Cost of Goods Checkpoint Essay

A multi-step income statement for a trading business highlights the fact that between 40% and 60% of revenue from sales is accounted for as the cost of goods sold. The cost of goods attributed to a company’s products is expensed as the company sells these goods. There are several ways to calculate COGS but one of the more basic ways is to start with the beginning inventory for the period and add the total amount of purchases made during the period then deducting the ending inventory. (According to Kimmel, Weygandt, and Kieso), cost of goods sold is found by taking the cost of goods available for sale (beginning merchandise inventory + net purchase), less the ending merchandise inventory (p. 244). In a wholesale or retail trading business, merchandise held for resale in the normal course of business is the largest asset owned by the organization. For this reason it is vital that accurate up-to-date records be maintained when goods are acquired and inventories taken. Finished goods and or merchandise makes up cost of goods sold. There are two classifications of inventory: merchandiser or manufacturer. In a merchandiser company inventory consists of many items all different. Whereas, a manufacturer, some inventory may not be ready (Kimmel, Weygandt, & Kieso, p. 282). Examples of items that make up cost of goods include; produce, clothing, electronics, items that can be resold from manufacture to a company to the customer. This means when the business acquires a finished product, the cost of the product goes into an inventory asset account. The customer will then purchase the product, finished good, the business transfers the cost of the product from the inventory asset account to the cost of goods sold expense account because the product is no longer in the business’s inventory (Kimmel, Weygandt, & Kieso, p. 282). References Kimmel, P. D. , Weygandt, J. J. , & Kieso, D. E. (2011). Financial accounting: Tools for business decision making (6th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Photosynthesis and respiration rules outline

Each small group has to designate a leader. Each small group has to choose 1 topic project and develop a † poem † , which is the lyrics, and a song. The song must be presented as a video song. This video song should be educational and teaching, so it is preferable to include singing and lyrics with images or animations explaining and describing each topic project. This video song should last not more than 6 minutes and not less than 3 minutes. Any other characteristic of the video is up to the risk of each small group and the ours.The physical poem and the video song should be hands-in during the week 12-16 of January, in the first 2 days of that week for grading. These grades will be average with other 2 grades (further explained) and count for the sixth partial in individual glasswork (Item 2) and group work (item 3). The course (entire class) has to present 2 works that count as grade. One work is a Prize presentation in which all the 6 topic projects are synthesized a s a mental map diagram, without losing the objective of being educational and teaching. The information source is the Duskier Book.This Prize must be hands-in on the first 2 days of the week 12-16 of January for grading. This grade will be average with the poem and video song grades, as mentioned before. The other course work is/are the model (macaque) or mini-models and/or lab experiment or mini-lab experiments that should explain, describe, and illustrate all the 6 topic projects. These model(s) and/or lab experiment(s) must be presented in the first 2 days of the week 12-16 of January for grading. This grade will be average with the poem and video song grades, as mentioned before.GRADING A) There are 4 works (2 small group work and 2 course work) and 4 grades that will be input directly into item 2 (individual glasswork) and item 3 (group work) for the sixth partial (January). The grade is individually computed, even though all works will be done in groups. B) If a small group wo rk is done outstandingly, although the course did not win the first place in the project, I (the Biology teacher) will decide to add the grade of the small group, but individually, to item 5 (summarize), too.C) On the week 12-16 of January, there will be (date and place not yet designated although it will eventually be) he presentation and contest of all five Baccalaureate Biology Projects and the course with highest punctuation will win the project contest. The winner, all the students, will be granted 10 in item 1, item 2, item 4, and item 5, except item 3 (Evaluations) that will be a quiz taken during weeks 5-16 about photosynthesis and respiration. This is the highest motivation a course should be focused on. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION All works should be educational, teaching, and motivational.All students should be involved in any task (one or more than one). If determine that any dent has not done nor participated directly in any task, even if the course win the first place proje ct, I will overrule that decision and all the students of the wining course will be granted just the grade each student got initially (check grading point A). If one course is eliminated, as it is mentioned above, the second course or the next course (in case of more than one elimination) with the highest punctuation will be declared winner of the contest and granted a grade of 10, as it is mentioned in grading point C.The punctuation to declare the winner of the Biology Project Contest will come from the scrutiny of screening questions using indicators (values) to students, teachers, other staff members, authorities, and visitors that will like to fill-in this survey. The Biology teacher and respective students of I Baccalaureate will not be allowed to fill-in this survey. During the presentation and exhibition Of the five Biology projects of Baccalaureate, the designated students of each course should be available and ready to respond to any question regarding to the following sub jects and parameters: Language and Literature.Explain and describe briefly the characteristics of the poem: its genre and/or submerge, TTS rhyme, its metric, its rhythm, its figurative language (if possible). Music and Arts. Explain and describe briefly the characteristics of the music and video song: musical genre; social and/or historical context of the song or the genre; tune; harmony; rhythm; lyrics-notes and syllables; timbre; choir and choruses. Computing (InformAttica). Explain and describe briefly the characteristics of Prize presentation: characteristics; functions; advantages and disadvantages. TOOK. Biological processes and chemical pathways are usually very complex.When scientists attempt to explain these complex reactions, they usually reek them down into smaller, intermediate steps. These intermediate steps are then carefully researched and imitated (for example models and experiments). The hope is that eventually an understanding of the complex process is obtained. Is this manner of understanding complex concepts always successful? What are some of the limitations of this approach? TOOK: Are aerobic reactions a better adaptations to most cells and living organism than anaerobic reactions? Challenge this hypothesis using the Hempen' s Raven Paradox and/or Popper s falsifications.

Personal experience with banking concept of education Essay

Education, the process of taking in and applying information, is an important part of life that directly impacts an individual’s judgement and reasoning of both themselves and society. A person’s educational experience has the ability to influence their life despite their intelligence level or home life situation. In Paulo Freire’s book, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, two major learning styles, the â€Å"banking† concepts and the â€Å"problem-posing† methods of education, and their effects on students are discussed. My personal early education was within a public school system in the small town of Canton, Massachusetts. While public schools are often stereotyped as being both diverse and inferior compered to private schools, my high school was mainly white and Roman Catholic and it contained many students that were academically focused and capable of getting accepted to prestigious colleges such as the University of Miami. In my experience, certain teachers within this school system have helped me to see, through a process of trial and error, the best way I take in new information. My education has undoubtedly been molded by a combination of both the â€Å"banking† concept and the â€Å"problem-posing† method and has allowed me to develop into the person that I am today. Being from a public school of a relatively small suburb in the Northeast, I have been pressured since the start of my education to learn in order to pass a government issued exam. Even as early as third grade, the focus of my teachers was to prepare their students for the dreaded statewide MCAS exam. The majority of my school memories from elementary school are of me practicing for the essay portion of this exam and being taught to use â€Å"50 cent† vocabulary words that would catch a grader’s attention and help us students gain a higher score. Yet, at this age, I did not really give my education too much thought. I automatically assumed that this type of mechanical drilling was the only way to do well in school and ultimately to make my parents and the people I cared about proud of me. As I grew older, I have realized that I will never know the true reason that my teachers chose to teach to standardized tests. Their reasons for this may have been purely self-interested and inspired by incentives such as receiving an extra pay bonus. Still, I personally believe that the intentions of my earliest teachers were mainly benevolent and helped to prepare me for my later education. As a starting point for learning, elementary school teachers are expected to tell students what they needed to know. Even though a large portion of this process may include having the â€Å"receive, memorize, and repeat† information as if they are almost robotic, this instills them with a set of skills that will become critical in the later part of their education (Freire 260). While it may seem that an elementary school teacher who teaches with this method would have little to no impact on how a student will succeed in life, these educators taught me educational techniques that I still value to this day. Many of the experiences that I have had with these teachers have taught me the importance of personal management. If my teachers had not placed an emphasis on the importance of organization and structure, and its relationship to success, then I would not be able to handle having a large study workload. Also, by introducing me to the importance of competition at a young age, I have been motivated to accomplish more academically and outside of the classroom than I would have without their guidance. Even though the initial principles of this â€Å"banking concept of drilling information into students may appear to be oppressive and constrictive, the benefits received by both the instructor and the student typically serve their best interests and satisfy what the student is looking to gain from their education. Therefore, I believe that it is slightly inaccurate to deem this educational method purely as a means of depositing information from one person to another. I am thankful that a portion of my education has been similar to that of the â€Å"banking† concept because it has given me the framework to pursue more advanced studies. Although a portion of my academic career has been somewhat impersonal and standardized, I was fortunate enough to take a class that gave me a chance to both think critically and cognitively while learning new material. In my junior year of high school, I was able to take an Advanced Placement history class that has brought my style of learning to a more advanced level. In this history class, the teacher gave us a schedule of what we would be doing each day of the current unit we were in that was very similar to a college syllabus. Each day of class we came prepared with background information on the topic we would be learning about which was reinforced by the teacher giving us an almost daily quiz. Although at the time taking these quizzes was tedious, it allowed for the class to discuss numerous historical topics in a short period of time. Our teacher, with the use of technology, presented different copies of primary sources to the class which led to a natural and flowing discussion of different topics. That history class was unlike any other course I had taken in the past and, while it was still challenging, I was able to do well and I scored a high grade on the AP test. I believe that the reason for both my personal success and that of many others in my class was due to the fact that my teacher combined methods of both the â€Å"banking† concepts and the â€Å"problem-posing† methods that were presented in Freire’s article. Instead of pretending to know all of the answers, my teacher posed problems to us students that we were able to work together to solve (Freire 265). While I was challenged academically to think on a critical and comprehensive level, there were certain aspects of that type of learning that required me to simply fill my brain with information. Without taking the time to learn basic facts and concepts of a certain subject, I would have never been able to insightfully discuss or give a knowledgeable opinion on it. Only by putting in a substantial amount of individual effort was I able to grasp anything that my teacher or classmates would say during a lecture or discussion. Although this experience may appear to solely support the â€Å"problem-posing method†, without the initial instruction of my early teachers to be self motivated to learn and do well in my classes, I would have believed that spending time studying outside of the classroom was pointless and that without a teacher I would be incapable of learning anything. Therefore, my academic growth that occurred during my junior year would not have been possible if I did not have such influential elementary school teachers. My educational experience over the past twelve years has definitely established me as the student that I am today. While many aspects of growing up in a small town in the Massachusetts with many similar types of people surely affected my education, it is certainly my teachers who have made the largest impact on me. With both the initial guidance from my elementary school teachers and with the introduction of critical thinking that was introduced by my history teacher, I have developed a style of learning that feature aspects of both the â€Å"banking† concept of education and the â€Å"problem-posing† method and this has proven to be successful for me in the past. Still, I hope that as I begin to continue my education at the University of Miami and possibly even in graduate school, that I will continue to grow as a student. In the future, I plan to take many different courses and be exposed to new types of thinking that will help me to develop intellectually. If I follow this path one day I may possibly be able to perfect my learning style and develop an efficient method that will help to bring me both success and knowledge in the future.

