Prevention of Falls in Elderly Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Prevention of Falls in Elderly Care - Essay Example The contributory factors according to the authors have been diverse and complicated. The risk assessment approach is based on the multicomponent risk determination and management strategy. According to Brown et al. (2005) there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that interventions which are effectively intended to prevent fall risk factors among elderly can be more result oriented. However the authors doubt the degree of prevalence of such evidence and its real impact on clinical practices and physical therapy. According to Brown et al, further there is a clear impact of the professional behavioral change on the related outcomes involving fall prevention programs among the elderly. According to a survey carried out by the authors among some physical therapists in Connecticut, USA, almost 91% of the respondents identified environment related risk factors, the gait and physical balance related deficits as the main fall risk factors. At the same time a remarkable feature of the survey was the fact that 82% of the respondents said that modern intervention techniques based on medication were responsible for effective prevention of fall among the elderly. ... The exercise based intervention was recommended to a selected group of participants. Their results showed a greater degree of improvement in the focus group while the control group participants had no any improvement. Yet again the authors admit that there were some significant differences in mobility and strength of participants alone with substantial presence of divergence in balance.According to recent research the risk factors of falls among elderly are not limited to old age only. For example female patients are more likely to have a fall than a mail patient (Barry et al. 2001). In addition to the above there are such factors as low weight, too much of self dependency, psychotropic medication, alcohol abuse, disturbed vision, disorders related to gait, diabetes, physical imbalance and environmental factors. However such extreme courses like hypotension and cognitive impairment cannot be determined with a realistic assessment. For example risk factors involved in falls among elde rly can be basically related to physical disability arising from a variety of persistent weaknesses. Therefore habit forming behaviors might lead to falls that might become a pattern.The consequences of such falls have been identified as both mild and far reaching. For instance the current literature on the subject identifies the severity of falls along with their frequency to investigate the nature of outcomes. Weak bones in the elderly have been identified as one of the major causal factors for relative severity and frequency of falls. Falls that lead to fractures in the proximal femur, are often regarded as severe and mainly attributed to weak bones

Gazprom One of the Largest Gas Producing Companies of Russia Essay

Gazprom - One of the Largest Gas Producing Companies of Russia - Essay Example UGSS assures steady gas supply from the wellhead to the end user. (Gazprom.com, 2008c) d. Processing: Gazprom Group’s processing segment is made up of gas and gas condensate processing plants (GPP), the enterprises of Sibur Holding, and the oil-refining capacities of Gazprom Oil (Sibneft). (Gazprom.com, 2008d) e. Power industry: Its strategic task is to become a world scale energy production company with one whole chain – from production to sales – not only gas but also liquid hydrocarbons as well as producing a wide range of end products, electrical power being just one of such. (Gazprom.com, 2008e) The global strategy of Gazprom is to become the largest in the world for producing and distributing gas to the entire world so that appropriate amount of utilization of the natural resources can be done. Datamonitor (2007) states that 2006 was the first year after Gazprom’s share market liberalization. During this period, OAO "Gazprom" capitalization increased by over 70 % and amounted to $270 billion at the end of the year. Gazprom has been developing a unique resource base, production capacities and pipeline system. This effort take taken the company as the world’s most reliable energy resource suppliers to enterprises, organizations, and individuals. They are devoted to a specialized and accountable advance towards the development of these resources and the supply of the markets both in Russia and globally. Gazprom is engaged in research and development activities to strategize important energy resources in cooperation with the most successful and responsible international energy companies. This makes them quite strong in their operations base and marks the strength of their strategy for further growth. Gazprom is constantly pursuing its business globalization strategy, and actively increasing the supply to the entire globe for its gas production.  In 2006, the company supplied liquefied natural gas to the UK, Japan and Korea for the first time.  

The Concept Of Teaching Practicum

The Concept Of Teaching Practicum Teaching practicum concerns preparation of teachers and its use has embraced all the learning experiences of student teachers in schools. The purpose of reviewing related literature is to explore ideas of teaching practicum. This review will discuss three main ideas, namely, overview of the concept of beliefs and teaching practicum, theoretical framework and related research studies. 2.1 The concept of teaching practicum Teaching practicum is almost universally accepted today as the climax of a teachers professional preparation in pre-service teacher education programs. According to the studies of Gower Walters (1983), the teaching practice programme is the major essential component in professional education. Teaching practicum is defined as those periods of continuous practice twelve weeks (depends on the particular teacher training college or university) in school constitute an obligatory part of the course in colleges or universities of education. This period of practical experience is also called by various term, clinical experience, student teaching, teaching practice as well as practicum. During the teaching practicum, student teacher conducts classroom lessons and performs the duties of a teacher in school. According to the Teacher Training Division Guidelines on practicum for pre-service teacher training (2005), teaching practicum provide opportunities for student teacher to practice theories in teaching and learning practices and to develop individual teaching and learning theories. The main aim of teaching practicum is to produce effective school teachers and not merely classroom teacher. Student teachers are also provided with opportunities for a variety of encounters with children in schools. This means that student teachers are not only know how to teach effectively in class but are also able to handle co-curricular activities as well. In short, teaching practicum programme is to equip future teachers with the essential experiences which can lead to the development of their professional competencies. Teaching practicum aims for student teachers to master and practice all the concepts, principles, skills and values in order to become a professional teacher. 2.2 What is belief ? According to Michaela Borg (2001), belief is a proposition which may consciously or unconsciously held, is evaluative in that it is accepted as true by the individual, and there imbued with emotive commitment; further, it serves as guide to thought and bahaviour. On the other hand, Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) define belief as information, factual, and nonfactual cognitions. Cognition is described as what someone knows or assumes to be true (Berkowitz, 1980, p. 275). No matter what is ones belief, the beliefs still play an important role in many aspects of teaching, as well as in life. It is because these beliefs help individuals make sense of the world, influencing how new information in perceived, and whether it is accepted or rejected. Nevertheless, beliefs differ from knowledge, although they are related to each other, in that beliefs do not always represent the truth. Beliefs are not only considered as discipline-dependent (Tsai, 2002), but beliefs also include understandings, assumptions, images or propositions that are felt to be true (Kagan, 1992 Richardson, 1996). 2.3 Theoretical framework 2.3.1 Teachers Beliefs Shulman (1986) claimed that a teacher needs to know about the subject matter, to know a variety of general instructional strategies, and to know about the specific strategies necessary for teaching particular subject matter. Most of us would also agree that the good teacher transforms curriculum goals and guidelines in such a way that a particular student is able to master and understand the related content. Dan Lortie states that ones personal predispositions are not only relevant but, in fact, stand at the core of becoming a teacher. Teachers belief is a term usually used to refer to teachers pedagogic beliefs, or those beliefs of relevance to an individual teaching. The areas most commonly explored are teachers beliefs about teaching, learning, and learners; subject matter; self as a teacher, or the role of a teacher (Calderhead, 1995). Besides that, teachers beliefs do play a central role in the process of teacher development. Those beliefs form part of the process of understanding how teachers conceptualize their work as a teacher. Tattos (1996, p. 155) important work on beliefs concluded lay cultural norms among enrollees are strongly ingrained and that most teacher education, as it is currently structured, is a weak intervention to alter particular views regarding the teaching and management of diverse learners. Another study shows that a persons belief system has pervasive effects in different spheres of activity- ideological, conceptual, perceptual, and esthetic (Rokeach, 1960, p. 288). In addition, Brown found that certain philosophical beliefs and educational beliefs were effective in predicting agreement-disagreement with experimentalism of classroom practice. Indications were that professed educational beliefs had a generalized effect on teaching behavior; specific fundamental beliefs were most powerful in influencing specific classroom behaviors (Brown Webb, 1968, p. 215). To support those beliefs, Clark and Peterson (1986) proposed that: The most resilient or core teachers beliefs are formed on the basis of teachers own schooling as young students while observing teachers who taught them. Subsequent teacher education appears not to disturb these early beliefs, not least, perhaps, because it rarely addresses them. If teachers actually try out a particular innovation which does not initially conform to their prior beliefs or principles and the innovation proves helpful or successful, then accommodation of an alternative belief or principle is more possible than in any other circumstance. For the notice teacher, classroom experience and day to day interaction with colleagues has the potential to influence particular relationships among beliefs and principles, and, over time, consolidate the individuals permutation of them. Nevertheless, it seems that greater experience does not lead to greater adaptability in our beliefs and, thereby, the abandonment of strongly held pedagogic principles. Quite the contrary in fact. The more experience we have, the more reliant on our core principles we have become and the less conscious we are doing so. Professional development which engages teachers in a direct exploration if their beliefs and principles may provide the opportunity for greater self-awareness through reflection and critical questioning as starting points for later adaptation. The teachers conceptualizations of, for example, language, learning, and teaching are situated within that persons wider belief system concerning such issues as human nature, culture, society, education and so on. Consequently, teachers belief about the importance of teaching have a great impact on their teaching practices (Salmon, 1988). The next section will look at teachers belief about teaching practicum. 2.3.2 Teachers belief about teaching practicum The term practicum is used generically to refer to the different types of school attachment; namely, school experience, teaching assistantship, teaching practice and so forth that pre-service students will be undergoing as part their initial teacher preparation programme. The school-based practicum is designed to enable student teachers to observe a teachers real work of work, and to apply and refine the knowledge and skills acquired through course-work in classroom teaching. Student teachers are to use the opportunities during the practicum to integrate education theory and practice and to widen their practical experiences. In the context of teaching practicum, a student teacher is expected to apply what they have learned theoretically. To maximize the utility of practicum, it is important that teacher trainers actively promote the effective learning during the practicum period. Effective learning should be concerned with the learning of organized wholes of knowledge. It is a process that involves developing the ability to identify the objectives one is seeking and, within a flexible framework, optimizing a programme to meet these objectives, in line with individual learning attributes. Effective learning also needs to achieve transference of knowledge from the artificiality of a training course, to practical application where the trainees adapts acquired knowledge to the perceived needs of a particular problem or situation (Robotham, 2003). Many researches claim that teaching practicum is a central element in most pre-service teacher education programmes. Many also debates about the assessment of the practice of student teachers often reflect ongoing philosophical debates about the nature of teacher education (Brown, 1996) and traditional barriers between teachers and academics (Groundwater-Smith, 1997). A set of written criteria used to assess the competence of pre-service secondary teacher education students during practicum. The dimensions of the assessment protocol did not appear to be based on any articulated theory of good teaching practice, and there were significant doubts about the extent to which the various groups of stakeholders had a shared understanding of the standards implied in the criteria. In education what we label as standards are socially constructed and frequently fuzzy (Sadler, 1987) and require the shared understanding of a construct in a community of practice (Wiliam, 1996). 2.4 Related Research Studies 2.4.1 Pre-service teachers beliefs about teaching practicum Prior to actual teaching experiences, pre-service teachers derive their initial views on teaching from at least two sources. Firstly, it comes from their personal experiences as students, consisting of their interactions with and exposures to various teachers throughout their school life, with such factors having a tendency to influence their reasons for career choice, as well as beliefs and practices on their professional lives (Ben-Petetz, 2003; Bramald, Hardman, Leat, 1995; Saban, 2003). Secondly, it results from pre-service teachers forming their conceptual repertoires as they undergo the formal training provided by teacher educational programs (Bermald, 1995; Dunkin, Precian, Nettle, 1994; Nettle, 1998), initially consisting of theoretical knowledge through foundation and methods courses, and eventually progressing or culminating into the application of such theories via the so-called practice teaching. Few studies have been done in pre-service teachers. The following assumptions are fundamental to a justification of practice as a part of the training of teachers: Teaching is behavior, and as behavior is subject to analysis, change, and improvement. Much of the habitual behavior which individuals have developed in other contexts is inappropriate for the teaching situation. Under present conditions, much teaching is conducted under conditions of stress. Teaching is an extremely complex kind of behavior, involving the full range of thought processes, communication and physical action. Teachers, through practice can learn to analyze, criticize and control their own teaching behavior. Practice has the dual purpose of training and the elimination of the unfit. Practice provides the experience which gives meaning to many other aspects of instruction in education (teaching). The beliefs of pre-service TESL teachers have may merit their own exploration. These beliefs may influence students in acquisition of knowledge, selection and definition of specific teaching tasks, and interpretation of knowledge, and interpretation of course content. Puchta (1999) asserts that beliefs are guiding principles of our students behavior and strong perceptual filtersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ they act as if they were true. On the other hand, Dunkin (1994) claims that how student-teachers views on teaching may be influenced by formal teaching practicum programme. Kennedy (1996) hypothesizes that real and effective change in teachers practices can only occur through a change in their beliefsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the way teachers behave.

