Ehtnographic Study paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ehtnographic Study paper - Essay Example Regarding the students in the entire school, these students’ ethnic background(s), language(s), ages, educational level of community members, behavioral norms and values, and socioeconomic statuses will be evaluated and thoroughly analyzed. Here we will analyze primarily the students in the entire school, with a philosophy of diversity centering upon the particular class. II. Background The ethnic mix of the learners, both in the class and in the school, is diverse. The school’s student body is predominantly African-American, although there are small amounts of other races present in the student body. The school used to be more racially diverse years ago. Regarding students’ socioeconomic status, this is diverse as well. The SES of the learners at this high school is varied, but a lot of the students tend to come from backgrounds with socioeconomically disadvantaged status. The primary language spoken is English, and in some cases, Ebonics (although not formally recognized by some as a bona fide language) is widely spoken by the student body. The type of community surrounding the school is in the city. Therefore, this school is an urban school. This school has special populations (special education, ESL/ELL, gifted). This school has a comprehensive special education program. Moreover, however, it has a large gifted population in its 7th-12th grade program. A certain percentage of the 7th and 8th graders in the Gifted program remain to go on for high school there, so there is that factor to consider, too. It is a keystone of any teacher’s philosophy of diversity that the classroom be a place of inclusiveness—whether students be Black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, or of mixed race(s) or races not named here, and be of whatever socioeconomic status, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or cultural affiliation—that students feel that they are equals in the classroom regardless of the teacher’s cultural lens. An inclusive philosophy dictates that each student should have the same opportunity to learn their subject. This includes being cognizant of striving against favoritism, especially based on gender or race. Students who are from lower levels socioeconomically should be given a fair chance to succeed by providing them with the tools they need to succeed in an environment which has typically favored the dominant culture’s hegemonic social strata. A level playing field is key. Strategies include having class materials available such as extra paper and pens. Teachers should want students of various national origins and religions to feel comfortable enough to express themselves within the dynamic of their own backgrounds. Especially with students who have ESL/ELL/bilinugal/multilingual backgrounds, teachers should want to make sure that their class is accessible to their language capabilities by supporting their learning with extra attention in order to check for understanding so that they don’t fall behind. Additionally, teachers should like to extend their help to students of different genders and sexual orientations who may suffer discrimination from other students—and try to combat that discrimination within the classroom by having an open-door policy. The teacher should wish to facilitate a learning

Asian American women study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Asian American women study - Essay Example These racial and gender complexities served to define what became of Asian American women who moved to the united states in the pre-1965 period. It is worth noting that it was not easy for Asian women to move into the United States even when they wanted to. The exclusion and restriction principles saw many women barred from gaining entry into the United States despite their husbands working in America. The application of the restriction law only contributed to the formulation of multiple barriers that served to prohibit Asian women from joining their husbands in the United States (Espiritu 45). For example, the proportion of Chinese women in comparison to men was very low, placing emphasis on the level on the gender constraint placed on women who expressed interest of immigration into the United States (Chan 117) Evidently, Asian women faced the detrimental effects of the American immigration policy compelling some of them to file lawsuits. In many of these litigation cases, they los t and had to give up the prospect of being able to unite with their husbands and sometimes their children who accessed immigration permits easily. The restrictive immigration policy had detrimental effects on Asian women who have a primary responsibility in ensuring that the family unit remained closely knit (Chan 119). In Asian culture, the family unit is the fundamental unit defining a society, and women had a major responsibility in making it successful. Moreover, Asian women who successfully immigrated into the United States only managed because of the profiles of their husbands, and not solely on the women as individuals (Scott 1056). The wives of laborers were not preferred immigration candidates and their immigration requests were usually rejected. Asian American women who fled to the United States during the Vietnamese war faced multiple challenges. Most of them resided in refugee camps and proper resettlement only depended on sheer luck to acquire willing sponsors who would help them resettle into the news culture and environment. Accounts from many of these women reveal that the