The view that assisted suicide is an act of compassion Essay Example for Free

The view that assisted suicide is an act of compassion Essay Assisted suicide can be an act of compassion because it relieves immense suffering both for the patient and the family. Thinking that it is purely about pain is naà ¯ve, in reality terminally ill patients fear the loss of independence, dignity and function more than pain. Pain can be managed, but other regressive symptoms cannot. When considering this issue, utilitarianists think about quality of life as well as quantity of life. Sometimes assisted dying may be necessary to produce the greatest amount of happiness. There is little to be gained from keeping someone alive when they are dependent on machines to carry out basic functions. Ultimately suicide is a tragic but conscientious moral choice. For some patients euthanasia will be seen as the ultimate expression of autonomy in that they determine the time and mode of their dying. It may be the only thing left they are able to control. If we have the right to life it follows that we should also have the right to die in our own terms. To force someone to continue living against their will could be considered torture. Society’s views are changing regarding assisted suicide, which is demonstrated even by the change in language used. The media now refers to it as assisted dying, or mercy killing. Although it remains illegal in the UK, the public opinion is gradually changing. Even some Christians believe that it can be a charitable act. Paul Badham, an Anglican priest, wrote a book in favour of assisted suicide for both social and economic reasons. However, the Christian Medical Fellowship dismissed it: â€Å"The highly selective and infrequent use of the Bible, the pick n mix theology, the fundamentalist view of human autonomy, and the slapdash use of Church history do not constitute a Christian case at all.† On the other hand, many believe that assisted suicide is not an act of compassion. These views are usually influenced by Christian teaching. The Bible speaks much about God’s control of when we die, such as Job 14:5: â€Å"Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.† There are cases of people seeking assisted suicide in the Old Testament, but these requests tend to come from disobedient characters such as Saul. Furthermore, just because the Bible records an event does not mean God approves of it. Christians would instead promote palliative care as a better option. Furthermore, opponents of assisted suicide often cite the slippery slope argument. We are descending into a culture of death. Many opponents would fear that even the strictest of legislation would gradually be opened up until assisted suicide is available on demand. This has already been witnessed with abortion. Legislation that was supposed to only allow it in exceptional cases has been revised to a point where it is available on demand. Finally, assisted suicide is not an act of compassion because it breaks down professional and legal norms. Doctors are supposed to be preservers of life, not bringers of death. It would transform the job description of a doctor. Assisted suicide is contrary to the Hippocratic oath, which sets forth certain ethical standards for doctors – including, â€Å"you will exercise your art purely for the cure of your patients.† To conclude, our opinion on any form of suicide will depend on how we see our own bodies. Are they mere disposable tools, or do they have a higher, divinely ordained purpose? To quote Dignity in Dying, â€Å"An assisted dying law would not result in more people dying, but in fewer people suffering.†

Total Quality Management in Higher Education

Total Quality Management in Higher Education Total Quality Management (TQM) has become a frequently used term in discussions concerning quality. TQM is considered to be an important management philosophy, which supports the organizations in their efforts to obtain satisfied customers. However, there exist extensive numbers of examples of failed or badly performed implementation processes of TQM. This is a problematic phenomenon, which negatively affects organizations, irrespective of size, in their development towards excellence and ultimately survival in a competitive environment. Furthermore, diversity among researchers exists regarding the actual benefits of TQM. Total Quality Management (TQM) has been adopted by many organizations worldwide, its implementation in non-profit organizations, such as higher education institutions, presents more challenges and difficulties than those encountered in business organizations. A critical step in TQM implementation is the process of customer identification. In addition to customer identification, there are other issues such as leadership, cultural, and organizational issues that tend to create difficulties for TQM implementation in higher education. In this article it has been tried to bring out a clear status of higher education and emergent needs to enhance the quality of higher education. Globalization of higher educational services has become an area of key focus for many countries. In order to fuel the socio-economic development of the country, higher education is playing a more active role in our country and this requires a paradigm shift in terms of governance and service delivery. These issues along with the role of students from a quality perspective and performance measure for higher education in Pakistan are discussed, and suggestions are made for their resolution. Higher education institutions must