Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Essay  « Vocabulary and Grammar – An Elementary lesson for CELTA trainees at CELT Athens What steps are part of the process of designing a syllabus? What knowledge skills do teachers need?  » The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networks for Language Teachers Does this look familiar To –ing or not to –ing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦that is today’s question! One of my students asked me last month why we use the –ing form for blogging, networking, computing†¦..Good question! My answer? Because technology is constantly changing and plus usually these actions are constant, happen often, plus they are amusing but can be annoying – so we use the present continuous form†¦. On Wednesday 18 January, #ELTchatters wished each other a Happy New Year and got their teeth into a very stimulating chat. As language teachers, do we find these social networking platforms and services amusing or annoying Our students are already using a wide-range of social network sites and teachers are beginning to familiarize themselves with such sites, to keep up with technology but more importantly, to discuss and exchange ideas and develop as teachers. We read and write blogs, visit forums, develop Nings and Wikis, all of which are constantly changing and being updated. The #ELTchat itself is proof of this†¦.it’s fast, furious, fun and educational! We have joined ther World of Technology, for good or for bad? By the way, did you know that if Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest country in the world!!! So in the ELT world, here are the main themes from the discussion. Advantages: * There will be more pro chatters tonight as most members are keen SN users. * #ELTCHAT is one of the major advantages of SNs for teachers. * SNs have radically changed teachers’ lives. We will never feel alone again. * Facebook has become a professionally developing site rather than just a social network. * SN has revolutionized the way we think and opened wider perspectives. * SNs are global and 24/7. * SNs should be harnessed by 21 century teachers with enthusiasm. * Use Facebook for personal contacts and Google+ for PD. * SNs are an extension of staffroom chats with links, banter and discussions. ‘Virtual staffroom†. * #ELTchat is great as it is an ‘outer of class collaboration’ discussion, as few teachers in the workplace know how to collaborate. * SNs create friends which lead to face to face meetings. * Share worksheets/mind maps for students, time-saving. * Twitter tags can inform parents’ of students’ progress. * Non-native teachers are also exposed to real language in the modern world. * SNs, like Twitter and #ELTchat are energizing! Plus, through #ElTchat, you find more people to follow! So, start following!!! Disadvantages: * All SNs are time-consuming. * Some teachers find SNs too daunting to tackle. * SNs can become addictive. They can take over your life, leaving little time for family and friends. Knowing when to stop is crucial – try to switch off! * Replication of themes from one SN to another is annoying. * Students become obsessed in finding their teachers on FB and intrude in teachers’private lives. * Privacy issues with FB AND Twitter – do not accept people you don’t know or protected accounts on Twitter. * Tweetdeck often has technical problems. Mentioned sites, platforms and services worth checking out: * http://www.edmod Secure Social Networking for Teachers * http://moodle.org/Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites * http://www.blackboard.com/ Blackboard helps clients enrich all aspects of the education experience by engaging and assessing learners, making their daily lives more convenient and †¦ * http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/ is a free online collaborative education platform that allows students and teachers to transcend the boundaries of their physical classroom to engage in an online collaborative  learning environment. * http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2011/08/introducing-google-scribe-in-blogger.html-an aid to write your blog! * http://aplanet-project.org/ Autonomous Personal Learning Networks For Teachers * http://www.scoop.it/t/interactive-teaching-and-learningExploration of engaging learning spaces and technologies that suppo rt them. * http://www.evernote.com/ Remember everything! * http://www.diigo.com/ To collect, highlight and remember those bookmarks! The chat went on to discuss the issue of coping with lack of time and organizing information and links shared. This lead to a variety of suggestions for bookmarking and who prefers Twitter, FB, Google+. Everyone had their own opinion! A blog challenge was proposed: @esolcourses: Best method for organizing #ELTchat bookmarks! Choose one and demo! As ever, there were some great links shared: * http://t.cohttp://evasimkesyan.edublogs.org/2012/01/18/evo-digitalstorytelling4kids-and-the-tool-of-the-week//JBbayIuc * http://learningfundamentals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Focus.jpg How to focus in times of distraction. Excellent mind map presentation! * http://cybraryman.com/facebook.html All you need to know about SN s and your students. * http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8142721/Social-networking-teachers-blame-Facebook-and-Twitter-for-pupils-poor-grades.html * http://educationland.wordpress.com/my-worksheets/http://educationland.wordpress.com/worksheets/http:/www.facebook.com/pages/Education-Land/221436857914023http:/t.co/gzX8zGIR Share worksheet and ideas! That’s the summary folks! I would like to add that I didn’t mention specific names on the summary as so many people commented on this chat, so there is something from everyone!! Thanks for another energy-boosting, informative chat! Happy Social Networking!!!