new cultural set up and language barriers were some of the hardships they faced. Culture is an important aspect of identity in Asia, and many of the immigrants exhibited the willingness to foster their culture despite the overwhelming mainstream culture. Most of the women faced the challenge of fending for their families in America (Chan 125). The surging compulsion of securing a job in a foreign country was not easy, but most of the women who found themselves the heads of their families stood up for the challenge. Moreover, bring up children with Asian values was not easy since most of the children schooled in highly integrated institutions. The need for the Asian families to experience a cultural wellbeing and familiarity saw many of the families cluster in California, where the weather was favorable, and many Asian immigrants had settled. Although many Asian American women resettled and focused on rebuilding their lives in the United States, the stereotypes attached to people of Asian descent served as glass and bamboo ceilings, forming a complexity of barriers that served to prevent most of the Asian Americans from complete integration into the American society. English, as a second language proved difficult for many Asians to learn, and prevented many of the

Mathematical Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mathematical Concepts - Essay Example This paper seeks to discuss mathematical concepts of a course. The paper will offer a summary of the concepts learnt in the course, relevance of the concepts to the characteristics of a mathematics teacher as well as analysis of the influence of the learnt concepts on my personal ideas and philosophy of teaching. Summary of the major mathematical concepts One of the mathematical concepts discussed in the course is problem solving. This concept is described as an approach towards finding a solution to a problem. The concept of problem solving involves a number of steps that starts from understanding the problem at hand, developing a strategy, exploring any applicable pattern and finally using logic to ascertain the nature of the solution. Strategy to problem solving, according to Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, involves a series of steps that include â€Å"understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back† over the solution (Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, 2010, p. 4). In order to understand a problem, it is necessary to be able to acculturate and paraphrase the problem before identifying the next course of action. The necessary information in the problem that can be used in its solution is then extracted and the unknown that is to be solved identified (Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, 2010) ... As an approach to describing numbers through notations, numeration systems include Hindu Arabic system and Tally system among others. The concept of sets on the other hand involves definition of sets and set operations such as unions and intersections. The course also covers concepts of operation of whole numbers that includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with stepwise procedures for carrying out the operations. The course also described the concept of algebra that covers variables, equations, and functions. Variables refer symbols that can take more than one values. In numerical concepts, a variable can represent more that one number or quantities and is represented using a letter. Algebraic equations are on the other hand used to represent values, either algebraic or a combination of both algebraic and numerical, which are assumed to have similar magnitudes. Equations can then be used to solve for exact values of unknowns in given problems. Relationship betwe en variables is further explored through functions (Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, 2010). Like operations of whole numbers, the course covers basic rules in operation of decimal numbers and fractions. It explores algorithms of basic operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, with respect to decimals and fractions. The final set of mathematical concepts, as covered by the course includes proportions, ratios, and percentages. The basis of ratios, percentages, and proportions as expression of relationship between variables, and understanding of their concepts is important in solving real life problems such as interest and interest rates among other practical relationships (Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, 2010) Relevance of the learnt

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 6

Business Ethics - Essay Example Some important factors that come under the consumer vulnerability are as follows: Constitutional vulnerabilities: These may include the physical or mental disabilities which affect the consumers being unable to grasp or understand the information which may be in contracts, labels, advertisements etc and the ability to use or obtain services or products. Developmental vulnerabilities: Cognitive limitations play a bit role in this type of vulnerability. These are related to comprehending what is being told, knowledge level, which includes judging, reasoning and mental development. Another factor that is part of this is motivational factor. This concerns the adequacy concerns, security or health concerns and discovering ones individuality (Kaufman-Scarborough and Baker, 2005). These above mentioned factors are mostly found in children, adolescent (Martin and Gentry, 1997) or elder consumers (Moschis, 1992). Situational vulnerabilities: These may be