Jurassic Park Essays (688 words) - Jurassic Park,

Jurassic Park A billionaire has created a technique to clone dinosaurs. From the left behind DNA that his crack team of scientists and experts extract he is able to grow the dinosaurs in labs and lock them up on an island behind electrified fences. He has created a sort of theme park on the island which is located off the west coast of Costa Rica. The island is called Isla Nublar. He plans to have the entire planet come and visit his wondrous marvels. He asks a group of scientists from several different fields to come and view the park, but something terribly goes wrong when a worker on the island turns traitor and shuts down the power. II. A Description of the Most Important Aspects of the Contents. The main characters in the book are: John Hammond who is a billionaire developer who has used his resources to create the dinosaur filled island known as Jurassic Park. He is an old grandfather, and he dies in the book by a dinosaur known as a Procompsognathus. Dr. Alan Grant who is a renowned paleontologist who agrees to visit Jurassic Park only to find out it is the home of several Dinosaurs. Unlike the movie Dr. Grant loves kids in the book. He also had a of a beard. Dr. Ellie Sattler is a Paleobotinist and Alan Grant who is among the first people to tour Jurassic Park. Tim who is the 11 year old grandson of John Hammond. He is kind of geeky, into computers and loves Dinosaurs. His 7 year older sister is Alexis. She has a kind of tomboy attitude and loves base-ball Ian Malcom is the Mathematician that uses "Chaos Theory" to predict disastrous results. he only wears black and gray. He is presumably dead in Jurassic Park the book, but "miraculously" is in the sequel, The Lost World. Finally there is Dennis Nedry. He was the computer genius who's greed and ambition bring chaos to Jurassic Park. There are many other characters that played a big part in the book, but I thought they were the best and the plot revolved around them. The characters show the greatest difference in the movie and the book. There were many opposites in the characters and even the roles and elements of Tim and Lex were reversed. The book starts off when some of the dinosaurs have escaped form the island. John Hammond invites a group of scientists to the park. He also invites his grandchildren. Denis Nedry took a bribe from a rival company to get samples of Dinosaur DNA. In order to make his escape, he turns the power off, even the electric fences. All hell breaks loose when the humans try to warn a boat that it's transporting Dinosaurs to the mainland, and run away from them at the same time. III. The Significance of the Book to the Student. This book had plenty of significance in it, even though a lot of the elements that were significant were hidden. First of all this book thought us a few basic things about DNA. How it's the building blocks of life, and stuff can be cloned. Like that sheep, Dolly. Also it taught us what some scientific practices were about when different scientists visited the island. Suchexamples are paleontologists, paleobotanists, and mathematicians. 1 other thing that this book teaches the student is that it is a prime example of the differences between the movie and the book. And yes, the book was better. IV. Evaluation of the Book. Personally, I thought this was a great book. When I saw the movie, it was a blast. I loved the movie, but when I read the book for the first time I was blown away. This has been the second time I've read it and I must say it hasn't lost his touch. When I read the book the first time I was rooting for the different characters and all, and the second time I read it, it still kept those same elements. It still had it's flavor. That's what I loved about this book. There is one thing I must recommend about this book though. Read it as something for fun, not for school. And go at your own pace, but read a lot, it's a big book. The experience of the book it much better then.

A Diversity Essay For Medical School

A Diversity Essay For Medical SchoolA diversity essay for medical school is a great way to make a big impact on your ability to get into the program. This is especially true if you are a minority that is not only in an underrepresented group but in an underrepresented field as well. At the same time, it does not mean that you have to specialize in one subject to write such a document. You do not have to put up with dealing with the staidness and monotony of life in any given hospital.You can bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the medical or healthcare industry without worrying about what people will think about your lack of background. If you know you have a unique set of experiences and qualifications that will stand out, then go for it. The more you express your unique talents and skills, the better. Just remember that this type of essay should also be written from the perspective of the applicant, and not the hospital administration.The main point of the essay is to get you not iced, and one way to do that is to leave your future hospital behind. There are few hospitals that might be looking for a diversity essay, so keep that in mind when writing this document. This document will become your resume, a representation of your health information, and the impression you make on the board.When you write about yourself, you will want to highlight your diverse experience and education that have given you the needed edge to succeed in the healthcare industry. What you need to do is to make a case for why you deserve the special treatment you are getting, and how that will benefit the institution.The diversity essay for medical school is one of the most effective ways to get ahead of others who are applying for the same or similar positions. It is written based on the words of others who already have the credentials and leadership ability to get ahead of others. Thisis a great resource, but the document should not be too personal, because it will be written for th e hospital administrator and not the person.You need to get multiple sources to cover all of the main points. They may have worked with you at the hospital before, or they might have applied for the position themselves. Use them to get a good picture of what you have accomplished to get to where you are now.This essay is an excellent introduction to a specialized healthcare area. It will show you why you are qualified to handle this particular area, and provide enough information to convince the administrator that you are a viable candidate. When you have a chance to use this approach, make sure you go for it.

