Oystercard – Electronic Ticketing System

[pic] Oyster Card – Electronic Ticketing [pic] â€Å"Time is money, we are told, and increasing mobility is a way of saving time, but how successful are modern transport systems at saving time? â€Å" (John Whitelegg, â€Å"Time Pollution†, Ecologist 23, no. 4 – 1993) Service choice reasons [pic] If you live in London, you will probably know the Oyster Card fairly well. More or less everybody has one. You use it to pay for bus or tube travel – top up some money on the card and instead of buying a paper ticket each time, just place your card on a yellow reader, and it will work out how much the journey cost and automatically deduct it from your card. It does save a ton of time, and quite a bit of money too (tickets are cheaper on Oyster). When I first came to London, I found extremely benefcial using the Oyster Card to move around the city and realized how crucial is this service in order to make people travel fast and saving time during their journey. I come from a place where the concept of â€Å"Public Transport† is missed at all. We do not have underground systems, buses are few and always late. In my hometown, Palermo, there are neither tram nor boat services and if you want to cycling you have not to be fussy: bicycle paths are just in the historical centre, which is the â€Å"car† kingdom. Last but not least, people are not used to walk even if distances are very short. I have chosen to analyse the Oyster Card as I honestly think it is a light, useful and well-designed service supporting another service, in other worlds: an electronic ticketing serving the public transport system. Travelling around London, I have been using my Student Oyster Card and I rarely had problems. When it has happened, I have always found punctual and kind help from the London Underground Staff. In a Metropolis as London is, where our journey is not an easy one, we need to go fast, simplifying all the touch points that allow us to buy a ticket, to board on a bus or to finally come back home. My experience with this service has been pleasant and easy so far, and I guess most of the people who live in London will agree with me. [pic] Piccadilly Circus – picture taken by myself. Value proposition [pic] Project: Oyster Card Designer: Transys Year: 2002 [pic] The Oyster Card, developed as part of the ? 1. 2 billion Private Finance Initiative, was introduced for three reasons: first, to reduce queuing at ticket offices during peak periods; second, to make better use of staff; and third, to reduce fraud. Transport for London placed the contract with Transys, a consortium of specialist firms, for the provision of an advanced ticketing system. It was hoped that the Oyster Card would eventually replace most paper tickets. The smartcard system went live in November 2002 when the Oyster brand was launched and the first cards were made available to 80,000 staff. [1] Fraud, estimated to be running at ? 43million per year, was the main driver of the project. The main loss of revenue stemmed from customers either travelling without tickets or using tickets not valid for the whole journey. Other countries have similar smart cards and some of them are used for other types of micro-payments as well as transport – for example Hong Kong's Octopus card and Japan's Suica card. At the moment about over 70 similar systems are runned across 5 continents. Since the Oyster card has been introduced in London, the advantages for the customer have been the speed and ease with which they can get through barriers and on to the station, and also in the savings that they make through using the Oyster Card. It can currently be used on the London Underground, London buses and trams, Docklands Light Railway and National Rail Services in London, providing â€Å"seamless journeys across London†. In future, the Oyster Card will be linked to the provision of other services including shopping. This is a great example of advances in technology being applied to improve customer experience. [2] Core service [pic] What it is for? The  Oyster Card  is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the  Greater London  area of the United Kingdom. Where can use it? Oyster Card is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London, including: o London Underground; o buses; o the  Docklands Light Railway  (DLR); o London Overground,  trams; o some  river boat services; o most  National Rail  services within the London Fare Zones. How it looks like? A standard Oyster Card is a blue  credit-card-sized  stored value card  which can hold a variety of single tickets, period tickets and travel permits which must be added to the card prior to travel. It is also a  contactless smartcard  which passengers must touch onto electronic reader when entering and leaving the transport system in order to validate it or deduct funds. [pic] [pic] Front and back of an early Oyster card. How it works? The way Oyster works is pretty simple: you purchase the card, buy tickets or concessions either at terminals or online, then swipe the card at a reader when you take a train or bus trip. The Oyster card makes ticketing much more efficient for the consumer: no paper tickets, no handover of cash, little to no interaction with ticketing staff, speedier processing when entering the train station or bus. For the transport authorities, there are cost savings and instances of ticket payment avoidance / counterfeit are greatly reduced [pic] Oyster Card aims to replace the paper Travelcard by storing period tickets electronically. [pic] [pic] Examples of card readers at London Tube Stations. The cards may be â€Å"recharged† in person from numerous sales points, by  recurring payment authority  or by  online purchase. Usage is encouraged by offering substantially cheaper fares on Oyster than payment with cash. [3] The card was first issued to the public in July 2003 with a limited range of features and there continues to be a phased introduction of further functions. By March 2007 over 10 million Oyster cards had been issued[4], and more than 80% of all journeys on services run by Transport for London used the Oyster card. [5] Technology [pic] The Oyster card is a  contactless smartcard, with a claimed proximity range of about 8  cm (3  inches). The scheme is operated by  TranSys, and is based on  NXP/Philips'  MIFARE  standard 1k chips provided by Giesecke & Devrient  and  SchlumbergerSema. [6] [pic] A damaged card, revealing the microchip in the lower right corner, and the aerial running around the edge of the card. MIFARE DESFire  is now being rolled out on newly issued Oyster cards starting January 5th 2010. It is the same contactless smartcard as  Touch ‘n Go  card in  Malaysia  which is mainly used for tollway fares. [pic] The  malasian Touch ‘n Go  or  TnG  smart card. The technology used for the Oyster card is known as  radio-frequency identification  (RFID), which is the same technology used in other electronic pass cards like Japan's  Suica  fare cards and other cards used all over the world. [7] [pic] The japanese Suica  ( Suika )  smart card. Suica Smart Card additional services: – Operating lockers; – Airport check-in; – Coupon; – Bank account access. Advertising, Brand Identity and Analogies [pic] The London Tube Oyster card resides inside a plastic thingie that opens up, just like a clam (oyster) does. According to Nicole Carrol, then of EDS, the name reflects the way â€Å"the oyster protects a pearl in much the same way that the card protects the cardholder's money. â€Å"[8] [pic] [pic][pic] Oyster Current more popular Oyster card wallet By Ikea Yellow background, blue writing, unmistakably IKEA. But it is not justt the colours of the most popular Oyster Card which remarks the sponsor, it is also the sentence(s) on the leaflet: â€Å"Travel is a means to an end. Home. † Fact behind the story: It’s the IKEA latest campaign about putting the concept of HOME in the Londoners minds. Two years ago, in fact, Swedish home store Ikea is launching a ? 2 million outdoor campaign which included sponsorship of the Ideal Homes Show 2008. Since the Oyster Card has been introduced, several different type of wallets have been launched and produced such as: Designer Oyster Card Wallets, Oxfam, Pimp My Oystercard (by Ben Jarvis and Tim Crook -badoyster, a Company that makes satirical oyster card wallets. [9]), Virgin, and so on. Every one aimed to advertising or sponsoring a Brand or a Company just because a Oyster Card wallet is a good launch window. [pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic] Exaples of Oyster card wallet. Adverstising Campaigns examples: Agency: M & C Saatchi Client: Transport for London a. One poster was headlined â€Å"Blue is the new pink†. It showed a photograph of a one day Travelcard and an Oyster card. Text below stated â€Å"Faster Smarter Easier Oyster†. b. A second poster was headlined â€Å"The correct change†. It showed a photograph of an Oyster card. Text below stated â€Å"Faster Smarter Easier Oyster†. c. A third poster stated â€Å"Did you know? Using Oyster is cheaper than buying daily single tickets. Ask our staff about Oyster Pre Pay. † d. A fourth poster stated â€Å"Still paying cash for single and daily tickets? Using Oyster Pre Pay is: cheaper quicker – avoid queues more convenient – no need to plan your journey in advance †¦ â€Å". [10] Features Registration and protection Oyster Cards can be registered or protected for loss or theft. Full registration can be done at a  London Underground  station, an Oyster Ticket Stop (shop) or a Travel Information Centre: an Oyster registration form must be filled in (either at time of purchase or subsequently). Registration enables the customer to buy any product for the card and to have an after-sales service, and it protects against theft or loss. All adult Oyster Cards purchased online or by phone are fully registered. (This does not include Visitor Oyster Cards. ) Oyster Cards obtained at stations or shops cannot be fully registered online. However customers can  protect their Oyster Card online by setting up an Oyster online account and recording their card to that account. Sales Oyster Cards can be purchased from a number of different outlets in the London area: London Underground or London Overground ticket windows; o cash-only vending machines at some stations, they charge ? 5 for the card (? 3 refundable deposit and ? 2 worth of credit); o about 2,300 Oyster Ticket Stop agents (usually newsagent shops); o selected National Rail stations which are also served by London Underground; o Travel Information Centres; o online via the Oystercard website; o by telephone sales from TfL. [1 1] [pic] Oyster Card Machine installed at London Bridge station in December 2006. A refundable deposit of ? 3 is paid for all new Oyster Cards. 12] A registration form is provided at the time of purchase. If the form is not completed the Oyster Card is restricted to Pay as you go and weekly tickets. Most National Rail stations and termini do not sell or top up Oyster card products; TfL publish a list of the participating stations. At several main line termini, TfL run Travel Information Centres which do sell Oyster. Reporting Touch screen ticket machines report the last eight journeys and last top-up amount. The same information is available as a print-out from ticket offices, and also on-board London Buses by request. The balance is displayed on some Underground barriers at the end of journeys that have caused a debit from the balance and can also be requested at newsagents and National Rail stations that provide a top-up facility. A complete 8 week ‘touch' history can be requested from Transport for London: For registered and protected Oyster Cards, Transport for London can provide the history for the previous 8 weeks, but no further back. The Oyster website gives details of the most recent journeys charged to pay as you go if and only if credit has been purchased online, but not for other journeys, or those paid for by Travelcard. Renewals When the Oyster Card Travelcard is due to expire, it can be renewed at the normal sales points and ticket machines at London Underground or London Overground stations, Oyster Ticket Stop agents, or some National Rail stations. Travelcards can also be renewed online via the Oystercard website, or by telephone sales from TfL; users must then nominate a Tube station where they will swipe their card in order to charge up the card with the funds purchased. This can only be done the day after ordering. [13]Travelcard renewals cannot be added from a reader on a bus. Recharging When the PAYG balance runs low, the balance can be topped up at the normal sales points or ticket machines at London Underground or London Overground stations, Oyster Ticket Stops or some National Rail stations. All ticket offices at stations run by London Underground will sell or recharge Oyster cards, or handle Oyster card refunds. However, some Tube stations are actually operated by National Rail train operating companies, and their ticket offices will not deal with Oyster refunds. DLR ticket offices do not sell any Oyster Card top-ups or handle refunds. PAYG funds and Travelcard season tickets (but not Bus & Tram Passes) can also be purchased online via the Oyster online website or by calling the Oyster helpline; users must then select one station or tram stop where they will validate their card in order to load the funds or Travelcard purchased. This should be done as part of a normal journey to avoid the risk of paying an Oyster maximum fare. If the customer is purchasing PAYG, the top up will be at the gates of their nominated station, or Tramlink stop the  next  day (ready for first train, provided they made the purchase before 11 PM the previous night). It will remain at the gates for 7 further days before dropping off the system. If the customer purchases a Travelcard season ticket, it will ‘arrive' at the gates, up to 5 days before the start date of the ticket and will remain there until 2 days after the ticket has started. If the customer does not make their pick up in time, it will take a further 14 days to refund automatically to the bank card they made the purchase with. [14]Top-ups of this type cannot be added from a reader on a bus. Auto top-up Customers can set up and manage Auto top-up online for their existing Oyster Card. They register a  debit  or  credit card, make a payg top-up purchase (minimum ? 5) and select either ? 20 or ? 40 as the Auto top-up amount. Alternatively, a new Oyster card with Auto top-up and a mimimum of ? 5 pay as you go can be ordered via Oyster online. Whenever the pay as you go balance falls below ? 