Stages of intervention in social work

Stages of intervention in social work CASE WORK ASSIGNMENT: CASE STUDY INTRODUCTION: â€Å"Social casework is a method of helping people individually through a one-to-one relationship. It is used by professionally-trained social workers in social work agencies or organizations to help people with their problems of social functioning. Problems of social functioning refer to situations concerned with social roles and their performance. (Mathew 1991)†. INTRODUCTION OF AGENCY: Vinimay trust is situated in Koperkharaine, navi-mumbai (Maharastra State). Established in 1981 and registered in 1989. It is a social work organization [NGO] working for under-privileged children and youth staying in, and emerging out of, child welfare institutions. It is an organisation which run and managed by volunteers. Today it has more than 250 volunteers. It is working for children and youth welfare. It has a 3 storey building in Koperkharaine name Tarun Sadan, where the boys stays It is primarily working for child welfare and youth welfare.in child welfare it arranged the many activity, like birthday celebration, organising games games and picnic and various event in different child welfare homes that comes under the child welfare department in Mumbai, beside this it does youth welfare activity as rehabilitation of the boys through a facility of lodging, saving and various programme, which helps them to fit themselves in the larger society. The boys here come from various ch ild welfare institution with various background they need various support through the government, through the society and Vinimay trust is just an experiment of that. It is fair to say that the flaws in the child welfare institution, leads to the creation of these type of institution. There are not so many after care institution in Mumbai and in these type of scenario, Vinimay trust took a step forward toward a just society. There are capacity for 52 boys in the Vinimay Trust who stay there for three years from the date of admission and this process is going on since its establishment Though these boys have no identity and address proof or other documents which are very critical for living today and in the lack of these basic documents, they have to face several hurdle in the life So the boys who come here must have to open their bank account, Aadhar card, pan card, voter card within six month from the date of admission here. Though Vinimay trust do these work and for that the local government body play a pivotal role in the process. CASE STUDY: I have selected the case of Gajanand for the assignment. Though he was new to Tarun Sadan. Usually boys there played cricket, watching TV in group. Prima facia he was also in the group but never talk much to anyone. Within three month he ran away four times four times from the Tarun Sadan. Though his background, that were written in the file of Tarun Sadan and that information itself come from previous institution says that he has experience of running away from home and from some institution. He is employed but he didn’t go to job regularly and he left the job thrice. GENERAL INFORMATION: NAME- Gajanand ( name has been changed for the purpose of confidentiality ) SEX- Male AGE- 18 EDUCATION QUALIFICATION- 6th RELIGION- Hindu Name of the child welfare institution David Sussane Industrial School Family information- no family information Date of admission in Tarun Sadan- 5/04/2013 Mother’s name- no information Father’s name- no information Skill 6 month fitter course from Maharastra State Board of Vocational Examination in June with First class. Harmful habit- Tobacco Job detail Current employment- Tayyar Ho. K, Juinagar Position- housekeeper Monthly salary-8500 Earlier Employment Detail- Anand Hotel, Koperkharaine Life history He was living with his family but he didn’t know about them. He ran from his home with his friend but he missed his friend somewhere in the train. His native place is Islapur, Nanaded. He think his family is living in his native place. He went to Pune once to meet his uncle but he took him at Sarva Seva Sangh 0rg. He also ran away from this organization. WORKING WITH INDIVIDUAL- STAGE INVOLVED: There are seven stage are involved while doing casework with individual. These stage are as follows:- Engagement Assessment Planning Implementation Evaluation Termination and Follow-up TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES: Listening Observation Interview Home visits Relationship TECHNIQUES: Acceptance Assurance Facilitating Expression of feelings Encouragement and Reassurance Being with the client Emotional support In my field work there are very large scope of doing the casework study because its work for institutionalised people. First stage is Engagement in which there is a systematic study of client, his/her situation related to his or her problem. In this process, I collect information like what is the problem with the client and what can be the associated problem can be arise with the problem. Though the first step is the most difficult step for any individual. How to interact, how to build rapport with them, how to make him free to speak up. When I first met with my client, it was confusing moment for me. As I tried to talk to him, when I says hey bhai, idhar aao, he looked at me and ran away from there and all the boys who were playing cricket there, laugh at me. After that whenever I tried to talk with him, he didn’t respond me appropriately as if he was fearing from me. He never looked at me properly but when I went to nearby park with some other boys of Tarun Sadan, I took him also and that trip was the ice-breaking between us. During the process of engagement I used several tools and techniq ue on various occasion. The basic tenant for any social worker is acceptance and listen to them, what they are saying. In this stage I used listening, interview and observation by using almost all the technique. Earlier the client was not talking to me but through these techniques, it create an environment there where he feel comfortable and then my interview take place. Though it was not a onetime interview, it was an ongoing process. There I observe some behaviour in the client and that is Being introvert Shy Not speaking to most of the boys Not doing the job properly Some little Memory of his family Strong determination to go to his family Individually tried to trace his family Bad memory of child welfare institution Not good perception on women But he was very humble when he became familiar with me He didn’t complain too much about anybody No girlfriend and not focused on that Says he will marry as their parents wish In second stage, it includes assessment, which aimed at finding answers to three major questions: what is the problem? How it has arisen? What can be done to solve it? The need of social assessment is that of making a conceptual picture of the problem, which will help in deciding the action plan. It is the need to understand the structure of the personality and factors influencing and obstructing personality development. In this stage I figured out various incidents impacted his believe system and a strong attachment to his memory of his family. He ran away from his home, from Pune and from Tarun Sadan. The factor leading to leave his home was just a flow with his friend but after that he realised that what he is missing and that familiar care and support, that attachment to his family. Though the time he left his home he was 8 years of the age and he has little memory of his home. Only he know is his village and some memory of the station where he catches the train from his home. B ut one thing is clear is that due to his inner urge to go to his family leads to various other situation where he is not loving his job, running away from Tarun Sadan and being shy is a product of that. Though he stays with three room mate who has