internal or external factors affecting the consumer’s ability to interpret things and be taken advantage off. Some of these factors include personal crisis, which may involve stress related circumstances like finance, health, injury, etc, (Gentry et al., 1995) and sometimes language barrier or inability to understand legal wordings. External factors tend to include the surrounding economy or living conditions (Lee, Ozanne, and Hill, 1999) and even the barriers preventing from access. In other words, consumer vulnerability can also be defined as a powerless state, which may arise from the discrepancies in the interactions via media or face-to-face marketing or utilizing of marketed products or services without comprehending the complete information. It can be said that the actual vulnerability always arises from the consumers’ personal state, characteristic, or conditions he/she is in during the utilization of products or services which may get stuck or slow down and may affect perceptions of

Aboriginal Rights (Canada) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aboriginal Rights (Canada) - Essay Example They are separate entity rights in Canada that the aboriginal people have practiced and acclimatized to over time. Historically, the aboriginal rights merely protected the aboriginal people and their status in the society. However, the rights and freedoms accorded to the aboriginal people have taken a new shape in the recent times. The aboriginal people now enjoy more emphasized and cemented rights and freedoms, as do other people in Canada. This paper analyzes the aboriginal rights and freedoms from a political angle in order to determine their application in Canada. Past Application of Aboriginal Rights In the past, the aboriginal rights and privileges in Canada only applied within the borders of the country. Aboriginal politicians defended their countries especially when foreign countries infringed on the rights. Particularly, the aboriginal politicians complained to the international bodies like the United Nations over the imposition of the British crown rules on the aboriginal p eople (Panagos 407). The politicians argued that the aboriginal people were governed by the aboriginal laws hence the imposition of the British crown laws lacked meaningful ground for application. Many aboriginal groups however call upon the government to recognize the aboriginal laws. ... However, the government and colonial masters brought discriminatory pieces to the aboriginal rights hence the aboriginal people faced more discrimination even in the face of the new treaties. On such grounds, the aboriginal people in Canada are resistant to allow the government any point of disrespect to the aboriginal rights. Court Implementation and Application of the Aboriginal Rights In the existence of the aboriginal rights, the court has played a major role in solving disputes and aligning the aboriginal rights among the people. The courts have previously arbitrated the conflicts between the aboriginal politicians and the governmental agencies. According to Ray (400), in the recognition of the aboriginal rights by the government in 1982, the government did not define what these rights were. This brought a lot of confusion over the application and enjoyment of the rights. In a statement during the adoption of the aboriginal rights, the courts attained the power to determine the definition and jurisdiction of the aboriginal rights. In this sense, the courts would determine cases on grounds of whether the aboriginal rights applied to a case or not. The courts have also played a role in the aboriginal rights through the creation of the â€Å"sparrow test† in the case of the 1990 R v Sparrow decision. The case brought two factors into existence as regards the aboriginal rights (Collins 959). First, it defined the extent to which the aboriginal rights could apply and the pieces or parts that could be infringed by the government. The case also confirmed that the aboriginal rights were not absolute because the court, which

Hulu Alliances Essay Example for Free

Hulu Alliances Essay 1.Describe the alliance partners. Characterize the market type as slow, fast, or standard cycle. The market type is a fast cycle market characterized by firms participating in number of networks for the purpose of production and distribution. Competitive advantages aren’t sustainable in fast cycle markets. Firms competing in fast cycle markets recognize the importance of speed, to get the product or service out there first. 2. Characterize the type of strategic alliance Hulu has become. Hulu has become a dynamic alliance. The same type as most firms in the information technology industry. Another example is the movie industry, an industry in which firms participate in a number of networks for the purpose of producing and distributing movies. In dynamic alliance networks, partners typically explore new ideas and possibilities with the potential to lead to product innovations, and entries to new markets. 3. In what type of market is Hulu competing? Hulu is competing in the streaming media market. It has a tough competitor which is Netflix. Unfortunately for Hulu, Netflix has been around a lot longer and has had plenty of time to build its partner base. The other problem for Hulu is its parent companies do not take Hulu seriously. Instead of giving programming to Hulu the networks lease the programs to Hulu’s competitor Netflix. 4. Why did this alliance form? List some competitive pressures that made this alliance a necessity for its partners. 5. What does the future hold for this alliance?