5, ? 20 or ? 40 is added to the balance automatically when the Oyster Card is touched on an entry validator. A light on the Oyster reader flashes to indicate the Auto top-up has taken place and an email is sent to confirm the transaction. Payment is then taken from the registered debit or credit card. To ensure successful transactions, customers must record any changes to their billing address and update their debit or credit card details as necessary. [pic] Top up machine Touching in and out system [pic][pic][pic] London Underground ticket barriers with yellow Oyster readers Travellers touch the card on a distinctive yellow circular reader (a  Cubic  Tri-Reader) on the automated barriers at  London Underground  stations to ‘touch in' and ‘touch out' at the start and end of a journey (contact is not necessary, but the range of the reader is only a few inches). Tram stops and  buses  also have readers, on the driver/conductor's ticket machine and, in articulated buses, near the other entrances also. Oyster Cards can be used to store both period  travelcards  and bus passes (of one week or more), and a  Pay as you go  balance. The system is  asynchronous, the current balance and ticket data being held electronically on the card rather than in the central database. The main database is updated periodically with information received from the card by barriers and validators. Tickets bought online or over the telephone are â€Å"loaded† at a barrier or validator at a preselected location. [pic][pic][pic] Oyster validators are placed at most entrances on London buses. Pay as you go system Oyster Route Validators [pic] The yellow symbol for Oyster validators. In addition to holding  Travelcards  and bus passes, Oyster Cards can also be used as  stored-value cards, holding electronic funds of money. Amounts are deducted from the card each time it is used, and the funds can be â€Å"recharged† when required. The maximum value that an Oyster card may hold is ? 90. This system is known as â€Å"pay as you go† (abbreviated PAYG), because instead of holding a season ticket, the user only pays at the point of use. The use of PAYG differs across the various modes of transport in London, and passengers are sometimes required to follow different procedures to pay for their journey correctly. [pic] The pink symbol for Oyster Route validators In 2009, TfL introduced a new form of Oyster Card validator. These validators, distinguished from the standard yellow validators with a pink-coloured reader, do not deduct funds but are used at peripheral interchange points to confirm journey details. Oyster Pay as you go users travelling between two points without passing through Zone 1 are eligible for a lower fare, and from the 6 September 2009 they can confirm their route by touching their Oyster Cards on the pink validators when they change trains. By doing this, they can be charged the appropriate fare without paying for Zone 1 travel. [pic] A Thames Clipper river bus service As with Underground, Buses, River Buses and DLR journeys, Oyster PAYG users on National Rail must swipe their card at the start and end of the journey to pay the correct fare. PAYG funds may also be used to cover any additional fares due from season ticket holders who have travelled outside the valid zones of their season ticket. Many large National Rail stations in London have Oyster Card-compatible barriers. [pic] National Rail ticket barriers with yellow Oyster readers [pic] Standalone Oyster readers provided at interchange stations between National Rail and the Tube. Pricing The pricing system is fairly complex, and changes from time to time. The most up to date fares can be found on Transport for London's FareFinder website. To encourage passengers to switch to Oyster, payg fares (including Bus and Tram fares) are generally much cheaper than cash fares: A cash bus or tram fare is ? 2, while the single Oyster fare is ? 1. 20, but capped at ? 3. 90 for any number of trips in a day. Using pay as you go, a single trip on the Tube within Zone 1 costs ? 1. 80 (compared to ? 4 cash), or from ? 1. 30 (? 3. 50 cash) within any other single zone. Penalty fares and maximum Oyster fare In order to prevent â€Å"misuse† by a stated 2% of passengers, from 19 November 2006 pay as you go users who do not both ‘touch in' at the start and ‘touch out' at the end of their  rail network  journeys are charged a ‘maximum Oyster fare' – currently ? 6 (Mon – Fri 06:30 – 09:30 & 16:00 – 19:00) / ? 4. 30 (at all other times) for most journeys, or more if the journey begins or ends at certain National Rail stations. Depending on the journey made, the difference between this maximum fare and the actual fare due is automatically refunded to the user's Oyster Card upon touching out. Users must touch in and out even if the ticket barriers are open. At stations where Oyster is accepted but that do not have ticket barriers, an Oyster pass validator will be provided for the purposes of touching in and out. The maximum cash fare applies even if the daily price cap has been reached and does not count towards the cap. Maximum cash fares may be contested by telephone to the Oyster helpline on 0845 330 9876. [15] This involves providing the Oyster Card number and the relevant journey details; further journeys appearing on the card are helpful to validate the user's claim. If the claim is accepted then the maximum Oyster fare minus the cost of the journey will be refunded. The customer should make the pick up as part of his or her regular travel pattern. This is because when they touch the reader with their Oyster Card, not only will the refund go on to the card, but a new journey will start. Oyster users who do not touch in or out when making a journey (in only for bus and tram journeys) may be liable to pay a penalty fare (currently ? 50) and/or reported for prosecution if caught by a revenue protection inspector. Issues Technological and security issues The system has not been without technical setbacks and criticisms. Passenger groups have expressed concern that buying single travel tickets with cash is far more expensive than using Oyster Cards, and it is suggested that this is putting many tourists off coming to London. Oyster has been promoted by Visit Britain and TfL, who sell them on their website and in their offices around the world. Despite this, visitors to London have often never heard of Oyster and its benefits, and are paying higher cash fares unnecessarily. 3 deposit is also seen as a deterrent to tourists. Another complication is the confusing terms of validity on National Rail services which serve many popular tourist sites on the outskirts of London. The system has been criticised as a threat to the privacy of its users. Each Oyster card is uniquely numbered, and registration is required for monthly or longer tickets, which are no longer available on paper. Usage data are stored bot h on the card and centrally by Transport for London; recent usage can be checked by anyone in possession of the ticket at some ticket machines. Privacy groups consider it a form of mass surveillance and are concerned with how these data will be used, especially given the introduction of the London congestion charge by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone in February 2003. The police have used Oyster card data as an investigative tool, and this use is increasing. Between August 2004 and March 2006 TfL's Information Access and Compliance Team received 436 requests from the police for Oyster card information. Of these, 409 requests were granted and the data was released to the police. [16] The system has been criticised for usability issues in general system, website and top-up machine design. The most significant usability issue is that pay as you go customers who for whatever reason do not â€Å"touch out† at the end of their journeys will not be charged correctly. Users who have run up a pay as you go debt of as little as ? 1 are prohibited from using any period travelcards on the card until the debt is repaid. Another criticism is that problem diagnosis by London Underground staff is generally poor[citation needed] as the system is new and complex, and the staff unfamiliar with all its workings and insufficiently trained; this causes passenger frustration. On 10 March 2005 a software fault meant that the Oyster system was inoperable during the morning rush hour. Ticket barriers had to be left open and pay-as-you-go fares could not be collected. [17] On the day that the pay-as-you-go went live on all Oyster cards, some season ticket passengers were prevented from making a second journey on their travelcard. Upon investigation each had a negative prepay balance. This was widely reported as a major bug in the system. [18] However, the reason for the â€Å"bug† was that some season ticket holders, either knowingly or otherwise, were passing through zones not included on their tickets. The existing paper system could not prevent this kind of misuse as the barriers only checked if a paper ticket was valid in the zone the barrier was in. Touching Points and Journey Mapping [pic] Mapping the user journey from buying an Oyster Card, touching in at the barrier, catching the tube, touching out, going to work and coming back home following the backwards corse. Highlighting all the touching points: †¢ ticket machineoffice to purchase or top up the Oyster Card; †¢ barriersvalidators in and out; †¢ Tfl website; †¢ Tfl green-line; †¢ travel information center; †¢ member of the staff for questions or problems; †¢ crime department in case loststolen cards; †¢ mailletter for student or photo cards [pic] Touching points [pic] [pic] Mapping the journey Surveys and Service Implementation [pic] Source: http://www. transys. com/whatwedo/oystercardproject/results. php [pic] Source: http://www. transys. com/whatwedo/oystercardproject/implementation. hp Conclusions In Principles of Marketing, Philip Kotler defines a service as â€Å"any activity or benefit that one party can give to another, that is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything†. [19] I, like millions of other people travel to and around London every week day for work and so have found the Oyster Card an invaluable tool to help me in my journey. I think the main advantage of this card is that it means I can load a certain amount onto it for the month and then not have to worry about having actual cash on me to buy a new ticket each day. The Oyster Card can be carried in your wallet just like a credit card and so is small, handy and easy to use. The other great thing about the Oyster Card is that it's cheaper to use per journey than if you buy a ticket with cash. Another thing I like is that if you swipe in and then there is a long delay on you line and you have to swipe right out again without going anywhere you can go back up to the ticket office and have them refund your money back onto the card. This however, must be done within 15 minutes of swiping out again otherwise they will not refund it for you. I also like the fact that if you journey is delayed for fifteen minutes or more (this happens quite a bit to me, sitting in tunnels for ? hour at a time) you can log onto the website given above and ask for a refund. You can enter your Oyster Card details so they can see you are telling the truth and then you will be sent a credit voucher in the post that you can then put back onto your Oyster Card to compensate you for your inconvenience. One of my criticisms though with the Oyster Card is that it does not always swipe first time and you are given a red light meaning you have to swipe your card again. This often causes backup at the gate, especially at rush hour in the mornings or evening. Generally I find it is because you are standing too close to the gate and so if you back away a bit you should be ok to swipe after that. One thing I would urge is that you need to make sure that you swipe in and then remember to swipe out to complete a full journey and to avoid being charged a full amount. On one hand we can safely assume that such services are an optimized solution for our current need of travelling fast. On the other hand, we do not know the unpredictable consequences of our design actions. As John Thackara worn us, increases in mobility cause negative impact on the environment [20] and we use time gained by speed in order to travel further [21]. ———————– [1] http://www. transys. com/whatwedo/oystercardproject. php [2] Bill Hollins – http://www. designcouncil. org. uk/About-Design/Design-Disciplines/Service-design-by-Bill-Hollins/13-lessons-in-service-design/. [3] â€Å"What is Oyster? â€Å". Transport for London. Retrieved 10 August 2008. 4]  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mayor to give away 100,000 free Oyster cards†. Media Centre  (Greater London Authority). 17 April 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2007. [5] â€Å"New deal with Visit London and Superbreak makes Oyster even more convenient†. Press Centre  (Visit London). 28 August 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2007. [6] MIFARE. net  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Easing travel in London’s co ngested public transport network [7] â€Å"Smart-card ticketing goes Underground†. ZDNet. 20 October 2002. Retrieved 8 October 2007. [8] http://www. rfidnews. org/2002/12/01/a-tube-full-of-oysters-london-goes-contactless -A tube full of Oysters? London goes contactless . [9] http://londonist. com/2007/03/pimp_my_oysterc. php [10]http://www. asa. org. uk/Complaints-and-ASA-action/Adjudications/2005/11/Transport-For London/CS_40497. aspx [11] Transport for London  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Oyster online shop [12] Changes to Oyster card deposit from 17 May 2009  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Transport for London. Retrieved 27 September 2009 [13] Transport for London. â€Å"Oyster online help†. Retrieved 17 November 2007. [14] Transport for London. â€Å"Oyster online help†. Retrieved 17 November 2007. [15] â€Å"What should I do if I can't touch out at the end of my journey? . Transport For London helpsite. Retrieved 19 June 2008. [16] OysterCardRFI – Letter from TfL in response to a freedom of information request [17] BBC News – ‘? 50,000 lost' in Oyster failure. [18] BBC News – Inquiry into Tube's Oyster card [19] Philip  Kotler, Gary Armstrong – 2005 – Business & Economics- Chapter 9-pp 276. [20] John Thackara. In the Bubble – Designing in a Complex World. The MIT Press, Massachussetts – 2006. [21] John Thackara. In the Bubble – Designing in a Complex World. The MIT Press, chussetts – 2006.