Influence of Formal Cultural System on Ethics

Influence of Formal Cultural System on Ethics Introduction Ethics in workplace is a leadership issue that has raised concerns in the recent past. An organization depends on its employees in order to achieve its desired results. In order to do this, employees must be ethical in their actions and ensure that they work as per the expectations that are stipulated by the management.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Formal Cultural System on Ethics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to McCarthy Eastman (2010, p. 25), ethics refers to a standard behavior that is acceptable within a given setting. These scholars say that although ethics may be considered as being universal, there are some cases where ethics may differ. This means that what one organization considers as ethical behavior may be unethical in another organization. Besides the need to motivate employees, one of the most important issues that a manager always tries to inculcate on their e mployees is ethics. When employees embrace ethical behavior, they can follow instruction given without any deviation (Taborda 2011, p. 87). Through ethics, employees will stay away from such unethical practices as pilferage that affects a firm negatively. Customer service also needs ethics in order to ensure that customers are served in a satisfactory and respectful manner. There has been an argument of how best ethics can be inculcated among employees. According to Daft (2009, p. 41), ethics is not something that can be forced into an employee. It is fear that can be generated when the management decides to use punitive measures against those employees who go against the set laws. However, Bird (2007, p. 220) says that fear is not a form of ethics, because when this fear is eliminated, then such an employee would be involved in unethical behavior with impunity. Eliminating fear at workplace can be an easy task for regular employees. They only need to understand the system and chann els through which their unethical behavior can be detected. Once this is clear, then they can easily avoid paths that may make them prone to being caught. As Sharma (2008, p. 55) says, ethics is something that should be in the mind of people. It should be a responsibility of the person. It is because of this that the researcher is interested in determining the influence of formal cultural systems on promotion of ethics.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Discussion Arguments about Formal Cultural System According to Sirkin, Keenan and Jackson (2005, p. 67), organizational culture is gaining popularity at a very fast rate in the current corporate world. The competition in the corporate world has become very stiff, and many firms are trying to find a way of making their products unique in the market. To achieve this, many firms have realized that the best thing to do is to develop a culture that is unique to itself. Organizational culture refers to the practices and the general conduct that all members of the organization are expected of when dealing with members of the organization and with customers (DeAnne, Gary, Hyde Tipping 2004, p. 78). It also involves the manner in which employees will address any task assigned to them, and how they should relate to the environment. The main reason why firms are always keen on developing organizational culture is to develop a system that would enable employees work without feeling that they are forced with instruction. It creates an environment where employees understand their responsibilities and appreciates the importance of accomplishing the assigned tasks without close monitoring. It also eliminates constant supervision from the top management. Kratschmer (2011, p. 26) says that employees always deliver more when they are allowed to work without feeling intimidated. Supervision creates this intimidation, and the o utput of an employee is always very poor when they work under such intimidation. However, Basslin (1990, p. 78) says that employees cannot be allowed to work without any close monitoring in order to ensure that they are within the right track. For a long time, managements struggled with the idea of finding the best way to monitor activities of employees without making them realize that they were being monitored. This was not an easy task until some scholars came up with organizational culture. This culture allows managers to make employees not only understand what they are expected to do but also memorize all the procedures involved in handling the tasks and how to make relevant report. Organizational culture enables the management to ensure that employees work as expected without any direct supervision. It also helps in creating responsibility among the employees.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Formal Cultural System on Ethics specifically fo r you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The culture will always make employees understand that the organization is a system. In this system, they are the individual drivers that must work together in order to make this system run. The employees will understand their position within the system, and the possible consequence that the system may be subjected to when they fail to do their part. They will therefore, feel responsible, as they would need to help this system achieve its objectives by constantly delivering their input. To the management, their task will be reduced to finding ways of improving service delivery of the system and ensuring that the employees are constantly motivated. This culture must be made formal. According to Bardes, Mayer and Piccolo (2008, p. 185), it is not advisable for an organization to develop a good organizational culture