Advocacy campaign against child abuse Assignment

Advocacy campaign against child abuse - Assignment Example Child abuse is an issue popular and existing worldwide. However, contrary to what most people know, it does not only mean inflicting physical harm on a child. This is a common misconception. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada child abuse occurs when a parent, guardian, or caregiver mistreats or neglects a child, resulting in injury, significant emotional or psychological harm, or serious risk of harm to the child.Child abuse can take many forms, the most common and well-known of which is physical abuse. It is any deliberate application of force on a child's body, which causes or may cause injury. Another form is sexual abuse which involves an adult using a child for any sexual purpose.Not providing a child's essential needs is classified as neglect. This form of child abuse can further be categorized into physical and emotional neglect.The last type of child abuse is the emotional abuse which means attacking a child's sense of self.Up to about 80 to 98% of children suffe r physical punishment in their homes with a third or more experiencing severe physical punishment resulting from the use of implements.In 2004, 218 million children were involved in child labor, with 126 million exposed to hazardous work This is a clear reflection of how rampant child abuse is. It is a universal concern.It is a major social problem. It is, therefore, necessary to start an effective campaign against this issue to save more children from being victims of violence.The project, basically, involves producing an effective advocacy campaign against child abuse. Since the media has always been known and proven to be effective in disseminating information, it is the best tool to use in trying to make the campaign known to a wider scope of audience and a larger market. The project is going to be a TV advertisement because TV reaches more people as compared to the radio and print media. Taking advantage of this media technology would give better chances of selling the idea tha t child abuse should be stopped. Aside from its benevolent purpose of helping the oppressed, this project will open doors for the advertising agency by drawing in more clients, such as cause-oriented groups and private firms who are willing to shed out money for the production of an effective, cause-oriented campaign. This equates to more money and even more opportunities. If this project becomes successful, there will be enough funds to invest on manpower which will allow the agency to have a bigger production. This will then lead to expansion, and therefore, more profit. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Requirements The first and most important thing that the project requires is a production team-composed of a director, production assistant, scriptwriter, editor, visual artist, cameraman and other crew members deemed necessary. This team will be in charge of conceptualizing the flow of the campaign- from the storyline, to the storyboard, the script, and the production process. The production process will be divided into three stages, pre-production, production and the post-production. Before beginning with the rest of the steps, there should be adequate data which will serve as bases for the storyline and the script. Gathering of the necessary materials should be done by the researcher. The necessary production equipment and materials, such as the video camera, props, costumes and others should also be provided. As part of the production, the appropriate talents or actors will also be needed for this project

Comparing both Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill's philosophical Essay

Comparing both Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill's philosophical positions - Essay Example He believed that happiness is derived from the good will in performing an action regardless of the consequences. Consequently, the results of an action, whether good or bad, should be deemed irrelevant so long as the basis of good action was based on good will. Furthermore, he believed that people actions were morally good when based on an obligation to duty. According to Kant, if a maxim was in compliance to universal law then it was morally good and could be subjected to rational human beings (Maj, 2002). Kant further specified the practical imperative which dictated on human dignity. The basic logic of human dignity is based on treating human beings always as an end in themselves as opposed to a means to an end. However, one major assumption of Kant’s theory is ignorance of the consequences of actions based on good will. Actions based on good will are viewed as morally right irrespective of the consequences whether good or bad. John Stuart Mill proposed a different code of ethics, drawn from teleological theory, known as utilitarianism or the principle of utility (Maj, 2002). His theory justified actions as morally good if it led to happiness. However, if the result of the action was unhappiness, then it should be deemed as immoral. Moreover, decisions and actions are judged on morality based on the consequences and not the performing of the act itself. Furthermore, he theorized that if an action results to greater happiness to a greater number of people then it was morally right. Thus in pursuit of happiness through hedonism (ethical and psychological hedonism), people should perform actions that result to pleasure and prevent pain. John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism also justifies sacrifice if it contributes to the pleasure of people or minimizes pain. For example, sacrifice in form of discretion, that result in happiness to the greatest number of people. Moreover, Mill’s theory supports alt ruism as opposed to egoism.