The opportunities and challenges of the Chinese market in the context Essay

The opportunities and challenges of the Chinese market in the context of globalization - Essay Example This paper shall discuss these opportunities and challenges. Main Body Literature Review The major economic progression of China for the past 20 or so years has become a source of much admiration as well as concern. Other developed countries, including the US have made significant efforts towards speeding up China’s economic growth. However, when China actually liberalized its economy, the West had contrasting feelings about such liberalization (Wen, n.d). The industrial states are now experiencing trade frictions with China which led to various protectionist actions against Chinese products which have become widely present in their markets. Moreover, the impact of China’s growth are not focused only on the economic, they also have significant political and strategic complications. Being a capitalist economy, the main goals of China as it gains strength is to be under major scrutiny by other countries (Zweig, 1999). It is difficult to understand whether its economic act ivism would present problems to the western goals towards securing political reform, human rights protection, and liberalized trade in Latin America and Africa (Liang, 2010). The bigger issue is also on whether the country will likely become a revisionist player or a status quo unit in the world economy and politics (Liang, 2010). The relationship of developing countries with China is both good and bad. In general, China’s growth has provided opportunities and challenges to the developing countries. The significant rise in China’s imports from the developing world has established an engaging market relating to the diversification of exports; however, other developing countries also have to compete with China’s products within the third world setting (Liang, 2010). For its neighbours in Asia including other developing Latin American states, there is a significant concern that China’s place in the global economy may negatively impact on their own growth. Mo reover, other Asian countries are also having the same concerns as their western counterparts about China’s expanding and growing military capability. Globalization refers to the deeper relations of different countries caused by the expanded trade, investment, and production activities. The past 10 or so years has seen the rapid pace of globalization. Globalization has actually become the foundation of centrality principles following the Cold War era (Smith and Baylis, 2005). The elements of China’s globalization shall be evaluated further in this paper. China’s economic expansion China has benefitted significantly from globalization. Since 1978 when it was gradually liberalizing its economy, the country has secured an annual expansion of its GDP at 9.4 percent. In 2007 alone, it reached a peak of 11.5 percent (Liang, 2010). This growth rate has placed the country in more or less the same pace as Germany as third world’s largest economy. China has increas ed its growth since the 1980s. In 1978, China’s foreign trade was at $20.6 billion and in 2006 it was up to $1.76 trillion (Ministry of Commerce, 2007). China’s trade share in the GDP in 2005 was at 64% (Little Data Book, 2007). China also became a major centre in manufacturing with its export platform of the cross-national production network (Liang, 2010). China’s foreign trade in 2004 included a processing trade value close to $600 million, with 60% of their profits on products

Stakeholders Influence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stakeholders Influence - Essay Example achieve this, I shall concentrate upon incorporating the use of latest technology to facilitate the organizational personnel in the process of assisting the consumers. I am the CEO of a public health organization. The organization faces the challenges of limited resources whereas the number of patients has been on an increase in the past few years. There is limited staff, equipment, and technology to provide the patients with quality care. There are two basic types of stakeholders in the public corporations; internal stakeholders and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are those that are involved in resourcing, funding, and coordination of the strategies whereas external stakeholders are the ones who share their experiences and opinions upon the issues and points of concern to them as representatives of the local community and the service users. Internal stakeholders of the public corporations include but are not limited to director of nursing, head of health information and intelligence, procurement, public health strategists, managers, researchers, trustees, and board committee members. External stakeholders include media, news reporter s, policy makers, consumers of services rendered by the public corporation, providers, local authority, vendors, and funders. As the CEO of the public corporation, my powers are limited since government is the prime decision-maker. â€Å"The specific responsibility and influence of public organizations within institutional collective action†¦is a source of ambiguity. It becomes therefore a matter of political authority for public organizations to invest in the structuring of public problems and policies† (Demortain, 2004). According to my plan, I would first prioritize the issues according to their importance. I would assess the influence of internal and external stakeholders in relation to each issue, as well as their sources of influence. â€Å"The impact stakeholders can have on organisational policy, strategy, and

Management and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management and Leadership - Essay Example The leadership activities and that of management are quite different in Wal-Mart. The management of Wal-Mart is generally focused on excellent planning and organizing so that there is attainment of desired success in business. The management has a good responsibility to motivate the employees. The store manager arranges regular meetings with an intention to keep the employees updated (Cheng, 2006). Wal-Mart follows transformational leadership so that the employees of the company can be improved and can approach towards attaining success. This type of leadership can make the company more successful by providing value to its associates. The founder of Wal-Mart regularly visits the associates in order to appreciate them for their support towards the company. The four factors of transformational leadership that has an influence on the employees of Wal-Mart include ‘idealize influence’, ‘inspirational motivation’, ‘intellectual stimulation’ and †˜individual consideration’. ... The management of the company is essentially related to the planning and motivation, whereas leadership strategy is completely based on the transformational leadership for success of the company as it involves transformation of the employees and improves their performance. The company also follows cost leadership style for gaining competitive benefit. 2.0 Roles and Responsibilities of Organizational Managers and Leaders in Creating and Maintaining a Healthy Organizational Culture There is great role for leaders and managers of the company for attaining the performance objectives and maintaining the culture of the organization. The eight competency levels of the company enable it to gain huge success. The leadership competencies are communicated to all the leaders throughout the company. The roles in which managers and leaders have provided prime focus are communication, developing others, motivating, focusing on customers, regular improvement, listening, and team development and orga nizing or planning (Bergdahl, 2004). The managers provide assistance to the associates by helping, informing and motivating them to operate the business effortlessly. The employees are motivated frequently and provided regular updates regarding the new issues of the store. The managers have the responsibility to communicate the vision to the employees to maintain the culture. The associates are trained for the present task and also are prepared for upcoming prospects. Cross training is conducted throughout the company from various functional areas and it is considered as an excellent method. Motivating the employees is a vital part of the managers. With an endeavor to increase motivation level, to reduce the boredom from

Description essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Description - Essay Example Sean Penn, Ali MacGraw, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Dick Van Dyke and Tony Hopkins have all had homes here. The reason for this is the area’s incredible views of both the mountains and the ocean. As we drove along, it was awe-inspiring and a little dizzying to look up at the multi-colored mountains on one side of the road and then deep down the jagged cliffs to the white sand and ultramarine blue of the ocean down below. The difference between the two sides of the road made us feel as if we were traveling in alternate worlds, which, in a way, we were. The solid mountains look very dry, full of scrub brush and rocks and small, stunted trees that are bent and shaped by the wind. Although the ends of the grasses sway in the breeze and the trees bend slightly, this side of the road looks unchangeable. Nothing moves without good cause. It is very obvious looking at this side of the road why fires are such a danger here. In contrast, the ocean breakers send up white spray into the blue sky, emph asizing the constant motion and change occurring along the coastline. People are everywhere enjoying the beach, some tanning, some surfing, some just playing at the water’s edge. In contrast with the mountains, it seems as if nothing down there could ever remain the same. The houses along this drive are incredible, too. They don’t seem to belong to the real world of real people living real lives. Instead, they are mansions and palaces belonging to characters out of a fairy tale. The gigantic structures seem less like a place someone would live than like monuments to an idea. Each one has its own unique architectural style and lies in various degrees of hidden behind the heavily landscaped areas of their yards and gates. It is difficult to impossible to stop long enough to get a really good glimpse of how each house has been modeled. Another thing people don’t