become more innovative leading to quality institutions of knowledge production and dissemination. Realizing the importance of higher education, a lot of innovative experiments are being done to improve the performance of this sector. Application of TQM concepts is one of such measures, which will go a long way in revolutionizing the higher education system. The paper attempts to theoretically conceptualize TQM in higher education. BACKGROUND TQM is, compared to other concepts such as quality control or quality assurance, wider since it embraces the whole organization instead of focusing on parts of the product or service. TQM has been acknowledged as an important subject in management theory and practice and has become a frequently used term in discussions concerning quality. The use of TQM among many western organizations has been relatively high during the 1990s, but there exists a diversity of opinion among researchers regarding the actual benefits of TQM. Research results that claim that there exists positive effect on performance can be found in e.g., Allen and Kilmann, for instance, express a more pessimistic view regarding the benefit of TQM investments [3]. INTRODUCTION The application of Deming quality management principles in educational institutions throughout the world as a successful paradigm for school restructuring and reengineering has been widely documented [9]. Multiple positive effects of TQM on increased student achievement tests and teacher made tests, increased student self-esteem, increased teacher morale, and increased parent and community involvement in the institute. Profound knowledge consists of appreciation for a system, knowledge about variation, theory of knowledge, and psychology. Hence, one of the purposes of this article is to study the implementation of TQM in Pakistans higher education. TQM is a management philosophy adopted from industry which has been applied to higher education in many countries throughout the world. TQM, also referred to as continuous quality improvement, is not without controversy and is far from being universally accepted in education. TQM philosophy entails forming quality improvement teams which investigate problems, suggest solutions, and realize quality improvement. TQM strives for continuous quality improvement in organizations. The popularity of TQM, some institutions and companies has found it difficult to implement this program successfully. An examination of the literature suggests that only one-third to one-half of organizations have observed significant improvements through TQM programs [10,11]. This lack of significant success is often not a failure of the TQM concept, but a failure to pay sufficient attention to the cultural and structural variables that influence TQM. Unlike other programs, TQM involves changing the way people interact and work in institutions. As such, it is a context-dependent program, the success of which depends to a large extent on cultural and structural factors. Hence, another purpose of this critical study is to identify the cultural and structural issues involved in implementation of TQM in Pakistans higher education. TQM in the classroom has been successful. The historic role of teacher, lecturer and provider of knowledge has been replaced with a new role: teacher as mentor, facilitator and classroom manager. The goal is no longer simply to impart knowledge to students; teachers and students must design and deploy education together. If students are active participants in the classroom, it is more likely that true learning is really taking place. The study of the Literature suggests to accomplish collaborative learning with technology, new metaphors for teaching e.g. teaching as choreography or teaching as maneuvering must emerge as teachers focus more on structuring the learning and social environment to encourage active participation and group self-reliance in completing team work [2]. The importance of education for the development of excellence, expertise and knowledge leading to overall development in economy cannot be undermined. This has necessitated a sound strategy for the development of higher education in almost all countries of the world. Establishing leadership and educational governance quality in the world is possible only when we have a developed system of higher education in which efficiency and effectiveness remains the sole criterion to evaluate educational, instructional quality and institutional performance. The system of higher education is found efficacious in making available to the society a dedicated, committed, devoted and professionally sound team of legislatures to decide the future of any nation. This is possible only when the principles of quality management are inculcated in the system of education. Total Quality Management (TQM) is inevitably common factor that will shape the strategies of higher educational institutions in their attempt to satisfy various stakeholders including students, parents, industry and society as a whole. The paper is also a theoretical attempt to explain the application of TQM in education. It deals with issues pertaining quality in higher education and moves on to identify variables influencing quality of higher education. Based on the discussed research dimensions and overall purposes, this article focuses mainly on the four concepts TQM, Implementation, Institutional Culture and Change, and Institutional overall performance. Although the aim of this article does not include a formal analysis of these concepts, a general discussion will be held in order to outline the overarching research area within present research. