Sociological Imagination Essay Example for Free

Sociological Imagination Essay The term ‘Sociological Imagination’ refers to the awareness of the relationship between personal experience and its connection with society as a whole (Mills 1959). The purpose of this essay was to examine a social issue in contemporary Australia, and discuss how sociology might explain it. The social issue chosen is obesity, in particular, childhood obesity. Overweight and obesity rates have increased rapidly over the past 20 years, not only in Australia, but in developed countries around the world. Nearly two-thirds of Australian adults and one-third of Australian children are classified as overweight or obese (MacKay 2011). While an individual’s body weight is determined by many factors, it has been widely recognised that an increase in obesity is due to changes in the social, environmental and physical environment (MacKay 2011). This issue affects people of all ages, genders, social classes and geographical locations. Take a look at an average day in society. Most of us have jobs, we rise at a set time every day, go to work or university usually driving or public transport, eat lunch usually on the run, come home after a long day of sitting down to crash out in front of the TV, grabbing whatever is easiest along the way. Compared to our ancestors’ active lives of hunting and gathering, it’s very unnatural, yet it’s what we do. We, as individuals, have a skewed work/life balance due to society’s fast pace style of living and the lifestyle we have as adults, has serious repercussions on the children of today. A report by Cleland et. al (2012) found that people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to be less active and less healthy than their higher socioeconomic counterparts. Another report by Van Dyck et. l (2012) found that people living in lower economic areas tended to exercise less due to areas being deemed un-walkable or unsafe to exercise outside in. The increase in sedentary behaviour among children, in particular the increase in screen time, is another factor that has contributed to the increase in childhood obesity (Stanton 2009). While this is a factor affecting all social classes and socioeconomic areas, it may be slightly higher in lower economic areas due to outside being unsafe, however I have not found evidence to support this. Many people attribute childhood obesity to bad parenting (Olds et. al 2010) which could be one cause due to busy lifestyles and the rising cost of living; however I feel it is not the sole cause. Children are bombarded with information on ‘healthy’ foods yet ‘unhealthy’ food options are constantly at their fingertips. Children receive information on healthy eating and the importance of exercise in schools and in society, alongside TV advertisements advertising fast foods and canteens stocking unhealthy snacking alternatives. In conclusion, responsibility for both causing and preventing obesity lies with many different players. While it is an individual’s choice to eat certain foods and be active; it is much harder for a child who relies on parental figures to achieve this. It is not only parents’ responsibility to encourage healthy eating and active lives, they must also practice what they preach and provide these options for their children. Children are, after all, the future of Australia.

Electronic Surveillance in Intelligence Services

Electronic Surveillance in Intelligence Services Overview It will be argued that the increased use of electronic surveillance is unlikely to lead to the demise of human intelligence sources, this assignment will show that the two will work together and that regulation will ensure that that they will both enhance each other. It will be suggested that these two types of surveillance will continue to work alongside each other, which each being more useful in differing circumstances and therefore electronic surveillance will not replace the need for human intelligence. Main Body In recent years a combination of developing technology, concern about confession evidence and the changing nature of, especially, financial and drug-related crime has led the police and other law enforcement agencies to adopt increasingly sophisticated and intrusive, methods of investigation. Much of this has been largely hidden from public view and unregulated. Incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights by the Human Rights Act 1998 will mean that privacy can only lawfully be interfered with if it is necessary to do so, and if it is carried out in accordance with law. The common law approach that the police can do what they want as long it is not prohibited by law is no longer acceptable. The Government introduced legislation or risk exclusion of evidence and challenge in both domestic courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The result is the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill, covering the interception of communications, the power to demand communica tions data and decryption of unintelligible material, the use of covert operations and surveillance, and establishing a tribunal to deal with complaints. The scope of the warrant procedure is significantly expanded by the Bill since it will now include interceptions of private telecommunications systems, and will clearly cover the interception of mobile telephones, e-mails, and other computer communications. Under s. 26(3) of the RIPA intrusive surveillance occurs when a surveillance device is used or an individual is actually present on residential premises, or in a private vehicle, or it is carried out by such a device in relation to such premises or vehicle without being present on the premises or vehicle. Residential is defined in s. 48(1) of the RIPA as premises used as living accommodation, while premises includes movable structures and land. The definition excludes common areas of residential premises and clearly does not cover office premises (s. 48(7)(b)). Thus, covert surveillance of office premises falls within the term directed, rather than intrusive, surveillance. Section 26(3), read with s. 48(7), offers only a partial definition since it would cover all forms of covert surveillance taking place in relation to residential premises. Some forms of such surveillance can be treated as directed surveillance, as indicated below, and it is in relation to residential premises that an area of uncertainty is created as to the category into which surveillance falls. Under s. 32(3) of the RIPA authorisation of intrusive surveillance is on the grounds of the interests of national security, for the purpose of preventing or detecting serious crime or of preventing disorder, in the interests of the economic well-being of the UK. Proportionality requirements are introduced under s. 32(2): the authorising person must be satisfied that the action to be taken is proportionate to what is hoped to be achieved by carrying it out. Authorisations for such surveillance are granted by the Home Secretary under s. 41 or, for police or customs officers, by senior authorising officers, who are the highest ranking police officers. There is provision for the grant of authorisations in a case of urgency by persons of equally high rank, other than the senior authorising officer. (Christie v United Kingdom 78-A DRE Com HR 119) Under s. 36, the authorisation will not take effect until it has been approved, except where it is urgent and the grounds for urgency are set out in the notice, in which case the authorisation will take effect from the time of its grant. Under s. 38 senior authorising officers can appeal to the Chief Surveillance Commissioner against decisions of ordinary Surveillance Commissioners. The Commissioners have responsibility for the destruction of material obtained by surveillance, under s. 37, but there is no requirement that material no longer needed for proceedings and no longer subject to an authorisation must be destroyed. The provisions for authorisations under ss 33, 34, 35 and 36 mirror those under the Police Act 1997, Part III in that, under s. 35, notice must be given to a Surveillance Commissioner and, under s. 36, the authorisation will not take effect until it has been approved, except where it is urgent and the grounds for urgency are set out in the notice, in which case the authorisation will take effect from the time of its grant. Under s. 38 senior authorising officers can appeal to the Chief Surveillance Commissioner against decisions of ordinary Surveillance Commissioners. The Commissioners have responsibility for the destruction of material obtained by surveillance, under s. 37, but there is no requirement that material no longer needed for proceedings and no longer subject to an authorisation must be destroyed. Under s. 43 authorisations can be granted or renewed urgently orally by senior authorising officers or in writing by persons authorised to act on their behalf in urgent cases. If , under s. 43(3)(a), an authorisation is granted or renewed by a person entitled to act only in urgent cases, or was renewed by such a person or orally, it ceases to take effect after 72 hours. Section 42 provides special rules for the intelligence services which overlap with those of s. 5 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994. Under s. 42 the security and intelligence services can undertake intrusive surveillance on grant of a warrant. The grounds are under s. 32(3). As far as intrusive surveillance is concerned, the function of the services in support of the prevention or detection of serious crime is excluded where the application is by a member of GCHQ or the SIS. Under s. 44(3) a warrant authorising intrusive surveillance issued by a senior official, and not renewed under the hand of the Secretary of State, shall cease to have effect at the end of the second working day after its issue. In the case of other warrants that point will be at the end of a period of six months from t he day of issue or renewal. As is obvious from the most cursory examination of RIPA, the distinction between intrusive and directed procedures will be significant in all cases of covert activity because the level of authorisation required and the triggering conditions differ substantially. In the case of the police cell it is crucial, yet RIPA fails to provide an explicit classification of the cell in these terms. It is particularly disappointing that Parliament failed to pre-empt challenges to such an apparently widespread police practice by providing a definitive answer to this problem. It seems bizarre that in interpreting such a recent statute expressly designed to regulate covert activity the matter turns on peripheral matters of definition. The confusion on this point in RIPA cannot be underestimated: the Court of Appeal in Mason called for urgent clarification of whether the police cell is now governed by intrusive or directed surveillance under RIPA. Although the new Code of Practice issued under s. 71 of RIPA now suggests that cell bugging is intrusive surveillance, this is such an important issue for the suspect and apparently such a commonplace police technique that it is submitted that it ought to be dealt with on the face of the statute. The use of human beings to provide information is a valuable resource for the protection of the public and the maintenance of law and order. In order that local authorities and law enforcement agencies are able to discharge their responsibilities, use is made of ‘undercover’ officers and informants. These are referred to as ‘covert human intelligence sources’ or ‘sources’ and the area of work of undercover officers and informants to whom this procedure applies will be referred to as ‘source work.’ In 1999 the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and HM Customs and Excise published a set of Codes of Practice on Standards in Covert Law Enforcement Techniques. The Codes have no legal basis but are recognised by the police, HM Customs and Excise and the Government as providing authoritative guidelines, and these replace previous guidance issued by the Home Office. (See (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ripa/ripact.htm).) As the accompanying Declaration on ethical standards and covert investigative techniques states, the working practices set out in the Codes seek to achieve a balance between the requirement to work within a defined framework for the safeguarding of civil liberties and the maintenance of a robust approach to the tackling of crime and criminality. In its reduced form the substance of this statement is a desire to ensure that covert techniques are fair and effective. (Murfield: 2001) Section 3 of this Code, Surveillance in or into Public Places, is of relevance to the type of operation considered here. This section is applicable to the planned deployment of covert surveillance resources against the public at large, in order to meet a particular law enforcement need, or against specified individuals in public places where no interference with property is intended. The Code goes on to provide that: Before giving authorisations for surveillance into public places where no unlawful interference with property is proposed, the authorising officer must be satisfied that the proposed surveillance is a reasonable means of achieving the desired result. Manna from heaven operations provide an opportunity to manipulate a combination of circumstances which may lead to an offence being committed. According to the widely accepted routine activity theory, offending is determined by the convergence in space and time of three factors: (i) a likely offender, (ii) a suitable target and (iii) the absence of a capable guardian. In the light of this obvious concerns arise over the planning of this type of operation as the police have varying degrees of control over all three factors. By choosing the location of the operation they have some influence over who may be exposed to the temptation offered, also over the presence of a capable guardian, and they have absolute control over the target, i.e. the type and value of the property used. The 1997 and 2000 Acts require the Chief Surveillance Commissioner to keep under review (with the assistance of the Surveillance Commissioners and Assistant Surveillance Commissioners) the performance of functions under Part III of the 1997 Act and Part II of the 2000 Act by the police (including the Royal Navy Regulating Branch, the Royal Military Police and the Royal Air Force Police and the Ministry of Defence Police and the British Transport Police), NCIS, the NCS, HMCE and of the 2000 Act the other public authorities listed in Schedule 1 and in Northern Ireland officials of the Ministry of Defence and HM Forces. The Intelligence Services Commissioners remit is to provide independent oversight of the use of the powers contained within Part II of the 2000 Act and the 1994 Act by the Security Service, Secret Intelligence Service, GCHQ and the Ministry of Defence and HM Forces (excluding the Royal Navy Regulating Branch, the Royal Military Police and the Royal Air Force Police, and in Northern Ireland officials of the Ministry of Defence. It is important to consider the effect that the human rights has on both electronic surveillance and human surveillance and its conflict with the RIPA. The substantive rights of Schedule 1 to the HRA may be said to fall into two groups. The first, which includes Article 6, covers a number of fundamental rights; they include the right to liberty under Article 5, the right to a fair hearing under Article 6(1); the presumption of innocence under Article 6(2); minimum rights applicable to everyone charged with a criminal offence under Article 6(3), including the rights to legal assistance of his own choosing and to examine or have examined witnesses against him and to obtain the attendance and examination of witnesses on his behalf under the same conditions as witnesses against him. Articles 8-11 and Protocols 1 and 6 may be said to cover a more developed conception of human rights; the rights provided include the right to respect for privacy under Article 8, and rights to the freedoms o f expression, association and assembly under Articles 10 and 11. Articles 8-11 indicate a structured approach to state interference with the guarantees. To be justified, such interference must be prescribed by law, have a legitimate aim, be necessary in a democratic society and be applied in a non-discriminatory fashion (Article 14). (Uglow: 1995) The European Court of Human Rights main concern has been with the necessary in a democratic society requirement; the notion of prescribed by law has been focused upon to some extent but usually with the result that it has been found to be satisfied. (See Malone v UK (1985) 7 EHRR 14) The legitimate aim requirement will normally be readily satisfied; as Harris, OBoyle and Warbrick point out, the grounds for interference (under paragraph 2 of Articles 8-11) are so wide that the state can usually make a plausible case that it did have a good reason for interfering with the right. (Harris et al, 1995 at p290) As has been demonstrated the use of electronic surveillance is complicated and heavily regulated. However it is useful and can work alongside covert human intelligent. It is worthy of considering some of the technicalities of the two forms of surveillance. There are some difficulties with electronics such as that it may not work and it can fail. However this can also be a problem with human covert surveillance in so far as the operations can fail, and the potential defendant can fail to be present, therefore there are equal difficulties with both of these methods of surveillance. Covert Human Surveillance will still require corroboration and can prove to be unreliable. The other difficulty that is raised in relation to covert human surveillance is its interaction with the human rights act. In the case of R v Lawrence, Hope, Stapleton, Stapleton, Bravard and May (3 August 2002, CA) this was considered. This was a case of VAT fraud, involving a loss of  £ 11 million. Evidence had been obtained by a covert surveillance device or probe which had been authorised under Pt III of the Police Act 1997. The appellants submitted before the Court of Appeal that the probe was a breach of Art 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and that the provisions in the Police Act concerning intrusive surveillance were incompatible with the Convention. Dismissing the appeal, the court held that the probe did not breach Art 8. Covert surveillance was compatible with the Convention where it was authorised by law; such authority was provided by the Police Act. The surveillance was necessary in a democratic society for the prevention of disorder or crime. It was also proportionate. Article 8(2) was therefore complied with. The Police Act 1997 has been overtaken by Pt II of RIPA, which introduces regulatory procedures for various forms of surveillance which, until now, have had no basis in statute. RIPA provides for more stringent scrutiny than the Police Act. However, as with the Police Act and Art 8, Pt II of RIPA provides for no restriction on the use of evidence so obtained. Rather, RIPA is concerned with the various forms of surveillance described in s 26. Once authorised under s 27, the s 26 surveillance will be lawful in relation to that authorisation. Sections 28, 29 and 32 require that the covert surveillance be necessary and proportionate. Therefore in conclusion it is argued that the increased use of electronic surveillance is unlikely to lead to the demise of human intelligence sources, this assignment that the two work well together and that they are both heavily regulated. Regulation will ensure that the two will work together and that they will both enhance each other. It is suggested that these two types of surveillance will continue to work alongside each other, which each being more useful in differing circumstances Bibliography Cases Christie v United Kingdom 78-A DRE Com HR 119 Malone v UK (1985) 7 EHRR 14 R v Lawrence, Hope, Stapleton, Stapleton, Bravard and May (3 August 2002, CA) Legislation Intelligence Services Act 1994 Police Act 1997 Regulation of Investigatory Powers 2000 Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Covert Surveillance: Code Of Practice) Order 2002 (SI 2002 NO. 1933) Journal Articles S. Uglow, Covert Surveillance And The Echr [1999] Crim Lr 287. D. J. Harris, M. Oboyle and C. Warbrick, Law Of The European Convention On Human Rights (1995) At 290 P. Mirfield, Regulation Of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (2): The Evidence Provisions [2001] Crim Lr 91 Books Feldman, Civil Liberties and Human Rights in England and Wales (2nd edn, 2002); S H Bailey, D J Harris D C Ormerod, Civil Liberties, Cases and Materials (5th edn, 2001); N Whitty, T Murphy S Livingstone, Civil Liberties Law: The Human Rights Act Era;

The Impact Of Globalization On Engineering Companies

The Impact Of Globalization On Engineering Companies Globalization is one of the prominent features in the current trend of evolution for national economies. Companies and Nations can be offered with huge potential profits through globalization, but it is more complicated to implement because of widely differing expectations, standard of living, cultures and values as well as unexpected global cause-and-effect linkages. [1] Financial Globalization: Combination of sedentary financial system of a particular country with international organization as well as financial markets. Financial globalization acts as a safeguard against national shocks, an excellent system for the global allocation of resources in a more efficient way. [2] Production Globalization: Producers are getting more benefits from different cultures cheap labors all around the world, due to which world has become the global village. Companies prefer other parts of the world, where products are available at lower cost. Other reason for this is availability of natural resources in the country preferred facility provided by that country for foreign investments. This has a wide application addressed as production globalization, which needs higher technological knowledge countries with highly skilled people. [3] Competitive Globalization: In world where global competition is increasingly growing, nation has become more, not less, prominent. Basis of competition being shifted more more, the generation orientation of knowledge, role of nation has flourished. Competitive advantages is generated and approved through a highly confined process. Diversity in national values, culture, economic structures, institutions histories are all devoted to competitive success. Companies achieve competitive advantage through acts of innovation with broadest sense, including the new ways new technologies, this helps in perceiving an entirely new market opportunity. Globalization of Industry technology always helps in creating new winners also losers within the national economy for the competition to be more stronger. [4] Basic step of globalization is that, it is an intensified transference of exchange of things between pre-constituted units, being they are political, economic and cultural. Thus, Globalization signifies a process of change which originates at the level of unit in terms of unintended consequences of interaction between units. [5] Understanding of globalization can be accomplished in terms of range of values across the below mentioned four characteristics. When we see how far it reaches, broader geographical effects could be experienced in events and actions that take place. Globalization involves social, political economic activities being stretched and once it is implemented onto the process, one part of the world has an increasing effect on the situations in the other parts of world. http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBMX7rPCg3IhrcLq9BVCHUHJAqtsGMIvMazbRNCChdlvBT6obQ Fig: Understanding