family in his village and other has sister, so this repeated expression of the attachment to the family of his roommates also forced him to think about his family. Through during almost every process I used all the techniques that written above and regarding tools except home visit I used all. So the major problem I found in his situation is that Familiar memory Psychological support Lack of confidence Not believing on others Fear of unknown Hesitating to talk with other Third stage is planning in which worker should make the plan for proceeding the case that how they proceed and how they start. So, my planning was Counselling support Tracing his family Create an environment where he feels comfortable and doesn’t hesitate to talking with others More engage in jobs and recreation activity Try to search a better livelihood option for him Though in my case assessment, planning and implementation overlap many a times. In some cases what I understood about my clients some aspect of his behaviour earlier was changed after some incidence. I am just giving an example of him is that when I first though that it’s his laziness that why he is not wanting to go to job but with rigorous engagement and analysis of the situation it came that it was his obsession for his family that captured his mind so much that he doesn’t think beyond it. So earlier what I planned changed as I came up through new aspects. Fourth stage is Implementation or intervention in which there are the helping activities for the client known as intervention. This step has to blend with the plan of action following social assessment. There are many ways through client can be helped like assistance in terms of emotional and concrete support, material things like money, articles, medicines etc. non-material resources like information and knowledge, by bringing change in human and physical environment and through counselling to facilitate change in the feeling, thinking, knowing, speaking and doing behaviour of the client. In this stage I implements all the plan that I took, as tracing the family, counselling supports, better livelihood options etc. though in the Tarun Sadan there is facility of Counselling by a NGOs Disha Kendra. But he didn’t go to that session regularly and also he speak not too much there. In nutshell according to him â€Å"ye sab chutiappahai†. I took several session with group and individual on self-assessment and motivation. Whenever I interacted with him I tried to give some input of thinking in him and make him aware of many reality. I tried to trace his family, I discussed with my field work superintendent on this issue, how to trace his home though he has experience of tracing many boy’s family there. Still I didn’t able to trace his family, though several fact which are needed to correlate and understand the real fact is really a hard and time consuming job. Once again I blame the time but I know blame is not outside its inside me. Regarding the livelihood option I went through several processes of finding the jobs and contacting many agencies that provide job. Still I am in the process of implementation. Fifth stage is Evaluation in which we look at the result that we can achieve our goal or not? Till this stage I couldn’t reach. The implementation part was so long and the time that I spend on the case work was not too much for me to finish this case work. Though I used to evaluate myself on the fact that either I achieved the task that I took. Though in my case I evaluate my own approach and where I am going every day whenever I interacted with my clients. Though final evaluation didn’t taken place. DILEMMAS: As a social work student who has to discuss things about my client to supervisor had dilemma regarding the how can I ensure the confidentiality. RESISTENCE: There were lots of resistance which was actually improved through communication, rapport-building home-visits. Transference and counter transference was not observed.

Promoting human development

Promoting human development Promoting Human Development Summary Conceptual framework The goal of human development is to enable groups and individuals to exercise their choices to be what they want to be and do what they wants to do . It puts people at the center of the analysis and advocates for strategies that combine equity, efficiency, sustainability and empowerment. Social exclusion hampers choices and opportunities, thus reduce human development. Inclusion is therefore the goal to achieve, through economic, cultural, social and political processes and policies. Social inclusion and reducing social exclusion are therefore means of achieving human development by addressing the discrimination, powerlessness and accountability failures that lie at the root of exclusion. Social inclusion adds the process dimension of exclusion (the agents, groups, and institutions that exclude) to the human development concept. Working definitions Social exclusion refers to the processes which hamper people and groups opportunities to exercise the full range of their choices as well as to the outcome of marginalization ensued. It results from direct or indirect discrimination rules and behavior, processes, policy, regulations, and institutional practices can impose, advertently or inadvertently against one or some groups of population compared to the others as well as from social traditions and values among different social groups of population. Social exclusion is multi-dimensional and often involves economic, political, cultural, social and spatial exclusion. Multiple deprivations often reinforce each other. Social inclusion: The European Commission defines social inclusion as a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. Human development refers to the process of enlarging peoples choices to be who they want to be and do what they want to do by expanding their capabilities and functioning. It refers to processes and outcomes of development about people, by people and for people. The case of the ECIS There are patterns of exclusion among individuals and groups in the ECIS region, based on their ascribed characteristics (gender, ethnicity, geographical location, language, religion, age, sexual orientation, beliefs and disability) or their achieved status ( income status, health status, employment, educational attainment, access and assets, etc) Exclusion is manifested through and results in exclusions from political, social, cultural and economic life in societies. Exclusion in one domain reinforces exclusion in others Exclusion in the region is the result of the dynamic interaction between legacies, policies and institutions Patterns of exclusion are hampering progress towards human development in the region, albeit or unevenly. The analysis and policy prescriptions for the regional report can be informed by the experiences of the EU common social inclusion objectives and the Open Method of Coordination mechanisms. The Regional Human Development Report for Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS for 2010 examines social exclusion in the region through the lens of human development. The report analyses the different facets and causes of social exclusion in Europe and the CIS region and provides recommendations for promoting social inclusion. This chapter sets the scene by looking at the conceptual linkages between human development and social inclusion, analyzes social exclusion as a process and state of being excluded from the life of a community, and explores the potential of a social inclusion-based analysis to better understand and address the social dynamics of poverty and inequality in the ECIS region. Part I: Human Development and Social Inclusion: An Analytical Framework The concept of social inclusion, which is at the heart of social policy-making in regional institutions like the European Union, is very much congruent with the human development