A reflective learning journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A reflective learning journal - Essay Example There is the explanation, as to how the profits of a firm can be useful in the development of the principles of the supply chain management. The increased level of the interaction between these two fields shall allow enhancement of the ability of the organizations to meet their goals. The traditional aspects of the strategic management have been aimed at the operational level efficiency of the firms. The obtaining of products or services through the markets has been evolving at high speed. The new companies are no longer fighting the war on the strategic turf; it is being increasingly fought on the supply chain side. The improvement in the supply chain is one of the ways of countering the increasing costs. It also helps to tide over the increasing competition in a number of areas of management. The supply chain is representative of the link between the hierarchies and the market. The increased efficiency in this field is a potential source of competitive advantage. This research paper has helped in comprehending the importance of the synergy between the fields of the strategic management and the supply chain management. This is an area of great importance in the modern corporate world. The developments of the newer kind of competition have an effect on the competencies of the firm. One of the prime examples of this process can be seen in the case of the supermarkets. The supply chain management plays a great role for cost-saving. It also allows in the achievement of the strategic objectives of the firm. The paper deals with the case between the Hughes Aircraft Systems International and the Air services Australia. Hughes was an applicant in the case, who was also an unsuccessful bidder in the two of the tender processes. It was conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority. The proceedings of the court found that the processes were governed by two tenders. This had an effect on the process of the tenders. The terms of

Art - Boston Memorials, New England Holocaust Memorial Essay

Art - Boston Memorials, New England Holocaust Memorial - Essay Example The New England Holocaust Memorial is located near Congress Street in Boston and by Carmen Park. The memorial is surrounded by buildings of Boston; however, the front area is open with a black granite walk that surrounds the memorial. When walking through the memorial, one will notice a stainless steel grate underneath the main pillars. This grate covers a six foot deep chamber, which is symbolic for the several deaths that were a part of the Holocaust. The wall of each chamber is representative of the six main death camps that were a part of the Holocaust. Each is etched with the names of the death camps. When looking into these chambers, one can see coals as a part of the pit. These light the etchings of the six main death camps. The death chambers that are in the memorial are highlighted by six main pillars, each which is made out of glass. These stand at fifty four feet high and are separated only by small frames from one level to the next. The glass is in a straight, rectangular form and doesn’t contain any alternative or outside shapes. The glass is lit from the bottom to the top to serve as a reflective element of this time frame. The memorial is not focused on the main glass but instead on the detailed etchings that are in place and which are symbolic to the memorial. There are six million numbers that are etched in the six pillars of glass to represent the 6 million Jews that died during World War II. The etchings are also known to be symbolic of the required tattoos that the Jews had to wear during this time frame. The concept that Calo speaks of in terms of memorials is to create a figurative and unambiguous way of honoring those that died in a specific situation. In some instances, this is based on human attributes that were a part of this, such as self – sacrifice or duty that one withholds in a specific

A Childs Place In The Big Society Social Work Essay

A Childs Place In The Big Society Social Work Essay It is a great privilege and pleasure to have been asked by Margaret Hodge and Patricia Hewitt to give the first lecture in memory of Henry Hodge. It is also a somewhat daunting task. At first sight I would not be an obvious choice to speak today, nor did I think my subject on children was obviously connected with a lecture in memory of Henry. There is however a strong connection between issues about children and his strong sense of social welfare was well demonstrated by his spending 5 years as deputy director of Child Poverty Action Group and his successful legal aid practice which included family and children cases. As a father and grandfather in his private life as well as in his distinguished public career he cared passionately about children. Margaret assures me that my decision to talk about children would have met with his approval. My theme this evening is to examine how our children fit in to the Big Society which was at the heart of the Prime Ministers speech in November 2009 and part of the strategy of the Coalition Government. I shall refer very briefly to a variety of problems children face, some of which are not as widely recognised as others. One aspect which is not always appreciated is how they are viewed by the adult public and the media and how they are treated. This has an important effect upon how they view themselves, their self esteem and how their voice is heard in our adult society. Much, if not indeed, all of what I say is well known but I feel that it is worth