Be Able to Support Individuals to Use the Toilet

3. Be able to support individuals to use the toilet 3. 1 Provide support for the individual to use toilet facilities in ways that respect dignity 1. Offer the individual a help. 2. If the individual is not able to transfer by itself help him/her to transfer however encourage using their own strength as much as he/she is able in order to promote their independency. 3. When the individual is sitting on the toilet cover his/her private area with for example towel to respect their dignity. 4.Ask if they the individual needs some privacy, if it is save to live the individual by him/herself on the toilet inform that you are going to wait outside the toilet and when finish he/she can call you. In the situation when it is not safe to live the individual on the toilet, you can respect their privacy by turning around. 5. Do not make any comments which would make them feel uncomfortable. 3. 2 Support individual to make themselves clean and tidy after using toilet facilities Most of the service users at my work place require full support after using a toilet. However, we remained them to wash their hand after using the toilet.Those service users who are not able to wash their hands by themselves are supported by staff members. The service users who do not need a support with using the toilet are remanded to use it and to remember to wash their hands. 6. Be able to monitor and report on support for personal care 6. 1 Seek feedback from the individual and others on how well support for personal care meets the individual’s needs and preferences 1. Read Care Plans. 2. Ask the individual if the currently used methods meet their preferences. 3. Ask the individual if they would like to make any changes which would make their personal care more convenient, comfortable or njoyable. 4. Discuss with staff members how they can improve the support of the individual in order to meet their needs and preferences. 5. Upgrade Care Plans on the regular basis. 2. 2 Be able to contribut e to establishing the nature of specific communication needs of individuals and ways to address them Establishing the nature of specific communication: 1. Talk to family members to find the way how the individual used to communicate with them. 2. If the individual hasn’t got any family members read the care plan if any exists. 3. Observe the individual. 4. If the individual is verbal just talk to them.The ways to address: 1. Talk to them. 2. Give them choice. 3. Ask them showing the pictures. 4. Learn non verbal language (makaton) 5. Communication passport (for example a picture of service user when is happy, angry or sad). 6. Showing the trust by seeking the contact with support members (for example grabbing the hand, not ignoring when being asked). 2. 3 Explain how and when to access information and support about identifying and addressing specific communication needs When: 1. When the individual is new at the house. 2. When the individuals condition is getting worse How: 1 .Care Plan 2. Communication Passport 3. Family 4. Speech and Language Therapist 5. Basic information tables placed in each room 6. Know how to support the use of communication technology and aids 3. Explain the importance of ensuring that communication equipment is correctly set up and working properly This is important because it is necessary to know how to communicate with service users in order to meet their needs. It prevents unnecessary misunderstanding and follows it anxiety and irritation of service users. As such it decreases the possibility of provoking a challenging behaviour.

A Better Kind of Chance

I learned about patella alta when I was thirteen. I also learned that the condition is simply fancy medial terms for totally messed-up knee caps. While most middle-schoolers were typically taught the concepts of inertia and the Pythagorean theorem, I was showed diagram after diagram of bones and ligaments and tendons. But how bad could it be?† I asked myself as I sat in the doctor’s office, looking at the alien words and unreadable x-rays. I was only there because my knees were feeling a little sore sometimes after practice. My orthopedist spoke of dislocation, warning me of the implications of a torn ACL or meniscus, but I ignored him. I was invincible at the time, like most teenagers see themselves to be. Until I wasn’t. It was days after my fifteenth birthday that I shredded a ligament in my knee. It was a month later that I was walking into surgery to replace it. It was three hours after that when I was wheeled out, and my lens on chance focused. I realized only then, sitting in my wheelchair, that I took a chance doing what I love every day. Gearing up for a game presented dangers I had failed to recognize earlier. Lining my helmet and bat against the fence, lacing up my glove, taking a ballsy lead off first base all a game of chance. My passion for softball had overshadowed this fact. From the moment I stepped on the field to the time the last out was made, everything that wasn’t a part of the game was irrelevant, yet none of my passion mattered when I couldn’t play. I hurt myself half-way through my freshman season, meaning I would miss one-eighth of my high school career. I was devastated when I did the math, which, if you understood my relationship with fractions, took a while to formulate. Everything up to that first one-eighth orchestrated a perfect timeline: little league ball, varsity ball, and, eventually, college ball. There was no room for bad knees in my plan, and I was unprepared to make alterations, so I thought it would be easier to discard it entirely. No more softball, no more getting hurt, no more chances. Almost a year later, though, I somehow found myself at try-outs. My dad made me go. I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to be carried off the field again, I didn’t want to get injured again. I was every synonym of scared in the thesaurus. My knees screamed at me to leave. But I didn’t Im pretty sure I was paralyzed by fear. I stared at my dusty glove while the coaches began introductions, transfixed by the thoughts of those awful months on bed rest and memories of crutch-induced armpit aches. But I kept those incapacitated skeletons to myself, my daze broken by the cheering of my former teammates and newer recruits. My coach preached his faith in a playoff run for the Bulldogs, how he really thought the team had a chance of greatness this season. There, surrounded by my passion, I was presented with simply the opportunity of another chance. I know I took a chance putting on my uniform again in that that third-eighth of my career. Correction: I take a chance every time I do. But getting back on the field meant more to me than fear. Passion drones out urgent-care nightmares. There will always be a chance of getting hurt, but there will also be a chance of hitting a walk-off home run or winning the play-offs. I choose to believe in those kind of chances instead.