and fail to make it formal. This is because when this culture is made formal all the employees would have the m oral authority to follow it. They will also find it challenging to ignore this culture because it is legally binding. When this culture is made formal, all members of the organization would feel that all actions done in spirit of the culture would yield good results that would be acceptable. It would be very interesting to understand the relationship between formal cultural system and ethics within the organization. To do this, the researcher will try to answer the question below. Is the formal cultural system within a firm the most important favor in creating an ethical workplace? To respond to this question, it would require an analysis into the available literature about this topic. Researchers have conducted various empirical studies in order to determine if formal cultural system within a firm is the most important favor in creating an ethical workplace. Ideas and Assertion about Influence of Formal Cultural System on Ethics In the above section, the researcher has created a de tailed insight into what a formal cultural system is. It is also clear from the above section that term ethics is defined as behavioral standards that are acceptable within the system. Of interest now would be to determine how formal cultural system would influence ethics within a firm.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Baekdal, Hansen, Todbjerg and Mikkelsen (2006, p. 57), ethics and organizational culture has close relationship. This scholar says that when developing an organizational culture, the management would try to ensure that they set a culture that is conscious of the expected ethics. This scholar says that when developing the culture, the management would first determine all the ethical issues that are relevant within the organization. After determining this, these ethical issues will be intertwined with the culture. This argument is supported by Goolnik (2006, p. 65) who says that when developing an organizational culture, the most important thing that the management has to consider is the relevant ethical issues. When the employees adopt a culture within the organization, it should be that which is within the ethical considerations. Bass (1985, p. 47) gives a new insight into the relationship between formal cultural system and ethics. This scholar says that it is not possi ble to separate ethics from formal cultural practice because cultural practice in itself is expected to be formal. When an organization develops a formal cultural system that is not conscious to ethics, it would be nearly impossible to inculcate ethics within the organization, because these two forces should be modified in a way that they will pull together. In case there is a moment they are allowed to pull in different directions, the one which is considered easier to achieve by employees would be followed. Avolio and Yammarino (2008, p.67) on the other hand, think that the argument given by this scholar is partly true, but lacks some practical insights. These scholars say that it is true that ethics and organizational culture are inter-twined. However, this scholar says that there is no moment that the management would develop a culture that is unethical because they stand to bear the consequence. The scholars also reiterate that it is practically impossible for an organization t o capture all ethical issues in its organizational culture. However, a scholar thinks that the only thing that a firm can do is to develop a system that would show the employees the right path to follow when handling various activities with a leeway of making personal decisions that are considered ethical. This means that the management can only create a culture that offers guideline towards ethical behavior. Ethics may not be easily achieved in the workplace unless the members understand that it is needed to ensure sustainability and development for everyone. Banutu (2004, p. 150) argues McGregor’s Theory Y. He says that employees can be self-motivated to deliver the expected results as long as they are provided with an environment that supports this. To this extend, the best way of promoting ethics within an organization is to create a formal cultural system that will create a good environment for employees to work without direct supervision. When this is realized, employee s will develop a sense of responsibility in whatever activity they are engaged in. This would lead to a need to act ethically when undertaking various assignments. This means that formal cultural system would be creating an environment for employees within a firm to act ethically. Given that the cultural system is formal, they will know that their actions are legally binding and would therefore, feel protected for every ethical decision they make which is in line with the cultural system. This means that employees will not need to make constant referrals to higher authorities when they are subjected to issues that are new to them but within their jurisdiction. The guiding principle would be clear based on the formal cultural system upon which the organization runs. This system would therefore, promote ethical behavior from the perspective that this would bring benefits to the individual and to the organization. Pros and Corns of Using Formal Cultural System to Promote Ethics Accordi ng to Devis (2008, p. 46), formal cultural system will always promote ethics, but this works from McGregor’s Theory X perspective. This scholar says that given opportunity, employees would want to spend a lot of time in leisure because naturally, a human being hates work. This means that when there is no tight system put in place to monitor their activities and behavior, then they