repeating at a moment when the phrase the Big Society is in the news and both government and the public need to have the welfare and rights of children well in the forefront of the difficult and challenging decisions which have to be made. The Big Society The Prime Minister spoke of Galvanising, catalysing, prompting, encouraging and agitating for community engagement and social renewal. It must help families, individuals, charities and communities come together to solve problems. It was an ambitious agenda to build a Big Society based around social responsibility and community action. Oliver Letwin described the relationship between government and civil society as: Government helping to sustain a society that is a rich tapestry of active citizens, families, places of worship, dedicated professions and independent associations. These are worthy ambitions in which families, schools and welfare play an important part. The Labour Government produced Green and White Papers dedicated to the theme Every Child Matters. They did some good work, including Sure Start, and it is encouraging that the Coalition Government intends to continue to support Sure Start and to target the poorest families. But, in a sense, they only scratched the surface of the multiplicity of the needs of children. No government should underestimate the size and complexity of the problems too many children face in growing up in this country and the financial cost of coping even with some of them. That financial cost, even in a period of austerity, must not blind us to the essential requirement in considering priorities to put children and what they require at the beginning, middle and end of all discussions and decisions which need to be made. What are the problems children face in growing up? Many of them are common to all children and we ourselves as children had to work our way through them. But for too many children those ordinary problems of adjusting to the adult world are compounded by and sometimes distorted by their state of health, the health of their parents, the behaviour of their parents, the environment in which they live and above all by poverty. Clearly in the time available I can only touch very briefly upon some issues and those faced by children who live within or who come to the UK. For most children their problems may not be as immediate nor as life threatening as those in some other parts of the world but they are very real and can inhibit and undermine their childhood. In a report from UNICEF Child poverty in perspective: An overview on child well-being in rich countries (2007) it stated, under the heading childrens material well being, that the evidence from across the world is that children who grow up in poverty are more vulnerable; specifically they are likely to be in poor health, to have learning and behavioural difficulties, to underachieve at school, to become pregnant at too early an age, to have lower skills and aspirations, to be low paid, unemployed and welfare dependent. Of course, these problems do not apply to all children growing up in poor families but it does not alter the fact that, on average, children who grow up in poverty are likely to be at a decided and demonstrable disadvantage. I shall now look very briefly at how those words apply to the UK. Children in poverty Even after the recession, the UK remains one of the richer countries in the world. But the reality of life for some of our children is that 29% of British children live in poverty. Over one million children live in seriously overcrowded accommodation. Over 100,000 children in the UK live in temporary accommodation. Many poor children do badly in education. Over a million children truant from school and about 9,000 are permanently excluded. Such children tend to live in the areas of highest deprivation where there is a high incidence of drugs and crime. The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe many of whom are schoolgirls. Well over a million school children are working illegally. The government is committed to improving education and the new Secretary of State for Education has a number of innovative and exciting ideas. I was delighted that in the debate in the Lords on the Queens Speech the Minister for Schools, Lord Hill of Oareford, said that: raising standards, lifting aspirations and tackling behaviour are crucial. That will help all children but, above all, it should help those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds who have suffered most. The problems of educating children from the most deprived areas are partly having good enough schools and teachers who enthuse and inspire but also motivating the parents as well as the children to the purpose and importance of education for a childs future life. A lack of education has a devastating effect upon job prospects and a distressing large proportion of children leave school without the basic skills. If you cannot fill in an application form by hand or online you probably will not get a job. It is a huge task to motivate families to want education but it is crucial for the future of this country. One area of education which should be tackled by the Education Minister is the need for better education of children who are in youth custody. It is a crucial part of the fight against the high rate of re-offending. The London charity, Kids Company, helps to educate and support young people who stream into that excellent organisation which, at last, receives government support. I v ery much hope that such support will not be cut. To do so would be self defeating; a short term cost benefit but a long term expensive blunder. Intervention at an early