ILM Level-2 (Understading Change in the workplace) Assignment

ILM Level-2 (Understading Change in the workplace) - Assignment Example As a manager, I work in the government utility that provides electricity to the consumers. My role in the utility company is dealing with contractors and consultants who interact with the customers in order to get the necessary approvals from the utility and connect electricity to their homes and projects. Since joining the organization, there have been problems with the reporting system by the contractors and consultants leading to delays in electricity delivery to the customers. The utility also lacks a customer feedback portfolio system where they can interact and get feedback for their services from the customers. Therefore, as the manager my aim is implementing change in the utility reporting system by incorporating new technology as well as creating a customer feedback portfolio system to get the consumers feedback. Customer feedback will be essential to determine areas of improvement in an effort to meeting the consumer’s satisfaction. Triggers for change can either be from external or internal factors. External factors arise from the outside environment while internal triggers arise from within the organization itself. According to Fenwick (2001), external triggers are not open to planned change will internal triggers are opened to planned change. External reasons for utility change are as a result of development of new technology; thus, the utility needs to change to accommodate new technology. As well, the change is in demand for the organization services. It is crucial to the utility to incorporate new technology to enhance the reporting system to improve electricity delivery to its customers. Internal triggers towards the utility change are for the need of the organization to improve production efficiency, a need to improve the systems standards as well as the need to improve on the quality of service delivery. Incorporation of a customer feedback system will be

Smoking Cessation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Smoking Cessation - Research Paper Example Some other things that the author did was making observations in the field, which included paying close attention to the conversation between the patients and the nurses, making observation of the signs that were placed within the walls of the wards that were in relation with the tobacco restrictions as well as taking of notes of resources that addressed cessation. Some of the documents that were collected during this study included; patient care forms, admission forms, referral forms, and patient’s referral materials. Areas like designated smoking zones were also observed and further photographed. At some point, unstructured questionnaires were presented to the nurses, which lasted for between 10 to 30 minutes. The ethnographic analysis used a process known as non-linear inductive. This included sorting, coding, theorizing as well as reflection upon analytic process. The data set in this study included documents, hand recorded conversation, field notes as well as the photographs that were captured designated smoking zones. At first, several data sets were reviewed. After that, the data was coded with the help of key concepts that facilitated retrieval as well s comparison between two sites. Other more reviews were conducted, which was then used to conceptualize the whole concept. The use of conversation in observation presents some bias. This is because the individuals involved in the process may assume different roles when they realize that they are being studied. This is one of the challenges that the ethnographer faced while collecting data. Taking of photos presented a good opportunity for the ethnographer to find the information they needed in their natural setting. Use of unstructured questionnaire was a good attribute to ensure that the qualitative analysis was conclusively done. The ethnographer noted that while the nurses were talking about tobacco in hospital environment, struggle was made to make

FRANCE RECOVERY FROM THE MILITARY DEFEAT OF 1870 AND THE INTERNAL Essay

FRANCE RECOVERY FROM THE MILITARY DEFEAT OF 1870 AND THE INTERNAL STRIFE OF THE PARIS COMMUNE - Essay Example The Franco – Prussian war of 1870-71 and the humiliating defeat at Sedan marked an end of French dominance on the continent, a position that the country had enjoyed since the mid seventeenth century. The republic that was born out of defeat and of the internal strife of the Paris Commune was one of the longest of all the republics, living in peace with its neighbors until the outbreak of war in 1914 and lasting until Nazi occupation and the fall of France in 1940. This period saw the buildup of the greatest empire France had ever possessed, conquering territories such as Indo-China, Madagascar and much of West and North Africa. By the year 1914, France was the second largest colonial power in the World and the most dominant in Africa. The Third Republic saw the development of the arts movement, which was unrivalled in any other era of French history, a period known as the Belle Époque. There were wide ranging educational and political reforms, centralization of the state, the emergence of a mass media culture and success in engineering, electrical and chemical industries. Despite the endurance of the Republic, it is regarded as a period of great instability and from its very beginnings was plagued with problems. Governments ‘appeared to fall and be replaced with monotonous regularity’ and as various scandals consumed it, the Republic was threatened by deep- rooted political divisions between the left and right that seemed to control events for many years.The Paris Commune although eventually crushed by Thiers (a man who, along with his government exhibited a clear mistrust of the social and political unrest that Paris symbolized) defined working class culture for years to come. and created a new fervour for socialist ideals in France, posing a threat to the traditional Monarchist ideals. By addressing the various scandals, issues and concerns that followed the defeat of France and the Paris Commune, we will examine how effectively France recovered from these events. How well did the new Republic deal with the threats it faced after the de feat, and how did the explosion of growth in working-class political activity during the commune affect the country in the subsequent years? Are the criticisms of the Republic truly justified, or did France manage to recover from these events remarkably well considering the multitude of political struggles that she faced? The military decline of France in the Franco- Prussian war was indeed disappointing and devastating to France and its citizens. The war had resulted to loss of material resources and caused many deaths and injuries in addition to bruising France’s pride and ending the continent’s dominance that France had enjoyed since the mid- Seventeenth century. Therefore, from the outset of the defeat, the emphasis in France was on recovering from the defeat. The Paris Commune was without doubt a landmark in modern European History. It was seen by Karl Marx as the first determined attempt by the proletariat to overthrow the forces of capitalism. The extent to whic h the commune was socialist has however been a matter of much controversy (Fortescue, 2000, p 16) and seen by many at the time as much of a move of patriotism as it was a revolutionary act (Gluckstein, 2011, p. 55). The Commune represented patriotism, republicanism, anti-clericalism and a commitment to the working class along with their fervor for direct democracy. Majority of the French people embraced Paris Commune since most of them were working class compared to the anarchists who were opposed to it. However, the conditions under which it formed, its decrees that were mostly controversial, and the violent end that it had, made its

Nonprofit Grant Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nonprofit Grant - Assignment Example ons of young boys around the country and coming this year, hundreds of events are being planned, all over the country, to commemorate the Gold anniversary of the BSA. The organization seeks a grant for the Jamboree celebration that has been planned from the 24th of July to the 4th of August, an event in which approximately 50,000 scouts from all over the country will take part. The Jamboree is planned to be an event which will be an experience of a lifetime for the young boys in attendance, and is an inimitable opportunity for the introduction of life skills to the 50,000 scouts, leaders and visitors who will take part in the commemorative events1. The provision of this grant will ensure that this event is carried out in the finest way possible and will allow the Boy Scouts of America, both as an organization and a foundation, to cherish and spread its message all over the world. The event for the 100th anniversary shall be carried out in Virginia and will be a celebration of the diverse values that are a system of learning which become a part of the Boy Scout training. For this purpose, a wide variety of activities shall be arranged for the scouts and visitors in attendance. To aid in the provision of these activities and for the construction of the basic infrastructure required for the event, a grant of $1,500,000 is being sought which shall make it possible for the organization to plan and carry out the monumental task of the successful execution of the jamboree. The 100th anniversary celebrations will begin early on the day of July 26,2010, and will be a 10 day long event which shall include all manner of activities. The plans for the commemorative event includes offerings such as swimming, rappelling, kayaking, canoeing, fly fishing, archery, scuba diving, snorkeling, shooting, buckskin games and four 5 kilometer runs. Apart from that there will be hands-on merit badge demonstrations for the 17-acre conservation trail, various rotating stages of evening

The Impact of the London City Airport Expansion on the Surrounding Essay

The Impact of the London City Airport Expansion on the Surrounding Property Values - Essay Example It is the only Airport located just two miles from the site of the 2012 Olympic Games and three miles from Canary Wharf. As part of the expansion programme for it departure lounge, London City Airport spent  £30 million (US$60 million) for the construction of four new aircraft parking stands (Bonnassies, 2008). Basically, the said expansion project was eventually completed back in May 2008. Reg Ward, the Chief Executive of the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC), was the first person who developed strategic ways on how to increase the operational efficiency of the airport back in 1981 (London City Airport Consultative Committee, 2009). It was in 1987 when the London City Airport was granted for route licences from the CAA before it was officially opened. One year after the airport was opened to the public, LDDC managed to handle as much as 133,000 passengers within its first year of operation (London City Airport Consultative Committee, 2009). The runway of the airport was only 1,080 metres in length with a glide slope of 7.5 degrees. Due to the limited space, LDDC managed to serve only a few numbers of small-size aircraft. Back then, LDDC was offering its runway only to De Havilland Canada Dash 7 and the smaller Dornier Do 228 which are commonly used for passenger services, freight, and other surveillance and military purposes (London City Airport Consulta tive Committee, 2009b). To provide its service to larger aircraft types, LDDC decided to expand its runway in 1989. In 1990, LDDC was able to handle as much as 230,000 passengers (London City Airport Consultative Committee, 2009). However, the number of passengers significantly decreased after the incidence of the Gulf War. It was only until 1993 when the airport managed to increase the number of passengers up to 245,000 (London City Airport Consultative Committee, 2009). During the same year, LDDC’s extended