Wall street Journal write-ups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wall street Journal write-ups - Essay Example Mention also of subprime lending as a possible instigator. Outlining further the history of economic crisis and how such circumstances play into crisis like these. How these crisis can have multiple causes and many intricacies. In the process of moving forward to find a solution to this financial crisis, many different options are available for consideration. The need to look at a situation like an economic crisis with logic and rational thinking, rather than emotions. Social Psychologist suggestion that when in doubt, people look to believe whatever they can to get them through. The article makes reference to the issue of regulatory practices which goes with the discussion in Chapter 12 having to do with regulation and its impact. Detailed in the section â€Å"Effect of Regulation on the Actions of Employers† Pages 573-575. The discussion which Claomiris sets forth to have is quite relevant for the times. The issue of how the many different circumstances that can occur could lead to such an economic downturn for many people. It is of the utmost importance to look at the larger picture that comes with the issue of economics and how best to aid an ailing economy. To formulate such solutions without the presence of emotional bias, but rather an educated approach with a rational mind. As is the case with many things, the history of what has happened in the economy before, both at home and abroad, is something that can be quite useful to analyze and consider as Claomiris suggests in his writing. Countless economic crisis have in fact occurred over the years. Each situation being individually different, but also having a central theme that can be tied in with others to find a central path towards a solution. As there are multiple circumstances at the root of the issue, there are just as many people who have played a part. Issues with things such as the real estate market and government

Marketing company research Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Marketing company research - Term Paper Example The sector has been growing at a rapid pace since the last few years, but 2012 was a breakthrough year, as during this period, the industry generated the highest ever revenue. However, the most alarming fact about the consumer electronics market of UAE is that, it is mainly driven by the tourist segment. Hence, the dependency on the tourist segment is extremely high. The local consumers on the other hand are more cautious when it comes to the purchase of electronics product or any other luxury goods. This study will investigate about the possibilities of Sony to gain success in the UAE market. The company is currently dealing with several external business challenges and to curb those issues, they are recommended to launch a new product i.e. a Hi-Fi system with affordable price. The financial crisis of UAE and weaknesses in Dubai is also a cause of concern for the industry. The financial crisis has compelled local consumers to spend in a vigilant way. Despite the stern situation, UAE still remains an attractive market for the companies belonging to the consumer electronics segment. ... (Hsu 223) However, due to stable political scenario there is hardly any external disturbance for the companies operating in this industry. Another beneficial factor is that the people of UK are music-lover and 84% are urbanized population. Around 13.8 % and 61.5 % people belong to the age group of 15-24 years and 25-54 years, who are the potential customers of this industry. With a developed logistics infrastructure (42 airports, 4,080 km Roadways and 61 merchant marines) (â€Å"Middle East: United Arab Emirates†) the distribution of the products will not be a cause of concern. Hence, the country will offer favorable business condition for the new product of Sony. Industry Analysis The high scale of sophistication among the consumers of UAE fuels the demand of new and innovative electronics item. The demand of cutting-edge editions of the electronic products has more demand in UAE and Middle East than anywhere else in the world. However, one of the major constraints of the ind ustry growth is high price, at least for a certain segment of customers. Hence, launching new and innovative products at an affordable price range can be extremely beneficial for the companies. Since, the recent past another trend being identified in the consumer electronic industry is the shifting distribution pattern. Most of the retailers are trying to establish online shopping platforms for the purpose of reducing their cost of operation and distribution. The UAE consumers are demanding products that which has better connectivity, high-end features, and better performance, quality, speed and convenience. The market size of consumer electronics industry of UK is

Experimentation Essay Example for Free

Experimentation Essay Cell Transport Mechanisms and Permeability: Activity 2: Simulated Facilitated Diffusion Lab Report Pre-lab Quiz Results You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly. 1. Molecules need a carrier protein to help them move across a membrane because You correctly answered: d. they are lipid insoluble or they are too large. 2. Which of the following is true of facilitated diffusion? You correctly answered: c. Movement is passive and down a concentration gradient. 3. Examples of solutes that might require facilitated diffusion include You correctly answered: d. all of the above.Which of the following would not affect the rate of facilitated diffusion? You correctly answered: a. the amount of intracellular ATP 08/30/12 page 1 Experiment Results Predict Question: Predict Question 1: What effect do you think increasing the number of protein carriers will have on the glucose transport rate? Your answer : a. The glucose transport rate will decrease. For facilitated diffusion, increasing the concentration of glucose on one side of the membrane is the same as You correctly answered: b. making the concentration gradient steeper 3. When all of the membrane carriers are engaged, or busy, we say they are You correctly answered: a. saturated. Â  Na+ Cl- had no effect on glucose transport because You correctly answered: b. odium is not required for glucose transport in the simulation. 08/30/12 page 3 Review Sheet Results 1. Explain one way in which facilitated diffusion is the same as simple diffusion and one way in which it is different from simple diffusion. Your answer: Simple diffussion moves molecules from an area of higher concentration to lower without an input of energy. facilitated follows the same rule but uses protein carrier molecules to allow substance that are fat solubles to diffuse through the cell membrane. The larger value obtained when more glucose carriers were present corresponds to an increase in the rate of glucose transport. Explain why the rate increased. How well did the results compare with your prediction? Your answer: My prediction was wrong the glucose transport rate would increase 3. Explain your prediction for the effect Na+ Cl- might have on glucose transport. In other words, explain why you picked the choice that you did. How well did the results compare with your prediction? Your answer: The rate should stay ther same 08/30/12 page 4

