Economics of Environment and Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economics of Environment and Energy - Essay Example This applies especially to those who only view environmental concerns, as anti-economic Transitioning to a low carbon economy is indispensable if the world is to continue uninterrupted by environmental degradation. Researchers have made a prediction that continued greenhouse gas emissions would result in a rise of temperature by 6Â °C before 22nd century. This temperature rise will result in problems such as drought and floods, global instability, public health related deaths and rampant migrations of people. All these problems will befall the world community including the UK. For the world to avoid these disastrous effects, global carbon dioxide emissions must fall to at least 50% below the levels of 1990 by the year 2050 (DECC, 2011,pp 3). This will ensure that world temperatures will not rise more than 2Â °C. In some past UN talks, the European Union promised to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 20% below the levels of 1990 by the year 2020. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions and fund emissions cuts in developing countries, the European Union has created the world’s largest emissions scheme (Leticia et al, 2012). The transition to reduce carbon dioxide emissions will happen but not without challenges. The UK will face the challenge of getting alternative energy sources that are environmentally friendly to run industries. Climate change needs urgent solutions to prevent ecological catastrophes, political and economic instability, and human suffering. According to Lund (2009, p.88), efforts to minimize greenhouse gas emissions will provide international security and improve energy, new economic opportunities, a fair society and a better environment. This paper will deal with energy consumption trends and prices in the UK, role of competitive markets in delivering the low carbon economy and government’s intervention in fostering the economy. The trends in energy consumption and prices have been on the rise in the whole world with the challenges of employing the use of environmentally sources of energy. Energy production of 2010 was down by 5.3% compared to the 2009 production in the United Kingdom (DECC, 2012, pp 2). Energy consumption normally becomes high during cold seasons, and thus in a cold year we expect a rise in energy consumption. This happens because people use lots of energy to keep warm their dwellings during cold times. In 2010, the final energy consumption rose by 4.4% while primary consumption of energy was up by 3.2%. However, the primary consumption on the temperature-adjusted basis fell down by 0.4 per cent. This happened because the average temperatures of the year 2010 were 1.1Â °C below those of 2009. The year 2010 saw the UK remaining a net energy importer, importing 28 per cent of its energy requirement. Because of reduced nuclear output due to outages, imports of liquefied natural gas increased. The tables below show the final energy consumption in the year 2010. By users Sector Percentage Transport 35.0 Domestic 30.5 Non-energy use 5.5 Iron and steel industry 1.0 Other industries 16.5 Other final users 11.5 By fuels Type of fuel Percentage consumption Natural gas 33.0 Electricity 17.5 Petroleum 45.5 Others 4.0 The final total energy consumption was 159.1 million tones of oil equivalent. From the tables, we can see that UK had increased dependency on fossil fuels, and the transport sector was the leading consumer of total energy consumption. In the fourth quarter of 2011, total energy production fell by 13% as compared to the productions in the

Group Development Model Essay Example for Free

Group Development Model Essay You are required to organize your company dinner. The company has chosen 20 people from various departments to be in the dinner committee. Using a group development model, discuss the stages that the group will go through from the beginning to the end of the task (organizing dinner). A group is defined as two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve specific goals. Formal groups are working groups defined by the organizational structure that have designated work assignment and task. Informal groups are groups that is independently formed to meet the social needs of their members. There are five stages in a group development model which are forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The forming stage in which people join the group and then define the group’s purpose, structure and leadership. Team members tend to behave quite independently. The members of the team get to know one another, exchange some personal information, and make new friends. Supervisors of the team tend to need to be directive during this phase. From 20 people, I will decide who is going to be decorating sub committee, food sub committee, funding sub committee, marketing sub committee, program sub committee, and volunteer sub committee. Because of they are from different departments, they tend to know each other first before they start working. They have to determine what activities and programs are already in place and serving the needs of the community. Determine the need for the dinner and availability of resources. The next stage is storming. Storming stage characterizes by intragroup conflicts and disagreement among group members. Team members open up to each other and confront each others ideas and perspective. Normally tension, struggle and sometimes arguments occur. Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible, but tend to remain directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behavior. All the subcommittee has to set goals for the dinner. They have to know their target population and their desired objective or outcome. They have to brainstorm ideas and at this stage all ideas are good ideas. They also can explore the idea of partnership to share the workload or get mileage out of the work they do. The third stage of group development is norming stage. It is characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness. The team manages to have one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage. Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make the team function. In this stage, all team members take the responsibility and have the ambition to work for the success of the teams goals. The sub committee now able to find a leader among them and establish a small but effective working group with a broad range of skills that is able to function as a team. The subcommittee also has to compare the skills and abilities of the committee members against the task to be performed to determine what training is required. Besides that, they have to determine the actual fiscal resources necessary. The fourth stage of group development is performing stage when the group is fully functional and work on group tasks. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. Even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in certain circumstances. At this stage, all sub committees implement what they plan before. They are co-operating together and help each other to succeed the dinner. Each member knows their responsibilities and tasks. The marketing subcommittee has to publicize to catch the attention of their target group and make them want to seek more information about the dinner. The program subcommittee has to make sure all needed material such as equipment is on hand and in good working order. The final stage of group development stage is adjourning stage which group members are concerned with wrapping up activities rather than task performance. This stage involves completing the task and breaking up the team.

