HSC 037 Promote and Implement and Safety in Health and Social Care Essay

At our home the main aim is to ensure the effective operation of the health and safety system in the home and to ensure all staff work safely and report any hazards that they encounter. Our manager ensures that we have the following available to our clients, staff and they are displayed at the entrance to our home, they are: The Health & Safety Policy, QP-05 The home’s certificate of employers liability. Health and safety manual that includes the latest updated Health and safety policy, QP-05. The Fire Safety Policy, QP-03. The Smoking Policy, QP-12. COSHH Regulations, C4-020. Our main health and safety responsibility within the home is to ensure all our staff are suitably trained to safely and effectively carry out their duties. The manager is responsible for ensuring that all staff is aware of their role and responsibilities in relation to health and safety in the home. The manager should also ensure that individual staff working alone is risk assessed. This is risk assessment should follow the lone working policy, QP-25. Our manager should ensure that a suitable number of appropriately trained staff is available to deal with accidents and health emergencies. Staff will receive training in first aid, and there will be a suitable first aid box provided by the home, and appropriate records will be maintained in accordance with the homes first aid policy, QP-22. All staff is responsible for adhering to the requirements of the environmental policy, QP-30. All substances governed by the COSHH regulations should be stored safely and securely in the designated storage area which is kept locked. The manager should include health and safety training as part of the homes training plan to ensure all staff have received the appropriate level of training. Our health and safety training covers: induction training on-going training, which is specific to the work undertaken by staff on a daily basis. Refresher training to ensure that certification for time limited accreditation remains current and embraces updated practices. First aid. Food hygiene. Manual Handling. Fire safety. Only staff who are authorised by the manager may be asked to supervise new staff. The manager ensures that regular checks of the home are made to identify potential hazards and to confirm the continuation of safe working practices. The manager should carry out inspections at frequencies stated in the health and safety inspection schedule and ensure all areas identified are included in the health and safety inspection check list. Where the checks highlight the need for action to be taken, the manager should take the action necessary to remedy the situation or document the reasons why actions cannot be taken. The manager is responsible for maintaining a system of recording which records all reports of accidents, incidents and hazards. In some cases there is a legal obligation to use forms which must conform to the requirements of the health and safety executive. All staff should be aware that they are responsible for reporting any accident, incident or hazard to the senior member of staff on duty. The manager should be aware of the requirement to report to the care quality commission any event which is covered by regulations 16,17 and 18 of the care quality commission (registration) regulations 2009. Information regarding these notifications can be found in the CQC statutory notifications procedures, MA-22. The manager is responsible for ensuring that any accident, incident or hazard is reported to the relevant enforcing agency in the proper way. These agencies will include: The health and safety executive, RIDDOR notification form F2508,C4-085. Environmental health department, report of infectious or communicable disease form, C4-074. Care Quality Commission, using the relevant statutory notification form. As a minimum, the manager should ensure that the following records are maintained in the home to ensure legislative compliance and support the health and safety system in use at the home: An accident/incident report form A supply of RIDDOR notification form Senior staff communication book Significant events of importance book. Before any contractors begin work within the home, they must have been made aware that they must comply with all statutory health and safety requirements for the work being done. To ensure this happens, the manager should ensure that the contractor is included on the approved suppliers list, and has properly completed the approved supplier’s application. This will ensure that the necessary acknowledgements have been signed prior to work commencing. The home provides a living and leisure environment for older persons, some of whom are frail, and are especially vulnerable to a variety of risks. The manager or delegated responsible person is someone who has control or a degree of control over the premises and fire prevention systems and they will ensure that there is a fire management plan which will be implemented and maintained. The manager will ensure that risk assessments are carried out where required using the fire safety risk assessment form. Clients and all staff should all have a copy of this fire policy and the fire management plan, which forms part of the crisis management and service continuity plan. In addition, it is posted on notice boards around the home. The local fire authority will be consulted to see that they are satisfied with the safety measures that we have put in place and we will seek their advice on where improvements should & could be made.

Differences Between Austria and India

My chosen countries are India and Austria. In this paper I will try to find the similar and dissimilar things of these countries. These two countries are very different. Austria is located in Europe, when India’s location is Asia. First of all I would like to present Austria’s and India’s nature. Austria is terrestrial land. This country has no access to the sea but with India everything is in different way. India has access not to the sea, but to the ocean. These two countries have one similar thing – the mountains. In Austria the mountains are called Alps and in India – Himalays. The climate in Austria is continental, the same as in other countries of Europe. In this country there are four seasons in the year. India’s climate is tropical, and it has only three seasons per year. Austria’s landscape is full of hills, woods and rivers. India’s landscape contains of deserts, jungles and flatlands. So here we can see big differences between my chosen countries. Secondly I would like to present the culture of these countries. Austria is famous by compositors, writers and painters which are known in whole world. In this country there are many theaters, cinemas, shopping centers, museums, galleries and other cultural objects. People in Austria are very businesslike. Many of them most time in the week wears formal clothes. Most of the Austria's population is registered as Roman Catholic by religion. India is very religious country. Everything in India is based on religion. Indian people are very hospitable. Even if they don’t have anything to eat, their guests will never be left hungry. The respect for elders is a major fact in Indian culture. The traditional dress of India is called sari. This dress can be worn by all local festivals. India's diversity is visible in its languages, religions, dance, music, architecture and customs. By the culture India and Austria are very dissimilar, because their history and all traditions came from different ancestries. The third comparisons object is food. Austrian cooking is one of the most varied in Europe and includes German, Hungarian, Czech, and northern Italian dishes. A typical breakfast is coffee or milk with bread and butter or jam. Also they usually eat sausage served with mustard on a hard roll. Lunch is usually the main meal of the day and consists of soup and a main course of meat-sausage, chicken, beef, pork or fish. The best known traditional Austrian foods include Wiener Schnitzel and various elaborate cakes. Indian food is different from rest of the world not only in taste but also in cooking methods. Every single spice used in Indian dishes has purpose not for the taste but also in medicine range. All Indian food is dealt to four categories: East Indian, West Indian, South Indian and North Indian. Indians are always using rice, vegetables, garlic, milk and lots of spices in food preparation. It is not common for Indians to keep leftover food, if it is bought or made in one day it is consumed that same day. In Austria many people make food for at least two days, because they are to busy to make it everyday. Austria and India are very different; including climate, culture and food they have nothing in common.

Coin and Paper Money Will Soon Be Replaced

Coins & Paper money will soon be replaced by Credit Cards. It is a fact that we live in a corrupt society. We hear a lot of robberies everyday. People are afraid to bring home money from the bank. These robberies are not only taking place at homes, but also there are pick pockets who rob people while traveling. People are frightened to take money with them for shopping. They face a lot of problems whenever they need to buy some expensive things. It is a common fact that new inventions take place in every generation according to the comfort of people.So atlast to solve people's problems in carrying money with them, banks with the help of Government introduced Credit cards and other bank cards. These cards are very useful in a way as people don't have to carry coins & paper money with them. They can pay their bills with the help of these credit cards. These credit cards are used in such a way that when one uses the card, the bank pays the amount on his behalf. Then one has to pay this amount from his bank account on phone or he can use bank checks as well as cash money. This is all upto him.Also if people don't have money at the time, they can delay their payment for the time being. The bank will pay it on your behalf & you can give this money back in easy installments or you can pay it back atonce whenever you have it. So due to all these benefits Credit Cards are becoming more and more common these days. So we can say that a time will come when we will see no coins and paper money. They will be replaced by Credit Cards. Eventually we will have a cashless society which will be safer and more convenient for everyone.

What are Ballads?