stage with problem families is crucial. Some parents as well as their children need help and I am reminded of an excellent voluntary preschool initiative which was set up in a poor part of London some years ago. It concentrated on young single mothers and required them to attend with their children. One mother had almost never talked to her little girl. After 3 months attending with her child they were seen at Christmas dancing down the steps both singing Christmas carols. The place closed for lack of funds. It is important for government, in funding voluntary initiatives, to keep on giving support and not just start up costs. All too often otherwise they fold as that one did. I turn now to other groups of children who have problems, some but not all connected with poverty. Children in need of care Two children die each week from abuse or neglect within the home. Social workers are the thin line of protection of children at risk. They are criticised when they intervene and when they do not intervene in dysfunctional families. It is crucial for the well being of children at risk that the work of social workers is better understood and that social workers are given the status they deserve. It is not just a question of pay; it is also recognition of the importance of the work they do. There is no doubt that some children have to be removed permanently from their families. But it is a sad reflection on our system of care that looked after children do markedly less well at school than other children. More support for children in care is needed. Around 5,000 children under the age of 16 are used for prostitution in the UK, including those moving across borders. Children are trafficked into the UK not only for prostitution but also for forced labour and begging. Boys from Vietnam are brought into the UK to tend cannabis plants in well to do suburbs of big cities such as London: there are over 3,000 cannabis farms in England and about 300 in London. Very young children, often Romany children, are brought into the country and taught to thieve in a modern day Fagin style. Bulgarian children are brought here by gangs to work the London underground system and Bulgarian police are working with our British Transport police to deal with it. Trafficking of people is now more lucrative for the gangs than drugs. The last government signed the European Convention on trafficking and incorporated it into English law. The Metropolitan Police has been engaged in excellent work with other countries which receives some European financial suppo rt and, up to now, some government support. One problem is that the UKBorder Agency does not uniformly recognise the welfare needs of young people who are victims of trafficking and much more training and flexibility in decision making is necessary. Immigration and asylum children coming here and living here are treated very differently from citizen children although I understand that the new government is intending that such children should no longer be detained. The Family Justice Council, at the request of its Voice of the Child sub-group, has set up a discussion with the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and they have held two meetings. They are looking at the concerns of the Childrens Commissioner about the treatment of asylum and trafficked children both here and on their return to their own homes. They agreed that an Adjudicator Guidance Note from Henry Hodge in 2004 on Unaccompanied Children would be a good starting point. I think Henry would have been very supportive of these discussions. There is another very large group of children, many of whom do not come from deprived backgrounds but who face problems which may have an inhibiting and sometimes devastating effect upon their development. The most obvious is the family in which one parent is violent to or threatening and intimidating towards the other parent. Generally it is the man but a minority are women. I know of cases where children hide in the kitchen with the TV on very loudly so as not to hear what is going on. Children do not have to be physically attacked to be victims of domestic violence. I was concerned to read that in the case of Raoul Moat the prison authorities informed the police domestic violence unit. I hope that did not mean that the warning was not taken seriously. I must however pay a tribute both to the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers who take domestic violence very seriously. But domestic violence is widespread and children are also the victims. There are also children, also not from deprived backgrounds whose life is turned upside down by the separation of their parents. When parents part many, of course not all, do not sufficiently consider the effect upon their children or even tell their children what is going on. When I sat as a judge in children residence/custody cases, I often thought that the last people who should be making decision s about the children were the parents. Over 60% of fathers who leave do not stay in touch with their children more than occasionally, most of that 60% not at all. They do not tell their children why and the children do not even have the consolation of a bereavement process. Children, even young children, can often have a sensible view of what would be best for them. Some years ago in Michigan children of all ages whose parents had separated were asked their views about the process. The views ranged from sadness, confusion, guilt that they were responsible for the parting to anger and fru stration. All parents considering separation should see or read about the effect on their children and many parents would be