Buried bedrock valleys filled with glacial deposits Essay

Buried bedrock valleys filled with glacial deposits - Essay Example As long as there is sufficient water to maintain saturation, the water will descend until it is stopped by some impervious layer, such as rock or highly impervious clay. The water can then flow laterally through the voids or rock crevices above the barrier. If there are significant differences in surface elevation, the water may flow out along the impervious layer at some lower point called a spring. If a hole is made vertically down into the saturated layer, water will flow into the hole. If the saturated layer has sufficient interconnected voids, water will flow through it relatively rapidly. When the saturated layer yields water in economic quantities, it is called an aquifer and the hole made into it could be developed into a well. The lack of resistance to flow through porous material is called permeability. In general, fine grained material such as clay or silt is low in permeability; sand is of medium permeability, and gravel is most permeable. Fractured rock varies in permeab ility depending on the degree and pattern of fracture. The quantity of water which can be stored in an aquifer is equal to the total volume of voids between the solid particles. The fraction of the total volume of an aquifer made up of voids is called porosity. If the voids are interconnected, aquifers of high porosity also tend to have high permeability. Sometimes groundwater is trapped under an impervious layer. An aquifer thus located is called a confined aquifer. If the inflow area to a confined aquifer is higher than the confining layer where a well penetrates it, the water will be under pressure and will rise in the well to some level above the confining layer. Such a well is referred to as artesian. If the water rises to the top of the well a "flowing well" results. Obviously some locations offer better chances for successful wells than others. Clues which can be helpful in selecting well locations are (i) locations and depth to water of existing wells; (ii) existence of springs and/or streams; (iii) relative locations of infiltration areas and rock outcroppings which might constitute an impervious layer; and (iv) existence of known phreatophytes (plants requiring abundant water, whose roots frequently extend to the water table). In some areas of uniform geology, such as certain alluvial deposits in valleys, wells can be constructed anywhere with equal success. In the absence of any clues or data, a test boring can be carried out by one of the methods described under small diameter wells. Such a boring can be carried out relatively quickly and cheaply and can save considerable time, money and frustration in the long run. When a well is pumped, the water in it drops to some level below the static level (Figure 2). The water surface in the aquifer then forms a "cone of depression" as it slopes from the static level at some fairly large radius, R, to the well whose radius is r. If the well completely penetrates the aquifer with the static height of water being H and the height of water during pumping, h, then

Personal Leadership plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Leadership plan - Essay Example Adherence to these internal and external forces that affect the operations of an organization would go a long way in ensuring the organization realizes its goals, vision, and mission by sticking to the laid down policies and strategies (Carter et al., 2012). This paper explores the importance of developing a personal leadership plan. Importance of Personal Leadership Plans There are several reasons for which leaders should develop their leadership plans. First, although one may know everything about him/herself, such knowledge would be futile unless it is written down in a well-organized form that is beneficial to the user. Such documentation of knowledge is particularly important in enabling one to focus thoughts, resources, and energy on the leadership right qualities. Further, a leadership plan allows one to organize his/her present, past, and future in a connected manner by allowing the exploration of personal interests, values, beliefs, needs, and experiences, which are then ali gned and applied in leadership to help in the realization of an organizations vision, mission, and objectives (Carter et al., 2012). By judging and understanding these values, beliefs, and experiences, one is better placed to appreciate current status and forecast future professional life. In essence, all the work involved in preparing a leadership plan enables an individual to develop the useful practices of introspection, the habit of looking inward for guidance (Kahn, 1991). The two main effects of leadership plan on an individual is the inculcation of the sense of self-direction and self-awareness, two of the essential factors in effective leadership. The inclusion of a personal mission statement in a leadership plan is one technique by which leaders are guided to their personal life and professional future. Personal mission statements also assist people in decision making processes and in the building of confidence in one’s decisions and abilities. All an individual requ ires is a well thought-out purpose for life, which is a rather strong foundation for personal as well as career life. Personal leadership plans are also useful when one is considering performance review, promotion, or change in career direction. During such time, it is vital that all the outstanding leadership qualities, which could be influential in an individual’s vision of effective leadership, should be evaluated so that the right choices are made. Even as personal leadership planning is important and people are encouraged to generate ideas for personal as well as career growth and development, it is advised that people need to limit the expanse and the size of aspirations and the timeframe within which objectives are to be realized (Robbins et al., 2008). In other words, the leadership goals outlined in a leadership plan should not only fit in the set time but should also be realistic and achievable. Leadership plans must also indicate the mechanisms by which professiona l and personal goals are to be realized in addition to setting the right timeframe. To achieve great results in leadership effectiveness, it is important that one becomes passionate and compelled to constantly

Environmental Ethical Issues Essay Example for Free

Environmental Ethical Issues Essay Contemporary environmental ethics emerged as an academic discipline in the 1970’s, as nature was the focus of much of the nineteenth and twentieth century philosophy. † In the past thirty years society started the questioning and thinking of the relationship of human beings with the natural environment. This reflected an already widespread perception in the 1960’s that the twentieth century faced a population time bomb and a serious environmental crisis. The commercial farming practices impacted environmental and public health concerns. The chemicals used in farming on the crops are harmful and could cause health problems for society. This is an ethical issue when they know that harm can humans but making a profit comes first. On the other hand we now know that they are harmful and the government is trying to regulate the chemicals used. I believe it works in some instances but not with everyone. Discovered in 1968, by Stanford ecologist, Paul Eehrlich, warned that the growth of human population and viability of planetary life support systems are in trouble. Pollution is due to the overuse of our capacities. The government attempts to reach a common ground and change how areas are populated. They regulate what we build and how far apart we can. They also make wildlife preserves to protect animals from extension. They also make sure that protected trees are left and they also keep certain animal species protected. They are seeing the over population and starting to see that we need to do to keep our population free of overpopulation. In the past our society either turned a deaf eye or did not exactly know the consequences of what was happening in society. If we keep the idea and ethics in the environment we will make a huge change in society. Animal rights activist are concerned about the rights of animals. I do believe that animals should have rights to but I also feel that in rats and other rodents we need testing to help save some lives. If we did not use them then we would not find cures for cancer, aids and many other life threatening diseases. If we do not use animals then what do we use? In the past this was not a concern because it did not raise such an environmental ethical issue. Today we know more and many more people are concerned of what happens to them and why we are using animals. I feel that we should use animals instead of humans. Humans are also used in studies and things happen to them just like animals. I feel that this is not ethical. I know that sometimes they use a placebo and then a drug that could save a persons life. What if you were the one that got the placebo? Would that make you and your family feel good knowing that something could have saved your life? I was personally involved in an environmental ethical issue where I lived. It was a highly published case that really caused a lot of controversy in the news and with society. I lived off of Marlee, which was about a mile away from the area of contamination. The government did know that the chemicals were being dumped and covered up. After many years of covering it up, it came out in the news. It kind of reminded me of the movie with Julia Roberts Erin Brocovitch. Everyone was located and had meetings to discuss the health problems that the people that grew up along there had been experiencing. Myself being one of them, having cysts on my ovaries at 9 years of age. I knew so many people who died from cancer at an early age. I was friends with many people who had miscarriages. It was very bad time in our lives and devastating that the people had to suffer because someone wanted to save money. I can promise you one thing that the company paid a lot more after the fact then they would have if they disposed of the waste properly. I know that the peoples life expectancy in the neighborhood I lived in I only about 50-60 which is rater young. If our society would all do there part and not expect that is will just change itself we will live in an environmental ethical society. The new saying is† think green† and I have even been making sure not to print something unless absolutely needed. It is going to take an effort on al people not just some to change our society and make it a more environmental ethical place to live. Ruggiero, V. R. , (2008). Thinking critically about ethical issues. McGraw Hill. Boston.

Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Essay Discuss the theme of exclusion in relation to one or more characters and how its presented in of Mice and Men In the novel, there is a strong link to the theme exclusion within the characters. Steinbeck presents this by describing the character in a certain way to make the reader aware of the social ranking and judgement, and does this by also giving the reader an idea of how the characters refer to each other and why this may portray exclusion and how. Crooks is a highly isolated and excluded character in the novel as the stable buck. We know as the reader that he is excluded from the moment he is introduced. This is first presented when Candy says â€Å"the stable bucks a nigger†. Using the term ‘nigger’ to describe the character tells us that there is a strong racial exclusion and that Crooks isn’t very socially high up. Steinbeck later then develops the exclusion of this character when Candy also says â€Å"the boss give him hell when he’s mad†. This just tells us that the Boss, who is much higher up than Crooks excludes him and makes his life ‘hell’. By this Steinbeck might mean that the Boss takes out all of his anger on Crooks because of his low status due to his race. He can be treated however by people that are at a higher status ranking than he is. In my opinion Crooks has the lowest social ranking and the most negative judgements compared to all the other characters who are excluded as even Candy refers to him simply as a â€Å"nigger†. Another character that is highly excluded is Curley’s wife. Right at the beginning of the novels George is describing Curley’s wife to Lennie listen to me you crazy bastard, he said fiercely. Don’t you even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she says and what she does. I see em’ poison before but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her, now leave her alone. † George is telling Lennie to stay away from her. Steinbeck uses an imperative where George is telling Lennie to ‘listen’ to what he is saying. Meaning itâ⠂¬â„¢s very important because he says it â€Å"fiercely† as he really wants Lennie to take on board what he has said. George is really quite horrible in that hes is describing Curley’s wife as a â€Å"bitch† and â€Å"poison. † There is derogatory language used here by Steinbeck to really ethicize how George is feeling. And they are insults, specifically to her. Steinbeck also uses slang from around the time that the book was written. George says that she is like â€Å"jail bait†. This is slang to describe somebody who gets other people into trouble, even by just going near them. Curley’s wife knows how all the other men feel about her nd she has ways of showing how she feels back. â€Å"she turned on him in scorn. â€Å"listen nigger†, she said. â€Å"you know what i can do if you open your trap? † for a moment she stood over him as though waiting for him to move so that she could whip him again she turned at last to the other two. † Here Curley’s wife is trying to seek attention from Crooks, Candy and Lennie. From this quote it shows e xclusion within all the characters. Curley’s wife is excluded as she is the only woman and nobody will speak to her. Also she gets no attention. The other three characters are excluded as all the other men have gone out from the ranch and they’ve been left behind. Steinbeck shows us that Curley’s wife reacts to how excluded she is as she has to turn to insulting people sp that she can feel above them and more powerful. Physically she also â€Å"stood over him†, to feel better about her self esteem and less worthless. An imperative is used to begin with also so she feels higher ranked than the men around her. Steinbeck represents her as a bully by being racist to Crooks and describing him as a â€Å"nigger†. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad†. Here Candy and Crooks are being spoken to by Curley’s wife. She was speaking to Crooks, seeking for attention when Candy showed up and there was silence form both characters. She’s telling them that she has experienced things like this before obviously. As Curley’s wife says â€Å"the† guys it makes me think that she is describing them as objects and not as real people. We, as the reader can tell that she is getting more and more upset as we reach halfway through the passage. She shortens her words such as and to â€Å"an’ and just to â€Å"jus’†. This proves that she is losing her temper and patience as to why they will not talk to her. We can also tell this as her sentence structures are getting shorter as she goes on. This quote clearly promotes exclusion as nobody really wants to talk to Curley’s wife. This is because they believe that they will get into trouble if they do so. It also shows how much Curley’s wife is excluded. She’s being excluded from a black man and an old disabled man who are already excluded against.