Data protection in online banking

Data protection in online banking Introduction Online banking is the practice of performing bank transactions over the internet. Due to the advanced nature of technology, most people use the internet to fulfil most of their personal needs, for instance; e-mails, internet calls, and video conferencing. Information technology is now being used to develop more supple and easy to use banking services (Nadim and Noorjahan, 2007). Online banking which can also be called internet banking is now being used and adopted by most people. Online banking can be useful in so many ways to both the customer and the banking institution, although the degree of its usefulness varies depending on whose point of view you look at it from. Online banking activities involves not only banks and customers but includes third parties too (Guptar, 2006). This essay would be looking at the privacy issues relating to the use of customers data and transactions in online banking. This essay would also be looking at the privacy concerns about how the customers per sonal data is used by the bank and what amount of control a customer has over the use of his/her data, how the bank shares customers personal data with third party or affiliated businesses and the rights and control customers have over the distribution of their data. And also what rights the government have over the monitoring of customers bank details and information, the ethical, social, professional and legal issues related to online banking services and the application of ethical/professional principles in the use of online banking services. Privacy issues in Online Banking Internationally, customers of several organisations can now pay their bills, transfer money to multiple accounts, make deposits, withdrawals or payments with online checks, view transactions on their account, trade bonds and securities, and all this can be done conveniently with just the click of the mouse and in the comfort of the customers home. The physical presence of customers are no longer needed for most transactions in the bank, as long queues witnessed in crowded banking halls can now be avoided which saves the bank the overhead cost of managing a crowded bank hall. But still, so many customers are concerned about the security of their personal information while operating the online banking service. According to Duquenoy et al (2005, p. 1), privacy is one of the main concerns associated with the use of online banking. I believe privacy is the most fundamental and relevant issue in online banking. Although there is not a specific privacy law in respect to online banking, ther e is an abundance of privacy laws that exist and this essay would be looking at a few of them as they are too many to write on all of them here. As noted by a few authors, Nadim and Noorjahan (2007) believed that privacy is one of the key factors amongst other issues which have an effect on a customers adoption of online banking technology. Most customers are concerned about how their personal data would be used when registering for an online banking account. What happens to their data after giving out their personal information? They are not sure and convinced about how secure and safe their data would be and how the data would be stored, manipulated, retrieved and updated. Mason (1986) stated that privacy concerns in online banking where raised by a few questions like; what information do customers require to reveal about themselves?; on what conditions?; what information can the customer can keep to themselves? According to Earp and Payton (2006) some major privacy concerns about the use of online banking technology are collection (enormous amount of personal information data collected and stored in databases), unauthorize d secondary use of data (personal data used for purposes other than they were primarily collected for), improper access (personal information viewed by unauthorized personnel), errors (unintended or intentional), and what level of protection could be put in place against them in personal information data. For example, there was a breach of information in which there was an identity theft of 3.3 million people with student loans in the weekend of March 20 21, 2010. Information such as name, addresses and social security numbers were stolen from a portable media device from the headquarters of Educational Credit Management Corporation, although the company claims it was a simple old-fashioned theft and not a hacker incident (WSJ, 2010). Howcroft et al (2003) noted that customers have confidence in their banks but their trust in the technology infrastructure of online banking was frail. Therefore privacy issues have proved to be an obstacle to the adoption of online banking technology (Nadim and Noorjahan, 2007). Most customers are worried about their personal data and financial information being revealed online. According to a study by Paul (2005), 94% of the banks customers express their concern about their personal information being exposed online. Privacy in online banking can be said to be the protection of the customers personal and financial information. It is the duty of IT professionals to secure and protect all customers personal information, they should conform to privacy legislation, professional codes of conduct and ethical principles to gain customers confidence in the technology and guard their reputation. Although Dewan and Seidmann (2001) argue that the success of online banking is expected to come w ith a growing price to personal privacy. They also stated that All online interactions leave detailed audit trails that continually depict a larger portion of our lives. Furthermore, privacy standards associated with the use of online banking technology in the banking industry (industry principles) currently exist. For example the American Bankers Association, Bankers Roundtable, Consumers Bank Association to name a few, have all approved equally to a set of privacy principles to portray a wide and united industry. They all have obligations to the similar set of guiding principles like; recognizing an individuals expectation of privacy; using, collecting and retaining personal information only if it produces the greatest benefit to such person; maintaining an up-to-date and accurate information; making individuals aware of the privacy policies; confine exposure of customers personal information; established security measures to protect information and maintaining an individuals privacy in business relationships with third parties (Earp and Payton, 2006). How can personal data be protected? Technological solutions that can give customers direct control over their personal information on their computer like cookie manager, encryption software, ad blocker to mention a few, give customers an amount of control over intrusions by hackers, spam and cookies. Also customer activism creating a policy taking direct action in online or offline environments to achieve desired enhancements in privacy policy, for example the American civil liberties Unions Take Back Your Data Campaign (Ashworth Free, 2006). Also privacy codes of practice like the BCS and ACM guide professionals on how to create and implement systems that protects the privacy of third parties. Privacy laws have been mostly controversial when viewing the laws relating to how much control customers have in the sharing of their personal information with third party organisations or affiliated business. Personal information in the control of banks about their customers data and transactions passes through different hands numerous times (Gupta, 2006).It is almost not possible for banks to retain customer data within their computer network let alone their jurisdiction. The risks of tampering of information, blockage and leakage are high and therefore needs an adequate legal and technical protection (Gupta, 2006). Most banks tend to use the personal data of their customers while advertising some of their other products and services. Third parties could use this data for marketing purposes, advertisements and customers usually view this as spam or unwanted information or some could also use it for illegitimate reasons like identity theft. The sale and distribution of customer pers onal data to third parties is a very lucrative business and generates a lot of revenue for companies. Duquenoy (2005) found out that the industry was valued at two billion pounds as at 2003. But how ethical is the sale or distribution of customer data to third parties? How does the third party make use of this information? These are some of the questions most banks have failed to look into in the use of personal data to make other products in online banking. Most customers find it a bit complicated controlling their personal information given out and collected by the bank, and its other businesses or government agencies that they could be shared with or sold to. It is required by the law that customers have to be given an option in order to decide what personal data can be collected and given out to third party or affiliated businesses, such options include the opt-in and opt-out methods. The UK follows the opt-in scheme under the provisions of the privacy and Electronics Communications Regulations 2003. The provision of an opt-out method gives the customer the choice of preventing personal information being disclosed to affiliated or non-affiliated businesses and third parties, while providing an opt-in option is the reverse which allows for the sharing of information for purposes specified by the bank (Giglio, 2005). Further, research discovered that customers must clearly inform companies of their wishes to opt-in or opt-out when registering or filling out online forms for the use of online banking or other internet services provided by the bank. In that case customers are to be told what, which and how their data can or may be used, they should also be given an explanation or description about what circumstances or situations by which personal information may be disclosed to third parties. The principles of rights based ethics (contractrianism) states that the cus tomer also has the right to know, the right to privacy and the right to property. Although, some customers might not mind having their personal data being shared, others might mind and tend to mind a lot. A major challenge being faced in the IT industry today is ensuring that sharing of data is secure and safe guarded (Raab, 2008). An IT professional should ensure that customer personal data is protected and is only shared with trustworthy third parties. And it is also the responsibility of the IT professional to ensure that personal data is used only for its primary or intended purpose or that which has been specified by the customer. One of the ethical principles in the BCS (British Computer Society) code of conduct states that You shall have regard to the legitimate right of third parties Third parties being referred to here could be viewed as the customer, and it is expected of an IT professional to know, understand and abide by the law and are also expected to regard and respect the rights of individuals, third parties and the society at large (Duquenoy et al 2005, p. 2). There have been a lot of cases whereby personal data is used for purposes other than which they have been collected for and this is ethically wrong. It is also called the secondary use of personal information which is the use of such information other than the purpose it was supplied for (Duquenoy et al 2005, p. 5). According to a research conducted through the distribution of questioners to a few people who make the use of online banking services with their banks in the UAE, 75% of customers get unsolicited mails about the banks new products and offers which they never requested for or signed up for, 8% view this as an intrusion of their privacy and specify not to be mailed about such future produ cts. The remaining 17% seem not to have been educated and informed properly about how to opt-out from the use of their personal data for distribution and marketing purposes or opt-in if they require being aware of promotions and offers the bank makes. It is essential for the bank to foster trust between itself and the customer as this is good for business and it is a known fact that it is