approach that has been advocated through UNDP global, regional and national human development reports since the 1990s. The European Commission defines social inclusion as a process which ensures that those who are at the risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. Social exclusion thus conversely refers to both the processes which hamper individuals and groups opportunities to exercise the full range of their choices and to the outcome of such processes. As a result, this bears a strong co-relation with the absence of human development, which by itself requires processes of enlarging peoples choices to realize their own potential by a heightened capability. Together with the human rights framework, these approaches are all multi-dimensional and interlinked, and take into account all entitlements relevant for enlarging the choices of individuals to live a decent and meaningful life. In addition, they share a common concern about equity, non-discrimination and inclusive participation. As this Report will argue, there are a multiplicity of exclusion patterns among individuals and groups in the ECIS region, based on myriad ascribed characteristics-linguistic, geographic, gender-based, economic, religious, educational, etc- which all reinforce each other. The inescapable consequence of such a vicious interaction leads to the denial of human development. 1. Human Development: A People-Centered Approach The human development paradigm, founded in 1990 by Mahbub ul Haq, Amartya Sen, Frances Stewart, Paul Streeten and others and advocated through the UNDP Human Development Reports, sets itself apart from previous development theories by arguing that economic growth does not automatically trickle down to improve peoples well-being. Human development proceeds from the perspective of the individual, which, by virtue of his or her existence, has a moral right to develop his or her inherent capacities to the fullest extent possible and to exercise the greatest possible freedom of choice in shaping his or her own life within society. As has been already argued in a series of global, regional and national Human Development Reports, The human development concept thus advocates putting people back at centre stage, both as the means and ends of development and defines the end of development as the expansion of human choices, freedoms and capabilities. In the words of Mahbub Ul Haq, The basic purpose of development is to enlarge peoples choices. In principle, these choices can be infinite and can change over time. People often value achievements that do not show up at all, or not immediately, in income or growth figures: greater access to knowledge, better nutrition and health services, more secure livelihoods, security against crime and physical violence, satisfying leisure hours, political and cultural freedoms and sense of participation in community activities. The objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives (Mahbub Ul Haq, 1990). As Amartya Sen argues, economic growth provides one with the necessary passport to other good things in life, but it is not an end in itself. Those other things constitute the quality of life which, in its turn, goes to expand peoples capabilities and provide them with larger freedom and choice to embrace a kind of life that they may have reason to value (Sen 1999) Human development thus emphasizes two simultaneous processes: One is the formation of human capabilities as an explicit development objective, the other is the use that people make of their acquired capabilities for functioning in society and fulfilling the choices they make in all aspects in their lives. It is therefore both a destination, a goal for social and political processes, as well as a road to get there, one that allows for agency for people themselves. While the human development concept avoids prescriptions and concentrates more on the ultimate goal of development, it suggests a simultaneous, not sequential achievement of five policy principles: Efficiency/productivity: the optimal use of human capital through investment in the education, health, aspirations and skills of people as well as efficient use of resources and pro-growth policies. Equity: distributive justice and the fair distribution of incomes and assets through equal access to opportunities Sustainability: concern for not only present generations but future ones as well Empowerment/participation: enabling people to attain a level of individual development that allows them to make choices close to their hearts. These choices can be developed through emphasising on developing freedom as both a constitutive value (value by itself) as well an instrumental value ( as a means to efficiency and to equity) (Sen) With its emphasis on choices and freedoms, the significance of access to education, health care and other social services, as well as guarantees of basic political rights and freedoms, including gender equality and freedom of movement, and the ability to participate in the activities of the community with self-respect and without shame are highlighted. Lack of education, poor healthcare, inadequate economic possibilities, violation of political freedom, and the neglect of citizens rights, could restrict peoples choices and freedoms. If the objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and fruitful lives, social exclusion both as a process and as an outcome can categorically hamper choices and opportunities, thus reducing human development. The first imperative is therefore to identify the socially excluded groups, their characteristics, as well as the social, political, cultural and economic processes that may lead to the production and reproduction of exclusion. 2. Social Inlusion and Social Exclusion As defined in the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union, social inclusion is a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. It ensures that they have greater participation in decision making which affects their lives and access to their fundamental rights. The European Union defines people as living in poverty or social exclusion, when they are prevented from participating fully in economic, social and civil life and/or when their access to income and other resources (personal, family, social and cultural) is so inadequate as to exclude them from enjoying a standard of living and quality of life that is regarded as acceptable by the society in which they live (European Commission 2001). Among the different defitions of social exclusion, there is a broad agreement that it consists of exclusion from social, political and economic institutions resulting from a complex and dynamic set of processes and relationships that prevent individuals or groups from accessing resources, participating in society and asserting their rights. (Beall Piron, 2005). Within a discourse of citizenship, social rights and social justice, social exclusion is not understood as lack of access to goods but as lack of access to rights. Accordingly, the opposite of social exclusion is not inclusion but participation. Such view of the concept is very closely linked to the human development approach and highlights the agents that lead to social exclusion: discriminatory practices and institutional barriers that prevent the access to public services and political participation (Lister 2004). For Sen (2000), social exclusion almost reflects the Aristotelian perspective of an impoverished life where one does not have the freedom to undertake important activities that a person has reason to choose[2]. This Report posits therefore that social exclusion constitutes an infringement on the rights of individuals and groups. If unchecked, such infringement may lead to serious constraints on individual personal development, wellbeing, freedoms and choices. From the human development point of view, social exclusion is the process and