The Reality of War and Death Depicted in Owens Poem, Dulce Et Decorum

If we look at the history of the world with a kaleidoscope, we can see the different aspects of war and what effect it had on the mind of different people and artists such as poets, painters and authors. Many poets romanticized war, luring it with their pen and giving it a beautiful look by glorifying death and obliging young blood to fight for their motherland. For example the poems â€Å"Peace† by Rupert Brooke and â€Å"Fall In† by Harold Begbie painted war with the highlights of glamorous and sensation. Apart from poets there are also politicians who achieved their aims with the help of war and violence while others who used the weapons of non violence to achieve their goals. The most famous example is of Adolf Hitler who took the aid of war to conquer the territories. The media also has a great impact on the mind of the public, like newspapers, televisions, radios arouses the public’s interest and motivates the young generation to join the army and fight fo r the nation. However, there are artists who look at war in its very naked form. For example the poet Wilfred Owen in his poem â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† demonstrates that no sweetness or honor is earned in dying for one’s country, instead humanity is taken away during war. In the first stanza Owen uses strong metaphors and similes to convey a meaningful warning. The first line, â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks†, describes the soldiers tremendous exhaustion. They have been brought down to a beggar’s level and are being compared to low society. To reinforce this the speaker says, â€Å"And towards our distant rest began to trudge† (3). Everything seemed farther and so the troops desire for relaxation and peace. Owen uses metaphors:†Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots/B... ...Unlike other poets who glorified war and eluded people’s mind Owen brought the reality of war and death in front of people’s eyes. War is not just fighting for your nation and gaining victory, it is looking at death and inhumanity eye to eye and experiencing agony, suffering and reality. The name of heroes and heroism just remains in words but the reality is the inhuman situation faced during the war. In my opinion war is not a solution to all problems, there is no need for bloodshed, killing, violence and destruction. The problems, the difference of opinion and disputes can be settled by non violence, agreements and understandings. Mahatma Gandhi proved to the world that you can achieve your aim by means of non violence and peace. He rightly said: â€Å"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.†

Prejudice in to Kill a Mockingbird Essay

In the world people are always preconceived based on who they are or what they look like. Even thought it isn’t as big of a problem in some areas as in others, we need to fight it. If we don’t then it will continue to get more serious and at times lead to death. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Alexandra tells her niece that she can’t play with a schoolmate simply because of his class. â€Å"? You can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem? Because? he? is? trash. ‘† (224). This prejudiced state of mind is the foundation for the plot events of the novel. By way of experiences, a young girl, Scout Finch, must learn about the part prejudice plays in the everyday life of Maycomb County. Through settlement patterns, justice, and social stratification Harper Lee reveals the ways of prejudice. The first instance of prejudice, settlement patterns, greatly affects how people of Maycomb are prejudged, not just where they lived, but also where they dwelled. The Ewells are considered the lowest class of Maycomb, aside from the blacks, which is shown by the fact that they live at the edge of the town, right next to the black people. â€Å"? He would show me how where and how they lived. They were people, but they lived like animals'† (30). The author describes where people live as a sort of divider among them, the Ewells not only live near the blacks, but also right next to the garbage dump. Not only was the location of one’s residency used to prejudice them, but also where they would dwell. The blacks’ church, as described by Scout, was, â€Å"unceiled and unpainted within? pine benches served as pews? there was no sign of piano, organ, hymn-books, church programs† (120). Through her description of the church, Harper Lee allows you to know, without having to read any other section of the book, that the black people of Maycomb are of low class. The people of Maycomb are so prejudiced that they live in separate areas of the town from people who differ in social class. Furthermore, there are two types of justice in Maycomb. There is formal justice, what the court or law decides, and informal justice, the decisions, or â€Å"verdicts†, the people of Maycomb make about other people. Both are often tacitly bound by a mindset of prejudice. When Jem is upset about the conviction of Tom Robinson, he asks his father how the jury could possibly do it, when he was obviously innocent. â€Å"? I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it? seems that only the children weep'† (213). Atticus means that only children become upset over a black man being convicted simply because of his race. While the older people are so accustomed to it that it is not even unexpected, let alone unsurprising. Likewise, informal justice is very hard for Scout to understand. She questions her father about why the Ewell children are allowed to skip school even though it is illegal. As Atticus explains it, â€Å"? Sometimes it’s better to bend the law a little in special cases† (30). People let the Ewells do what they want simply because they are Ewells. The people assume that none of them could ever become anything anyway, so why bother trying to force them to waste their time in school? The people made this â€Å"law,† and even though it is illegal, nobody fights it because there is an understanding about the Ewells. The people created laws, whether official or unofficial, that were based on prejudices. Last, the largest factor affecting prejudice, is social stratification. The citizens of Maycomb are very quick to make conclusions on a person based on their social class. People are immediately judged based on whom their family is. â€Å"Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land, the finer it was† (130). The personality of a person is already decided in the minds of many Maycomb citizens just by looking at what their family did in previous generations. In addition, if you are black, you are instantly considered trash and below everybody else. â€Å"It was all over town this morning that you were in the Colored balcony. Wasn’t it right close up there with all those † (214). This statement demonstrates how the people of Maycomb all assume that if you are black then you are lower than they are. The people of Maycomb County almost always jump to conclusions about people just because of who they are or their family is merely because they are so accustomed to it. Concluding, Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, uses many factors, including where people live, the justice system, and social stratification, as items of which her characters use for their prejudices. Through these elements, the plot demonstrates how easy it is to prejudge somebody. While discussing why people fight so much, Jem wonders, â€Å"? Why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? ‘† (227). People fight because they are so vastly different. The answer to the fighting, which is found in this quote, is to stop judging each other on our differences and to start looking for our similarities. We need to all try a little harder to not prejudice different people if we are to achieve the goal of improvement in our lives.