harder to regain trust than initially gaining it. This is why it is essential that much more effort be put in place to secure customer data sharing (Raab, 2008). While conducting an interview with Suhail bin Taraff, an IT staff of Emirates NBD which is the largest bank in the UAE, it was noted that the customers that make use of the internet banking services of the bank would require to opt-in by ticking a check box in their personal online banking account if they require to be notified of products the bank offers and if they would also require their personal data passed on to third parties and affiliates of the bank producing similar or specific products or services.Online banking has two types of risk: maintaining integrity of customer information and preventing unauthorised use of such data (Gupta, 2006). The indiscriminate use of personal data is viewed as a violation of an individuals privacy right and in the UK the right to privacy is covered by the Data Protection Act. The second principle of the Data Protection Act 1998 states that the customer has the right of information about the processing of their personal data, including the rig ht to be informed either at the time the data is first processed or when that data is first disclosed to a third party, and also the right of access to their personal data (Duquenoy et al 2005, p. 20). Although the law cannot keep pace with technology, under the Data Protection Act a person has to demonstrate if they have been subjected to unwarranted distress/damages through their datas exposure in order to claim any sort of compensation (Raab, 2008). Does the government have the right to monitor online banking transactions? Businesses view the use of information as a means to making more money while the government tend to view information as a means to protect security. However, in both cases individuals or groups have limited control on how their personal data is used. It is found to be known that knowledge is power and the more information the government gathers about customers bank transactions the more power they have over them and the less power the customers have. And there could be abuse of such power by the government or whoever is in charge to use such power, for selfish means or politically motivated aims. The government claims that they use the capabilities offered by IT to get the intelligence that enables them to meet their responsibilities to protect citizens. But most individuals have little confidence in the governments handling of their data and fear that there could be a misuse or misinterpretation which could lead to persecution and prosecution of innocent people in the application of law and order and also while protecting national security. There is also found to be a lack of confidence in the governments ability to protect personal data and keep it secure, most online banking customers fear that this could give the government too much power and control over them. Most customers tend to mind if the government or law enforcement agencies read their communications or view their bank transactions, even if they have not done anything wrong or have nothing to hide. Part two of article eight of the Human Rights Act, 1998 states thus: There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interest of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedom of others (Duquenoy et al 2005, pg. 11). In the United States of America, the government created a secret programme to monitor bank transactions of suspected terrorists or people having ties with them that routes through the Belgian based financial company SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication), since the terrorist attack that occurred on the 11th of September 2001. The proprietary electronic network, SWIFT, then gives the US government access to financial data from institutions worldwide (Jacobs, 2007). Banks tend to view privacy matters almost completely in conditions of regulatory conformity. But the same government that claims to protect the rights and freedom of individuals seem to invade it also. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and the USA Patriot Act 2001 are legislations that tend to serve the interest of the state related to issues of counter terrorism and crime detection and support the monitoring and surveillance of individuals. Professor Charles Raab (2008) said that there is a need to question the sharing of personal data to cater the needs of society other than the protection of privacy. Some may argue that the monitoring of an individuals bank account transactions without their consent violates the rights of confidentiality and anonymity of such customer. Any country that signs up to the UN Declaration of Human Rights must make sure they take steps to protect privacy. In Europe the EU includes privacy in its convention on Human Rights while the UK includes it in the Data Protection Act. In the UK the monitoring of a customers bank transactions and data can be viewed as an invasion of the customers privacy by the government and violates the privacy rights of the customer and goes against the data protection act which states that personal data can only be processed when consent has been given or necessary to contract and must be only for specified purposes, adequate, relevant and not excessive, not kept longer than necessary and processed in ac cordance with rights of data subject (ICO, 2010). According to a research conducted by the BCS, 61% of members believe that there is an inequality between the data rights of the individual and the state while only 17% believe that the present legal regulations on data are sufficient (BCS, 2010). The secure handling of a customers personal information is a legal, ethical and social requirement in online banking (Duquenoy et al, 2005). The potential for abuse is great in online banking therefore ethics plays a vital role. Ethical issues that arise in online banking gives a cause for concern, for example more than 24,000 HSBC customers were affected by a breach in the storage of their personal information in the banks data centre on the 15th of March 2010, this was as a result of data theft by one of the IT employee (BCS, 2010). This shows a disregard of the ethical principle which implies respect for other people. Unauthorised use of an individuals personal computer without their permission or knowledge could be termed as an invasion of that individuals privacy. Unauthorised access of personal information or poor security measures in Information Systems put customers (society) at risk and this could result in a loss of confidence by the general public and could have a negative effect on the use of online banking services. It is also viewed as a social issue due to the effect it has on the general public and prospective customers. This could lead to hacking or installation of spyware in the individuals computer and puts the owners personal data at risk. There are many legal issues that affect online banking like identity theft, protecting privacy, online crime and misuse of data. Using the internet has its own risk and most customers expect laws to be in place that will protect them while banking online. In the banking industry, the Gramm-Leach-Biley Act of 1999 (GLBA) was passed to augment the protection of privacy while the Data Protection Act (1998) covers the right to privacy in the UK. The law is in place to protect digitally stored personal information from being widely distributed and mismanaged. Organisations are required by the act to make sure that personal information is kept secure. Professional issues could imply how a professional should act and also their role in the design, implementation of data systems and in the manipulation, modification of data and the important role they play. The BCS is the professional body for those employed in the IT industry in the UK. One of the aims of the BCS is to maintain standards in the industry and in most cases these are translated into principles set out in a code of conduct (Duquenoy et al 2005, p. 5). IT professionals are expected to know the law and abide by it. They are also expected to ensure public safety and respect the rights of third parties like the general public. Conclusion Online banking technology seems to be slowly adopted by majority of prospective customers despite being aware about the usefulness of this technology and this is due to the fact that customers are seriously concerned about the privacy of their data and do not really feel secure giving out their personal data digitally. A number of privacy issues have been analysed and discussed in this essay and the rights and control customers have of the use of their personal data, the measures and steps they can use to protect their personal information and the degree to which government agencies have access to the customers bank transactions and personal data. The professional, legal, ethical and social requirement in online banking technology and how an IT professional should apply ethical principles in the use and handling of a customers personal data. Reference List Ashworth, L. Free, C. (2006), Marketing Dataveillance and Digital Privacy: Using Theories of Justice to Understand Consumers Online Privacy Concerns, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 67, pp. 107-123. Duquenoy, P, Jones, S, Rahanu, H, Diaper, D, (2005) Social, Legal and Professional Issues of Computing. Middlesex University Press 2005 Stamatellos, G. (2007), Computer Ethics: A Global Perspective, Jones and Bartlett Publishers Mason, R, 0, (1986) Four Ethical Issues of the Information Age, Issues and opinions, MIS quarterly Earp, J. B. Payton, F. C. (2006), Information Privacy in the Service Sector: An Exploratory Study of Health Care and Banking Professionals, Journal of organizational computing and electronic commerce, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 105 122. Giglio, V. (2005), Privacy in the world of cyberbanking: Emerging legal issues and How You Are Protected. Ng, P. (2010), What is online banking? viewed 20 February 2010, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-online-banking.htm Roundtree, D. (2001), Taking Care of Customer Privacy, Bank Technology News, Vol.14 Issue 11, p.20. European Parliament Blocks US powers to monitor EU bank transactions, viewed 21 February 2010, http://www.out-law.com/page-10748 Nadim, J and Noorjahan, B. (2007), Effect of Perceived Usefulness, Ease of Use, Security and Privacy on Customer Attitude and Adaptation in the Context of E-Banking, Journal of Management Research, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 147 157 Howcroft, B, Hamilton, R. and Hewer, P. (2002), Consumer Attitude and the Usage and Adoption of Home-based Banking in the United Kingdom, The International Journal of Bank Marketing, 20(3): 111-121. Jamieson, P (2005), Consumers and Online Banking, Point for Credit Union Research Advice Dewan, R and Seidmann, A. (2001), Current Issues in E-BANKING, Communications of the ACM; Vol.44 Issue 6, p. 31-32 Raab, C. (2008), The privacy conundrum, viewed 13 March 2010, http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=conWebDoc.17577 The office of the Information Commisioner, viewed 13 March 2010, http://www.ico.gov.uk British Computer Society (2010). Code of Conduct, viewed 10 March 2010, http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.6030 Gupta, A, (2006), Data Protection in Consumer E-banking, Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, vol. 11, no. 1 State has more data on citizens than necessary, say BCS members, viewed 26th March 2010, http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=conWebDoc.34817 Jacobs, E, (2007), SWIFT Privacy: Data Processor Becomes Data Controller, Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, vol. 12, no. 1 The basics, in Information Commisioners office, viewed 9th March 2010, http://www.ico.gov.uk/what we cover/freedom of information/the basics.aspx Freedom of Information Act (2000), viewed 15th March 2010, http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/ukpga 20000036 en 1 Pilon, M, (2010), Data Theft Hits 3.3 Million Borrowers, The Wall Street Journal, viewed 29th March 2010, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304434404575150024174102954.html?KEYWORDS=data+theft+hits+33+million+borrowers