Development of Online Auction Market

Development of Online Auction Market Abstract The world of online auction is a very competitive world, its also almost monopoly where companies such as e-bay take the biggest market share. Because the internet has no governing body and does not belong to any government there is no control over what users are selling or buying or whether there is ethical, moral or legal ramification on the act of the customers which use the services of these companies. Competing with companies such as e-bay, a well established brand with global dominance is not something I had in mind; Student Online Auction System is no exception in its need for these advantages and competitive edge to thrive in this highly competitive global market. This report will outline the stage in carrying out an investigation of a problem situation which is a real world and developing a new system. To be able to achieve tasks, various analytical and design methodologies were investigated. It is also important to consider the organizational structure and culture, this can play a vital role in information modeling because often a failure in an information system project may be more due to lack of recognition of or respect for the culture of the organization than because of the technology itself. Major organisations such as e-bay but lot of emphasizes on calling their customers Community members rather then customers. The original idea that help the birth of e-bay was to establish an online community were members meet in online forums were they engage in open discussions on how to improve the services provided, exchange ideas as well as selling and buying In this project an attempt will made to be more aware of the needs of the customer, and to make the system have the facility were customers, give a feedback on the systems functionality, usability and ease of navigation and then carrying out any relevant improvements suggested by these feedbacks at the maintenance stage. Chapter 1 Introduction The aim of this project is to design and set up an online business model where students at the university can buy and sell articles through effective bidding system. It also provides a guide for me to undertake the project successfully through gathering essential information and literature relating to the fundamental issues that can support and improve security. The projects objective is to create a tool that will reduce the operational risks related to do this type of business where fraudulent misuse of user accounts is very common. Information systems are fundamental part of organisations asset, its classed as an asset because information systems use data bases which are the building blocks of an information system. The information gathered and stored in these building blocks are then analysed and refined to help organisations decision making process. Although ordinary filing system will probably satisfy the definition of information system a Data Base Management System (DBMS) is a program design specifically to store and access data. It also has special features not present in cabinet filling system such as consistency, time saving, access control, reliability and recovery. This project is about developing a system which merges Database with website technology to produce an Online auction Business. http://www4.ncsu.edu/~wurman/Papers/Wurman-article.pdf 1.2 Description of Project Objectives. The main objective of this project is to make Students who want sell their unwanted items a computerized business by developing a database system together with a database driven site to give online services for their customers. In order to give a good service and stay competitive on the market, the business should be able to adopt this new system. The project will research on other Auction Businesses who already uses this technology and also investigate on how this business can give online services. In addition to that, the project will investigate the existing systems used by the existing online auction companies in day to day activity and identify the problem area of their system in order to come up with a better system. Starting from the research and analysis it will go to the implementation by having an appropriate report on the process undertaken including explanation of techniques and software used to develop the system. It will also analyse and identify the appropriate technology for SOAS Ltd to give an efficient service and to run the business more effectively. Finally there will be testing and evaluating the finished product to make sure that it meets the requirements in order to satisfy the client. Main points why set up Student Online Auction System. To provide fast and an efficient service to their customers. To get or attract more customers by giving online and fast services. To improve communication with customers. To protect data or information against unauthorised access. Online service will save journey (time) for any customers. Generate Revenue for both students and the company Stay competitive on the market. No interruption. Peace of mind. 1.3 Academic Objectives To design and implement a database management system for To gain an understanding of a database systems and the technology behind them. To research on other estate agents who currently have a database management system and online system. To discusses a range of methodologies, tools and techniques in order to select the most suitable approaches for the development of the project. To demonstrate all the practical and theoretical knowledge gained during my studies at the university. To meet deadlines following the software development principle including project management and documentation. To develop a website for London wide estates. 1.4 Personal Objectives To gain a valuable knowledge and experience in a variety of fields that should help build my future career. To gain confidence in my ability to make the right decision and cope with difficult situation during the development of the system with self-tuition and minimum supervision. To achieve an insight and hands-on practical experience of analyzing, designing, testing and documentation of a real world project. To prepare myself to face the real world in the computing industry with the experience I have gained in the past and will gain developing the system. By developing this system I hope to demonstrate my capability of mastering a real word project. 1.5 Project Proposal Although traditional auction houses still enjoy some popularity by restricting their trade on e few reserved items such as art effects and memorabilias. They have in some way or other adopted technology to conduct their business. This is because of the fast pace of technological revolution that is taken over the way that business is conducted all over world. These days everything seems to be done on a computer and paper work is becoming thing of the past. It is well known fact that Information technology is so important in making the life of many businesses much easier. It is also essential that businesses depend on a computerized database system to provide or record information for running their business on daily basis. Student Online Auction Systems Ltds purpose is to set up a database driven website were customers primarily students sell and buy items from each other. The project will make use of the web-driven database technology to implement and set up fully functioning online business. The purposed online system will allow customers to browse, search without registering and only allow to buy, sell or both after registration. In order to set up the system a variety of different softwares will be used HTML XML JAVASCRIPT ASP.net Visual studio SQL Express Chapter 2 2.1 Background The history of internet auctions started in mid 1990s, and quickly become one of the most successful applications of electronic commerce. Perhaps EBay, the premier consumer-to-consumer (C2C) internet auction site, is generally perceived as pioneer for the industry. As the business to business (B2B) auctions transaction volume increases the potential for the industry is greater then that of conventional auctions. With auction sites such as eBay and U-Bid being common household names, it seems hard to believe that the online auction phenomenon is actually very young. But young it is. In fact, the world of online auctions as we know it found its beginning in the year 1995 with a company dedicated to holding auctions for geeks wanting to buy, sell and trade computers and peripherals. Today, this site, fondly known as eBay, has become the worlds largest online marketplace hosting more than 100,000 auctions daily in 315 categories. With more than 40 million bids placed on eBay since its in ception, it is no wonder that other entrepreneurs hoping to claim a piece of the internet auction market quickly followed suit. Far from being a lonely beacon in the world of online trading, eBay is now competing with several other extremely successful online auctions sites. In fact, hundreds of auction sites can be found listed in various auction directories on the web. On these sites, consumers world wide buy, sell and trade items ranging from rare collectibles to daily essentials. Virtually everything imaginable can be found on internet auctions at a great price. http://www.unc.edu/~draughn/assignment1.html http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/2006-06-25-physics-of-ebay_x.htm 2.2 What is an online Auction? An online auction is an internet-based activity, which is used to negotiate prices for purchasing or sale of direct materials, capital or services. Online auctions can be used to sell: these are called Forward (or Seller) Auctions and closely resemble the activity on B2C auction websites. Companies have used forward auctions to sell off surplus assets or in times of shortages -highest bid wins. However, most companies are starting to use Reverse (or Buyer) Auctions, where purchasers seek market pricing, inviting suppliers to compete for business in an online event. Auctions can be either private/closed where there are typically few bidders who have no visibility of each others bids, or open, where a greater number of participants are invited. In this case participants have visibility of either their rank or the bidding itself. Bidding on an internet auction is as simple as surfing the web. All you need to do is register at an auction site and begin browsing for merchandise. Once you find exactly what you are looking for, you can place a bid and monitor the bidding action with just a few clicks of your mouse. Most auctions sites also allow you to transfer payments through PayPal, an online payment system. That means that your personal credit card information is not given to any buyer or auction site directly. So, no matter whether you are searching for a one-of-a-kind antique or looking for a bottle of discount designer perfume, you can bet that you will find what you seek at the online auctions. http://www.caslon.com.au/auctionsprofile.htm 2.3 How do Online Auctions Work? Internet auctions are giant flea markets. Sellers may offer one item at a time or multiple lots of the same item. In theory, online auctions run much like local auctions, but behind the scenes there is a collection of data going on continuously. Just like local auctions, there are sellers and bidders and winners and losers. Winners are expected to pay for what they bid on at the conclusion of the auction. But that is where the similarities between online and local auctions end. 2.3.1 Registration At online auctions you will be required to register before you can buy or sell an item (s). This is required to track items you bid on or sell, keep up with the bids, determine the winning bids and build a database on seller and bidder feedback. 2.3.2 Winning Bids The bidding for each auction closes at the scheduled time. In the case of sales of multiple lots, the participants with the highest bids at the close of the auction are obligated to buy the items. If no one bids at or above the reserve price, the auction closes without a winner. At the close of a successful auction, the buyer and seller communicate, usually by email, to arrange for payment and delivery of the goods. 2.3.3 Payment Options Buyers may have several payment options, including credit card, debit card, personal check, cashiers check, money order, cash on delivery and escrow services. However, all sellers do not accept all forms of payment. Credit cards offer buyers the most consumer protections, including the right to seek a credit from the credit card issuer if the product is not delivered or if the product received is not the product ordered. Typically, sellers using business-to-person auction sites accept payment by credit card. But many sellers in person-to-person auctions do not. Usually they require payment by cashiers check or money order before they send the item to the winning bidder 2.3.4 Types of auctions. There are two types of Internet auctions business-to-person or person-to-person. Sellers of business-to-person auction sites have physical control of the merchandise being offered and accept payment for the goods. In person-to-person auctions, individual sellers or small businesses offer their items for auction directly to consumers. Generally, the seller, not the site, has physical possession of the merchandise. After the auction closes, the seller is responsible for dealing directly with the highest bidder to arrange for payment and delivery. Chapter 3 3.0 Introduction Internet auctions can be characterised in two ways: third-party auction sellers such as e-Bay, Amazon.com and Yahoo! that auction goods for others (either individual sellers or corporate chains), and direct auction sellers which create their own auctions online via their company websites. A substantial number of retailers and catalogue firms are taking advantage of the boom in these online auctions to unload merchandise and increase sales, and growth in the online auction category is now well documented. Catalogue marketers as diverse as The Sharper Image, Ross-Simons, Cameraworld.com, and CompUSA are all successfully auctioning products online. A business model is the mechanism by which a business intends to specify a value proposition or a value cluster for targeted customers, a financial model and a market offering 3.1 ebays Business Model eBay has built an online person-to-person trading community on the Internet, using the World Wide Web. Buyers and sellers are brought together in a manner where sellers are permitted to list items for sale, buyers to bid on items of interest and all eBay users to browse through listed items in a fully automated way. The items are arranged by topics, where each type of auction has its own category. eBay has both streamlined and globalized traditional person-to-person trading, which has traditionally been conducted through such forms as garage sales, collectibles shows, flea markets and more, with their web interface. This facilitates easy exploration for buyers and enables the sellers to immediately list an item for sale within minutes of registering. Browsing and bidding on auctions is free of charge, but sellers are charged two kinds of charges: When an item is listed on eBay a non-refundable Insertion Fee is charged, which ranges between 30 cents and $3.30, depending on the sellers opening bid on the item. A fee is charged for additional listing options to promote the item, such as highlighted or bold listing. A Final Value (final sale price) fee is charged at the end of the sellers auction. This fee generally ranges from 1.25% to 5% of the final sale price. eBay notifies the buyer and seller via e-mail at the end of the auction if a bid exceeds the sellers minimum price, and the seller and buyer finish the transaction independently of eBay. The binding contract of the auction is between the winning bidder and the seller only. 3.2 Amazons Business Model Amazons business model is one in which Amazon depends on third party to deliver information goods or services to end customers. There are three operational strategies that have helped Amazon.com to enhance its competitive advantage, including cost-leadership, customer differentiation and focus strategies (Saunders, 2001, pp.122-123). The first strategy, cost-leadership is pursued by Amazon.com by differentiating itself primarily on the basis of price. Due to this strategy, Amazon.com always makes sure that it offers the same quality products as other companies for a considerably less price. Their second strategy is customer differentiation. Amazon.com provided current and prospective customers with differentiation though design, quality or convenience and Amazon.com always selects a differentiator that is different among the competitor. So, Amazon.com consumers can recognize and differentiate its product from competitors (Saunders, 2001, pp.122-123). The last strategy that it uses, i s a focus strategy. This strategy takes one of the two earlier strategies and applies it to a niche within the market (Saunders, 2001, pp.122-123). Amazon.com focuses on outstanding customer service as a niche but not the whole market because each niche has its own demand and requirement. 3.3 Customer interface To a certain extent, the Amazon.com customer interface can be customized to each users preferences. When a user logs in to Amazon.com after purchasing, the website reconfigures and presents content that pertains to individual users, depending upon the users responses or profile (2004, p.188). For Amazon.com, collaborative-filtering software is used to tailor the website to each user through comparing each users purchases with the purchases of other users with similar preferences (2004, p.188). A list is then compiled of additional purchase recommendations, with suggestions across product categories as well, such as similar areas of interest in CD or DVD format (2004, p.188). Additionally, the website promotes and fosters a community of customers through encouraging readers to submit book reviews and facilitating online discussions about previously read books (Spector, 2000, p.78). These activities provide users with an interactive component and give them an opportunity to contribute to the websites content as well as develop a group identity and sense of belonging which can lead to possible friendships (Spector, 2000, p.78).    3.4 Technology behind the Online Auctions Secure Internet system is safer then handing over your card details on the phone. The application used to secure the online monitory system is the Secure Socket layer SSL. This technology is a military strength encryption technology, which works in conjunction with secure servers. This technology scrambles and encrypts sensitive information such as credit card details with a code before passing by a merchant server from a PC and that of the company taking a customers money. One of the other applications is a system of digital certification. When a user visits the website, intending to purchase over the Internet online, the website will display a lock sign on the toolbar below and provide information that the website is secure to use, the SSL lock will identify if the website is certified or not? The certificate is to authorise secure online transaction processing, which acts like an Identity card for the site and for the company behind the site. Its confirmed that the site belong to a register trader. 3.4.2 Methodology The Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM) is thorough method of system development and if not understood fully it can lead into confusion into the mass of details available on the different stages of this methodology. SSDAM looks at the system from three different, but highly interdependent perspectives. The first is that of functionality or processing. This looks at the way in which data is passed around the system and the processes or activities that transform it, i.e. it sets out the functions provided for users by the system. The second is that of data. An information system (IS) exists only to store and act upon organisations data. By understanding the true nature and structure of data we get to real heart of the system. Data structures are far more constant than processing or functions, which tend to change fairly frequently; therefore its the data view that forms the backbone of SSADM. The final view looks at the effects of time and real world events on the dat a held within the system. Whereas the function and data views are rather ‘snapshot in nature, the events view is dynamic; it is specifically designed to model system behaviour over time. 3.4.2.1Advantages of using SSADM Timelines: Theoretically, SSADM allows one to plan, manage and control a project well. These points are essential to deliver the product on time. Usability: Within SSADM special emphasis is put on the analysis of user needs. Simultaneously, the systems model is developed and a comprehensive demand analysis is carried out. Both are tried to see if they are well suited to each other.6 Respond to changes in the business environment: As in SSADM documentation of the project†²s progress is taken very seriously, issues like business objectives and business needs are considered while the project is being developed. This offers the possibility to tailor the planning of the project to the actual requirements of the business. Effective use of skills: SSADM does not require very special skills and can easily be taught to the staff. Normally, common modelling and diagramming tools are used. Commercial CASE tools are also offered in order to be able to set up SSADM easily. Better quality: SSADM reduces the error rate of IS by defining a certain quality level in the beginning and constantly checking the system. Improvement of productivity: By encouraging on-time delivery, meeting business requirements, ensuring better quality, using human resources effectively as well as trying to avoid bureaucracy, SSADM improves the overall productivity of the specific project and the company. Cuts costs: SSADM separates the logical and the physical systems design. So the system does not have to be implemented again with new hard -or software.7 3.4.2.2 Disadvantages of using SSADM SSADM puts special emphasis on the analysis of the system and its documentation. This causes the danger of over-analysing, which can be very time and cost consuming. Due to various types of description methods, checks of consistence cannot be carried out. Especially with large systems, the outline diagram can become very unclear, because all relevant data flows have to be included. However, large companies carrying out various projects, can profit from the fact that SSADM gives the possibility to reuse certain techniques and tools for other projects. This reduces cost and time spent enormously in the long run. So, the danger of spending too much money on analysis can be compensated by the reuse of the developed systems and experience gained. 3.4.3 UML The unified modelling language defines the industry standard notation and semantics for properly applying that notation for software built using object-oriented (OO) or component based technology. UML2.0 provides common and consistent notation with which to describe (OO) and component software systems. The UML potentially decreases the learning curve for developers because they only need to learn the one modelling language. 3.4.3.1 Advantages of using UML Wide industry acceptance Wide range of tool support Consistent modelling notation 3.4.3.2 Disadvantages of using UML Modelling tools do not fully support it and sometimes get the notation wrong when they do Not yet complete Many developers only understand UML notations, often because most books and modelling tools do not go beyond the UML to address user interface modelling, or even business rules The full notation is overkill for most projects, most efforts only need a small subset of the notation 3.4.5 Using SSADM with UML Complex information systems require a methodology for their development in a structured manner. Many different methodologies exist, each suitable for a particular type of application. In this report we develop a taxonomy covering two different classification features for methodologies targeted at the workflow area. Features identified include concerns, method structure, data gathering means, people involved, notations, adaptability, flexibility, exception, CASE tool. Unified Modelling Language (UML) and Unified Process are relatively strong on hard aspects and weak on soft aspects. Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM) is perhaps the most comprehensive but some soft aspects are omitted. The combination of techniques such as UML and Workflow is identified as a way forward. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) HTML is one of the next generations of Generalised Markup Languages (GMLs). HTML is very easy to use language for web designing. HTML allows web developers to format web page using set of markup tags provided by HTML. HTML can be used within asp.net codes. This can only be made possible by using a asp.net function called asp followed by â€Å"(HTML)†, e.g. â€Å" Hello Word †. HTML is used within asp.net to design the interface to make it easy to navigate through a site. HTML forms static Web sites, but with the use of ASP.net is can be dynamic. 3.4.5.1 ASP.NET ASP stands for Active Server Pages. This is one of Microsofts latest software product. ASP.NET is built upon the .NET Framework. The .NET Framework consists of two main components: the common language runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework class library. The foundation of the .NET Framework is the CLR. It is like an agent that manages codes at execution time for both Windows and ASP.NET applications. The class library is an object-oriented collection of reusable components. It can be used to develop applications for both Windows and the Web. The .NET Framework is a free download, but the development tools can be expensive. ASP.NET is used by Web developers to create dynamic Web pages. It offers a set of reusable, predefined and ready to use controls. This control saves time as it minimises the amount of codes to be written. 3.4.5.2 Java Script JavaScript is a client side scripting language. It is highly efficient as many tasks are client-side processing. JavaScript is an interpreted programming language with object oriented capabilities. JavaScript can be embedded into the HTML to add functionality. JavaScript is very useful for setting validations on a page to minimize error entry. Microsoft SQL 2000 Microsoft SQL Server 2000 is a full-featured relational database management system (RDBMS) that offers a variety of administrative tools to ease the burdens of database development, maintenance and administration. It has features such as Enterprise Manager, Query Analyzer, SQL Profiler, Service Manager, Data Transformation Services and Books 3.5.0 Primary Research Primary research involves getting original data directly about the product and market. Primary research data is data that did not exist before. It is designed to answer specific questions of interest to the business. Here a questionnaire was chosen to be the method of conducting market research in to online auction website as the primary source. A questionnaire with composed of ten questions were distributed into ten students at different times and days to get maximum answer ratio. See Appendix A Chapter 4 4.0 Fact finding analysis All projects that involve system development must have thorough fact finding or investigation carried out before the specification, design and construction of the application. Its important for the project to be clear about what the system needs to do and this will require obtaining information about a potentially wide range of subjects. 4.0.1 Examining any existing documentation Although there was physical documentation available to examine for existing companies such as e-bay, it was relatively small amounts of electronic journals available at the research web resources such as Mental. 4.0.2 Interviewing Interviewing is the most and common techniques that is used almost in every computing or business project. This is because is an easy way of collecting information face-to-face with the people involved in the old or new system. This process has started from the first day of the project by meeting both my supervisor Mrs Patricia Robertson, for more updates. The process started by drawing some business activity model (for more information please look at the BAM (Business Activity Model). These activities had to be change few several times to meet the systems requirements. Through out the project it was important to interview regular users of the existing systems used by other companies such as e-bay and Amazon for feedbacks and updates. The project had faced some sit back at the beginning due to the fact that the original sole use of SSADM as methodology was not good idea, which made it hard getting the exact system requirement. With the help of some of the SSADM techniques such as the BAM and ER diagram coupled with UML CASE diagrams we managed to reach an over look of the system. Questionnaire As part of the investigation process, questionnaires were prepared and handed out to some randomly selected people from the Westminster harrow Campus ,as they could be the new potential customers , these were filled out on the while they were in the Hall ways and student union centre. Questionnaires generally tend to be an inexpensive method of getting people to provide information. The technique used will be closed questions. This will allow people to write their short answers on a fixed set of options, to avoid people getting bored by long open questions which they have no time for. 4.0.4. Analysis of the questionnaire The questionnaire started with asking potential customers how often they visit Online auction? The group of people questioned consisted 60% of (19-30) years olds, 20% of the age (18) and 20% of the age (31-45), 30% of the participants answered that they visit online auction websites at least once a week 1% answered everyday 40% said they visit once a month and 20% percent said they never visit online auction websites. But perhaps more surprisingly of all questions, participants were undecided 50% yes and 50 % No when asked whether online auctions offer a better deal. There was however good result when participants were asked whether they actually sold or bought from online auctions the result was 60% yes and 40% no. see graph below 4.1.0 Market Positioning Once a potential market segments have being identified and target audience selected, SOS Ltd would need to determine the positioning of its services amongst service industries in the market place. Effective management of marketing communication will enable the companys marketers to position their services in the mind of the customers, its therefore important for the company to position itself along side the Specialist online auction web site: such sites need to build a good reputation for