astonished. Fortunately only a small minority of parents go to war over their children. But those who do make endless applications to the courts which may last for years. Almost always both parents are to blame and the children are the victims. Those children also may do less well at school and may find it difficult to make lasting relationships as adults. It is very important that there should be access to justice in all child welfare cases. I am, of course, aware of the huge burden of legal aid. The last government made substantial cuts to legal aid in family cases. The Ministry of Justice is likely to be making further substantial cuts. But the welfare of children is the paramount concern of the courts in the Children Act 1989. It must not be lost sight of by the government in its austerity measures. Children who offend England and Wales are seen as a punitive country in our approach to young offenders. We lock up more young people than any other Western country and most countries in the world. Well over 2,000 children aged between 15 and 17 are in Young Offender Institutions and some who are much younger. The four Childrens Commissioners of the UK said in a joint Report in June 2008 to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: There is a very punitive approach to misbehaviour by children and young people and the criminal justice system is used too readily. Compared to other European countries, England has a very low age of criminal responsibility and high numbers of children are locked up. We know from research the ways in which many children become criminals. There are many reasons and I am sure you all know them so forgive me for rehearsing some of them. I do not believe that children are born wicked although some may be born with mental illness or behavioural problems which may predispose them to serious misbehaviour. But for many children it is the environment and not inherent characteristics which are likely to set them on a course of crime. Poverty to which I have referred earlier is obvious and there is a link between poverty in childhood, poor health, low educational attainments and lack of future opportunities which encourages crime. We also know that dysfunctional families create an environment where children offend. There are children and young people who have never had a good home; never had a secure background; may or may not know who their father was; or may live in a family with drink, drugs, mental illness, serious domestic violence, abuse towards the children or serious neglect. These problems at home create situations, not surprisingly, in which children react adversely. In some families no-one loves the child or shows affection other than in an abusive situation. He may be and probably with such a background will be disruptive at school, permanently excluded and offered little or no education at home. Children truant for a variety of reasons and truanting leads to crime. Increasing numbers of young people are on drugs and have to find the money to pay for them. He, and increasingly she, will be roaming the streets and joining gangs. The gang becomes the family, the security and, while they are feral towards the community, they support each other. Because no-one has ever cared about them, they care about no-one outside the gang. Why should they? Many such young people do not understand the concepts of good behaviour, honesty or kindness that we expect from our children and grandchildren. We are shocked, I certainly am, by the appalling brutality of some of the attacks by teenagers, often on other teenagers, but I believe many of these young people would not understand why we were shocked. They live in an entirely different world from us. One can see why many of the public react adversely to children who offend and especially teenagers. Yet a Chief Constable recently went on record saying that the police alone could not deal with the feral gangs of you ng people and society had to do something about it. The Labour Government did some good work with Youth Offender Schemes (YOTS) and other initiatives to divert children from crime as well as dealing constructively with those who had already offended but much more needs to be done. It is often pointed out that to keep a child or young person in custody costs substantially more than sending a child to Eton. So it is very encouraging to hear that the Lord Chancellor is looking at reducing the prison population. He should start with the children and young people in youth custody. Of course some children have to be locked up for the safety of society and often of themselves but we surely should not be at the top of the European countries in our figures of youth custody. As a result of our signing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 (although not incorporated into English law) the UNCRC Committee reported in October 2008 on the UK and recommended: that the State party (the UK) take all appropriate measures to ensure that the principle of the best interests of the child, in accordance with Art 3 of the Convention, is adequately integrated in all legislation and policies which have an impact on children, including the area of criminal justice and immigration and recommends that the UK fully implement international standards of juvenile justice. I hope that this government will takes those comments to heart so that the next UNCRC Report will be more encouraging than the previous ones. The Prime Minister sees the Big Society based on social responsibility and community action and I was interested to read about a proposal for a National Citizens Service for 16 year olds. I strongly support the encouragement of