the concept of globalization. (Google Images) Speed of global interconnections processes are uncertain. Results of developments in travel and communication technology have larger velocity. Impact of Globalization cannot be expected only in single type, but there are four different types of impact or outcome. Decisional Impact: What are the effects of globalizing processes? How do individuals, corporations, organization government make decisions? Institutional Impact: How the agendas of organizations and individuals are changed and structure their preferences regarding choices and influences? Distributive Impact: How is the distribution of way, wealth power within and among the countries changed? Structural Impact: How are the patterns behavior structured? This contains Social patterns, political patterns, economic patterns etc. [6] Source of lot of disputes over globalization involves different perceptions and the criteria employed in conceptualizing and defining it. Globalization of any market is at hand. The powerful force drive arises by comprising the commonality of the technology. This has three distinct abilities over the idea of Globalization, as explained below. (Source-International sociology p-180) Globalization as Transference implies that there is an exchange across the existing unit boundaries, units and systems but it is presumed to be identical to each other. Considering this interpretation, concept of globalization is an individuals ontology, which is logically open for methodological structuring possibilities. Hence takes place at an inside out direction in its flow. Following this logic of transference, we have an intense condensation of consequences today with larger systems being coupled over a corresponding inability to account for how the transformation of units might occur in process. So when there is a certain effect, it is possible to argue that globalization has a new geographical extension of state authority for pushing forward the process, while modern state remains as a globalization vehicle. (Source-International sociology p-184) Globalization as Transformation is a process which occurs at system level, affecting both system and identity of units in equal proportion. This concept is distinct from the first concept which defines the concept of globalization as a multidimensional process that takes place outside in. But there is continuity between them, wherein this second concept theorizes exactly about what is left out and rendered enigmatically by the first concept. Transformation preserves the distinction between unit and the system, but relativizes problematizes the system by turning it into a same level of units analyzed as its constituent parts. From this point of view, globalization might be made to look both necessary irreversible. (Source-International sociology P-186) Globalization as Transcendence implies those distinctions that together condition unit, system and dimension identity. Under this case, the Globalization is neither inside out nor outside in but rather a process that dissolves the divide between inside and outside. This concept is harder than that of transformation, because its concepts are beyond conventional theoretical categories. Globalization brings change not only to identify the units system, but also to the conditions of existence of objects of enquiry and the fields where they are temporalized as per the requirement of human knowledge, hence deriving the globalization forward in a dynamic irreducible form within particular dimensions. [5] Impact of Globalization: People rely more on market economy which has provided more faith in private capital resources, wherein International organizations started playing vital role in developing Industries giving fair impact to certain extent by giving varied opportunities. http://www.fotosearch.com/bthumb/ICN/ICN219/F0015451.jpg It helped in improving better productivity, hence improving standard of living. These are the positive impacts of Globalization over the Industries. The negative impact of globalization has thrown uncertain challenges like inequality across within industries along with market and environmental situations becoming worse. Industries being guarded by trade, investments financial issues, Liberalization process took the pace of Globalization. Financial globalization impact is huge in the composition of national international capital markets. The banking system was mostly stirred it had to experience the dis-intermediation. http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRrMsuwZagwCgZtdlvGarflv8WtMe8wwn7gLFHuIdM2SwzhSK38rA Positive Impact: Enhanced capital flow in each every country with which a country at any time is ready to face the financial confrontation. Capital flow between nations increased, which resulted in a well-organized way Improvement in the standard of living. Negative impact: Poor economy of any country would be affected by financial shocks of different countries. It would cause a severe disorder cost high for stock market turbulence, bank failures, corporate bankruptcies, currency depreciation, etc. For financially developed countries, financial globalization would reap out an extremely advantageous output. [7] Impact of Competitive globalization- Globalization has created fast growing market that stimulates new competition, demands higher level of efficiency requires true ability in supply chain development. Globalization of Industry technology promises to accelerate transnational integration cross-fertilization in engineering, technology and management. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRnTBkbtQLFxjzqpMHpcT35VTbgrkxliOTxbhXoynzCICu388zGlg Fig: Competitive Globalization. (Google images) Competitive globalization of technical activities improves the difference and depth of current stock of world engineering and resources thereby provide greater stimulus to economic growth and technological development. [8] Impact of Production Globalization- Major measures initiated as a part of the liberalisation and globalisation strategy in the early nineties included scrapping of the industrial licensing regime, reduction in the specialization, correction of the ownership and the restrictive trade practice act, start of the privatisation programme, reduction in tariff rates and change over to the market determined exchange rates. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQtzwR1iADc_QOa2sHQDTdvo4QSGRu-RHNJ5TT_SBE5RX8OZsTd Fig: Production Globalization (Google Images) India has to concentrate on five important areas to achieve the set goal. The areas like technological entrepreneurship, new business openings for small and medium enterprises, importance of quality management, new prospects in rural areas and privatisation of financial institutions. The manufacturing of technology and management of technology are two different significant areas in the country. [9] Globalization has many positive, contemporary enterprising aspects so as to increase the market access, capital access access to technology which improves the income employment opportunities. Intensified competition given through the transfer of investments, production rapid structural changes is the main principle of globalization. But if there is any pressure from globalization, it would affect the employment relations at regional, national international levels. Source- Human resource champions (Dave Ulrich) p-176 Important Effects of Globalization are raising competitiveness, relocation of economic activities, structural changes in economy, increased integration of global economic activities, improving technological advancements, increased innovation and skill mismatch. Impact of globalization varies considerably according to the organizational settings within each country; this framework influences the employer strategies business interests. Source- Human Resource Champions (Dave Ulrich) P-181 [10] Challenges of Globalization: The influence of globalization framework describes extent to which the firms respond to the opportunities threats evinced by Globalization; it is characterized by management initiatives to modify business tactics, marketing activities general series of tactical exercises in adroit move characterized by craftiness. Challenge : Earth Puzzle Prominent challenges of globalization are, competitive horizon is dominated by globalization. Globalization entails new ways of thinking about business; it may be regarding new markets, products, mind sets or competencies. Complex network of global centers of excellence is required for effective global competencies. Developing countries when integrated into global economy will present difficult challenges which are worth gaining. This is to be more significantly achieved by Industrial Developing countries. This provides an opportunity to improve the welfare over the long term. Wide ranging impact of globalization touches on many basic philosophical questions that give raise to different challenges. Globalization challenges to the traditional assumptions like profound quantitative increase in and intensification of social relations. [11] Detailed Description of Globalization impact over the service, product financial issues: To understand this whole concept, let us consider an example to be the context; wherein I have considered QUEST GLOBAL to explain this whole concept. http://www.quest-global.com/images/Quest_logo.gif Fig: Quest Global (questglobal.com) Growing is easy when company is small, but growing is not as easy when the same company grows bigger. Quest global is a leading provider of diversified engineering manufacturing services globally. It employs over 2000 professionals and has delivery centers in India, USA, Italy, Japan, Germany, France, Singapore, UK Spain. Quest Global is ranked World No.1 in Engineering Service Outsourcing by the Black Book of Outsourcing 2009. Quest Manufacturing specializes in precision manufacturing for aerospace, automotive and industrial components, power generation, large scale turnkey fabrication, design and manufacturing of test rigs, tooling, fixtures and gages. Quest has partnered with more than 10,000 companies around globe. It is a globalized company which is more stable in the systems management market for more than 20 years offering solid brand recognition. All over the world customers have selected Quest Global because of its product innovation passion, deep manufacturing expertise main focus over the consumer needs. [12] Milestones: At first, found Ajit Prabhu Aravind Melligeri in New York (Chairman and Chief executive Officer); after which Quest Global India was set up in Bangalore. It acquired a position of leader in providing Computer Aided Engineering consulting services, so as to enter the automotive domain. Finally by 2 years of hard work, it received its ISO 9001:2000 certification. Next step was getting appointed by Ansys, as its first-of-its-kind Centre of excellence in India. http://www.hfmametrony.org/Portals/0/Milestones_side.jpg Fig: Milestone (Google images) It signed up with United Technologies in Aero scope domain to provide good services. Wholly owned subsidiary was set up in Italy with its office at Florence, then in China with its office at Hangzhou. It received funding from Carlyle group that invested so as to improve its facilities to access new customers or markets. Wholly owned subsidiary was set up in Japan with its office in Yokohama City. Expanding of Aerospace manufacturing and Magellan Aero scope; Quest Global Manufacturing signs a 10 year strategic agreement. Both Quest Global and Magellan launch Indias first special processing facility for aerospace manufacturing. It received the award ISO 27001 for product development and engineering solutions promoters bought back the Carlyle stake. It achieved AS9100 Certification for aerospace manufacturing. Quest global becomes 1st India private sector player qualified globally to offer end to end solutions to EADS (European Aeronautic Defence