Social Work Case Study | Essay

Social Work Case Study | Essay Case study: Jenny Eleanor This essay will focus on the current situation of Jenny, a single parent, and Eleanor, her six year old daughter, who currently live on a large local authority housing estate. Whilst close attention will be paid to their situation and the needs arising out of it, it is not the substantive function of this paper to prescribe specific courses of action in their case only. Rather, it is to identify and discuss the issues raised by their case, considering the appropriate social work processes, policy, and legal framework. Overall, it will be argued that there are two significant issues to be explored through the circumstances of Jenny and Eleanor’s case. Firstly, the nature and effectiveness of multi-agency working in education and the human services, and secondly, the problems faced by these professionals when adults, either deliberately or through incapacity, are not fully cooperative in ensuring the appropriate care of their child. As McCullough points out, ‘Throughout th e UK, provision and means of delivering children’s services have been changing profoundly. Predominant among the reasons driving these changes is concern about the way in which children are kept safe.’ (McCullough 2007: p.27) The paper will therefore discuss these issues, taking into account how such issues may be dealt with in a context of evidence-based and anti-discriminatory practice. In the first instance it may be helpful to include a brief synopsis of the known facts about Jenny and Eleanor’s situation, as a guide to identifying their needs. The case study reports that they are from a White British background: they live in a local authority housing estate which, it is stated, is regarded as ‘rough’, i.e. socially problematical and economically deprived. This categorization is not supported by any objective assessment, such as referral to any social scales or indices, and so appears rather unscientific and possibly discriminatory. Jenny and Eleanor have experienced five different housing placements in the last seven years. Jenny has been the victim of domestic violence, both in previous relationships and from Derek, her current partner and Eleanor’s father. Eleanor was unfortunately the witness to many of the assaults on her mother, and is herself thought to have been the subject of violence from her father. As the result of one of the assault on Jenny, Derek was awarded two year custodial sentence, and is currently expected to be released in four months time: he requested contact with Eleanor whilst in custody. Eleanor is enrolled at a local primary school, where records reveal that her attendance is low and represents a cause for concern: she has appeared withdrawn, and on occasions been violent towards other pupils. Furthermore, the school nurse has registered concerns about Eleanor’s development. In the light of these facts, it is now up to the relevant services to make the appropriate arrangements, using such measures as the statutory and policy frameworks allow. One of the principle factors in their immediate future the matter of Derek’s release from custody is beyond the control of those agencies immediately involved in Jenny and Eleanor’s welfare, so it is up to them to make their dispositions accordingly in the light of this contingency. What follows is a discussion of the relevant issues as they arise out of the jurisdictions, expertise, and responsibilities of the various agencies involved. This discussion will start with the subject who is likely to be of most concern to the educational and human services, i.e. the most vulnerable individual, Eleanor. As a six year old, she is the only person in the situation who does not have self-determination, is consequently reliant on the various agencies appointed for her care: it is now up to them to ensure this is ensured. As Myers-Blair points out, ‘The basic equipment for emotional development (physical and neural) is present at birth, and in a very diffuse way emotional behaviour begins at birth, or perhaps even before.’ (Myers-Blair, 1975: p.60). The immediate concerns over Eleanor’s welfare devolve upon two separate but related spheres: her school and home life. The relevant professionals must unravel the intertwining requirements and responsibilities inherent in this situation. However, as the Department for Children, Schools and Families itself acknowledges, ‘The professional background of workers is both a strength and a barrier to multi-agency working. As each profession has developed its own language and body of knowledge, it not only serves to provide a professional identity but can alienate those outside the profession who do not share their language or way of thinking. Professionals also develop a different way of working in order to achieve their aims.’ (DCSF, 2007: p.5) Obviously, all of these considerations must proceed from the basis that Eleanor is physically safe, with possible physical abuse from Derek, the previously violent partner, being the most obvious threat to this. If sufficient evi dence of this threat is assembled, then the multi-agency effort is largely irrelevant, since the Local Authority, through the Social Services Directorate, will have a clear responsibility to act accordingly under sections 27 and 17 of the Children Act 1989, and remove her from the situation. The decision as to whether any contingent arrangements involve Eleanor only, or Eleanor and Jenny, will depend on the perceived or actual threat, and Jenny’s position in relation to this. As Asen pointedly reminds us, ‘When professionals are unable to decide whether to let the children remain with its natural family or not, this indecisiveness can be abusive in its own right: it leaves the child in a situation of limbo – which in some cases can last years – further adding to the child’s emotional or physical suffering.’ (Asen, 2000: p.227) Depending upon how matters proceed in relations between Jenny and Derek, Social Services will also be responsible for the next level of care, i.e. ensuring that Eleanor is not suffering from any forms of neglect or subsidiary abuse arising out of the situation. Assuming that this situation is being monitored, the weight of responsibility shifts back into the educational environment: this is not to say that the social worker loses control of the situation, or becomes less relevant to Eleanor’s care: quite the contrary. In fact, by virtue of the serious nature of Eleanor’s home situation, they may well become the ‘lead professional’ within the multi-agency effort, as will be discussed below. It is simply the case that the all the professionals involved effectively have their actions governed by overlapping and interlocking statutes. At present, the latter stipulate that Eleanor should be in school: that school will almost certainly be a mainstream school, i.e. not a PRU (Pupil Referral Unit) or other specialized facility: furthermore, the law provides that every professional effort should be made to ensure that Eleanor is supported in achieving the expected educational progress. This in essence is where the social w ork and educational efforts will interact: since achievement of the expected progress will hinge upon Eleanor’s mental and physical well-being, as well as her innate cognitive ability, the home and school environments will become linked around this effort. The essential point here is that the social services case worker will be reliant on the judgment and expertise of the school based professionals with respect to Eleanor’s learning and emotional well-being. This is very much an open-ended process: a number of successive measures and support systems will have to be put into place before any alternative or specialized provision is even considered. In the first instance, the school’s Child Protection Officer – usually the Headteacher in the context of a Primary school like Eleanor’s – will feedback directly to Social Services, if there is any evidence of abuse. The school Special Educational Needs Coordinator will subsequently be responsible f or ascertaining whether or not Eleanor has any educational or emotional special needs: if so, she must have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) classified as Step One, Two or Three, depending on their severity. The latter will also determine whether or not Eleanor may require a Statutory Statement of Educational Needs (usually referred to simply as a ‘statement’). If so, she may qualify for additional support through the Local Educational Authority’s Statutory Assessment Office. This in turn will involve the Educational Psychology Service, who will have to make a formal assessment based on observation of Eleanor in a school context. If it is deemed appropriate, she will also be referred to the Primary Behaviour Support Service, the School’s Pastoral Support Service, the Family Support Service, and the Primary Mental Health Service. What are the implications of these potential multiple referrals from a practical point of view? As the DCFS guidance advises, ‘It is the processes involved in building relationships between agencies and between providers of services and the communities they serve, which is vital, because this is where the real work has to be done. It is a real challenge to us all, not least finding the time and space to work on these issues when many services are provided from at least 8 am to 6 pm, five days a week.’ (DCSF, 2007: p2). What this euphemizes is the attempted integration of services which proceed from a series of parallel and successive statutes. This include the Children Act 1989, the Children Act 2004, the Education Act 2002, the Learning and Skills Act 2000, the Disability and Discrimination Act 1995, The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2001, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, and the Data Protection Act 1998. The school based effort, into which the social worker must be integrated, is built around the role of the Inclusions Officer, who must in turn convene a school-specific inclusions team comprised of all the practitioners involved. Whilst all of this sounds fine on paper, the practical challenges of coordinating the support and care of a child in Eleanor’s situation cannot be underestimated. Take, for example, the role of the Lead Professional itself. As the Children’s Workforce Development Council concedes, ‘A lead professional is not a job title or a new role, but a set of functions to be carried out as part of the delivery of effective integrated support.’ (CWDC, 2007: p.5). In other words, the role is titular only and attracts no timetabling facility or resources, but must run parallel – and crucially, in addition to – the practitioner’s other responsibilities. As the CWDC frankly puts it, ‘†¦clear communication is necessary between both services so that the individual is not overwhelmed with lead professional and caseload responsibilities. Speak to your manager to ensure that they take account of any lead professional responsibilities in setting yo ur workload, and that your performance in delivering the lead professional functions is recognized and recorded.’ (CWDC 2007: p.2, para 3.14). This is far more than a Human Resources issue however. The whole rationale of the multi-agency movement and Every Child Matters initiative is to mitigate the kind of short-circuits, doublings-up and straightforward mismanagement which contributed to the Victoria Climbie tragedy. As McCullough reminds us, ‘In Laming’s detailed and damning report, twelve different occasions were identified when appropriate intervention by one or more of these agencies could have saved Victoria’s life†¦in his summing up, Laming noted that â€Å"the legislative framework for protecting children is basically sound. I conclude that the gap is not a matter of law but in its implementation.†.’ (McCullough 2007: p.28). The problem is that whilst the role of the lead practitioner is non-statutory, the responsibilities accru ed by the incumbent are not. As the CWDC again concedes, ‘†¦There are particular implications for staff who may be working part-time in a multi-agency setting and part-time in their home agency.’ (CWDC 2007: p.2, para 3.14). Arguably then, the same issues which underlay Victoria’s death are potential factors in any such case, including Eleanor’s. The mere creation of a job title, i.e., Lead Practitioner, or mechanisms such as the Common Assessment Framework, guarantees nothing if the staff involved are overstretched, unsupported and undirected. The fact that Jenny has cancelled two possible contact appointments so far is disappointing, and may well represent an impediment to the advancement of Eleanor’s care in the future. At present however, it does not constitute an insurmountable barrier to the coordinated effort of the multi-agency team, and definitely is not a pretext for inaction on their part. As the school has noted, Eleanor’s emotional well-being is questionable, indicating a serious potential impediment to her progress. As Meadows indicates, ‘Certain emotional states are frequent and salient, and become parts of feeling about the self, so that they can then influence a wide range of behaviours, such as perception, emotional expression, cognitive processing and social relations.’ (Meadows, 2006: p.438) Instruments in an around the curriculum, such as the SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) programme may be used to help Eleanor externalize and come to terms with the events whic h have shaped her experience: essentially these means must be tried in order to redress any lack of emotional support she is receiving at home. As Maslow points out, ‘†¦thwarting of these needs produces feelings of inferiority, of weakness, and of helplessness. These feelings in turn give rise to either basic discomfort, or else compensatory or neurotic trends.’ (Maslow, 1970: P.1) Also, as Samuels reminds us, ‘Basically, if the child’s needs are not met appropriately at each developmental level, the psyche becomes unable to adequately regulate self-esteem by the use of adequate mechanisms.’ (Samuels, 1977: p. 35). The problem is that, whilst the statutory framework stipulates that the school is currently the focus of support for Eleanor’s needs, the latter obviously do not stop there. As Schaefer et al. observe, since behavioural problems in the home usually precede those occurring elsewhere, part of the focus has to be behaviour in the home.’ (Schaefer et al. 1984 p.96). Consequently, whilst ‘Inter-Professional Collaboration’ has to be an overriding consideration for the social worker, it is likely to be the case worker themselves who initiates much of the strategic action, such as the proposed ‘cold-call’ home visit. The focus on Eleanor does not of course mean that Jenny’s needs, as an individual or as a parent, can be overlooked. A holistic approach, encapsulated within an action plan and developed with the Family Therapy or Support Service will be required. However, for environmental as much as professional reasons, as will be discussed below , Eleanor must remain the primary concern within this case. As this conclusion is being written, the manifest weaknesses of the supposedly revamped multi-agency framework have been revealed in the most devastating manner: through the death of a seventeen-month child, who was in the Child Protection Register’s ‘at risk’ category. Whilst any legislative or policy outcome of this tragedy is obviously some way off, some commentators have been quick to apportion responsibility to the inter-agency working framework. ‘When procedures become so exacting and time-consuming, the exercise of judgment is deemed neither necessary nor possible. Indeed, it will get you into trouble, because it is not part of the procedure.’ (Dalrymple 2008) Calls for less weight to be given to parental wishes and rights, and more to be placed on the safety of the child, are already being heard. The outcome of such debates, it may be argued, may have significant effects on the conduct of cases such as that of Jenny and Eleanor. Bibliography Adams, R., Dominelli, L. Payne, M. (2002) Social Work Themes, Issues and Critical Debates, Basingstoke, Palgrave Anning, A., and Edwards, A., (2006), Promoting Children’s Learning from Birth to Five: Developing the New Early Years Professional, Open University Press, Maidenhead. Asen, E., ‘Working with families where there is parenting breakdown’, in Reder, P., McClure, M., and Jolley, A., (eds), (2000), Family Matters: interfaces between child and adult mental health, Routledge, London, pp.227-236. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and Loss: Vol I Attachment, London: Hogarth Press. Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and Loss: Vol II Separation, Anxiety and Anger, London: Hogarth Press. Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and Loss: Vol III Loss, Sadness and Depression, London: Hogarth Press. Bradley, G. and Parker, J. (2003) Social Work Practice: Assessment, Planning, Intervention and Review, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd. Brayne, H and Carr, H. (2005) Law for social workers, Oxford, New York Butler, P. (2002) Failure to attend overshadowed Climbie inquiry [online] August 27  Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2002/aug/27/climbie  [Accessed 16 November 2007] Children’s Workforce Development Council, (2007), The Lead Professional: Practitioner’s Guide, CWDC, Leeds. Crawford, K. Walker, J. (2003) Social Work and Human Development, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd. Dalrymple, T., ‘We can’t be surprised by the death of baby P’ The Times Online, 12 Nov 2008, INTERNET, available at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5133966.ece?Submitted=true, [viewed 12.11.08] Davies, L (2007) The Big Picture: Is protection working? [online] November 15  Available from: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2007/11/15/106450/the-big-picture-is-protection-working.html  [viewed 20.11.07] Department for Children, Schools and Families, (2007), Common Core of Skills and Kn owledge for the Children’s Workforce, DFES Nottingham. Department for Children, Schools and Families, (2007), Integrated Working Exemplar: Young child with behavioural problems: Integrated working to improve outcomes  for children and young people, HMSO, London. Department for Children, Schools and Families, (2007), Effective practice: Multi-agency Working, HMSO, London. Department of Health, (1999) Working Together to Safeguard Children, London, The Stationery Office. Department of Health, (2002) Modernising services to transform care: inspection of how councils are managing the modernisation agenda in social care [online] June 27  Available from:  www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Chiefinspectorletters/DH_4004590  [Accessed 21 November 2007] Department of Health, (2004) Executive Summary, National Service Framework for Children. Young People and Maternity Services [online] October 4  Available from: www.dh.gov.uk  [Accessed 15 November 2007] Department of Health, (2005) Background to Every Child Matters [online] May 10  Available from: www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/aims/background/  [Accessed 03 November 2007] Department of Health, (2006) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (fifth impression), United Kingdom, The Stationery Office. Department of Health, (2007) Local Safeguarding Children Boards [online] November 14  Available from: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/socialcare/safeguarding/lscb/  [Accessed 26 November 2007] Friedrickson, N., and Clive, T., (2002) Special Educational Needs, Inclusion and Diversity, a Textbook, Open University Press, Buckingham. Goleman, D., (1996), Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Bloomsbury, London. ‘Good to be Me’, (May 2005) Primary National Strategy: Excellence and Enjoyment, Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning, Department for Education and Skills, HMSO, Gurney, P., (1988) Self-Esteem