religion, reading and writing. The issues and questions are ones pertaining to the general climate for change and whether or not it facilitated the trends that emerged in the area of a change in curriculum for the primary education of girls in UK during that period. The work will also pose the question of how these kinds of changes in education tend to influence the general outlook of society over the years. In this way the acts will be analyzed to find evidence surrounding whether or not they were successful and the criticisms that demonstrate their failures and flaws. These acts in general brought about a climate for change and the emergence of a new feminist perspective. Also, it helped change the curriculum and include more women oriented studies that did not necessarily revolve around

Children's Pastimes Today and Yesterday Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Children's Pastimes Today and Yesterday - Outline Example The present paper has identified that in the olden times, the outdoor activities of children were far greater than they are today. Schools and educational institutions promoted scouting and recruited young scouts. This kept them busy with activities like camping and learning first aid techniques. Apart from these extracurricular accomplishments, the children also entertained themselves by playing outdoor games. These included football, hopscotch, and basketball. Board games and cards were other hobbies of these children who spent their time playing these games with their siblings and friends. Furthermore, life was not as fast-paced previously as it is today. Quality family time was a compulsion and children went to spend holidays with their family. Weekends at the beach or at the park were another favorite pastime. With the changing times and new innovations, the hobbies of children have altered. The internet and the computers have taken over the minds of the younger generation. Chil dren now prefer to play games on the computer or indulge in online gaming. Their other favorite pastime is watching television. Children nowadays spend up to 6 to 8 hours every day watching their favorite television programs. Indulgence in outdoor games has reduced and an inactive lifestyle has been adopted.

Linguistics Lecture Essay Example for Free

Linguistics Lecture Essay Today’s Objective †¢ Begin to understand the fundamental ways of thinking in Linguistics. Some properties of grammar †¢ †¢ †¢ creativity generality parity Some properties of grammar: Parity ? all grammars are equally valid prescriptive grammar descriptive grammar ? ? Is this statement a scienti? c observation? A. Yes B. No People who live in East Hamilton often say â€Å"I seen him† where they should say â€Å"I saw him† Clicker frequency is BD. Is this statement a scienti?  c observation? A. Yes B. No In Finnish, prepositions come after nouns. Kissa on poydan alla cat is table under â€Å"The cat is under the table† Is this statement a scienti? c observation? A. Yes B. No If you end a sentence with a preposition you sound ignorant. Gymboree is one of the stores that I shop at. Gymboree is one of the stores at which I shop. Clicker frequency is BD. Clicker frequency is BD. Some properties of grammar: Universality ? ? ? ? all grammars share some universal properties phonological syntactic etc. Some properties of grammar: Mutability ? ? ? ? all grammars change over time sounds words word forms sentence structures [w] not [hw] in Canada by age Some properties of grammar: Inaccessibility ? almost all grammatical knowledge is unconscious (a. k. a. implicit) How can we observe unconscious knowledge? Some properties of grammar ? ? ? ? ? ? creativity generality parity universality mutability inaccessibility.