Globalization in Afghanistan Essay -- Free Trade, Global Commerce

Afghanistan’s importance with respect to the cultural impact of globalization is increasing as the war in Afghanistan draws down. Afghanistan sits on the edge of the unknown. Once the United States leaves it will be left to create its own destiny. The eyes of the world will be on Afghanistan to see who it allies with, who it trades with and how it conducts itself. Historically speaking, Afghanistan has modernized only when forced by invaders. The Soviet Union built many roads, schools, power plants and other infrastructure to help its newly installed puppet regime, and facilitate its movement through Afghanistan. The USSR saw Afghanistan as country in the way of its pursuit of a continuous stretch of land to connect it to the Indian Ocean. Alexander the great saw it as an obstacle in his expansion east, and Genghis Khan saw it as an obstacle in his westward expansion. Afghanistan is like a time capsule. Many people farm for subsistence, and few are able to read or write. Afghans have been compared to Spartans in that they are a martial people who have been at war for thousands of years. The rough terrain in which they live lends itself to long periods of resistance. Time and time again they have been able to push away would be conquerors. The current war in Afghanistan stands in contrast to previous wars because its purpose is not one of conquest for land or for the exploitation of resources. The purpose of the current war in Afghanistan is to win over the Afghan people and to help them grow ideologically to assimilate into an ever more technologically advanced global environment. Recently Afghanistan has grown significantly in terms of its ability to care for itself. A national army and a developing police force are becomi... ...://www.outsourcingoffshore.us/the-disadvantages-of-outsourcing.php The Ministery. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2012, from Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation: http://www.motca.gov.af/index.php?id=17 United Nations Development Programme Afghanistan. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2012, from Environment and Energy for Sustainable Development: http://www.undp.org.af/WhatWeDo/ee.htm vision. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2012, from Ministry of Communications and Technology: http://mcit.gov.af/en/page/3 Lopez, Brendan CDT H-4 ’12. Assistance given to the author, verbal discussion. CDT Lopez edited my paper and gave me feedback on style and format. He recommended that I reword the intent behind the Soviet contributions to Afghan infrastructure. He also recommended that I discuss the lengths that the American government had gone to build cell towers in Afghanistan.

A Family Supper: A Visit to a Japanese Home

Seeing the high economic growth of Japan, and using the country’s high tech products that are sold all around the globe, all non-Japanese people have an idea about the culture of the nation.   In the international mind, Japan is highly business minded, believes in economic nationalism, and is mainly Buddhist.All Buddhist nations in the world, except for China and Korea, are perfectly peaceful in their foreign relations, which is to say that they practice the theory of nonviolence propounded by the wisest of people.   In order to practice nonviolence, any human being must act quite unfeeling or unemotional, which is actually quite beneficial in Japanese business too.The phrase ‘cold and calculating’ is apt in describing the benefits of being unemotional in business.   It is this unemotional Japanese culture that comes to the fore in Kazuo Ishiguro’s A Family Supper.   The story is an exposition of the Japanese culture in the foreign mind.   Given t hat it does not describe the culture of Japan away from the narrator’s home, it is the story of a Japanese home, which happens to be typically Japanese in the perspective of the non-Japanese reader.The Japanese apparently do not believe in the exhibition of their emotions.   If they are extremely worried, upset, or depressed, they prefer to commit suicide rather than to expose themselves to shame by revealing their emotional problems to others.   Ishiguro’s story deals with two suicides, one of the narrator’s mother, and the other of his father’s friend, Watanabe.The latter was suffering from business problems, and therefore committed suicide because of the emotional strain that he could not express to others.   Business is, of course, all important to the Japanese.   In the case of the narrator’s mother, we are told that she consumed the dreadful fugu fish, which everybody knew to be poisonous or highly risky to consume.The mother used to avoid consuming the fugu fish, â€Å"but on this particular occasion,† writes Ishiguro, â€Å"she made an exception, having been invited by an old school friend whom she was anxious not to offend† (320).   Obviously, the mother wanted to commit suicide.Neither she nor Watanabe were said to use the help of a psychotherapist when they were suffering from emotional problems.   In her case, â€Å"She had many worries.   And some disappointments† (325).   In the case of Watanabe, we are informed by the narrator’s father, â€Å"He didn’t wish to live with the disgrace† of having lost his business (320).   Yet, both the mother and Watanabe feel emotions that are intense enough to call for suicide.It appears strange that a highly business minded society is not positive enough to deal properly with its emotional problems.   In other words, the Japanese society that is described through Ishiguro’s story does not always seem to strug gle for survival, hoping, praying, believing, and expecting better days.   Instead, everything seems to be alright for individuals until they cannot seem to deal with their emotional problems and decide to end their lives.What is more, nobody seems to miss the people who have died with intense emotions.   The narrator of Ishiguro’s story does not even recognize his mother’s face in the picture during the family supper, on which the story is based.   All that the Japanese seem to feel for the deceased is rationalized sympathy.   Both the narrator and his sister, Kikuko, refer to their deceased mother as â€Å"Poor Mother† (323).They believed that their mother was poor or unfortunate because she could not deal with her problems in a positive way.   Neither did Watanabe assume that he could start afresh with a new business.   For him, the end of his business marked the end of his life.   The unemotional nature he must have expressed in business did no t help him out.   Rather, Watanabe felt emotions that he found humiliating to express before his death, just like the mother who also committed suicide.Although the narrator of â€Å"A Family Supper† is visiting Japan two years after his mother’s death, there is no family discussion held about his mother.   Only facts are important to know.   Anything emotional seems to be avoided at all costs.The narrator’s mother did not confide in her children during her depressive phase before the suicide.   And, if she had mentioned her problems to her husband, he is not willing to share them with the children.   By underplaying emotions, the Japanese family is revealing its cultural belief in rationality that defines its economic success.As a matter of fact, Japan is known to be a very successful nation.   If the country had been emotional and violent, it would most likely have been beset by problems known to the entire world.   But we do not hear about the b udget deficit in Japan, neither do news reports complain that Japan has bullied another nation.All emotions seem to be checked, and the mind is held supreme.   Nevertheless, it is human nature to fail as well as succeed.   Perhaps the mother of the narrator as well as Watanabe had had their minds failed.   Both of them had passed the stage of youth.   Still, they did not seem to have revealed their strong emotions unto others.   Even Kikuko, while living with her mother, did not seem to have focused on her mother’s problems.   Both the suicides seem to have been done based on the intellect alone, even if the intellect had pretty much failed.   In other words, Watanabe and the mother must have lost their minds.   Therefore, the reader cannot blame lack of emotions, seeing that Japan remains generally successful without them.Kikuko does not ‘feel’ love toward her boyfriend.   She is not even sure whether the boy whom she likes would be good for he r to spend a lot of time with.   This is another exposition of the unemotional nature of the Japanese, although the reader may assume that Kikuko may eventually start feeling enough for a man whom she would finally marry.   And, she will marry – that is a certainty.All non-Japanese people probably have an idea about the family values of the Asians.   Asian societies are mostly patriarchal.   Kikuko cannot speak openly before her father: â€Å"She answered him with short, formal replies† (321).   Moreover, the girl must obey her father without questioning and without doubts.   There is no friendliness between the father and daughter.   What is more, the girl is probably not allowed to smoke before her father.She mentions to her brother that she had been wanting to smoke for quite a while.   When he asks her why she did not smoke, she simply points at her house, referring to the father inside the house.   She must respect her father unconditionally, and there is no point in questioning why he would not agree to his daughter’s desire to smoke as opposed to his son’s.   It is tradition, it is faith.Japanese girls normally do not smoke before their fathers because smoking is a bad habit that girls in particular should not adopt.   Kikuko is expected to cook in the home, and serve tea.   Besides, she must marry soon after her education is complete.   This is, indeed, a typically Asian perception of gender roles.   And, foreign readers of Ishiguro’s story must be aware of it to begin with, for this kind of knowledge exists in our collective consciousness if nothing else.Ishiguro takes the foreign reader into the Japanese home to remind him or her about the culture of Japan that the reader may already have knowledge about.   In point of fact, Ishiguro’s story confirms our beliefs about the unemotional and patriarchal Japanese culture.   The unemotional nature of Japan has done it good, although when a Japanese person loses his or her rationality, there may be no turning back.   After reading the story, there is no doubt left in the reader’s mind as to whether Japan would show great emotions in the near future, or if the country has become modernized enough to leave the patriarchal culture behind.   In truth, Japan is still holding firm its cultural values.Works CitedIshiguro, Kazuo. â€Å"A Family Supper.†

