Health and social unit

In my report I will show my understanding and knowledge of the importance of communication skills in care settings and about values involved in care practices. I have chosen to do my report on educational settings and I will focus on how individuals with specific needs communicate In both group Interactions and one-to- one interactions. I will do this by working in a class on both Thursday and Friday mornings where the pupils have specific needs.I will observe the communication with the teacher and students and also the communication between the students and myself when I take on the role of the teacher. Also, I will take into account the barriers that effect communication such as; cultural differences, Language differences, difficulty In understanding accents and physical tattletales such as hearing problems or speech difficulties. I have chosen to focus on Individuals with specific needs as I am interested in how people with specific needs communicate.For example, a woman named Hel en Keller who was born in 1880, was oaf, dumb and blind and learned to communicate through feeling the vibrations of a person's face when they spoke. I also would like to see how practitioners react and respond to Individuals with specific needs; how they adapt their voice and body language to slut the student. For example, how they change the tone, pitch and pace of their voice to get the student's attention or how they change their facial expressions to show they're unhappy with the students.I also want to see how they follow the care value base to ensure they are treating all of the students correctly ND providing quality service. Know that communication is very important, especially in health and social care settings, as effective communication skills help the practitioner develop an appropriate relationship with the service user, the service practitioner is likely to have regular interactions with service users and the family and friends of the service user. Interactions occur for a variety of reasons in care settings, such as when people give and receive information.The communication cycle is very important as interpersonal interactions in care settings involve two-way communication. I will change the names of the students, teachers and the school throughout my report to maintain confidentiality and their privacy. By doing so, I am following the care value base. Setting the scene: I did my two interactions at Round Hill Secondary School with a class of year 7 students who all had specific needs. Most of the students have reading levels below average and have certain needs that must be met in order for them to learn effectively.The school is a local authority school in statutory services, education is compulsory and provided by law. The school has around 1000 students all aged 11-18 years old. It is the only secondary school in the town and the town has a population of approximately 14,750 people. Many people are unemployed and Working class' and many stu dents are on pupil premium which means that the school is provided with additional funds for disadvantaged students so they are given the same opportunities as other students.The classroom in which the students are taught in is bright and colorful with posters on the walls and some of the student's work on the walls. There are three tables of 6 and a table of 4 pointing towards the whiteboard and teachers desk. There are around 14 students in the lass I am helping in. The students in the year 7 class (EGG) are all aged 11-12. Williams KS sub level is b which is above average; however his attitude to learning is a 3.Ethane's KS sub level is a AAA which is below average and his attitude to learning is a 1. Grace's KS sub level is c which is also above average and her attitude to learning is a 4. The Care Value Base The care value base is a set of values which give guidelines on how the practitioner should treat the service user. It also outlines the rights service users have and what they should expect from health care services. The care value base is very important for anyone working in or using health care services.It is important for clients as it helps them promote their rights by outlining what they should expect from practitioners so they can identify when they are being treated unfairly or incorrectly. Many laws are against discrimination. For example, the equal opportunities legislation prohibits discrimination; the sex discrimination act, the race relations act and the Disability Discrimination act. All care workers must treat all service users without unfair discrimination as this could affect a person's self- incept and lead to loss of self-worth.The care value base helps practitioners to ensure they treat all their clients correctly and equally and ensures that practitioners meet the needs of all service users. For example, It is important for practitioners to avoid any stereotyping or prejudice behavior and ensure that they treat every client as an individual, taking into account the clients personal beliefs, likes and dislikes, and background to provide quality care. Any violation of the care value base made my practitioners can lead to dismissal. It is therefore very important The Care value base transmissions:Promoting anti-discriminatory practice Maintaining confidentiality of information Promoting and supporting an individual's right to dignity, independence, health and safety Acknowledging an individual's personal beliefs and identity Protecting individual's from abuse Promoting effective communication and relationships Providing individualized care AI Types of communication: There are many different types of communication that practitioners will need to use to provide good quality service which meets the needs of each individual service user such as; Non-verbal communication, Written communication, Verbal immunization, Electronic communication and Communication for individuals with specific needs. These are all ways in which the practitioner uses to meet and respond to the service user's physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs.They will need to use these ways of communicating to: Give information, Understand information, express thoughts and feelings and exchange information so that the person they're communicating with can fully understand what they're saying. Verbal communication involves using the mouth and sound to communicate ideas and thoughts for example through words, sounds, speaking, and language. Strong and clear verbal communication gives us the ability to explain our ideas through spoken words and also allows us to listen to other people's ideas and understand them. When communicating verbally, the person must be able to actively listen to the other person's message that they're sending, paraphrase, clarify and respond.An example of verbal communication I observed in EGG was when a student asked the teacher what they had to do through speaking, and the teacher answered by r epeating her instructions and explaining each part of the task. Non-verbal communication is communication that doesn't involve sound or language. For example, this can be body language, facial expressions and gestures such as sign language. An example of non- verbal communication that I observed was when the teacher asked the students if they understood the task before she moved on to the next one, she asked them to show her a thumbs up if they were confident and understood the subject, and to show a thumbs down if they needed a bit more help.This gesture is a simple way for the teacher to find out how her students feel about the topic so that she can make sure she is meeting all of the student's individual needs. Written communication s when ideas are written down for somebody else to see and understand. For example, written communication can be reports, worksheets and letters. An example of written communication that I saw was when the teacher asked the students to draw an arrow i n their book at the end of their work and put a smiley face on the arrow where they think they are, the face being far to the right meaning fully communication that I witnessed, this allows the teacher to see how each individual student feels about their work to Judge their understanding when marking it.The teacher explores ways in which the students can express themselves and get their linings about the topic across to her in simple ways such as these which help her provide the students with the quality care, teaching and learning that they have a right to. Another example of written communication is when the teacher wrote out the whole task on the whiteboard so that the students knew what they had to do. Formal and Informal Communication The language register (the degree of formality or informality) changes depending on the situation a person is in. Formal communication is most likely to be used when a person communicates in an ‘official' way, such as when a care worker is p resenting their care organization. For example, answering the telephone and saying â€Å"Good morning, Round Hill Secondary School, How may I help you? † Can make the person feel respected and valued.Whereas If the care worker answered the phone in an informal way such as â€Å"hello, what's up? † it could be perceived by the person the care worker is communicating with as being disrespectful or even rude. However, informal language might put a service user at ease and make them feel more comfortable. (Promoting effective communication and relationships) Another issue with informal communication is ‘speech communities'. People from different localities or ethnic groups, for example, may use different phrases or words which might not be understood by others and could lead service users to feel excluded and uncomfortable. However, using formal language could lead to the same problem.For example, a person who doesn't work in a hospital isn't likely to understand the technical terminology that the nurses use, such as ‘Myocardial Infarction', but would understand the term ‘heart attack. Using technical terminology might create barriers for people who are not part of that ‘speech community and it is wherefore important to communicate with appropriate language to suit the individual service user. In EGG, the teacher asked a student to ‘multiply 100 by 4' the student didn't understand the question as he didn't understand the terminology used. By using the term ‘multiply instead of times' the teacher confused the student. This shows that terminology can act as a barrier to good communication. The conversation Sandwich Conversations have a beginning, a middle and an end.At the beginning of a conversation a person has to create the right atmosphere and at the end of a conversation a person should leave the right feelings behind. For example, I created the right atmosphere when starting a conversation with a student by sho wing them that I was relaxed. I did this by keeping my muscles relaxed and avoiding tension. My tone of voice also showed I was relaxed as I used a calm voice with varying tone which also showed that I was being friendly. I left the right emotions behind after the conversation took place by smiling. Open and closed questions: While working in EGG, I took into account the questions I was asking the students.I used mainly open questions to encourage the students to speak to me and lead to silences which can make people feel awkward. By using open questions, I encouraged the students to discuss their thoughts and feelings with me. Open questions are likely to encourage the person you are communicating with to give a longer answer. In some situations it is important to use open questions as the person who you're communicating with is more likely to give a better response which can give opportunities to carry on the conversation smoothly and comfortably. I used open questions to develop conversations with the students that can be quiet or shy and encourage them to talk to me. For example, I asked one of the students, â€Å"What were you doing last lesson?Which required an answer other than yes' or ‘no? However, In some situations, such as a Job interview, Closed questions are more likely to be used as they are quick and easy to answer and usually give the questioner the facts they require, for example â€Å"Are you happy? † is a closed question, it only requires a yes' or ‘no' answer. The questioner also usually keeps control of the conversation. Closed questions are more likely to be used in formal situations. I also used probes and prompts to encourage the students to carry on speaking. For example, when a student told me they did not enjoy History, I said, Why not? O encourage them to tell me why they didn't enjoy it.Closed Questions I could have used: Open questions I used to encourage the students to communicate with me: Do you not like mat h's? Why don't you like math's? Did you have breakfast today? What did you have for breakfast today? Do you like school? What do you like about school? Proximity and Personal Space: The space between people during a face-to-face conversation can sometimes determine how friendly the conversation is. In different cultures, people have different views of how close people should be when they're talking. If a care worker eats too close and enters a service user's personal or intimate space without permission they could be seen as being aggressive. Edward T Hall described four levels of proximity: Intimate distance which suggests a closer relationship between individuals if their intimate space is entered, For example, Hugging. Personal distance which usually occurs between people who are family members or close friends. Social distance which is usually between people who know each other well, such as a co- worker. Public distance, Physical distance at this level is often used in public s peaking situations. Talking in front of a class full of students or giving a presentation at work are good examples of such situations. In EGG I witnessed a student who was in trouble being reprimanded by a teacher, who obviously felt that their personal space was being invaded.I know this as Firstly, they turned their face away, then they took a step back and put their hands in their pockets (a defensive action) and lastly the student walked away. In order for strong communication to take place, the communication cycle has to be used effectively. The communication cycle is the process of us thinking of an idea e want to communicate, for example thinking about a task we want to do. Deciding how we're going to communicate the idea, e. G. Speaking about the task. Sending the message. (speaking) The other person then receives the message for example through hearing it, decodes the message, and if the message is understood by the person, they will give you feedback and send a message ba ck.This process