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Total Quality Management Dale, describe TQM as an umbrella of concepts and ideas in various contexts related to the quality field [6]. Furthermore, TQM is described as the mutual cooperation of everyone in an organization and associated business processes, in order to produce products and services which meet, and hopefully exceed the needs and expectations of customers. Oakland describes TQM as an approach to improve competitiveness, efficiency and flexibility for a whole organization [20]. TQM may be defined as an evolving system, consisting of practices, tools, trainings, and methodologies for managing organizations in a rapid evolutionary context. According to the authors, the system provides customer satisfaction and improves the performance of organizations by e.g. eliminating product defects and speeding service delivery. As the definitions of TQM vary, so does the interpretation of the fundamental constituents. Many authors within the TQM area consider values to be elemental for the concept. However, the number of values, as well as the formulation, differs slightly between different authors. For example, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is based on eleven core values and concepts [19]. Furthermore, Sila Ebrahimpour found in their extensive theoretical investigation that the following factors were the most frequently addressed within TQM definitions: (A) Customer focus and satisfaction. (B) Employee training. (C) Leadership and top management commitment. (D) Teamwork. (E) Employee involvement. (F) Continuous improvement and innovation. (G) Quality information and performance measurements. Still, there is a base of values, which seems to be common to most authors, consisting of the six values illustrated in Figure-1 [25]. TQM As A System Some authors have suggested a system approach to the concept of TQM, see e.g. Hellsten Klefsjo, declare that TQM not only consists of values, such as process focus, customer focus or people commitment [13]. The values are supported by techniques, such as process management, customer focused planning, or target-oriented groups, and tools, such as control charts, the quality house or Ishikawa diagrams, see Figure-1. The choice of TQM core values is supported by the findings of Sila Ebrahimpour [25]. Aim: Increase external and internal customer satisfaction with a reduced amount of resources TECHNIQUES Quality Circles Policy Development Self-Assessment Process Management Benchmarking Employee Development Quality Function Deployment TOOLS Ishikawa Diagram Design Matrix ISO 9000 Tree Diagram Control Chats Criteria of MBNQA Process Maps VALUES Top Management Commitment Focus on Processes Improve Continuously Base Decisions on Facts Focus on Customers Let everybody be Committed Figure-1: TQM seen as a continuously evolving management system consisting of values, techniques, and tools. The discussion held by Hellsten Klefsjà ¶ implies that TQM can be defined as a management system that consists of three units, which means a network of dependent units with a joint goal. The three units are the core values, techniques and tools. The goal of TQM is, according to Hellsten Klefsjo, increased customer satisfaction with a reduced amount of resources [13]. This implies that TQM is relevant in all fields of our society, not only in companies but also in health care, educational institutions, defense authorities. Interpretation of the Core Values A strategy for TQM in an organization must be built on the managements continuous commitment to questions concerning quality. According to Bergman and Klefsjà ¶, the management must establish a quality policy and support quality activities economically, morally and by managing resources [4]. But management should also set a good example by actively taking part in the practical work. Successful work towards TQM must be built with the managements continuous involvement as a basis. The core values are important parts of this work. However, the use of core values for managing an organizational change and cultural development is not unquestioned. According to my point view the management can stimulate the individual values by managing resources, supporting quality activities and by systematically working with techniques and tools that support the core values. Top Management Commitment Working with TQM and keeping up the quality improvements demands total commitment of the management [1,5,22]. The management must initiate planning for implementation and participate in the work including evaluation of processes and results. All senior leaders in the organization must create a customer orientation and set clear and visible quality values. The importance of the role of senior managers as advocates, teachers and leaders cannot be overstated. These leaders must serve as role models throughout the organization, thus reinforcing the quality values at all levels in the organization by choosing and applying appropriate techniques and tools. Focus on Customers A central core value in TQM is that all products and processes should always have a customer focus. Quality should be valued by the customers and should always be put in relation to their needs and expectations [20]. This signifies that quality is a relative concept, which, among other things, is set by the market competition. The organizations need to be dedicated to satisfying customers. To focus on the customer means, therefore, that one