Childcare Protection in Social Work | Case Study

Childcare Protection in Social Work | Case Study Critically evaluate, the evidence and application of the knowledge and practice skills required in helping children during the enquiry, investigation and assessment phases of childcare and protection work. The objective of this article is to explore the evidence and knowledge, values and skills that social workers use in child protection investigation and assessment. In the course of this commentary and self-evaluation, we will highlight the responsibilities of professionals in social work and: a) articulate the professional role and tasks of social workers and demonstrate an appreciation of the role and tasks of other significant professionals in childcare and protection investigation and assessment b) articulate what social workers understand by interdisciplinary work and their part in this c) articulate the values which inform the practice of social work during inquiry, investigation and assessment, paying particular attention to practice when conflicts arise e) demonstrate an example of anti-discriminatory practice during inquiry, investigation and assessment in relation to at least one of the following: race, gender, disability, poverty, sexuality and religion f) demonstrate effective practice in assessing, planning and evaluating interventions (Moore, 1985) g) convey a knowledge and understanding of models of investigation, assessment and risk analysis in practice h) make effective links between the commentary on the practice of social work and the theoretical bases in relevant literature For our purposes, we would investigate all these aspects of social work blending theory and practice, assessment and investigation and analyze the roles and responsibilities of social workers and their approach towards interdisciplinary collaborative practice. We would also critically evaluate the following case study to show the application and efficacy of knowledge and skills of social workers in childcare and protection work. Case Study: 14-year-old boy from Ireland, arrived in Scotland after being abducted by a man from Dublin. Past history of the boy is given as follows- he had been sexually abused by a neighbour for many years. The case of abuse went to court, the accused man was found not guilty due to lack of evidence. The boy ended up in childrens home and then on the streets in Dublin. He was persuaded by an older man to come to Scotland for better life. The man passed the boy off as his son (as he had no passport) and brought the boy to the UK. Once in the UK the boy was sexually abused by the man, ran off and went to police station. The social worker became involved as responsible and testified in police interview that the boy had learning difficulties. Application of Knowledge and Skills in Social work for Childcare and Protection: Social workers have the objective of improving people’s lives and help people to function in the best possible way within their social environment, helping them to deal with their relationships and solve their personal and family problems. Social workers also deal with issues of domestic and sexual abuse and often provide requisite care in a health related setting. Short-term intervention, community based care and ambulatory services are provided by the social workers and governed by care organizations (Howe, 2005). Child, family and school social workers provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and try to maximize academic achievements of the children and improve family relationships. Social workers help to find foster homes and care services for neglected, abused and abandoned children and address problems of misbehavior, truancy, delinquency and sexual deviation in children and adolescents. Chi ld, family, and school social workers typically work in schools, care settings, individual and family services agencies, or State and local governmental agencies providing social support (Munro, 2002). These social workers that work for children are also known as child welfare social workers, child protective services social workers. Social workers who work with entire families are family services social workers, occupational social workers, or if they work for betterment of aged people they are gerontology social workers. Child protection services are aimed at preventing and protecting children from being harmed through neglect or abuse at home, at school, in the community or in society at large. The Social work department of the UK government contributes to a multi-agency collaborative approach to care and protection of children who are vulnerable and easily exploited and abused. The collaborative efforts of the Police, Health, Education and Housing departments ensure a coordinated response towards the care and protection of children. This is coordinated and supervised by the Child Protection Committee, which follows the legislation noted in the Children’s Scotland Act, 1995 (Francis, 2000). The Department of social work has a specific responsibility for the promotion of child protection and welfare. For protection of children from abuse and neglect, the Social Work Services have the following responsibilities: Supporting families to maintain children within their own home and community where appropriate. Investigating allegations of child abuse. Where necessary, providing appropriate care placements for children. Referring those children who are believed to require compulsory measures of care to adequately protect them to the Reporter to the Childrens Hearing system. Organizing and chairing multi-agency child protection meetings. Coordinating multi-agency child protection plans for those children on the child protection register. One of the most important phases in child protection and care is assessment. In the assessment stage, the needs of children and their families and views of the carers are taken into consideration by the social workers, health professionals, and psychologists who perform the assessment and determine the individual and varied needs and assess how they can be met (Walker, 2003). The social workers, health professionals, housing officers, teachers, the police as well as carers and the children or young people themselves, contribute to a multi-agency assessment of needs. The legislative framework followed for childcare in social work is the Children Scotland Act, 1995 (Francis, 2000), some features of which are discussed later in the context of the case study. Considering the case study of the 14-year-old boy discussed above we evaluate the knowledge and skills of social workers in the investigative, inquiry and assessment phases of child protection work. According to the Children’s Scotland Act, 1995, the following legislative framework was provided if a person is not a natural parent or do not have parental responsibilities. Care or control of child by person without parental responsibilities or parental rights. 5.—(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, it shall be the responsibility of a person who has attained the age of sixteen years and who has care or control of a child under that age, but in relation to him either has no parental responsibilities or parental rights or does not have the parental responsibility mentioned in section 1(1)(a) of this Act, to do what is reasonable in all the circumstances to safeguard the childs health, development and welfare; and in fulfilling his responsibility under this section the person may in particular, even though he does not have the parental right mentioned in section 2(1)(d) of this Act, give consent to any surgical, medical or dental treatment or procedure where— (a)the child is not able to give such consent on his own behalf; and (b)it is not within the knowledge of the person that a parent of the child would refuse to give the consent in question. (2)Nothing in this section shall apply to a person in so far as he has care or control of a child in a school (school having the meaning given by section 135(1) of the [1980 c.44.] Education (Scotland) Act 1980). Views of children. 6.—(1)A person shall, in reaching any major decision which involves— (a)his fulfilling a parental responsibility or the responsibility mentioned in section 5(1) of this Act; or (b)his exercising a parental right or giving consent by virtue of that section, have regard so far as practicable to the views (if he wishes to express them) of the child concerned, taking account of the childs age and maturity, and to those of any other person who has parental responsibilities or parental rights in relation to the child (and wishes to express those views); and without prejudice to the generality of this subsection a child twelve years of age or more shall be presumed to be of sufficient age and maturity to form a view. (2)A transaction entered into in good faith by a third party and a person acting as legal representative of a child shall not be challengeable on the ground only that the child, or a person with parental responsibilities or parental rights in relation to the child, was not consulted or that due regard was not given to his views before the transaction was entered into. Section 6 especially highlights the views of the children in parental rights and responsibilities, so our case study here in which the 14-year-old boy was deliberately brought to Scotland and was forced to live with a man who abused him repeatedly is definitely illegal. Section 6(2) specifically mentions that a person can claim parental responsibility only when there is complete consent by the child. This has again not been the case here. The legislative care procedures for children at risk of harm is as follows: Short-term refuges for children at risk of harm. 38.—(1)Where a child appears— (a)to a local authority to be at risk of harm, they may at the childs request— (i)provide him with refuge in a residential establishment both controlled or managed by them and designated by them for the purposes of this paragraph; or (ii)arrange for a person whose household is approved by virtue of section 5(3)(b) of the [1968 c.49.] Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (provision for securing that persons are not placed in any household unless the household has prescribed approval) and is designated by them for the purposes of this paragraph, to provide him with refuge in that household, for a period which does not exceed the relevant period; (b)to a person who carries on a residential establishment in respect of which the person is for the time being registered (as mentioned in section 61(2) of that Act), or to any person for the time being employed in the management of that establishment, to be at risk of harm, the person to whom the child so appears may at the childs request provide him with refuge, for a period which does not exceed the relevant period, in the establishment but shall do so only if and to the extent that the local authority within whose area the establishment is situated have given their approval to the use of the establishment (or a part of the establishment) for the purposes of this paragraph. Usually when a child, as understood by a young person below the age of 16 is in any risk of harm as in this case study, it is legally required to provide him with shelter and protection at a residential establishment managed by local governmental authorities and social care services. In cases of neglect, abuse or torture this protection is mandatory. Thus the knowledge and skills of social workers to protect any child under 16 is also related to her understanding of legal implications and framework. The initial stage is assessment of the child’s needs followed by inquiry and investigation through background checks and psychological tests in which problems of the child and his background and social environment are analyzed. In this case study, the 14 year old boy is assessed with the help of past history, police records, psychological and medical tests and it was revealed from these procedures that we was not only tortured and abused by the person who took him away from Dublin, but was also suffering from learning disabilities. Thus along with the conditions of neglect and abuse, the child can also be considered disabled and separate legislative procedures have to be considered in this case. For Children with disabilities, the legal implications are as follows: Children affected by disability. 23.—(1)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of section 22 of this Act, services provided by a local authority under that subsection shall be designed— (a)to minimise the effect on any— (i)disabled child who is within the authoritys area, of his disability; and (ii)child who is within that area and is affected adversely by the disability of any other person in his family, of that other persons disability; and (b)to give those children the opportunity to lead lives which are as normal as possible. (2)For the purposes of this Chapter of this Part a person is disabled if he is chronically sick or disabled or suffers from mental disorder (within the meaning of the [1984 c.36.] Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984). (3)Where requested to do so by a childs parent or guardian a local authority shall, for the purpose of facilitating the discharge of such duties as the authority may have under section 22(1) of this Act (whether or not by virtue of subsection (1) above) as respects the child, carry out an assessment of the child, or of any other person in the childs family, to determine the needs of the child in so far as attributable to his disability or to that of the other person. Assessment of ability of carers to provide care for disabled children. 24.—(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, in any case where— (a)a local authority carry out under section 23(3) of this Act an assessment to determine the needs of a disabled child, and (b)a person (in this section referred to as the carer ) provides or intends to provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis for that child, the carer may request the local authority, before they make a decision as to the discharge of any duty they may have under section 2(1) of the [1970 c.44.] Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 or under section 22(1) of this Act as respects the child, to carry out an assessment of the carers ability to continue to provide, or as the case may be to provide, care for that child; and if the carer makes such a request, the local authority shall carry out such an assessment and shall have regard to the results of it in making any such decision. A child is considered to have a disability if he is chronically sick or suffers from some form of mental disorder that stops him from actively participating in normal daily activities. As we have already indicated the three stages of inquiry, investigation and assessment are important in child protection and childcare. In the inquiry and investigation phases, the police and the social workers obtain the history and background of the child. In the assessment phase, health workers, doctors, social workers, carers, and psychologists work together to assess the problem of the child, instances of abuse and the legal implications of the child’s conditions. Assessment of disability, if any, the child’s mental, physical and social problems and the general abilities and health of the child is important (Walker, 2003). Knowledge of legal implications and skills of social work practice and theories on mental health and disabilities are not only useful but also necessary in childca re and protection work. The ethical consideration and values are also considered here by the social worker as anti-discriminatory measures for disability, poverty, race or gender are also taken into consideration (Banks, 2001). A disabled person is entitled to his human rights to be treated equally and any discrimination would come under oppressive or discriminatory practice. It is the responsibility of the social workers to see to it that this is avoided. As we have already indicated a recognition of models and theories of practice, values and ethics of social services and an ability and appreciation of working in a collaborative effort with other professionals in varied fields are the most important characteristics in social work and child protection. Conclusion: In this case study, a 14-year-old boy abused and abducted was brought to UK where he sought the help of police, who according to legal requirements provided him with residential care. The boy was looked after by carers and social workers in the residential care arrangement where his condition was investigated further by the police and his mental and physical conditions were also assessed by social and health workers. In this article we discussed the importance of knowledge and practice skills of social workers relating the values, dilemmas and ethical considerations of childcare and highlighted the importance of legal implications using the relevant clauses in the Children’s Scotland Act, 1995. Bibliography Banks, Sarah. 2001.  Ethics and values in social work /Sarah Banks.  2nd ed.  Basingstoke :Palgrave. Francis, Joe. 2000.  Child protection and social work practice :exploring the impact of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.  University of Edinburgh, Department of Social Work. Howe, David, 2005.  Child abuse and neglect :attachment, development and intervention /David Howe.  Basingstoke :Palgrave Macmillan. Moore, Jean G. 1985.  The ABC of child abuse work /Jean G. Moore.  Aldershot :Gower. Munro, Eileen. 2002.  Effective child protection /Eileen Munro.  London :SAGE. Scourfield, Jonathan. 2002.  Gender and child protection /Jonathan Scourfield ; consultant editor, Jo Campling.  New York :Palgrave Walker, Steven. 2003.  Social work assessment and intervention /by Steven Walker and Chris Beckett.  Lyme Regis :Russell House Publishing. Scottish Local Government Information Unit.  Children (Scotland) Act 1995:a guide.  Scottish Local Government Information Unit,1995. Also see Children Scotland Act, 1995 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/ Child Protection – Social work services http://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/Social_Work/