Creating a server (Linux)

For this kind of scenario, I would have to create a server from scratch so I can be able to identify any types of vulnerabilities on any of these server requirements stated below. Any of these can be at risk at any time, so creating a new server from scratch would be most recommended. Because it is kind of safer than Windows because most viruses and worms are written for Windows but it doesn’t mean Linux can be attacked.Server Requirements:A Web ServerA database serverA Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) serverA file server customers’ loan applications and other personal data files First of all, since Linux is mostly an open-source type of software running server, it is very vulnerable to any kinds of attacks, or as Linux calls them, crackers. Many malicious attacks on Linux and related applications will also grow. The Web Server isn’t much of a risk because but it is still an important software that can have a high risk of being attacked because it’s kn own as an open-source, so having any personal information stored inside it, can be at risk of being exposed to a cracker (hacker).The Database Server is a very high risk of vulnerabilities because this is where important data and files are being stored in. Again, this is still an open-source software so protecting this kind of software is important to the company. A Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and a file server for customers’ loan applications and other personal data files are a must protect! These are open-sources too, so basically all of these server requirements are open source, no surprise. But protecting all these will require a lot of attention especially the SMTP, file server for customers’ and the database server. Here are some steps/tools that you can use to stop any kinds of attacks upon these servers: Identify any risks/vulnerabilities these servers have:Open portsNessusOpenSSH/PuTTY/SSHBurp SuiteThere’s more of these but these are the basics of protecting your Linux system from attacks. Follow these steps and you’ll be able to have any risks on your Linux systems.

kids essays

kids essays I have to admit, when first told of our out of class assignment to work with the kids from Cambridge; I thought it was just something to do in my spare time. I figured I could spare enough time to get to know the kids while participating in outside activities. However, now with the required time we have to spend over at Cambridge almost finished, I find myself thinking that I would like to continue to work with and visit the children even after our time is up. As President Roosevelt said once, Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." I have seen these kids progress tremendously since the first day of my involvement, and I cannot help but feel that I had a little to do with it. I am willing to spend a little more of my spare time, if that means that at least one kid turns out to be a better person because of it. It is then that I will feel truly satisfied with my involvement with the kids from Cambridge. How do poor parents cope? Many poor families cut back on food, which interferes with kids' development and can create health problems for everyone in the house hold. Many rent substandard housing, do without health insurance, and are forced to settle for poor quality child care. Poverty is tough on children. When it's cold in the house and there's not much to eat, kids get sick more often and can do worse in school. This affects their long-term health and future job prospects. Family stress increases and so can emotional and physical abuse. When parents work and still can't pay for their family's basic needs, society is saying to children: it doesn't make sense to play by the rules. This is not a good message for kids to grow up with. This is the world these kids at Cambridge live with. I do not know what it is about these kids that make them different from other children I have worked with. Perhaps it is their circumstances. Love is a state...

How to Use Formal and Informal Italian Subject Pronouns

How to Use Formal and Informal Italian Subject Pronouns While in English we might differ in word choice during informal and formal situations, we don’t change the forms being used.  However, Romance languages have separate forms of addressing others in formal versus informal situations. As if learning a new language wasn’t difficult enough! Learning how to use the formal and informal subject pronouns in Italian is very important. So-called social graces are key to Italian culture, and what seems like a language nuisance can determine the success of a social interaction, especially with the elderly and someone to whom you should show respect. How Many Ways You Can Say You? There are four ways of saying you in Italian: tu, voi, lei, and loro. Tu (for one person) and voi (for two or more people) are the familiar/informal forms. The Informal While it’s taught that tu is used only with family members, children, and close friends, it can also be used with people  around your age. For example, if youre around 30 and go to a bar to get a cappuccino, you can use the â€Å"tu† form with the barista who seems around your age, too. It’s likely that she’ll give you the â€Å"tu† form first anyway: Cosa prendi? – What are you having?Che cosa voui? – What do you want?Di dove sei? – Where are you from? If youre talking to a person that is younger than you tu is always the best choice. Voi is the plural form of the informal way of addressing people. Voi works for formal and informal scenarios and its the plural you: Di dove siete? – Where are you all from?Voi sapete che... – You all know that... The Formal In more formal situations like at a bank, the doctors office, a work meeting, or talking to an elder, the lei form is always best. Use lei (for one person, male or female) and its plural voi in more formal situations to address strangers, acquaintances, older people, or people in authority: Lei à ¨ di dove? – Where are you from?Da dove viene lei? – Where do you come from?Voi siete degli studenti. – You are students. You’ll often see Lei capitalized to distinguish it from lei (she) when there might be room for confusion. TIP: If you’re really not sure and you want to avoid choosing between â€Å"lei† or â€Å"tu† entirely, you can always use the generic altrettanto to mean likewise in place of anche a lei/ anche a te. Also, unless you’re talking to royalty, you don’t have to use the formal loro like most textbooks teach. It Can Be Confusing Finally, it’s tough to figure out when you should use the tu or when you should use the lei form, so if you get it wrong at first, don’t worry. Italians know that you’re learning a new language and that it can be difficult, so do your best. When In Doubt, Ask You can always ask when you are unsure about how to address a person. If, for example, you feel youre close in age or there is no relationship that might call for a respectful lei, go ahead and ask: Possiamo darci del tu? – May we switch to the tu form? In response, someone can say: Sà ¬, certo. –Yes, certainly. If you want to tell someone to use the tu with you, you can say: Dammi del tu. – Use the the tu form with me.

Anglo Saxon Culture as Reflected in Beowulf

Cultures usually have distinct figures that reflect their culture as a whole. The importance of religion, values, and heroes are reflected a great deal in the epic poem of Beowulf accurately showing the Anglo Saxon culture as a whole. Men dominated the Anglo Saxon society and the people loved a great hero like that of Beowulf. They believed a hero should be a keeper of his promises, be boastful and produce great physical strength. Also Beowulf was an outstanding fighter and loyal to everyone he met. He believed no one was greater than anyone else; Beowulf showed great respect even to his enemies by fighting them one on one (â€Å"Anglo Saxons† 48). Even when Beowulf knows fate is against him and he is going to die; he continues to keep fighting; â€Å"†¦No prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise† (Beowulf 60). Beowulf’s boastful self-confidence, his overpowering strength, and his victories in battle make him a classic legendary hero and a model for the Anglo Saxon culture. A very important element in the society of the Anglo Saxons was the mead hall. The mead hall was essentially a meeting place for dinners, story telling and the party for victories (Bjork 89). The mead hall symbolizes security, fellowship, and all that is good in the world (Bjork 90). The mead hall was thought to be the safest place in the entire Kingdom. In Beowulf the mead hall was described as â€Å"the foremost of halls under heaven† (Orchard 77). This mead hall was called Herot serving as a palace for King Hrothgar. This is where Beowulf dismantled Grendel in an epic battle. Beowulf preferred to fight with his bare hands. The typical Anglo Saxon warrior was not blessed with the great talents Beowulf was blessed with so they used various weapons like: the spear, sword, shield, seaxe, and bow and sling. The spear was the most common weapon of choice and could be used as a missile or used in hand-to-hand combat. The sword was not a common weapon used at all because it was very expensive to produce. The sword was usually given to a great warrior who has demonstrated courageous acts in battle. All warriors had a shield that was made of wood and usually lined together by metal. A seaxe was a single bladed knife that was carried on the belt on the warrior and was used more as a tool than an actual weapon (Beowulf 112-113). Anglo-Saxons valued religion very highly. There is much controversy over Beowulf in dealing with pagan and Christian beliefs because historians believe both were integrated although Christianity seems to be more prevalent. Religion was the center of people’s life at this time and is demonstrated in Beowulf when Beowulf calling for God exclaims †¦ â€Å"the almighty the maker of the earth†. Up until the 6th century it is back and forth between Christianity and Paganism. The greatest sources of information on the pagan period of religion are from the 7th to 8th century testimonies, such as Beowulf (Orchard 25). Paganism dealt with the worshiping of many gods. The celebration of glory has such emphasis in Beowulf because human praise is the highest goal of the pagan characters. Anglo Saxon warriors wore helmets for battle with a pagan god on them named Freyr. Those who grew up praying to Thor to protect them with their shield and helmet before they went to battle were involved in the pagan religion (Orchard 33). Paganism seemed to be the religion of choice for many Anglo- Saxon warriors while Christianity did not evolve as quick in warriors (â€Å"Saxons Culture†). Margaret E. Goldsmith who wrote â€Å"The Christian Theme of Beowulf† exclaimed the teaching of St. Augustine and St.  Gregory are incorporated in Hrothgar’s sermon. Goldsmith said Beowulf was sort of a Christian historical novel, with selected bits of paganism purposely laid on as â€Å"local color† such as the references to fate or Wyrd (Bloom 127). All considered Beowulf shows religion, expresses values of everyday life and explains what a true hero in all about in Anglo Saxon times. The Anglo Saxons express their cultures through wonderful literature such as Beowulf, which is a record of heroic deeds. The Anglo Saxon society believes in great men such as Beowulf that have good morals and exemplify devotion to their country. Beowulf derives its main plot from folk tales; and as W. P. Ker has said, â€Å" it is difficult to give individuality or epic dignity to commonplaces of this sort (Bloom 14). The author of Beowulf recognized the obligation of giving his hero emotional and ethical value through association with events the Anglo Saxon people would recognize as hero-like. It was not enough that Beowulf should display unequaled strength and courage in his victories over gargantuan monsters but the value of these exploits must be enhanced by Beowulf’s deep and emotionally justified concern for those he fought (Bloom 14). The physical power of Beowulf does not give him the moral dimensions and the title of an epic hero. The loyalty and unselfishness Beowulf displays makes him the ultimate Anglo Saxon hero and the great epic of Beowulf will never be forgotten because there is no greater idol than Beowulf. Anglo Saxon Culture as Reflected in Beowulf Cultures usually have distinct figures that reflect their culture as a whole. The importance of religion, values, and heroes are reflected a great deal in the epic poem of Beowulf accurately showing the Anglo Saxon culture as a whole. Men dominated the Anglo Saxon society and the people loved a great hero like that of Beowulf. They believed a hero should be a keeper of his promises, be boastful and produce great physical strength. Also Beowulf was an outstanding fighter and loyal to everyone he met. He believed no one was greater than anyone else; Beowulf showed great respect even to his enemies by fighting them one on one (â€Å"Anglo Saxons† 48). Even when Beowulf knows fate is against him and he is going to die; he continues to keep fighting; â€Å"†¦No prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise† (Beowulf 60). Beowulf’s boastful self-confidence, his overpowering strength, and his victories in battle make him a classic legendary hero and a model for the Anglo Saxon culture. A very important element in the society of the Anglo Saxons was the mead hall. The mead hall was essentially a meeting place for dinners, story telling and the party for victories (Bjork 89). The mead hall symbolizes security, fellowship, and all that is good in the world (Bjork 90). The mead hall was thought to be the safest place in the entire Kingdom. In Beowulf the mead hall was described as â€Å"the foremost of halls under heaven† (Orchard 77). This mead hall was called Herot serving as a palace for King Hrothgar. This is where Beowulf dismantled Grendel in an epic battle. Beowulf preferred to fight with his bare hands. The typical Anglo Saxon warrior was not blessed with the great talents Beowulf was blessed with so they used various weapons like: the spear, sword, shield, seaxe, and bow and sling. The spear was the most common weapon of choice and could be used as a missile or used in hand-to-hand combat. The sword was not a common weapon used at all because it was very expensive to produce. The sword was usually given to a great warrior who has demonstrated courageous acts in battle. All warriors had a shield that was made of wood and usually lined together by metal. A seaxe was a single bladed knife that was carried on the belt on the warrior and was used more as a tool than an actual weapon (Beowulf 112-113). Anglo-Saxons valued religion very highly. There is much controversy over Beowulf in dealing with pagan and Christian beliefs because historians believe both were integrated although Christianity seems to be more prevalent. Religion was the center of people’s life at this time and is demonstrated in Beowulf when Beowulf calling for God exclaims †¦ â€Å"the almighty the maker of the earth†. Up until the 6th century it is back and forth between Christianity and Paganism. The greatest sources of information on the pagan period of religion are from the 7th to 8th century testimonies, such as Beowulf (Orchard 25). Paganism dealt with the worshiping of many gods. The celebration of glory has such emphasis in Beowulf because human praise is the highest goal of the pagan characters. Anglo Saxon warriors wore helmets for battle with a pagan god on them named Freyr. Those who grew up praying to Thor to protect them with their shield and helmet before they went to battle were involved in the pagan religion (Orchard 33). Paganism seemed to be the religion of choice for many Anglo- Saxon warriors while Christianity did not evolve as quick in warriors (â€Å"Saxons Culture†). Margaret E. Goldsmith who wrote â€Å"The Christian Theme of Beowulf† exclaimed the teaching of St. Augustine and St.  Gregory are incorporated in Hrothgar’s sermon. Goldsmith said Beowulf was sort of a Christian historical novel, with selected bits of paganism purposely laid on as â€Å"local color† such as the references to fate or Wyrd (Bloom 127). All considered Beowulf shows religion, expresses values of everyday life and explains what a true hero in all about in Anglo Saxon times. The Anglo Saxons express their cultures through wonderful literature such as Beowulf, which is a record of heroic deeds. The Anglo Saxon society believes in great men such as Beowulf that have good morals and exemplify devotion to their country. Beowulf derives its main plot from folk tales; and as W. P. Ker has said, â€Å" it is difficult to give individuality or epic dignity to commonplaces of this sort (Bloom 14). The author of Beowulf recognized the obligation of giving his hero emotional and ethical value through association with events the Anglo Saxon people would recognize as hero-like. It was not enough that Beowulf should display unequaled strength and courage in his victories over gargantuan monsters but the value of these exploits must be enhanced by Beowulf’s deep and emotionally justified concern for those he fought (Bloom 14). The physical power of Beowulf does not give him the moral dimensions and the title of an epic hero. The loyalty and unselfishness Beowulf displays makes him the ultimate Anglo Saxon hero and the great epic of Beowulf will never be forgotten because there is no greater idol than Beowulf.