Applied Business Research & Statistics Essay

In the following, the learning team will revise the Business Research Project. The team will collect all the individual papers from week 5 and will incorporate the best elements into one team inferential statistics and findings paper and spreadsheet. The team will also note the strengths and weaknesses of their statistical findings. They will collaborate if there are any differences to find the best approach. The team will combine all the papers from parts 1-5 and revise all tables and figures. In conclusion, the team will summarize the results of testing the null hypothesis, with a clear statement whether or not the null hypothesis was rejected as well as provide the answers to their research question. The purpose of this research was to determine how performance is affected segment by segment at the Blue Bowl restaurant. The team’s research question in basic terms was to determine how to improve performance during peak guests count to better serve the customer on days that w here not normal operating days primarily Friday and Saturday. Every customer is referred to as a guest and guest count is used in all functions of the operations. Every 30 minutes management record the number of guests who have placed an order and compares that to labor costs which broken down in 30 minutes segments at $4.00 per hour. One such way was to record data every 30 minutes during what we determine was the peak or rush hours. The question becomes how to best capture a true and complete record of the number of complaints given to management. Below are the results we came up with. By using several research methods, the team discovered that there were potential problems that needed to be assessed to measure the performance of the operation. The strategic goals of the Blue Bowl restaurant must be identified for the workable design and execution of the data analysis. Additionally, candidate development must be aligned with  business development and constructively support the cultural, leadership and communication elements. By nature, the Blue Bowl restaurant will continue to evolve with the business needed over the long term and permeate through all levels of the restaurant. The variable is the number of guests complaints received during the most nights the Blue Bowl has an average guest count of 300 guests from 6pm to 10pm. On Friday and Saturday nights this total can climb to 400-600 which could mean an increase of 50% on both days. The team has decided that the removal of the obstacles on the staff will increase their productivity measured by the number of guests and income per hour. However, the removal of the obstacles on the staff will not increase their productivity measured by the number of guests and income per hour. Based on the information that was provided, as a group we decided on the above scenario that not only included a number of guests but also included the number of available working employees. The graph defines those segments when guest complaints occurred. In the graph you can see that complaints mainly occurred in the beginning of the increase, in the middle of the increased, and at the end of the increase of guests. The graph below defines those segments when guest complaints occurred. Above are the results of complaints received by guests to management during this time. You will notice in the first quarter and second quarter complaints are lower compared to the target population this would suggest that performance is good with regards to guest counts. However the team seen an increase in complaints in the third quarter suggesting that performance has fallen. This would suggest to them that with the increase of the work load the staff has lost a measure of performance resulting in complaints. It could also mean that management at the time was trying to cut cost by minimizing staffing levels. With staffing levels lower, more responsibility is put on the shoulders of one worker and that could be a very difficult task to retain high service levels. In the fourth quarter the team found that complaints have again fallen given the data collected which would indicate that the staff has regained performance and is operation better in this quarter with the same being true in the last quarter. As a result, of the results in the data and given the findings that performance decreased in the later quarter, the team believes that employees that are much better  suited for handling the increase. The decrease in complaints resulted from gathered information throughout the quarters. Managers were able to see different trends and were able to gather complaints from diners throughout the quarter. Upon compiling all the information together, the manager of Blue Bowl was able to make significant changes and continue with training thus the reason for the steady decrease. A random sample over the course of a few weeks produces 91 surveys or customer complaint cards. The observations produced a mean of x= 26.1 and a standard deviation to s= 2.8. Since the sample size is large the standard formula will be used. The equation will be 26.1 + and – 1.960 2.8 / the square root of 91. Once the calculations are done we can determine the calculations will be 26.1 + and – 0.58. Thus the 95% confidence level for u will be 25.52 and 26.68. This allowed us to determine that out of the surveys we received feedback on we can say that 95% of the data is accurate. With this data, we will be able to move forward with training and different courses of action to perhaps minimize the complaints that we receive during peak hours. From this data we can now determine what was happening during these peak times if we redefine our research question a bit. We can now ask â€Å"how many complaints where about incorrect orders and how many complaints where from too long of a wait from placing the order and when it arrived at the table?† Below is a chart with these redefined questions and the data which has been separated. So the inferences that can be made here is that the team sees the sharp increase that was due mainly in part to increased wait times and not incorrect orders being delivered to the guests. With this chart you can say that the statistic is regression and from the data you can say that the majority of complaints where in fact due to waiting periods. You can further say that the data infers that the next week’s guests will experience much of the same. Overall the team as a group found out from their data that not all concerns about the performance actually where related to employees. The team found that the great numbers of complaints where from guests that were unhappy about the wait to be seated. The wait time was increased by the guest who  remained longer than projected by management. Early on in their projects they stated that everything in the restaurant was driven by guest count from the food to be ordered, to the number of staff they have on hand to serve the guest, and even the number of kitchen staff working to fulfill the orders. When guests remained longer than one hour the matrix established failed. In their terms the null hypothesis was rejected. Management had few choices about decreasing wait time given the number of tables. If space is available in the dining room, staffing could not be increased for this reason as well. Friday and Saturday nights saw the most increases in our population size and affected our data the most. Another variable we determined as the cause was effectiveness of both the order taking and order fulfillment. Fatigue played a factor in the performance of employees as well as the unpreparedness of staff when increased order volume occurred. Ten Research Questions: 1. Were you greeted immediately upon entering the restaurant? 2. Once seated, how long did it take before your server greeted you? 3. Was you food/drink order correct? 4. How was the quality/presentation of the food/beverage that was provided? 5. How did everything taste? 6. Was the check presented in a timely matter? 7. Did you observe manager/supervisor interacting with guest? 8.Was the server/host knowledgeable about the items on the menu? 9. Would you recommend Blue Bowl Restaurant to your friends and family? 10. How would you rate your overall experience on a scale from 1-5? With 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. The strength was asking or being given responses directly from a guest and recording that data to find the core of the complaints of guests during peak times. This approach revealed wealth of information based on the perceived experiences from the customer, direct interaction and gathered information is far better than relying solely on a random survey which may not yield the same or intended information needed to accomplish the objectives. On the weakness side this information was solely the opinion of a guest and not backed up by data. In that respect the information has a likelihood of including false results based on an opinion. There was not any model in which to compare a base line from previous days  and not a system that could eliminate miss information such as failure of management to record complete and accurate details of the complaint which is amplified when more than one member of management recording data. Still this does allow for future studies to be completed to fine tune both the data gathering and interpretation of the results found. The team has also discovered during the previous weeks that our data began developing more variables such as the space in the waiting area and the number of seating available to seat guests, as well as fatigue of staff during peak times which affect performance. Yet the data collected does provide enough information to identify areas of improvement and those conditions for which the study was conducted. The simple answer could be to increase the waiting area to increase waiting space available as well as redesign the dining area to provide for more seating space. However, this would mean an increase in expenditures to make such changes which may not be financially possible. In conclusion the team has pointed out some of the strengths and weaknesses in their data. They believed that the process that they were able to come up with was going to allow the Blue Bowl Restaurant to continue high success and growth in the future. As a team they gathered data and performed different hypothesis tests to come up with different results. Charts and graphs showed the data that was collected and the variables that were tested. They thought that the complaints came from customers being unhappy with the employee’s service. In actuality it was because the customers had to wait longer to be seated. So as a team they found out that it was not the employee’s performance but prior guests sitting longer than projected. If there was more seating space in the dining room then this problem would not occur. This would mean that the Blue Bowl restaurant would have to expand and might not be enough finances for such renovation. As a team they figured out that they should have included the customers that stayed longer than anticipated as a variable in their tests.