Vocabulary :: Communication, Language

Vocabulary is very important to everyday reading because it is all of the words in a language. According to Bursuck and Damer (2010) students â€Å"learn to decode harder text, they are more likely to encounter words that are not part of their oral language† (p. 231). Being familiar with words and the meaning of the word assists student’s fluency as well as comprehension. According to the National Institute of Literacy (2007) vocabulary is â€Å"words used in speech and print to communicate† (p. 14). Vocabulary can be divided into two categories â€Å"oral or spoken words and written words† (National Institute of Literacy, 2007, p. 14). The National Institute of Literacy (2007), agree with Bursuck and Damer (2010), stating that â€Å"vocabulary knowledge is important to reading because the oral and written words promote comprehension and communication† (p. 14). Since vocabulary is extremely important Pullen, Tuckwiller, Konold, Maynard, & Coyne, 20 10 used a â€Å"three tier model for students at risk for a reading disability† (p. 110). Pullen et al. (2010) states that vocabulary development occurs through incidental learning and home environment before formal schooling† (p. 111) The intervention created by Pullen et al. (2010) was meant to increase students’ vocabulary of at risk students. The intervention (2010) participants â€Å"were 224 first grade students in elementary schools in a diverse population and moderate percentage of students in socio-economic status† (p. 114). The intervention (2010) itself created by ___________________ was a three-tier system: Tier 1 consisted of classroom instruction and â€Å"students who do not respond to tier 1 will receive tier 2 instruction and tier 3 is the most intensive level and if student do not respond to this level they are referred to a special education evaluation† (p. 114). To identify students who may be at risk of disability, the intervention (2010) used the PPVT-4 as a standardized test. Pullen et al. (2010) used the test to asses the baseline level â€Å"of receptive vocabulary and identify participants as either at risk of not for reading failure† (p. 115). The authors of the intervention (2010) selected the PPVT-4 because â€Å"it demonstrated reliability, indicating that is a sound measure for measuring receptive vocabulary† (p. 115). For a post-test, the authors (2010) used a researcher-developed measure to asses students’ acquisition of target words used in the intervention (p. 115). Pullen et al. (2010) had a three-tier system where tier 1 and tier 2 were designed â€Å"around two story books appropriate for first grade students† (p.