Controls for Inflows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Controls for Inflows - Essay Example I am proposing is that Apollo Shoes should consider examining the way the company operates and finding a way to cut back on the expenditures through the reduction of the packaging for their products, the cutback of their payroll, and cutback of frivolous expenses that do not really need to be made. Furthermore, Apollo Shoes needs to keep a close tab upon its inventory levels and the payroll. If these three components can be limited to a bare minimum that still enables Apollo Shoes to operate, then the company will be able to produce great profits. Sales affect the cash and the ways it is distributed throughout the company. Implementing sales control is tricky. The difficulty lies in making sure that the advertising budget does not spend more than Apollo Shoes is likely to bring in. Controlling sales requires three overall components: firstly, advertising has to be below the net sales of the shoes forecasted to sale that year; secondly, making sure that the store selling Apollo Shoes does not negatively influence the sales; and thirdly, knowledge of retail outlets clientele will help Apollo Shoes better sell the products. Inventory: Back stock will be needed to keep in the distribution centers to be ready to go out to the retail outlets when required. However, this needs to be kept at a minimum to cut back on the amount of cash. Demand: Know what the best selling products of Apollo Shoes are and keep more of those on the shelves than the others. Pushing the most popular products will allow Apollo Shoes to maximize its

Reflection Paper Number two Advantages of Evaluation Essay

Reflection Paper Number two Advantages of Evaluation - Essay Example I will be explaining each area of discussion by providing examples and facts to present it in the most effective way. Evaluation is a key to success as it helps in meeting a person's needs from day to day activity or program in the Recreation and Leisure Service. It is very important in other sectors too. Evaluation is important for our program as recreation and leisure are indispensable part of our lives. Man cannot keep on working without taking any break. I feel that the professionals of recreation and leisure industry should focus on evaluation of the services provided by them to the clients in order to be successful in their professions. According to the bulletin of Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, College of Health and Human Services, "Every year, millions of people spend an increasing amount of time in pursuit of beneficial leisure and recreation experiences As the world's leading industry, recreation and leisure spending accounts for approximately one trillion dollars a year." (para.9) Hence this is the most profitable time for the recreation and leisure industry. There are immense opportunities of growth in this sector. But this growth is achievable only if the professionals and services involved in these activities perform well. It is not enough to chalk out pl ans and strategies of performance and distribute it to different levels of workers. It is also necessary to check whether the planned objectives and strategies are heading towards the right direction. The only way to do this is through evaluation. Through this method the shortcomings can be identified and rectified to achieve optimum growth and success. For e.g. nowadays there is a great boom in the hospitality sector. People have started using the services of hotels a lot. But if the hotel does not provide proper services to the customers, the customers will stop staying in that hotel and turn to its competitors. In order to check whether the customers are being served properly or not the hotel manager should keep on evaluating the hotel staffs' performance from time to time. He should check whether they behave courteously or not, whether their service is prompt or not, whether the cleaning of rooms and toilets are up to the mark or not. In addition to all this the hotel kitchen an d the quality of food should be evaluated constantly. It should be checked whether the purchase department of the hotel is purchasing good quality groceries, vegetables and other foodstuff or not. The quality of drinking water should also be of utmost priority in the evaluation agenda. In other words even the minutest details should be evaluated to ensure proper functioning of the hotel. If not done so it is impossible to get back the goodwill of a dissatisfied customer, especially when so many options are available to him. Nowadays all the people involved in the recreation and leisure program keep evaluating their performances from time to time because it is the topmost need of the competitive times we are living in. So

Business Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethics - Research Paper Example While doing any business, it is needed that no laws are violated. Organizations should not rely on auditors, cops, manuals or ethics officers to incorporate ethics into the strategic activities, as values need to be a key component while formulating a strategy. Transparency should always be observed. Moreover, employee development should be one of the key objectives incorporating ethics as its important constituent – encouraging all staff members to be demanding as far as the ethical domain is concerned. While assessing organizational performance at the end of the year, ethical behavior – that how it fared with others should be an important criterion. Although it is widely recognized by most corporations to incorporate social responsibility and ethical behavior in their day-to-day functioning, yet it is commonly observed that even large corporations have been often found flouting it. That means companies overstep ethical boundaries while fulfilling stakeholders’ agendas. The case of Nestle is worth elaborating here. Nestle launched free distribution of baby milk powder in some of the African countries – making mothers dependable on Nestle’s infant formula until the time their milk dry up. This is essentially to promote their milk formula and increase their consumption. This is surely an unethical way to promote the company business in poor African countries. Unethical business practices came into limelight when the New Internationalist exposed Nestle’s unethical business practices, a way back, in 1973. Nestle run elaborate publicity campaigns in third world countries where there is a huge market for baby milk powder. The campaign also aimed at changing cultural habits of the people such as breastfeeding to increase their sales. The unethical marketing practices of Nestle prevented breastfeeding to millions of infants causing malnutrition, underfeeding and making them prone to deadly diseases. As per James Grant, the Exe cutive Director of UNICEF, breastfeeding could have saved lives of hundreds of thousands of infants in the 1980s (New Internationalist, 1982). Wal-Mart is known as the largest retailer across the world; however, the point to be noted is how the company can behave so unethically towards its employees. In 2000, Deborah Shank, a 52-year old employee at Wal-Mart, got collided with a semi-trailer while at work and damaged her brain remaining in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She received $700,000 as the compensation from the trucking company. After meeting other expenses, a fund of $417,000 was kept in a special trust to take care of Shank. However, after the period of six years, Wal-Mart sued Deborah for $470,000 that the company had spent on her treatment because the employment contract dictated that any compensation granted to an employee in an accident settlement case would belong to Wal-Mart. Deborah's economic status suddenly became precarious – fully dependent on so cial security scheme and Medicaid to meet her medical needs. In this particular case, Wal-Mart's behavior was entirely unethical towards Deborah who was the company’s ex-employee (Hynes, 2011). Union Carbide, a large multinational company in 1980s (later taken over by Dow Chemical), is another glaring example of gross unethical business practices – violating all statutory safety norms that resulted into leakages of Methyl isocyanate, a deadly poisonous gas, killing

Wk 3 disc(6100) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk 3 disc(6100) - Essay Example Because of this circumstances and impending threat, Patricia is experiencing anxiety and very nervous when she consulted Lisette. Moreover, she has already lost 15 pounds. In counseling, the one of the counselor’s role is to help the clients create their own road maps that would help them resolve their problem on their own. It is also a practice that counselor’s must not let their clients depend on them emotionally so they can become independent and realize that they make their own choices. In this case, this has not been observed since Shaun allowed himself to have an intimate affair with the counselee. In section 2.5 of the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics, counselors are prohibited from engaging in sexual or intimate affairs with their clients. Doing so means abuse of power since the counselor takes advantage of the vulnerability of the client. Koocher and Keith-Spiegel (1998) asserted that confidentiality is considered as â€Å"a cornerstone of the helping relationship†. Moreover, the element of trust has been betrayed which is the keystone in counseling. Shaun has gone beyond his limits and showed subjectivity by even threatening Patr icia to stop assisting her. Fisher ( 2008 ) argued that the counselor must be very aware that the â€Å"primary obligation† is again the protection of information , not just the protection of rights (Ethical Standard 4.01, Maintaining Confidentiality). Therefore, Shaun cannot disclose any information to anyone especially to Patricia’s live-in boyfriend. If he does, then he is liable for violating the Code of ACA. Lisette then must act immediately to protect the counselee from harm by requesting a transfer of the counselee to another counselor ( in this case, Lisette). Indeed, the situation has become complicated since Lisette has to deal with Shaun and at the same time, earning Patricia’s