The Effect of Outsourcing on Public Sector Organizations Essays

The Effect of Outsourcing on Public Sector Organizations Essays The Effect of Outsourcing on Public Sector Organizations Essay The Effect of Outsourcing on Public Sector Organizations Essay The Effect of Outsourcing on Public Sector Organizations JOHN H HANNAH III UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX The Effect of Outsourcing on Public Sector Organizations This paper will examine the particular issues associated with the impact of outsourcing on public sector organization’s performance and employee commitment. As the move to outsourcing is part of a wider phenonom for flexibility in the organizational, structure, development and change paradigms of public sector organizations. This paper begins by examining the problems associated with an outsourcing strategy in public sector organization. Many counties within the US, have chosen to outsource the investment and operation of non-competitive public services, such as water and waste management, public transports, mail services, information and communication technology services, facilities management and road infrastructures. Outsourcing today has become an essential revenue and growth strategy for almost every existing corporation. It creates flexibility in the company, ensuring the maximum utilization of available resources within the company. It also offers corporations cost advantages and help free up their management resources. Orange county government-anywhere USA, requested the services of a Home Land Security Specialist to assist in the collaborative, assessment, development and strategic enhancement of it municipality’s Information Technology (IT) and Critical Facilities’ (CF) upgrades and security. Upon the completion of plan, expectations and deliverables, a series of introductions with Directors, Managers and Supervisors, it was apparent the federal dollars associated with the project was indeed the motive for the invitation. In my initial general assessment and development of a strategy, the organization handbook was the first critical reading which uncovered a mission statement, values, ethical guidelines and the organizational cultural premise. â€Å"The Mayor’s outline the vision, values and mission as simple – to serve. You have an important job to do as we work to meet the needs of our citizens. We ensure that roads are built and maintained; we protect environmental resources; we respond to crisis and emergency situations; we staff facilities that care for people; and we ensure that the quality of life of our citizens is protected our challenge is to build on the strengths of our diverse community so that everyone can enjoy the very best Orange County has to offer. We are committed to maintaining an organization where citizens are engaged in civic affairs, take ownership in their government and have input in the decision making process†. The following core values serve as our foundation: 1. FAIRNESS, 2. WORK ETHIC 3. INTEGRITY AND CHARACTER 4. EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION: 5. PROFESSIONALISM AND ACCOUNTABILITY (Orange County Government, 2012) . The role of the Security Specialist in this public sector organization is to examine the particular issues associated with the impact of outsourcing on public sector organization’s performance and employee commitment and develop a strategy to move this organization toward outsourcing initially in the areas of IT and CF. Provide an assessment and evaluation of the organizational readiness for change in the area of outsourcing. This paper begins by examining the problems associated with an outsourcing strategy in public sector organization in the form of an assessment. As public sector moves to outsourcing as part of a wider strategy to increase flexibility in the organizational, structure, development and change paradigms of public sector organization. Outsourcing helps organizations to be focused. Since the most valuable resource within management is time, once a process is successfully outsourced, the management gets more and effective time to explore new revenue streams, time to accelerate other projects and time to focus on customers. Traditionally executives spend 80 percent of their time managing details, and only 20 percent on planning and customer relations, in other words, a successful outsourcing process can help reverse this ratio. Outsourcing can also help companies to have access to new technologies that might not be used in their company. This is mainly because the outsourcers use the latest state-of-the art technologies to serve their private sector clients. And this might also increase the change paradigm shift and rapid migration of these companies to new technology. Outsourcing also helps multi functional areas and department of a public sector providing the benefit of 24-hour operational cycles and providing necessary services to their customer. The ever- growing pressure for increased productivity and profitability of city, county and state governments thus, the pressures to reduce costs and improve productivity are the main factors that influenced the beginning of offshore outsourcing. For example, the main advantages to move production to private contracting of products and services to reduce in-house human resources management cost. Hence, today outsourcing has become an attractive and powerful strategy for companies to reduce cost and improve performance. These models provide theoretical guidelines upon which valid and reliable organizational assessments should be based. All of these models provide value to management and human resource organizational leaders performing organizational assessments based on a internal aspects or a system theory evaluation approach (Erwin Garman, 2010). The McKinsey 7S Framework model is used as a tool to assess and monitor changes in the internal situation of an organization closed system assessment. The model is based on the theory that, for an organization to perform well, these seven elements need to be aligned and mutually reinforcing. So, the model can be used to help identify what needs to be realigned to improve performance, or to maintain alignment (and performance) during other types of change. The basic premise of the model is that there are seven internal aspects of an organization that need to be aligned if it is to be successful evaluation and assessment tool. The Seven Interdependent Elements of the 7s model are Hard elements (strategy, structure and systems) and the Soft Elements (shared values, skills, style and staff) (Waterman, Peters, Phillips, 1980) Burke Litwin Model (The Casual Model of Organizational Performance Change) – The Burke Litwin Model, suggests linkages that hypothesize how performance is affected by internal and external factors. It provides a framework to assess organizational and environmental dimensions that are keys to successful change and it demonstrates how these dimensions should be linked causally to achieve a change in performance. According to Burke-Litwin’s model, an organization may conduct a change intervention in stages as they relate to a specific focus in two stages â€Å"First order and Second order† changes. If an OD intervention is directed toward structure, systems, and management practice result, it can be considered a first order change, if interventions are directed toward mission, strategy, leadership, and organizational culture then result in second order change (Burke Litwin, 1992). The Marvin Weisbord-Six-Box Model (Weisbord’s Model) is designed to assess the functioning of organizations based mainly on the techniques and assumptions of the field of organizational development. The model represents a particular way of looking at organizational structure and design. It gives attention to issues such as planning, incentives and rewards, the role of support functions such as personnel, internal competitions among organizational units, standards for remuneration, partnerships, hierarchies and the delegation of authority, organizational control, accountability and performance assessment. The model also follows the basic systems approach to organizational functioning including the well-known inputs and outputs categories. The six-box model is comprised of the following components (boxes): (1). Purposes, (2). Structure, (3) relationships; (4). Rewards, (5). Leadership, (6). Coordinating technologies. The only disadvantage to this model is it s design to only address internal environments (Weisbord, 1978). An open system organizational development theory and (Burke Litwin) model will be utilized to conduct a diagnosis analysis planned change assessment to the organization. These changes are usually designed to address an organization problem or to help an organization prepare for future. It is the one method of quickly bringing change, which focus on human and social aspects of the organization as a way to improve organization’s ability to adapt and solve problems. The best theory is developed from practice; the best practice should be grounded in theory (Seeger, 2006; Brown, 2011). The Burke Litwin Model hypothesizes’ how performance is affected by internal and external factors. Public sector management occurs within a complex, dynamic system involving stakeholders, coupled with informational and resource material flows and behaviour that is characterized by interactions related to internal and external environments. According to Burke-Litwin’s model, an organization may conduct a change intervention in stages as they relate to a specific focus in two stages â€Å"First order and Second order† changes. If an OD intervention is directed toward structure, systems, and management practice result, it can be considered a first order change, if interventions are directed toward mission, strategy, leadership, and organizational culture then result in second order change (Burke Litwin, 1992). The theory of Organizational readiness for change is considered a multi-level, multi-faceted construct. From and organization-level construct, readiness for change refers to organizational members shared resolve to implement a change (change commitment) and shared belief in their collective capability to do so (change efficacy). Organizational readiness for change varies as a function of how much organizational member’s value the change and how favorably they appraise three key determinants of implementation capability: task demands, resource availability, and situational factors. When organizational readiness for change is high, organizational members are more likely to initiate change, exert greater effort, exhibit greater persistence, and display more cooperative behavior (Weiner, 2009). References Bateman, T. S. , Snell, S. A. (2007). Management: Leading collaboratiing in a competitive world (7th ed. . New York, NY: McGraw Hill Irwin. Boland, T. , Fowler, A. (2000). A systems perspective of performance management in public sector management. The International Journal of Public Sector organizations, 13(5), 417-446. doi:10. 1108/09513550010350832 Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Burke, W. W. , Litwin, G. H. (1992). Causal model of organization performance and change’. Journal Management, 18(3), 523-545. doi:10. 1177/014920639201800306 Erwin, D. G. , Garman, A. N. (2010). Resistance to organizational change: Linking research and practice,. Leadership Organization Development Journal, 31(1), 39-56. doi:10. 1108/01437731011010371 Harrison, M. I. , Shirom, A. (1999). Organizational diagnosis and assessment: Bridging theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Kotter, J. (1995). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 59-67. Retrieved from http://89. 248. 0. 102/upload/Topplederprogrammet/Kotter. pdf Lewin, K. (1951). Field Theory in Social Science. London, England: Harper Row. Orange County Government. 2012, April). Employee Handbook. Fl. Retrieved from ocfl. net/Portals/0/resourcelibrary/employment-employehandbook. pdf Waterman, R. , Peters, T. J. , Phillips, J. R. (1980). Structure is not organization. Mckinsey Quarterly, 2-20. Retrieved from tompeters. com/docs/Structure_Is_Not_Organization. pdf Weisbord, M. (1978). Organizational Diagnosis: A Workbook of Theory and Practice. Addison-wesley. Wiener, B. J. (2009 ). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4, 67. doi:10. 1186/1748-5908-4-67

flashbulb essays

flashbulb essays On December 23, 1972, one of the most memorable games in the history of the National Football League took place at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Steelers were playing the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship Game. The score was 7-6 in favor of the Raiders; then something extraordinary happened. Steeler quarterback Terry Bradshaw dropped back to pass with thirteen seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The intended receiver was Frenchy Fequa. Fequa collided with one of the safeties from the Raiders and the ball was deflected. Steeler's running back Franco Harris rescued the ball before it hit the ground and scampered 60 yards for a Steeler touchdown and earned the Steeler's a spot in the Super Bowl. If you were to ask any Steeler fan where they were when the "immaculate reception" took place they would probably be able to tell you exactly where they were and who they were with. This is an example of the psychological phenomenon of flashb ulb memory. Flashbulb memory is a clear memory of a significant moment or an event. I think that flashbulb memories occur because the events that happen are often so unpredictable. Since they were so unexpected and bring up so many different emotions, it seems that the enviroment around us is permanently burned into our memories. We remember exactly whom we were with, what we were wearing, our initial reaction, words spoken by friends, and even the smells associated with the environment. Flashbulb memory is still debated among some of the most intelligent neuropsychologists today. The debate centers on whether these memories are encoded into the brain. From a superficial overview of some Internet sites and book reviews, it seems that evidence is split down the middle for and against the encoding view. Although these neuropsychologist still debate the relevance of their finds, one fact remains true: we all have flashb ...