is repeated again and again throughout conversations. An example of the communication cycle being used badly was when I observed during a group interaction using verbal communication with three students, myself ND the teacher, The teacher sent a message verbally to the three students explaining the task she expected the students to complete- To work in a group, roll two dice and then multiply the number on the first dice by the number on the second dice and write it down. Some of the students in the group I was working with didn't understand what they had to do as the noise in the classroom from other students served as a barrier which meant that they could not hear the entire message.However, one student in the group, Ethan, listened to the message, decoded the message and understood what he had to do and was able to repeat the message to he other two students, as well as showing them what they had to do successfully as they both listened and understood what he was saying. I then asked the two students what they had to do and they both explained the task correctly, showing that the communication cycle was used correctly between the students and understood. Another example of the communication cycle being misunderstood was one I came across whilst helping in the specific needs class in a one-to-one situation with a student named Adam and myself.There was music playing in a different room and it distracted Adam which served as a barrier to effective communication as the music as a distraction which made hearing the complete message I was sending difficult. Adam couldn't concentrate to listen fully what I was asking him to do and I could see by his blank facial expression and how he started fidgeting by not sitting still that he didn't understand what I had said, I had to repeat what I said and I could see he still didn't understand me as he frowned and looked down at his work and nodded. This is an example of the communication cycle not being en coded correctly as the message I was sending wasn't received and understood and Adam couldn't return the message and he tried to hide the fact he didn't understand. If I hadn't â€Å"read† his facial expression and body language I wouldn't have known this.Examples of the care value base principles being used in the classroom: A principle of the care value base is that all service users have the right to be respected. Another is promoting anti discriminatory practice. I noticed that the students raised their hand when they wanted to ask a question or answer something and waited patiently until the teacher asked them to speak. By doing this, all of the students would be able to speak without being interrupted and all get a turn to answer, getting their point across. If a student interrupted another student when they were speaking, I noticed that the teacher did this, she raised her voice slightly and quickened the pace of her voice to show that the student had done something wr ong.She also changed her body language to show that the student had done something wrong by widening her eyes slightly and also crossing her arms. This way of taking turns to speak promotes equality and respect and encourages the students to treat everybody fairly in later life, regardless of who they are. Another principle of the care value base is maintaining confidentiality of information. An example of this being used effectively that I noticed whilst in the lesson was that if the teacher was away from her laptop during the lesson or had to leave her laptop for any reason, she would always lock it and close it so that none of the students or anybody except herself could access the student's records or any other file on it.She would also keep any information about the students on paper in a locked drawer so nobody except herself could access them. Another example of respecting the student's confidentiality and privacy, when the teacher is speaking to an individual student one-on- one she talks quietly so that what he is saying cannot be heard by others. For example, The teacher was telling one of the students what she had done wrong in her work and explaining that she had to set it out differently to make it easier. When she did this, she lowered her voice so only the student she was speaking to could hear and she also bent down so she was at eye level with the student.This made the student more relaxed and comfortable and didn't give any messages to make the student thinks he had done something wrong. An example where the teacher showed respect while seeking to ensure that a student named Sam didn't cause harm to himself or others around him was in situation where Sam lost his temper and showed aggressive behavior due to another student being disrespectful toward him. Sam was about to approach the student to physically harm him, I know this as he had fixed eye contact with the boy and his muscles were tense. When the teacher noticed what was happening, she quickly raised her voice and told Sam to stop what he was doing and calm down.When she did this, she stretched her arm out in front of Sam with her palm out to show that he must stop what he was doing and she also looked over his shoulder when she was doing it so she didn't look directly at him as that could be seen as aggression. She asked the two boys to leave the classroom and followed them out so that they didn't disrupt the rest of the students in the class any more than they already had. This is an example of both verbal and non-verbal communication as the teacher used spoken language to tell Sam to stop and also body language to effectively send the message to him. Comparing the teacher's quick pace and raised voice in this situation to the calm, slow voice with varying tone when she uses giving instructions, this shows how changing your voice can convey different meanings and effectively get your message across to others.AAA My interactions with the clients/Students: While w orking in a one to one situation with a student named Grace, I had to be aware of the body language and voice I was using as these can send different messages to the student. I made sure I had open body language by moving my chair outwards so that I could sit on an angle facing her instead of sitting straight forward as this could make me seem more approachable. I also kept my arms open and feeling intimidated. I kept my facial expression friendly by smiling slightly. I also had to be aware of proximity and kept out of her personal space as entering this could aka the student feel uncomfortable, awkward or even intimidated.To help the students practice their spelling in a fun way after they had a spelling test, they were allowed to use plasticize to shape letters and then place them on a board to spell words. I noticed that Grace asked me to shape a lot of the letters even though she could do them herself. I asked her why she wasn't doing them herself but made sure to smile slightly and raise the pitch of my voice a little bit so that she didn't think I was angry with her. She said she couldn't do them although I knew that she could as I had seen her do it before. I encouraged her to shape the letters by asking her to try and telling her that if she couldn't I would help her and then praising her when she did.I noticed that when she was praised this encouraged her to do more letters quickly and correctly. I noticed that praising the students made them want to complete tasks correctly. I also followed the care value base by promoting independence as I encouraged Grace to try before I would help her shape the letters. I also followed the care value base as I tried to interact with each student for an equal amount of time each lesson and I encouraged them to interact with me by ending them positive body language. I also promoted effective communication and relationships, for example, I assigned two students a task such as to hand out plastic wallets to each stude nt in the class.AAA: In order for me to be able to deepen and widen my understanding of how communication is used within health and social care settings and not Just what I observed in educational settings (EGG), I used a range of sources such as text books, websites and videos to understand the factors that affect good communication and also the values involved in care. The sources helped me understand why the teacher communicates in the way that she does, such as using appropriate language and body language to suit the students to get her message across to them and they also helped me understand why the Care Value Base is used. Barriers to communication: The term ‘barriers' refers to when communication becomes blocked so that good communication cannot take place. This can be through a person not being able to see, hear or receive the message such as when a person has visual disabilities or hearing disabilities.For example, a student named William who had visual capabilities could not see the white board to check his spellings which lead to him getting out of his seat and moving closer to the board each time he wanted to check a spelling. This situation have disrupted other students and also prevented William from completing his work in time. This situation could have been easily prevented by the teacher taking the time to read Williams SEEN plan which would make her aware of his visual disabilities and allow her to plan a way for William to be less affected by them, such as planning to seat him in closer proximity to the board or giving him the peelings on a sheet of paper. Communication can also become blocked when a person can't understand the message or misunderstands the message.There are many different barriers that can prevent effective communication from occurring ‘norms' which may be confusing or hard to understand for somebody outside of that religion. For example, it might be normal for a Muslim woman to cover her body with loose fittin g clothes as the Islamic religion requires her to cover her body except from her hands and face. A person from outside of that religion may be confused or even offended by this dress code. Environmental barriers. Such as space and noise. Language barriers. For example, a student from another town may have a different accent which might be hard to understand for other students. Emotional barriers. For example, Fear can stop a person from doing something they want or need to do. Disabilities.Such as physical disabilities for example being in a wheel chair. However, people can overcome barriers by learning more about them, finding different ways to communicate and being calm and patient. I noticed that there were simple rules that the teacher had set for the students in her lassoer which made the lesson run more smoothly with less interruptions. For example, when the students were to get their math's folders, they had to get them one by one in the order of the register. This way there would be no crowding around the folders and chance for the students to get distracted by other students or any barriers which could get in the way of the lesson.Whereas if all the students had to get their folders from a cupboard all at the same time, it would take more time and could unsettle the class. Comparing this to the way students get their folders in the ordinary year seven class, where one person from each table gets the folders for everyone on their table, the ‘ground rules' or ‘norms' that the teacher had set for the students in EGG help to overcome barriers and ensure that the lesson is used effectively and no time is wasted. (Promoting and supporting an individual's right to dignity, independence, health and safety) AAA: Conclusions. From my time in EGG I have come to the conclusion that a number of things can effect communication; Body language, Proximity, Appropriate language use, barriers, the type of voice used.I know that Communication is not Just spea king and listening and a person must take into account all of the possible things that can affect A person must think about what message their body language is sending to the person they're communicating with and whether it's appropriate to convey their feelings, such as whether they could be seen as aggressive or assertive. For example, open and closed body language can determine whether or not a person feels comfortable speaking to you. They must think about how the tone, pitch and pace of their voice can portray their feelings such as when I was angry or annoyed at student I would raise the pitch of my voice and quicken the pace of my voice. Think that one of my strengths when communicating is body language.I think I use the correct body language to suit my feelings and the situation I am in and I am aware of the messages that I am sending through my body language. However, I think I could improve my facial expressions when communicating with the students as they sometimes send t he wrong impression. For example, in one situation when I was angry with a student I smiled slightly which confused the student as she didn't think I was being serious. I should have kept my lips pressed together and widened my eyes that I was angry with the student. I understand that throughout all communication in health care service the care value base must be used correctly and appropriately in order for quality service and strong communication to be provided.The values involved in care help both the practitioners and service users develop a strong relationship through communicating effectively as the care value base outlines what to expect for both practitioners and clients. The main conclusion that I have drawn from my research for this report is that good use of communication is n essential tool for anybody working in care services and in everyday life. Strong communication skills are essential for a teacher, as I observed in EGG, to enable learning and provide quality teachi ng to the students. It is also essential that practitioners, such as teachers, follow the care value base rules to improve the client's quality of life by meeting their physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs.The teacher empowered her students by promoting the seven values; Promoting anti-discriminatory practice, Maintaining confidentiality of information, feet, Acknowledging an individual's personal beliefs and identity, Protecting individual's from abuse, Promoting effective communication and relationships and Providing individualized care. Observing policies are essential in order to protect the students from harm or abuse (protecting individuals from abuse) and to build appropriate professional relationships with clients and co-workers (Promoting effective communication and relationships). Teachers should always be trying to improve the quality of their teaching and find ways to provide quality education for each individual student. (Providing individualized care).