outcome that hampers the wide range of human fulfilment. It refers to limited and inequitable opportunities and capabilities of individual and groups to fully take part in economic, social, political and cultural life. The social exclusion lens thus provides a new perspective on the human development approach by assigning a central role to relational connections and emphasizing on the process dimension of exclusion (the agents, groups, and institutions that exclude). For the purposes of this report, then, a definition of social exclusion that encorporates the human development approach is as followed: Social exclusion refers to the processes which hamper people and groups opportunities to exercise the full range of their choices as well as to the outcome of marginalization ensued. As Sen argues, people may be excluded from some opportunity because of a deliberate policy or practice prevalent in the society they live in, which he calls as instances of active exclusion. This may result in the constitutive part of their capability deprivation. And once they are burdened with this deprivation in one field, they are leading a handicapped life and this might be responsible for their deprivations in other fields in life. Sen calls the second category capability failures and assigns instrumental role to the factor of social exclusions for that. The potential remedy lies in changing certain specific policies that should target the groups or communities which are at a disadvantageous position because of such exclusionary practices. Yet, there are many capability deprivations that result from a complex web of deep institutional issues intertwined with systemic configurations on economic and socio-political fronts. In such cases, the deprivation comes about through social processes in which there are no deliberate attempt to exclude. Sen calls them cases of passive exclusion (Sen 2000). For example, cases of unemployment among a particular community of people, eg. migrants in their host country, on account of certain legal restrictions would constitute an instance of active exclusion, which is in this case a constitutive exclusion as well. The other capability deprivations among this community of migrants, which follow from their unemployment could be termed as their capability failures. This too can be explained as active exclusion. When unemployment is the result of complex web of multiple institutional and systemic factors, passive exclusion occurs, in that the people are after all excluded from the opportunity to be employed. The Human Development paradigm would be effective in understanding these cases because it looks at the perspective from an inter-systemic point of view and presents them more in a holistic perspective. 3. Convergence and Relationships Social exclusion and human development As discussed above, the human development approach stresses the significance of education, access to adequate social services (health, education, access to water and utilities, social protection, housing, etc), environmental sustainability, gender equality, human security and respect for individual rights. Social exclusion, which prevents access through institutional, community- and personal-level barriers to important social goods and services, whether as a result of deliberate discrimination or lack of capacity to deliver, whether as a result of active or passive exclusion, impedes peoples ability to live a full life. Social inclusion adds the process dimension of exclusion (the agents, groups, and institutions that exclude) to the human development concept. A social inclusion perspective can thus help sharpen the strategies for achieving human development by addressing the discrimination, exclusion, powerlessness and accountability failures that lie at the root of poverty and other development problems. Both concepts are complementary in policy terms: human development bears a stronger focus on what needs to be achieved; while social inclusion focuses on how it should be achieved. The Relationship between Social Exclusion and Human Development What can limit freedoms and choices is social exclusion, both as a process and as an outcome. However, there are limitations of freedoms in all societies that affect the mainstream population without creating exclusion. Exclusion hampers choices and opportunities, thus reduce human development. From the human development point of view, social exclusion is the process and outcome that hampers the wide range of human fulfilment. Inclusion is one of the goals to achieve, there might be others (e.g. environmental sustainability, conflicts etc) that do not directly depend on social exclusion. Both concepts are complementary in policy terms: human development bears a stronger focus on what needs to be achieved; while social inclusion focuses on how it should be achieved. Social inclusion adds the process dimension of exclusion (the agents, groups, and institutions that exclude) to the human development concept. Social inclusion is also focused on those that are excluded, thus emphasizing the equity principle. Human Development does look at broader societal improvements that affects also those that are not excluded (once again, environmental sustainability can be an example), although it is true that guaranteeing the inclusion of all can have broader positive repercussions on the rest of society. A social inclusion perspective can thus help sharpen the strategies for achieving human development by addressing the discrimination, exclusion, powerlessness and accountability failures that lie at the root of poverty and other development problems. Social Inclusion as the path to human development: What follows as the logical consequence that human development is the larger goal to achieve. Can the social inclusion approach be the best practice in this regard? Social inclusion policies, in principle, are ways to achieve human development: They are designed to correct negative outcomes of exclusion which can be ascribed to gender; age; ethnicity; location; economic, education, or health status or disability, etc., be these intentional (e.g., systematic discrimination) or unintentional (i.e., the failure to recognize the differential impact of policies on individuals or groups). The EU charter of Fundamental Rights defines social inclusion as a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. It ensures that they have greater participation in decision making which affects their lives and access to their fundamental rights. The significant element of phraseology used in this definition is greater participation, which implies that the social inclusion approach is not just satisfied at present with tendering a so-called platform of equality to all. Rather, it is more concerned with a futureobjective of achieving equality for all. Thus, the social inclusion approach acknowledges the need to proffer to those excluded a greater say in the scheme of things than what they receive now, i.e. a greater participation in comparison with that of the non-excluded. In terms of legalese, this is known as positive discrimination in favour of the excluded with a view to bringing them at par with others, i.e. including them in the mainstream of life. Social Inclusion approach thus is more about redistribution of social opportunities among all sections of population so that everyone gets a plausible opportunity to flourish and thus, to contribute to the cause of enhancing efficiency of a society as a whole. A prosperous society provides more opportunities for personal fulfillment which is not to be viewed just in terms of economic freedom but also in terms of everything else that provides the necessary yardstick to evaluate the quality of life. Social exclusion and rights based approach A social exclusion perspective shares with a Rights-Based Approach (RBA) a common concern with equity, non-discrimination and