will tend to avoid their duties, involve in activities that would give them quick effortless gains such as corruption and other activities that are detrimental to the success of the organization they are working. This scholar also agrees with the fact that when forced to work under direct supervision, employees would always feel a lot of pressure that may lower their final output. This means that management must find a way of making employees deliver good results and work ethically without feeling this pressure. To achieve ethics in this context, Armstrong (2001, p. 45) says that formal cultural sys tem would be beneficial. To this extent, the scholar says that the system should be developed to make employees realize that they have responsibility to be ethical in their actions. However, Anderson (2011, p. 89) warns that this system should not be punitive in nature. The employees should not feel that the system is set to give punishment at the slightest misstep because it would make them work under pressure, and this affects their productivity. The system should make them understand that while in this organization, there is a manner in which every activity in done and any contravention to the laid principles would result into negative consequences to the organization. Being part of the organization, any negative effect to the organization would automatically affect the individual negatively (Wilson 1992, p. 97). This system will be acting as an agent that would deter an unethical act. The moment an individual is faced with the temptation to engage in unethical act, the system wo uld be a constant reminder of both the short term and long-term consequences of such acts. This would be a way of promoting ethics in the workplace, but from the perspective of the possible consequences. Conclusion and Recommendations The above discussion has demonstrated that formal cultural system is the best way through which an organization can ensure that there is ethics at the workplace. One of the best ways of ensuring that employees work ethically within the workplace is to ensure that there is constant supervision from the management. However, in the current competitive world, no organization can afford to hire such a large number of employees whose work will just be supervision. Organizations are growing learner in terms of the number of employees and therefore, every employee would have a specific task other within the firm with a few top management individuals responsible for making policies and supervisory work. Researchers have also confirmed that when employees work u nder direct supervision, their output is reduced. This makes formal cultural system the efficient tool in promoting ethics within an organization. Whether it is taken from the perspective of Theory X or Theory Y, the fact is that this system can help promote ethics at workplace. It is therefore, recommended that leaders use formal cultural system to promote ethics. List of References Anderson, M 2011, Bottom-Line Organization Development: Implementing and Evaluating Strategic Change for Lasting Value, Elsevier, Burlington. Armstrong, S 2001, Are you a â€Å"transformational† coach? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, vol. 72, no. 3, pp. 44-47. Avolio, B Yammarino, F 2008, Transformational and charismatic leadership: The road ahead. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, United Kingdom. Baekdal, T, Hansen, K, Todbjerg L Mikkelsen, H 2006, â€Å"Handle change management projects more effectively† Change Management Handbook, vol. 1, no. 27, pp. 7-57. Banutu , M 2004, Great leaders teach exemplary followership and serve as servant leaders, Journal of American Academy of Business, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 143-151, via EBSCOhost Library database. Bardes, M, Mayer, D Piccolo, R 2008, Do servant-leaders help satisfy follower needs? An organizational justice perspective, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psycholog, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 180-197, via EBSCOhost Library database. Bass, B 1985, Leadership and performance beyond expectations, Free Press, New York. Basslin, B 1990, Stogdills handbook of leadership: theory, research and managerial applications, Free Press, New York. Bird, A 2007, Team structure and success as related to cohesiveness and leadership, Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 103, no. 2, pp. 217-223, via EBSCOhost Library database. Daft, R 2009, Organization Theory and Design, Cengage Learning, New York. DeAnne, A, Gary, N, Hyde, P Tipping, A 2004, Ten Guiding Principles Of Change Management, Booz Company, New York. Dev is, J 2008, Ethics in the Workplace, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey. Goolnik, G 2006, â€Å"Effective Change Management Strategies for Embedding Online Learning within Higher Education and Enabling the Effective Continuing Professional Development of its Academic Staff†, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE, vol. 7, no. 1, pp 10-78. Kratschmer, P 2011, Organizational Culture is Highly Resistant to Change: Discuss, GRIN Verlag, New York. McCarthy, C Eastman, D 2010, â€Å"Change Management Strategies for an Effective EMR Implementation,† Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, vol. 1, no. 39, pp 20-41. Sharma, R 2008, Change Management, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi. Sirkin, H Keenan, P Jackson, A 2005, â€Å"The Hard Side of Change Management†, Harvard Business Review, vol. 3, no. 4, pp 1-18. Taborda, L 2011, Enterprise Release Management: Agile Delivery of a Strategic Change Portfolio, Artech House, New York. Wilson, D 19 92, A Strategy of Change: Concepts and Controversies in the Management of Change, Cengage Learning, London.