Do culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in Essay

Do culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order - Essay Example Realism on the other hand believe that the way that international order is achieved is through states’ pursuit of power (Bromley and Smith, 2004). Liberalism theories of transformation are especially useful for analyzing whether or not culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order. Liberalism theories draw attention to universality and particularity. In this regard, the question for consideration is different standpoints (particularity) find commonality and thus universality in structuring international order (Bromley and Smith, 2004). Human rights in the international political order is often perceived in terms of universality, yet strands of particularity are observed. Therefore, according to cultural relativism, while it is often claimed that human rights are universal because we are all human beings, there are individual claims that what rights are applicable and inalienable depends on cultural values, beliefs and practices (Donnelly, 2007). Cultural relativism is said to be more profound with the challenges resulting from globalization and a multicultural world (Ayton-Shenker, 1995). Disparities in terms of income, access to resources, cultural clashes and so on have raised concerns about whether or not universality in the international ordering can be achieved amidst profound and divergent particularity. Ayton-Shenker (1995) argues that cultural clashes and inequitable differences threatens the international order in that societies may inevitably resort to cultivating their own cultural values and identities. This research paper will therefore use liberalism theories of transformation, especially concepts of universality and particularity to analyse whether or not culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order. This research paper hypothesized that if cultural relativism

Bowling for Columbine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bowling for Columbine - Essay Example The possible conclusions of Moore adhere to a few criminological theories, among which the Classical and Rational Choice Theories can be considered the most convincing. The eclectic nature of Moore’s arguments can also lead to the Integrated Theory. The basic argument of Moore is that the American community has a strange affinity towards gun crime, for which the easy accessibility of gun merely serves as an encouragement. In this sense, there are no sufficient deterrents for an average American citizen to be held back from possible crimes. The movie begins with the sequence of Moore acquiring a free gun for opening a time deposit for a specific sum in a Michigan bank. The argument by the Michigan Militia that guns vouchsafe the safety of the individual and family is shown as a reductive one, discounting the possibilities of increasing numbers of gun crimes in a society where everyone is entitled to possess a gun. Though there exists sufficient punishment as a deterrent in America, there is not enough awareness among the public regarding the use of the guns. Eventually, it is possible that the guns end up being I the hands of school kids, like Erik Harris and Dylan Klebold, who perpetrated the shocking massacres at Columbine school. Using the metaphor of an irresponsible game like bowling, Moore exposes the lack of proper concern and clear rules reading the possession and use of guns. In a culture where even teenagers can procure guns from supermarkets, one has to assume that the rational choice deterrence would be nonexistent. Even though Moore asserts that the easy availability of guns is not the only reason why the crime rates are shooting up, the lack of proper deterrents combined with this situation could definitely be a major reason. Integrated Theory can also provide significant explanations for the American gun crime rates. There could be several reasons for the use of violence, which basically stem from the use and misuse of

Do culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in Essay

Do culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order - Essay Example Realism on the other hand believe that the way that international order is achieved is through states’ pursuit of power (Bromley and Smith, 2004). Liberalism theories of transformation are especially useful for analyzing whether or not culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order. Liberalism theories draw attention to universality and particularity. In this regard, the question for consideration is different standpoints (particularity) find commonality and thus universality in structuring international order (Bromley and Smith, 2004). Human rights in the international political order is often perceived in terms of universality, yet strands of particularity are observed. Therefore, according to cultural relativism, while it is often claimed that human rights are universal because we are all human beings, there are individual claims that what rights are applicable and inalienable depends on cultural values, beliefs and practices (Donnelly, 2007). Cultural relativism is said to be more profound with the challenges resulting from globalization and a multicultural world (Ayton-Shenker, 1995). Disparities in terms of income, access to resources, cultural clashes and so on have raised concerns about whether or not universality in the international ordering can be achieved amidst profound and divergent particularity. Ayton-Shenker (1995) argues that cultural clashes and inequitable differences threatens the international order in that societies may inevitably resort to cultivating their own cultural values and identities. This research paper will therefore use liberalism theories of transformation, especially concepts of universality and particularity to analyse whether or not culture and claims to human rights stimulate or limit change in international order. This research paper hypothesized that if cultural relativism

A Rumi of One’s Own Essay Example for Free

A Rumi of One’s Own Essay Several years ago Kabir Helminski, a sheikh of the Mevlevi Order of Sufism, received a call from Madonna’s producer, who wanted to hire his troupe of whirling dervishes for a music video inspired by the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi. Helminski read the script, learned that a guy would be lying on top of Madonna while she sang â€Å"Let’s get unconscious, honey,† and wrote a polite letter declining the request. He also sent a package of books so that the singer might get a better sense of Rumi’s teachings. Like many Persian literary scholars, Helminski, who runs the Threshold Society, a Sufi study center in California, has had little success in convincing Americans that Rumi is about more than transcendent sex. (Madonna later recited Rumi’s poems on a CD, A Gift of Love, along with Goldie Hawn and Martin Sheen.) One of the five best-selling poets in America, Rumi, who was born 800 years ago in what is now part of Afghanistan, has become famous for his ability to convey mystical passion: his lovers are frequently merging into one, forgetting who they are, and crying out in pain. Yet his religious work—one book is popularly called the â€Å"Koran in Persian†Ã¢â‚¬â€is often ignored. To uncover and celebrate his heritage, UNESCO has declared 2007 the Year of Rumi; conferences about his work are being held in Istanbul, Kabul, Tehran, Dushanbe, and Ann Arbor. One of the featured speakers in Ann Arbor this fall will be Coleman Barks, an American poet who is largely responsible for Rumi’s American popularity as well as his reputation as an erotic soul-healer. Born in Tennessee, Barks freely admits to not knowing Persian (scholars call his best-selling works from the translations of others â€Å"re-Englishings†). While his poems are far more elegant and accessible than any previous English renditions, they tend to turn holy scenes into moments of sexual passion. Sometimes he takes out references to God and replaces them with â€Å"love.† As he explained in the introduction to his 2001 collection of poems, The Soul of Rumi, â€Å"I avoid God-words, not altogether, but wherever I can, because they seem to take away the freshness of experience and p ut it inside a specific system.† But Rumi, who spent most of his adult life in Konya, Turkey, based his life and poetry around that system. The son of an Islamic preacher, he prayed five times a day, made pilgrimages to Mecca, and memorized the Koran. Under the influence of an older dervish, Shams of Tabriz, he devoted his life to Sufism, an ancient, mystical branch of Islam. Sufis are less concerned with the codes and rituals of Islam than with making direct contact with God; as one scholar puts it, â€Å"Sufism is the core of the religion, the nut without the shell.† Still, the traditional Islamic texts are central to the faith. â€Å"I am the slave of the Qur’an and dust under the feet of Muhammad,† Rumi writes. â€Å"Anyone who claims otherwise is no friend of mine.† Rumi put forth an alarming quantity of writing—about 70,000 verses in 25 years—which affords translators the luxury of leaving out poems that might alienate the average American reader. In the introduction to his 2003 Rumi: The Book of Love,Barks jokes that his previous book of translations â€Å"achieved the cultural status of an empty Diet Coke can.† He gives the language a Southern hominess and an almost childlike simplicity: Love comes sailing through and I scream. Love sits beside me like a private supply of itself. Love puts away the instruments and takes off the silk robes. Our nakedness   together changes me completely. Starting with 50-year-old prose translations by the British scholar A.J. Arberry, Barks takes liberties to make Rumi’s language more accessible and universal. Occasionally this results in more than subtle changes in meaning. In one mistake, documented by the independent scholar Ibrahim Gamard, Barks mistranslates the word â€Å"blind† as â€Å"blond† due to a typo in Arberry’s version—inadvertently turning a scene about the abandonment of those who don’t know God (â€Å"Bright-hearted companions, haste, despite all the blind ones, to home, to home!†) into a part about resisting sexual lures (â€Å"I know it’s tempting to stay and meet these blonde women†). In Rumi’s time, it’s hard to imagine that there were many women with yellow hair; there wasn’t even a word for it. Barks’s wholesome soulfulness should be credited for bringing Rumi’s work to popularity, but in the process he leaves behind perhaps the most important part of the poems. â€Å"Rumi is not a great poet in spite of Islam,† says William Chittick, a Sufi literature scholar at Stony Brook University. â€Å"He’s a great poet because of Islam. It’s because he lived his religion fully that he became this great expositor on beauty and love.† There’s a sense in Rumi’s poems that he is at his emotional limits, simultaneously ecstatic and exhausted. His faith seems desperate, and almost tangible. Such devotion is striking because it’s inspired by God, not by the promise of sex as it sometimes appears in the translations. â€Å"He was the most important religious figure of his day,† says Jawid Mojaddedi, an Afghan-born Rumi scholar at Rutgers, whose translation of Book Two of Rumis Masnavi came out this month. â€Å"And yet people are shocked to find out Rumi was Muslim; they assume he must have spent his life persecuted for his beliefs, hiding in some cave in Afghanistan. We talk of clash of civilizations, and yet there’s this link that needs to be spelled out.† (Rumi’s success in America has actually boosted his popularity, Mojaddedi says, in parts of the Middle East.) But for many readers, Rumi’s Persian background has little bearing on the force of his poems. He has come to embody a kind of free-for-all American spirituality that has as much to do with Walt Whitman as Muhammad. Rumi’s work has become so universal that it can mean anything; readers use the poems for recreational self-discovery, finding in the lines whatever they wish. â€Å"It’s impossible to take Rumi out of context,† says Shahram Shiva, a Rumi translator and performance poet who regularly gives readings of Rumi’s poems, often in yoga studios. â€Å"Great art doesn’t need context,† he says. â€Å"The best thing for Beethoven’s popularity was when they put a disco beat behind Symphony no. 5.† Shiva recites Rumi to the accompaniment of flute, piccolo, piano, conch shell, and harmonica and belts out the lines in a deep, sultry Broadway voice. â€Å"Rumi’s one of the great creative beings on this planet,† he says, â€Å"a mixture of Mozart and Francis [of] Assisi, with a little Galileo thrown in, and maybe some Shakespeare and Dante.† In his most anthologized poems Rumi comes off as a saintly Tony Robbins, urging people to break barriers, stop worrying, touch the sky, make love, never surrender. It’s as if publishers worry that reading poetry is such a fragile enterprise that too much weight and context and not enough sex will scare everyone away. Helminski, who used to run a publishing company that put out Barks’s early books, noticed a consistent sensibility in the lines readers were requesting permission to quote: those suggesting that there’s no conventional morality, no such thing as ethical failure. The number one requested line was â€Å"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing / there is a field. I’ll meet you there.† â€Å"Our culture is so shame-ridden that when someone comes along and says, ‘You’re OK,’ it’s a great relief,† says Helminski. â€Å"Americans still have an adolescent relationship with Rumi. It will take some maturing before we move beyond the clichà ©s.†