Space Company). Quest manufacturing sets up a sheet metal fabrication facility for aerospace. Company got the notification from Government of India to lease out land at its precision engineering SEZ (Special Economic Zones) at Belgaum, India. It won competitive strategy leadership award from Frost Sullivan. It acquired ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) Technologies. It was awarded International Head Quarters Status by EDB (Economic Development Board), Singapore. Quest Globals commitment to quality and distinguished record in Engineering Consulting Services and Manufacturing has enabled it to establish a leadership position in most of its service offerings. With a best-in-class global leadership team, Quest Global is recognized as one of the largest pure play engineering services player, providing integrated product development and build solutions across the engineering services value chain. [13] After looking at all these achievements, we can understand how well this company is influenced by the production competitive efficiencies and has helped the company to grow in a well-developed manner globally all over the world. The vision of this company is to be most recognized respected global product development solutions partner to their customers. With respect to these visions, the company has its mission set which is to enhance the profitability of their customers through globalization. The core values for acquiring this mission are:http://www.eaaev.org/images/mission-statement.jpg Customer focus. Change championship. Teamwork. Accountability. To provide the globalized engineering service, they made use of crucial soft skills with the conclusion that, there is no one size fits to all solution for managing that satisfying level of end users. According to their opinion, customer relationship management communication were important for which the result would be seen in the milestones mentioned above. There is a tremendous change experienced in outsourcing characteristics which is aiming towards the tactical strategic benefits globally. Initially started with the availability of resources, which is now transformed into strategic initiatives like diversity, new capabilities catching up new markets trend for increase in productivity profitability of company. This has given major challenges ahead before achieving the goal that is set by the company. The solution for these major challenges was an excellent program managing framework, which helped in achieving the goals, maintain implement increasing benefits within the company. The foremost and key successful factor for the success of globalization is an effective efficient framework for managing the program in more productive manner. This process includes understanding customer needs, new value propositions based on the extracted needs, implementation of approved value propositions, value addition which helped in continuously improving. All these factors were achieved only through efficient coordinating with end users, management, sponsors, team members, supporting functions and suppliers for the relevant integration and control of various processes. Once the goals are being set into the framework, it is very important that clear objectives are to be defined for the whole process to be successful. In most of globalized environments all the parameters are framed for the growth support of the business, increase in the return of investment (margin velocity), continuously customizing the customer needs not losing any opportunities. The driving factor that contributes to pull push system required highly motivated and energetic leadership which plays the vital role and to react for changes that may occur drastically. All processes were made flexible, mature capable at all stages- program, project, task activity. Resulting output with standards were made acceptable by appearance, domain or the function. This success was made possible by establishing proper vision, mission, growth, n finally implementing these road maps with effective controlling changing these maps according to the customer requirements. SWOT analysis was more reliable for understanding the customer needs by filling the frequent gaps or risk analysis. To foster the quality, detailed process tools were used in the framework. Techniques like Manage by wandering around (MBWA) Manage by action items (MBAI) were used as a key drive to the success. This company has three different domains in which it has been successful all these years; they are Aerospace, Automotive Industrial products. When we just concentrate on how this company has improved globally within all these three domains individually, we get to know different characteristics from each and every domain. Looking into the Quest Manufacturing domain, it specializes in manufacturing products with precision, fabrication of sheet metal, tool design development, aerospace gauges fixtures, special processing, Industrial automotive verticals. Customized end-to-end solution is provided by flexible and modular approach from design to manufacturing; this reduces the cost value being increased. When exploring Quest Engineering domain, this company provides modified manufacturing engineering services. This company helps customers in different fields like industrial products, consumer electronics, in aerospace, health care, oil gas, power generation so as to cut product development costs, shortening lead times, maximizing the availability of resources, extending capacity by providing the complete support across the product life cycle from design modeling through analysis, prototyping, automation, data documentation, instrumentation controls, embedded systems development, manufacturing support, vendor management in-house precision machining. [14] They utilize a systematic approach called Global product development in order to bring resources together and manage from low cost regions to improve the customers profitability. It also uses SEZ for precision engineering which provides best-in-class facilities infrastructure for aerospace industry. C:UsersNamrathaDesktopashwiniCapture.PNG Fig (a): Increased Variation in achievement of the company in previous years. (Image from trusted source) Influence of financial, competitive production globalization on the relationship of Quest-Global and its client world-wide includes lot many significant factors. They are: Mindset We will do. There are 3 important mindset over which the company must focus for the productive outcome. They are It will happen, It may or may not happen or Its not going to happen. Chances of the companys success increases dramatically only when the process starts with We can do it mindset. Quality Delivery- Customers are God. No service business can sustain grow if it is not able to cherish its customers. Repeating business makes the issue possible. Quality always comes first, cost always comes next. Customer Focus Listen to the Customers. Customers are the vital players of any company are business, because they are the providers of Statement of work they are the individuals who give purchase orders. Hands on value driven It is not just the job we have to perform, but it is our mission. This must be the attitude of people involved in work in any company. This was the concern each every worker in this company which has increased the global position of this company to a very large extent as shown in the graph. [Information from trusted source] The other two important factors that are influencing the growth of this company worldwide drastically are Outsourcing Off-shoring. To make the product development cost minimum, to shorten the lead time, for the capacity to be extended, engineering resources to be maximized, the company use the technique of Outsourcing. To build deliver the products that are better and cheaper, to minimize the developing costs, to reduce the lead time, maximizing the resources, the technique of Off-shore engineering service is being used. This transforms the vendor company into a global force. Hence, this company is one of the top off-shore engineering companies for its resilience as a mature stable for their clients. Quests expertise in outsourcing engineering services ranges from concept design, detailing analysis, to product realization solution in all fields like aerospace, civil structures, power generation, industrial products, oil gas and transportation. They provide better, faster more value-optimized solutions through global product development framework. [15] Conclusion: By realizing their future goal, they clocked the revenue value fixed per every headcount in the company to certain value for certain time period. Even under that recession period that occurred in 2008, it grew its revenue by 15%. This had an effect of growth mindset, strong cost controls cautious spending which helped them in sailing over complications without making any undeniable choices across the board until this point of their global journey. http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQDS4AnZna9f_qOuJaY7tOS6hGlBctOF8PwL1Cu9Y78BkRXqjtV Fig: conclusion (Google images) They also used the strong key factors to stand strong over the global market; they are committed team members, focused strategy on strategic accounts, ability to adapt and meet the client needs. The company looks its future goals in a very promising way, due to which they are backed by strong bonding with their strategic accounts with Rolls Royce, Pratt Whitney, GE, Hamilton, Sundstrand, PG, EADS and several other emerging accounts. Their belief in saying, Past success does not guarantee the future success has helped them in achieving a drive of 40% growth every year. This result has created a dynamic market that has stimulated a strong competitive environment within the company and also the demands have reached a very high level of efficiency, this also requires true ability in supply chain development for both Financial and production impact. The Industry technology they are using, it promises to accelerate transnational integration cross-fertilization in all sectors of engineering, technical management. Bringing together and managing resources from low cost regions has helped them enhance their customers profitability. The usage of automation tool in production domain has helped the user in reducing the design cycle time considerably which provides with more accurate and detailed information. All the design rules and logics are now incorporated inside the master models which help in better knowledge management. The migration from 2D to 3D CAD platform has helped the user in reducing design errors and provides better visualization of the product. The standardization of the product structure and design practice and automating the same has given the user an edge over its competitors. [15] Their competitive globalization of technical activities has promised to improve the differences depth of current stock of world engineering and resources; thereby providing the greater stimulus to the economic growth technological development. [Information from trusted source]

Irony in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay -- Shirley Jackson The L

Irony in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson â€Å"The Lottery† is full of irony. Shirley Jackson most likely intended to use this amount of irony to make the over all story funny in its twisted theme. Each layer of irony used, prepared the reader to have the most dramatic reaction to the last and final blow that wrapped the whole story up. I would say the most major and obvious type of irony used here was situational irony. Jackson knew that what most peoples’ impression of the lottery is winning money or something good. She played on that and turned it into something completely opposite. Giving her story kick and uniqueness. However, there was other more minor but essential situational ironies that lead up to the finale. One of these was Tessie Hutchinson. She had the...