Practices In Of Health And Social Care Social Work Essay

Practices In Of Health And Social Care Social Work Essay This study aims to investigate the conduct of inter-professional practice in areas of social and health care, with specific regard to the involvement of service users in such practice. The case study prepared by the City and Hackney Local Safeguarding Children Board on Child A and Child B is taken up for analysis and review in this context. The case study is taken as read and is not elaborated for the purpose of this essay. Health and social care in the UK is currently being significantly influenced by a growing commitment towards greater public involvement in the design, delivery and evaluation of services, greater availability and choice of services for all categories of service users, reduction of inequality, greater emphasis on provisioning of services at the local level, (including from the independent and voluntary sectors), the commissioning process, integration of social and health care, and professional roles for delivery of care on the basis of actual needs of service users (Barrett, et al, 2005, p 74). Such reforms call for the blurring of strict boundaries between the different professionals and agencies working in health and social care (Cowley, et al, 2002, p 32). They also call for greater inter-professional and inter-agency working and for significant alterations in organisational cultures in order to enhance the power base of service users and members of the public in different aspects of social care provision (Cowley, et al, 2002, p 32). It is now widely accepted that health and social care professionals need to be more responsive to the rapidly changing needs of service users. Such changes call for the development of health and social care practitioners to improve care for clients and service users (Day, 2006, p 23). Such improvement is required to be brought about by more emphasis on person centred care for clients and service users and the greater involvement of such people in different aspects of planning, delivery and evaluation (Day, 2006, p 23). The increasing contemporary emphasis on user involvement in the policy and practice of social care is however coming in for increasing questioning from disenchanted service users and service user organisations (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 2). Service users, whilst highlighting the benefits of their involvement in the social and health care process, are raising various questions about their actual participation in social and health care and the continuance of various barriers that prevent their genuine contribution to the process (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 2). The case study under question details the results of an enquiry into an episode, wherein a mentally disturbed mother killed her two children after (a) being released from institutional surroundings, and (b) being integrated with her children with the full knowledge and approval of an overseeing group of social, health, nursing and mental health professionals. The enquiry raises disturbing issues about the extent of involvement of service users in social and health care processes and in the decision making of the inter-professional group overseeing the care, treatment and rehabilitation of a mentally disturbed and potentially dangerous individual. The essay investigates the involvement of service users in inter-professional practice in the UK, with specific regard to the case study and the enquiry report. Whilst doing so it takes cognizance of (a) identification of sources for evidence based social work practice, (b) the use of enquiry reports as sources of evidence, (c) the relevance of themes that emerge from such enquiries, and (d) the implications of evidenced based practice for the development of practice in social work. The essay is analysed vis-a-vis the Every Child Matters programme and makes use of legal, political and ethical frameworks. Inter-professional Practice Inter-professional practice and inter-agency collaboration aims to ensure the coming together of service providers, agencies, professionals, carers and service users in order to improve the final level of quality of planning and delivery of services (Mathias Thompson, 2001, p 39. Whilst partnership and collaboration are often considered to be interchangeable, collaboration is the actual foundation for joint working and the basis for all successful partnerships (Mathias Thompson, 2001, p 39). The UK has been enacting legislation and policies for the promotion of Inter-professional and inter-agency collaboration (IPIAC) for the last five decades in order to enhance standards and reduce costs in health and social care (SCIE, 2009, p 1 and 2). The development of IPIAC was shaped by the white paper Caring for People in 1989, followed by the enactment of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. The government has in recent years issued various policy documents for the promotion of collaboration in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness (SCIE, 2009, p 1). Greater emphasis on IPIAC is expected to improve care because different professional groups like social workers, physicians, teachers and police officers will during the course of such working bring their individual perspectives to the collaborative process (SCIE, 2009, p 1and 2). The IPIAC process will aim to ensure the best ways in which such individual and sometimes differing perspectives can be made to come together, as also the ways whereby respective