local initiatives and have already referred to Kids Company. Other examples are a police scheme in Sheffield to divert 6 year olds from being couriers for local gangs and a drop in centre in Tiverton in North Devon which concentrates on advising and counselling young people between 11 and 19. The Tiverton project is entirely funded by local donations. If, however, there are to be other good local projects round the country, there may need to be some financial support which would be very cost effective in diverting children and young people from crime, prostitution and drugs and protecting the community. Restorative justice is another area which is being successfully explored. I know that we live in a time of financial stringency and austerity. I do not for a moment suggest that the government can immediately improve the lot of the children whose problems I have set out but, in implementing financial cuts and allocating scarce resources, our children must be at the forefront of all decisions which affect them. Children in the media I turn finally to an entirely different subject but one about which I feel strongly, the way in which the media portrays children. I refer again to the Report of the Four Children Commissioners in June 2008 who referred to the negative image of children and said: In the UK there is a widely held fear of young people which has been partly fuelled by the consistently negative portrayal of young people in the media. Seventy one percent of media stories about young people are negative and a third of articles about young people are about crime. Young people feel the media represent them as anti-social, a group to be feared, selfish criminal and uncaring. They believe that the media stereotypes the majority of young people based on the bad behaviour of a minority. The incessant portrayal of children as thugs and yobs not only reinforces the fears of the public but also influences policy and legislation. Examples of the press portraying in vivid language the wickedness of children and young people were starkly illustrated in the cases of Mary Bell and Thompson and Venables. In both cases the tone of the press and the tone of those who responded to the press was that such children were the embodiment of evil and should never be released from imprisonment for life. The approach of this country is vastly different from parts of Scandinavia, for example Norway where such children would more easily be reintegrated into the community. I recognise that such a move might be impossible here in the UK and the headlines in all types of newspapers would be soft on youth crime. In my view all parts of the media, but principally the newspapers, should reflect upon the views of children expressed by the Commissioners and take them to heart. This is one among many other issues where the voice of the child should be heard. Article 12 of the UNCRC articulates that right. Conclusion Finally I return to the 2007 UNICEF Report which said in its foreword: The true measure of a nations standing is how well it attends to its children their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialisation and their sense of being loved, valued and included in the families and societies into which they were born. That foreword seems to me to encompass what we in this country should seek to achieve for our children. They are our future and there is little purpose in striving to improve society unless we are aware that what we do has to be for them or there is no purpose in our lives. Children must therefore be at the core and in the heart of the Big Society. This article is based on the first Sir Henry Hodge memorial lecture given on 19 July 2010 at the Law Society, London.

Women in Physics :: physics female females

Outline In 1944 the German chemist Otto Hahn was awarded a Noble Prize for his work on nuclear fission - the process that lies at the heart of nuclear bombs and power stations. The Austrian physicist Lise Meitner, who was the official leader of Hahn's team, and who also worked out the theoretical explanation of their experimental discoveries, was not even mentioned in the Noble committee's announcement. (Wertheim) Thirteen years later the Chinese-American particle physicist Chien-Shiung Wu would likewise be left out when the Nobel committee made its announcements. Likewise English astronomer Jocelyn Bell, who discovered pulsars, would also be denied a share in the Nobel that went only to her (male) supervisor. Reports in the past showed that the highest percentages of women among students awarded a doctorate in physics are 20 to 27 percent ( India, Australia, Poland and France) and the lowest percentages are 8-9 percent (Japan, South Korea, Netherlands and Germany). An international survey of around 900 women physicists in more than 50 countries found that the factor most frequently contributing to their success was encouragement from their families (parents and husbands). Also mentioned were the support of high school teachers, advisors, and professors; their own determination, will power and hard work; and participation in important international projects. The outcome of the survey showed somecultural differences from the countries represented, with family issues such as marriage and child care important factors in some countries, and less so in others. Women in developing countries are more likely than women in developed countries to be married (four out of five in the first case, compared to two out of three in the second). (Barbosa) The problems that the women surveyed mentioned were problems with balancing family and career and defeating the commonly encountered bias that women cannot do physics. The women who responded shared a strong passion for physics, and three out of four said that they would choose physics again, despite any difficulties or barriers they had encountered. A report from Japan stated that it takes women an average of ten years more to advance to the rank of professor than their male colleagues. A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found women professors consistently had less laboratory and office space and were paid less than their male colleagues. "As of 1996, Princeton physics department had still not given tenure to a physicist not sporting the penile appendage" (Wertheim). What We Did to Get Where We Are:

A Review of Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier Essay

In the book Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, one learns of the two mistresses of Manderley. Rebecca being the former and Mrs. de Winter as the present. Maxim’s wives are very different from each other in many ways that are not completely discovered until the end of the book. When Rebecca became the mistress of Manderley, she brought along a past that had not yet been revealed to Maxim. This secret past was one full of deceit and horrible stories that Maxim declared as to atrocious to repeat. However, Mrs. de Winter tells Maxim everything about her past life and explains herself to him before they are married. Being truthful and completely faithful to Maxim are two of the qualities that Rebecca did not have. Mrs. de Winter is a very withdrawn character who dislikes letting people pry into her personal life. Meanwhile, Rebecca enjoyed putting on a show so that people would know things about her. She also did this so that everyone would assume she was the perfect wife. Then Maxim would not be able to easily divorce her. In this sense, Rebecca shows she is a woman of power who will always win in the end while Mrs. de Winter shows a more submissive personality. From the beginning, when the house staff and family friends talk about Rebecca, one knows that she was a beautiful woman of high status in their society. But, Mrs. de Winter is described as an ordinary woman who has straight hair and plain features. These qualities do not bother Maxim because he truly loves Mrs. de Winter while his relationship with Rebecca was nothing more than a scam. Out of all of the comparisons between Mrs. de Winter and Rebecca, this one sets them apart the most. In the end, Mrs. de Winter is compared one last time to Rebecca by Mrs. Danvers. Mrs. Danvers speaks about Rebecca and acknowledges that â€Å"Lovemaking was a game with her, only a game.† Mrs. de Winter however takes love very seriously. One knows this because of how hurt she is when it seems that she is in a one sided relationship and is in love someone that will never love her back. This creates another notable difference between Rebecca and Mrs. de Winter. While Mrs. de Winter seems to care too much, Rebecca did not care who she hurt, as long as she got what she wanted out of the situation.

Bumbum

Great Floods have been a topic of many myths throughout time. These stories are mostly about gods or higher powers trying to wipe out or cleanse the population. Some of these myths Include; Endue Genesis, Thralls Epic, Galoshes, and many more. The Ruler Genesis Is the earliest flood myth. It t†¦ Prematurely Words Pages Noah and the Great Flood The story of Noah and the Great Flood is sometimes questioned of whether or not it of God, Noah was able to accomplish this task and this event really did occur.Others, who take some of the stories from the Bible†¦ Premiums Words Pages Evidence for the Great Flood A flood generally causes a rather large amount of land to end up underwater. The Great Flood was no different, it caused almost all the land in the world to go underwater. Did the Flood?as recorded in Genesis chapters 6-8?really happen? Was there a humongous amount of water that completely reader†¦ Premiums Words Pages The Great Flood The Great flood is a historical eve nt that may have happened before O BC, this was an vent that flooded the whole world which have possibly wiped out human and plant existence.There are several different evidence that suggest the happening of the Great flood which include the several geological SSH†¦ Premium Words Pages The Impact of the Great Flood to the Thai Entrepreneur The impact of the great flood to the that entrepreneur Nowadays, Thailand has just been seriously the great flood and then lots of people face a problem with this situation. Thus, this situation have many problem become to economic crisis. Many hat entrepreneur is the most one has†¦Premium Words Pages Triassic: Account of the Great Flood Triassic: Account of the Great Flood The relationship between gods and humanity in Trashier: The Account of The Great Flood seems to carry great irresponsibility. Most of the gods display the weak characteristics of humans. They whine about work, constantly complain, selfishly create humans and t†¦ Premiums 210 Words Pages The Great Flood (The Taunting) The Great Flood Taunting Setting Where does the story take place? Describe the setting of the story.Characters Describe Opinion-Total physically and as to how the narrator describes him. What is his title? How does he serve his people? How does he feel in the opening of the story?†¦ Premium Words Pages The Great Flood of Metro Manila Saturday, September 26, it is way beyond words what Metro Manila has gone through in the hands of the recent storm, Sestina. With the unusual amount of rain that Sestina brought, it flooded where it never flooded before. Water seeped into houses and in a matter of minutes, reached 30 feet.