Market Research On Primarks Clothing Marketing Essay

Market Research On Primarks Clothing Marketing Essay The UK clothing and footwear (or apparel) market was worth an estimated  £46.05bn in 2009, accounting for 5.3% of total consumer spending (Key Note Publications Ltd, July 2010). According to Mintel, (June 2010), nearly half (12.7 million) of women in the UK spent the same or even more on their clothes in 2009 despite the economic recession. Consumers have cut back on leisure activities such as holidays and eating out, they have continued to spend on clothing and footwear indicating that they are being selective about what to spend their money on and are choosing to buy clothing over a meal out. Over half of overall UK consumers (54%) did not reduce the amount they spent on clothes during the past year and one in ten (11%) of consumers say they actually spent more on clothes than they usually would over the past year, despite the economic difficulties. This could be because consumers have cut back on leisure activities (Mintel, June 2010). Between 2005 and 2009, the womens outerwear segment actually declined slightly in value, because average prices were 22% lower in 2009 than they were in 2005. This occurred despite the dynamism of `fast fashion, in which more and more garments are bought but worn only a few times before they go out of fashion and are disposed of (Key Note Publications Ltd, July 2010). Consumers are now tending towards the budget end of the market, which is targeted by companies such as Primark, Peacocks and Matalan, or the designer, premium-priced extreme. The mid-market has consequently become very competitive, with the struggles of Marks and Spencer, Arcadia Group and BhS to retain market share (Infomat, August 2006). Besides the mid market trend, the quality over quantity trend appears to have risen up the consumer priority list, with almost four in ten consumers who intend to spend more on clothing in the coming year claiming that they will pay more for quality clothes (Mintel, June 2010). Consumers might consider that expensive products tend to be of better quality. Therefore, the UK Retailers should react quickly in responding and considering the quality message of their clothing in order to satisfy consumers needs and wants and therefore, increase their market share. Background to the study The Primark story has been one of continuing success founded on a unique combination of fast fashion and lean operations. Its operations in Great Britain began in 1973 with four out-of-town stores. The following year saw the opening of the first UK High Street stores in Derby and Bristol. In the next ten years, 18 stores were added in the UK bringing the number of stores in the 22. Till date, Primark has been able to open 145 stores in the United Kingdom. (Primark, 2010). Over the years Primark has been able to provide cheap and affordable clothing, but the quality of the product has been questionable. In the first and second quarter of the year, Primark recorded a 17% year-on-year sales increase in which it was driven by more selling space, Primark looks likely to continue in a similar successful vein for the predicted future, but its continued growth is not without some market barriers, Primark could be hit hard; and its lack of association with quality could also prove unfavourable in the long term.(Mintel, 2010) The retail landscape is about to change as the deflation of the last decade comes to an abrupt end. Raw material prices, freight and labour costs (particularly in the Far East) are rising and, coupled with the impending VAT increase and unfavourable foreign exchange movements, clothing prices on like-for-like items are expected to rise by at least 5% next year Mintel (2010). Primark cannot continue to provide cheap clothing because of the high production cost and tax rate, if the prices of the products are increased and the quality keeps disappointing the consumers, consumers could decide to switch back their loyalties to the mid market retailers like Gap and H and M who have celebrity designers such as Stella McCartney and Jimmy Choo designing ranges for them to reassert themselves in the clothing retail market. Primarks main focus of clothing is producing value clothing which can be afforded by the low and middle class consumers. But there could be trouble along the way as the perception of product quality appears to be slipping, consumers are now shopping for deals and finding value for money. The main test of this brand is to improve its quality and reposition its image in the minds of the existing and new consumers. Management Problem: The major issue facing Primark is to improve its quality and reposition its image in the minds of the existing and new consumers and thereby increase its market share than its current market position. Therefore the Management decision Problem would be: How Primarks clothing could increase its market share. Market Research problems: A market research problem will be carried out to support the management decision problem of Primark. Therefore the market research problem for the study will be: To determine consumers attitudes and the level of satisfaction derived from current product qualities. Research Components: The research components are used for identifying the market research problem. Therefore the research components are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What criteria do consumers use in selecting a clothing brand? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do consumers evaluate Primark and its competitors based on the identified choice criteria? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are the consumers attitudes towards Primark? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To determine the psychographic and demographic profile of the consumers Literature review Globally, clothing continues to serve the three basic functions of concealment, protection and identity. However, when shopping for a piece of clothing, the third factor identity is the criteria that the consumer in modern society is completely engrossed with. Clothing has the ability not only to represent status in society, or act as a measurement of self-esteem, but can reveal personality and what values a person holds dear to them (What you wear is what you are, 2010). Solomon and Ranbolt (2004). confirm that revealing identity through the clothes a person wears is a conscious decision: A consumer exhibits attachment to an objectto maintain his or her self-conceptClothing can function in a similar way (p. 148). This perception of how consumers see themselves is called the Self-Concept Theory, which categorises the term Ideal Self as something a person is always trying to achieve. Therefore a retailer will be more successful if the goods they sell facilitate a person in realizi ng their ideal self (Diamond 2006). Undoubtedly, the ideal self of the UK consumer is an increasingly fashionable one. This does not just apply to the younger age group, but also the older and more affluent age group who enjoy keeping up to date with current trends. Previously, this was very hard to accomplish as there was virtually no consumer choice for the older market segment, but value stores have attempted to address this issue (Clothing Market in the United Kingdom, 2006). These value chain stores allow consumers to remain fashionable while shopping on a budget and have arguably led to the creation of the term Fast Fashion. This refers to the current consumer habit of only wearing a piece of clothing a handful of times before it becomes unfashionable and is discarded (Clothing Footwear Industry Market Review 2010). Selling unfashionable items at rock-bottom prices and thereby encouraging this unsustainable practise does not enhance a companys reputation as Solomon and Rabolt (2004) believe: the green movement, is a priority for many consumers around the world (p. 148). Being socially responsible has been a constant issue for Primark and its low pricing and so-called fast fashion has prompted inquiries into how it can achieve this without ignoring ethical guidelines. This answer became clear when BBCs Panorama series went behind the scenes in India only to find children working in slum-workshops for poor pay on terribly long hours (Primark: on the rack, 2008). Such production lines contribute to the quality of the end product that Primarks displays on its rails and while consumers may be prepared to put up with poor quality during the recession, the latest research shows that this, among other factors, will soon change: The average prices paid for apparel could well start to increase, for three reasons: a move towards higher quality, comfort and design; demand for more expensive but sustainable products (Clothing Footwear Industry Market Review, 2010). Due to the competitiveness of the UK clothing industry (Clothing Market in the United Kingdom, 20 06), it is vital that in order to remain successful retailers become more responsive to the needs and wants of consumers (McMeekin, 2009). As argued by Alex Blyth, presenting a brand as cheap without ruining its value is one of the trickier marketing strategies to master ( Alex Blyth, 2010). Primark really needs to focus more on adding value to their product while having minimum effect on price as lower price is eventually their strength the same has been concluded by Robert Passikoff The buying decision has shifted from price to an even greater emphasis on value. Primark which already made a good use of its Suppliers chain during recession, by offering break down prices to pull more customers and successfully maintaining its competitive edge .However Primark can stress on its suppliers to add more value (Quality and other attributes) to the products so that growing market segment which tend to adopt to quality product can be attracted. This will not only help Primark attract more customers but will also turn the satisfied customers to loyal customers. A leading communications company found via satisfaction research that those customers proclaiming to be extremely or very satisfied were their least profitable customers in terms of revenue and product usage indicators( Pete Clark / Graham Tutton Oct 2007). Our research is led by the spirit of growth and increasing the market share, this is required by the market implicitly and explicitly. Enhancing your business performance is a never-ending process. World-class organizations do not want satisfied customers. Developing strong, loyal relationships with customers, effectively managing these relationships, and applying the latest thinking to measuring and managing customer perceptions, are the keys to turn satisfied customers to loyal customers ( Pete Clark / Graham Tutton Oct 2007).   Based on the previous studies we try to find that what values (Corporate Social Responsibility, Price, Quality, patronage effect or Brand Identity) most to the Primarks Customers, and how can Primark add value to its product? So that more customers could be attracted and more diverse segments of the market could be targeted. Research Model The secondary data demonstrates that there are some important factors which can have influence on the perception and attitude of the consumers through the decision-making process. i.e. the price, if a higher price or a lower price can affect the attitude of consumers towards Primark; brand image; quality; pleasing to others, word of mouths; do consumers feel satisfied of the shopping environment of Primark or not; the durability of the products; style of clothing; comfort; packaging; and fabric also. Furthermore the researchers also need to identify the current situation of Primark and compare with other competitors in clothing industry. Then on the next level, the researchers would like to know if the attitude change has an impact on the shopping frequency at Primark, or to what extent they can influence the consumers buying behaviour .And also the researchers defined two factors as the moderators needed to be analyse when testing the buying behaviour of the consumers. By using this model and testing the research questions and hypothesis to solve the manager problems How can the marketers of Primark to increase the market share. At the first place, the 10 factors evaluative criteria towards Primark are the independent variables and the perception and attitude towards Primark of the consumers is the dependant variable. However, the continuous model shows that the change of attitude could become as an independent variable when the researchers going to find the relationship between the satisfaction of consumers and the frequency to shop at Primark which is defined as a dependant variable. . And moreover the two moderators (gender and age group) are also independent variables which should be tested through the researching process. Research Question and Hypothesis Based on the secondary data and the research model, there are some questions and hypothesise for the researchers, so that to clarify the relationship and influences between different variables. What are the critical factors when shopping for clothes? H1: There are certain factors that influence the decision making of shopping for clothes. What are the important factors that can affect the attitudes of the customers when shopping at Primark? H2: There are some important factors that would affect the attitudes of the customers when shopping at Primark Does brand image influence the buyers attitudes towards Primark? H3: Brand image is a key factor that has an impact on the shopping attitude towards Primark. Is there a relationship between the high quality of products and the satisfaction of the consumers? H4: There is a significant relationship between the quality of products and the positive attitude towards Primark Is there a relationship between the low price and the attitude of the customers? H5: There is a significant association between the customers preference and the low price of the products in Primark. Is there a relationship between shopping behaviour of consumers and demographic index? H6: There is an significant association between consumers shopping behaviour and demographic index. Appendix 1: Questionnaire Leeds University Business School Dear Respondent, This questionnaire is purely for educational research and we are grateful to all who participate. We will be completing our MA in Corporate Communications and Public Relations from the Leeds University Business School in September 2011. The data derived from the questionnaire will be analyzed to produce a marketing research project as part of our degree programme. The purpose of this survey is To determine the factors that consumers consider as important while shopping for clothing. The findings of the study would help to suggest an appropriate framework to Primarks clothing to increase its market share. All of your responses will be kept confidential and all of the information will be analyzed and reported as grouped data. The study will be incomplete without your response and support. We kindly request you to fill in the required information. We appreciate your time and generosity! Part I General Shopping Behavior about Clothing How often do you shop for Clothing? à ¢- ¡Weekly à ¢- ¡ Monthly à ¢- ¡ Once in two months à ¢- ¡ Once in three months à ¢- ¡ Once in six months Kindly tick the most suitable preference you would consider while buying clothing. à ¢- ¡ According to need à ¢- ¡ During the season à ¢- ¡ During the sales à ¢- ¡ Only on special days or festivals Kindly tick the most appropriate preference of your shopping destinations. à ¢- ¡ Independent Shop à ¢- ¡ Shopping Centre à ¢- ¡ Markets à ¢- ¡ Other (Please specify) ________________________ Which is the most important factor influencing your clothing shopping decision? à ¢- ¡ Newspapers / Magazines à ¢- ¡ Friends / Relatives à ¢- ¡ TV à ¢- ¡ Internet à ¢- ¡ Posters / Hoardings à ¢- ¡ Other (Please specify) _________________________ Kindly identify the importance you associate with each of the attributes while you shop for Clothing. Least important Æ’Â  Very important à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Brand image 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Quality of clothing 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Price 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Style 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Comfort 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Fabric 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Durability 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ How pleasing is it to others 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Shopping environment 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Comfort 1 2 3 4 5 Part II : Attitude towards Primark Have you ever shopped for clothing at Primark? à ¢- ¡ Yes à ¢- ¡ No (If no, then go to question No.9) How often do you shop for clothing at Primark? à ¢- ¡Weekly à ¢- ¡ Monthly à ¢- ¡ Once in two months à ¢- ¡ Once in three months à ¢- ¡ Once in six months What do you shop for in Primark? à ¢- ¡ Mens wear à ¢- ¡Womens wear à ¢- ¡Childrens wear à ¢- ¡Home wares Kindly identify the importance you associate with the following attributes when you shop for Primarks clothing. Least important Æ’Â  Very important à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Brand image 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Quality of clothing 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Price 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Style 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Comfort 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Fabric 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Durability 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ How pleasing is it to others 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Shopping environment 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Comfort 1 2 3 4 5 Kindly identify your satisfaction level with each of the follow clothing outlets. Very Dissatisfied-Æ’Â  Very Satisfied à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ MS 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ GAP 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ZARA 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ TK Maxx 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ HM 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ NEXT 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Topshop / Topman 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Bhs 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ River Island 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Primark 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ New Look 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Matalan 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Peacock 1 2 3 4 5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Other (Please specify) 1 2 3 4 5 Would you like to make some suggestions that would help Primark to improve its clothing quality? - Part III: Personal Information 1. Gender à ¢- ¡ Male à ¢- ¡ Female 2. Age à ¢- ¡ Under 20 à ¢- ¡ 21-29 à ¢- ¡ 30-39 à ¢- ¡ 40+ 3. Education à ¢- ¡ Primary School à ¢- ¡ Secondary School à ¢- ¡ College à ¢- ¡ University à ¢- ¡ Post Graduate à ¢- ¡ Other 4. Occupation à ¢- ¡ Student à ¢- ¡ Service à ¢- ¡ Business à ¢- ¡ Other Professions 5. Annual Income à ¢- ¡ Under  ¿Ã‚ ¡20, 000 à ¢- ¡  ¿Ã‚ ¡20,000  ¿Ã‚ ¡29, 999 à ¢- ¡  ¿Ã‚ ¡30,000  ¿Ã‚ ¡39,999 à ¢- ¡  ¿Ã‚ ¡40,000+ 6. Marital Status à ¢- ¡ Single à ¢- ¡ Married / Cohabitant Thank you for sharing your precious time!