in Children with Special Educational Needs, Routledge, London Gillen, S and Lovell C. (2007) Victoria Climbie Foundation head calls for child protection probe [online] November 5  Available from: www.communitycare.org/articles  [Accessed 12 November 2007] Glover-Wright, D. (2007) Social Work, As We See Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, Community Care, 5-11 April, p.28 Guardian Unlimited (2007) a. Ministers deliberately making asylum seekers destitute, say MPs [online] March 30 Available from: www.guardian.co.uk/immigration/story  [Accessed 04 November 2007] Healy, K (2005) Social Work Theories in Context, Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan. Hockey, J. James, A. (2003) Social Identities across the Life Course, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Hopkins, G. Wetherall, G. (2007) Fatal Failings Community Care The voice of social care 11-17 January 2007, p. 34-38 Horner, N. (2003) What is Social Work? Context and Perspectives, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd. Howe, D., Brandon, M., Hinnings, D. Schofield, G. (1999). Attachment Theory, Child Maltreatment and Family Support, London, Palgrave. Howe, D. (2005) Child Abuse and Neglect, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Laming, L (2003) The Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming, London, Stationery Office. Meadows, S., (2006), The Child as Thinker: The Development and Acquisition of Cognition in Childhood, Routledge London. McCullough, M., (2007), ‘Integrating Children’s Services: the case for child protection’, in Siraj-Blatchford, I., Clarke, K., and Needham, M., (eds), (2007), The Team Around the Child: Multi-Agency Working in the Early Years, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent. Mens Health Network (2000) Family Violence [online] September 1  Available from: http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/domesticviolence.html#femalebatterers  [Accessed 11 November 2007] Myers Blair, G., Stewart Jones, R., Simpson, R.H., (1975), Educational Psychology, 4th Edition, MacMillan, NY. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child [online]  Available from: www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/b/k2crc.htm  [Accessed 15 November 2007] Parton, N. (2006) Safeguarding childhood, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Parton, N. OByrne, P. (2000) Constructive Social Work, Basingstoke, MacMillan Press. Pierson, J. Thompson, M. (2002) Dictionary of Social Work, Staffordshire University, Collins. Plummer, D., (2001) Helping Children to Build Self-Esteem: A Photocopiable Activities Book, Jessica Langley, London. Podesta, C., (2001) Self-Esteem and the Six-Second Secret, Corwin, Thousand Oaks, California. Quinney, A (2005) Collaborative Social Work Practice [online]  Available from: www.learningmatters.co.uk (sample chapters)  [Accessed 19 September 2007] Schaefer, C.E., Breismeister, J.M., and Fitton, M.E., (1984), Family Therapy Techniques fro problem behaviours of children and teenagers, Jossey-Bass, Sanfrancisco. De Shazer, (1982), Patterns of Brief Family Therapy: An Ecosystemic Approach, Guilford Press, NY. Nind, M., Rix, J., Sheehy, K., Simmons, K., (eds) (2003) Inclusive Education: Diverse Perspectives, Open University Press/David Fulton, Buckingham and London Schofield, G. (2002) Attachment Theory: An introduction for Social Workers, Norwich, Social Work Monograph. Siraj-Blatchford, I., Clarke, K., and Needham, M., (eds), (2007), The Team Around the Child: Multi-Agency Working in the Early Years, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent. Taylor, J. Daniel, B. (2005) Child Neglect, London, Jessica Kingsley. Thompson, N. (2001) Anti-Discriminatory Practice, 3rd edition, Basingstoke, Palgrave Thompson, N. (2005) Understanding Social Work Second Edition, Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan Trevithick, P. (2005) Social Work Skills, Open University Press Ward, L. (2007) Not every child matters [online]  Available from: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1995795,00.html  [Accessed 21 November 2007] Warren, J. (2007) Service User and Carer Participation in Social Work, Exeter, Learning Matters. Whelan, D (2003) Using Attachment Theory When Placing Siblings in Foster Care. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 20(1), pp.21-36

Exploring Cultural Diversity in Mirror for Man :: Mirror for Man Essays

Exploring Cultural Diversity in Mirror for Man Why do men do the things they do? Professor Kluckhohn attempts to explore, define and explain the answer to this complex question in one brief passage. He reasons that we are all given the same basic biological "tools" at birth, so it should follow then, that we should all behave in similar ways. But, because of "culture", defined as "the total life way of a people", we do not react to similar situations in exactly the same way. Culture is the main reason we can not explain other people's actions "in terms of biological properties." Professor Kluckhohn proceeds to explain cultural differences and similarities through some experiences of his own. First he parallels an American woman's view of polygamy to a Koryak woman's. Then he shares an anecdote of an American man who was raised as a Chinese. Lastly, he tells a tale of a woman serving rattlesnake sandwiches to her guests. After each example he points out that it is a persons upbringing and way of life that dictates how he or she will act in or react to a given situation. I am in total agreement with Professor Kluckhohn's views. I found his passage to be very interesting reading because it put into words views and ideas I had formulated through dealing with people of other nationalities. It also pointed out that a body doesn't make a man, a mind does. How the mind is trained and nurtured will decide what the man is and how he thinks. I am what some would call a "people-person." I love being with new people and learning about what makes them "tick." I have been lucky enought to travel through Europe and the Orient so I have seen first hand whether East does meet West or not. But the place where I learned the most about people and the way they live would have to be right here at home - Southern California. Living here in an area with a rich ethinic mixture has opened my eyes to things like: the Filipino tendency to eat with a spoon and fork while Americans tend to use mainly the fork, the Oriental's tight family ties and the growing rate of American divorces, etc. The mixture of traditional Filipino parents and growing up in California has given me a chance to glimpse how some cultures go hand in hand while others clash violently.