contributions of different professionals and agencies can be utilised to enhance standards of service and experiences of service users and carers (Freeth, 2001, p 38). Consideration requires to be given to collaboration between organisations, as well as professionals, in the course of IPIAC working. It is also important to consider the differences in the working practices and cultures of the various organisations that are required to work together and to take appropriate action to minimise the impact of such differences in order to make inter-professional practice effective (Freeth, 2001, p 38). Policy makers and practitioners agree that adoption of IPIAC will result in greater service delivery despite the existence of various personal, individual and organisational barriers that can practically hinder its efficiency and effectiveness (Day, 2006, p 23). It is however also widely accepted that effective IPIAC working cannot take place in the absence of deliberate involvement of service users and clients in all stages of planning, delivery and evaluation processes (Day, 2006, p 23). The white paper Modernising Social Services, published in 1998 clearly states that people cannot be placed in neat service categories and users will inevitably suffer if partner agencies do not work together (SCIE, 2009, p 1).It is now mandatory that social work programmes, as well as nursing and midwifery, embrace the involvement of patients and service users. Contemporary government reforms are based on public involvement in different aspects of service delivery (SCIE, 2009, p 2). Person centred approaches in health and social care recognise the need for valuing the opinions and experiences of patients and service users and the adoption of person centred approaches by social work practitioners (SCIE, 2009, p 2). Current research however reveals that service users often feel left out of the process of social care, despite the progressive implementation of IPIAC concepts and approaches (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 2). Service user organisations state that the knowledge of service users is by and large not taken seriously or valued by professionals and service agencies. Many service users find such attitudes from professionals and agencies to be intensely disappointing and disempowering (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 3). Agencies and practitioners do not appear to be interested in the information provided by service users and do not accord the respect to such knowledge that they otherwise provide to professional knowledge and expertise. Service users also feel that the cultures of social and health care organisations continue to be closed to service user knowledge and reluctant to change (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 3). The study of the case review of the episode involving the deaths of child A and child B appears to reinforce the impression of service users about their continued exclusion from the working and decisions of different agencies and professionals involved in delivery of social and health care (Henderson, p 261). The Every Child Matters Programme requires social work agencies and professionals like social workers, health care specialists, teachers, nurses, doctors and mental health professionals to constantly ensure the safety, security and protection of children wherever they can. Extant legislation and policies like The Children Act 2004 and the Every Child Matters Programme clarify that it is everyoneà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s job to ensure the safety of children (Henderson, p 261). The report clarifies that various agencies were involved in the assessment and treatment of Ms. C, the wife of Mr. D and the mother of the two children, child A and child B. The report further reveals that agencies, as well as individual practitioners, failed to consider the views, opinions, and experiences of service users, even as it also contains a number of examples of sound agency and inter-agency practice. There is limited evidence of professional contact with Mr. D, the father of the children, after the contact session in October 2006, and it appears likely that professional networks assumed the agreement of Mr. D with arrangements for Ms. C. Professionals also paid inadequate attention during their provisioning of support to Ms. C, in response to her request for re-housing, and did not communicate with Mr. D to ensure that future arrangements would serve the best interests of the children. Interviews conducted with Mr. D and his parents also revealed significant differences b etween their expectations of the roles of social workers roles and what was implied by the records kept in the agency. Mr. Dà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s family members, it appears, were clearly under the impression that they had little choice in the rehabilitation process and were furthermore required to facilitate the contact of the children with their mother. Whilst the report elaborates the role and sincerity of various agencies and professionals in assessing Ms. Cà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s condition and her rehabilitation in society, it specifically refers to (a) the under involvement of Mr. D in the process, (b) the lack of communication with him (Mr D) by social workers and agencies, (c) the differences in perceptions about the role of social workers between Mr. D and his family and the agency, (d) the poor communication of agencies with the parents, (e) the absence of school