Elderly Suicide Strategies with Nurse Based Intervention

Elderly Suicide Strategies with Nurse Based Intervention Investigation into nurse strategies to prevent or minimise attempted suicide in patients over 65 This dissertation considers the rationale for positive nurse-based intervention in consideration of issues relating to suicide in the elderly. The introduction sets the context, including the historical context, of the issues and discusses the negative effects of ageism on issues relating to suicide in the elderly. The literature review considers selected texts which have been chosen for their specific relevance to the issue and particularly those that espouse the view that ageism is counterproductive to a satisfactory quality of life outcome for the elderly person. Conclusions are drawn and discussed with specific emphasis on those measures that are of particular relevance to the nursing profession whether it is in a secondary care facility, a residential home setting or in the primary healthcare team and the community. Introduction We can observe, from a recent paper (O’Connell H et al. 2004), the comments that, although there is no doubt that the elderly present higher risk of completed suicide than any other age group, this fact receives comparatively little attention with factors such as media interest, medical research and public health measures being disproportionately focused on the younger age groups (Uncap her H et al.2000). Perhaps we should not be surprised at the fact that both suicidal feelings and thoughts of hopelessness have been considered part of the social context of growing old and becoming progressively less capable. This is not a phenomenon that is just confined to our society. We know that the Ancient Greeks tolerated these feelings in their society and actively condoned the option of assisted suicide if the person involved had come to the conclusion that they had no more useful role to play in society (Carrick P 2000). Society largely took the view that once an individual had reached old age they no longer had a purpose in life and would be better off dead. In a more modern context, we note the writings of Sigmund Freud who observed (while he was suffering from an incurable malignancy of the palate: It may be that the gods are merciful when they make our lives more unpleasant as we grow old. In the end, death seems less intolerable than the many burdens we have to bear. (cited in McClain et al. 2003) We would suggest that one of the explanations of this apparent phenomenon of comparative indifference to the plight of the elderly in this regard is due to the fact that the social burden of suicide is often referred to in purely economic terms, specifically relating tools of social contribution and loss of productivity. (Breeching A et al.2000). This purely economic assessment would have to observe that the young are much more likely to be in employment and less likely to be a burden on the economic status of the country whereas with the elderly exactly the converse is likely to be true. This results in economic prominence being given to the death of a younger person in many reviews. (Adcock P,2003). There is also the fact that, despite the fact that we have already highlighted the increase in relative frequency of suicide in the elderly, because of the demographic distributions of the population in the UK, the absolute numbers of both attempted suicides and actual suicides are greater in the younger age ranges and therefore more readily apparent and obvious. The elderly are a particularly vulnerable group from the risk of suicide. In the industrialised world males over the age of 75 represent the single largest demographic group in terms of suicide attempts. Interestingly (and for reasons that we shall shortly discuss) although there is a general trend of increasing suicide rate with age the excess rates associated with the elderly are slowly declining in the recent past (Castell 2000). We can quantify this statement by considering the statistics. If we consider the period 1983 to 1995 in the UK then we can show that: The suicide rates for men reduced by between 30% and 40% in the age groups 55–64, 65–74 and 75–84 The rates for the most elderly men (males over 85 years) remained fairly static, this group still having the highest rates of any group By way of contrast, the 25- to 34-year-old male group exhibited a 30%increase in suicide rate during the same period, this group are becoming the group with the second highest rate, while the 15- to24-year-old male group demonstrated a 55% increase in suicide rates.(WHO 2001) Female suicide rates have shown a similar overall decrease, reducing by between 45 and 60% in the 45–84 age group. Elderly women, however, retain the highest rates throughout the life span (Castell 2000) The ratio of male to female elderly suicide deaths remains approximately 3:1 (Fischer L R et al. 2003) We can suggest that these trends in reduction of suicide, particularly in the elderly are likely to be due, amongst other things, to: The improved detection of those at risk together with the advent of aggressive treatment policies relating to mental illness in the elderly. (Warn M et al. 2003) One of the main reasons, we would suggest, for this obviously changing pattern and the discrepancies in the suicide rates between the age ranges, is the fact that, in direct consideration of the context of our topic, the elderly are more likely to be both amenable to professional help and also, by virtue that a higher proportion are likely to be in direct contact with healthcare professionals either through failing health or nursing homes and hospitals, (Soutine K teal. 2003), have the warning signs of impending suicide recognised and acted upon more promptly than the younger, arguably more independent age group. In specific consideration of the elderly group we should also note that attempted suicide is more likely to be a failed suicide attempt rather than a Para suicide. (Rubenowitz E et al. 2001). There is considerable evidence that the incidence of depression is increased in the presence of a concurrent physical illness (Conwell Yet al. 2002) and clearly this is going to be more likely in the elderly age group. Some sources have cited association rates of between 60-70%of major depression with physical illness in the over 70yr olds.(Conwell Y et al. 2000). Another significant factor is that it is commonly accepted that an attempted suicide is a strong independent risk factor in the aetiology of further suicide attempts. (Conwell Y et al. 1996) This trend is much more marked in the elderly group with a ratio of about 4:1 which compares very badly with the ratios in the younger age groups of between 8:1 and 200:1 (depending on age range, definition and study).(Hippie J et al. 1997) Aims and objectives In this dissertation it is intended to gain evidence based knowledge of the scope and significance of the phenomenon of attempted suicide in the elderly. In addition it is intended to gain evidence based knowledge in the use of strategies to ameliorate attempted suicide in the elderly to highlight gaps in the literature available and to suggest recommendations for change in nursing practice It is hoped tube able to suggest areas for research into the phenomenon of attempted suicide in the elderly. Methodology The initial strategy was to undertake a library search at the local post graduate library and the local university library (Client: you might like to personalise this) on the key words â€Å"suicide, elderly, prevention strategies, industrialised societies†. This presented a great many papers. About 40 were selected and read to provide an overview of the literature in this area. During this phase, references were noted and followed up and key literary works were assimilated. The bulk of the papers accessed and read were published within the last decade, however a number of significant older references were also accessed if they had a specific bearing on a particular issue. The most significant references were accessed and digested. The dissertation was written referencing a selected sub-set of these works. Rationale for proposal To increase nurses knowledge and understanding of attempted suicide in the older age group and to highlight through the literature review, evidence based strategies that can be employed to ameliorate attempted suicide amongst the elderly. Literature review Before commencing the literature review, it is acknowledged that the literature on this subject is huge. The parameters of the initial search have been defined above. In addition it should be noted that there is a considerable literature on the subject of assisted suicide which has been specifically excluded from these considerations The literature base for suicide in the elderly is quite extensive and provides a good evidence base for understanding, appropriate action and treatment. (Berwick D 2005) One of the landmark papers in this area is by Hippie and Quinton(Hippie J et al. 1997) which provided a benchmark, not only on the aetiology of the subject, but also in the long term outcomes, which, in terms of potential nursing care input, is extremely important. The paper points to the fact that there is a good understanding of the absolute risk factors for suicide in the elderly but a comparative lack of good quality follow up studies in the area. It set out to identify100 cases of attempted suicide in the elderly and then follow them up over a period of years. The study was a retrospective examination of100 consecutive cases of attempted suicide that were referred to the psychiatric services over a four year period. The authors were able to make a detailed investigation (including an interview of many of the survivors), about four years later. Their findings have been widely quoted in the literature. Of particular relevance to our considerations here we note that they found that of the 100 cases identified, 42 were dead at the time of follow up. Of these, 12 were suspected suicides and five more had died as a result of complications of their initial attempt. There were 17further attempts at suicide in the remaining group. Significantly, the twelve women in the group all made non-lethal attempts whereas all five of the men made successful attempts. The authors were able to establish that the risk of further attempts at suicide (having made one attempt)was in excess of 5% per year and the â€Å"success† rate was 1.5% per year in this group. From this study we can also conclude that the risk of successful repeat attempted suicide is very much greater if the subjects male. The authors were also able to establish that, because of their initial attempt, those at risk of self-harm were likely to be in contact with the Psychiatric services and also suffering from persistent severe depression. We can examine the paper by Dennis (M et al. 2005) for a further insight into the risk factors that are identifiable in the at risk groups. This paper is not so detailed as the Hippie paper, but it differs in its construction as it is a control matched study which specifically considered the non-fatal self-harm scenario. The study compared two groups of age matched elderly people both groups had a history of depression but the active study group had, in addition, a history of self-harm. The significant differences highlighted by this study were that those in the self-harm group were characterised by poorly integrated social network and had a significantly more hopeless ideation. This clearly has implications for intervention as, in the context of a care home or warden assisted setting, there is scope for improving the social integration of the isolated elderly, and in the domestic setting community support can provide a number of options to remove factors that mitigate towards social isolation. This would appear to be a positive step towards reducing the risk of further self harm. The O’Connell paper (O’Connell et al. 2004) is effectively a tour divorce on the pertinent issues. It is a review paper that cherry-picks the important information from other, quite disparate, studies and combines them into a coherent whole. It is extremely well written, very detailed, quite long and extremely informative. While it is not appropriate to consider the paper in its entirety, there are a number of factors that are directly relevant to our considerations here and weshall restrict our comments to this aspect of the paper. In terms of the identification of the risk factors associated with attempted suicide in the elderly, it highlights psychiatric illnesses, most notably depression, and certain personality traits, together with physical factors which include neurological illnesses and malignancies. The social risk factors identified in the Dennis paper are expanded to include â€Å"social isolation, being divorced, widowed, or long term single†. The authors point to the fact that many of the papers referred to tend to treat the fact of suicide in reductionist terms, analysing it to its basic fundamentals. They suggest that the actual burden of suicide should also be considered in more human terms with consideration of the consequences for the family and community being understood and assessed. (Mason T et al. 2003) In terms of nursing intervention for suicide prevention, we note that the authors express the hypothesis that sociality exists along a continuum from suicidal ideation, through attempted suicide, to completed suicide. It follows from this that a nurse, picking up the possibility of suicidal ideation, should consider and act on this as significant warning sign of possible impending action on the part of the patient. The authors point to the fact that the estimation of the actual significance of the various prevalence’s of suicide varies depending on the study (and therefore the definition) (Kirby M et al. 1997). In this context we should note that the findings do not support the ageist assumptions expounded earlier, on the grounds that the prevalence of either hopelessness or suicidal ideation in the elderly is reported asap to 17% (Kirby M et al. 1997), and there was a universal association with psychiatric illness, especially depressive illness. If we consider the prevalence of suicidal feelings in those elderly people who have no evidence of mental disorder, then it is as low as4%. It therefore seems clear that hopelessness and sociality are not the natural and understandable consequences of the ageing process as Freud and others would have us believe. This has obvious repercussions as far as nursing (and other healthcare) professionals are concerned, as it appears to be clearly inappropriate to assume that sociality is, in most cases, anything other than one of many manifestations of mental illness. It also follows from this, and this again has distinct nursing implications, that suicidal ideation and intent is only the tip of the iceberg when one considers the weight of psychological, physical and social health problems for the older person. (Warn M et al. 2002) If one considers evidence from studies that involve psychological autopsies, there is further evidence that psychopathology is involved. Depressive disorders were found in 95% in one study. (Duberstein P R teal. 1994) Psychotic disorders and anxiety states were found to be poorly correlated with suicidal completion. Further evidence for this viewpoint comes from the only study to date which is a prospective cohort study in which completed suicide was the outcome measure. (Ross R K et al. 1990). This shows that the most reliable predictor of suicide was the self-rated severity of depressive symptoms. This particular study showed that those clients with the highest ratings were 23 times more likely to die as the result of suicide than those with the lowest ratings. It also noted that other independent risk factors (although not as strong), were drinking more than 3 units