Home Schooling Essay -- essays papers

Home Schooling The debate over home schooling has been a hot topic for many over the past few years. Home schooling can be defined as, â€Å"to teach school subjects to one’s children at home† (Merriam-Webster Online, 2003). However, the main debate is not over whether or not children should be taught at home; rather, the question debated is if home-schooled children are as prepared socially as those children who are traditionally schooled. Although opponents of home schooling claim that children who are educated at home do not develop their social skills at the same rate as their peers who attend traditional schools, research findings indicate that students who are home-schooled develop socially at the same rate as those who are traditionally schooled. Home schooling originated in a time when there were a small number of schools. Even when more public and community schools became available, traditional groups like the Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons, chose to school their young children at home. The Amish society kept their older children out of the public schools and chose to educate them through life in the community. The movement for home schooling has become more prevalent in modern day education. Many parents opt to educate at home, whether it be for religious purposes or because they are pursuing the philosophy of child-led learning. Whatever the reason for home schooling, it has become a predominant form of education in society today (Lines, 1995). Society inflicts many stereotypes upon those who â€Å"go against the norm.† Children who are home-schooled are seen as shy, passive, introverted people who do not get along well in society. It is believed that parents of home-schooled children are protecting their chil... ...ooled peers. Bibliography Aiex, N. (1994). Home Schooling and Socialization of Children. ERIC Digest. Retrieved April 23, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed372460.html Jaycox, R. (2001). Rural Home Schooling and Place-Based Education. ERIC Digest. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed459971.html Lines, P. (1995). Home Schooling. ERIC Digest, Number 95. Retrieved April 23, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed381849.html Merriam-Webster Online. (2003). Home School. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=homeschooled National Home Education Research Institute. (2002). Home Education Research Fact Sheet. National Home Education Research Institute. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://www.nheri.org/content.php?menu=1002&page_id=24

Blood Promise Chapter Five

The rest of the trip passed uneventfully. Sydney never entirely lost that discomfort she seemed to have around me, but sometimes, while I was trying to figure out Russian television, she'd take the time to explain what was going on. There were some cultural differences between these shows and the ones we'd both grown up with, so we had that in common. Every once in a while, she'd crack a smile over something we both found funny, and I'd sense there was someone in there I could possibly be friends with. I knew there was no way I'd ever find a replacement for Lissa, but I think some part of me still longed to fill the void of friendship that had been opened up when I left her behind. Sydney napped throughout the day, and I began to think she was just an insomniac with bizarre sleep patterns. She also continued her equally odd treatment of food, hardly touching her meals. She always let me have the leftovers and was a bit more adventurous with Russian cuisine. I'd had to experiment when I first arrived, and it was nice to have the guidance of someone who, though not a local, knew a lot more about this country than me. On the third day of our trip, we arrived in Omsk. Omsk was a larger and prettier city than I'd expected of Siberia. Dimitri had always teased me that my images of Siberia looking like Antarctica were wrong, and I could tell that he was right-at least as far as the southern part of the region was concerned. The weather wasn't much different from what I'd have found in Montana this time of year, cool spring air occasionally warmed by sunshine. Sydney had told me when we got there, she'd get us a ride from some Moroi she knew. Several lived in the city, blending in with the large population. Yet as the day went on, we discovered a problem. No Moroi would take us to the village. Apparently, the road was dangerous. Strigoi often hung out near it at night, hoping to catch traveling Moroi or dhampirs. The more Sydney explained it, the more worried I became about my plan. Apparently, there weren't many Strigoi in Dimitri's town itself. According to her, they lurked on the town's periphery, but few lived out there permanently. If that was the case, my odds of finding Dimitri had dropped. Things got even worse as Sydney continued describing the situation. â€Å"A lot of Strigoi travel the country looking for victims, and the village is just an area they pass through,† she explained. â€Å"The road is kind of remote, so some Strigoi will stay for a while and try to get easy prey. Then they move on.† â€Å"In the U.S., Strigoi often hide in large cities,† I said uneasily. â€Å"They do that here too. It's easier for them to take victims without being noticed.† Yes, this definitely threw a wrench into my plans. If Dimitri wasn't residing in this town, I was going to have some serious problems. I'd known Strigoi liked big cities, but somehow, I'd convinced myself Dimitri would return to the place where he grew up. But if Dimitri wasn't there†¦ well, suddenly, the enormity of Siberia hit me. I'd learned Omsk wasn't even the biggest city in the region, and finding even one Strigoi here could be hard. Looking for him in any number of cities that might be larger? Things could get very, very ugly if my hunch proved wrong. Since setting out to find Dimitri, I'd occasionally had weak moments in which I half-hoped I'd never find him. The idea of him as a Strigoi still tormented me. I was also visited by other images†¦ images of the way he'd been and memories of the time we'd spent together. I think my most precious memory was of just before he was turned. It was one of those times when I'd sucked up a lot of the spirit-induced darkness from Lissa. I'd been out of control, unable to get a grip. I was afraid of becoming a monster, afraid of killing myself like another shadow kissed guardian had. Dimitri had brought me back to myself, lending me his strength. I'd realized then just how strong our connection was, how perfectly we understood each other. I'd been skeptical about people being soul mates in the past, but at that moment, I knew it was true. And with that emotional connection had come a physical one. Dimitri and I had finally given in to the attraction. We'd sworn we never would, but†¦ well, our feelings were just too strong. Staying away from each other had turned out to be impossible. We'd had sex, and it had been my first time ever. Sometimes I felt certain it would be my only time. The act itself had been amazing, and I'd been unable to separate the physical joy from the emotional. Afterward, we'd lain together in that small cabin for as long as we dared, and that had been amazing too. It had been one of the few moments where I'd felt he was truly mine. â€Å"Do you remember Victor's lust charm?† I had asked, snuggling closer against him. Dimitri looked at me like I was crazy. â€Å"Of course.† Victor Dashkov was a royal Moroi, one who had been friends with Lissa and her family. Little did we know that he'd secretly studied spirit for years and had identified Lissa as a spirit user before she even knew. He'd tortured her with all sorts of mind games that truly made her think she was going crazy. His schemes had fully culminated in his kidnapping and torturing her until she healed the disease that was killing him. Victor was now in prison for life, both for what he'd done to Lissa and because of his treasonous plans for rebellion against the Moroi government. He had been one of the few to know about my relationship with Dimitri, something that had worried me to no end. He'd even furthered our relationship by creating a lust charm-a necklace infused with earth and compulsion. The charm was full of dangerous magic that had made Dimitri and me give into our most basic instincts. We had pulled back at the last moment, and until our night in the cabin, I had believed our charm induced encounter to be the ultimate physical high. â€Å"I didn't realize it could get better,† I had told Dimitri after we'd actually slept together. I felt a little shy talking about it. â€Å"I thought about it all the time†¦ what happened between us.† He turned to me, tugging the covers up. The cabin was cold, but its bed had warm blankets. I suppose we could have put clothes on, but that was the last thing I wanted to do. Being pressed skin-to-skin felt too good. â€Å"I did too.† â€Å"You did?† I asked, surprised. â€Å"I thought†¦ I don't know. I thought you were too disciplined for that. I thought you'd try to forget it.† Dimitri laughed and kissed my neck. â€Å"Rose, how could I forget being naked with someone as beautiful as you? I stayed awake so many nights, replaying every detail. I told myself over and over that it was wrong, but you're impossible to forget.