Tips for Salvaging Flood Damaged Photos, Papers Books

Tips for Salvaging Flood Damaged Photos, Papers Books When disasters hit, most people dont mourn the refrigerator or the couch but the loss of precious family photographs, scrapbooks, and memorabilia can be devastating. While it may seem as if theres nothing to be done when faced with piles of soggy, mud-spattered documents, pictures, and other paper items, saving at least some of them may be possible if you follow a few simple steps. How to Save Water-Damaged Photos Most printed photographs, photographic negatives, and color slides can be cleaned and air-dried using the following steps: Carefully lift the photos from the mud and dirty water. Remove them from water-logged albums and separate any that are stuck together, being careful not to rub or touch the wet emulsion of the photo surface.Gently rinse both sides of the photo in a bucket or sink filled with clear, cold water. Do not rub the photos, and change the water frequently.Time is of the essence, so as soon as you can arrange adequate space, lay each wet photo face-up on any clean blotting paper, such as a paper towel. Dont use newspapers or printed paper towels, as the ink may transfer to your wet photos. Change the blotting paper every hour or two until the photos dry. Try to dry the photos indoors if possible, as sun and wind will cause them to curl more quickly.If you dont have time to dry your damaged photos right away, rinse them to remove any mud and debris. Carefully stack the wet photos between sheets of wax paper and seal them in a zipper-type plastic bag. If possible, freeze the photos to inhibit d amage. This way, photos can be defrosted, separated, and air-dried when you have the time to do it properly. More Tips for Handling Water Damaged Photographs Try to get to flood-damaged photos within two days or they will begin to mold or stick together, making it much less likely they can be salvaged.Begin with photographs for which there are no negatives, or for which the negatives are also water damaged.Pictures in frames need to be saved when they are still soaking wet, otherwise, the photo surface will stick to the glass as it dries and you will not be able to separate them without damaging the photo emulsion. To remove a wet photo from a picture frame, keep the glass and photo together. Holding both, rinse with clear flowing water, using the water stream to gently separate the photo from the glass. Note: Some historical photographs are very sensitive to water damage and may not be recoverable. Older or valuable photographs should not be frozen without first consulting a professional conservator. You may also want to send any damaged heirloom photos to a professional photo restorer after drying. Other Paperwork Marriage licenses, birth certificates, favorite books, letters, old tax returns, and other paper-based items can usually be saved after a drenching. The key is to remove the dampness as quickly as possible, before mold  sets in. The simplest approach to salvaging water-damaged papers and books is to lay the damp items on blotting paper to absorb moisture. Paper towels are a good option, as long as you stick to the plain white ones without the fancy prints.  Avoid using newsprint since the ink may run. How to Save Water-Damaged Papers Books As with photos, most papers, documents, and  books can be cleaned and air-dried using the following steps: Carefully remove the papers from the water.If the damage is from dirty flood water, gently rinse the papers in a bucket or sink of clear, cold water. If they are especially fragile, try laying the papers on a flat surface and rinsing with a gentle spray of water.Lay the papers individually on a flat surface, out of direct sunlight. If the papers are soggy, put them in piles to dry out a bit before attempting to separate them. If space is a problem, you can string fishing line across a room and use it as you would a clothesline.Put an oscillating fan in the room where you are drying your papers to increase air circulation and speed the process.For water-logged books, the best option is to place absorbent paper between the wet pages (this is called interleaving) and then lay the books flat to dry. You dont have to place blotter paper  between  every page, just every 20-50 pages or so. Change the blotting paper every few hours.If you have wet papers or books that you just cant deal with right away, seal them in plastic zipper bags and stick them in the freezer. This helps to stop  the deterioration  of the paper and prevents mold from setting in. When cleaning up after a flood or water leak, remember that books and papers dont have to be directly in the water to suffer damage. The increased humidity is enough to trigger the growth of mold. Its important to remove books and papers from a wet location as soon as possible and move them to a location with fans and/or dehumidifiers to speed air circulation and lower humidity. After your papers and books are completely dry, they may still suffer from a residual musty smell. To combat this, place the papers in a cool, dry place for a couple of days. If the musty smell still lingers, put the books or papers in an open box and put that inside a larger, closed container with an open box of baking soda to absorb odors. Be careful not to let the baking soda touch the books, and check the box daily for mold. If your important papers or photos have developed mold and must be discarded, have them copied or digitally scanned before throwing them out.

In-Flight Smoking Ban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

In-Flight Smoking Ban - Essay Example Many companies have recently adapted to the in-flight smoking rule thus causing controversies between the newly introduced smoking law and the human rights laws. The In-flight smoke rule was introduced in the United States in 1989 which has ever since continued to grow worldwide with the adaption of big airline companies such as Virgin Atlantic, British Air and Air France. The adaption of the in-flight smoking law has led to numerous positive results in the flight services. Non-smokers benefit immensely from the in-flight smoking ban as they can travel without the fear of being exposed to tobacco and its effects. In this case, smoking is a condoned in public environments as it affects both the smokers and the non-smokers. Health researchers indicate that non-smokers who are regularly exposed to cigarette smoke in public places carry a much higher chance of developing lung cancer and other smoking diseases compared to the firsthand smokers. Non-smokers are prone to sore eyes, colds an d sore through due to inadequate of fresh air circulation through the aeroplane cabins. An in-flight smoke law has helped in the reduction of these cases thus providing comfort in the air travelling. Flight crews have also benefited from the implementation of the in-flight smoke ban law. a research study commissioned by Aviation Safety Institute in March 1988 proved that smoke from cigarette reduces the level of blood oxygen in flight attendants and pilots which in turn leads to the adverse effect on their judgment. The in-flight smoke law has therefore helped in the reduction of air travel accidents thus making flight travelling to be one of the safest means of transport. Passengers travelling in the aeroplane cabin have benefited from the in-flight smoke law as it helps in the reduction of carbon IV oxide and carbon monoxide accumulation in the chamber that result from poor ventilation, maintenance of the air condition systems as well as filters, poor cleaners and less utility of these devices during flight travels.     