of alcohol per day and sleeping more than 9 hours a night. One further relevant point that comes from the O’Connell paper is the fact that expression of suicidal intent should never be taken lightly in the older age group. The authors cite evidence to show that this has a completely different pattern in the elderly when compared tithe younger age groups. (Beauties A L 2002). The figures quoted show that if an elderly person undertakes a suicide attempt they are very much more likely to be successful than a younger one. The ratio of Para suicides to completed suicides in the adolescent age range is 200:1, in the general population it is between 8:1 and33:1 and in the elderly it is about 4:1. (Warn M et al. 2003). It follows that suicidal behaviour in the elderly carries a much higher degree of intent. This finding correlates with other findings of preferential methods of suicide in the elderly that have a much higher degree of lethality such as firearms and the use of hanging. (Jorum A Feet al. 1995). The paper by Cornwell (Y et al. 2001) considers preventative measures that can be put in place and suggests that independent risk factors commonly associated with suicide in the elderly can be expanded to include psychiatric and physical illnesses, functional impairment, personality traits of neuroticism and low openness to experience, and social isolation. And of these, t is affective illness that has the strongest correlation with suicide attempts. We have discussed(elsewhere) the correlation between impending suicide and contact with the primary care providers. Cornwell cites the fact that 70% of elderly suicides have seen a member of the primary healthcare team within 30days of their death and therefore proposes that the primary healthcare setting is an important venue for screening and intervention. It is suggested that mood disorders are commonplace in primary healthcare practice but, because they are comparatively common, are underdiagnosed and often inadequately treated (ageism again). The authors suggest that this fact alone points to the fact that one of the suicide prevention strategies that can be adopted by the primary healthcare team. they suggest that clinicians, whether they are medically qualified or nursing qualified, should be trained to identify this group and mobilise appropriate intervention accordingly. Obviously the community nurses can help in this regard as they are ideally placed to maximise their contact with vulnerable and high risk groups. We have identified the role of a major depressive illness in the aetiology of suicide in the elderly. Bruce (M L et al. 2002) considered the role of both reactive and idiopathic major depression in the population of the elderly in a nursing home setting. This has particular relevance to our considerations as firstly, on an intuitive level, one can possibly empathise with the reactive depressive elements of the elderly person finding themselves without independence in a residential or nursing home and secondly, this is perhaps the prime setting where the nurse is optimally placed to monitor the mood another risk factors of the patient and continual close quarters. The salient facts that we can take from this study are that there was substantial burden of major depressive symptomatology in this study group (13.5%). The majority (84%) were experiencing their first major depressive episode and therefore were at greatest risk of suicide. The depression was associated with comorbidity in the majority of cases including â€Å"medical morbidity, instrumental activities of daily living disability, reported pain, and a past history of depression but not with cognitive function or socio demographic factors.† All of these positive associations which could have been recognised as significant risk factors of suicide in the elderly. Significantly, in this study, only 22% of all of the seriously depressed patients were receiving antidepressant therapy and none were receiving any sort of psychotherapy. In addition to this the authors point to the fact that 31% of the patients who were put on antidepressants were taking a sub therapeutic dose (18% because they were purposely not complying with the dosage instructions). The conclusions that the authors were able to draw from this study were that major depression in the elderly was twice as common in the residential setting as opposed to those elderly patients still in the community. The majority of these depressed patients were effectively left untreated and therefore at significant risk of suicide. There was the obvious conclusion that a great deal more could be done for this study population in terms of relieving their social isolation and depressive illnesses. And, by extrapolation, for their risk of suicide. Ethical considerations. In consideration of the issue of suicide in the elderly we note that there are a number of ethical considerations but these are primarily in the field of assisted suicide which we have specifically excluded from this study. (Pabst Batten, M 1996) Evidence for positive nursing interventions Having established the evidence base in the literature that defines the risk factors that are known to be particularly associated with suicide in the elderly, we take it as read that this will form part of the knowledge base for the nurse to be alert to, and to identify those patients who are at particular risk of suicide. It is equally important to be aware of those factors that appear to confer a degree of protection against suicide. This will clearly also help to inform strategies of intervention for the nurse. Studies such as that by Gunnel (D et al. 1994) point to the fact that religiosity and life satisfaction were independent protective factors against suicidal ideation, and this factor was particularly noted in another study involving the terminally ill elderly where the authors noted that higher degrees of spiritual well-being and life satisfaction scores both independently predicted lower suicidal feelings. (McClain et al. 2003). The presence of a spouse or significant friend is a major protective factor against suicide. Although clearly it may not be an appropriate intervention for nursing care to facilitate the presence of a spouse(!) it may well be appropriate, particularly in residential settings, to facilitate social interactions and the setting up of possible friendships within that setting (Bertolote J M et al. 2003) Conclusions and discussion This Dissertation has considered the rationale behind the evidence base for nursing intervention and strategies to prevent or minimise suicide attempts in the elderly age group. We have outlined the literature which is directed at identification of the greatest â€Å"at risk† groups and this highlights the importance of the detection and treatment ofboth psychiatric disorders (especially major depression), and physical disorders (especially Diabetes Mellitus and gastric ulceration).(Thomas A J et al. 2004) Although we have been at pains to point out the relatively high and disproportionate incidence of suicide in the elderly, we should not lose sight of the fact that it is not a common event. One should not take the comments and evidence presented in this dissertation as being of sufficient severity to merit screening the entire elderly population. (Erlangen A et al. 2003) The thrust of the findings in this dissertation are that the screening should be entirely opportunistic. The evidence base that we have defined should be utilised to identify those who are in high risk groups, for example, those with overt depressive illnesses, significant psychological and social factors, especially those who have a history of previous attempted suicide. The healthcare professional should not necessarily expect the elderly person to volunteer such information and if the person concerned is naturally withdrawn or reserved, minor degrees of depressive symptoms may not be immediately obvious. (Callahan C M teal. 1996). In terms of direct nursing intervention, this must translate into the need to be aware of such eventualities and the need to enquire directly about them. The nurse should also be aware that the presence of suicidal feelings in a patient with any degree of depression is associated with a lower response rate to treatment and also an increase in the need for augmentation strategies. The nurse should also be aware of the fact that these factors may indicate the need for secondary referral. (Gunnel D et al. 1994). If we accept the findings of Conwell (Y et al. 1991), then the estimated population at risk from significant mood disorder and therefore the possibility of attempted suicide in the elderly, is 74%.This can be extrapolated to suggest that if mood disorders were eliminated from the population then 74% of suicides would be prevented in the elderly age group. Clearly this is a theoretical viewpoint and has to be weighed against the facts that firstly â€Å"elimination† of mood disorders (even if it were possible), would only be achieved by treatment of all existing cases as well as prevention of new cases, and the secondary prevention of sub-clinical cases. We know, from other work, that the detection and treatment of depression in all age ranges is low, and even so only 52% of cases that reach medical attention make a significant response to treatment(Bertolote J M et al. 2003). These statistics reflect findings from the whole population and the detection rates and response rates are likelyto lower in the elderly. (Wei F et al. 2003). It follows that although treatment of depressive illness is still the mainstay of treatment intervention as far as suicide prevention is concerned, preventative measures and vigilance at an individual level are also essential. Nursing interventions can include measures aimed at improving physical and emotional health together with improved social integration. Sometimes modification of lifestyle can also promote successful ageing and lead to an overall decrease in the likelihood of suicidal feelings. (Fischer L R et al. 2003) On a population level, public health measures designed to promote social contact, support where necessary, and integration into the community are likely to help reduce the incidence of suicide in the elderly, particularly if we consider the study by Cornwell (Y et al.1991) which estimated the independent risk factor for low levels of social contact in the elderly population as being 27%. Some communities have provided telephone lines and this has been associated with significant reduction in the completed suicide in the elderly (Fischer R et al. 2003) To return to specific nursing interventions, one can also suggest measures aimed at reducing access to, or availability of the means for suicide such as restricting access to over the counter medicines.(Slog I et al. 1996), Some sources (Castell H 2000) point to the possibility of introducing opportunistic screening in the primary healthcare setting. The rationale behind this suggestion is the realisation that there is high level of contact between the suicidal elderly person and their primary healthcare team in the week before suicide (20-50%) and in the month before suicide (40-70% make contact). This is particularly appropriate to our considerations here because of the progressively increasing significance of the role of the nurse within the primary healthcare team particularly at the first point of contact. (Houston, Ret al. 2002) The evidence base for this point of view is strengthened by reference to the landmark Gotland study (Ruts W et al. 1989) which examined the effect of specific training in suicide awareness and prevention in the primary healthcare team by providing extensive suicide awareness training and measures to increase the facilitation of opportunistic screening of the population. Prior to the intervention, the authors noted that, when compared to young adults, the elderly were only 6% as likely to be asked about suicide and 20% as likely to be asked if they felt depressed and 25% as likely to be referred to mental health specialist. This balance was restored almost to normality after the intervention. Suicide in the elderly is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon. It appears to be the case that the elderly tend to be treated with different guidelines from the young suicidal patient insofar as the increased risk is not met with increased assistance. (Kouras L et al.2002). We have presented evidence that the factors included in this discrepancy may include the higher overall number of young suicides, the higher economic burden that society appears to carry for each young suicide together with ageist beliefs about the factors concerning suicide in the elderly. From the point of view of nursing intervention, both in a hospital and in a community setting, there should be greater emphasis placed on measures such as screening and prevention programmes targeted at the at-risk elderly. There is equally a need for aggressive intervention if depression or suicidal feelings are overtly expressed, particularly in the relevant subgroups where additional risk factors may be active, for example those with comorbid medical conditions or social isolation or recent bereavement. (Harwood D et al. 2001), Many of the elderly spend their last years in some form of sheltered accommodation, whether this is a nursing home, a hospital, warden assisted housing or being cared for by the family. (Haut B J et al.1999) In the vast majority of cases this is associated with a loss of independence, increasing frailty and an increasing predisposition to illness that comes with increasing age. (Juurlink D N et al. 2004).This loss of independence and increasing predisposition to illness is also associated with depressive illnesses of varying degrees. (Bruce ML et al. 2002). These patients are arguably, by a large, more likely to come into contact with the nurses in the community. (Munson M L 1999)The comments that we have made elsewhere relating to the nurse’s role in being aware of the implications for the depressed elderly patient are particularly appropriate in this demographic subgroup. As a general rule, it may be easier to keep a watchful eye on patients who are exhibiting early signs of depressive illness or mood disorder in this situation by making arrangements to visit on a regular basis or on â€Å"significant anniversaries† such as the death of a spouse or a wedding anniversary. (Nagatomo I et al. 1998) when the risk factors for suicide increase dramatically (Schonberg H C et al. 1998) The literature in this area is quite extensive and covers many of the aspects of suicide in the elderly. It is noticeable however, that there is a great deal of literature on the subject of risk factors and associations of suicide together with plenty of papers which quote statistics that relate the various trends and incidences. There are, by comparison, only a few papers which emphasise and reflect on the positive aspects of nursing care. The positive steps that can be taken by the nursing profession specifically to help to minimise the burden of suicidal morbidity. There is clearly scope for studies in areas such as the impact that a dedicated community nurse might have on the levels of depression in the community if regular visits were timetabled. It is fair to observe that the community mental health nurses fulfil this role to a degree, but are severely hampered in most cases by sheer weight of numbers in the caseload. (Mason T et al. 2003) Having made these observations, we must conclude that there appears tube an overwhelming case for opportunistic screening of the at risk elderly at any point of contact with a healthcare professional. It is part of the professional remit of any nurse to disseminate their specific professional learning with others. (Yuri H et al. 1998). This can either be done on an informal professional basis in terms of mentorship or, if appropr