Topics History

Choosing one of the following topics, you will write a 750 to 1 000 word paper based on the reading of Pocahontas and the Phaeton Dilemma. This paper must be computer generated, double-spaced, with standard one-inch margins and 12 pat. Font. Papers must answer the question(s) using at least two (2), and no more than three (3), quotes from the book that are properly cited. Quotes can be no longer than three (3) sentences. Please reference the Essay Guidelines handout and the citations handout, both of which can be mound on Blackboard.Both handouts will provide you with more specific instructions regarding style, citations, and organization. 1) What exactly is the Phaeton dilemma? In answering this question, describe the various ways that both Pocahontas and the other peoples of Phaeton's confederacy attempted to resolve this problem. What consequences resulted from their methods? Or 2) How does this book present an alternate story about Pocahontas that challenges the traditional stor y found in previous books, movies, and Disney orators.Please provide evidence for your argument (answer) using quotes from the Townsend book. Note: Each paper must have a title page and a bibliography. Papers must have a strong and clear introduction, use solid topic sentences in the body of the paper to introduce each part of your argument in answering the question, and a clear and concise conclusion which ties the paper together. Papers that fail to address any of these requirements will have points deducted accordingly.

Dancing with self beauty alice walker Essay

What is a scar? A scar is something that can be covered but never erased. Scars can change a person’s self-esteem and self- worth, relationship with people, and your perception of yourself. A scar can help you find beauty deep down inside just like Alice Walker did. Scars cannot tear you down you are the only one can, its either you live a lie or just accept the true you, which one would you choose? Walker also had problems with self-esteem in her life when her brother shot her in the eye with a BB-gun that left one of her eyes blind. According to walker her life was over â€Å"For six years I do not stare at anyone, because I do not raise my head†. I grew up a tomboy who played with nothing but boys and maybe one or two girls. I was always happy, and a just a big jokers until I started my middle school year and identified hair on my chin. I have suffered with this problem for the longest. I considered myself as different from most girls. When I got the hair on my chin I did not want to be bothered with anybody, I used to hold my head down and kind of slouch so no one wouldn’t see it. My whole attitude changed I went from the girl who used to love herself so very much into the girl who couldn’t stand to look in the mirror. But that should’ve have changed me nor Walker because you can’t look down on yourself just because you have a scar you are who you are no matter if it’s there or not. The scar also changed the relationship with her siblings. From the article Everyday life by K. Nola Mokeyane she said â€Å"sibling’s relationships are important component of children’s social and emotional development. The Child Welfare Information Gateway notes that through their relationship with their siblings, children learn skills such as conflict resolution and negotiation; healthy relationships also provide siblings with a support network. As with anything in life, siblings relationships have positive and negative aspects. Walker started to develop to like on sibling more than the other brother. One of the siblings brought both positive and negative change in her life. The brother who shot her with the BB gun when she was younger and made a big difference in her life and she just was less closer to him just like any other siblings in life. â€Å"What the matter with your eye? † they ask, critically. When I don’t answer with (I cannot decide whether it was an â€Å"accident† or not), they shove me, insist on a fight. My brother, the one who created the story about the wire, comes to my rescue. But then brags so much about â€Å"protecting† me, I become sick. It seems like she is still never forgave her brother for what he had done to her eye and began to not really like him as much. Since her brother was kind of a part of the accident so she kind of liked him better. For some reason he understood her more. â€Å"He is my favorite brother and there is a strong bond between us. Understanding my feelings of shame and ugliness he and his wife take me to a local hospital, where the â€Å"glob† is removed by a doctor named 0. Henry. There is still a small bluish crater where the scar tissue was, but the ugly white stuff is gone. † I to can relate to her by this I had a problem with the hair under my chin still to this very day and my mother wanted to help me out by getting lazer hair remover but I insist on doing so because it really wouldn’t make a difference if I got it removed or not, sometime down the line it still was going to be there no matter what I did. It is so much that family members are siblings can do for you, but you are the one who really have to decide what you are going to do with yourself. People don’t make you and how they change you, you do. According to Answers in Writing â€Å"Sometime we imagine ourselves as different than what we really are one way at least we picture ourselves as this, yet in reality we do not fit this picture. We think we are kind gentle, when in truth we have very little patience for things. We may see ourselves, it is good to see ourselves as exemplary students, but we hate to be wrong. However we picture ourselves, it is good to see ourselves for who we really are. Perception can be altered, whether it is how we see the world or how we see ourselves. All it take is a little honesty, without trying to make ourselves feel better, which is what we usually do when we see what we call faults in ourselves. We try to feel better about it, and this often means we find ways to alter behavior. We try to change how we are to supplement our perceived faults. We are far better off just seeing ourselves for who we are, leaving it at that. Walker use to be the prettiest girl that knew she was pretty and now she is kind of confused. She is worried about what other people think which is stopping her from seeing the positive in her life. â€Å"Years later, in the throes of mid-life crisis, I ask my mother and sister whether I changed after the â€Å"accident†. No, they say, puzzled. What do you mean? † What do I mean? Walker was question herself about who she really was are did she change and she wanted to see what other people such as her family and how they viewed her too. But it was all in the mind of how she saw herself. â€Å"That night, as I do every night, I abuse my eye. I rant and rave at it, in front of the mirror. I plead with it to clear up before morning. I tell it I hate and despise it. I do not pray for sight. I pray for vision. † She must have really seen herself as this person who so ugly until she got it removed but that didn’t change her she had to see herself from within. Many times I put myself in situation where I just look in the mirror and wish some things would go anyway but it doesn’t, you can put make up on, put hair on your head but it want change anything. Walker finally sees herself as this beautiful person. She keep questioning herself â€Å"You did not change they say. † But she finally realizing everything when she is by her daughter and she is talking to her daughter. Walker says â€Å"Since the birth of her daughter she has worried about her discovery that her mothers’ eyes are different from others people’s. Will she be embarrassed? I think. What will she say? Every day she watches a television program called Big Blue Marble. It begin with a picture of earth as it appears from moon. When walker was putting her baby to sleep her daughter Rebecca focus on her eye. She began wanted to protect herself but her daughter didn’t see her eye as such ugliness her daughter tells her there is a world in her eyes. From the perception of her daughter she began to accept herself. â€Å"Yes indeed , I realized, looking into the mirror. There was a world in my eyes. And I saw it was possible to love it. In conclusion scar is something that can be covered but never erased. Scars can change a person’s self-esteem and self- worth, relationship with people, and your perception of yourself. It would not make you who you are you can only make you who you are. Theirs is nothing no one can do to change it. You can never change something and in my eyes she never changed. She still look back and think about her eye.