Ballads are folk songs that tell a story. In the past when there was no media, Ballad singers would go around houses asking if anything had happened. They then would remember this piece of news and would go around spreading it. Ballads only include the main detail so people listen to them. They were usually about murders, mysteries and disasters. In this essay I will include the language features of Ballads and the storyline. I will also write about which ballads I have read and whether I have enjoyed them or not. Ballads share many different language features. One of the language features used is repetition. Repetition occurs in â€Å"what has happened to Lu-Lu?† â€Å"What has happened to Lu-Lu mother?† this is almost like a chorus. It helps us remember the ballad. Another language feature is regular rhyme scheme. There is a regular rhyme scheme in Frankie and Johnny. â€Å"Love. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦above† This makes the poem more interesting and it also gives the poem a rhythm. Another ballad that uses regular rhyme scheme is the Greshford disaster. â€Å"†¦Paid†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Brigade† This makes the poem have a regular beat also it makes the poem easier to remember. Alliteration is a language feature. Alliteration occurs in Frankie and Johnny. â€Å"Roll†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Roll†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Roll†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.† The ‘R' sound being repeated helps you picture someone being rolled over. In the ballad of Charlotte Dymond there is a lot of Alliteration. â€Å"She†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.She†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.She† This almost makes me feel like someone is whispering because of the sadness of Charlotte's disappearance. In the Greshford Disaster all the stanzas have the same amount of lines this makes the poem more pleasing. In what has happened to Lu-Lu? All the stanzas have the same amount of lines. This made it easier to remember for Ballad Singers .In What has happened to Lu Lu? There are similes this is one â€Å"I heard an engine roar†. This helps you imagine what the sound of the engine is like. In the Greshford Disaster there are also similes â€Å"What packed like snow in a drift† This helps you imagine what the gas in the Dennis looked like, there would be lots of gas in the coal mine and you wouldn't be able to see anything like in a snow drift. Many Ballads are about love but some of them are about other things like mysteries and disasters. Two ballads which are similar are â€Å"The Ballad of Hillsborough: and â€Å"The Greshford Disaster† because they are both about disastrous events and people dieing. However â€Å"What has happened to Lu -Lu† is different because it us about a girl disappearing. From my opinion I think The Greshford Disaster and The Ballad of Hillsborough are more tragic, because in what has happened to Lu -Lu no one actually dies but in the other two ballads there are people dieing. But different people will have a different opinion .Two other ballads which are similar are â€Å"Frankie and Johnny† and â€Å"The ballad of Charlotte Dymond† but in â€Å"The ballad of Charlotte Dymond† her husband Matthew kills here and in â€Å"Frankie and Johnny† Frankie kills her husband Johnny. I think people would still like ballads like this because there are still people going missing, people dieing, and disasters. Also people like listening and reading about other people and things that are happening in the rest of the world. I have read a number of Ballads foe example The ballad of Hillsborough† The Greshford Disaster, What has happened to Lu-Lu and The ballad of Charlotte Dymond. Although my personal favorite is â€Å"Frankie and Johnny. â€Å"The storyline of the ballad is about two people who are madly in love and in the end they betray each other .My favourite part is when Frankie takes the trigger out of her kimona. The poet says â€Å"Frankie threw back her kimona took out a big 44 Root a toot toot three times she shoot.† I thought this was effective because it puts you in suspense of what Frankie is going to do. I would recommend ballads to people who are fond of reading and writing poems because ballads contain the same language features that poems include.

R v Adomako, Law case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

R v Adomako, Law case - Essay Example The Court of Appeal discussed the tests on involuntary manslaughter when related with questions of gross negligence in dismissing the case and upholding a conviction. The court was faced with confirming that the violation of the duty of care resulted into the death of the victim. It was also important to find out whether the breach of the duty resulted to the death thus justifying a criminal conviction. The appeal was thus dismissed as it failed to convince the judges of the Court of Appeal to have satisfied the test of gross negligence in manslaughter cases (Erin and Ost 2007, p.19). The House of Lords was to ascertain what established criminal negligence, whether it was by gross negligence among drivers, as claimed in R v Bateman [1925] 19 Cr.App.R.8 and Andrews v Director of Public Prosecutions [1937] A.C.576; ignoring drivers carelessness as detailed in R v Lawrence (Stephen) [1982] A.C.510, or analyse the situation by its facts (Herring 2012, p.193). The House of Lords upheld th e conviction of the appellant for the offence of manslaughter stating that the law as made in the case of R v Seymor [1983] 2 A.C.493 was not relevant to the present case as the law it was found on been changed by the Road Traffic Act of 1991 that applied presently. The rider to this is that the trial judge is at liberty to use the word according to its liberal or literal meaning only when he thinks it as appropriate to the case beforehand. From this case, the House of Lords established the examination for serious negligence in manslaughter suitcases committed though not voluntary, Lord Mackay, LC in construing this in involuntary manslaughter cases stated that the usual test of negligence applied that which constituted the breach of duty that has resulted in harm or injury (Halpin 2004, p.93). Therefore, if a breach occurred that resulted in the death of the victim, the jury would be required to find out if the gross negligence resulted in the crime of manslaughter. In his argument , this depends must depend on the seriousness of the violation of the duty committed by a defendant in the course of his duties. In the present case, what the duty is supposed to care about is whether the conduct of the defendant was far from the standard of care expected of him and that it resulted in the death of a patient. Only if the departure was far from the expectation would the act or omission be adjudged as criminal. Using R v Bateman [1925] 19 Cr.App.R.8 as a basis for Lord Mackay while quoting Lord Hewart, CJ stated that as laid down in manslaughter cases if a person holds a position of consultancy, possesses special skills and knowledge and acts on behalf of a patient he should exercise due caution. Therefore a patient who willingly submits to the direction and treatment offered by a specialist is owed a duty of care that involves the exercise of skill and knowledge, care and diligence including caution in the provision of the medical care. In finding a conviction or not , the jury is therefore required to exercise utmost care through reasonable and a fair standard of care that takes consideration of the competence of the professional involved. Lord Atkin in formulating recklessness and gross negligence cases in involuntary manslaughter cases in Andrews v Director of Public Prosecutions [1937] A.C.576

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example Moreover, these traits mostly represent the processes used when consumers are considering physical products for purchase. Most tourists make travel decisions based on the influence of their friends or family members, or due to the emotional appeal of tourist destinations. It is important to understand that tourists usually undertake varied decision making processes when they choose to go on holiday. A good example of this is the scenario where people who were not meaning to go on a visit any where suddenly make a last minute decision to accompany friends or family members to exotic lands. According to (Solomon, Bamossy, Askegarrd, and Hogg 2009) in modern times, there are tourist behaviours such ‘‘last-minute’’ decisions to travel show that traditional decision-making methods are becoming irrelevant. There are even more factors that travellers decide to use in determining the choices of tourist destinations that they decide on. For instance, it would appear that for some travellers, the choice of where or when to travel is an ongoing process which may be changed even after a decision has been made on the preferred destination. In addition, more and more travellers are allowing their decisions to be influenced by nostalgia, travel party, and date. Travellers today are also more ready to expose themselves to surprises as they feel that this is the only way in which they will authentically be able to experience any destination. According to Alain Decrop, there are travelers who choose travel destinations even without conducting any research on the culture of the places they are going to visit in order to experience the chosen destinations in a more unbiased manner (Decrop 2005). In such cases, what is unexpected adds to the excitement of the first time experiences of the tourists. Planning for a holiday will remove the excitement of first landing in a foreign land and thus destroy the whole purpose of travelling in the first place. 2. Com pare the information search process, as it is described in the case, with the search process that consumers might follow for one other product category (e.g. a household appliance or a perfume). When making purchase decisions, consumers may take into consideration a lot of information; particularly when deciding on a product brand such as a car or a sofa set. This differs from the decision making processes used by tourists when picking vacation destinations. Many consumers do not pick household appliances on a whim; or decide to order for these products from a store while leaving the decision on colour or texture to the seller so as to experience the element of surprise. For the most part, household goods and other such products are chosen after consumers embark on sequential decision processes in which various options are considered in a systematic method until the customer arrives at his or her last remaining choice. Following this evaluation process, the customers will choose the product they wish to purchase. Moreover, there are other ways in which purchasing decisions made during the procurement of products are somewhat similar to those used when travellers are picking on vacation spots. This is because a consumer can change his or her mind and pick on a competitor’s merchandise instead; or cancel the acquisition altogether. This could be spurred by impolite staff in the place of transaction, a long queue, or even a complicated

The invention of the telephone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The invention of the telephone - Essay Example The invention of the telephone can be attributed to two great minds: Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell. These two men were American inventors working independently on similar projects that culminated in the creation of the first telephone in the 1870s. They both designed the first instruments that could be used to transmit sound through electronic means (Casson, 2007). Gray and Graham Bell could not have been successful in their inventions had it not been for the effort of other inventors who had worked on projects that involved the transfer of sound from one device to another. In 1831, Michael Faraday discovered that it was possible to covert metallic vibrations to electrical impulses. This became the most important basic principle of the telephone, although nobody worked on it up until 1861. This was when Johann Reis designed the first instrument that could convert sound to electromagnetic waves and back to sound. However this device had many shortcomings including its inability to transmit several frequencies at the same time. In 1854, Antonio Meucci invented the telettrofono, a device which could be used to communicate through voice (Mercer, 2006, 76). One of the factors that contributed greatly to the invention of the telephone was the telegraph, which had been in existence for more than thirty years by the time the telephone was designed. Although it was a highly successful communication system, it had its own problems. For instance, its use of the Morse code greatly limited how one could send and receive messages. in 1870 the Englishman electrician C.F. Varley patented some audio telegraphs that were based on the invention of Reis. In 1874, Poul la Cour was bale to transmit tones through audio telegraphs and telegraph lines (Noll, 2001, 151. However, the instruments were not made to transmit actual human sound. Gray and Bell used Reis’s instrument to make their own versions of the telephone. Gray had designed a tone telegraph similar to la