The Inconclusive Ethical Case against Manipulative Advertising Study

The Inconclusive Ethical against Manipulative Advertising - Case Study Example Through advertising, most people are inspired with a life of consumption. This is because majority of people tend to buy products out of the advertisement fantasy. Advertising makes people believe that the more a product appears on the screens or billboards, the better it is hence its rate of consumption shoots remarkably. Galbraith’s assertion on advertising is true. Advertisers induce consumers’ wants that are not urgent through their manipulative tactics. Such advertiser triggered wants are not always urgent and as a result, they are usually ineffective (Show & Vincent 346-353). This means that once a consumer buys a product out of advertising curiosity, their satisfaction is met immediately. However, this satisfaction does not last long since the consumer did not need the product and as a result the purchased product is of less benefit to the consumer. Levitt asserts that consumers need and want illusions of advertising. This is not true because most consumers buy a product as a result of previous experience with the similar product. Besides, not many consumers are moved by the illusions made on a product, whether new or old in the market (Show & Vincent 351-354). Similarly, it is untrue that as consumers we buy not only the physical product but also a set of feelings connected with it by advertising. This is because some products may have a nice feeling while being advertised yet we do not use them. For instance, the feeling associated with taking alcohol cannot make an anti alcohol take the drink. Also, it is true that decoration and distortions are among advertising’s legitimate and socially desirable purposes. Without the duo, the consumer may not get the advertiser’s objective of purchasing the product. However, the promises and images of advertising do not always offer the consumer a genuine satisfaction. Manipulative advertising is not wrong as it aims at capturing consumer’s attention

Social Work Evidence Based Practice Strengths and Weaknesses

Social Work Evidence Based Practice Strengths and Weaknesses Critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of using an evidence based approach to a specific area of social work practice, referring to recent research findings in this area. Specific area: Older adults and mental health Outlined below is an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of using an evidence based approach to a specific area of social work practice, referring to recent findings with regards to older people and mental health in particular. Social work practice is split into various areas in order, to effectively assist with the problems of different individuals as well as social groups such as older adults with, or affected by mental health conditions and problems such as depression and dementia. Older adults with mental health conditions do and have benefited from well-focused social work practices. The use of the evidence based approach alone or alongside other factors has the capacity to shape social work practices designed to help and protect older adults with mental health conditions. Of course to maintain relevance as well as professional effectiveness social work practices should reflect the needs of the people being cared for not to mention altering to better practices as empirically demonstrated by the most recent research findings.[1] As mentioned below evidence based approaches to assisting older people with mental health conditions or issues have led to suggested methods to improve the social work practices that form the basis of the services provided for those vulnerable people that need to use them being made.[2] Social workers that are tasked with assisting older people with, or affected by mental health problems ideally should use the social work practices that have been proven to assist vulnerable older people the most. Therefore evidence-based approaches can help social workers determine the best working practices to actually use. To begin with it can be reasonably argued that using an evidence-based approach to the specific social work practices offers social workers working with older people linked with mental health issues strengths. The need for reliable and accurate research into older people and mental health for social work practices is undoubtedly becoming more important as the British population in common with many Western societies is ageing as people are generally living for longer. [3] Past and recent medical research has frequently shown that there is a strong connection between an ageing population taken as a whole and mental health issues becoming more common for older people. An ageing population raises issues and concerns for the National Health Service (NHS), and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which includes the Pension Service as much as it does for social work practices.[4] Limited parts of medical research points to some mental health issues or conditions in older people as being preventable, and even in certain circumstances reversible. Social work practices ideally should be altered if it is possible to assist older people that can recover from temporary or reversible mental health problems to do so. However some mental health conditions and problems affecting older people such as vascular and senile dementia cannot be prevented and reversed, though medication can delay their full onset. In such circumstances NHS or private sector health care services not to mention social work practices have to be adjusted to cope with a higher demand for their use. When possible social work practices should be altered in order to prevent, tackle, or reverse the mental health conditions and that could possibly restore older people to full health. Social work practices should also help older people whose mental health conditions cannot be reversed.