Defend your view of the ethical obligations of advertisers to Essay

Defend your view of the ethical obligations of advertisers to consumers - Essay Example The above advertisement includes the facts supporting the above argument. Because of these facts, it is suggested that bottled water should not be advertised as better than the tap water, since there is no such case, as proved through the figures provided through the above advertisement. In the particular advertisement reference is made to all aspects of bottled water aiming to show that bottled water is worse than tap water; explanations are given by referring to each particular phrase used for advertising bottled water. In general, in terms of quality, bottled water cannot be characterized as better for human health compared to the tap water. The phrase that bottled water ‘is better for you’ as used by advertisers for promoting the specific product is not valid; this view can be based on the following facts, as presented through the particular advertisement: In accordance with the case study, bottled water is checked as of its quality just once a week – under th e existing legislation, as monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency – while the tap water is checked about 100 times a month. Moreover, it is noted that the country’s municipal water systems – estimated to about 55,000 – have to pass a thorough quality test every 3 months. Through this procedure, it is ensured that the quality standards of the tap water are higher compared to the bottled water. This view has been proved in practice in the case of the Fiji bottled water. More specifically, in an advertisement of Fiji water (as included in the case study) consumers are asked to prefer Fiji just because ‘it is not bottled in Cleveland’ (part 2 of the case study). In the research made as of the quality for Fiji water, the above bottled water was found to include arsenic (6.3 micrograms/ liter) while in the tap water of Cleveland no such ingredient was identified. In accordance with the above, tap water can be characterized as better for c onsumers, compared to the bottled water. The advertisements based on the argument that bottled water is better for consumers compared to tap water should be rejected as invalid. Another common argument used by advertisers promoting the bottled water is that the water of this type ‘smells better’; however, no such case exists, a fact, which is proved through the findings of the research provided in the advertisement. From this point of view also, the advertisement of bottled water is unethical. In the case study reference is made to a blind taste conducted in 2001 in Good Morning America regarding the taste of water; the tap water of New York gathered a percentage of 45% of the votes of the participants – compared to well known bottled water brands, such as Evian (12%) and Poland Springs (24%) (part 2 of case study). Reference is also made to another study – conducted in Yorkshire among 2800 people – where the 60% of the participants were not able to distinguish between the tap water and the bottled water brands used in the research (part 2 of the case study). The experiment conducted during an episode of the television series Penn & Teller: Bullshit, has also proved that bottled water does not have better taste than tap water. In the above experiment, tap water was served as bottled water to the customers of a restaurant; customers, thinking that it is bottled water, highlighted its exceptional taste and freshness of the bottled water, while, in fact the water

International Business Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Business - Dissertation Example Introduction China has risen to become a leading player in international business. China’s rise has been gradual, since the late 1970’s to date. In prior years, China was a socialist state but in the past three decades, China has done a lot to convert itself into a consumerist economy. From the 1980’s China began to relax some of its restrictions on trade operations (Tseng & Zebregs, 2002). This relaxation of trade constraints has made China a very lucrative place for International Business. Foreign investment has had a huge impact on business development in China. This essay is going to discuss foreign investors, rules governing foreign investment in China, and how some of these rules have been relaxed to contain foreign entrepreneurs. Relevance statement The significance of this essay is that it will act as a supportive lead to people wishing to do business in China, especially foreign investors. In modern times, there has been a rush by investors to set up bus inesses in China. Competition for investment in China is very high and businessmen need to know what to expect of China’s trade regulations. ... For this reason, various works of literature have been written in a quest to understand how China has managed to get to the top of international business. As indicated earlier on in this essay, China had very strict laws on how to conduct business especially with foreigners. Nonetheless, China realized the disadvantages of such strict policies and improved its relations with international markets by initiating various government reforms towards the relaxation of trade policies. For example, Li (2001) states that the government of China did way with a provision that required all foreigners running firms in the country to locally source for raw materials. Today, foreign entrepreneurs in China are allowed to purchase raw materials form outside China, in order to facilitate the growth of their businesses. The fact that China accepts individual investors form foreign countries to operate in the country is an achievement. Previously, China only allowed investors to set up businesses by use of joint ventures. According to Graham & Harm (2006) joint ventures continue to be the most prominent form of foreign investment in China. Methodology In this essay, I will use qualitative methods such as interviews and questionnaires to collect information. I will also use quantitative techniques such as statistics to affirm the information. I will distribute questionnaires to various foreign investors in various regions in China. This will enable me get actual information on how the relaxation of various economic policies has eased foreign business in China. I will also interview government officials to find out what specific policies have been done away with, or relaxed to allow for more foreign investment. In order to obtain statistical data on the growth of foreign ventures

Poverty and Discrimination Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Poverty and Discrimination - Research Paper Example Poverty is not a disease, rather a condition which can be overcome if proper steps are taken by the policy makers of a country. Furthermore, it’s not only even up to the policy makers alone to alienate poverty, it needs the contribution from people of all walks of society including technocrats, rich and the poor alike. People often argue that poverty isn’t really a problem as such and that the poor are poor as they don’t do much effort to get out of the vicious chain of poverty. Just mentioning a few facts and figures at this stage would give an idea of how widespread this cancer actually is. According to a research carried out by an agency of the United Nations, about three million people (or almost half the population of the entire world) thrive on less than $2.50 a day. According to yet another research, if the wealth of seven of the world’s richest men is combined, it would be much greater than the overall gross domestic product or GDP or 41 of the world’s most indebted and poor countries. Just to give a rough estimate, the population of these 41 countries combined stands at around five hundred and sixty seven million people (National Bureau of Economic Research & National Bureau of Economic Research, 2000). Yet another research goes on to say that there are almost a billion people in the current century who are so poor and illiterate, that they’re even unable to cast their signatures or read a book. Poverty is one of the most major economic issues of the current times since it involves so many people. A solution needs to be discovered not only to manage this problem in the short term, but to eventually alienate it in the longer term. Addressing the issue of poverty would mean a lot more people would gain employment, they would be able to live a healthy life style, be able to finance their own day to day expenses, be able to achieve their basic necessities and finally be

Crime Analysis Why Does Detroit Have Such a High National Murder Rate Assignment

Crime Analysis Why Does Detroit Have Such a High National Murder Rate - Assignment Example In addition, the media placed Detroit as the 2nd city in terms of murder cases in the entire U.S (Fisher, 2013). However, in 2013 the city’s rate abridged significantly though this still equaled with New York statistics whose population is far beyond that of Detroit by 11 times (Crime statistics, 2013). Hence, has become Murder City having 333 homicides of all kinds in 2013 despite analysts contending that was the lowest figure compared to other studies (The Washington, 2014). Most murders occurred between acquaintances, with people involved either in criminal activities or in domestic violence as evidenced by statistics from previous years. Based on already compiled data, reports cite it is a common scenario for gang members to turn on each other. Drug deals going bad were another reason for murders between people who knew each other. For instance, two teenagers were shot and found dead lying on a field facedown after having purchased marijuana from their local supplier. There were reports of domestic violence whereby spouses killed each other, parents killing their children or children terminating lives of their parents. Logan, a police chief in Detroit, gave an example of a woman who stabbed her eight-year-old girl and cited it as a typical scenario experienced in 2012 (Fisher, 2013). Logan further contended America currently experiences increased cases related to gun shootings but Detroit is the epicenter. Gun violence is something very ordinary in Detroit as most people own guns either legally or illegally. According to FBI reports, gun assault increased tremendously over the past years whereby 532 armed crimes were reported for every 100, 000 residents in 2010. The city’s respective authority went ahead to devise a policy whereby people were to hand over their guns at a fee, no questions asked. Its purpose was to reduce the number of guns in Detroit. It was a great failure as gun-related crimes are still a big problem in the

Near Earth Objects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Near Earth Objects - Essay Example However, some asteroids which orbit near the sun can intersect with the earth’s path, and the results could vary from no-effect to catastrophic. Asteroids are floating masses of rocks which can also have a mix of iron and nickel. These irregularly-shaped chunks which can range from boulder-size to that of our very own moon are, thanks to Jupiter’s massive size and pull of gravity, held near the huge planet and Mars. There are different classes or types of NEAs depending on their aphelion distance, perihelion distance, and semi-major axes, namely, Aten, Apollo, and Amor. To show their differences, here is a table from the Near Earth Object Programpage of the NASA portal (â€Å"Neo Groups,† NASA Portal): Chunks of ice, dust, and rocky rubble that travel though space are called comets. Comets go much farther than asteroids do, reaching as far as the orbit of Neptune or even way beyond to a cloud surrounding the outer solar system known as the Oort cloud. Comet size usually ranges from half a mile to six miles across. A comet’s travel around the sun can take from a few years to thousands. Comets sometimes get â€Å"dislodged from their orbits by gravity and flung toward the sun, gases vaporizing off the surface create the familiar ‘tail’† (Wyckoff, â€Å"Asteroids and Comets†) that people see. Although this trail of gas and debris is considered a thing of beauty to behold, we must take note that this is due to a dislodgement in the comet’s orbit and things could certainly turn very ugly once size, speed, and direction come into play. One good example of that is the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. In July of 1994, this catastrophic comet collided with Jupiter—the first collision of two heavenly bodies in the solar system to be observed. The comet was broken into fragments and left huge marks on the planet. Fragment A, for example, â€Å"struck

Script ( the Vassals) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Script ( the Vassals) - Essay Example The boy stopped, as Mary is taking her rest. She  started to shake and utterly whispers her prayers as she saw a black shadow in front of her. I cannot believe that Nicholas and Melanie Woods are now dead. What a sorrowful experience. Life is very short and everyone lives for a total of time destined to them by fate. It is very unfortunate that there is nothing we can do about it. Once life has become that way, we only need to live to the fullest, but when the right time comes, we even go to glory without notice. With them in place, you cannot be a worried child at all. Most importantly, I was very much happy with the way they took the initiative to educate meant offer me the best they could. This is something that not all parents can do. Instead, it can only be done by just a few focused ones like my parents who knew that life is all about sacrifices. Anne my daughter! Be strong. We, as human beings, live in borrowed times. Everything that happens to us had been planned by God. The only thing we need to do is to thank the Almighty for whatever happens whether it is good or bad. After all, as a believer, you should not doubt that any unpleasant thing that happens to you has a purpose. It is meant to make you be stronger. Even Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan before He eventually emerged victorious over death. When I hear such utterances, I become the saddest on earth. Losing one’s parents to a murder is an experience which should not be taken lightly. No one can endure it. Neither can I. so, we need to react and show the world that we are discontent about this. Anne, you need not to plan evil. Two wrongs don’t make one right. I understand your pain, but you need to take heart. Planning to bad things against someone who has offended you is not the best thing to do. No anger should overcome you. Just be patient and humble. Know that life must continue regardless of