† His lips moved to my collarbone, and his hand stroked my hip. â€Å"You're burned into my mind forever. There is nothing, nothing in this world that will ever change that.† And it was memories like that that made it so hard to comprehend this quest to kill him, even if he was a Strigoi. Yet†¦ at the same time, it was exactly because of memories like that that I had to destroy him. I needed to remember him as the man who'd loved me and held me in bed. I needed to remember that that man would not want to stay a monster. I wasn't very excited when Sydney showed me the car she'd bought, particularly since I'd given her the money for it. â€Å"We're going in that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Can it even make it that far?† The trip was apparently seven hours. She gave me a shocked look. â€Å"Are you serious? Do you know what this is? It's a 1972 Citroen. These things are amazing. Do you have any idea how hard it would have been to get this into the country back in the Soviet days? I can't believe that guy actually sold it. He's clueless.† I knew little about the Soviet era and even less about classic cars, but Sydney stroked the shiny red hood like she was in love. Who would have guessed? She was a car geek. Maybe it was valuable, and I just couldn't appreciate it. I was more into sleek, brand-new sports cars. To be fair, this car didn't have any dents or rust, and aside from an outdated look, it appeared clean and well cared for. â€Å"Will it run?† I asked. If possible, her expression grew even more incredulous. â€Å"Of course!† And it did. The engine sprang to life with a steady hum, and with the way it accelerated, I started to understand her fascination. She wanted to drive, and I was about to argue that it had been my money that bought it. Seeing the adoring look on her face, though, I finally decided not to come between her and the car. I was just glad we were leaving right away. It was already late afternoon. If the road was as dangerous as everyone claimed, we wouldn't want to be out there while it was dark. Sydney agreed but said we could get most of the trip in before sundown and then stay overnight at a place she knew. We'd arrive at our destination in the morning. The farther we drove from Omsk, the more remote the terrain became. As I studied it, I began to understand Dimitri's love of this land. It had a scrubby, barren look, true, but spring was turning the plains green, and there was something hauntingly beautiful about seeing all this untouched wilderness. It reminded me of Montana in some ways yet had a certain quality that was all its own. I couldn't help but use Sydney's crush on the car as a means of conversation. â€Å"Do you know a lot about cars?† I asked. â€Å"Some,† she said. â€Å"My dad's the Alchemist in our family, but my mom's a mechanic.† â€Å"Really?† I asked, surprised. â€Å"That's kind of†¦ unusual.† Of course, I was hardly one to talk about gender roles. Considering my life was dedicated to fighting and killing, I couldn't really claim to have a traditionally feminine job either. â€Å"She's really good and taught me a lot. I wouldn't have minded doing that for a living. Wouldn't have minded going to college, either.† There was a bitter note in her voice. â€Å"I guess there are a lot of other things I wish I could do.† â€Å"Why can't you?† â€Å"I had to be the next family Alchemist. My sister†¦ well, she's older, and usually it's the oldest kid who has to do the job. But, she's kind of†¦ worthless.† â€Å"That's harsh.† â€Å"Yeah, maybe. But she just couldn't handle this kind of thing. When it comes to organizing her lip gloss collection, she's unstoppable. But managing the kinds of networks and people we do? No, she'd never be able to do it. Dad said I was the only one capable of it.† â€Å"That's a compliment, at least.† â€Å"I guess.† Sydney looked so sad now that I felt bad for bringing it up. â€Å"If you could go to college, what would you study?† â€Å"Greek and Roman architecture.† I decided then it was a good thing I wasn't behind the wheel, because I probably would have driven off the road. â€Å"Seriously?† â€Å"You know anything about it?† â€Å"Um, no.† â€Å"It's amazing.† The sad expression was replaced by one of wonder-she looked nearly as enamored as she'd been of the car. I understood then why she'd liked the train station. â€Å"The ingenuity it took for some of that†¦ well, it's just unreal. If the Alchemists won't send me back to the U.S. after this, I'm hoping I'll get assigned to Greece or Italy.† â€Å"That would be cool.† â€Å"Yeah.† Her smile faded. â€Å"But there are no guarantees you'll get what you want with this job.† She fell silent after that, and I decided that coaxing her into this small conversation had been victory enough. I left her to her own thoughts of classic cars and architecture while my mind wandered to topics of my own. Strigoi. Duty. Dimitri. Always Dimitri†¦ Well, Dimitri and Lissa. It was always a toss-up over who would cause me more pain. Today, as the car lulled me into a daze, it was Lissa I went to, thanks largely to Adrian's recent visit in my dream. Early evening in Russia meant early morning in Montana. Of course, since the school ran on a nocturnal schedule, it was technically night for them too in spite of the sunshine. It was nearly curfew, and everyone would have to return to their own dorms soon. Lissa was with Adrian, over in his room in guest housing. Adrian, like Avery, had graduated, but as the only other known spirit user, he'd come to stay indefinitely at the school and work with Lissa. They'd just spent a long, exhausting evening working on dream walking and sat on the floor facing each other. With a sigh, Lissa collapsed back and lay down, stretching her arms over her head. â€Å"This is useless,† she groaned. â€Å"I'm never going to learn it.† â€Å"Never took you for a quitter, cousin.† Adrian's voice was as flippant as usual, but I could tell he was weary too. They weren't really cousins; that was just a term royals sometimes used with each other. â€Å"I just don't understand how you do it.† â€Å"I don't know how to explain it. I just think about it, and†¦ well, it happens.† He shrugged and pulled out the cigarettes he always carried. â€Å"Do you mind?† â€Å"Yes,† she said. To my surprise, he put them away. What the hell? He'd never asked me if I minded if he smoked-which I did. In fact, half the time, I swore he did it to annoy me, which made no sense. Adrian was way past the age when guys tried to attract girls they liked by picking on them. He tried to explain the process. â€Å"I just think about who I want and sort of†¦ I don't know. Expand my mind toward them.† Lissa sat up and crossed her legs. â€Å"Sounds a lot like how Rose described reading me.† â€Å"Probably the same principle. Look, it took you a while to learn auras. This is no different. And you're not the only one with a learning curve. I'm only now finally moving past healing scratches, and you can bring back the dead, which-call me crazy-is kind of hard-core.† He paused. â€Å"Of course, some would argue that I am actually crazy.† At the mention of auras, she studied him and summoned the ability to see the field of light that shone around every living thing. His aura came into focus, surrounding him in a golden glow. According to Adrian, her aura was the same. No other Moroi had that kind of pure gold. Lissa and Adrian figured it was unique to spirit users. He smiled, guessing what she was doing. â€Å"How's it look?† â€Å"The same.† â€Å"See how good you are at it now? Just be patient with the dreams.† Lissa wanted so badly to walk dreams the same way he could. Despite her disappointment, I was glad she couldn't. Adrian's dream visits were hard enough on me. Seeing her would†¦ well, I wasn't entirely sure, but it would make this cool, hard attitude I was trying to maintain in Russia a lot harder. â€Å"I just want to know how she is,† said Lissa in a small voice. â€Å"I can't stand not knowing.† It was the conversation with Christian all over again. â€Å"I saw her the other day. She's fine. And I'll go again soon.† Lissa nodded. â€Å"Do you think she'll do it? Do you think she can kill Dimitri?† Adrian took a long time in answering. â€Å"I think she can. The question will be if it kills her in the process.† Lissa flinched, and I was a bit surprised. The answer was as blunt as one Christian might give. â€Å"God, I wish she hadn't decided to go after him.† â€Å"Wishing's useless now. Rose has got to do this. It's the only way we can get her back.† He paused. â€Å"It's the only way she'll be able to move on.† Adrian surprised me sometimes, but this took the prize. Lissa thought it was foolish and suicidal to go after Dimitri. I knew Sydney would agree if I told her the truth about this trip. But Adrian†¦ silly, shallow, party-boy Adrian understood? Studying him through Lissa's eyes, I realized he actually did. He didn't like it, and I could hear the hurt in his words. He cared about me. My having such strong feelings for someone else caused him pain. And yet†¦ he truly believed that I was doing the right thing-the only thing I could do. Lissa looked at the clock. â€Å"I've got to go before curfew. I should probably study for my history test, too.† Adrian grinned. â€Å"Studying's overrated. Just find someone smart to copy off.† She stood up. â€Å"Are you saying I'm not smart?† â€Å"Hell no.