Assessment Brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assessment Brief - Essay Example groups, as well as our group, and with proper observation, we should be able to determine their good points and offer constructive comments about the part that we deem would need improvement. Our group was assigned the topic of Customer Care. The members were Fares Al- Naami,Ali Guhfli, Mohamed Echtibi, Issam Dalati, Ahmad al aomar. Our three good points were first, our effective power point slide show presentation that went well with our topic; second, our introduction was attention-getter even though it was brief, and third, the write-up that we had distributed was relevant to the information we presented. However, we have to admit that we have to improve in some issues, like team preparation. We displayed poor teamwork. We were obvious in relying on our personal notes, that we appeared less prepared and we missed employing the proper eye contact with the audience and the use of body language was almost totally missed because we were more preoccupied with our notes. On the process, we were not effective in the interaction aspect, and for a while, lost our contact with the audience because we were not able to hold their attention. Without waiting for anyone to suggest to us, we acknowledge the need for our group to research more, spend time with the other members in reviewing our presentation over and over again and aim for more quality in our work. We could have rehearsed and prepared a list of possible questions that the audience would be expected to ask. The second group, composed of Martin Kredba, Selcuk Ugur, Refik Iyiuyarlar, Cuong Khuat, and Tomas Vagasky, was given the topic Interactive Marketing. The only good points worth mentioning about their group was their presentable physical attributes which were quite impressive. They looked so formal, as if they really meant business. And next, they were able to adhere to the time element allotted for each group. Regretfully, other than these two, we cannot pinpoint anything else that could be

Personal Family Immigration Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Family Immigration Story - Essay Example My grandfather refutes these claims, saying that they were forced to leave due to the attack on their city and other cities. During this war, approximately 700,000 Arabs were forced out of their homes (Pappà © 76). At the time, my grandfather Juan had just fallen in love with a young, beautiful woman known as Tina. They had just had their first born child when the war broke out. Their home had become a battleground; the air was filled with smoke and dust. Dead bodies were strewn all over since there was no possible way of disposing them as their numbers grew significantly by the second. The villagers were filled with fear and uncertainty. No one was sure about what lay for them the next day. Businesses were destroyed making it difficult for the residents to earn their daily bread. Most people were dying of hunger, since everyone who had food had decided to hoard it due the uncertainty presented by the war. My grandfather’s textile business had been destroyed; his business premises had been burnt down and the Jews had frozen their accounts, making them economically stagnant. At this point of desolation, my grandfather made a wise decision to leave the war-torn Palestine in search of a better place to raise their infant son. The â€Å"Nakba† as is referred by my grandfather was the mass exodus of the Arabs from their Palestine homes. According to my grandfather, he moved his father, mother, two sisters and his family from the war-torn country. His brother had been killed in a blast, and they were not ready to lose another member of their family. They moved to the Dheisheh refugee camp in West Bank in 1949. This camp was like a prison; it was fenced and had a fence made of metal turnstile (Mattar 590). According to my grandfather, the Jews were afraid that the refugees would stone their cars; hence, the fence. The situation at the camp was not humane. People were dying on a daily

Third Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Third Assignment - Essay Example There are distinct and predictable differences between the ways that men and women communicate. It is all a matter of speaking style and preferences. Biological function is the basis for these differences. Men engage the world â€Å"as an individual in a hierarchical social order in which he was either one up or one down† (Tannen 24). Tannen says that life for men, â€Å"is a contest, a struggle to preserve independence and avoid failure† (25). Women on the other hand approach the world â€Å"as an individual in a network of connections† where â€Å"conversations are negotiations for closeness† (Tannen 25). Women then see life as â€Å"a community, a struggle to preserve intimacy and avoid isolation† (Tannen 25). If there is not the recognition and acknowledgement that these differences exist, then the only possible outcome is a world of misunderstanding between the sexes. These opposing world views described by Tannen become the context to the speaker’s words, purposes and intent. She describes some the interactions that could potentially develop within each of these two paradigms and between them through a series of â€Å"Asymmetries† that we typically encounter in the course of daily living. When one person could be considered to hold a favorable position compared to someone else, this can be seen as a type of asymmetry in the balance of power. Someone needs a sympathetic ear, and the other has the responsibility of offering support. Another kind of asymmetry occurs when a simple chore becomes flavored by the underlying currents which govern male and female behavior. Asking for directions while driving in the car is a classic example that demonstrates the differences between the way men think and the way women think. In the book, we are given the scenario of Sybil and Harold lost while on the road in a car. Sybil is angry that Harold will not stop and ask for

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 18

Marketing - Essay Example The disparity between international marketing and domestic marketing lies in the global markets complexity and multidimensionality. An international manager requires understanding of such complexities and the allegations they have regarding international marketing. When an organization moves from domestic to global market, different international strategies needs to be approached for getting an idea of the international marketplace. International companies such as Coca Cola, Gillette practices international marketing (Eid and Trueman, 2004). International marketing serves to be a good opportunity for the organizations to expand its business and make profits through overseas business. International competition comes with global cooperation. Organizations in order to establish business in foreign countries make greater efforts to understand cultures of those countries to develop strategies for success. Internationalization is affecting the interdependence of every country and makes att empts to promote global cooperation (Furrer, Liu and Sudharshan, 2000). The aim of the study is to understand the notion of international marketing and the environmental factors that favour the development of various international strategies. The strategies that indicate culture and its appreciation serves as a tool to ensure marketing success, will also be analysed in details. Evaluation of the environmental factors is crucial in developing international marketing strategies. An international manager requires a deep knowledge of the complexities of the environment and its implications in the international marketing environment. International marketing strategies takes into factors such as legal, economic, political and technological for gaining business efficiency (Eid and Trueman, 2004). Legal environment varies in both perspective and in elucidation. An organization besides being bound by its home country laws is also bound by the

Project literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project literature review - Essay Example ficial comparisons of silence and voice suggest that ideas are two different behaviors among employee in organizations, they are still multi-dimensional in nature. Silence in an organization is a powerful, tool or force that employees may use to present their grievances (Dyne, Ang and Botero 1364). However, the two can still be used as a way of presenting employee grievances. In organizations, issues that rise as a result of employees being dissatisfied with the working conditions, procedures or other problems are all classified under employee grievances. Aggrieved employees always file their dissatisfaction through such grievance processes and the management team has to take action (Daud, Yahya, Isa, and Noor 247). In some cases, the management is reluctant to take any action. Matters involving grievances show that employees are usually trying to express their dissatisfaction with the management. It also shows that there is a breach of the employees’ rights that get affected because of lack of clarity. In organizations with low rates of grievances, employees may fear presenting their grievances (Daud, Yahya, Isa, and Noor 242). In most companies or businesses, grievance discussions are conducted several times as until the aggrieved parties can agree on the same issues as the party that is accused of propagating the problem. In all the grievance processes carried out in organizations, one main aspect stands out. This is communication. Both formal and informal communications are the key to eliminating or preventing grievances (Daud, Yahya, Isa, and Noor 248). The handling style used also matters because the wrong style of handling a grievance process only increases the frustrations and complains. Justice in institutions, at work or at home can only be attained if there are effective grievance processes. Without these processes, there are no tangible outcomes and the employees’ sense of justice is always violated. Most research on grievance processes focuses

Battle of Fredericksburg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Battle of Fredericksburg - Essay Example It started December 11, 1862 and ended four days later. The importance of the battle for both sides is paramount. The outcome, for instance, could prop up the Lincoln administration’s campaign for public support, which has suffered a great loss in public confidence owing to the failure of the Union forces to crush the Confederate army and defeat General Lee once and for all. On the other hand, for the Confederacy, the battle, though did not have any significant strategic import, achieved a psychological boost that trumpeted the might and capability of their forces. According to Eckenrode and Conrad, the battle is the culmination of the peak of the confederate strength in the course of the Civil War.1 How Fredericksburg came to be the battleground for this winter war was explained by Longstreet and Piston who wrote: Before the end of November it became evident that Fredericksburg was to be our winter station and the scene of a severe battle before it could be relieved†¦ To wards the latter part of the month General Jackson was called down and assigned position on the right near Hamilton’s Crossing and the Massaponax. ... Under cover of this fire, the Yankees attempted to construct two pontoon bridges opposite the city, but were repeatedly driven off by our sharpshooters in the rifle pits along the shore and in the houses.3 In the beginning the battle was expected to be a victory for the Union forces because they outnumbered Lee’s men. Under the command of General Ambrose Burnside, the Union army was 120,000 strong. General Longstreet wrote about the fateful day before the assault took place: â€Å"The flags of the Federals fluttered gaily, the polished arms shone brightly in the sunlight, and the beautiful uniforms of the buoyant troops gave to the scene the air of a holiday occasion rather than a spectacle of a great army about to be thrown into the tumult of battle.†4 But the attempt to rebuild a destroyed bridge necessary to cross into the city cost the Union Army a month, allowing Lee’s Confederate forces to receive reinforcements such as James Longstreet’s 41,000 men who began fortifying Marye’s Heights, which overlooked a wide canal and drainage ditch that the Union troops had to cross; â€Å"Stonewall† Jackson’s 39,000 soldiers who were positioned in Longstreet’s right flank; and, Lee’s 90,000 assembled army, who with the time wasted by the Union forces rebuilding the bridge, was able to secure the heights that covered most of the ground river. As events unfolded, the tides were turned and the expedition became a debacle for the Union army. The difficulty of the assault was recounted no less than General Burnside who later wrote about the bloody ambush: The stone wall [commanded by Longstreet’s men] proved too strong for the valor of our troops. Never did a hotter fire greet an advancing party. The plain in