Winter Dreams Essay -- essays research papers

Fitzgerald Essay- Prompt 5 Money may be able to buy ones happiness but not necessarily satisfaction in life. Fitzgerald's characters in â€Å"Winter Dreams† and Great Gatsby had money, but not satisfaction throughout their life. One can have satisfying materials, do satisfying things, and obtain satisfying qualities. Characters in â€Å"Winter Dreams† and Three of the most satisfying materials that a person could own is a home, money, and a car. At least one of these items is essential for a person no matter where they live. The home is the most satisfying material that a person could own. A home is a place that one can go to rest, eat, and just live. A home provides memories and a place for a family to grow. A home satisfies people with protection, an investment, security, safety, and privacy. The home is definitely a key item of satisfying materials. Another satisfying material that a person could own is money. Money is something that is very important to possess. Owning money can satisfy a person’s hunger, shelter, and just everything it takes for that person to live. A person would not be satisfied if they did not own any money. They would be depressed and have to live on the streets. Money alone cannot satisfy a person on a whole but it brings together the whole term of satisfaction. The last item that is satisfying is a c ar. A car is something that can satisfy ones need to get around. It is important to use to get to work, school, and places to far to venture on foot. A car is a machine with great power and can also satisfy one with air conditioning on a hot day. It can satisfy a person with ride to ones favorite place such as the beach. A home, money, and a car are all materials that a person can own to satisfy them. Not only can materials satisfy a person but so can activities such as sports, relaxing, and sleeping. Playing sports can satisfy a persons body and mind. Participating in sports keeps one in shape satisfying their heart and health. Also it can satisfy a persons stress level by focusing on the activity. Sometimes not playing sports but just relaxing can be satisfying. Relaxing and not working can give a person time to think, breathe, and their body to recuperate. Relaxing is a very satisfying activity. Another activity that is satisfying is sleeping. Curling up under the covers, closing ones eyes, and just clearing the mind is something very ... ...o was playing at that moment had been gay and new five years before when Dexter was a sophomore at college. They had played it at a prom once when he could not afford the luxury of proms, and he had stood outside the gymnasium and listened. The sound of the tune precipitated in him a sort of ecstasy and it was with that ecstasy he viewed what happened to him now. It was a mood of intense appreciation, a sense that, for once, he was magnificently attune to life and that everything about him was radiating a brightness and a glamour he might never know again.† Dexter would agree that being loving is a quality that gives one satisfaction. He felt this satisfaction when he was with Judy on her boat. â€Å"His heart turned over like the fly-wheel of the boat, and, for the second time, her casual whim gave a new direction to his life.† Dexter was in love with Judy and he saw that Judy was never honest to him. He didn’t mind that Judy was never honest, â€Å"When she assured him that she had not kissed the other man, he knew she was lying--yet he was glad that she had taken the trouble to lie to him.† Finally he wouldn’t agree that honesty is satisfying because he was just satisfied with a lie.

real job :: essays research papers

Let’s talk about the importance of having a â€Å"real job.† I have spent a huge portion of my life working for someone else. I consider myself to have three full time jobs. All of my jobs are equally important to me. Yes I lead a normal life, but it is a very hectic one. I have a full-time job, attend school full-time, and I am a full-time parent to four kids. My day starts when I hear the alarm blaring at 6 a.m. and I smell the fresh brewed coffee that I set up the night before. I get out of bed where I have been nestled into my warm flannel sheets, and begin to wake up my children so they can get ready for school. As we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I start the pancakes, eggs, or waffles like I do every morning. After breakfast we all take our turns in the bathroom getting ready for the busy day ahead of us. My daughter of course is the â€Å"queen of primping.† She always takes the longest. I get the kids all bundled up with backpacks and lunches, onto the bus they go. â€Å"Whew† I have a brief minute to breathe. Now I am off to what I consider my second job, which is going to Washtenaw Community College. I am attending school to get my Associates in Applied Science Degree for Nursing. This semester I have fourteen credit hours. I attend school Monday- Thursday from 9 a.m.- 11 a.m. I find school to be very demanding on me because I am coming back after fourteen years of taking a break. I know it will be well worth it in the long run. I also believe that I am setting an example for my children. When I leave school I start my third job. This is the one that â€Å"brings home the bacon.† I work as a server at Applebee’s restaurant. I also take on the role as Assistant Manager twice a week. My primary role is to make sure that every guest that walks into the restaurant is taken care of. This job is like my second family. Recently I found out that a co-worker has a life threatening disease called Multiple Sclerosis. Just so happens, she is my best friend. The joy of working for big corporation is that they will do anything to help others.

The Mystic World through Poe’s

The existence of literature is to express humanity and human emotions in or through words. People can feel true and actual human nature through literature. Give a better opening statement about the wonders of literature†¦ Furthermore, people can touch the mystic (not appropriate term) world that is beyond their imaginations by reading literary works. The Tell- Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe is a good example for people to look deeply into humanity (why is it a good example?). The short story was first published in James Russell Lowell’s The Pioneer in January, 1843, and it appeared again in The Broadway Journal on August 26, 1845. The story describes the emotions and thoughts of a mad man who killed the old man with the â€Å"evil eye†. The story is plain and simple, yet it is able to arouse and pique the reader’s interest because of the use of symbols and excellent prose.   By reading the story, we could see the dark side of humanity, and how it forms in the human mind The setting of the story covers a period of eight days. The most important action occurs each night around midnight. The location is in the old man’s house and the narrator is the caretaker. The whole story happened and revolved around the old man’s house.   The time frame and the location that Poe established for the story were simple, which further enhanced the shocking images of the characters and its mystery The characters of the story were the nameless and sexless narrator, the old man, and the police. The narrator is nameless and sexless because Poe used â€Å"I† and â€Å"me† to refer to the character. â€Å"Most readers assumed that the narrator is a male because of a male author using a first person point of view.† (give the article title or author and year format, not the URL Available: http:// www.poedecoder.com/essays/ttheart/#characters). However, I think the narrator is a male, because he is strong enough to kill the old man and also because he was able to live with an old man and be his caretaker in the19th century (substantiate more). Poe writes the story in the first person point of view and makes it easy for readers to understand every aspect of the narrator’s mind. Our imaginations are dragged through the narrator’s eyes and we hold our breath as we continue to read the   exciting plot of the murder. It seems that we are just right in the scene watching the narrator killing the old man! Symbols can be found in the story (what other symbols?). The major symbol is the heartbeat. The narrator believes that the sound of the heartbeat is from the old man’s heart, but it is actually from his own heart. The narrator’s fear of being caught by the police and his guilt of killing the old man make him hear the sound of the heartbeat steadily. The old man’s â€Å"eye of a vulture†- â€Å"a pale-blue eye† is the symbol of evil and represents the narrator’s fears. Every time the narrator gazed at the â€Å"evil eye†, his blood ran cold. I think it’s because that the eye reveals the narrator’s evil, dark, and ugly side of his mind so that he wants to kill the old man to get rid of the eye forever (sentence is running in circles). In this way, he can get rid of the fact that he is truly mad and his mind is ugly and evil (how?). The theme of The Tell- Tale Heart is that human nature is a delicate balance of light and dark or good and evil. Most people can keep their balance at most times (give more examples or situations). However, the balance of human nature can be destroyed and the dark side can be aroused by some indefinite (not appropriate term) reasons. Different people view things differently. The reasons that destroy the balance of people’s minds may be different (redundant) In The Tell- Tale Heart, the narrator’s evilness was awakened by the old man’s â€Å"vulture eye†- which really just revealed his own evil. The Tell- Tale Heart is one of my favorite short stories. I read the story for the first time during my first year in the university. When I finished the story, I was really touched and shocked by it. I love the story for its fine descriptions of human nature, the suspicious plot of a murder, and the mystic atmosphere of the story. Every time I read the story, I   imagine myself to be right there in the scene and   to be aware of the strange atmosphere of the story so I can observe a different side of humanity. I can be in another world for a while to experience fear and guilt.   Without a doubt , Poe really is a master at making people experience and explore man’s complexities and emotions. By his stories, one can know more about humanity and the evil that exists in human nature. Literature reveals real humanity and true lives of people. By reading these masterpieces, I understand more about people and experience different sides of the human minds, such as good and evil, or beauty and ugliness. After all, these different and opposite things do exist side by side in our real world and we all have to learn to realize and take them normally and correctly so that we can view our lives in the right and perspective point of view to fulfill our life (I can’t seem to understand what you mean in this paragraph). Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Tell- Tale Heart†.  , 1843. List the cited materials like the url you gave, use proper format