10 Facts About the Periodic Table of Elements

10 Facts About the Periodic Table of Elements The periodic table is a chart that arranges the chemical elements in a useful, logical manner. Elements are listed in order of increasing atomic number, lined up so elements that exhibit similar properties are arranged in the same row or column as one another. The periodic table is one of the most useful tools of chemistry and the other sciences. Here are 10 fun facts to boost your knowledge: Although Dmitri Mendeleev is most often cited as the inventor of the modern periodic table, his table was just the first to gain scientific credibility. ​It wasnt the first table that organized the elements according to periodic properties.There are  about  90 elements on the periodic table that occur in nature. All of the other elements are strictly human-made. Some sources state more elements occur naturally because heavy elements may transition between elements as they undergo radioactive decay.Technetium was the first element to be made artificially. It is the lightest element that has only radioactive isotopes (none are stable.)The International Union of Pure Applied Chemistry, IUPAC, revises the periodic table as new data becomes available. At the time of this writing, the most recent version of the periodic table was approved in November 2016.The rows of the periodic table are called periods. An elements period number is the highest unexcited energy level for an ele ctron of that element. Columns of elements help to distinguish groups in the periodic table. Elements within a group share several common properties and often have the same outer electron arrangement.Most of the elements on the periodic table are metals. The alkali metals, alkaline earths, basic metals, transition metals, lanthanides, and actinides all are groups of metals.The present periodic table has room for 118 elements. Elements arent discovered or created in order of atomic number. Scientists are working on creating and verifying elements 119 and 120, which will change the appearance of the table, though they were working on element 120 before element 119. Most likely, element 119 will be positioned directly below francium and element 120 directly below radium. Chemists may create much heavier elements that may be more stable because of special properties of certain combinations of proton and neutron numbers.Although you might expect atoms of an element to get larger as their atomic number increases , this does not always occur because the size of an atom is determined by the diameter of its electron shell. In fact, element atoms usually decrease in size as you move from left to right across a row. The main difference between the modern periodic table and Mendeleevs periodic table is that Mendeleevs table arranged the elements in order of increasing atomic weight, while the modern table orders the elements by increasing atomic number. For the most part, the order of the elements is the same between both tables, though there are exceptions.

Starbucks coffe industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Starbucks coffe industry - Case Study Example The organization selected for the study is Starbucks which is a major coffee retail chain based in USA and has operations across numerous areas of the globe. The study would include a theoretical analysis highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each of the strategies mentioned above. In addition the study would also take into account the similarities and dissimilarities between the chosen set of business strategies. Furthermore the study would analyze the external environmental aspects that govern the coffee industry. This would be followed with an analysis for the trends of the coffee industry that would include an industry analysis of the entire industry. Finally a set of strategies would be proposed for Starbucks from among the chosen set of four generic strategies that would help the firm gain and consolidate its market share in the market and to help generate sustainable competitive advantage in the long run. Introduction In the age of increased market competition it ha s become inevitable for business organizations to purse strategies that differentiate their product offering from the others in the market. Porter proposed a set of three strategies namely focus strategy, differentiation and cost leadership that can be followed by firms to gain market advantage. Firms like Wal-Mart incorporate a single strategy like cost while there are others that use a combination of these strategies to create a hybrid strategy to generate advantage for them in the market. The choice of strategy largely depends upon the nature of the business and the target market segment considering the fact that each set of strategy has its own set of advantages as well as disadvantages (Griffin, 2008, p.207). Firms should therefore analyze their internal as well as external aspects before undertaking and implementing a business strategy. This would help them take the best advantage of the market conditions and would also help them channelize their internal resources and capacit ies to create favorable positioning and brand image of their brands and organization in the minds of the target market audience. Theoretical Background Depending upon the internal and external aspects influencing an organization it is necessary to adopt any of the four strategies namely differentiation, low-cost leadership, best cost and focus strategy. The matrix below lists out the similarities and dissimilarities of these strategies. Strategy Type Advantages Disadvantages Focus Focus Strategies help generate efficiency and promote greater learning and innovation. It helps firms to concentrate to a single segment and analyze their needs more effectively (Moore, 2008, p.84-85). Concentration on a single segment can be disastrous if the key differentiators are imitated by another market player. Narrowing down of difference within the target segments can lead to business risk (Longenecker et.al, 2005, p.66) Differentiation Helps beat the market competition. Generate new products acro ss different segments and reduces the business risks and uncertainties (Parnell, 2003, p.91) Loss of cost based advantage Imitation of key features by competitors (Wit & Meyer, 2010, p.343) Low Cost Leadership Ability to take greater advantage of demand and supply factors. Reduction of market risk (John & Harrison, n.d., p.82). Too much focus on cost can lead to deviation from the market and customers. Product aspects like quality and safety may be compromised

Contrast and compare 'karnak cafe' and 'The day the leader was killed' Literature review - 1

Contrast and compare 'karnak cafe' and 'The day the leader was killed' by Naghuib Mahfouz - Literature review Example This is the uniqueness of the writing style of the author. As the story develops, it becomes poignant without losing its ground and reality. Mahfouz has created a sensational and beautiful character in Qurunfula, the proprietress of Cafe. She is just like the oases in desert. The stern author becomes an entirely different man when he portrays her character. He turns a poet in adoring her qualities of head and heart. How she puts up with the vicissitudes of life is brilliantly elucidated by the author. How intelligently she detaches from her glorious past and maintains her essential dignity as a common individual, is a lesson for womenfolk in any part of the world. The protagonist, though entered the Cafe, by chance, he was surprised to see Qurunfula there in her new role. He describes his past relationship with her in a cryptic style. Mahfouz (2008, p.4) writes, â€Å"We had never had any kind of relationship, whether of affection, self-interest, or simply courtesy.† How and to what extent she is able to retain her past beauty of the body and nobility of soul! Here is another masterful description of the Karnak Cafà © with the presence of Qurunfula. Mahfouz (p.5) writes, â€Å"Here you get to sense past and present, in a warm embrace, the sweet past and glorious present. To top it all, there is that enticement that the unknown brings.† The author has intelligently analyzed the contemporary ground realities of the Egyptian government. Though the governments change, nothing much happens to improve the social and economic conditions of the common people. The author touches upon the issues, how psychological imprisonment works in a seemingly free society, how an atmosphere of fear persists and how people are subjugated. No positive improvement is seen to break the age-old societal traditions, the freedom of the individuals is not guaranteed. It is a peculiar type of

Iegal concept working in restaurant Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Iegal concept working in restaurant - Term Paper Example It will seek to show what is legal under the law, the rights of the employee and the client under the law, and circumstances that can lead to claims from the customer. Basically, the Hospitality law encompasses a wide array of laws including the law of tort, contract law, real estate law, the law of anti-trust, among others (Barth, 2001). The degree to which this law relates to such laws has continuously evolved and changed accordingly to meet the dynamics of the hospitality industry. Nevertheless, this law is used greatly to set standards and guidelines that hospitality operators and employers use in offering goods and services to their customers. Typically, this law covers the history of how hospitality law came into being, the impact that state civil rights and federal laws have on the hospitality industry, and discussion of contract law such as how a customer enters into a contract with the restaurant employees or issues regarding reservations and overbooking (Langford, 2011). With the use of internet to make reservations and orders being on the rise, the Hospitality law has evolved to include such issues, as well. In addition, in the current world both the customers and the employees know their rights and the channels that they can use to launch complaints or make claims. In this regard, the Hospitality law has continually evolved as new and better knowledge keeps on emerging. In the recent past, cases of food poisoning and awareness of food illness have been on the rise with more people being interested in getting information about the restaurant that they eat from. This has brought the Hospitality law in restaurants at the front center of public conscience. In matters related to restaurant and food services, terrorists’ attacks against hotels have raised the importance of having hospitality law that will govern international affairs especially in the quest of protecting

MPM IP3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MPM IP3 - Essay Example This paper tries to explain the roles and importance of WBS to any project tasks in the organization as well as identifying the purpose of the roles, the responsibilities of the roles, the reporting relationship of the roles, skills, qualifications, and experiences required (Haugan, 2002). Project teams are groups of people who are responsible for a proper planning and execution of the project. Project teams consist of the project manager, and a number of members of the project team, they are brought to deliver the tasks assigned for them in considerate to the scheduled project. The project manager is one who is responsible in making sure that the projects or tasks allocated are completed by the project team. He develops a project plan with teams and manages team’s performance of the project tasks. The key responsibility of a project manager is to secure an acceptance plus the approvals of the deliverables from the project sponsor as well as stakeholders. The project manager is also responsible for status reporting, for communication and risk management, and makes sure that projects are delivered at the correct time. There are some larger projects, which require project team members who may act as Team leads. Team leads provides tasks, and other technical leadership they sometimes maintains apportion of a project plan. The other project team member is the executive sponsor who is a manager and demonstrates the interest in out coming of the project; he is also responsible for securing as well as resources for project. Actually, an executive sponsor is the highest-ranking manager in project plan. The executive sponsor has the responsibility of providing support to the project, and has gotten the final approval of the scope changes as well as, signing off the approvals of succeeding the project phase. He may also elect delegates, which are above the responsibility to project Director. Other project

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 56

Discussion - Essay Example Although US had the highest GDP per person but its infant mortality rate was higher than France’s infant mortality rate which and similar was in the case of life expectancy rate. Countries that are poorer can establish better infant mortality rate as well as higher life expectancy rate as established in the comparison of France and US. This is because higher amount of GDP does not mean that the government is spending more on wellbeing and healthcare of their citizens. A country may be experiencing lower amount of GDP, but the amount of money it directs towards its populations healthcare determines how well a country stands in the measures of infant mortality rate. Secondly, the cost of healthcare even determines the countries standing in these measures. If cost of healthcare is kept low, then citizens can obtain better healthcare at lower prices. GDP per person statistics can only provide insight regarding how much per person is able to spend on goods and services, but does no t determines the amount of goods and services that can be purchased and the quality of goods and services that can be purchased by individuals, thus relying on GDP per person statistics does not provide a clear picture of a nation’s standard of