Community outreach project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Community outreach project - Essay Example The mission of initiating a new service is to evaluate community-based library outreach programs using various components that are paired with relevant alternative strategies. In order to achieve its mission, there are various strategies that have to put into consideration to facilitate the process of community outreach program in the field of nursing. However, this paper intend to discuss two of those strategies and these encompasses directional strategy and market strategy. From research, a directional strategy is frequently developed focusing on different components such as, progress, steadiness, as well as cost cutting (Addis & Gamble, 2004). Therefore, for an organization intending to introduce a new service for patients, before establishing a directional strategy, it is vital to define the main objective of such an action. For instance, the main intention of this new service is to increase profits and cut costs at the same time, while improving the lives of patients through the community outreach program. By identifying the objective of introducing the new service, it becomes easier to choose the best type of directional strategy that suits the outreach program (Kreuter, Lezin & Young, 2000). For example, by using cost-cutting strategy, it will be easy to carry out rationalizations, eradicating particular products from the line before introducing the new one, or even file for impoverishment or selling out. The significance of a directional strategy is to play as a control to direct an organization through both peaceful and unsettled times (Berwick, 2003). Directional strategy helps in maintaining the objective of the new service to be introduced in the market; it also stabilizes and helps in the expansion of profits as well as makes it possible for the business to move forward with its activities without losing tract of the intended project. The key objective of a directional strategy is to keep the business focused in the planned manner probable while pr oceeding to expand both returns and services provided to patients in the community outreach program. In most cases, directional strategies enable the introduction or the initiation of the new service to develop in one of the two paths. These include either perpendicular or straight expansion. In this case, vertical expansion implies that introducing the new service will focus on present clients and clients increase their spending on the new service or establishing new clients with the new service. On the other hand, horizontal expansion encompasses pursuing new customers and those clients in the immediate location to enjoy the new service that is being offered. It also involves enlarging the outreach to other areas in order to expand the client base of the new service. Another strategy that will be used in this process includes the market strategy. As it is known, a strategy is always a long-term plan that is established to attain particular objectives. Thus, a market strategy is a plan developed to attain marketing goals for the new service intended to be introduced in the nursing field (Whitney, Dutcher& Keselman, 2013). For instance, marketing goal may be to initiate a new service by appreciating clients or patients. The strategic plan thus is the complete planning that includes marketing research, and then establishing a marketing mix to appreciate clients. It is essential for every business or organization

Massachusetts Health Reform Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Massachusetts Health Reform Policy - Essay Example Public policy is a complex process which involves collaboration of various players to act toward achievement of that public policy. It involves development of laws, regulations, decisions and actions towards the policy achievement. This paper addresses health care policy and reform undertaken in Massachusetts health care in United States America (Kowalcyzk, 2006). Health care provision in USA has been a major debate over along period. The debate has centered on right to health care, accessibility, sustainability and the quality of health care system. Although United States heath care system is the most expensive in the world which consists a mixture of public and private system, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicated that use of health services was below its meridian. National Academy of Sciences and the institute of Medicine cited that US is the only developed state that does not cover its citizens, thus the debate on universal health care policy. The United States government policy which seeks to provide universal health care has been a major debate which has divided Americans along party lines. ... Those against universal healthcare argue for people to be let free to choose their health insurance. The universal health program is yet to be achieved in US (Sered, 2005). Massachusetts health care reform (2006) Before enactment in to law of Massachusetts healthcare reform in 2006 as Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006 of the Massachusetts Legislature, most of the residents approximated to range from 395,000 to 653,000 were uninsured. US laws require all people to be treated in all hospitals regardless of residency or whether one has money or not. This brought unpaid hospital bills and expenses due to the uninsured residents in Massachusetts (Richard, 2005). A fund known as "Uncompensated Care pool" was used to reimburse hospitals the expenses of uninsured residents and those of non residents. The fund was raised through state contributions, federal tax revenue and annual assessment on insurance providers. The fund accumulated due to an increase in insured Massachusetts residents prompting the legislation of reform on health care without additional funding. The Massachusetts health care reform was made law in 2006. The law requires every Massachusetts resident to obtain cover of health insurance. Subsidized health care is provided to residents earning up to 100% of federal poverty level and partially to those earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level. An independent body was put in place to subsidize coverage and to facilitate the selection and buying of private insurance. Tax penalties are given to residents who fail to obtain health insurance (Kowalcyzk, 2006). Legislation of the policy The plan to cover uninsured began in 2004 when Governor Mitt Romney called for a cover plan for the uninsured. At that Affordable Care

Managerial Economics Week 7 Individual Work Assignment

Managerial Economics Week 7 Individual Work - Assignment Example The information asymmetry by the buyer will enable him/her to go for more quality tests on the product. An experience good is a good in which its prices and quality are in question by the consumers. After the consumption, the consumer will then be able to ascertain the quality of the product. Consumers then are more likely to pay higher prices for the product because lower prices by the notorious firm will raise the consumers’ eyebrows. Consumers will also be able to question whether there are some problems, which cannot be observed in the market but only upon consumption. Higher prices indicate how genuine the product can be thus consumers will go for the product at higher prices. Good branding of the products will also contribute towards higher prices by consumers (Holt, 2009). In the long-run, consumers will opt to paying lower prices. The decision to pay lower prices results from the fact that one gets to know the quality of the product after its

Organizational Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organizational Case Study - Essay Example Multiple tiers of research, analysis, theories, hypotheses, and conclusions will be drawn apply the necessary programs as well as the human and other resources to successful serve all areas -- senior level managers/executives and the board of directors, full time employees, professional and paraprofessional staff, as well as the clients from the urban community -- of the organization. In a professional bureaucracy such as the Continuing Education Department, the administrator must be disseminate the department piece by piece, work group by work group, market segment by market segment to properly determine roles and responsibilities as well as levels of accountability. "Its operating core is large relative to its other structural parts - particularly the technostructure. Few managerial levels exist between the strategic apex creating a flat and decentralized profile. Control relies heavily on professional training and indoctrination." (Bolman & Deal, 2003, pp. 65-66) This approach will provide a grid and foundation for future forecast and the building of paradigms and theories to manage and develop programs in response to the needs of employees and affiliates as well as market (s) and community needs. Further segmentation, research and analyses provides greater understanding of the customers needs, trends and opportunities for innovations to serve both the communi ty outreach efforts and the staff development activities. The identification, research and analyses should provide the material to determine best practices, development of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analyses, due diligence, competition within and without the immediate market community as well as trends in the distance and continuing education industries collectively. The development of other approaches will provide the basis for understanding decline in enrollment over the last two (2) years for both the staff development and community outreach programs. It is necessary to thoroughly understand the organizational chart, gaps strategy, reevaluation of corporate missions, the identification and qualification of redundant and/or overlapping responsibilities and programs, as well as streamlining departments, funds for the programs from both the strategic and operations levels to appropriately identify, define, qualify, design, redesign, develop and imple ment effective and efficient solutions and methodologies. Leadership and Strategic Planning Any philosophy developed to properly administer policies and procedures must reflect the organizational proficiencies as well as the community's needs, as this will allow both the internal and external environment to grow synergistically and symbiotically. The objectives must be apparent in the organization's long and short term goals and be a model to develop other programs as well as a foundation on which the organization can grow in response to the community's needs. In order to approach or create methodologies that address the organizational needs, careful assessment must be made to understand corporate mission and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threats (SWOT). These are areas which provide focus and bench marks in checking and reviewing environmental feasibility issues.

Summarize the Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summarize the Article - Essay Example It was ensured that each participant could be clinically observed during the 3 periods until onset of CVD or death. For final analysis participants for whom all data of physical activity was present and who had data on the selected confounders (smoking, marital status, comorbidity and cholesterol level) were used for final study. The authors calculated the life expectancy and the physical activity and found that people with low physical activity tended to be older (mean age 62) and had more comorbidities than those with slightly higher physical activity. The authors also noticed that low and moderate activity groups had higher female proportion than the high activity group. The authors also found life expectancy increased with increased levels of physical activity. They found that the life expectancy of a sedentary person at 50 years was 1.5times shorter than those who engaged in some moderate physical activity at the same age. Also, people with high physical activity did not suffer from CVD and hence had higher life expectancy. Since physical activity has a protective effect on health and increases life expectancy even with associated comorbidities it is important to understand their significance and contribution in life especially after 50 years during which most people tend to give up work and adopt a sedentary life style. Older people who engage in physical activity tend to live longer because their system remains relatively free from diseases such CVD, risks and associated stress hence physical activity can somehow control aging for a minimum period of time thereby elonging life span by a few