Rabi’a Al-Adawiyya

Rabi’a al-Adawiyya is recognised as the first female Saint of Islam due to her major role in the early maturation of Islam, specifically, the expansion of Sufism. It was she who focused on a rigorous asceticism that required complete abandonment of ones worldly pleasures in order to detach one from the fear of hell and enter the passionate love and devotion for God. Her belief in this notion â€Å"Muhabbah† (Divine Love) and her dismissal of materialism became a strong prestige throughout her teachings and poetry. Additionally, her incomparability from the traditional female ideology of the time period challenged the specific roles of gender as delineated by Islam. It latter became widely accepted within the Sufi movement that women had gained a greater role within the religion due to Rabi'a's actions and influences. The Sufis are not an ethnic or religious group, but a mystical movement that is found all over the Islamic world and that still has a deep influence on the varied populations of the Middle East. Sufism searches for a direct mystical knowledge of God and of his Love. Its goal was to progress beyond mere intellectual knowledge to a mystical (existential) experience that submerged man in the infinity of God. Sufism had an important part in the formation of Muslim societies as it educated the masses and met their felt needs, giving spiritual meaning to their lives and channeling their emotions. The goal of the sufi's is to reach a strong amalgamation with Allah (their god) through love and true faith. ‘Mahabba' or Love as it is known, is a noble state that God has bestowed as a quality belonging to the creation, through this love, he has has touched that who seeks him. Rabi'a al Adawiya, believed that God's love is at the core of the universe and that we need to feel that love in all we do. Walking through the streets she was seen carrying a bucket of water in one hand and a burning candle in the other. When asked why, she said: â€Å"I want to set fire to heaven with this flame and put out the fire of hell with this water so that people will cease to worship GOD for fear of hell or for temptation of heaven†(stated in myclasses notes). With the divine love that she felt towards her God, she obviously felt the comfortability that she would be able to change the fates of men, meaning that with the bucket and he torch of fire she would extinguish the burning flames of hell and light the way to heaven. Her prayers became widely used among Sufism today and is one of the way that her prayer had contributed to Islam. In particular an excerpt of her poem â€Å"My Greatest Need is You† is an example of how she was able to bring forth this pers onal connection when she states â€Å"O Allah I can't live in this world/Without remembering you† Through this example, the poetry of Rabi'a was highly important as it allowed the individual to identify with her teachings on a more personal, thus portraying the ultimate significance she had on the religion itself. Rabi’a’s use of simple language and the very prominent concept of Heaven and Hell in Islam are extremely helpful in understanding the focus of her work. She uses a very simple structure and does not hide her meaning behind metaphors. Overall, her work is short, but sweet and succinct. Rabi’a’s goal as a Sufi was to give up worldly want, remove the fear of hell and the desire of Heaven all for the love of God. The main idea in both of her poems is that God is all one needs. This idea is presented in selection 47. Give the goods of this world to Your enemies Give the treasures of Paradise to Your friends- But as for me- You are all I need (Upton, 47, lines 5-7). These lines communicate Rabi’a’s beliefs plainly. Worldly possessions are what keeps one’s spirit limited to this earth, and thus cannot achieve oneness with God. The person is too caught up with material things to gain the ideal closeness with God. Paradise is something ordinary believers are after, seeing that as the end, but in reality the love of God is what they should be seeking. Her unambiguous writing style makes these ideas available to everyone. These ideas advocated by Rabi’a are not necessarily esoteric, but things that all believers should know and follow. (stated by Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya's Poetry: A Tool of Communication. The Writing on the Wall) The first Sufis were ascetics meaning the self disciplined themselves and meditated on the