Serial Killer Belle Soren Gunness Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Serial Killer Belle Soren Gunness - Term Paper Example Belle Soren Gunness killed her victims in cold blood: boyfriends, suitors, husbands and two daughters, Lucy and Myrtle. The authorities at that time wondered what reasons might have motivated her to commit the crimes but after investigations and follow-ups, they established that her apparent motive of killing involved ripping people of their belongings such as collecting life insurance, cash, and valuables (Segrave, 1992). The secondary motive for killing involved the elimination of witnesses. She eventually disappeared on April 28, 1908. Gunness’ character and the nature of being are very strange throughout her biography. The place of her birth is not well established. In fact, her death has not been established as well. Her origins have been matters of debate. Most of her biographers have spoken and written contradicting stories with many claiming that she was born in 1859, November 11th in Norway near a lake called selbu. A stonemason named Paul Pedersen Storset fathered her and her mother was called Berit Olsdatter. Among her eight siblings, she was the youngest. They lived in a cotter’s farm 60 km southeast of a town called Trondheim, the largest city situated in central Norway. To matters that made her character change. According to Anne Berit Vestby, an Irish TV documentary journalist aired on September 4, 2006, that she had faced a very bad experience in her early life. In 1877, Gunness had attended a dance event when she was pregnant. While in the dance, she was attacked by a man, a stranger to her, who kicked her on the abdomen. This experience caused her miscarriage, and unfortunately, the man who hailed from a well-off family was never prosecuted (Schmid, 2005). What followed were series of deaths and arsons, crime and frauds that escalated over time. In 1884, she got married to Mads Albert Sorenson and they lived in Illinois. Shortly after the marriage, their home and store burned down and the claimed the insurance money which they were granted. Sorenson then died of what was perceived as heart failure. Strangely, this occurred on the day when his two life insurance policies had overlapped.

Organizational behavior Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Organizational behavior - Term Paper Example It has been argued that one of the consequences of this shift in responsibility is increased job insecurity, which resulted in a decline in feelings of organizational commitment (Knudsen, Aaron, Martin, & Roman, 2003). Job insecurity has also changed the psychological contract and influenced the employment relationship. Loughlin and Barling (2001) made the case that the notion of a 'job for life' has been replaced with a 'survival of the fittest' as downsizing has forced employees become more employable. As a result, younger workers who have seen their parents being laid off will be more demanding and less willing to make sacrifices for the sake of their jobs. Organizations may assume that certain rules of the old employee-organization relationship still apply, leading them to make missteps in communication, recognition, and reward. Likewise, individual employees may assume that their employer knows what motivates them, when in fact the employer may not know, or may be operating unde r out-dated assumptions. In short, psychological contracts and the employment relationship are changing. Review of Literature The Promise The psychological state of an individual can inherently influence his or her behavior as much as the physical state. Because we do not operate in a vacuum, it is important to understand that our behavior and attitudes are subject to alteration because of outside influences. When these external factors project behaviors that one may categorize as controversial, ones psychological dimensions can quickly become dislodged. Generally, our relationships lead us to believe that a promise is a promise. Our interactions with those we trust teach us to expect that these promises will be fulfilled. When the promises are maintained, the psychological state remains intact. On the other-hand, if deceitful behavior, broken promises, and misconceptions of truth are demonstrated, the individual may ultimately feel vulnerable, betrayed, and unhappy. Rousseau (1995) highlights two kinds of promises; warranties and communications of future intent. She further sub-categorizes these promises into four distinctive types. Idle promises are usually not taken literally by the receiver. Credible promises are defined as believable promises as perceived by the receiver. Unattended promises are those that unintentionally fall through and relied upon promises are those promises that the recipient places value upon and expects to happen. Although promises are subject to limitation, it is still necessary to understand the mechanism behind them. This makes it all the more important to advance research on the psychological aspects of the employee employer relationship. Organizational behavior researchers frequently study the relationship between individuals, groups, and the affect their behavior has on the organization. One of the most recent concepts included in the literature revolves around the psychological contract. It is important to examine this contra ct because the foundation of the contract is based on promises. The promises within the contract offer direction for the both the employee and the employer. The Evolution of the Psychological Contract The decline in unionization throughout the country has reduced the number of employees affected by formal, written contracts of employment (Rousseau, 1990). This in turn

Discussing the customer service policies Essay Example for Free

Discussing the customer service policies Essay In my assignment I will provide information about customers services levels, customer satisfaction, what is customer services , I will give examples and evidence about different institutions and their customers services levels and policies .I want to start with the definitions of customer services and customers service policies. Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. Â  Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation. Some people say that ‘Customer is always right’ but nowadays if u work in the hospitality industry u will definitely disagree with that .Some customers are really informed about their rights so because of that the stuff should be really confident and well trained to reach the customer expectation. Every business should have customer service policies. According to Entrepreneur Magazine, the definition of a customer service policy is ‘the degree of assistance and courtesy granted those who patronise a business ’.The customer service policies apply, because for every business is important to give their best in way to satisfy the customers. Policies are written rules which customers can see and read at any time, and they protect the business owners. Why we use the customers service policies ?We use them because they inform the customers for their rights ,they give information for the place .That’s why they are very , very important and useful nowadays .There are so many hotels, pubs , bars and other hospitality businesses today which have very interesting customer service policies. I have choose Hilton London Wembley Hotel to give as an example with its customer service policies .The hotel is one of the world wide best hotels so they really know how to satisfy customers needs . Everyone knows that hotel so I want to inform you more about it .For example Hilton London Wembley Hotel check- in time is 3.00pm. , check- out time is 12.00pm.This time hours gives advantages to the stuff so they clean the rooms and prepare them for the next customers and of course they inform the guests when they should leave the room. References: 1. Google ,Wikipedia (2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_service 2.Turban, Efraim (2002). Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective. 3. Entrepreneur Magazine http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/customer-service

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Virulence and Pathogenesis Issues