World war I Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World war I - Assignment Example Women have played their role equally in the war as compared to men. In the poetic thought Jessie Pope has shown the woman as brave and gallant and she has dealt with the delicacies of war in a more professional way and she has proved as a star in filling the minds of young men with loyalty and patriotism. She has expressed in her poem â€Å"The Call† that trenches are very horrible place and she is actually provoking the men that it is the duty of men and it’s not the duty of women that they have to face the horrible situations. So there is a concept that women are not too much powerful like men so it’s the duty of men that they must have to face the difficulties of war. Actually in the very poem she is longing that the men must lift their level of bravery and they have to face the war in a braver manner because the military uniform is not for the women rather it more suits to men. It is the duty of men that they look sober in shouting and shooting while women ar e not born for such deeds. So from the very idea of the poem â€Å"The Call† by Jessie Pope it is evident that war is a more suitable topic for poetry because it has a number of aspects which can be expressed in a poem in a more powerful

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 56

Discussion - Essay Example Although US had the highest GDP per person but its infant mortality rate was higher than France’s infant mortality rate which and similar was in the case of life expectancy rate. Countries that are poorer can establish better infant mortality rate as well as higher life expectancy rate as established in the comparison of France and US. This is because higher amount of GDP does not mean that the government is spending more on wellbeing and healthcare of their citizens. A country may be experiencing lower amount of GDP, but the amount of money it directs towards its populations healthcare determines how well a country stands in the measures of infant mortality rate. Secondly, the cost of healthcare even determines the countries standing in these measures. If cost of healthcare is kept low, then citizens can obtain better healthcare at lower prices. GDP per person statistics can only provide insight regarding how much per person is able to spend on goods and services, but does no t determines the amount of goods and services that can be purchased and the quality of goods and services that can be purchased by individuals, thus relying on GDP per person statistics does not provide a clear picture of a nation’s standard of

Foreign Policy in the Nixon Presidency Essay Example for Free

Foreign Policy in the Nixon Presidency Essay Richard Nixon is one of the most controversial figures in American history. His presidency is remembered most for the Watergate scandal and his subsequent resignation but some of his foreign policies forever altered American foreign diplomacy. One of the major policies that President Nixon was responsible for was changing the nature of the United States relationship with China. He did this by setting into motion covert diplomatic actions and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Nixon’s reasons for improving relationships with the Communist regime was to force the Soviet Union to be more accommodating to American demands and to also help end the war in Vietnam. Another reason for improving relations was very personal for Richard Nixon. He wanted to show his power as an international statesman to the world and American public. American/Chinese relations for many years were friendly and involved the trade of goods and ideas. American missionaries had gone to China to build churches and hospitals. The two countries were allies against the Japanese during World War II. After the war ended the United States was not an ally of China as a whole but one political group, the Kuomintang. The Kuomintang, led by Chang Kai Shek, were in battled in a civil war with the Chinese communists who would eventually win out. Chang Kai Shek would take his government to the island of Taiwan. After the civil war, the United States only recognized Chang’s Republic of China and kept the People’s Republic of China, led by Mao Ze-Dong, out of the United Nations and other international bodies. This led to an isolation of China by a majority of the international community. The only diplomatic relations the United States had with China were through intermediary countries. While relations with the United States were sour, the Chinese relationship with the Soviet Union had quickly deteriorated. Both China and the Soviet Union were communist countries but their ideologies were very different. Their relationship slowly became strained and both countries started to build up troops along their common border through the 1960s. After the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia and released the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that the Kremlin â€Å"had the right to correct deviationism in other communist countries by military intervention,† the Chinese no longer considered the Soviet Union as an ally. This led to violent border clashes between the two countries in March 1969. By the end of 1969 the Soviet Union had over a million troops stationed along the Soviet/Chinese border and missiles aimed at major Chinese cities. The year before, a former republican vice-president from California, Richard Nixon, was elected president. He had made a name for him self in Congress as a leading anti-communist and he went on to serve as vice-president under Dwight D Eisenhower. Even before he was elected president, Nixon had expressed interest in opening up relations with China despite his previous negative views of communism. In 1967 he wrote an article for Foreign Affairs magazine where he stated â€Å"We simply cannot afford to leave China forever outside the family of nations, there to nurture its fantasies, cherish its hates and threaten its neighbors. There is no place on this small planet for a billion of its potentially most able people to live in angry isolation.† After his election as President Richard Nixon decided to make China one of the primary focuses of his foreign policy. One of his primary reasons for doing this was to gain an upper hand in the now 20-year-old Cold War with the Soviet Union. The Soviets had taken over several Eastern European countries and turned them into communist states in an attempt to show the world the successes of Communism. Also by the late 1960s the United States was no longer confident that it could win a war with the Soviet Union since they had had the two decades since the Second World War to regain it military strength. This required the United States to have to change strategies in dealing with the Soviet Union. They now had to shift their focus to gaining China as an ally. The State Department in the summer of 1969 began to announce various unilateral gestures of reconciliation. Many restrictions on travel and trade were lifted. This would become know as â€Å"Ping Pong† diplomacy. It was so named after the United States ping-pong team was invited to the Chinese capital in April of 1971. During their visit the group was treated as though they were dignitaries or royalty. They played matches against the Chinese team but also visited important landmarks through out China. The American delegation was accompanied by members of the press and was closely watched by the American public. At a banquet for the visiting Americans, Chou En-Lai, the Chinese Premier told the group, â€Å"Exchanges between our two countries have been cut off for a long time but now, with your acceptance of our invitation, you have opened a new page in the relations of the Chinese and American people.† While the American ping-pong players were the talk of the media, behi nd the scenes Nixon was putting into action his plan to improve relations with China. He did this by employing his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, to make covert communications with the Chinese government. Before the Ping-Pong players had ever set foot in China and at the beginning of his presidency Nixon had Kissinger prepare a study on the feasibility of improving American/Chinese relations. Originally Kissinger was hesitant about the idea of talks with China even being quoted as saying â€Å"this crazy guy really does want to normalize relations with China.† But even Kissinger knew that an alliance between the United States and China could shift the global political powers more in favor of the United States and away from communism and the Soviet Union. One of the biggest roadblocks to improving relations with China was the issue of Taiwan. Since the Chinese civil war ended the United States had only recognized the government of the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan. So even as Nixon is trying to improve relations with communist China there is still the issue that the United States does not officially recognize the People’s Republic of China as a legitimate government. To ease some of China’s concerns, Nixon instructs his administration to terminate navel patrols in the Straight of Taiwan. Also in a radio address that Nixon gave on February 25, 1971 regarding his congressional foreign policy report he reiterated both his intention to protect Taiwan but open up talks with China. â€Å"We will search for consecutive discussions with Communist China while maintaining our defense commitment to Taiwan. When the Government of the Peoples Republic of China is ready to engage in talks, it will find us receptive to agreements that further the legitimate national interests of China and its neighbors.