Native North Americans: Journal Entry of a Subordinate Group

One often wonders where the Native North Americans originated from. Some theories have been discussed about the peopling of the Americas. Early theories involving lost tribes and continents were based purely on speculation instead of actual scientific facts. Discoveries made during many archeological expeditions have helped shape the always changing interpretations by adding more questions and more theories. There have been genetic and linguistic studies which raised more understanding and brought new questions. It is theorized that during the latter part of the Cenozoic era, also known as the age of mammals that the Wisconsin glaciation caused enough of the planet’s water supply to turn into ice. This lowered the oceans and exposed now submerged land. This event created a stretch of land that the large mammals of the Ice Age era, along with the natives of that era, could very well have migrated across the newly formed land bridge, which now connected two continents. This land bridge is known as the Bering Strait, or Beringia. During the time that Beringia existed, the Wisconsin glaciers most likely prohibited migration to any southern or eastern regions. Another theory suggests that the early natives may have inhabited the now Alaskan region because it was ice-free due to low precipitation. Several melts over a period of time created passageways, and evidence from archeological site implies that there was an ice-free corridor for thousands of years. It was during another melt approximately ten thousand years ago, that a second corridor was most likely formed farther east along the borders of Saskatchewan and Canada plains. This points to the possibility that the ancient people could have traveled eastward along the rivers in the Great Plains, and down further south. The Indians known to history as the Sioux are also known as Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota, meaning allies. This is my heritage. I am a member of the largest division of Siouan family, otherwise known as Sioux. The name is from a term given to the largest and well- known of the tribal groups. At one time, my people stretched from the west banks of the Mississippi northward from Arkansas and the Rocky Mountains. The Dakotas also inhabited territory east of the river up to Wisconsin and Missouri. They were here to encounter DeSoto on his journey in 1541, when he reached the Indian villages in what is now eastern Arkansas. Another hundred years passed before any mention of Sioux existing, when in 1658 some Jesuit missionaries heard of the existence of about thirty Dakota villages just north of a Potawatomi mission. This was located at about the head of Green Bay, Wisconsin, in St. Michael. It was during the middle 1600’s when the Sioux, along with the Arapaho and Cheyenne had to migrate further westward towards the Great Plains to what is known as North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. This migration was mainly due to the O jibwa and Chippewa tribes pushing them out of the Great Lakes region. The Ojibwa and Chippewa had been pushed out of their own land that had been further east, by the European settlers of that time. In 1805 Lewis and Clark passed through the center of this region and made contact with the Sioux tribes. After this took place, several more expeditions brought traders that settled among the tribes, and in the course of some time, permanent settlers arrived. This made the area so small that eventually the people of my tribe were forced to live in Indian Territories or confined to Nebraska, the Dakotas, or Montana. This brought on a series of raids and counter raids that lasted from roughly 1850 through 1890 and were known as the Sioux Wars. In the first years of the twentieth century, the Dakotas also known as Tetons began the process of adapting to their new way of life. They still had strong faith in their own traditions, but realized that the old way was gone forever. Numerous changes with the economy and politics were forced on my people by the government. The people strived to establish a life for themselves that used both new changes, but still remained true to their values and beliefs. During the rest of the twentieth century, all of the reservations for the Dakotas, Lakotas, and Tetons lost more land due to ownership passes and inheritances. Division between rural dwellers and people who live in town have grown bigger. Rural residents tend to retain their use of native language, and be involved in cultural events, when townspeople adapt other aspects of the American culture. Most of the Sioux nation and other groups of American Indians live in South Dakota, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and North Dakota at present time on privatized land created by the government many years ago. Wendy Coghill

George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language” Rhetorical Précis Essay

Goerge Orwell, in â€Å"Politics and the English Language†, demonstrates how to effectively express oneself with written language. To do so, Orwell states the â€Å"dos† and â€Å"don’ts† of effective writing. Because the rules for writing effectively are so complex, Orwell utilizes parallel structure to make the body structure of his essay more cohesive: â€Å"†¦ it has nothing to do with archaism†¦ it is especially concerned with the scrapping of†¦ It has nothing to do with correct grammar†¦ it is not concerned with†¦ Nor does it even imply†¦ though it does imply†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Orwell). Orwell interlaces multiple parallel structures to give the body both unity and a back-and-forth feel that keeps the audience on their toes. If he had not done so, his arguments would have quickly become repetitive and monotonous. Although Orwell specifically states that â€Å"correct grammar and syntax†¦ are of no importance†, one can see that he has gone to great lengths to achieve an engaging effect through syntax. The back-and-forth action of the body paragraphs and his self-contradiction alludes to a rule he introduces later in the writing: â€Å"Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous† (Orwell). He then goes on to break a number of his previously stated rules, some more blatantly than others: â€Å"†¦ send some worn-out and useless phrase†¦ into the dustbin† (Orwell). He also uses polysyllabic diction at some points, though he expressly states to â€Å"Never use a long word where a short one will do†. His contradiction of himself may at first leave some readers puzzled, but ultimately establishes the concept that a writer should not be afraid to break conventions to make a point.

Fast Food Nation Essay

Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser, is a stark and unrelenting look into the fast food industry that has ingrained itself in not only American culture, but in culture around the world. There is almost no place on earth that the golden arches has not entered. Aside from Antarctica, there is a McDonalds on every continent, and the number of countries that have fast food restaurants is growing on a daily basis. Schlosser describes in detail what happens behind the scenes, before the hamburger and fries come wrapped in environmentally safe paper and are consumed by millions of people daily. There are several stories that stick out in my mind. First is the one about a rancher in Colorado. He had resisted the idea of squeezing as many cows in an enclosed area as possible. Instead, he rotates where the cattle eat, what kinds of grasses they eat, and how often they eat it. His ranch was what cattle raising should be. This is in contrast to how a majority of cattle are raised today. They stand in paddocks their whole life where they hardly have the ability to move, and they are fed things that cows aren’t designed to eat ?corn, wheat, chicken parts, and even the leftovers of already slaughtered cattle. Then they are lead up a gangway, into a building where they are first shocked, then hung up by their hooves and have their necks slit, one after another. It harkens back to The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. After one hundred years, the conditions at the meat packing plants have not improved much. It is still the most dangerous job in America. Almost everyone who works there are injured at one point, be it from mechanical smashers or knives that had come too close to their arm. Hundreds of thousands of cattle are slaughtered every day, and that is to keep up with the demand from places like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s. It saddened me to read later that the Colorado rancher committed suicide because he could no longer compete with the large cattle-growers and he was going to lose his livelihood. Another thing that stood out was they way these fast food places treat their workers. Their policy of automation has created a whole group of people that do not have to think to do their job. These people ? usually teenagers ? are paid minimum wage to push buttons and do all of the jobs that used to be done by hand. It gains government subsides for training people with no job skills, such as the poor, young, or disabled. The ironic thing is that they have admitted that they don’t want to have to train people. They want the job to be as easy and training-free as possible, due to their want for uniformity. Uniformity seems to be the way of things at McDonald’s ? uniformity and conformity. If you cannot conform to the mold of a McDonald’s worker, they will simply find people who will, and they don’t have to train them all over again, because the job only requires that you know how to push a button or respond to a light or a beep. The last thing that stands out is the amount of contamination that can occur because of the way these animals are slaughtered. One hamburger from Burger King can contain meat from a thousand different cows. If only one of those cows were sick, then the person eating it can get sick. Then you multiply by how many packages of meat or hamburger was processed that could possibly have that one sick animal in it, you have an epidemic. One sick animal can contaminate ? and cause the recall of ? over 400,000 pounds of meat. That’s a lot of meat to have to bring back, and there are countless people who may have already eaten it and gotten sick, or, like the 6-year-old in the book, died. All of these things ? and the whole book in general ? has turned me off of fast food forever I think. I’ll never look at McDonald’s in the same way again. The food is full of grease, fat, and bacteria that could kill. The food also has hundreds of chemicals in it to make it taste the way it should, rather than the way it does. Seems to me that if their food tasted the way it should in the first place, they wouldn’t need chemicals to do the job. The employment practices of the fast food chains also leave a lot to be desired. They are a great part of the reason that people need more than one job to survive. Because they have so many minimum wage jobs ? even managers only make about $10 to $15 an hour. That had become a norm in the US, where people don’t even make a livable wage. There were a few things I didn’t like about either the book or Schlosser himself. First, he was very liberal, and it showed throughout the book. He practically blamed both Bush administrations for every problem laid out in the book, then praised Clinton and his administration to try and stem the tide of the fast food giants. Then there was Schlosser himself. During his speaking engagement at the college, the first thing he said was that he wasn’t going to try to tell anyone not to eat fast food or go to McDonalds’s or Taco Bell or any other fast food restaurant. He then spent an hour trying to do just that. He said that people spend more time looking into buying a house than deciding what goes into our bodies. My first reaction was â€Å"Of course we do! A house costs tens of thousands of dollars, and a burger costs 99 cents. † I know what he meant by it, saying that the burger will be with us for the rest of our lives and will affect our health in both the short and long run, but it’s not seen that way. If we have high cholesterol, we cal take a pill. High blood pressure? There’s a pill for that, too. There are even pills to help people lose weight. The mentality is that we can eat what we want, and there will be a way to reverse it. The bottom line is that I enjoyed the book and I did learn from it. I’m never eating at one of those places again, and not just because the food is terrible. I refuse to support their employment and food acquisition practices. I’m only sorry that it took me 26 years to get to this stage. Hopefully my children won’t support them either.