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Virulence and Pathogenesis Issues Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram negative, motile, aerobic rod shaped bacterium which can occur as singles, in pairs and occasionally in short chains. P.aeruginosa is a ubiquitous organism which can proliferate under the sparest conditions such as sinks, toilets, cosmetics, vaporisers, inhalers, respirators, and anaesthesiology and dialysis equipment. Infected patients and staff are also potential primary sources of infection (2). P.aeruginosa is a major opportunistic pathogen of the immunocompromised causing a wide range of nosocomial infections. These include infections of burn, post operative wounds, urinary tract (especially in patients with catheters), ears and eyes. Infection frequently leads to sepsis and deaths can occur (3). This organism is associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (4) and is prevalent among patients with burn wounds and intravenous drug users (5, 6). P.aeruginosa is able to persist and multiply in moist environments and on mos t pieces of equipment in hospital wards. This is of importance in cross infection control (4). P.aeruginosa is the most important, resistant and dangerous organism infecting burn patients (7). It is the fifth common pathogen among hospital microorganisms and causes 10% of all hospital acquired infections (8). The rate of commensalisation increases as the duration of hospital stay increases (9). Epidermiologically, P.aeruginosa is ranked as the fourth cause of nosocomial infections in the United States (10). A study on various clinical isolates was conducted in Afghanistan at the Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Hayatabal Medical Complex to ascertain the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of P.aeruginosa infections. Among the positive isolates, 6.67% were P.aeruginosa with the highest rate of infection observed in orthopaedic ward (24.61%) and 0PD (20%). The highest percentage of P.aeruginosa isolates were observed in pus (57.64%) (11). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is resistant to many antimicrobial agents and has therefore become dominant and important when the more susceptible bacteria of the normal flora are suppressed (1). With the widespread use of quinolones both in the hospital and in the common setting, drug resistant P.aeruginosa isolates have emerged and continue to escalate rapidly (12). The antimicrobial agents are losing their efficacy due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics, lack of awareness, patient non compliance and unhygienic conditions (11). Like most gram negative bacilli, P.aeruginosa has been reported to have developed resistance to commonly used antibiotics and disinfectants. It was originally sensitive to Carbernicillin, piperacillin, Gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and other drugs. However it is now resistant to these antibiotics (13, 14). The virulence factors associated with P.aeruginosa infections include cytotoxin production, the organisms ability to form a biofilm, produce gelatinase, elastase an d alkaline protease. These cause the destruction of connective tissue and degradation of host immunological factors (15, 16). The primary aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of P.aeruginosa in wound infections and its sensitivity to commonly used antibiotics in inpatients at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common Gram-negative microorganisms identified in the clinical specimens of hospital admitted patients. It is a rod that measures about 0.6 2Â µm and is motile by means of a single polar flagellum (1, 18). P. aeruginosa is noted for its metabolic versatility and its exceptional ability to colonize a wide variety of environments and also for its intrinsic resistance to a wide variety of antimicrobial agents. It is an obligate aerobe that grows well at temperatures between 37-42Â °C. Due to its ubiquitous nature, P. aeruginosa grows readily on any type of media (1). On Blood agar they are often ÃŽ ²-haemolytic while on MacConkey agar they produce pale colonies because they do not ferment lactose. P.aeruginosa is oxidase positive (17). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is well known for its production of two soluble pigments, pyocyanin which is a non-fluorescent bluish pigment and the fluorescent pigment pyoverdin, which gives a greenish colour to the media. P. aeruginosa also produces a sweet grape-like odour due to the production of 2-aminoacetophenone (1, 17). PATHOGENESIS P. aeruginosa is pathogenic when introduced to areas lacking normal host defences for example when there is tissue damage and during cancer therapy where there is neutropaenia (1). P.aeruginosa is a major opportunistic pathogen of the immunocompromised causing a wide range of nosocomial infections. These include infections of burn, post operative wounds, urinary tract (especially in patients with catheters), ears and eyes (in users of extended-wear soft contact lenses). Infection frequently leads to sepsis and deaths can occur (3). This organism is associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (4) and is prevalent among patients with burn wounds and intravenous drug users (5, 6). It produces cytotoxins, proteases and haemolysins. Isolates from patients with Cystic fibrosis produce a polysaccharide, alginate. The alginate, pili and outer membrane mediate adhesion to host epithelia (19). VIRULENCE FACTORS The ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to cause a wide range of infections is due to its ability to produce a number of cell-associated (adhesions, alginate, pili, flagella and lipopolysaccharide) and extracellular (elastase, exoenzyme S, exotoxin A, haemolysins, iron binding proteins, leukocidins and proteases) virulence factors. These mediate a number of processes including adhesion, nutrient acquisition, immune system evasion, leukocyte killing, tissue adhesion and blood stream invasion (20, 21). CELL-ASSOCIATED VIRULENCE FACTORS P.aeruginosa requires a breach in first-line defences to initiate infection. This can result from alteration of the immunologic defence mechanisms for example in chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression and AIDS, disruption of the protective balance of mucosal normal flora by broad-spectrum antibiotics, or breach of normal mucosal barriers for example trauma and burns (21, 23). Adherence of P. aeruginosa to host epithelium is mediated by type 4 pili, that extend from the cell surface (1, 22). Flagella, primarily responsible for motility may also act as adhesins to epithelial cells (23). Lipopolysaccharides are responsible for endotoxic properties of the organism while the exopolysacharride is responsible for the mucoid colonies from patients with Cystic fibrosis (1). EXTRACELLULAR VIRULENCE FACTORS These are extracellular products produced by P. aeruginosa that can cause extensive tissue damage. They include exotoxin A, exoenzyme S, elastase, alkaline protease but the contribution of a given factor varies with the type of infection (24). Exotoxin A catalyses ADP-ribosylation and inactivation of elongation factor 2, leading to inhibition of protein biosynthesis and cell death (25). It is also responsible for local tissue necrosis (1). Exoenzyme S is also an ADP-riboslytransferase that ribosylates GTP binding proteins resulting in direct tissue damage (26). Phospholipase C and rhamnolipid are haemolysin produced by P. aeruginosa. They breakdown lipids and lecithin and both have cytotoxic effects (27). Pseudomonas aeruginosa also produces toxins which include Las B elastase, Las A elastase and alkaline protease (28). Las A elastase and Las B elastase have elastolytic activity. Elastin is a major component of lung tissue and blood vessels. Las B elastase is a zinc metalloprotease while Las A is a protease. Alkaline protease lyses fibrin (29). BIOFILMS Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also able to form biofilms. Biofilms are complex communities of surface-attached aggregates of microorganisms embedded in a self-secreted extracellular polysaccharide matrix or slime (alginate) (30, 31). These act as efficient barriers against antimicrobial agents (aminoglycosides, ÃŽ ² lactamases, fluoroqunilones and disinfectants) and the host immune system resulting in persistent colonisation and loss of action at the site of infection (32, 33). CELL TO CELL SIGNALLING Cell to cell signalling systems control extracellular virulence factors required for tissue invasion by P. aeruginosa. THE LAS CELL TO CELL SIGNALLING SYSTEM The Las cell to cell signalling system regulates the expression of Las B elastase (34). It regulates Las B expression and is required for optimal production of other extracellular virulence factors such as Las A elastase and exotoxin A (35). THE RHL CELL TO CELL SIGNALLING SYSTEM The rhl cell to cell signalling system controls the production of rhamnolipid. The system regulates the expression of the rhl AB operon that encodes a rhamnosyltransferase required for rhamnolipid production. It is also important for Las B elastase, protease, pyocyanin and alkaline transferase production (36). ANTIMICROBIAL REACTIVITY OF P. AERUGINOSA Like most gram negative bacilli, P.aeruginosa has been reported to have developed resistance to commonly used antibiotics and disinfectants. It was originally sensitive to Carbernicillin, piperacillin, Gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and other drugs. Degrees of cross-resistance between these agents have been reported however (13, 14). Treatment of infections by P. aeruginosa is often difficult because of its virulence and limited choice of antimicrobial agents. P. aeruginosa has the capacity to carry multiresistance plasmids, and this feature has led to the appearance of some strains that are resistant to all reliable antibiotics (37). In a study carried out at the Post Graduate Medical Institute Hayatabad Medical complex in Afghanistan on the prevalence and resistance pattern of P. aeruginosa against various antibiotics, the highest resistance was observed against ampicillin, ampicillin/ sulbactam, co-amoxiclave and ofloxacin and least resistance was observed against amikacin. Similarly t he MIC for ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam and co-amoxiclave against clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was also high (11). A similar study carried out at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in 2006 showed that almost all of the P. aeruginosa isolates were resistant to cefixime and co-trimoxazole, majority were resistant to ceftazidime, gentamycin and ciprofloxacin. The result of the study showed that imipenem is the most effective drug against P. aeruginosa, followed by amikacin and ciprofloxacin (39). MECHANISM OF ACTION OF COMMONLY USED ANTIBIOTICS The commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections are Aminoglycosides (for example Gentamicin and amikacin), Penicillins (such as cabernicillin), Quinolones (for example Nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin), Cephalosporins (ceftazidime) and Carbapenemes (meropenem and imipenem) (37). Penicillins, Cephalosporins and Carbapenemes inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis. They are ÃŽ ²-lactam agents. Aminoglycosides and Tetracyclines are inhibitors of protein synthesis. Quinolones are inhibitors of bacterial nucleic acid synthesis (17). RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS The antimicrobial resistance conferred by P. aeruginosa is due to mutations in the organisms genetic material. No single mutation is responsible for multidrug resistance. Mutations to topoisomerase 2 and 4 confer fluoroquinolone resistance. Derepression of the chromosomal AmpC ÃŽ ²-lactamase reduces susceptibility to penicillins and cephalosporins. Up-regulation of MexAB-OprM compromises the fluoroquinolones, penicillins, cephalosporins and it also enhances resistance to many other drugs that lack useful anti-pseudomonal actions (38). 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Considering the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to persist and multiply in moist places and in most pieces of equipment in hospital wards (4), antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern. This is attributed to the fact that the organism is able to withstand conditions such as high temperature and high concentrations of salts and antiseptic (10). It is therefore imperative to constantly evaluate the pathogenesis and sensitivity patterns of P.aeruginosa so as to prevent further spread and recurrence of infection in the hospital set up. 1.3 HYPOTHESIS Null Hypothesis (H0) The prevalence of P. aeruginosa in wound and pus swab specimens at Parirenyatwa hospital is 6.7%. Alternative Hypothesis (H1) The prevalence of P. aeruginosa in wound and pus swab specimens at Parirenyatwa hospital is greater than 6.7%. 1.4 OBJECTIVES The aims of this study are: To determine the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in wound and pus swab specimens of patients admitted at Parirenyatwa hospital. To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the isolates.