Day of Judgement. They were called â€Å"those who always weep† and â€Å"those who see this world as a hut of sorrows. † They kept the external rules of Shari'a, but at the same time developed their own mystical ideas and techniques. As Sufism isn't a variant of Islam, it is a part of Islam by a way of approaching the entire religion as a whole. As Cambridge professor Margaret Smith explains, Rabi'a began her ascetic life in a small desert cell near Basra, where she lost herself in prayer and went straight to God for teaching. (By Kathleen Jenks, Ph. D. ) Rabi'a was In the branch of sufism that is known as Divine Love, from several ways of practising the religion. Within the Sufi traditions, the recognition of this truth has encouraged the spiritual maturation of women in a way that has not always been possible. As the mystical side of Islam developed, it was Rabi'a, who first expressed the relationship with the divine in a language that refers to God as the Beloved. Rabi'a was the first human being to speak of the realities of Sufism with a language that anyone could understand. Though she experienced many difficulties in her early years, Rabi'a's starting point was neither a fear nor desire, but only love. The influence that Rabi'a had to the adherents of Islam was her concept of divine love and for one to become completely unselfish in order to amalgamate with Allah. With the reward being â€Å"his garden† but instead she makes mention that she only choses his love and to become one with him. Rabi'a al-Adawiyya played a vital role in the development of the Islamic religion as a whole as she selflessly and utterly amalgamated solely to Allah. Her way of ascetic and simple lifestyle became a guide of Muhammad’s message: to live simple with the focus on Allah rather than luxury. This teaching is reflected through the ascetic ethics of Islam, where they believed they could attain a spiritual connection with God while still alive through secluded prayer and utter devotion and true faith. Her devotion to Allah was reinforced through her her practice of Salat; one of the five pillars, a religious ritual that is undertaken by adherents five times a day. Likewise this obedience was again established by her refusal of several marriages. Being single, Rabi'a caused concern for some Muslims, as Islam places much emphasis on family as the key block in society. When asked why she did not marry, Rabia replied â€Å"The marriage knot can only tie one who exists. Where is existence here? I am not my own I am his and under his command. You must ask permission from him. Reaffirming her commitment to God, stating that no man shall come between her and her faith. The faith that Rabi'a had together with her absolute amenability to Allah, the adherents of Islam can clearly depict a lifestyle that will structure their lives in a positive manner in order to reach a spiritual enlightenment. The influence of Rabi'a towards the religion not only affected its system by her being a women, b ut it showed the possibility of God being present through love instead of commands, allowing the religion to grow and for the Sufi movement to germinate in the hearts of its adherents.BIBLIOGRAPHY 1- King, R, Mooney, J, Carnegie, E, Smith, H, Johns, A, Johns, D, Pattel-Gray, A, Hollis, S, McQueen, K. (2008). Cambridge, Studies of Religion, Stage 6. Cambridge university press. London. 2- Morrissey, J, Mudge, P, Taylor, A, Bailey, G and Rule, P. (2005) â€Å"Living Religion 3rd Edition†. Parson Education. Melbourne. 3- Kathleen Jenks, Ph.D, 17 September 2009, Graphical Regions, Pacifica Gradute Institue, viewed on 23rd May 2011, http://www.mythinglinks.org/NearEast~3monotheisms~Islam~Rabia.html 4- Widad El Sakkakini, 1982, First Among Sufis: The Life and Thought of Rabia al-Adawiyya, The Octagon Press, Great Britain. 5- Margaret Smith, Rabi’a: The Life & Work of Rabi’a and Other Women Mystics in Islam Oxford: Oneworld, 1994. 6- Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion, translated by Willard R. Trask New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1959. 7- Azzad Muna, June 13, 2002, Rabi al-Adawiyya, Gopshop, viewed 17th May 2011, http://www.paklinks.com/gs/religion-and-scripture/43432-rabia-al-adawiyya-basri-earliest-femalemuslim-mystic.html. 8- Mr.Jier, 2010, HSC Year – Topic 3 – Islam Depth Study – Rabi'a and Ethics, myclasses, viewed 24th May 2011, http://www.allsaintscasula.catholic.edu.au/myclasses/Class,102612021849191.