† He rose also and went to pour himself a drink from the fully stocked bar he kept on hand. Self-medicating was his irresponsible way of keeping spirit's effects at bay, and if he'd been using spirit all night, he would want the numbness of his vices. â€Å"You're the smartest person I know. But that doesn't mean you have to do unnecessary work.† â€Å"You can't succeed in life if you don't work. Copying from others won't get you anywhere.† â€Å"Whatever,† he said with a grin. â€Å"I copied all through school, and look how well I'm doing today.† With an eye roll, Lissa gave him a quick hug goodbye and left. Once out of his sight, her smile faded a bit. In fact, her thoughts took a decidedly dark turn. Mentioning me had stirred up all sorts of feelings within. She was worried about me-desperately worried. She'd told Christian that she felt bad about what had happened between us, but the full force of that didn't hit me until now. She was racked by guilt and confusion, continually berating herself for what she should have done. And above all, she missed me. She had that same feeling I did-like a part of her had been cut out. Adrian lived on the fourth floor, and Lissa opted for the stairs rather than the elevator. All the while, her mind spun with worry. Worries about whether she'd ever master spirit. Worry for me. Worry that she wasn't currently feeling spirit's dark side effects, which made her wonder if I was absorbing them, just as a guardian named Anna had. She'd lived centuries ago and was bonded to St. Vladimir, the school's namesake. She'd absorbed spirit's nasty effects from him-and had been driven insane. On the second floor, Lissa could make out the sounds of shouting, even through the door that separated the stairwell from the hallway. Despite knowing it had nothing to do with her, she hesitated, curiosity getting the best of her. A moment later, she quietly pushed the door open and stepped into the hall. The voices were coming from around the corner. She carefully peered around it-not that she needed to. She recognized the voices. Avery Lazar stood in the hallway, hands on her hips as she stared at her father. He stood in the doorway to what must have been his suite. Their stances were rigid and hostile, and anger crackled between them. â€Å"I'll do what I want,† she yelled. â€Å"I'm not your slave.† â€Å"You're my daughter,† he said in a voice both calm and condescending. â€Å"Though at times I wish you weren't.† Ouch. Both Lissa and I were shocked. â€Å"Then why are you making me stay in this hellhole? Let me go back to Court!† â€Å"And embarrass me further? We barely got out without damaging this family's reputation-much. No way am I going to send you there alone and let you do God knows what.† â€Å"Then send me to Mom! Switzerland's got to be better than this place.† There was a pause. â€Å"Your mother is†¦ busy.† â€Å"Oh, nice,† said Avery, voice heavy with sarcasm. â€Å"That's a polite way of saying she doesn't want me. No surprise. I'd just interfere with her and that guy she's sleeping with.† â€Å"Avery!† His voice rang out loud and angry. Lissa flinched and stepped back. â€Å"This conversation is done. Get back to your room and sober up before someone sees you. I expect you at breakfast tomorrow, and I expect you to be respectable. We have some important visitors.† â€Å"Yeah, and God knows we've got to keep up appearances.† â€Å"Go to your room,† he repeated. â€Å"Before I call Simon and make him drag you there.† â€Å"Yes, sir,† she simpered. â€Å"Right away, sir. Anything you say, sir.† And with that, he slammed the door. Lissa, ducking back behind the corner, could hardly believe he'd said those things to his own daughter. For a few moments, there was silence. Then, Lissa heard the sound of footsteps-coming toward her. Avery suddenly rounded the corner and stopped in front of Lissa, giving us our first good look of her. Avery was wearing a tight, short dress made of some kind of blue fabric that shone silvery in the light. Her hair hung long and wild, and the tears pouring from her blue-gray eyes had destroyed the heavy makeup she wore. The scent of alcohol came through loud and clear. She hastily ran a hand over her eyes, obviously embarrassed at being seen like this. â€Å"Well,† she said flatly. â€Å"I guess you overheard our family drama.† Lissa felt equally embarrassed at being caught spying. â€Å"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just passing by†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Avery gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"Well, I don't think it matters. Probably everyone in the building heard us.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† Lissa repeated. â€Å"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong.† â€Å"No†¦ I mean, I'm sorry he†¦ you know, said those things to you.† â€Å"It's part of being a ? ®good' family. Everyone's got skeletons in their closet.† Avery crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Even upset and messy, she was beautiful. â€Å"God, I hate him sometimes. No offense, but this place is so fucking boring. I found some sophomore guys to hang with tonight, but†¦ they were pretty boring too. The only thing they had going for them was their beer.† â€Å"Why†¦ why did your dad bring you here?† Lissa asked. â€Å"Why aren't you†¦ I don't know, in college?† Avery gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"He doesn't trust me enough. When we were at Court, I got involved with this cute guy who worked there-total nonroyal, of course. Dad freaked out and was afraid people would find out. So when he got the job here, he brought me along to keep an eye on me and torture me. I think he's afraid I'll run off with a human if I go to college.† She sighed. â€Å"I swear to God, if Reed wasn't here, I'd just run away, period.† Lissa didn't say anything for a long time. She'd gone out of her way to avoid Avery diligently. With all the orders the queen was giving Lissa lately, this seemed the only way Lissa could fight back and stop herself from being controlled. But now, she wondered if she'd been wrong about Avery. Avery didn't seem like a spy for Tatiana. She didn't seem like someone who wanted to mold Lissa into a perfect royal. Mostly, Avery seemed like a sad, hurting girl, whose life was spinning out of control. Someone who was being ordered around as much as Lissa was lately. With a deep breath, Lissa rushed forward with her next words. â€Å"Do you want to eat lunch with Christian and me tomorrow? No one would mind if you came to our lunch period. I can't promise it'll be, um, as exciting as you want.† Avery smiled again, but this time, it was less bitter. â€Å"Well, my other plans were to get drunk by myself in my room.† She lifted a bottle of what looked like whiskey out of her purse. â€Å"Scored some stuff of my own.† Lissa wasn't entirely sure what kind of an answer that was. â€Å"So†¦ I'll see you at lunch?† Now Avery hesitated. But slowly, a faint gleam of hope and interest appeared on her face. Concentrating, Lissa tried to bring up her aura. She had a little difficulty at first, probably worn out from all the practice with Adrian tonight. But when she was finally able to get a grip on Avery's aura, she saw it was a mix of colors: green, blue, and gold. Not uncommon. It was currently ringed in red, as often happened when people were upset. But right before Lissa's eyes, that redness faded. â€Å"Yeah,† Avery said at last. â€Å"That would be great.† â€Å"I think this is as far as we can go today.† On the other side of the world, Sydney's voice startled me out of Lissa's thoughts. I didn't know how long I'd been daydreaming, but Sydney had turned off the main highway and was driving us into a small town that fit perfectly with my backwoods images of Siberia. In fact, â€Å"town† was a total exaggeration. There were a few scattered houses, a store, and a gas station. Farmland stretched beyond the buildings, and I saw more horses than cars. The few people who were out stared at our car in amazement. The sky had turned deep orange, and the sun was sinking farther and farther into the horizon. Sydney was right. It was nearly nightfall, and we needed to be off the road. â€Å"We're only a couple hours away at most,† she continued. â€Å"We made really good time and should get there pretty quickly in the morning.† She drove to the other side of the village-which took, like, a minute-and pulled up in front of a plain white house with a barn beside it. â€Å"Here's where we're staying.† We got out of the car and approached the house. â€Å"Are these friends of yours?† â€Å"Nope. Never met them. But they're expecting us.† More mysterious Alchemist connections. The door was answered by a friendly looking human in her twenties who urged us to come inside. She only spoke a few words of English, but Sydney's translation skills carried us through. Sydney was more outgoing and charming than I'd seen her thus far, probably because our hosts weren't despicable vampiric offspring. You wouldn't think riding in a car all day would be tiring, but I felt exhausted and was anxious to get an early start in the morning. So after dinner and a little TV, Sydney and I went to the room that had been prepared for us. It was small and plain but had two twin beds covered in thick, fluffy blankets. I snuggled into mine, grateful for the softness and the warmth, and wondered if I'd dream of Lissa or Adrian. I didn't. I did, however, wake up to a slight wave of nausea rolling through me-the nausea that told me there was a Strigoi nearby.