tries to find out the customers needs and values by conducting market analyses and then trying to fulfill the market expectations while systematically developing and implementing the services. Focusing on the customer does not only apply to the external customers. Every employee has customers within the organization, internal customers, and in order to do a good job their needs also have to be fulfilled. Base Decisions on Facts An important core value in TQM is to make decisions based on facts that are well founded and to not allow random factors to be of decisive importance. This calls attention to the importance of knowledge regarding variation and ability to handle and control variation. The improvement program called Six Sigma, with origins from Motorola in the 1980s, is one approach for considering variation within organizations. The different measurements required to obtain multiple facts can be classified as measurements of customer satisfaction including employee satisfaction, measurements of market position, development process and operating measurements. When the organization receives the described information it is in a position to quickly determine how well it is performing, compare its performance to that of competing or benchmarked organizations, and decide the action that is now convenient. Focus on Processes Much of the work within an organization can be looked upon as a process, which means a repetitive sequence of activities [4]. The goal of the process is to produce services, which should satisfy the customer. The corollary of focusing on processes is that the focus is not on results. Instead the result is the dependent variable. The result comes from whatever process is followed; process drives result. The process generates data that indicates how well the process is satisfying its customers. The process orientation and focus has become even more focused on in the currently dominating improvement program Six Sigma. Continuous Improvement It is not enough for an organization to do better than it did previously. The external demands an organization faces are continuously increasing. Consequently, an organization needs to continually try to improve the quality of its services/products and processes. The continuous improvement of the process leads to customer satisfaction, which results in an external quality improvement. The Deming cycle, or the PDCA-cycle, is a model for process analysis and improvement and serves as a symbol for continuous improvement. The PDCA-cycle consists of the four phases; plan, do, check and act [8]. Everybodys Commitment If the organizations quality strategy should be successful, all of the organizations employees should be engaged in the work of satisfying the customer with a continuously improved quality. Everybodys commitment means that continuous improvement should be practiced everywhere in the processes and that the involvement of all employees at every level should be facilitated. The work is based on the skills and participation of every employee and his or her understanding of what is required. Educating and training all employees provides the knowledge needed on the mission, vision, direction, and strategy of the organization as well as the skills they need to secure quality improvement and resolve problems. Maturity Levels of TQM If we consider TQM as a management system that can be implemented in an organization, we must be able to form an opinion of different levels of adoption to the system. Lascelles Dale describe six different levels of TQM adoption (or lack of it), which they have termed: Uncommitted Drifters Tool-pushers Improvers Award winners World class Figure-2: Levels of TQM adoption. (Lascelles Dale, 1991.) These levels are not necessarily the stages through which organizations pass on their TQM journey; they are characteristics and behaviors which organizations display in relation to TQM (Dale, 1999). The levels described by Lascelles Dale are intended to support organizations in identifying their weaknesses and addressing them, as a part of the continual challenge of continuous improvement throughout the organization [17]. As discussed by Lascelles Dale one level of TQM adoption are quality award winners [17]. Quality awards have been established over the last decades in order to stimulate TQM work and by appointing award recipients honor them for good work. This is used as inspiration for others. Many organizations choose to work towards TQM by means of the award criteria, for instance, by taking part in a quality award process. The types of quality awards extend from international, national, regional, branch-wise and in-company quality awards. An example of an international quality award is the European Quality Award, which was developed in order to sustain business excellence efforts among organizations within a European context. TQM and Organizational Performance Organizational performance is possibly the most widely used dependent variable in organizational research today. However, at the same time it remains one of the most vague and loosely defined constructs. Performance is a multifaceted concept, which can be measured at a organization or system level. While companys performance has its standardized indicators, it is more difficult to select for performance indicators of a system of organization and people. Previous research regarding TQM and performance has covered both soft and hard performance measurements, where hard measurements as accounting variables are in majority. However, one may argue whether financial figures