Buyer decision process Essay

Marketing Thoery & Practice Q.13 What is meant by the ‘buyer decision process’ ? Explain the process , relating it to an individual’s purchase of a new digital camera. 1 . Introduction: When a person makes a decision to buy something, basically, the product he want to buy is useful for him and he need it. Then he will go to find the â€Å"information† about that kind of goods from every seller and different brands. After he collect the information from ads, magazines, his friends, or mass media, he will think about that, compare the qualities, prices, services†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦between different sellers or companies, decide which brand of the product he gonna buy. Finally, he will choose the most preferred brand to buy. After he bought the product, as a marketer, do not forget the last part of â€Å"buyer decision process.† : Post-purchase behaviour. The reaction of customers are very important for a company . What are the buyers thinking about the products , it’s satisfied or dissatisfied, even the reputation of one company are all depends on â€Å"Post-Purchase behaviour.† So , the stages buyers pass through to reach a buying dcision are : Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Need recognition; Information search; Evaluation of alternative; Purchase decision ; Post-purchase behaviour. â€Å"Clearly, the buying process starts long before actual purchase, and continues long after. Marketers need to focus on the entire buying process rather than on just the purchase decision. But in more routine purchase consumers often skip or reverse some of these stages.†( Kotler Brown – Marketing 6th edition . ) 2 . ‘Buyer Decision Process’ : At the beginning of year 2004, Tony decided to buy a digital camera for taking photos during his journey around Europe. There were lots brands of digital cameras on sell at that time. He had to make a decision between them. 2.1 Stage 1 Need recognition Tony wants a digital camera to take photos during the way for personal using. Therefore the demands of functions are just enough for satisfy the individual need. The digital camera need to have the basic function the normal camera has and the price should be not too expensive, it’s better if the quality of pictures are more clearly, the speed faster and the design novelty. From this stage, the marketers should research the information that what the consumer need. It could become the target for a company who want improve the skill of their producing, for less risk , they need to follow the â€Å"Marketing Concept† , outside-in perspective , focus on customers . 2.2 Stage 2 Information search The science today is developing all the time , people need the cameras have more technologies in them . Digital camera could satisfy the demand of customers by it’s bigger LCD screen; transiting photos to computers from the camera; colorful display; faster speed; innovative features †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and also, all of these become the objective of the camera companies. There are lots goods from different camera companies such like Canon, Sony, Kodak, Olympus, Samsung†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ could be chosen by Tony. As most customers, Tony ringed his friends, asked how was the opinions and knowledge of the brand of the product from them, read some news about digital camera from magazines and newspapers, found some information through the internet, even go around several camera shops†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦At last, he limited the scope he the researching. He found two type of cameras which are fit for him. They are Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1(Sony DSC-T1) and CANON IXUS430(Canon S430). Sony Canon We can see, in the business world today, â€Å"a company must design its marketing mix to make protects aware of and knowledgeable about its brand.†1 It’s very important for a company to know what the consumer thinking about their products and even the repute of them. If they didn’t advertised the produce, they may loss a lot of business profit because the complete ignorance of the customers. 2.3 Stage 3 Evaluation Of Alternatives The two digital camera companies all have high quality and good faith, the price of Sony DSC-T1 is 550 dollars, however the original price of Canon S430 was 620 dollars, now they are on sell just 520 dollars. Canon has a 1.5†³ LCD screen, Sony is 2.5†³ LCD display; The speed of Sony DSC-T1 is 15^1/5300 s, and the speed of the Canon is 15^1/2000 s; Canon camera has the USB input to connect with computers, but no memory stick. There are both USB input and memory stick on Sony DSC-T1. The weight of Sony is 180g, and Canon is 185g. For the people who buy the Sony camera, they retain the right to exchange the goods with any fault whenever they want in one year. There’s a only half a year’s warranty to Canon S430. But, If Tony decides to buy the Canon S430, he could also get a free camera handbag from the company. For personal use, the warranty of the company is the most important, which means to a company, service marketing is very important. Sony may win Canon by this factor. But also, Tony need to compare the qualities of two brands of cameras. He never mind how big the screen is, any of these two is ok for him. Because it’s a individual purchase, he just wants the speed of the camera enough to take normal photos, if faster, that’s better. Tony need the camera could connect with his computer, that he could keep the photos and fix them by the program in his computer and send them to his friends and relative. If the camera has memory stick is more useful. â€Å"Sony† is lighter than â€Å"Canon†, Tony could get more convenience from Sony camera. However, the price of Sony is 30 dollars more than Canon. 2.4 Stage 4 Purchase Decision After he compare the conditions above carefully, he made a decision to buy Sony Cyber-shot DCS-T1 camera. But it’s still not the last decision he’s made. â€Å"Two factors can come between the purchase intention and the purchase decision.† Maybe his friend doesn’t like the brand of â€Å"Sony† but â€Å"Olympus†, or at the same time, the price of another digital camera from Olympus has dropped down to 490 dollars and also has the similar effect as the two camera we’ve talked before. He may change his mind and buy the Olympus camera. 2.5 Stage 5 Post-purchase Behaviour After all of 4 stages before, Tony bought the camera which he decided to buy – Sony Cyber-shot DCS-T1, It seems like, he has already finished his buying process, but not really. The last stage of â€Å"Buyer decision Process† is very important. If Tony is satisfied by the camera he bought, he may advertises to his friends and suggest them to buy this brand of products (not just camera) and he will trust this company and buy this brand of product again. However, if he finds the quality of the camera is not as good as what he wants, he will also complain how bad the product is to his friends and relatives. There’s not just one customer dissatisfy like Tony, the company will lose million dollars of profit. Therefore, companies should pay attention to the â€Å"Post-purchase process† . The reputation of the company is depend on this stage. It could help the marketers get more customers and business profit. When some customers want to buy some goods, maybe there’s not all the stages during the process. They may skip or reverse some of the stages. Just like Tony, If he is satisfied this time, the next time he want to buy a walkman, or digital TV, or DVD player, he may skip of the second stage(Information search) and the third stage(Evaluation of alternatives). And also, for the next time, he reverse of the stages. the last stage(Post-purchase behaviour) come after the first stage(Need recognition) before the forth stage(Purchase decision). 3 . Conclusion : The â€Å"Buyer Decision Process† is the process when the customers making decision to buy something. It useful for customers to get the goods they really need and fit for the value. Also it’s the most common way of purchasing goods. On the other hand, the process is very important for marketers to improve their producing skill and get the information of how customers feel about their products. If marketers follow the process and satisfy the customers, they will be successful in their business. 4. Reference : 1. Marketing, 6th edition, Kotler Brown. 2. Law in Commerce, 2nd Edition, Brendan Sweeney & Jennifer O’Reilly. 3. http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/sony/dsc_t1-review/index.shtml 4. http://www.dpreview.com/