The gaze (research paper) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The gaze (research paper) - Essay Example (Mabry, 2001) The key aim of the research is to analyze the set of images from â€Å"Seven Year Itch† movie, with Marilyn Monroe starring in it. The image has become the classics of glamour photography, and it is often regarded by the gaze concept admirers as the brightest example of male domination over women. Therefore, the research is aimed at studying the different aspects of the image. Additionally the proper visual analysis is performed for differentiating the male gaze and dominance, from the natural female necessity to stay attractive and perfect looking. The key steps of the research will involve review of the image origin jointly with the relevance of the movie plot, and its relation to the Male Gaze concept. The key idea of the movie fragment is reviewed in order to realize the message. Then, there is a need to switch the research accent to the purely artistic factors, such as composition, framing, and other technical parameters. These are needed to realize the perc eption patterns and principles, i.e. how do the viewers have their look at the image. These aspects will be essential for analyzing the still from the male gaze perspective, as well as explaining the eroticism of the image with a barelegged girl. The interpretive possibilities, offered by the gaze concept are closely linked with the visual perception of a heterosexual man, and it is stated that men start looking through any image in accordance with its erotic composition. On the other hand, visual perception patterns of these images do not violate the standard perception rules, and this concept will be regarded in the paper as well. Theoretic Analysis Considering the theoretic approaches of the male gaze concept, and analysis of the image from the gaze perspective, the psychoanalysis angle should be taken into account. Since cinema provides numerous variants of visual pleasure, the scopophilia (which presupposes enjoying the views of a human body) is one of the key components of the sexuality in general (It is stated that Freud regarded scopophilia as one of the key instinctive components of sexual behavior). In the light of this fact, scopophilia defines people, who are looked at, as the sexual objects. From the psychoanalytic point of view, the necessity to observe a human body is regarded as an instinct that is rooted in childhood. Cinema, as visual art, seems to be distant from the necessity to observe others secretly. Nevertheless, most mainstream Hollywood movies are based on this aspect. In accordance with the research by Despotopoulou (2004) the male gaze is the key approach in classical filmmaking. Therefore, Laura Mulvey emphasizes the following consideration (Gagne, 2001, p. 140): "In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness," and as a result contends that in film a woman is the "beare r of meaning, not maker of meaning." By emphasizing this consideration, Mulvey presupposes that the psychoanalytic approach is essential for analyzing and understanding the process of the sexual objectification (as well as experiencing sexual fantasies) of the Girl (in relation to the movie). Therefore, Marilyn Monroe’s heroine becomes the exploitation object that is passively involved into the voyeuristic act. In general, the three perspectives are occurred that stimulate

A Process of Ongoing Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

A Process of Ongoing Improvement - Essay Example The primary formal presentation of DBR was by Goldratt and Fox, however before that point by point presentation, it was first known in The Goal, and that is the place most experts likely first look into it. After going through the novel carefully or even casually, the reader may be left with the feeling that numerous enhancements were made, however not have an acceptable thought of precisely what happened when, and how they all nourished together to realize the progressions seen in the plant. This paper dissects the information introduced throughout the course of the story. In this manner, there are a few goals: The Goal is not difficult to peruse and comprehend which has made it prevalent with specialists. Since it puts the onlooker amidst Alex Rogers confused life at Unico, the spectator can perceive how the majority of the substances of a plant administrators life influence an individual's capacities to make the "right" choices. Consequently, it is an influential approach to help individuals without production experience comprehend these substances. With an advance like that, it is straightforward why the third amended release says "In excess of 3 million duplicates sold". Since most secondary school understudies have not accomplished a production environment direct, the book has been utilized within numerous colleges, and the writer has utilized it as a part of a propelled production course for 10 years. Over numerous readings, the writer started to recognize more insights about the plant's ability sprinkled all through the book. A cautious take a gander at the points of interest in the book has demonstrated supportive in understanding the progressions and their effect in the plant.

Enrollment System Essay Example for Free

Enrollment System Essay Enrollment is the focus of the Compfuturist that would lessen the institution’s difficulties in their Information System processing, solve data problems and an easier access of the establishment’s information. Every enrollment, 80-100 enrollees come for the dates of admission having a maximum of 30 for each level, in present time classrooms are consist of 15 students. An easier recording of files and a database to save documents will lessen the space being occupied by the records of the students. A faster transaction, easier ways for inputting datum and a convenient ways for saving files are offered for the use of the establishment by the enrolment system. The commonly used advertisements of schools are brochures, leaflets, banners and calling cards; the group also offers a website that will be used to improve its approach to people. The website would be a help for parents about the notice or updates of events and gatherings, it would also be a way to know the history of the institution and the contact details of the establishment. The incomplete requirements are the main problems during the enrollment, one of which is the student information, some of the information needed is not filled up and some are important to the school records. In the Pre-School it is required for them to have the copy of their birth certificate, two (2) copies of a 22 photo and an interview with the Pastor or Principal. For the grade-schoolers a photocopy of the birth certificate, the form 138, a certificate of Good Moral Character for transferee and an interview with the Pastor or Principal. Due to the uninformed people about the requirements needed some are not brought and are filed to be uncompleted forms. Each student has a folder that contains his or her information about the birth certificates, previous records from the earlier institution he or she attended, the quality point average for each year and also the permits signed by the parents. Enrollment takes time and effort from the parents, students and also from the teachers; every step of an enrolment, a teacher is assigned to instruct a parent or guardian what to do and where to go next. The slow process of enrolment makes the parents furious and makes the job even harder for the teachers for them to rush, that sometimes some records are not being filed or are not properly assigned. Missing documents are also a cause of problem for the institution, it might be placed to another folder or the parent forgot about it. A school’s updates about events and gatherings are the problems for teachers and parents. Students forget to tell their guardians or forgot to give the letter accustomed by their advisers. The result of the forgotten events cause students not to wear the proper attire, parents does not attend meetings and gatherings, students are thought to be absent for specific happenings and also parents become indignant about the unknown proceedings. Project Framework The Compfuturist Group offers the instituion. a system and a website that would shoulder the difficulties of the institution. The school appoints teachers to handle the student information during the enrollment. Software that is specially made only for Mabalacat Christian Academy and a website that would help the advertisement of the school increase. The system can only be open by an authorized member or the principal of the institution. Passwords and accounts would be made for the privacy policy made by the institution to safeguard each student’s information and background. The Student Information Sheet or Form would consist of the basic details about his or her family, previous schools the child attended, number of siblings, if there were awards he or she got from previous levels, address, contact number of the parent or guardian and more information that are to be filled by the guardian. An option will be given to the parent or guardian if the transaction of payment would be a full payment or a partial payment every quarter and a choice to have it paid through cash or cheque. A database would be given with a maximum capacity of 300 and a number of 50 students per level. A website would be provided for the institution that would only be used for the use of the school’s advertisement, featuring the facilities of the establishment, faculty members, and history of the school and updates of happenings. The page would be the source of parents to be updated to the school’s events; when, where and what to wear. Specific events require students to wear a garment requested by the institution for uniformity. The page can also be a source and guide for parents and guardians to know the details and history about the school. Contact details would be posted and an added detail of the page is that if parents are working abroad they could send the uncompleted requirement to the email of the school with attachment of the requirements. The Facebook page of the institution is also posted to the website and could be directed to the page created by the faculty members of the school. Statement of Objective Website and Enrollment System is a program extended to Mabalacat Christian Academy, a program that would make the transactions of requirements and documents, and also help about the school’s reputation about the improvement of its ways. It could solve the problems of the school since it started; the system only solves the problem of the school paperworks and will lessen the space of the documented files. The System is a program that would make the process of filing student information faster and easier to save for the school. The enrollment system’s purpose is to give a database for the files of students, a maximum of 300 files for the whole institution and an easier way of searching student files. A transaction that would make the access of information system easier for the authorized people, a faster accessibility in information provided and an improved process; the admission and acceptance of enrolees would be faster for the completion of forms would not be difficult for teachers to save and keep. The Website will inform the parents of the situations, cancellation of classes, school events, PTA meeting schedules, examination dates and payment dues. An account will be given to the principal or school head to access the student accounts and website if changes are to be made, the account given to the principal can also be used to check the number of students enrolled and to what level they are assigned to Importance of the Study The Compfuturist created a system only from Pre-School to Elementary levels and for an institution with one section per level, the system subjects only to the enrollment, saving and filing of documents and the postage of contact details of the institution. The use of the program is to lessen the burden of alphabetizing envelopes for each level and student, it also makes the search of a student file faster compared to the manual based of searching through metal drawers. A database that would show and save documents for specific purposes and privacy of files will be kept and safe from others to see. Only the Principal and the appointed faculty or member of the institution could access the information system of the database provided by the system. The institution would benefit from the free system that could be used for years and less updates of program would be given for the system is only for the use of Mabalacat Christian Academy. Parents and students would also benefit from it because information given from the old students will not be inputted again but be moved to the folder that consists of the level he or she is. The editing and adding of details is convenient even to those people who are not good in using computers. Less stressing and easier to use, is the way that the program or system offers to its benefactors. Radio buttons, scroll bars and more features of the program and website would be given to lessen the difficulty that some encounters in web pages and softwares. A free ten (10) months of maintenance is given for the institution and would make things better compared to the existing manual system.