are better at measuring the consequences of yesterdays decisions than they are at indicating tomorrows performance. The importance of soft performance measurements, as the organizations intangible and intellectual aspects, cannot be neglected. Activities may, at times, lead to favorable outcomes on one performance dimension and unfavorable outcomes on another performance dimension. Considering TQM, with its relatively extensive focus on intangible and intellectual aspects, one may argue that a study aiming at linking TQM to performance should include soft measurements. As McAdam Bannister maintain both hard and soft measures of performance are needed within the TQM framework [18]. Logically, the choice of performance measurements relies on the actual interest in what to examine. Furthermore, studying performance development in the context of TQM implementation necessitates a study of the impact of historical management decisions. Consequently, theoretical issues regarding performance and TQM investment will be the point of departure in the forthcoming discussion. One approach to study the relationship between TQM implementation and performance development is to compare quality award recipients with different control companies. However, sometime there was no significant difference between the quality award recipients and control companies during the implementation period. Another approach is to investigate the development of the share price on the stock market for quality award recipients. Implementation and Organizational Change The common standard dictionary definition of the term implementation is plainly to put into effect according to some definite plan or procedure. Based on that definition, implementation can be considered as a deliberate and sequential set of activities directed toward putting a strategy or policy into effect, making it occur. As a consequence one could view implementation as a process of interaction between the settings of goals and actions geared to achieve them. This means that implementation also can be considered as a form of organizational change. The above descriptions discuss implementation as a set of activities or a process. When considering TQM implementation, a definition that implies that implementation is a process of activities seems most suitable. This is due to the fact that the subject in this case, i.e. TQM, is, according to the definition, a thorough management system that includes all parts of the organization, and consequently is a process of activities needed. There must be a starting point when implementing. If no action is started, implementation cannot take place. There must also be an endpoint. Implementation cannot succeed or fail without a goal against which to judge it. Failure to implement may result either from overestimation of what can be accomplished or from underestimation of ability to implement. What Initiates the Change Process The ability for change and renewal is important and necessary in order for the organizations to maintain their long-term efficiency. A condition in this respect is that the change and renewal process brings improvements. Improvements demand changes but all changes do not bring improvements. An important aspect that affects the nature of the change process is the question concerning what factors initiated the change process. In addition to four main causes for strategic change namely environment, business relationships, technology, and people. TQM Implementation in the Organizational Development Context To implement a management system, such as TQM, requires an extensive organizational change, provided that the organization does not unconsciously work according to the system. Organizational Development includes TQM, the Excellence movement, culture management and business process reengineering. As a result, these change initiatives have tended to borrow fragments of the Organizational Development approach. This has had both positive and negative consequences. On the positive side, it has made aspects of Organizational Development more widely known. On the negative side it has tended to misunderstand and misapply much of the underpinning theory, methodology and intervention practices of Organizational Development. This has, according to Grieves, often resulted in radical authoritarianism or radical democratized programmed approaches, rather than culturally democratic or pluralistic approaches to change [12]. The Change Process TQM Related Recommendations and Strategies There has been much written concerning implementation of TQM. The books and articles extend from very tangible and detailed descriptions, e.g. Deming, Juran, NIST, [7,14,19]. The theory describes both obstacles for working towards TQM and several strategies for implementing the concept in an organization. The recognition of quality as a strategic issue in business planning is critical for a successful TQM implementation. TQM implementation should be clearly aligned with the organizations strategic priorities and goals and be planned properly [3,15,24]. The planned implementation appears to incorporate many initiatives that address soft aspects, such as team work, employee involvement and culture. Failure of TQM implementation is, according to some authors, not due to flaws in TQM principles but in inadequate systems for executing TQM properly, implying the importance of tangible aspects. However, Saad Siha maintain that the reasons for failure in implementing TQM are mainly due to h ow it is implemented, i.e. the implementation phase [23]. While