[5] When older adults are affected by mental health conditions whether upon a short – term basis or upon a long – term basis then social work practices arguably needs to be adaptable as well as practical enough to assist those older adults more effectively. Older adults with mental health  conditions may previously have been active normal people used to doing everything for them that suddenly find things much more difficult once their condition or illness becomes well established. Ongoing medical research is slowly finding new treatments that can in the right circumstances help older adults with mental health conditions and illnesses remain as healthy as possible for as long as possible. The basic assumption here is that when older adults with mental health conditions stay healthier for a longer period of time they could therefore be less reliant upon their carers, the NHS, social security benefits, as well as the social serves provided to them by social workers.[6] The reversing or the delaying of the worst or most debilitating of mental health conditions in older adults can help those people to lead normal and independent lives for as long as possible. Older adults that are able to resist or overcome the worst consequences of their mental health conditions will be more likely to retain their self-dignity as well as their independence. It is the leading of independent lives by the older adults affected to varying degrees by mental health conditions that can potentially receive the most beneficial assistance from their social workers as well as all relevant medical staff. Social work practice that enables older adults to remain in their homes and were possible within their own families gives such vulnerable people a sense of stability as well as helping to keep them in familiar surroundings. The strengths of using evidence based approach to guide and shape social work practices towards older adults with mental health conditions are therefore in many respects straightforward to understand. As in the majority of social work fields or areas, social workers make use of an evidence-based approach to increase the effectiveness of the social work services that they actually provide to the people who require their assistance the most. Using an evidence-based approach provides data or research that provided it is gathered efficiently and interpreted accurately provides information to social workers to point out the most effective social work practices. Using an evidence based approach has the strength of allowing the social workers who form social work practices to alter those practices to help larger numbers of older adults with mental health conditions to receive the social work services that should benefit them the most. It should also follow on logically that using an evidence-based approach would allow the resources and also the social services by the social work providers to be used most effectively. Older adults with mental health conditions can influence the type of social work provided to them by highlighting the best as well as the less effective social work practices.[7] At the end of the day social work practices are only there to help the most vulnerable older adults amongst other social groups and isolated individuals even though these social work practices might not always be popular with social workers themselves. The strength as well as the point of using the evidence-based approach is therefore that the best interests of the most vulnerable older adults with mental health conditions should always is taken into account.[8] Indeed the best interests of the most vulnerable older people as revealed via the use of the evidence-based approach are incorporated into both completely new as well as revised social work practices. In theory, and also to a very large extent in practice the use of the evidence based approach is that it has the strength of providing social workers with information and indications about, which older adults that need help due to their mental health conditions and issues.[9] The evidence based approach means social workers know where to concentrate help as well as guidance as to what kind of social work service would be most useful for these older adults.[10] There are actually as well as potentially sources of weakness when using the evidence based approach in forming and subsequently amending when necessary social work practices in relation to older adults with mental health conditions or issues. The evidence based approach to providing information with regard to older adults with mental health conditions is only useful in many respects when combined with other information or procedures that form the basis of social work practices.[11] To begin with social workers might have to make decisions with regard to the help or social services that individual older adults with mental health conditions or problems and whether or not to offer them help before the evidence based approach has provided enough information about these specific older adults.[12] It can and indeed does take time for the evidence based approach to be gathered and evaluated before it is strong enough to alter or perhaps even entirely replace all the relevant social work practices. Social workers need to have social work practices set in place all of the time in order for them to be always able to offer vulnerable older adults their help and advice with regard to mental health conditions. When or if existing social work practices are deemed to be highly effective in helping as well as protecting older adults with mental health conditions there would have to be convincing evidence. Without wide ranging proof that the findings and suggestions from the ev idence-based approach could offer profound improvements to the social work services they need not take place. It could improve the social services available for older adults that need or could eventually need to use them in the future.[13] One of the weaknesses of using the evidence based approach to assist in the formation and the subsequent shape of social work practices for older adults with mental health conditions is that such an approach does not take other factors or organisations into account.[14] An over reliance upon the use of the evidence based approach to drawing up social work practices to assist older adults with mental health conditions is that a narrowly focused concentration on such an approach could lead to an underestimation of other actors.