Resource Allocation Essay Example for Free

Resource Allocation Essay Project management is the discipline of defining and achieving targets while optimizing the use of resources: time, money, people, materials, energy, space, etc. , over the course of a project. The most important resources that project managers have to plan and manage on day-to-day basis are people, materials, equipment and working capital. Obviously, if these resources are available in abundance then the project could be accelerated to achieve shorter project duration. On the other hand, [Avoid using colloquial language, slang or jargon in formal writing (14)] if these resources are severely limited, then the result more than likely will be a delay in the project completion time. Depending on the type of resources, the costs of providing an abundance of such resources to accelerate project completion time can be very high. However, if resources are readily available and excess premiums are not incurred to use them on the project, then project cost should be low, as some project costs are resource related while others are likely to be time dependent. In seeking professional services for the design and construction of our garage with living quarters, the management team has been confronted with a broad variety of choices. The services solicited are based on past history and excellent referrals. The Ransom family has selected the following individuals for the organizational structure of the garage project, all team member functions, responsibilities, qualifications, and capabilities are defined, as well as where each member fits into this structure. [Comma splice and/or run-on sentence. Rewrite as two sentences, or separate with a semicolon. (32)] The Ransom’s are confident that this group of individuals will form a cohesive team to complete the project within scope, budget and time. Ransom Family James Sampson is a low-level manager who will function as project manager. As PM he has been given the authority by the board of directors to resolve any resource allocation issues that may arise. James reports directly to the board of directors. His qualifications are over 20 years of experience in the areas of industrial engineering, materials and operations management. His academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and an MBA specializing in quantitative business analysis and business statistics. James will serve as liaison for the city planning commission. James has the following skills and abilities: principles and practices of contemporary project management, strategic, conceptual and analytical thinking, adaptability and flexibility including ability to manage pressure, ambiguity and change, team leadership, interpersonal, communication, and project management skills. Jody Bryant is a functional manager in charge of Contract Administration and Documentation. She reports to James Sampson. Jody’s qualifications are 18 years experience in the area contract administration and associated policies, and procedures. Her academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA specializing in technology. She maintains contract administration systems that ensure that contractors perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their contracts and/or purchase orders. Her responsibilities include: documentation and record keeping, receiving, evaluating and acting on engineering and other change proposals, negotiating cost and schedule impact relating to change orders and other contract modifications. She also ensures timely submission of required reports. Rose Matos is functional manager in charge of structure and on-site management. She reports to James Sampson and Jody Bryant. Rose has 15 years experience designing beams, columns, walls, floors, roofs, and foundations of various structures. She will be responsible for overseeing Big Time Builders, Keep-em Happy Architectural, Martin Grading, and other of contractors such as electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and industrial engineers. James Vann Haigler is functional manager over quality assurance. Vann, as he prefers to be called, has an extensive background in quality assurance management, which includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in Computer Science. He has over 13 years of experience in QA, 3D graphics applications. Vann reports to James Sampson, and is responsible for the overall management of activities related to the sampling, and release of raw materials and components. This includes, but is not limited to, writing of specifications and SOPs, control of artwork, shop floor testing, resolution of Sub-standard Material Reports, and maintenance of vendor files. He guarantees a level of quality for the end client, and is focused on creating a quality deliverable. Task and Responsibility Matrix After the project is organized, there is a need to define what roles and responsibilities for each member of Team B. Within the project the labor will not be specificity be accomplished by the team members but from sub-contractors, however each task must be carried out in order to complete the project. [This sentence is confusing. Reword for clarity] In order to insure that all tasks are carried out in the necessary order described within the Statement of Work the overseeing of the tasks are divided and assigned to various team members according to the members role which is defined by; responsibility, approval and support. With this in mind, the team has developed a task/responsibility matrix to keep track of these steps.