Develop Positive Relationships with Children Essay

1.1 Explain why positive relationships with children and young people are important and how these are built and maintained Why positive relationships with children and young people are important (Ref 1.1): * When children feel comfortable with us they can separate more easily from their parents. * Children are more likely to participate in play and learning activities if they are secure emotionally * when children have strong relationships, they are less likely to show unwanted behaviour as we can recognise and meet their needs * children’s language develops more quickly because they feel confident talking to us * practitioners can plan more accurately as they understand children’s developmental needs and know their interests * practitioners are able to respond to children more effectively because they can recognise their expressions and emotions. Good relationships are really important for our wellbeing. Humans have evolved as social animals, so we have a deep, natural need to connect with other people and to belong to a social group. This sense of connection and belonging comes from good relationships with the people around us – in our families, at work or school and with our friends. There is strong evidence that when we feel we belong, we will flourish. A child’s ability to develop good relationships is an extremely important step on the path to getting the best out of his or her life. How positive relationships are built and maintained (Ref 1.1): * Communicating effectively Often, we focus on trying to get our point across or saying how we feel about something. However, communication is a two-way process – it involves listening as well as speaking. How we listen to others is just as important as what we say to them. But good listening is much more than staying silent when another speaks. The most effective form of listening for building good relationships is empathic listening. Empathy is about seeing things from the other person’s point of view. So, empathic listening means listening with the intention of really understanding what the other person means and how the other person feels. We are much more likely to build good relationships with children and young people if we really make an effort to see things from their point of view. If we do this, they will feel supported and understood, and are much more likely to open up and tell us about what’s happening in their lives and how they feel. Seeing things from a child’s point of view is not easy. It means really trying to step into their shoes and imagine how a situation looks through their eyes and how it feels to them. This quote helps us understand how children (and adults!) really want to be listened to: | When I ask you to listen and you start giving advice, you have not done what I have asked. When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings. When I ask you to listen and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as it may seem. Listen! All I ask is that you listen: not talk or d o – just hear me. We also need to consider the child’s perspective if they ask us for our opinion or advice. Children are much more likely to listen to our opinion or advice if we can put it in a way that means something to them. For example, if they ask us for advice on what subjects they should study at high school, it may be best to explain why we think certain subjects would be better than others. Or it may be that they don’t want specific advice on what subjects they should do, but they want us to help them think about it so they can then make the decision more effectively themselves. So, asking probing questions like: â€Å"what do you enjoy doing most?† or â€Å"what would you like to find out more about?† or â€Å"what would you be most happy doing as a job on a daily basis?† may help them make the decision for themselves. Effective communication is not just about speaking and listening. It is also about watching and feeling. Our body language and tone of voice actually communicate more strongly than the words we use. So, listening effectively involves tuning in closely to the other person’s body language and tone of voice as well as their words. How positive relationships are built and maintained(Ref 1.1): * Identifying and sorting out conflicts and disagreements Children, like adults will have their disagreements. As children get older their arguments can become more serious and are not  simple squabbles. In order for children and young people to trust us, it is important that we can identify difficulties and help them wherever possible to find ways through them. It is essential that children and young people perceive our way of doing this as fair. When you have a conflict with a child, there is an opportunity for learning about how to solve problems. Conflicts help children to understand that other people have different thoughts and feelings to their own. Listen to the child and try to understand their point of view, and help them to understand yours. Then together, try to think of ways to solve the problem that you are both happy with. It might take a while but it will be worth it, and will help to build your relationship. How positive relationships are built and maintained (Ref 1.1): * Being consistent and fair Consistency means not just keeping behavioural boundaries in place, but also making sure that we do not have significant mood swings, e.g. one day being excitable and funny and the next being quiet and withdrawn. Children and young people rely upon us, this means that it is essential that day to day, we are consistent. Children also need to know that we will be fair with them, we will listen to what they have to say before jumping to conclusions and we will try to make sure that their needs are taken into consideration.Fairness is something that adults need as well. Parents will want to see that the way that their family is being treated is comparable with others, while staff members need to feel that their workplace is a fair one where everyone is expected to pull their weight. * Showing respect and courtesy Mutual respect is essential for good relationships. This means that everyone in the relationship respects each other. Respecting others means being considerate towards them, thinking about their feelings and accepting that they may have different views and opinions to you. A good relationship with a child would mean that you would respect them and they would respect you. Good long-term relationships also involve giving to others (for example: time, kindness, praise, etc.). However, just because you give, it doesn’t mean that you lose out – everyone in the relationship should give, so  everyone should expect to benefit (mutual benefit). A good relationship with a child would mean that they benefit from their relationship with you and you would benefit from your relationship with them. Children don’t have to compete with each other to gain recognition or opportunities. We all have different abilities and strengths, and if we teach children to respect each other and to see each others’ strengths, we will be helping them to see that everyone can achieve in their own way. Their own success does not have to be diminished by another child’s success. And, if you can help them to help each other to be successful, you will be helping them to build better relationships with each other. From the earliest age, we should be using markers of respect in English such as saying please and thank you. We should also speak to children and young people using voice tones that are warm and courteous. * Valuing and respecting individuality Good relationships can lead to great ideas, creativity and achievement. We are all different, and in good relationships, people celebrate their differences, they don’t just tolerate their differences. They may have different religious or political beliefs, different kinds of lifestyles, different personalities or different abilities. But they use this diversity and richness of experience to create better ideas and new solutions or create a great team achievement. Children, young people and other adults will all have different strengths, talents and attitudes. They will also respond in different ways. Valuing and respecting their individuality means showing that we are comfortable with their differences. Children, especially teenagers, often want to ‘fit in’ with their peer group. Feeling comfortable with the people around us is important. But to fit in and feel comfortable with others, we don’t have to be the same as others, we just have to accept and value others. If we can make others feel accepted and valued, then they are more likely to accept and value us. Recognising others individuality is the basis of anti-bias practice. How positive relationships are built and maintained (Ref 1.1): * Keeping promises or honouring commitments Trusting someone else is the foundation of a good relationship. We can  strengthen or weaken someone’s trust in us by what we say and do. To strengthen a relationship, it is important to think about the little things we can say or do to keep the other person’s trust – for example, we can be open and honest with them, keep our promises and try to understand their point of view. As adults who work with or care for children, you can help develop your relationships with children by doing things that build their trust in you. This will show them how to trust others and behave in a way which helps others trust them. Not keeping promises or honouring commitments mean that a child or young person will tend not to trust us again or may keep some distance from us. Build trust in your relationships with children – keep your promises, be honest and clear about what you expect from them, apologise when you make a mistake and forgive them for their mistakes. Help them understand that you expect them to do the same with you. * Monitoring the impact of your own behaviour on others Part of working professionally with children, young people and their families is to monitor and then, if necessary, adapt our own behaviour. You may notice that a child moves slightly back when you talk to them. Noticing this is important as it might be a sign that the child finds you too overpowering and so you will need to alter your style slightly to be gentler. * Keeping confidentiality as appropriate Confidential information is information which should be shared only with people who have a right to have it, for example, your lead practitioner, supervisor or manager. Confidentiality is essentially about trust and respect. Parents and other professionals will often give you confidential information on the basis that it will be helpful to you when you work. They do so trusting that this information will not be passed on to others, to become the source of gossip or interest. If you breach confidentiality, you will break that trust. When trust between you and others breaks down, so too does the relationship. While we can never promise to maintain confidentiality if children reveal that they have been abused, or that there is a danger that they may be harmed, keeping confidentiality is an important part of working with children, young people and others. 1.3 Evaluate own effectiveness in building relationships with children or young people The wonderful thing about children and young people is that they are all different. We need to adapt the way in which we approach and communicate with them according to their age/stage of development, needs and personality. For each child or young person that I work with, I consider the strength of the relationship, they have with me. I use the following pointers to identify how well the relationship is being built: * Greeting Does the child or young person seek me out soon after coming into my setting? Does the child or young person like to tell me when they are leaving the setting? * Seeking help Does the child or young person look for me if he/she needs help or if they have had an accident? * Smiling and eye contact Does the child or young person often make eye contact with me or smile while I am with them? * Looking for company Does the child or young person look for me to get involved in his/her playtime, in chat or in an activity? * Absence Does the child or young person miss me when I am not in the room (babies and toddlers) or if I am off for a few days? Ref 2.1 Explain why positive relationships with people involved in the care of children and young people are important The professional and positive relationships we develop with people involved in the care of children and young people will ensure that good communication is possible in order to support the needs of children and their families. It is important to have these positive relationships as if we don’t there is a danger that information may be withheld or passed on incorrectly. This has to be taken seriously as, over the past few years, some child deaths have occurred because people caring for children have not worked properly together. An example of this is: In 2000 in London, an eight-year-old Ivorian Victoria Adjo Climbià © (2 November 1991 – 25 February 2000) was  tortured and murdered by her guardians. Her death led to a public inquiry and produced major changes in child protection policies in England. After Climbià ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s death, the parties involved in her case were widely criticised. A public inquiry, headed by Lord Laming was ordered. It discovered numerous instances where Climbià © could have been saved and noted that many of the organisations involved in her care were badly run and did not communicate with one another. Where parents are concerned it is essential that we build positive relationships so that we can work closely together with them to benefit the child in a variety of ways. This should include settling the child in, sharing developmental information and also learning about children’s interest. Benefits of positive relationships: Information can be shared quickly between adults Children are given consistent care Skills and ideas can be shared Children’s welfare can be properly monitored Children’s needs and interests are identified Plans for children’s care and education are more effective People involved in the care of children and young people are : Colleagues Organisational managers and supervisors Carers/parents Official visitors e.g. inspectorate for the UK home nation (Ofsted) Other Visitors, Colleagues from other agencies and services (Early years) External partners