the importance of participation that should be inclusive. In this respect, a social exclusion perspective is concerned with governance and citizenship rights, with the institutional dimension of exclusion and with the organizations, institutions and processes that exclude. The mainstreaming of human rights in development programming is a way of tackling certain forms of social exclusion and strengthening inclusion policies. Social exclusion, poverty and vulnerability Although the concept of poverty, social exclusion and vulnerability share certain common characteristics, they also have important distinguishing features. People who are not poor can be excluded, but many may also become poor due to exclusion from economic activity, and may thus become vulnerable. The analysis of exclusion and vulnerability may not necessarily be the same as that of poverty. The three phenomena, however, are inextricably related. Traditional thinking about income poverty focuses on individual subsistence level as against a standard conventional change. The concept of human poverty, instead represents a measurement of well being as not a static but a dynamic multi-dimensional experience, and is closer to the concept of social exclusion. People may experience poverty not just because they lack access to goods and services but also because there are systematic constraints that limit the mobilisation and the allocation of resources to the particular group. The EU, for example, which has set social inclusion at the heart of policymaking, conceives of exclusion as distinct from income poverty. Poverty is a distributional outcome, whereas exclusion is a relational process of declining participation, solidarity and access. Indeed for some, exclusion is a broader term encompassing poverty; for others, it is a cause or a consequence of poverty. But it is likely that causation runs in both directions. Highlights on vulnerability are essentially to reduce/manage the risk of the loss of livelihoods and the threat to security which more often than not is influenced by ones poverty status. Vulnerability is often obviously worsened by poverty which, therefore, points to an important interface between poverty alleviation and social risk management. Social exclusion as compared to poverty and vulnerability is intended to focus more attention on structural bottlenecks to equity and social justice. To overcome social exclusion, therefore, it is obvious that there has to be a deliberate effort to reform customary and legal codes of conduct to create opportunities for excluded groups to become empowered. This particular objective has been taken into account in current thinking on poverty reduction and social risks management. An advantage of the concept of social exclusion/inclusion over an approach based on poverty and other material deprivation is its focus on processes, i.e. the dynamics of the interaction between an individual and his or her social, legal, political, cultural and economic environment. Asking whether a person is able to participate equally in mainstream society, leads to identifying barriers to participation. These barriers can be institutional (discrimination, lack of infrastructure or absence of services, or in the case of people with disabilities, can also be the physical accessibility of buildings or schools), in the community (prejudice, marginalization), or personal (lack of education, withdrawal, rejection, or fears). Different population groups may experience different and overlapping vulnerabilities or face different barriers, which require different strategies to overcome them. Convergence of concepts towards a social inclusion approach Human development, the Human Rights Based Approach and Social Inclusion proceed from a moral or philosophical belief in the intrinsic value of human life and a commitment to the dignity and equality of each human being. Another value added of both the social inclusion and human development approaches is that they look at groups/communities dynamics and interaction within society, beyond the rights-holders vs. duty bearers approach Each of these conceptual frameworks places human well-being within a social and political context, and posits aspects of the interaction of the individual with society that cannot be represented by a money-metric proxy. Each also expresses explicitly or implicitly the vested interest of society in the provision of supportive social policies by a state actor in realization of the social contract. A social inclusion approach implies addressing need or alienation wherever it exists. Social inclusion reaches beyond the enforcement of rights in legal terms by tackling material deprivation, stigmatization and social separation; hence the approach seeks to understand this complex social phenomenon in terms of causes as well as outcomes. It also has an operational bias, devising workable policy responses, effectively recognizing that the state has a duty to care, include and involve all members of society in political, economic, cultural and social processes. 3) Causes and Drivers of Social Exclusion People may be excluded by several reasons, some owing to their individual characteristics (old, sick, disabled, poor, immigrants, vulnerable women and children); others from their societal/cultural characteristics (such as religion, race, caste/ethnicity, language). These can often interact and influence each other, thus creating a spiral of multiple deprivations. Exclusion can also be triggered by circumstances of birth. Being born into poverty or to parents with low employable skills, for example, places one at a serious disadvantage in relation to future life course survival chances. Finally, social exclusion can also be an outcome of shocks, such as conflicts and abrupt socio-economic transitions. The process dimension of social exclusion is also multi-dimensional and often involves economic, political, cultural and social exclusion. These dimensions are interrelated and reinforce each other. For example, the most excluded groups often have the worse access to education, poorer land, worse sanitation and health services, which contributes to lower productivity and incomes on the one hand, as well as limitation on engagement in political processes that could improve their position. For this Report, we have chosen to focus on mutually related dimensions: Exclusion from economic life results in and from inequalities in ownership of assets, incomes and employment opportunities. Exclusion from social services results in and from inequalities in access to a range of services education, health, housing, social protection, etc and in human outcomes (including education, health, and nutrition). Exclusion from political participation results in and from unequal access to political opportunities, justice, freedoms, institutions and power at many levels (from national to community level). Cultural status exclusion results in and from differences in recognition and (de facto) hierarchical status of different groups cultural norms, customs and practices. Thus, the causes or drivers of exclusion include not only the ascribed characteristics of individuals and groups, but the way that institutions and processes contribute to marginalization. For the purposes of this report, we can cluster the potential causes and drivers, many of which prevail in the ECIS region, in three broad categories: discrimination, institutional inadequacies and horizontal inequalities: NOTE TO ALL: I WILL ADD CONCRETE EXAMPLES FROM THE REGION LATER FROM THE CHAPTERS 1) Discrimination: Ø Discriminatory practices, especially as a result of bias Social exclusion mostly results from direct or indirect discrimination that rules and behavior, processes, policy, regulations, and institutional practices can impose, advertently or inadvertently against one or some groups of population compared to the others. These