Human Resources Practice Essay

1. Introduction The HR Profession Map was developed using the following design principles: †¢ It describes what you need to do, what you need to know and how you need to do it within each professional area at four bands of professional competence. †¢ It covers behaviours as well as the technical elements of professional competence required in the HR profession. †¢ It is organised around areas of professional competence, not organisation structures, job levels or roles. †¢ The scope of the Map will cover the breadth and depth of the HR profession, from small to large organisations, from fundamental to sophisticated practice, local to global, corporate to consulting, charity to public sector, traditional to progressive. †¢ It has the versatility to be used in part, or viewed as a whole, with the core professional areas acting as the key or centre that is relevant to all. 2. Activity 1 Summarise the HRPM The Profession Map captures what successful and effective HR people do and deliver across their specialist profession, and sets out the required activities, behaviours and knowledge. Covering 10 professional areas and eight behaviours, set out in four bands of competence the Map covers every level of the HR profession, from band one at the start of an HR career through to band four for the most senior leaders. The Map has been designed to be relevant and applicable to HR professionals operating anywhere in the world, in all sectors and in organisations of all shapes and sizes. Professional Areas 1. Insights, Strategy and Solutions 2. Leading HR 3. Organisation Design 4. Organisation Development 5. Resource and Talent Planning 6. Learning and Development 7. Performance and Reward 8. Employee Engagement 9. Employee Relations 10. Service, Delivery and Information Behaviours 1. Curious 2. Decisive Thinker 3. Skilled Influencer 4. Personally Credible 5. Collaborative 6. Driven to Deliver 7. Courage to Challenge 8. Role Model (www.cipd.co.uk) 2.1Insights, Strategy and Solutions Human Resources professionals work from a deep business, contextual and organisational understanding to develop actionable insight, and prioritise HR strategies that make the most difference at any given time. You develop insight-led solutions, prioritised and tailored around a good business, contextual and organisation understanding – identifying opportunities and risks and acting on them. Business Vision and strategy of the organisation Products/services and customer profiles Financial and non-financial performance information Contextual Your sector and related regulations/legislation Political, economic, social, technological and environmental issues. Organisation Structure, processes, governance Culture, values, behaviours Key relationships, stakeholders, how decisions get made This understanding – and the resulting insights – allow us to create prioritised and situational HR strategies that make the most difference and build a compelling case for change. Includes these topics: Building a picture Developing actionable insight Delivering situational HR solutions that stick Building capacity and capability -Working with agility Organisation context determines the influence and priority of stakeholder roles and individuals, it also determines how readily new systems/ applications or methods can be adopted, and whether we can get there. If customers / principal stakeholders come from different contexts, this may systematically shape the goals and requirements 2.2 Leading HR Resourcing Band 1 Human Resources Professionals need to have a good knowledge of the principles and procedures for organisations recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits of labour relations and personnel information systems. A sound knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, modelling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. Motivating, developing, and directing people, as they work, identifying the best people for the job also been able to identify potential for succession planning. . 3. Activity 2 Timely and Effective Service With any organization, we will typically find the customers HR supports are within recruiting, employee relations, training, etc, all pretty much the same, regardless of department, our customers are anyone who uses the HR services we provide we interact with supervisors, managers, employees, external candidates, and external organizations. The way that HR interacts with each of these groups is different depending on what is being delivered, but in the general sense, our customers are all as important as each other. 3.1 Employees Employees want professional HR support from real people and HR need to be responsive and clear about what services we offer. HR need to be easy to contact and able to respond quickly and effectively. Obviously employees require accurate pay and benefits, on time. They also want to be given the opportunity for training and development. 