records of children, and (e) the scope for improvement of involvement of GPs and the police in the social care process. Although the report makes several recommendations, the specific references to involvement of service users calls for detailed and greater involvement of parents and carers of children in planning of discharge and assessment of risk in order to ensure that actions are based on full information. One of the agencies, the East London and the City Mental Trust has been asked to involve family members and carers of children in all processes, even as the Hackney Children and Young Peopleà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Service has been directed to ensure that decisions are not taken on issues that can affect children without communicating carefully and appropriately with current carers. Emerging Themes and Evidenced Based Practice The revelations of the enquiry into the report reveal a number of themes in different areas of inter-professional practice, inter-agency working and the involvement of service users in planning, delivery, and evaluation of health and social care, which can be beneficially used to inform future social work practice. The report specifically refers to (a) the lack of participation of services users in social and health care processes, and (b) the involvement of different agencies in their exclusion, thereby reinforcing the need for greater emphasis by agencies and practitioners on involvement of service users in their care plans. It also becomes obvious that much of the sentiments and ideas about involvement of service users in social care processes continues to remain in the realm of rhetoric and that it will need determined and deliberate effort by practitioners to truly bring services users into the actual planning, intervention and evaluation functions of social work practice. Enquiry reports serve as important sources of evidence for development of future social work practice. The impact of the enquiry conducted by Lord Laming into the death of Victoria Climbie led to the revelation of evidence on gross inadequacies in the social care system for children and widespread organisational malaise (Roberts Yeager, 2006, p 19). The publication of the report led to radical changes in governmental policy on social care for children and to the introduction of the Every Child Matters Programme and other important policies for the physical and mental welfare of children (Roberts Yeager, 2006, p 19). The utilisation of research evidence for guidance of practice and development of policies in the area of social services and health care is becoming increasingly important for enhancing the effectiveness of social and health care interventions, especially so because of the limited available resources with the government and the pressures to achieve positive outcomes (Johnson Austin, 2005, p 5). Scholars however feel that much of research based evidence is not absorbed by practitioners and have identified five important requirements for research evidence to practically influence practice and policy, namely (a) concurrence on nature of evidence, (b) a strategic approach to the conception of evidence and the progression of an increasing knowledge base, (c) effective distribution of knowledge along with development of useful means for accessing knowledge, (d) initiatives for increasing use of evidence in policy and practice, and (5) a range of actions at organisational level to increase use of evidence (Johnson Austin, 2005, p 5). Conclusions This study investigates the conduct of inter-professional practice in areas of social and health care, with specific regard to the involvement of service users in such practice. The case study prepared by the City and Hackney Local Safeguarding Children Board on Child A and Child B is specifically taken up contextual review. Inter-professional practice aims to ensure the collaborative working of service providers, agencies, professionals, carers and service users in order to improve the planning and delivery of services. Policy makers and practitioners also agree that whilst adoption of inter-professional working is likely to lead to improved care, it cannot occur without the involvement of service users in all stages of the care process. Person centred approaches also recognise the importance of considering the opinions and experiences of service users in planning, intervention and evaluation of care. Contemporary research however reveals that service users feel that their knowledge is not valued by professionals and agencies. The results of the enquiry reinforce the possibility of service users being excluded from the working of agencies and professionals and refer to a number of instances, where the opinions of the service users were not considered for taking of practice and intervention decisions. The report reveals a number of themes in different areas of inter-professional practice that can be beneficially used to inform future social work practice. The use of research evidence for guidance of practice in social work is becoming increasingly important for improving the effectiveness of social and health care interventions. Enquiry reports serve as important sources of evidence for development of future social work practice. Scholars however feel that much of research based evidence is used by practitioners and that certain specific conditions, which have been elaborated in the last section, need to be met for the improvement and application of evidence based practice. Word Count: 2530, apart from bibliography