can be based on but not limited to gender, ethnicity, religion, race, geographical location, age, income status, health, educational attainment, and disability. Prejudice and discrimination resulting from social and political biases may also cause social exclusion. For example, discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and gender may result in exclusion on the labour market, etc. In extreme cases, outright hostility and violence against certain groups may lead to social exclusion Ø Discriminatory social values and cultural practices Social exclusion can also persist in the cultural and traditional set-up and result from social traditions and values among different social groups of population. EXAMPLE FROM TATJANA CHAPTER 2) Institutional inadequacies : Ø Policies and institutional barriers Public institutions or organizations can aggravate social exclusion through lack of understanding of the dynamics of exclusion, or through sheer oversight. Decision making may not be effective in protecting excluded groups largely due to the lack of commitment and inadequate resources. Ø Inadequate or weak institutional support mechanisms The weakness of institutions is exhibited in their inadequacies, poor functioning, poor quality, non responsiveness and the inability to create opportunities for those who are likely to fall prey to social exclusion. Sometimes institutions are purposely designed to favour those who are already included in the mainstream (e.g. language requirements to access education, job opportunities or other services). Private institutions and civil society organisations such as non-government institutions and community based organizations, as well as some private financial institutions and other service providers also contribute to social exclusion by failing to develop programmes to support the interests of excluded groups or by deliberately excluding some from social services. Ø Discriminatory laws or inadequate enforcement Poor legislation may deepen the exclusion of some social groups.. In some circumstances, adequate legislation may be in place to protect the interests of the underprivileged, but poorly enforced legal regimes can make such legislation meaningless. 3) Horizontal inequalities: Ø Inequalities between groups Inequalities that exist de facto or de jure among groups can increase exclusion. These can include, for example, inequalities in terms of

Coelomate And Acoelomate :: essays research papers

Most animal phyla originated in a relatively brief span of geological time, however the diversity among them is extraordinary. Every organism is very unique a detailed in certain ways, comparisons of certain types of organisms can be very difficult. The class in which will be compared is that of the invertebrates. The main difference between coelomate and acoelomate body plans are that coelomates have a true coelom, which is a fluid-filled body cavity completely lined by tissue which is derived from mesoderm. The purpose of this cavity is to cushion the suspended organs to help them prevent injury, enables internal organs to grow and move independently from the outer body wall. Acoelomates, though, lack a cavity between the digestive tract and the outer body wall. An example of an acoelomate would be a flatworm, or planarian, While an example of a coelomate would be a rotifer. The differences between protostome and deuterostome development are the characteristics in their cleavage, their coelom formation, and the fate of their blastopore. Many protostomes undergo spiral cleavage. In spiral cleavage, planes of cell division occur diagonal to the vertical axis of the embryo. The cleavage also determinates, which casts the developmental fate of each embryonic cell very early. In deuterostomes, they undergo radial cleavage, where the cleavage planes are either parallel or perpendicular to the vertical axis of the egg. Deuterostomes are further characterized by indeterminate cleavage, which means that each cell produced by early cleavage divisions retains the capacity to develop into a complete embryo. Indeterminate cleavage of the human zygote allows identical twins to be possible. In a protostome, as the archenteron forms, solid masses of mesoderm split to form the coelomic cavities, or schizocoelous development. In deuterostomes, the development of body cavi ties, or enterocoelous, happens when the mesoderm buds from the wall of the archenteron and hollows to become the coelomic cavities. The mouth of many protostomes develops from the first opening, the blastopore. The mouth of a deuterostome is derived from the secondary opening, and the blastopore usually forms the anus. The differences between radial and bilateral symmetry is that an animal with radial symmetry has parts that are arranged like the spokes of a wheel and a cut down the central axis, it would divide the animal into mirror images. Radial animals include hydra, jellyfishes, and their relatives. An animal with bilateral symmetry has a left and right side, and a cut down its central axis would divide the animal into mirror-image halves.

Essay on The Holy Bible - Role of God in the Book of Job

The Changing Role of God in the Book of Job The Book of Job shows a change in God's attitude from the beginning to the end.  At the beginning of the book, He is presented as Job's protector and defender. At the end He appears as the supreme being lecturing and preaching to Job with hostility, despite the fact that Job never cursed his name, and never did anything wrong.   Job's only question was why God had beseeched this terrible disease on him. I intend to analyze and discuss the different roles God played in the Book of Job.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the book opens, Job is God's "pride and joy", so to speak. Job was free of sin, he "feared God and shunned evil"(1:1). God apparently thinks higher of Job than any other mortal.   This is evidenced when he tells Satan that "There is no one on Earth like him; he is blameless and upright . . ."(1:8).   When Satan questions Job's faith God allows him to test Job, as if to show off his favorite servant.   This is an almost human quality in God--pride.   Satan's test involves the total destruction of everything Job owns and lived for:  Ã‚   his children his animals, and his estate.   Everything was destroyed but his wife, and of course the Four Messengers of Misfortune.   "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing"(1:22).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   God shows more of the human characteristic of pride when He meets with Satan again.   God is almost gloating in this brief scene.   He praises Job further and maintains that Job is loyal:   Ã‚  Have you considered my servant Job?   There is no one on   Ã‚  Earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears   Ã‚  God and shuns evil.   And he still maintains his integrity, though   Ã‚  you incited me against him to ruin him without any rea... ...tried to make sense out of something they could not possibly understand.   God's anger could have also been instigated by the assumption that Job was getting closer and closer to cursing Him.   With each step of questioning, Job's faith might have been starting to be questioned.   This would embarrass God to Satan.   The former seems to be the more obvious reason however, the later, my own observation can not be ignored.   God exhibited human qualities in the beginning, like pride, and integrity, why would this God be immune to embarrassment?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In any case, acknowledging that Job did not curse him in all of his misfortune, God once again returned to the status of Job's protector, and Job once again became God's favorite servant.   God blessed the later part of Job's life with double the fortune he had before and another ten children.   Job lived a full life.