Post Modern Social Theory Essay

In a nutshell, postmodernism rose out of the perceived problems and dangers that were brought by the modern era of the world. With most parts of the world being under the influence of modern theoretical perspective like objectivity and scientific inclination, most of the theories that can be categorized under postmodernism can be defined as an attack and criticism to the perceived problems of philosophers, sociologist and even artists to the reality that was created by modernism (Kellner, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Under the banner of postmodernism, we can see numerous thinkers that had attempted to analyze the modern world using their postmodern spectacles. Among this thinker are French philosopher and sociologist jean Baudrillard and Zygmunt Bauman who manage to provide a rich and fertile discussion on the discourse of postmodernism and the cultural and sociological framework of the modern world. In this paper, two thinkers shall be put in focus. These two thinkers are so vital and important in the postmodern discourse that understanding their thoughts and ideas will enable us to understand more the context of postmodernism. Jean Baudrillard Just like any postmodernist theorists, the ideas presented by Jean Baudrillard can be characterized to be an attempt to analyze the modern sociological and cultural framework. In many cases, he managed to provide a discourse through the comparison of modern practical and theoretical system and pre-modern practical and theoretical system (i. e. frameworks during the industrial revolution). A good example that is very notable is his conception of the value system. For Baudrillard, the modern world had managed to provide numerous ways of characterizing value. He named at least four value systems that can characterize something or someone. The first one is the functional value which is in relation to the functionality and instrumental use of the object. The second one is the exchange value which is the value of the object in relation to the economic condition and economic sense of manufacturing it. The third one is the symbolic value which is in relation to the relationship of the object to some individual or group of individual (e. g. diamond ring for marriage proposal). Lastly is the sign value which is the value of an object in a given set or system of objects due to the idea or values that it may represent (Baudrillard & Levin 132-133). According to Baudrillard, the modern world today with all the products and things that are being developed are enabling the construction of a new world system that is based on the third and fourth kind of value system. This means that most of the objects and products today base their values on a superficial value system. This is in contrast to the value system of eras like the industrial revolution wherein things and objects are manufactured and made out of functionality and essence. This arrangement of the modern world that is based on superficiality of value is ought to be destructed soon due to the empty bubble that it creates that is not based on people’s needs but rather to people’s superficial beliefs and desires. An idea also related to the value system is Baudrillard’s idea on simulacra and simulation. For him, what we have in the modern world is a system wherein we perceive things that are not really real and necessary. We are now living in a world wherein we acknowledge things like holiness, titles, prestige and other categories which do not really exist. It is comparable to a hyper-reality wherein we are living in a world where we acknowledge references without real referents. Much of our activities are contributing to the development of this ‘simulacra’. In many cases, we disregard what is real and just fit to live under the influence of this new and alternative reality. Baudrillard argues that this is indeed a dangerous system wherein we are living our lives in this new reality and we are living what is truly real to rot and be set aside (Baudrillard, 50-51). Indeed, much of Baudrillard’s philosophies and criticisms are ought to make us review and rethink the human condition. With his ideas on superficial value system and simulacrum, we are being forced to open ourselves and think outside what the society taught us to be. We are being taught by Baudrillard to perceive and see things as it is for us learn more in the real world. Zygmunt Bauman Together with Baudrillard, Bauman, a Polish sociologist had also provided a fertile ground in the discourse in modernity, culture and consumerism. Just like other postmodernist thinkers, Bauman had offered a picture of the modern arrangement of the modern world. He argued that what we have now is a society which preferred individual freedom rather than collective security. Prior to this system is an arrangement wherein individuals highly regards its power over nature, efficiency, hierarchy, rules and regulation. This is aimed to make our world safer and more secure. For Bauman, this is the characterization of the solid modernity. However, people had observed that despite these constructive efforts to bring peace, security and stability; there are groups that cannot just be really controlled. This groups or individuals which cannot be controlled shall be referred as ‘strangers’. As a response, this solid form of modernity will later transform to a liquid form of modernity. In this new form of modernity, what are more important are the individual pursuit and the new level of freedom. However, this new sets of characteristics are made possible at the expense of concepts like security (Bauman, Postmodernity and its Discontents, 130). In this new type of modernity, numerous problems are arising. Primarily, the classic institutions like school, government and even laws are now losing its grip to the people. The task of finding one’s individual path is left to the people. People are forced to decide for their own goals and actions which often bring confusion and disarray. The strangers mentioned earlier in the first part of the discussion are also experiencing problems. Bauman for example relates these theoretical strangers to the Jews in the time of the Holocaust. He argued that though societies are being enticed with the spontaneity and actions of the strangers, they are at the same time afraid of them because no one knows what they will do next. In this sense, the Jews are the strangers of Europe. The Holocaust is the result of the fear to these Jews that is made possible with the fertile ground provided by this new kind of modernity (Bauman, Intimations of postmodernity, 94). Conclusion One cannot deny the historical pattern of societal system that exists in our world. As one societal arrangement managed to rise and exist, a new one will come to arise out of its shortcomings and mistakes. As the modern society managed to successfully challenged earlier system such as feudalism, postmodernism is also a response for the shortcomings of modernity. Then again, we can always argue that postmodernism will improve the live that we have. Though we gain much from the modern system, we also lose much. The ideas of postmodernism are an attempt to repair our society and to reestablish or regain those functional characteristics that were dropped or erased because of our shift to modernism. Though some people can and may argue against this, one thing is for sure, the ideas of postmodernism are giving us a shot for a chance to improve our lives. Works Cited Aylesworth, Gary. Postmodernism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2005 Baudrillard, Jean & Levin, Charles. For a critique of the political economy of the sign. Telos Press, 1981 Baudrillard, Jean. Symbolic Exchange and Death. London: Sage, 1976/1993 Bauman, Zygmunt. Does Ethics have a Chance in a World of Consumes. Harvard University Press, 2009 Bauman, Zygmunt. Intimations of Postmodernity. London: Routledge, 1992 Bauman, Zygmunt. Post Modernity and its Discontents. New York University Press, 1997 Kellner, Douglas. Jean Baudrillard. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2007 Klages, Mary. Postmodernism. University of Colorado, 2003