Response of Fredrick Douglass to Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher S

Fredrick Douglass' Response to Uncle Tom's Cabin      Ã‚   Frederick Douglass was arguably the most prominent African American abolitionist during the mid-19th century. He established his notoriety through his narrative entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave published in 1845. Frederick Douglass also produced an African American newspaper, Frederick Douglass' Paper, which highlighted the reception and critiques of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Frederick Douglass praised Uncle Tom's Cabin through not only his writing but in the critiques and letters contained in his newspaper. It is important to look at these reviews to understand Douglass' intentions. However, C.V.S. from the Provincial Freeman critiques Douglass' hypocrisy in his critique of Uncle Tom's Cabin.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Douglass provided a forum in his newspaper for critical reception of book. The first critique of Uncle Tom's Cabin that appeared in Frederick Douglass' Paper was by William G. Allen in the form of a letter. Overall his letter praised the novel; however, he did respond negatively to the colonization and racialism in the text. Another regular contributor to Douglass' newspaper named William J. Wilson, signed Ethiop, wrote a review praising the novel's reception in New York City. Ethiop writes, "This species of abolitionism finds its way into quarters here, hitherto so faced over with the adamant of... ...e Harris." Provincial Freeman. 22 Jul. 1854, unpaged. Douglass, Frederick. "Letter to Mrs. Stowe." 8 Mar. 1853. Frederick Douglass' Paper. 2 Dec. 1853, unpaged. Ethiop. "Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin." Frederick Douglass' Paper. 17 June 1852, unpaged. Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. 24 Mar. 2002  Ã‚   http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/.   Levine, Robert S. "Uncle Tom's Cabin in Frederick Douglass' Paper: An Analysis of Reception." Uncle Tom's Cabin: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Elizabeth Ammons. New York: Norton, 1994. 523-542. Railton, Stephen. Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture: A Multi-Media Archive. 24 Mar. 2002 < http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/utc/. >    Response of Fredrick Douglass to Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher S Fredrick Douglass' Response to Uncle Tom's Cabin      Ã‚   Frederick Douglass was arguably the most prominent African American abolitionist during the mid-19th century. He established his notoriety through his narrative entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave published in 1845. Frederick Douglass also produced an African American newspaper, Frederick Douglass' Paper, which highlighted the reception and critiques of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Frederick Douglass praised Uncle Tom's Cabin through not only his writing but in the critiques and letters contained in his newspaper. It is important to look at these reviews to understand Douglass' intentions. However, C.V.S. from the Provincial Freeman critiques Douglass' hypocrisy in his critique of Uncle Tom's Cabin.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Douglass provided a forum in his newspaper for critical reception of book. The first critique of Uncle Tom's Cabin that appeared in Frederick Douglass' Paper was by William G. Allen in the form of a letter. Overall his letter praised the novel; however, he did respond negatively to the colonization and racialism in the text. Another regular contributor to Douglass' newspaper named William J. Wilson, signed Ethiop, wrote a review praising the novel's reception in New York City. Ethiop writes, "This species of abolitionism finds its way into quarters here, hitherto so faced over with the adamant of... ...e Harris." Provincial Freeman. 22 Jul. 1854, unpaged. Douglass, Frederick. "Letter to Mrs. Stowe." 8 Mar. 1853. Frederick Douglass' Paper. 2 Dec. 1853, unpaged. Ethiop. "Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin." Frederick Douglass' Paper. 17 June 1852, unpaged. Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. 24 Mar. 2002  Ã‚   http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/.   Levine, Robert S. "Uncle Tom's Cabin in Frederick Douglass' Paper: An Analysis of Reception." Uncle Tom's Cabin: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Elizabeth Ammons. New York: Norton, 1994. 523-542. Railton, Stephen. Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture: A Multi-Media Archive. 24 Mar. 2002 < http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/utc/. >   