Lone Parents Poverty And Unemployment Social Work Essay

Lone Parents Poverty And Unemployment Social Work Essay In a recent study, Rafferty and Wiggan 2011 state, in the past, lone parents with children below 16 years of age had the right to seek paid work or not, without risk of sanction. The recommendations of the Freud Review (2007) of Welfare-to-Work provision and the 2007 Green Paper on Welfare Reform, In Work Better Off, marked a critical phase in policy, proposing a new social agreement that reinforced lone parents obligation to seek paid work (Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), 2007). Since October 2008, lone parents whose youngest dependent child is above twelve years of age are no longer eligible for Income Support (IS) on the grounds of being a lone parent. From 2010, this was extended to lone parents whose youngest dependent child was above seven years old and this was further extended in the Budget 2010 to those whose whos youngest dependent child being  ¬Ã‚ ve or over (Great Britain, Parliament, Her Majestys Treasury, 2010). This paper will analyse the implications of the Governments policy objectives and their vision that it is right to expect people to make every effort to get themselves ready for work, as well as raising expectations. The government intention is that those who find work benefit from higher income and improved wellbeing. There are also fiscal benefits, with a lower benefit burden the government estimates that this policy change will affect approximately 100,000 single parents in 2011and make savings of  £380m between 2011 and 2015 (Tickle, 2010) there is also wider social gains with reduced adult and child poverty through increased employment (DWP, 2008). Lone parents feel that their concerns have been disregarded; that being a parent is a full time job and there are insufficient flexible, family friendly jobs available (Woods, 2010). Gordon (2002) stated that uncertainty about how to get benefits reinstated quickly if the job did not work out has placed another barrier in the way of seeking employment as well as the loss of Housing Benefit and changes in their Working Tax Credit. This is reinforced by the Policy Studies Institute (1996) which found that many out of work lone parents say they are unable to take paid jobs, even if they could find affordable childcare and the biggest reason given was that their children were too young and needed their mother at home. Channel 4 News (2011) broadcast that as the new welfare reforms for single parents come into force, lone parents are being set up to fail (Gingerbread, 2011). Gordon, (2002) also stated that policies pursued by successive Conservative governments throughout the 1980s and 1990s led to a massive increase in the number of low-income households and families. New Labour changed direction and had policies on making work pay by creating a liveable minimum wage and a welfare ideology, which emphasised the importance of maternal care. One of the keystones of New Labours strategy to reduce welfare dependency was making work pay, a strategy that was especially directed at lone parents through increased financially supported childcare and a specific New Deal which started after the 1997 election. This targeted lone parents amongst other vulnerable groups. The programme was voluntary and offered a mixture of job search support, training and practical support for the transition to work. There were only limited opportunities for training, with the main focus being on getting lone parents back into work. Gregg, Harkness and Smith (2007) state that Governm ent policies to help lone parents back into work and reduce levels of poverty, could had a profound  difference and change the quality of life for lone parent families. The UKs commitment to a personalised, bespoke, support is limited because of the lack of resources and training. Cunningham Cunningham (2008) stated that Social Workers (SW) should be aware of lone parents and their struggle with poverty and employability because poverty is a key and defining feature in the lives of many Service Users (SUs). They go on to state that sociology in Social Work is an important skill for Social Workers to bring into practice to help underpin the General Social Care Council (GSCC) Codes of Practice (COP). The GSCC COP state SWs must have appropriate knowledge and skills to provide social care and keep those skills and knowledge up to date. According to Knijn, Martin and Millar, (2007) reducing welfare dependency for lone parents could result in reduced welfare expenditure and maximised employment rates along with improved socio-political impact for women. The financial incentives for work had to be substantive and sustainable to reduce the risk of in-work poverty. Gregg, Harkness and Smith, (2007) stated that as part of its welfare reform and child poverty strategy, the incoming New Labour government initiated a series of policies aimed at reducing child poverty in 1997 and a key element of this was to increase employment rates amongst families with children, especially lone parents. Finch et al (2004) suggested that a lack of good childcare is one of the significant barriers to the governments target to increase the lone parent employment rate to 70 % by 2010. The Welfare Reform Green Paper (2007) states work is at the heart of our Welfare Reform Programme. Allan (1997) stated that benefit regulations were changed in an effort to encourage lone mothers into work and greater pressure was put on non-resident fathers to make sufficient financial contributions to their childrens needs. In its Green Paper (1998) Supporting Families, New Labours stance on lone parents was clear about the benefits of marriage (Cunningham and Cunningham, 2010) and al so stated paid work is the best route out of poverty (Department of Social Security (DSS) (1998). Lone parents were one of their key target groups. At this stage parents could still choose between staying at home and being a parent or going out to work. In the Budget 2010 address, Mr Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, stated that the government expects lone parents to look for work when their youngest child goes to school. The changes  were implemented on 25 October 2010 and affected lone parents claiming IS.   Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) Regulations (2010) changed the policy too, once children are of full time school age, parents who are able to work and are claiming benefits should be expected to look for paid work to support themselves and their family. Ahrends, J (2010) stated that Gingerbread, a charity for single parents, is still calling on the Coalition Government to  implement plans to enable all employees to apply for flexible working, to ensure all jobs in the public sector are offered on a part- time or flexible basis and  introduce a right to paid parental leave to help parents deal with time off when children are ill. David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg all pledged to challenge prejudice against single parents in 2010 (Ahrends, 2010) and the newly elected Coalition Government (2010) further stated that it was committed to introducing flexible working for all and launched a taskforce on children and families, unfortunately 9 months later this same government has scraped regulations which came into force April 2011 as part of a package of measures to reduce bureaucracy for businesses. Stratton and Wintour (2011) wrote in The Guardian, Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, will exempt firms with fewer than 10 employees from all new red tape for three years as it subjects 21,000 pieces of regulation to an audit by the public. This will see a shelving of the right to request flexible working for parents with children under 17 which will apply to all firms, not just small ones. It will also scrap the right to request time for training and education toward Continuous Professional Development (CPD). Freegard, (2010) co-founder of NetMums, commented on the benefit changes and suggested many lone parents would be feeling very anxious. She also noted single parents often want to work, but finding jobs to fit around the school day is very difficult; as is finding and paying for suitable good quality childcare before and after the school day. Woods D (2010) stated that family-friendly jobs are still far too rare despite the Government requiring 100,000 single parents to seek work in 2011. According to Gingerbread the vast lack of jobs with flexibility could jeopardise plans to have more single parents in work. A national survey of single parent members and users of NetMums website found that members had seen few jobs advertised that they could apply few for with part time hours, within school hours or as a job share or flexible in some other way. Launching a Gingerbread Briefing on flexible working, chief executive of the charity Weir (2011) called on the Government to move faster on plans for flexible working: She stated that the business case for flexible working has been proven with most employers agreeing that people work best when they have a work/life balance. Giullari, (2009) states in terms of poverty eradication there has been an improvement. Single parents employment rate has certainly risen, from 40% in the early 1980s to 56.6% in 2009. The Freud Report, (2007) states it is an increasingly common expectation that once children reach school age then receipt of benefits should be conditional on looking for a job. JSA is the main benefit for people who are out of work, to receive it you must be available for and actively looking for work. JSA is only given to bona fide jobseekers, anyone who refuses an interview, restart interview or fails to keep the job search diary faces instant cessation of their sensation benefits; this is not suitable for all. Lone parents still have the right to  limit their hours and not be expected to work outside normal school hours. For the governments policy to work, there has to be sustainable, flexible work for lone parents to be employed in. Under this welfare ideology one of the key assumptions is that all adults should be in work even if it means precarious employment (Lewis and Giullari 2005). This welfare ideology emphasises and promotes active social policies and needs full employ ment to achieve this (Knijn et al, 2007). The Coalition Work and Pensions (DWP) Minister, Maria Miller stated, We know that work is the best route out of poverty. Now with personalised interventions the most successful are when the intervention meets the SU needs, wishes and capacities (Van Berkel and Valkenburg 2006). Ahrends, (2011) debates although successive governments have promoted work as the route out of poverty and that many single parents are better off in paid work this is not always the case: 21% of children whose single parent is in full time work still fall below the poverty line, as do 29 % of children whose single parent is working part time. Ahrends (2010) further states 4 out of 10 children living in poverty are in a single parent household, and 9 out of 10 of them are mothers. More than 20% of women have persistently low incomes, helping, rather than forcing, these women is the answer. Finch et al (2004) discusses that numerous studies have suggested that Britains parents are failing, children are miserable and have poor moral, social and intellectual upbringing. Paton, (2011) writes children from single parent families are worse behaved, children raised by single mothers are twice as likely to misbehave as those born into traditional two-parent families, according to the Daily Telegraph. Headlines like this increase lone parents thinking that the government believes parenting can be done  alongside of part time work are counterproductive. When a lone parent starts work, there are many changes to daily life. and the lives of their families and other family members may have to be more involved in child care. All of this including the social, work, carer and school settings are key elements to work sustainability; this has not yet been systematically explored in research (Millar and Ridge, 2009). The Freud Review (2007) fails to answer difficult questions of how pu tting pressure on the most vulnerable will help the government to meet their child poverty targets and enable the best start for all children. Single parents want to work, for various reasons; increased income and financial independence are key motivators along with personal independence, the opportunity for social interaction with other adults, and to set a good example to their children. According to Ahrends, (2010) 42% of single parents say that having almost any job is better than being unemployed on benefits. Throughout Britain, a high proportion of single parent families are already in situations of severe financial vulnerability. The cost of living in Britain is  £13,400 (Bradshaw et al. 2008,p. 32). Figures produced for the DWP (See annex A) reveal that over 50% of people living in single parent families fall into the low-income bracket, which is defined as below 60% of the national median income after deducting housing costs (approximately  £195 per week for a single parent with children). In contrast, less than 5% of two parent families fall into this category (DWP, 2010). Finch et al (2010) state single paren t families will suffer disproportionately, not only under cuts to public services but also under tax increases and benefit changes. It is clear that single parent families, especially those headed by women, are at risk of becoming even more vulnerable to poverty. Jenkins, (2011) states that as most children living in severe poverty are in workless households, priority should be given to removing barriers to employment for parents living in poverty. Key measures to combat child poverty include help with childcare costs for low income households and more support for parents who work in part-time jobs; this could be done by raising the earned income level at which lone parents can claim full benefits, providing more training opportunities for parents who need and want to boost their skills and an increases in the minimum wage. The London School of Economics and Political Science state the Misery Index is a simple economic concept, which puts together the ills of inflation and unemployment together into a single amount of our financial despondency (Rainford, 2011). February 2011 saw it hit the highest level since October 1992. The Fawcett Society, a charity that campaigns for equality between women and men, points out, unemployment among women is already at its highest for the last twenty years. Women are the biggest losers under the public sector cuts. Women are also most likely to be affected by the governments plans to review regulations that burden business. The Fawcett Society (2011) state that the budget was a good opportunity missed, to present a credible growth plan and had some consideration of how to enable women to take up new jobs in the private sector. These measures were put in place to tackle the private sector pay gap and promote family-friendly jobs, which reflect the needs of a modern work force. Lone parents are facing a changing environment of social protection because of reduction in services and monies available because of the central government cuts. With the Coalition Government there has been a shift away from supporting lone parents being full time carers at home to an employment-based maternal model. There is a rhetoric focus and direction towards supporting employment and now the move to compulsory work-related requirements. Lone parents with children five years or over are treated the same as any other unemployed claimant (Woods, 2011). Lone parents are not now seen as having caring obligations but as a wider part of a hidden unemployed. DWP (2008) state the governments strategy is to increase employment and decrease poverty among lone parents but there are many obstacles still to be overcome. Gloster, et al. (2010) state that some of this is the incompatibility between low paid, part-time atypical jobs and the primary caring responsibilities of lone parents there is also no systematic provision for special paid or unpaid leave, good quality affordable childcare is difficult to find and there are few training programmes that fit into the lives of lone parents. Without the security of a second wage, child tax credits are paid regardless of the work status and the working tax credit is specifically intended as a supplement for low wages all contribute to this incompatibility. Family-friendly employment with a work/life balance are not now part of the governments policies and without action from both the Government and employers, many single parents will remain in the poverty trap. (Woods, 2011) (Word Count 2730)