3.2 Managers Managers want an HR function which understands the workforce and can help management balance employee and business needs. They want a proactive HR function which identifies issues before they happen and works with managers to address them. They would like HR to help them with their most challenging people issues including motivation, change and skills development. An HR function which does not understand the business and the workforce completely loses its value. The needs of both employees and managers are sometimes be conflicting. For example, managers require a higher level of production and sometimes longer working hours whereas employees tend to want more time off and more focus on a work/life balance. A good HR department needs to work with both groups to find the best balance. A way of resolving these conflicts is to focus on the overall needs of the organisation, ensuring that the right employees are recruited and retained will help this. The skills and abilities of all employees need to be aligned to their job role and as HR we need to provide development and training to ensure productivity is reached and to manage turnover of employees. Coaching and counselling employees will also help and providing an effective reward and recognition system. 3.3 Recruitment Agencies HR and recruitment agencies are committed to developing and maintaining closer relationships, the outcomes for both parties are more positive, and from a strategic perspective, it’s the formation of these stronger partnerships that bring mutual business benefits and added value. Good reasons why an organisation would use recruitment agencies Gain access to job-seekers (both active and passive)  source candidates from more specific talent pools and match them to an  organisation’s vacancies reduce the time and in-house resources dedicated to recruitment use a range of specialist skills offered by recruitment experts Access specialist services such as screening, filtering and profiling of candidates Gain flexibility in recruitment to meet cyclical/ market demand Get expert opinion about and knowledge of current recruitment legislation Benchmarking purposes – access to salary data and local market knowledge. However in past experience working with some recruitme nt agencies it can become an expensive option as they tend to charge anywhere from 12.5 percentage of the starting salary upwards and a finders fee if the candidate does become permanent. 3.4 Communication Communication Type Advantages Disadvantages Email Easy to send Fairly quick to send Can send 365 days of the year Can send to a group of people at once Email can get stuck in spam and not received Attachments could contain viruses Internet could go down and may not receive mail for sometime Phone call Calls can be made 24 hours a day 7 days a week Get your message across and gain feedback immediately You cannot see each other’s body language Things could get mis-interpreted Costly Fax Can send exact copies of documents Easy to train how to use No immediate response Could misdial number sending documents to wrong person Poor quality of received document 3.5 Effective Service Delivery An effective HR services for all employees is seen as be supportive, not to dilute the responsibility of people management. Also have the ability to coach line managers, especially around managing performance. 3.6 Delivering Service HR should obtain thorough feedback from internal customers, line managers, senior managers and employees. This should cover both what they need from HR, and their user experience of current services. Such feedback could generate a clear and more effective HR function within the organisation. It can provide fresh insights and help the HR function to focus its efforts in these areas could add value to the business. 3.7 Difficult Customers Assuming that the employee provides value to the company and possesses redeeming qualities, there are ways to deal with difficult employees. Most often, managers will simply ignore problematic staffers. Managers who live by this rule hope the problem will just go away; that these people will somehow turn themselves around or stop being troublesome. Ignoring the situation is the wrong solution to what could likely become a progressive problem. It is important to take action as soon as the negative behavior pattern becomes evident when left untouched, this problem will only escalate. (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/201950#ixzz2h4AjsnQf) 3.8 Resolving Complaints Employee complaints alert us to potential problems within the business Depending on the type of complaint that comes in you’re going to want to keep relevant portions of your staff appraised of it while simultaneously safeguarding the privacy of the individuals involved. It’s important to be transparent in these situations because â€Å"employees are probably going to know this on the office gossip vine anyway,† says Kelly. â€Å"They want to see that management is aware of it too and that management does take action and demonstrates a commitment to a higher ethical standard.† (http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/04/handle-employee-complaints.html/1)