Life cycle assessment of spring mattress Essay

Hendrickson, et al (2006) posits that: â€Å"LCA requires careful energy and materials balances for all the stages of the life cycle†. The life cycle of a spring mattress is made up of many processes. The life cycle or â€Å"cradle to grave’ of a spring mattress can be said to consist of the following five stages: a) extraction of raw materials (cradle), b) production of materials, c) production of spring mattress, d) use of the spring mattress, e) disposal of the spring mattress (grave). The function of the product system is to evaluate the extraction of the raw materials, the processing of the raw materials, the manufacturing and fabrication of the product, the distribution of the product, and the use of the product by the consumer and the disposal of the product when it is no longer useful. The functional unit. A spring mattress has a clear cut primary function: providing a resting or sleeping surface, but there are also other types of mattresses that serve the same purpose. Life cycle assessments usually serve to compare different products that have the same function. The functional unit is a quantitative description of the function of the product. The functional unit is a key element of LCA which has to be clearly defined. It should be based on the standard use of the product and is the main reason for which the product is bought. The functional unit is the measure of the function of the studied product and it provides a reference to which the inputs and outputs can be related. This makes it possible to compare two different products that serve the same purpose. The functional unit of a spring mattress may be defined as the length of time it stays fit for use. The system boundaries. According to ISO 14041 standards,† the system boundaries define the unit process to be included in the system to be modeled†. The system boundaries determine which unit Life cycle assessment of spring mattress. processes to be included in the LCA study. Subjective choice is partly used to define system boundaries. For system boundaries of a spring mattress, the following can be considered: 1) Boundaries between the technological system and nature. The life cycle normally begins at the point of extraction of the raw materials (used to manufacture the product) and energy carriers from nature. 2) System boundaries should cover the same reality in all scenarios. 3) Usually, the choice of geographical boundaries is not relevant because system boundaries are related to a function and not a region. 4) Only processes with relevant extractions or emissions will be considered. A screening approach is used to focus only on main contributions. Contributions from the production of capital goods (like trucks, machines); personal related processes (like factory canteens, commuting) and production of materials representing less than 5% of the product mass are not taken into consideration. Impact assessment methodology and interpretation. The aim of impact assessment is to evaluate the significance of potential environmental impacts using the results from the LCI phase. Environmental impacts are quantified as far as possible in an LCA. For this quantification, the classification and characterization methodologies are used. Classification is the assignment of individual inventory parameters to impact categories, e. g. , acidification or green house effect. Characterization is the conversion of LCI units into common units within each impact category with the aid of equivalence factors. In the LCA for a spring mattress, the following environmental impact categories should be considered: abiotic recourse depletion (exhaust), greenhouse effect (global warming), human toxicity, acidification, ozone depletion, landscape depletion, nuisance and solid waste. In the interpretation phase, conclusions are Life cycle assessment of spring mattress. Reached and recommendations are made in accordance with the defined goal and scope of the study. Ciambrone (1997) posits that: â€Å"The environmental lifecycle analysis methodology has three basic components. These components overlap and build on each other to develop a life cycle analysis. The three components are: a) Inventory analysis. b) Impact analysis. c) Improvement analysis†. References. Ciambrone, D. 1997. Environmental Life Cycle Analysis. Hendrickson, C et al, 2006. Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Goods and Services, An Input-Output Approach. ISO 14041 Standards.

Computer Addiction Essay

Computer addiction is a mental illness which causes the excessive use of computers to the extent that it interferes with daily life. Excessive use may explain problems in social interaction, mood, personality, work ethic, relationships, thought processes, or sleep deprivation. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not include a diagnosis for such a disease. The term †²computer addiction†² originated long before the Internet. Some people develop bad habits in their computer use that cause them significant problems in their lives. The types of behavior and negative consequences are similar to those of known addictive disorders. Effects Excessive computer use may result in, or occur with: Lack of social interaction. Using the computer for pleasure, gratification, or relief from stress. Feeling irritable and out of control or depressed when not using it. Spending increasing amounts of time and money on hardware, software, magazines, and computer-related activities. Neglecting work, school, or family obligations. Lying about the amount of time spent on computer activities. Risking loss of career goals, educational objectives, and personal relationships. Failing at repeated efforts to control computer use. A cause for many of the above-mentioned effects may be that computer games do not stimulate the release of neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of satisfaction and relaxation, such as oxytocin and endorphin, in the same way that real world activities do. Bibliography †Exhaustion’ most likely cause of death’, 2007, Chinese gamer dies after three-day session , vnunet.com, [Online], Available: http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2198850/chinese-man-dies-three-days [2009, April 14]. ‘About online gamers anoymous’ 2009, , OLG, [Online], Available: http://www.olganon.org/ [2009, April 14]. Block, 2008, ‘Issues for DSM-V: Internet Addiction’ Available: http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/165/3/306 [2009, April 14]. ‘Chinese suicide shows addiction dangers Online life proves too appealing†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ n.d., , Play.tm, [Online], Available: http://play.tm/news/5928/chinese-suicide-shows-addiction-dangers/ [2009, April 14]. ‘Experts debate internet addiction’ 2006 , Nov. 14 Available: http://www.physorg.com/news82749930.html [2009, April 14]. ‘How computer addiction works’ 2009, Available: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-addiction3.htm [2009, April 14]. Orzack, n.d., ‘Computer addiction services’ Available: http://www.computeraddiction.com/peter.htm [2009, April 14].