The Old Man And The Sea :: essays research papers

The book The Old Man and the Sea was written by Ernest Hemingway. Ernest Hemingway was both a fisherman and a Nobel Prize winner. The story is set in a small fishing village near the Cuban coast. Hemingway ¡Ã‚ ¦s expresses in his tone that he feels sorry for the old man. This is shown because he mentions everything that the old man doesn ¡Ã‚ ¦t have going well for him and also makes the reader realize the pain that the old man goes through. The point of view in The Old Man and the Sea is from that of the old man, Santiago.The Old Man and the Sea is about an old fisherman named Santiago who thinks that his luck has ran out. Before he got old he was a very good fisher and could catch plenty of fish. Now however he hardly ever catches anything. Santiago ¡Ã‚ ¦s young friend Manolin used to fish with him but he had to stop because his parents wanted him to fish with someone who caught something everyday. After weeks of not catching anything, Santiago goes out and catches the largest fish that he has ever seen in his life. He has a hard time getting it up and it takes away all of his strength. He has an even harder time getting it back to the village because it is night and all of the sharks are feeding off of it. He is unable to do anything about the hungry sharks. Upon finally returning to the village, he is so tired that he is not able to worry about this fish and goes directly to his shack and sleeps for an extremely long time. When he is awaken by Manolin, he finds that the fish that he caught was destroyed by the sharks and that all of his efforts were for not. However Manolin encourages Santiago to continue fishing because he still has much to learn about the sea.Santiago is the main character in Hemingway ¡Ã‚ ¦s The Old Man and the Sea. He is an old fisherman who seems to have very bad luck at fishing even though when he was younger he was a very good fisherman. Hemingway describes him by saying,  ¡Ã‚ §Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were cheerful and undefeated. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Even though he is old and poor, he still considers himself to be the top dog. Santiago knows that he is not doing very well but he still had to will and the drive to continue fishing, which is what he enjoys doing.

Immorality in The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells :: H.G. Wells, The Invisible Man

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Invisible Man, H.G. Wells both demonstrates and criticizes man's tendency to become moral or immoral with the acquirement of power. Like many books of the same era, he uses science as the instrument of retribution for the social crimes that have been committed.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through invisibility, the Invisible Man gains triumph over science and from this, great power; he can steal, kill, and abuse anybody without fear of being caught, as he describes, "It's useful in getting away, it's useful in approaching. It's particularly useful, therefore, in killing." He also acknowledges the shortcomings of his invisibility, such as making sound and being easily imprisoned once caught, vulnerable qualities which eventually lead to his downfall.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Invisible Man breaks into many people's homes, stealing money, and leading eventually to physical abuse and killing. When faced with power, such as invisibility, man becomes immoral and is willing to do anything for personal gain and enjoyment. The Invisible Man's nemesis, Kemp, brings up the immorality by saying, "But-! I say! The common conventions of humanity." The Invisible Man just reinforces his arrogance by rebutting with, "Are all very well for common people." He believes there is nothing wrong with doing anything for his own survival since he is superior. He also brings the situation one step further with his reign of terror, which he describes as, "Not wanton killing, but a judicious slaying." He now wants to have complete control over everybody through terror and wants to start "the Epoch of the Invisible Man." This shows his complete thirst for power.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of science to give man superpower can likewise be found in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.   Man should not create the invisible man or the invincible man since they are too powerful and this gives them the role of creator which, according to the society of the day, should only be a god's role.   He shows how science can accomplish great things and also how it can cause great harm.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The harm that the Invisible Man's exploitation of power causes does not go unpunished. Wells demonstrates the social need for a sense of justice, as the Invisible Man is eventually captured and beaten to death for the terror he both created and wanted to create.

Own story Essay

It is often difficult to tell your own story, as you do not know where to start. It takes a lot of determination for every individual to take up responsibilities as well as responsible decisions in life. There comes a time in every individual’s life when they are confronted with oppositions from all sides, from relatives, well-wishers and from people who do not want them to do well in life. It is only when an individual overcomes these oppositions, and does in life, that which (s)he always wanted to do, that the individual experiences satisfaction and pleasure in narrating her/his story. I feel happy to narrate my story, purely because I have always followed my dream. Literature is a subject that I have loved from the age of fourteen and continue to do so. This passion for my subject is what encouraged me to take up literature for my graduation and the only bit of support that I had in doing so was that which I received from my parents. Being born into a family full of conservative science graduates who were ready to accept nothing but positivism, I had to face resistance, a mighty lot of it. My high grades in English language at National level school examinations were not at all impressive to most of the people who were ‘truly concerned’ about my future. Nevertheless, the unrelenting support that I received from my parents was the main factor that gave me strength to face this resistance. Hence, I pursued my dream, leaving behind all the grumblings of discontent from my well-wishers and entered my beloved classroom in one of the most prestigious colleges of my State. It is in this classroom that I discovered that I had taken the right decision after all, and started loving my subject even more. Having a military background often helps people to cultivate various qualities like punctuality and a temper that can never stand non-sense. They are the people who get an opportunity to travel a lot in their childhood and this further helps them to communicate easily and express themselves without any ambiguity. Since my father served as a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force, I was fortunate enough to meet many kinds of people from various backgrounds, could make friends easily and could communicate effectively. These communication skills helped me a great deal with my academics and contributed to my success as a student, as proven by the position I hold in the class rank list. Education is empowerment and every individual has a right to this empowerment. Bias and prejudices based on caste, creed and poverty should never come in the way of this empowerment. Children should never be denied the right to education, merely because their parents cannot afford to send them to nice educational institutions. Keeping this view in mind, I signed up in Make A Difference charity organization, which helps to teach under privileged children important subjects like English, Computer Science and Placements. I have enrolled as an English teaching volunteer and this organization aims at teaching the Cambridge syllabus for English, that which is taught in most of the International Schools in the country. As a volunteer, I would like to give these children the best as they have an equal right to education. The urge to become independent is usually a driving force when it comes to youngsters seeking employment. This urge, combined with a desire to be of financial help to my family is what led me to register at www. asiawriters. com. Writing is a boon given by God and at the same time, it is a talent that I have cultivated since childhood. I wanted to take maximum advantage of my talent in order to pursue my career as a freelance journalist. That is why, today, at the age of eighteen, I find myself writing this article. With the very little experience that I have in life and with acknowledging the fact that I am only a student, who recently completed her 1st year BA English Literature, I can say that this is my story. The above-mentioned reasons have made me what I am today and although I am aware of the fact that I am a very young girl, I feel happy at having realized my dream. It was always my dream to learn literature and I have always dreamt of writing. Today I feel that I have accomplished something.

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) Essay

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a family-based prevention and intervention program that deals with such juvenile problems as child abuse and neglect, early sexual involvement, alcohol and drug abuse, youth conflict and aggression. Since these problems originate within the family structure in many cases, FFT program refers to every member of the family in order to achieve the highest treatment results. It is important to emphasize that FFT recognizes that both positive and negative behaviors influence and are influenced by multiple relational systems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main positive influence of FFT is that it develops inner strengths and sense of being of each member of the family. In such a way, family members are united under the common viewpoints on life, activities and goals. As a result, the situation within the family might be improved due to different intervention and assessment phases. Functional Family Therapy consists of three specific intervention phases: engagement and motivation, behavior change, and generalization. Each of these phases has certain goals, risk and protective factors, assessment focus and therapist/interventional skills that might be related to each of the phases. The first phase – engagement and motivation – helps to increase family’s hope and expectation of change, improve trust between therapist and family, and reduce negativity within families and toward the community as well as build respect to individual values and differences. During the second phase – behavior change – therapists develop long-term plans of behavior change that can fit to certain culture, family situation and understand the unique characteristics of each family member. Cognitive, interactive and emotional components are included into behavior change phase. The main focus of this phase is to improve the quality of relations skills because of the risks dealing with poor parenting and communication skills, negativity and blaming. Thus, FFT program gives an opportunity to model the change plan, train each member and control the whole process. Finally, generalization phase helps to unite the families with available community resources in order to prevent relapses in the behavior change. It is directed to improve the ability of the family to affect the multiple systems like school, juvenile justice system, community, etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since FFT program addresses each member of the family where there are problems with juveniles, it helps to identify the core reasons of juvenile behavior change which in most cases happen within the family. Parents learn to understand their children, but most important to listen to their thoughts, opinions, problems, and many other issues which are important for juveniles, but might be neglected by the adults. At the same time children learn to understand the behavior of their parents, to respect and listen to the adults as well as improve their relations with the families, school and community as a whole. Due to FFT program recidivism rates greatly decreased in the recent time. Certainly, there is no single treatment which is commonly accepted and can help all juveniles and heir families to solve the problems or prevent them. However, FFT I is considered on of the best way to prevent juvenile delinquency since it does not only solve the problem itself, but addresses the core reason for this problem to occur – the juvenile family and community he/she lives in.