Walt Disney The Man With The M essays

Walt Disney The Man With The M essays When people think of animated cartoons, one name immediately comes to mind "Walt Disney." He is the most popular and known animator in the world. He wasn't successful at the beginning of his career but he was a taskmaker and entrepreneur. Walt's hard work and entrepreneurship made the world's best popular cartoon character "Mickey Mouse." As an animator and an owner of Disney Corporation, he made a lot of influences in past and present days. Hereby the importance of his life and influences will be discussed, in a age order. First of all, Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5th, 1901, the fourth kid of five children of Elias and Flora Disney. The family often moved from place to place because of Walt's father Elias. He tried his hand successively as a farmer, a businessman, an orange grower, a carpenter. But he expected all members of his family, no matter how young, to spend most of their waking hours working for him without any compensation. During Walt's childhood and adolescence, Elias operated a farm in Marceline, Missouri. It was there that Walt spent his early years and developed his interest in drawing. In 1910 the family moved again, this time to Kansas City. There he enrolled in art classes at the Kansas City Art Institute. In 1917 the family moved again, this time back to Chicago. In Chicago, Walt joined Red Cross unit and spent nine months as a ambulance driver in France at the end of World War I. After Walt Disney returned from France in 1919, he decided to make art his career. He soon joined the staff of the Kansas City Film Advertising Company, which was producing a simple type of animation. He and a colleague, Ubbe Iwerks, learned enough about animation to try doing some of their own. They formed a company called Laugh-O-Gram Films. The company made fun of local problem and scandals in cartoon form. They sold well enough to give Walt and Iwerks the courage to go into business for them...

A Critical Review Of Che Guevaras The Motorcycle Diaries

A Critical Review Of Che Guevara's The Motorcycle Diaries â€Å"The Motorcycle Diaries† is a story of an eight thousand mile trip that begins from Argentina to Peru. The trip involves two people; Ernesto Guevara and his friend, Alberto Granado, whom they travel together using a motorcycle as they pass through different countries with different landscapes. The young men are on a duty to explore the different parts of the world they had never visited before. The quest of the adventurers in the movie is to see the things they had only read from books about the continent on which they live, more so the physical landscapes of different regions. The Change in Physical Landscapes The physical landscapes change as Ernesto and Alberto travel from Argentina to Chile, and to Peru. The two travel through five different countries starting with Argentina. They pass through the mountains, for example, the Andes where they had to endure very low temperatures. Initially, they travelled through a landscape where the sun shined, and the land was quite warm before they reached Chile, a land full of snow. Ernesto and Alberto also travelled through the Pampas; very large and fertile pieces of land. While in Peru, the two went through the Lowlands and the Tropical rainforest. While in Columbia, they came across part of the Andes Mountain. The terrain in Columbia was also mountainous as in Chile. There was no difference for Alberto and Ernesto in Venezuela, which was the last country they travelled through. The country also had a lot of mountains, with the climate being the tropical type. The change in physical landscapes during the journey involving Alberto and Ernesto is evident when their motorcycle turns over a number of times during the trip. In different occasions, the motorcycle skids out from under the two and even land into a ditch. The mountainous terrain and the lowlands could have been the cause of the turning of the motorcycle. Cultural Differences Encountered by Ernesto and Alberto While travelling, Alberto and Ernesto encounter cultural differences as they travel through the region. Firstly, the two come to the realization that the official language spoken by the people in the area they are going through is Spanish. Even the Indians in Chile speak Spanish. Besides, Alberto and Ernesto encounter a culture where strangers are warmly welcomed without fear. For instance, In Chile, the Mesties and the Indians are both very social, and they are willing to make available foodstuff, clothes, and a sleeping place to the strangers. It is in the culture of the people of Chile to wear Chamants; a type of clothing that look like ponchos with lots of colors. In Peru, they encounter a group of people who still practice the ancient cultures. The people in an old city called Machu Pichu, for instance believe in the preservation of cultures. Alberto and Ernesto realize that the city is still very old fashioned, and far behind a lot of things. In Columbia, the two notice that it is in the culture of the nation to practice Roman-Catholic faith. In Venezuela, there are different types of religions including the Indian religion and Christianity. The Change of Mind for Alberto and Ernesto In the movie, Ernesto and Alberto seem to come from an economically stable community that does not value the lives of others who are poor. As they travel, they are surprised by the poverty levels in most of the countries. They also get amazed by the social nature of the inhabitants of the countries they travel through. They notice the alarming difference between the rich and the poor, a situation that does not seem to be in existence in their home country. Alberto and Ernesto encounters a type of life that makes them change their minds about the world. It is during their journey that they realize that there are people who are very poor and engage in different religions. The different landscapes they go through also make them change their views on the physical nature of the world. The two adventurers notice that the people who have almost nothing possess the virtue of sharing whatever little they possess. Alberto and Ernesto learn to care about others and through that, they change their social and economic aspects. The change in mind is evident when Ernesto, under the name Che Guevara, would later go on to become a world-renowned communist revolutionary. He played a vital role in Cuba in 1959 during the communist revolution. Geographical Imagination of Latin America The film reinstated my geographical imagination of Latin America given that some of the regions visited by Alberto and Ernesto have the natural resources I ever imagined. The two adventurers visited Chuquicamata Copper mine that I did not have a clear idea of its Location. It is apparently Chile’s source of wealth. My imagination of the varied terrain in Latin America was proved to be true by Alberto and Ernesto, who travelled through mountainous terrains and lowlands in the region. In conclusion, the film is an incredible drama that hopefully is a lesson to viewers. The experience Alberto and Ernesto go through changes their lives, and more lives may be changed by the film, as it happened to Ernesto; an iconic communist revolutionary.