† A visit to China was next on Nixon’s foreign policy agenda. He announced his intentions in 1970, taking much of the world by surprise especially the Soviet Union. He negotiated this visit first by secretly sending Henry Kissinger to Beijing in July of 1971. Kissinger made this covert trip by faking illness on a diplomatic visit to Pakistan and flying to China to convey Nixon’s intention to Premier Zhou En-Lai. It was decided that President Nixon would visit the following year. On February 21, 1972, Richard Nixon became the first United States President to visit China. The following week would become known as the â€Å"week that changed the world. † President Nixon would only meet with an ailing Mao Ze-dong one time during his visit but it would set in motion events that would lead to United States recognition of Mao’s government and an end to the Cold War. The visit ended with both countries issuing the Shanghai Communiquà ©. In this document both countries pledged to work towards normalization of relations. The United States also agreed to remove military forces from Taiwan. Shortly after the delegations return from their visit to China, Richard Nixon tasked Henry Kissinger with negotiating arms treaties with the Soviet Union. With the well-publicized visit closely watched by the Soviets the United States now had more bargaining power. In 1972, Kissinger negotiated the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks. The two Cold-War super powers agreed that they would begin limiting missiles, nuclear arms, and delivery systems. With his relative success in negotiating deals with both China and the Soviet Union, Richard Nixon was hopeful that he would have the same success in negotiating a deal with North Vietnam to end the Vietnam War. Going into his re-election campaign in 1972 the United States had been at war in Vietnam for 12 years, over 50,000 had been killed, and billions of dollars had been spent. His first major policy regarding Vietnam that Nixon put into place was the Nixon Doctrine. The Doctrine had three major tenants. First, the United States would honor all of its treaty agreements. Secondly, the United States would provide a shield if a nuclear power threatened an ally or a country the United States deemed to be vital to its national security. And, lastly, the United States would provide military and economic aid to countries under treaty agreements, but the requesting nation would be expected to bear primary responsibility to provide the manpower for its own defense. The Nixon Doctrine led to the withdrawal of ground troops from Vietnam and training the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) in defense of their own country. Nixon had also hoped that his new treaties with China would help to isolate the North Vietnamese and convince them to sign a peace treaty. In 1973, a cease-fire was negotiated at the Paris Peace Accords and ended United States involvement in Vietnam. However this did not stop the spread of communism to south Vietnam. Nixon’s improved relations with China were largely unsuccessful in there being a positive resolution of the Vietnam War. While the entire episode of the Vietnam War was seen as a blemish on Richard Nixon’s Presidency he was still very concerned about his image not only among the American public but on the world stage as well. He wanted to use his visit to China to draw attention to his expertise as a global statesman. Among the people that accompanied Nixon on his trip to China was White House Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman. While Nixon was meeting mostly with Chinese Premier Zhou and negotiating agreements, Haldeman and Nixon’s wife Pat toured factories and schools throughout China. Mrs. Nixon was followed by a large group of press. Bob Haldeman was in charge of making their visit look very positive to the American public. Margaret MacMillan writes in her book Nixon in China, â€Å"The images flowed back to the United States, targeted for prime-time evening television. It was a presidential election year at home and Haldeman wanted to make sure that Nixon shone out as the great leader and statesman.† From the very beginning of his Presidency Richard Nixon always wanted to be seen in a positive light especially his portrayal in the media. He tasked members of his staff with combating any negative comments said about him and manage any news about him. He bordered on obsessive when it came to public image. His first week in office he formed a task called the â€Å"Five O’clock† group that was responsible for monitoring television programs for any negative comments about the President or his administration and defending them. With the Vietnam War and the protests to the end the war at the top of most news stories, Nixon needed to do something to get his name back in the limelight. Many believe that this a major factor for his motivation to reach out to China and his subsequent visit. During his time in China he made sure the entire trip was highly publicized. He did numerous photo opportunities at such places like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. The reception his visit received by the American public was very positive. This was their first view into the isolated nation in over 20 years. This view, however, was a carefully scripted play put on by the Chinese government. This was their attempt to show a â€Å"New† China, not one that was still suffering from th e isolationist policies of the Cultural Revolution. The Chinese officials responsible for showing China in a positive way had people picnicking outside of factories in the bitter cold listening to revolutionary music and then collected the radios they were listening to after the delegation left. These inconsistencies were noticed by a Canadian member of the press to which Premier Zhou had to quietly admit that this was wrong of them to do. But the idea of a â€Å"New† China would only help President Nixon portray to the world that America and China, even with such opposite political views, could come to an understanding. His visit took the entire worlds view off of Vietnam and on to him personally while he visited China. Kissinger had pled with President Nixon to not make his trip to China a media circus because of the impact it would have internationally with America’s allies and enemies. International reaction to the visit was mixed. The United States allies were mostly disappointed that they had been kept in the dark about the new relations. The British felt particularly offended that they were not informed before hand about the dealings going on between the Americans and the Chinese. Even with the somewhat cool reception in the international community about Richard Nixon’s visit to China it was still one of the most significant moments in United States foreign policy during the Cold War. Henry Kissinger wrote in his memoir On China, â€Å" The reward for Sino-American rapprochement would not be a state of perpetual friendship or a harmony of values, but a rebalancing of the global equilibrium.† Richard Nixon helped to accomplish this by improving relations with China in an effort to change the American relationship with the Soviet Union and end the Vietnam War. While his intentions were for both personal and professional gain, either way his foreign policies remain at the top of his successes as President. Nixon’s presidency is mostly remembered of one wrought with corruption and following the Watergate scandal, he is still the only United States President to resign from office. He became known as politician that would use any means necessary to accomplish his goals but this also led to his downfall. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bundy, William. A Tangled Web: The making of Foreign Policy in the Nixon Presidency. New York, 1989. Chang, Gordon H.. Friends and enemies: the United States, China, and the Soviet Union, 1948-1972. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1990. Devoss, David A. Ping-Pong Diplomacy. Smithsonian . 33. no. 1 2002 Keilers, John G. U.S. Army Military History Institute, Nixon Doctrine and Vietnamization. Last modified 2007. Accessed November 14, 2012. http://www.army.mil/article/3867/Nixon_Doctrine_and_Vietnamization/. Kissinger, Henry On China. New York: Penguin Press, 2011. Print. MacMillan, Margaret. Nixon in China: the week that changed the world. Toronto: Viking Canada, 2006. Nixon, Richard. Miller Center, Radio Address About Second Annual Foreign Policy Report to the Congress . Last modified 1971. Accessed November 14, 2012. http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/detail/3875. Nixon, Richard M. Asia After Viet Nam. Foreign Affairs, October 1967. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/23927/richard-m-nixon/asia-after-viet-nam (accessed October 18, 2012) Small, Melvin. The presidency of Richard Nixon. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1999. Walker, Anne Collins, John Eastman, and Elizabeth C Eastman. China calls: paving the way for Nixons historic journey to China. Lanham, Md.: Madison Books :, 1992.