[15] Social workers could underestimate the importance of other private sector and public sector bodies, groups, and organisations that offer services to older adults. Other private sector and also public sector bodies, groups, and organisations offer services to older adults with mental health problems either because the government tasks them with doing so, or because they can make money from doing so.[16] In reality this weakness of using the evidence based approach when drawing up social work practices is not really a problem. This weakness is not a profound or serious problem because social work departments are used to working with private sector as well as public sector bodies, companies, groups, and organisations when they set out to deliver social services to the general public taken as a whole.[17] Providing the appropriate services for older adults with mental health conditions really is an example of public services being delivered by a whole host of private sector as well as public services groups, organisations, and agencies.[18] Alongside social work departments, the DWP, the NHS, private sector care homes, local authorities, as well as charities for older adults and people with mental conditions provide services.[19] The weaknesses of using the evidence based approach for developing social work practices for assisting older adults is that the evidence might not be as complete as would be helpful to social workers. Research into the affects and consequences of mental health issues or problems for older adults has arguably proved insufficient until recently given the ageing populations within the majority of Western societies.[20] Older adults with dementia or similar mental health conditions frequently need a great deal of care and support as do their carers, and also their families in order to cope with the consequences of severe mental illnesses. Sometimes it is the spouses, the children, or indeed other relatives of the older adults with the more pronounced mental health conditions who can be most adversely affected by the worst consequences of their loved ones’ illness.[21] There are weaknesses that the evidence based approach towards setting social work practices for older adults with mental health conditions relating to the limited scope of that approach. Research into older adults with mental health problems and conditions has not always examined the ill affects that such conditions have upon the carers and the relatives of the people with the illnesses or health complaints. [22] On a practical level social work practices can be as much about supporting tired or distressed close relatives and carers as it is about assisting the older adults afflicted with or by poor and worsening mental health conditions.[23] When mental health conditions, issues, or problems adversely affect older adults then it can strain their relationships with their close relatives, especially their spouses or children, which in turn causes stress to all of them. Strained relationships between older adults with mental health conditions and the close relatives caring for them can lead to those older adults moving into care homes and hospitals rather than been cared for at home. Helping older adults with mental health conditions get better can have the benefit of allowing some of them to continue working or indeed to start working again.[24] To conclude it has been argued that the use of the evidence based approach to draw up and shape social work practices in relation to older adults with mental health conditions can offer strengths as well as weaknesses to social workers. The evidence based approach to drawing up or shaping social work practices for older adults with mental health conditions offers the strengths of providing social workers with relevant information and data to draw effective policies. The information and data from the evidence based approach research allows social work departments to increase the effectiveness of their social work practices towards older adults with mental health problems. The main weaknesses of using the evidence based approach towards forming and amending social work practices is that it can cause a delay in relevant information being used by social workers, and that it can underestimate the part that other organisations play in providing services to older adults. Bibliography Audit Commission / Better Government for Older People – Older People, independence and well-being: The challenge for public services, Public Sector Briefing Bowers H, Eastman M, Harris J, Macadam A (2005) Moving out of the Shadows – A report on mental health and wellbeing in later life, Health Care Development Ltd, London Brooke L and Taylor P, Older workers and employment: managing age relations, Ageing society 25, 2005, 415-429, Cambridge University Press Department of Health, A Sure Start to later life, Ending inequalities for older people, January 2006 Estes, C.L. Biggs, S. and Phillipson, C. (2003), Social Theory, Social Policy and Ageing A critical introduction, Open University Press, Maidenhead Maria Evandrou and Karen Glaser, Combining work and family life: the pension penalty of care, Ageing and Society 23, 2003, 583-601, Cambridge University Press House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, Improving Public Service for Older People, Twenty- Ninth Report of Session 2003-04 (May 2004) Riseborough M Jenkins C (April 2004), Now you see me†¦now you don’t How are older citizens being included in regeneration? Age Concern, London Vincent, J., Phillipson, C. Downs M., (eds) (2006) The Futures of Old Age, Sage 1 Footnotes [1] Vincent et al, 2006 [2] Brooke and Taylor, 2005 [3] Vincent et al, 2006 [4] Brooke and Taylor, 2005 [5] Vincent et al, 2006 [6] Brooke and Taylor, 2005 [7] Evandrou Glaser, 2003 [8] Brooke and Taylor, 2005 [9] House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, May 2004 p. 10 [10] Vincent et al, 2006 [11] Department of Health, 2006 [12] Audit Commission / Better Government for Older People, p.2 [13] Riseborough Jenkins, April 2004 p. 6 [14] Evandrou Glaser, 2003 [15] Department of Health, 2006 [16] Brooke and Taylor, 2005 [17] Riseborough Jenkins, April 2004 p. 6 [18] Audit Commission / Better Government for Older People, p.2 [19] Vincent et al, 2006 [20] Riseborough Jenkins, April 2004 p. 6 [21] Brooke and Taylor, 2005 [22] Riseborough Jenkins, April 2004 p. 6 [23] House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, May 2004 p. 10 [24] Department of Health, 2006