Explore the Causes of the Current Financial Crisis That Started in Essay

Explore the Causes of the Current Financial Crisis That Started in 2007 - Essay Example There are various causes for this crisis and this paper shall explore these causes as well as the theoretical views which seem to be relevant in explaining its causes. Body The global financial crisis which started in 2007 is considered one of the most disastrous economic issues the world has ever experienced. In so many ways, it is being likened to the Great Depression seen in 1929, as well as the Russian crisis in 1992 (Banking Law Committee, 2009). Most countries also seem to agree that the main cause of the crisis was the credit boom and the increase in housing prices. As the 2007 was starting to loom over the global market, the US ratio of debt to national income went up by 100% or from 3.75-4.75 to one (Banking Law Committee, 2009). At about the same time, the house prices also increased at a rate of 11% per year. Since 2007, the global market has been hit with various developments which were rooted on the earlier issues on the unfavourable performance of sub-prime mortgages in the US (Banking Law Committee, 2009). The housing boom was followed by a bust which then caused defaults and collapse of mortgages thereby causing financial turmoil. Financial institutions have been met with losses which amounted to billions of dollars and are still continuing to do so (Banking Law Committee, 2009). ... The gravity and the volume of negative financial outcomes at that time, coupled with the impotency of the remedies being carried out also forced the authorities to consider the origins of the crisis and the market tools by which the crisis could be contained and managed. The causes of the financial crisis which started in 2007 shall be considered below. Mortgage lending was considered as one of the main causes of the 2007 financial crisis. Before the crisis, abundant credit, low interest rates, and increased housing prices, the lending conditions were so relaxed that people started to buy houses they could not afford (Murphy, 2008). As prices started to fall and loans were being called in, the shock spread throughout the entire system. The housing bubble also made the crisis worse and the Federal Reserve allowed housing prices to increase at sustainable and impractical rates. As the bubble burst, the crisis was triggered (Labonte, 2007). There was also a lack of transparency and acco untability in mortgage finance. There were numerous bad mortgages throughout the system as well as selling of bad securities. Lenders could sell mortgages to home owners and not feel any accountability for it; this pattern was also seen among brokers, realtors, and individuals in rating agencies as well as other market participants (Jickling, 2010). The crashing housing prices impacted on household wealth, including the spending and defaults on loans by lending institutions. Housing prices from 2000 to 2006 doubled and later subsequently collapsed. The housing bubble was caused by a long period of low interest rates offered by the Federal Reserve and these monetary policies were too permissive for too