The Perceived benefits of a Pupil Referral Unit

The Perceived benefits of a Pupil Referral Unit In todays society it is widely accepted that every child has the right to an education. Therefore, even children who show signs of challenging behaviour in schools should be entitled to the same attention from staff and the same standard of education as other children in the school. However, there are some children who cannot be educated within the confines of a mainstream school for a variety of different reasons. Sodha and Margo (2010) have produced data that suggests ; 7.4% of children may have ADHD; 15% of 15 year olds have conduct problems; around 15% of children who start school at age five have troublesome behaviour that might make it difficult to learn; and research suggests that up to 5% of pupils display challenging behaviour at some stage in their school career. In response to these problems Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) were set up. They provided a service which operates outside of mainstream schools and is designed to support children with challenging behaviour and address their behaviour in a more nurturing environment so as to meet their often very complex needs. Get the Right School, (2000-2011) Challenging Behaviour Challenging behaviour can be thought of as being a conflict between a child and the environment according to Loreman (2005). Loreman explains that these conflicts can occur when a child responds to his or her educational environment in ways that differ significantly from age-appropriate expectations and interfere with his or her own learning. This definition appears to suggest, however, that these conflicts are due to an inherent fault within the child that necessitates the removal of that child from a mainstream school. A more reasonable explanation is that these conflicts occur not only because of the child, but also due to the reaction of the professional or service in response to their behaviour, and it is this reaction, therefore, that determines whether the behaviour is challenging of not. (Clark, and Griffiths 2008). This suggests that there is a fundamental need that the service or member of staff, should possess a particular level of ability to enable them to understand and recognise the needs of the child, and it is this ability, therefore, that would determine whether the behaviour of the child was actually challenging or not. There is a whole range of reasons why young people may be required to attend a PRU. Cohen and Hughes, (1994) for example, suggest that these children fall into two distinct categories. Firstly, children who have recognised learning disabilities and particular emotional and behavioural problems, and secondly, those whose behaviour is so disruptive that the mainstream schools decide they cannot offer the appropriate care and help. However in many cases both categories can apply to a child even though the causative and associative factors may differ. However there are a rising number of children who have none of these specific problems but are required to attend a PRU, children who just find it hard to adjust to mainstream schools and also pregnant girls. (DCSF 2008) It can be seen that there is a widely varying mix of children attending these centres. Importance of a Pupil Referral Unit The latest national statistics on permanent and fixed period exclusions from mainstream schools in England produced by the the Department for Education (2010), suggests that that there was an estimated 6,550 permanent exclusions from primary, mainstream secondary and all special schools in 2008/09. The DfE also stated that there were 12,800 young people attending Pupil Referral Units in 2010. Additionally, permanent exclusion from a school has been linked to wider exclusion from society and in order to overcome this, the education system needs to work towards achieving a school which is inclusive for all young people by adopting a culture, pedagogy and curriculum which will support all learners who attend schools which are in areas that have been characterised by social exclusion. (Hayton, 1999) It has also become apparent that there are increasingly mixed views within education as a whole, and even the professionals working within the Pupil Referral Units themselves, disagree on how to deal with young people that actually have more complex needs. Sonia Sodha (2010) makes the point that PRUs are being seen increasingly as sin bins or dumping grounds that schools use to remove problem children from their responsibility. Additionally, the resultant enforced association with anti-social peers, may be counterproductive and actually increase behavioural problems. However, the benefits of a PRU may be perceived very differently from different peoples perspectives. Management and employed staff working within PRUs have just as high a responsibility as any other teacher in mainstream schools, to enable the young people to achieve their full potential in their education and support them in preparing and furthering their personal understanding of what is expected of them within their working life after school. (Ofsted 2005) The Annual Report of Her Majestys Chief Inspector of Schools (2004) states that the number of PRUs has steadily increased. The report states that 25 out of 38 PRUs inspected in 2004/05, were `good` or `better`, providing effectively for the young people they serve. The report also stated that in almost all units, the pupils behaviour and attitudes to learning were judged to have improved since the pupils joined them after moving from their previous schools. It is therefore apparent that for the majority of its children, PRUs do provide an essential and relevant service that cannot be provided in a mainstream school. But is this service based on a `one size fits all` basis? For as we have seen many children have very different problems and needs and it is the sheer diversity of pupils for whom provision within a PRU must cater, that presents the main obstacle to the perceived success of this type of setting. (DCSF 2008). Indeed, according to Gray, (2002), a number of PRU staff would argue that many young people are wrongly placed within PRUs and in actual fact should be placed in more suitable settings for their particular needs e.g. in day or residential special schools. They also argue that reintegration rates would be higher if these pupils within the provision, had less complex needs, and those with much more complex needs should be placed elsewhere for a more appropriate provision in relation to those needs. However, budgetary limitations may well prevent this type of provision emerging. Gray, (2002), explains that the costs per place for these kind of special school provisions are typically more expensive then PRUs probably being for greater than existing financial provision within the LEA. Barriers to Learning Exclusion and truancy are a fundamental challenge in all areas of education and the numbers of truanting and excluded children every day is in the tens of thousands which will have far reaching and serious implications on their education. Rendall, and Stuart (2005). For this reason Local Authorities are actively working together with schools to enable the process between the transfer of a young person from a mainstream school to PRU to be as quick as possible, as well as ensuring they follow all the correct procedures. However the period between pupils being referred to a PRU and actually beginning their time there can often be quite a lengthy period and result in a significant amount of education time being lost. DCSF (2008) Ofsted,( 2007), identified particular challenges that a large variety of different PRUS were now facing, when providing children and young people with a good education. They cited a number of factors, such as pupils with diverse needs and who are of differing age groups, and many pupils arrive with no planning or preparation for those special needs. Staffing issues were also highlighted regarding the limited number of specialist staff who could broaden the curriculum. They also state the difficulties PRUs faced regarding the reintegrating pupils back into mainstream schools. Poor accommodation is also a major factor which can seriously limit the scope of the curriculum available to be taught due to inadequate space. This is particularly relevant in relation to physical education, ICT design and technology, art and music. Therefore Local Authorities have to take this on board when managing education building assets by surveying buildings regularly and prioritising building work including Pupil Referral Units in their plans. DCSF (2008) Longman, and Agar, (1999), also make reference to similar barriers of learning within PRUs, and suggested that many PRUs were physically very small ,with limited staff and facilities. This they suggested, made the provision of expertise and the wide range of practical apparatus that was essential for the success of the PRU, very problematical. The success of PRUs is essentially down to the way they respond to challenges set and the help and support they receive from their Local Authorities (LAs). The LA`s therefore have a specific responsibility in relation to these problems and are required to intervene and take action particularly regarding resources and building issues. (Ofsted, 2007). The Governments policy which is set out under The Childrens Act 2004 aims to improve the outcomes for all children and young people. However many children and young people who attend PRU`s are vulnerable or disadvantaged, and therefore may face more barriers to learning compared to other young people and are at much higher risk of failure as a result. (Department for Education and Skills, 2007), PRU`s and Reintegration into Mainstream Education Hayward, (2006), also makes the point that in theory temporary or part time placements in pupil referral units are available. However, as they are rapidly filling up this is not actually the case, and many young people are continuing their stay into long term placements, which is a real cause for concern as there is no availability for the young people who need short term placements within them. Therefore, it would appear on this evidence that PRUs are in actual fact, not fulfilling their purpose of supporting young people, specifically within the process of reintegrating children and young people back into mainstream schools. Within the actual process of reintegration, there are a large number of different supporting roles designed to help support the pupils that attend, by enabling them receive a good education and help them to achieve their full potential with regard to their social and emotional development during their time in the setting. Kyriacou, (2003), discusses a number of studies that have taken place over the years which highlight the important role that needs to be played by inter agency cooperation both in supporting pupils and schools when a pupil is at risk of exclusion and in helping to support a pupil returning to school after a fixed period exclusion or moving to a new school after a permanent exclusion. One particular study carried out by Normington and Kyriacou (1999) emphasises the importance of communication between agencies. Within this study a number of professionals, such as education psychologists, education welfare officers and teachers to name but a few, were interviewed and asked to focus on the interdisciplinary work that follows permanent exclusions for a sample of pupils who were based at a pupil referral unit. The overall outcome from all professionals involved, suggested that the interagency cooperation is often hampered by heavy case loads and by difficulties in the different agencies keeping each other fully informed. Normington and Kyriacou (1999) cited in Kyriacou, (2003). The professionals taking part in the study also mentioned how improved resources were key, to becoming more successful in this area of interagency cooperation. Conclusion While the need for a PRU is becoming more essential, the findings of Ofsted (2007), reflect a very disappointing situation, with many Pupil Referral Units described as offering an uninspiring curriculum and with a lack of clear vision. The report stated these points as the reason for the failure to reduce days lost as a result of exclusion and failure to improve pupils attendance. It is therefore apparent that while many Pupil Referral Units are an essential struggling to fulfil their responsibilities, particularly in reintegrating young people back into mainstream education. It should be remembered that this was the purpose they were specifically set up to fulfil. All the PRUs made sure personal and social development was emphasised: it was integrated into all lessons and activities, as well as being taught well at discrete times. The PRUs generally monitored personal development well but academic progress less so. I am currently in the process of researching one particular Pupil Referral Unit, which I attended as part of my placement, and I am particularly interested to listen to the views of both the staff and students of this PRU and focus on what they perceive as the benefits, if any, of attending the PRU A number of the staff at this PRU have expressed their opinion that many of these children would benefit more from being referred to a separate provision such as a special school, which focuses on their particular needs in more depth. New Initiatives The DCSF report (2008) maintains that due to the challenges posed by these particular children it is important that PRU`s are constantly assessing their procedures and instigating new systems and initiatives to support the ever changing demands presented by the young people in their provision. For example the PRU where I have been on placement is currently rolling out the practice of Restorative Justice. Wright (1999 cited in Hopkins, 2004) states that restorative justice is not about stating who is to blame and what the punishment will be as a result of a persons harmful actions, but to explore deeper into what happened and being able to put more time into repairing harm done to relationships. The process involves asking questions such as: Who has been affected by what happened? How can we put right the harm? What have we learnt from what has happened and how to make different choices next time? In basic terms restorative justice is a new approach for dealing with situations in a more effective and positive light, enabling young people to move forward in their relationships and learn from what they have done. Wright, (1999), cited in Hopkins, B, (2004).

My Father Wasted His Life - I Will Not :: College Admissions Essays

My Father Wasted His Life - I Will Not    Why me? Nothing like this had ever even happened to me before. I was so shocked I could barely shed a tear. My life had been normal and uneventful and happy, and now it was turned upside down and I was lost. I remembered when I was a little kid and he would send me to my room for stealing those little sugar packets that were in a bowl hidden in the cupboard and eating them. I would get so mad and wish for him to disappear or die or leave and never come back. For some reason those thoughts were running through my head. Somehow I was trying to make myself believe that I was at fault and that I should have or could have done something to prevent what had just happened. I didn't know what to do. Was there anything I could do? Was this really true? How are we going to survive on my mom's paychecks alone? How will this affect my life? Then I saw them. They had just heard the news. They were screaming and crying. I wanted to scream and cry and give up and die, but I had to stay strong.    That was June 30, 2001. It is now October 24, 2002 and I still can't believe he's gone. Every morning when I wake up I walk out into the living room and expect to see him sitting in his chair reading a book, and every morning I feel a little twinge of pain when I realize he's not there. I don't think I will ever fully accept that he's gone but since his death I have accepted that it was not my fault. My father was an alcoholic and died of cirrhosis of the liver, an irreversible process that is the result of scar tissue replacing liver tissue due to extensive alcoholic consumption. The actual cirrhosis occurs when the liver contains too much scar tissue and suddenly stops functioning and the victim dies from internal bleeding and heart failure. Now that I look back I think I was trying to blame myself in order to protect my mom and my sister. I was trying to make it better for them because I knew they felt just as lifeless inside as I did. I wanted to be their strength, but it was so hard because I felt helpless and empty. My Father Wasted His Life - I Will Not :: College Admissions Essays My Father Wasted His Life - I Will Not    Why me? Nothing like this had ever even happened to me before. I was so shocked I could barely shed a tear. My life had been normal and uneventful and happy, and now it was turned upside down and I was lost. I remembered when I was a little kid and he would send me to my room for stealing those little sugar packets that were in a bowl hidden in the cupboard and eating them. I would get so mad and wish for him to disappear or die or leave and never come back. For some reason those thoughts were running through my head. Somehow I was trying to make myself believe that I was at fault and that I should have or could have done something to prevent what had just happened. I didn't know what to do. Was there anything I could do? Was this really true? How are we going to survive on my mom's paychecks alone? How will this affect my life? Then I saw them. They had just heard the news. They were screaming and crying. I wanted to scream and cry and give up and die, but I had to stay strong.    That was June 30, 2001. It is now October 24, 2002 and I still can't believe he's gone. Every morning when I wake up I walk out into the living room and expect to see him sitting in his chair reading a book, and every morning I feel a little twinge of pain when I realize he's not there. I don't think I will ever fully accept that he's gone but since his death I have accepted that it was not my fault. My father was an alcoholic and died of cirrhosis of the liver, an irreversible process that is the result of scar tissue replacing liver tissue due to extensive alcoholic consumption. The actual cirrhosis occurs when the liver contains too much scar tissue and suddenly stops functioning and the victim dies from internal bleeding and heart failure. Now that I look back I think I was trying to blame myself in order to protect my mom and my sister. I was trying to make it better for them because I knew they felt just as lifeless inside as I did. I wanted to be their strength, but it was so hard because I felt helpless and empty.