Fidel Castro Essay -- History Biographies Papers

Fidel Castro In 1959, a rebel, Fidel Castro, overthrew the reign of Fulgencia Batista in Cuba; a small island 90 miles off the Florida coast. There have been many coups and changes of government in the world since then. Few if any have had the effect on Americans and American foreign policy as this one. In 1952, Sergeant Fulgencia Batista staged a successful bloodless coup in Cuba . Batista never really had any cooperation and rarely garnered much support. His reign was marked by continual dissension. After waiting to see if Batista would be seriously opposed, Washington recognized his government. Batista had already broken ties with the Soviet Union and became an ally to the U.S. throughout the cold war. He was continually friendly and helpful to American business interest. But he failed to bring democracy to Cuba or secure the broad popular support that might have legitimized his rape of the 1940 Constitution. As the people of Cuba grew increasingly dissatisfied with his gangster style politics, the tiny rebellions that had sprouted began to grow. Meanwhile the U.S. government was aware of and shared the distaste for a regime increasingly nauseating to most public opinion. It became clear that Batista regime was an odious type of government. It killed its own citizens, it stifled dissent. (1) At this time Fidel Castro appeared as leader of the growing rebellion. Educated in America he was a proponent of the Marxist-Leninist philosophy. He conducted a brilliant guerilla campaign from the hills of Cuba against Batista. On January 1959, he prevailed and overthrew the Batista government. Castro promised to restore democracy in Cuba, a feat Batista had failed to ac... ...ed far longer; measured American responses might have appeared well deserved to an increasing number of Cubans, thus strengthening Cuban opposition to the regime instead of, as was the case, greatly stimulating revolutionary fervor, leaving the Russians no choice but to give massive support to the Revolution and fortifying the belief among anti-Castro Cubans that the United States was rapidly moving to liberate them. The economic pressures available to the United States were not apt to bring Castro to his knees, since the Soviets were capable of meeting Cuban requirements in such matters as oil and sugar. I believe the Cuban government would have been doomed by its own disorganization and incompetence and by the growing disaffection of an increasing number of the Cuban people. Left to its own devices, the Castro regime would have withered on the vine.

Walker & Everyday Use Essay -- essays research papers

Many times an author draws from his or her personal life and incorporates his or her past into the short story. Alice Walker is one of the most respected, well-known African-American authors of her time. Alice Walker experienced a lifetime of hardship that would influence her later works, helping her to become such an astonishing author. In her short story "Everyday Use", Walker tells the story of her heritage and enables the reader to encounter the values in her life. On February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia, Willie Lee and Minnie Grant gave birth to their eighth child; a precious little girl whom they named Alice. As an extremely intelligent child Alice was always exploring the world around her. "She said that one of her favorite pastimes in the world was 'people watching.'" (http://members.tripod.com/chrisdanielle/alicebio_1.html). When Walker was eight years old, she and her brother were playing a game of cowboys and Indians outside when Alice's brother accidentally hit her in the eye with a BB pellet, blinding her in her right eye. Although that didn't stop Alice, she went on achieving excellent grades and going on to college. She first attended Spelman College (an African-American institution) on a handicap scholarship she'd been granted. Unhappy with the way Spelman's treated her for her involvement of activism and civil rights, she accepted a scholarship from Saint Lawrence College in New York. Alice was faced with great diff iculties such as abortion and suicide, but she pulled through and graduated in 1965 kicking off the begging of an unforgettable and ongoing career. (http://members.tripod.com/chrisdanielle/alicebio_1.html) By distinguishing the family-oriented round characters in the short story "Everyday Use", Alice Walker illustrates the common mistake of placing the association of heritage solely in material objects. Walker presents Mama and Maggie, the younger daughter, as an example that heritage in both knowledge and form passes from one generation to another through a learning and experience connection. However, by a broken connection, Dee, the older daughter, represents a misconception of heritage as materialistic. During Dee's visit to Mama and Maggie, the contrast of the characters becomes the conflict, because Dee... ... family values, Mama takes the quilts from Dee who "held the quilts securely in her arms, stroking them clutching them closely to her bosom" (Walker, 91) like sacred representation, and then gives them to their rightful owner: Maggie. After Mama gives Maggie the quilts, Dee says, "You just don't understand," "Your heritage" (Walker, 91). Dee believes heritage and family values to be materialistic things. Dee understands that the quilts were hand-made, but she lacks the knowledge and history behind these quilts. On the other hand Mama and Maggie understand the meaning of the quilts and know that they were made for everyday use. Ironically, Dee criticizes Mama for not understanding heritage when, in fact, Dee fails to really understand her own heritage. Dee mistakenly places heritage wholly in what she owns, not what she knows. Work-Cited Living By Grace. Danielle, Chris. 1999. Tripod. 03-10-2005. http://members.tripod.com/chrisdanielle/index.html Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use". Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing Sixth Edition. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001, 360-365. Walker & Everyday Use Essay -- essays research papers Many times an author draws from his or her personal life and incorporates his or her past into the short story. Alice Walker is one of the most respected, well-known African-American authors of her time. Alice Walker experienced a lifetime of hardship that would influence her later works, helping her to become such an astonishing author. In her short story "Everyday Use", Walker tells the story of her heritage and enables the reader to encounter the values in her life. On February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia, Willie Lee and Minnie Grant gave birth to their eighth child; a precious little girl whom they named Alice. As an extremely intelligent child Alice was always exploring the world around her. "She said that one of her favorite pastimes in the world was 'people watching.'" (http://members.tripod.com/chrisdanielle/alicebio_1.html). When Walker was eight years old, she and her brother were playing a game of cowboys and Indians outside when Alice's brother accidentally hit her in the eye with a BB pellet, blinding her in her right eye. Although that didn't stop Alice, she went on achieving excellent grades and going on to college. She first attended Spelman College (an African-American institution) on a handicap scholarship she'd been granted. Unhappy with the way Spelman's treated her for her involvement of activism and civil rights, she accepted a scholarship from Saint Lawrence College in New York. Alice was faced with great diff iculties such as abortion and suicide, but she pulled through and graduated in 1965 kicking off the begging of an unforgettable and ongoing career. (http://members.tripod.com/chrisdanielle/alicebio_1.html) By distinguishing the family-oriented round characters in the short story "Everyday Use", Alice Walker illustrates the common mistake of placing the association of heritage solely in material objects. Walker presents Mama and Maggie, the younger daughter, as an example that heritage in both knowledge and form passes from one generation to another through a learning and experience connection. However, by a broken connection, Dee, the older daughter, represents a misconception of heritage as materialistic. During Dee's visit to Mama and Maggie, the contrast of the characters becomes the conflict, because Dee... ... family values, Mama takes the quilts from Dee who "held the quilts securely in her arms, stroking them clutching them closely to her bosom" (Walker, 91) like sacred representation, and then gives them to their rightful owner: Maggie. After Mama gives Maggie the quilts, Dee says, "You just don't understand," "Your heritage" (Walker, 91). Dee believes heritage and family values to be materialistic things. Dee understands that the quilts were hand-made, but she lacks the knowledge and history behind these quilts. On the other hand Mama and Maggie understand the meaning of the quilts and know that they were made for everyday use. Ironically, Dee criticizes Mama for not understanding heritage when, in fact, Dee fails to really understand her own heritage. Dee mistakenly places heritage wholly in what she owns, not what she knows. Work-Cited Living By Grace. Danielle, Chris. 1999. Tripod. 03-10-2005. http://members.tripod.com/chrisdanielle/index.html Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use". Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing Sixth Edition. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001, 360-365.