Character Traits of Superheroes

Character Traits of Superheroes I am lying in bed counting sheep when all of a sudden it hits me. I conceive a character like Samson, Hercules, and all the strong men I have ever heard rolled into one. His intense wave of inspiration perhaps a small parallel of the inordinate abilities possessed by the mythical heroes and strongmen he himself had name checked, he proceeds to feverishly wile away the night producing what would become the very first Superman script. By connecting his creation of this contemporary Super being to both the biblical figure of Samson and the Mythological hero of ancient Greece, Hercules, Siegel shows us that his Superman and the legions of costumed adventurers that his presence will inspire the creation of are to be seen and revered as godly totems. In fact Thor, the Norse god of thunder himself would go on to star in his very own serialized adventures with Marvel Comics. When superheroes are the subject of a discussion, an important point to try and ascertain is just what exactly the definition and nature of a hero is. A hero, in its simplest of definitions is a person who conquers his or her own limitations and fears to achieve or perform an act that under normal circumstances would be considered extraordinary. Regarding the harsh reality most of us inhabit, the soldiers and military personnel who lay their lives on the line for a concept that is bigger than them as individuals, the astronauts who risk their lives to further the reach and imagination of our collective species on missions with a high probability of a lethal outcome and the firemen who take their lives in their hands daily by entering burning buildings and combating deadly blazes. These men and women are regularly and with good reason, the yardstick by which heroism is measured. Furthering that idea, perhaps with less lethal professions, is the doctor who will spend his or her long da ys and nights treating the sickly and infirm, or the schoolteacher who sees to it that our children receive decent educations to put to use further on in their lives ahead. Perhaps even, a different but no less impressive display of bravery, in which a sufferer of a particularly debilitating disease, or trauma, will endure painful and physically draining rehabilitation to regain their strength and good health. A hero is supposed to personify the traits within ourselves that we deem to be the best. Be they morally, socially or lawfully. They are standards that warrant our admiration and aspiration. And while this unwritten rule considers the heroes of the reality that surrounds us it still applies to our fictional heroes, of the page, the stage or the screen. Fictional heroes have been an ever-present institution of modern-day societies and past mythologies and cultures throughout history. Michael Corleone from The Godfather films, the gun slinging Dirty Harry or the Man with No Name as both portrayed by Clint Eastwood, Phillip Marlowe, Rambo and Sherlock Holmes, for example are all indeed human in their emotions, their nuances and their foibles in spite of their inherently fictitious nature. But could we seriously consider those characters as heroes? Or are they, for all the adventures they may endure or the nefarious plots they may foil, simply compelling, but ultimately human protagonists that enthusiasts can relate to? We feel that given the right opportunities, we could become them in some capacity. Casting a glance further back in time, there is also an all-too obvious distinction between the more ancient mythological heroes and the costumed supermen and superwomen of today. Hercules, Thor, Beowulf, Gilgamesh and Moses for example, all display the qualities of nobility, courage and the strengths both mental and physical we have come to associate with that of a hero. But somewhere within the cultural evolution of these fictitious heroes, the genome seemed to split off and create a sub category of its own. One that saw the hybridization of the ancient heros super-human strengths and the pop relevance and accessibility of the more contemporary fictional protagonist. This new strain of heroes were defined by a characteristic fearlessness as opposed to the more human ability to adapt to and ultimately overcome fear, with a set of skills honed to a meta-human standard. Even Batman, who, while not possessing the conventional super-strength or x-ray vision proclivities that his inked brothers and sisters may share, belongs amongst them more so than his more human peers. He proves himself by displaying the fearlessness to patrol the rooftops of Gotham city come nightfall, leaping headlong into violent situations and making use of his inordinate intellect and physical training to foil the designs of his villains (even going as far as to recover from a bro ken back in Knightfall: Part One (Moench, Titan Books, 1993) while never compromising his own morality and ultimately keeping his lifelong vow to restore safety and peace, earning the respect and admiration of the community as he does it. This raises an interesting point. While the origins and talents of superheroes are often incredibly varied on an individual to individual basis; the one constant amongst their equally as varied psychological repertoire is adopting and living by a value system and an unflinching, immovable dedication to enforcing said system. Although, ironically, as Daniel Fingeroth notes in his book Superman on the Couch (Continuum, 2006, page 17) These are also, interestingly, the characteristics of a villain. And, as the saying goes, every decent villain thinks of himself as the hero. Hitler had no doubt that he was the good guy. However, as Richard Reynolds is quoted as saying in his book Super Heroes: A Modern Mythology (University Press of Mississippi, 1994) page 74 Superheroes are by and large not upholders of the letter of the law; they are not law enforcement agents employed by the state. The set of values they traditionally defend is summed up by the Superman tag of Truth, Justice and the American Way. Sometimes the last term has been interpreted in a narrowly nationalistic waybut far more oftenhas stood for the ideals enshrined in the US Constitution. Reynolds claims that the superhero is a symbol that inherently represents, and continues to represent, the ever-changing values of whichever society creates him or her. A trait almost wholly unique to the superhero, with such prominent cycles of revision and reinvention rarely being attributed to those fictional heroes of past eras (For instance, you may be hard pressed to find a 60s-era Moses or a 80s-era Lone Ranger). Reynolds theory is, both visually and thematically, very distinguishable when looking through the back catalogues of a number of todays popular heroes. For example, in the 40s, Superman fought the Nazis, in the 50s, communists, in the 60s and 70s he became more involved against governmental issues like widespread corruption. Compare early, campy Batman to the dark, brooding Batman established in the late 80s and early 90s and literally witness a night and day transformation. But, regardless of such evolutions, whatever the time and place, the hero will always know wha t the morally correct course of action is. But what is it exactly that dwells within people and causes them to harbour such intense craving for these hyperbolic tales of greater valour? Why are we not content with the truer and undoubtedly more realistic tales of human heroism? Take for example, a typical everyman character. Would his encounters with extraordinary situations or extraordinary people be a better example of an inspirational role model, and the very idea of a super being leaving us mere mortals feeling wholly inadequate? Perhaps we as people and congenitally social creatures, find hearing about the man of steel from the distant planet of Krypton easier to digest than say a neighbour who outclasses us physically, socially or hierarchically. Therein may lie the key the whole question. Maybe these heroes tap into our group consciousness and shared doubts about us, as individuals, failing to measure up to our potential or the standards others may expect of us. The notion of a character not quite living by the same so cietal doctrines as the rest of us, allows for an amount of comfortable dissmissiveness regarding our own perceived human failings. Lets focus on who many consider to be the alpha-superhero, Superman. Superman (or more accurately, Kal-El, his given Kryptonian name) is from the planet Krypton. It is rather unlikely that any sane human could ever also make that claim. So feeling inadequate after seeing him stop an earthquake or reverse time by flying around the planet backwards is prevented by a buffer zone of suspended disbelief. Batman, on the other hand, was always a perfectly normal little boy (and, obviously, an earthling) who swears an oath to himself to be better, stronger and smarter over the murdered bodies of his parents. Not only does little Bruce Wayne swear to it, he grows up and accomplishes it. That kind of human dedication could potentially rub a person who had, so far, failed to get where they wanted in life, or were prone to procrastination, the wrong way. But while Batman is more of a human hero than say Superman, hes none the less a larger than life character that displays characteristics that a re absent or unrealistic to expect within ordinary people. Even the pop culture characters more rooted in reality seem to operate in places where certain degrees of magic or pseudo science are possible. Rambo or The Punisher couldnt really dodge so many bullets or use their weapons so casually without incurring significant collateral damages, yet these characters are still believed to be normal within their genre. Whereas if you or I, average people, ever found ourselves in a fist fight, were ever struck or struck someone else in the face, it would be an unforgettable event that we would relay to anyone who wished to hear it whether we knew them all that well or not. Wed seek medical or legal advice, press charges to bring the perpetrator to justice. It would become an important footnote in out lifes story. Yet to the more human of serial fictional heroes, physical altercations are an everyday occurrence, a part of the job. With characters that dont have the disadvantage of needing to be portrayed by real life actors, the number of fights they will undertake is a truly staggering number. How many kicks and jabs has Batman landed over his sixty plus years of existence? It would be an almost incalculable number that would put the body counts of most modern flesh and blood action men to shame. So, the fact must be that, even in our real heroes, people feel the compulsive need to imbue them with qualities, powers and abilities that far exceed the rest of our capabilities. More so even than those amongst us in peak shape and of outstanding performance. Looking back at the idea of the regular person dealing with punching, or having been punched by somebody, any event like that, that can elevate itself above those of the everyday; will change a persons constitution in some way. Be it physically, mentally or socially. And change is invariably the one constant, be it large or small, in our lives. But Superman will never retire. Hell change, certainly. You only have to compare his adventures now to those of the 30s and 40s to see it. But he is still, in essence the same Kryptonian that landed on Earth all those years ago. Comic writers allow their creations something known as the illusion of change, which is true of most serialized characters, and, possibly, a part of their appeal. For, we grow older, witness it in our friends and relations and eventually die. But superheroes are always there. They age remarkably slowly, if at all. We learn from our lifes experiences and grow, existentially as people. Fictional creations do not. An inescapable fact of life is that, as we age, we will acquire some level of wisdom from our experiences. We can find witnessing others go through the same situation inspirational and instructive. As we grow, we learn and as we learn, we change. All we can do is hope we are changing for the better. It can be delayed somewhat, but never be truly avoided. But superheroes change incredibly slowly. Slow enough that any change could barely have been said to have occurred at all. After just over half a century, Superman still hides his identity from Lois Lane and continues to battle Lex Luthor, Batman still hides his identity from the people of Gotham city and continues to battle The Joker, and Spiderman still hides his identity from Mary Jane and Aunt May while continuing to battle Doctor Octopus and still remaining the unattached and troubled teen. Of course, this is in spite of occasional deviations from canon in which they may be seen wedding their respective sweethearts or appear to die, before exploiting some catch in which they can be revived, which are designed to indulge fans who may have since aged and moved on to the next phase of their lives and who may wish for a little more psuedorealism or social politics that speaks to their present situations. But no matter which version you may have seen, be they married, single, perpetually teenage or maturing young adult, the illusion of change still applies. But can a character that doesnt really age ever learn from his or her life and experiences? Or change as a direct result of it? In truth, only superficially, as to truly change as a result of an encounter or life experience would involve a sense of closure and the following transition from the characters previous, unenlightened standpoint to a more knowledgeable or enlightened stance. If this rule was in effect, perhaps Batman would eventually get the need for his own brand of vigilante justice out of his system after a couple of years in real life. Maybe in his participation of his particularly elaborate neuroses hed receive an injury that would prevent him from continuing with his crusade, or inadvertently harm an innocent bystander, accidentally kill one of the criminals he was fighting or even be arrested or incarcerated within a mental asylum himself. The finality of consequence is never the character stopping of their own free will because perhaps, it is too difficult, dangerous or the character has an epiphany that affords him the insight to see the ludicrousness of his own self-imposed mission. Too many people are invested in Batman keeping to his convictions, be they fan or businessman. Whenever we turn the final page of a book we were reading or see the end credits roll for a film we were watching, there is always an acute feeling of disappointment as our time in the company of those characters is well and truly over. With serial fiction or television, that feeling can be prolonged almost indefinitely (though usually to the programs detriment) and by extension the connections we attribute to the characters just as much. However in that case, something is always lost in the process. Namely the dramatic highs and lows, as, we know Superman will never truly die. But with that comes a sense of permanence and continuity (and predictability) that means, to people of an uncertain world such as ours, that through the greatest trait of the superheroes, their immortality, that we, throughout our short, fragile and unpredictable lives, can achieve a percentage of immortality too. Without a doubt, the representation of the modern superhero we have come to recognize today has left such indelible marks upon our culture that maybe you yourself have unknowingly made reference to it at some point in your life, whether you are a fan of the genre or not. Perhaps youve been told youre not exactly Superman, whilst trying to achieve something thought of as difficult or outside of your perceived abilities? Youve told somebody not to hulk out if theyre showing signs of a shift in their temperament, or youve been with someone who has told you their spider-sense is tingling to convey their wariness of a particular person or situation? The superhero is so ingrained on our collective consciousness that our metaphors and minds tend to take for granted just how and why exactly they came to be so. Why does our society view the superhero, both consciously and unconsciously, as such an important cultural element? And why must we take the time, and exert the mental energy to create and develop these fictional saviours? What exactly are they saving us from? After all, outside of the pages of their comics, its not like Superman truly crushed the Third Reich, or Spiderman truly makes it safer to walk around your town or city at night. But, perhaps their very existence, even if it is indeed, only within a few pages of pulp entertainment, plants a mental seed in us during our youth, deep, deep down in the subconscious. A seed that, however subtly, reassures us that there are perhaps such beings out there, putting themselves on the line for the sake of truth, justice and the protection of the innocent. That maybe, if we did walk around our cities in the dead of night, wed be alright, because it feels as though were being watched over. Or, perhaps we slightly imbue ourselves with the tr aits we see in these pulpy heroes to help us press on through an unpleasant place or situation. After all, Batman wouldnt be scared to walk through town at two in the morning, or succumb to nerves when thinking about the PowerPoint presentation he has to give at work the next day. Daniel Fingeroth goes on to pose the question of whether or not our attraction and preoccupation with such heroic yet utterly fictional fantasy beings is necessarily an entirely healthy position to have. Neatly summarising it as the following Do superheroes provide us with super-excuses? For If we adore such characters and partially establish elements of their personal ideologies to our own perceptions of right and wrong or law and order, are we effectively living in a dream world whilst, in some ways, shirking our own responsibilities when faced with the handling of our own problems? Are we dependant on their authority? For after all, the inherent trait of the superhero, to possess the superior judgment to arbitrarily discern what is and is not morally wrong, then use their extraordinary abilities to violently enforce that very idea, is rather a fascist notion. Perhaps holding Superman to that level of authoritarian calibre is in truth not that dissimilar from the myths of the Aryan ÃÅ"bermensch (which translates from German as overman or superman), or The X-Men and the distinct metaphor for racial tolerance (between mutant and non-mutants) their stories embody may very well lull people into believing the struggle for racial harmony has gone as far as it really nee ds to. Or perhaps what these stern, unbending paragons of unwavering morality provide is merely a healthy totem for us to project our darker impulses upon. For dont we, as a society, often gain a certain bloody satisfaction from seeing the villains or other such characters of low moral fiber receive a swiftly violent and richly deserved punishment? Through, say, Wolverines violent actions, our own violence is rendered unnecessary. Further still, the perceived perfection of both a physical and ideological nature one may attribute to a superhero, may well provide solace for a reader who may be becoming jaded with their place in a society that, at its core, is morally corrupt and defines its own rules on what is and is not acceptable regarding the physical appearance, while possibly encouraging that same reader to exit this fantasy word he or she was engrossed in, with an adopted desire to go out and perform good deeds of their own. Its unlikely theyll don a cape, mask and tights whilst leapin g from rooftop to rooftop, but the influence of wanting to do good amongst their community is assimilated without the more fascistic and unattractive authoritative aspects that present themselves when analyzing a superheroes modus operandi. A popular symbol of super heroism and the special brand of masked vigilante justice that accompanies it is the concept of the secret identity. But it seems rather counterintuitive. What is it that could cause a person to hide who they are? If anything, people of today tend to seek out credit and adulation wherever they can. They enjoy that feeling of pride. But in real life, there can be equally valid reasons why a person may want to, or need to conceal their identity. The example that may immediately leap to mind would be a criminal wearing a mask whilst committing his crime so as to evade the attention of the law and escape the threat of incarceration. But the identity can also be hidden for more noble reasons. For instance, someone who is courageously rebelling politically or socially in a place where such action would evoke serious, perhaps deadly, repercussions or an informant, masking their voice while providing important, potentially life-saving information to figures of autho rity. Deviating far from the concept of nobility and courage, consider for a moment, a member of a radical hate group such as the KKK. His identity may well be known by close friends or family members, but his hood would prevent recognition from victims or law enforcement. There is also a psychological element of terror that wearing a mask or a hood produces in others. There are also philanthropists who work anonymously out of a sense of modesty and desire to let their generous acts speak for themselves without adding their own personal sense of glory. There are graffiti artists who express the simple fact that they were there through tagging various architecture whilst still maintaining a degree of anonymity. There is also the anonymity that the internet or the telephone provides. The lack of face-to-face interaction can allow people the feeling of liberation to say or do things, socially acceptable or otherwise, without repercussion. But why has the idea of a secret identity become such an intrinsic element of the superhero mythos? Late stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce presented a theory as a part of his act. He believed that the masked man hides himself because he doesnt want to be thanked. If he became too dependent on the praise, how would he feel when he wasnt being thanked? The masked man wants to keep his motives pure, to make sure he does what he does because its the right thing to do, not to be thanked. That may present a piece of the puzzle as to why the idea of a masked hero appeals to us, the every-day people. Because they want their heroic actions to stand by themselves, which is a sympathetic and universal human desire. To which fantasy does the idea of a double identity/life appeal? Perhaps it speaks to those amongst us that believe, deep down within us, we can be so much more than we appear. They covet the notion that if only people knew how truly special I am. For, in a sense, we all possess secret identities, sides of ourselves that we do not reveal to many others. A dual, and secret, identity is a place where fantasy and ambition can take hold and we eagerly await the time when the power within can be unleashed without risk or social reprisal. After all, there is always the risk that, once released, people would not warm to the real you and you are forced to once again repress your true self and re-presenting the false, approved one in hope of fitting in once more. But of course reality is not that clear cut, and there no doubt be events throughout our lives in which the false self and the true self may overlap. One will always bleed through at some point. Having two identities, wearing those m etaphorical masks gives us greater control on how we present ourselves to the world that surrounds us. Masks, be they literal or metaphorical, have been an important cultural factor across both time and civilization. For example, African and South American priests would were ceremonial clothes, often with accompanying mask, to perform their various holy rituals. In those instances, it is unlikely the mask was intended to preserve the identity of the wearer, but endow its wearer with a mixture of both social importance and simultaneous characterlessness. An everyman bestowed with holy connotations. The mask itself is seen as the symbol of power, the man behind it less so, if at all. A mask can be intimidating, so limiting it to association with common contemporary criminals seems like a grotesque waste of resources. Why not rally the intimidation factor against those people who would ultimately behave in ways that negatively affect our society? In the world of heroic fiction it can be used to drastically turn the tables on those individuals. But that also presents another valid reason to keep ones identity a secret. To protect their loved ones. Which, when you really stop to ponder it, could be applied, in theory, real-life scenarios, such as a teacher who may work with delinquent or anti-social children or a policeman who walks a beat in a particularly dangerous area. Though in a more negative spin on that theory, it could allow violent vigilante groups or death squads to emerge. But masked justice is rarely blind justice. It has agendas and rarely exists to just give the police force a little more edge. It is only the Superhero who disguises his or her identit y for truly noble and altruistic reasons whilst still maintaining his or her integrity in the eyes of the public. According to Gary Engle, in his essay What Makes Superman So Darned American?, he theorizes that the concept of a secret identity is deeply rooted in the experience of being an American immigrant, and applies this to whom is arguably considered the alpha hero and greatest example of a direct dual identity, Superman. The myth simply wouldnt work without Clark Kent, mild-mannered newspaper reporterAdopting the white-bread image of a wimp is first and foremost a moral act for the man of steel. He does it to protect his parents from nefarious sorts who might use them to gain an edge over the powerful alien. More-over, Kent adds to Supermans powers the moral guidance of a Smallville upbringing . Clark Kentis the epitome of visible invisibility, someone whose extraordinary ordinariness makes him disappear in a crowd. In a phrase, he is the consummate figure of total cultural assimilation, and significantly, he is not real. Implicit in this is the notion that mainstream cultural norms, however useful, are illusions. According to Engle, the origins of the immigrant are the core of his entire identities; only insert being an extraterrestrial from another planet in place of being from another country. Superman isnt unlike that of a young person from immigrant roots who may well speak his native tongue at home, around his family, but outside that dynamic, adjusts his identity to fit in with his adopted homeland. The immigrant wish to excel whilst staying anonymous. To make his parents feel proud without making them feel ashamed of who they are or where they come from. These feelings of immigrant guilt were also profoundly felt by Superman creators Siegel and Shuster, who the projected their experiences into those of Superman. As Gary Engle continues to note: Immigration, of course, is the overwhelming fact in American history. Except for the Indians, all Americans have an immediate sense of their origins elsewhere. No nation on Earth has so deeply embedded in its social consciousness the imagery of passage from one social identity to another. -80 Further, Supermans powersare the comic book equivalents of ethnic characteristics, and they protect and preserve the vitality of the foster community in which he lives in the same way that immigrant ethnicity has sustained American culture linguistically, artistically, economically, politically and spiritually. The myth of Superman asserts with total confidence and a childlike innocence the value of the immigrant in American culture -81 For many readers of comics, particularly those old enough to have been around and enjoyed them when they were freshly conceived, they themselves may be immigrants or indeed the children or grandchildren of immigrants. Perhaps reading these stories would allow for some manner of vicarious and symbolic re-enactment or unified identification with their roots and the characters they are enjoying reading about. The idea of a secret identity can further allow the readers to become conscious of and experience their own dilemmas. For instance, discovering whether or not they were being the version of themselves that makes cultural compromises and they let the outside world see, or are they being the self that they project in their home lives? Which of those two masks is truly the real them? Which do they prefer being and which do they want to be? In many ways we all at some time or another feel we are strangers in a strange land once we leave the sanctuary of our homes and venture out into s ociety to go to work or school. Home is familiarity, we are comfortable with ourselves and confidently know what it takes for us to survive and thrive there. But who do we become once we venture outside and have a choice in how we present ourselves to the world? Its a basic choice that we are all forced to learn through trial and error from very young ages and the Superheroes are forced to make them too, albeit in much grander and colourful ways. Superman isnt just an immigrant, hes also an orphan. He arrived on our planet as a sole representative of his race, without his parents. He has an idea where he is from, but could barely recite a fact about the place aside from the fact that it is no more. Knowing, instead, a great deal more about where he currently is. The opportunity that he is presented with, however, is that, as an immigrant and an orphan, he is free to construct his entire history from day one. Not that he ever has much choice in the matter, for all that he knows of ou r world at that point is that he is from somewhere else. As pointed out by Gary Engle: Orphans arent merely free to invent themselves, they are obliged to. So perhaps the double identity is more of an integral component in what defines Superman than say x-ray vision or the ability to fly. He can cherry-pick aspects from the best of us as a society and ingest them a part of himself. While he is an alien, he is an alien that resembles a human, and a handsome human at that. He can fit in to a crowd if he wishes and he can distance himself to the fortress of solitude on a whim just as easily. His life as Clark Kent can enrich his life as Superman and vice versa. However, Supermans chosen identity is fraught with a hypocrisy that could be said to highlight an immigrants internal conflicts and insecurities. A simultaneous need to both blend in and stand out from the crowd. Clark Kent is a reporter, a career that requires a degree of courage and bravery, for instance, when attempting to acquire the scoop on a dangerous situation . Yet to his peers, Clark is seen as a cowardly person who is always nowhere to be seen when danger is close, yet, s omehow he still manages to get the scoop which is rather conspicuous for a person trying to remain amongst society inconspicuously. As an interesting side note, as with most other popular superheroes, the civilian identity is often the real identity and the public and more heroic face is the adopted persona. This is not the case with the Man of Steel. It is in fact the complete opposite. Supermans true self is Superman, yet he must adopt a more unremarkable persona in Clark Kent to fit in. One of the fundamental questions with regards to identity is if it is in fact a more courageous act to be who you are or who you pretend you are. The superhero asks this too, only louder. The superheros answers to such existential questions are usually within the realms of I will be who I must in order to fulfil my task of doing good. Whatever serves that purpose is who I will be both in and out of my costume. Whichever other questions these heroes may hav