TQM principles appear obvious, many organizations have found them very difficult to execute, reportedly due to the fact that the implementation is cumbersome, time-consuming, and frequently lacking focus. Some of the resistance to TQM may be understood as typical resistance to any change. This may be more severe if the organization is successful, if there is a particularly deep-seated culture, if there has been a great deal of change already, or if the change lacks legitimacy, education and communication. A well-defined implementation structure and clear resource allocation are therefore essential. Implementation of TQM is a complex process since all employees, starting with top management, need to accept a fundamental organizational change [18,24]. The issue of management commitment is stated as a critical factor for successful TQM implementation [1,20]. The management is not only obliged to be committed in order to change the organization towards TQM, it is also imperative that the management ensures that the employees are permeated with the same quality commitment and managers therefore need to focus on and work with the intangible aspects to a large extent. TQM applications across developed countries reveal that the tangible aspects, such as technology, structure and strategy, have a relatively small impact on TQM effectiveness compared to the largely hidden and intangible aspects such as values, attitudes and perceptions. The use of teamwork during the quality development process is therefore of major importance. Senior managers may begin the task of process alignment by series distinct but clearly overlapping steps. This recommended path develops a self-reinforcing cycle of commitment, communication, and culture change. The order of the steps is important because some of the activities will be inappropriate if started too early. In the introduction of total quality for managing change, timing can be critical. Organizational Structural and Cultural Impacts on TQM Implementation The impacts of the companys culture and structure on TQM implementation is examined through seven building blocks of TQM: management leadership, employee involvement, responsibility for quality at source, elective teamwork and coordination, focus on customer, benchmarking and continuous improvement [9,14]. Management leadership: In companies with control-oriented cultures and mechanistic structures, managements role is to plan, organize, direct and control employees. This does not match the TQM concept, which suggests that management should lead and create a vision rather than plan, empower rather than direct, and partner and delegate rather than organize and control. TQM philosophy directs management to create a vision that incorporates quality as integral to the business, and to establish policies, practices and structures consistent with that vision [9, 14]. Employee involvement: Since TQM de-emphasizes status distinctions and empowers employees to make decisions and use their own intelligence [9], It is less likely to succeed in organizations with control-oriented cultures and mechanistic structures that centralize decision-making authority in managerial hands. Organizations with flexibility-oriented cultures and organic structures, in contrast, show a better fit with TQM practices such as employee involvement, empowerment, teamwork and coordination across functional areas. Responsibility for quality at source: TQM implementation requires employees to identify and diagnose quality problems and take corrective action without going through the management hierarchy [9]. This should be easier to implement in organizations that decentralize decision-making, empower employees and provide employee training in quality control techniques, than in organizations that centralize decision-making and focus on vertical controls. Elective teamwork and coordination: TQM emphasizes horizontal coordination based on flow of work processes across functional areas [9]. Organizations with flexibility-oriented cultures and organic structures have existing horizontal coordination and communication networks, and should be more successful at implementing TQM compared to the organizations with control-oriented cultures and mechanistic structures that have mainly vertical coordination and control channels. Focus on customer: Organizations with control-oriented cultures and mechanistic structures have an internal focus and pay less attention to the organizations interdependence with the environment. This does not match the TQM philosophy of obtaining customer feedback, meeting and exceeding the needs of external as well as internal customers, and blurring boundaries between the organization, suppliers and customers [9]. Benchmarking: The TQM concept of benchmarking industry best practices is more likely to be successful in organizations with flexibility-oriented cultures and organic structures that consider themselves interdependent with other entities in the environment, and less likely to succeed in organizations with control-oriented cultures and mechanistic structures that largely ignore what is happening outside their boundaries. Continuous improvement: Organizations with control-oriented cultures and mechanistic structures focus on permanence, since it increases expectedness which, in turn, increases control. This does not match the TQM emphasis on change and learning through strategies such as benchmarking, employee training, cross-functional teams and experimentation. The `kaizen philosophy of small and continuous improvements finds a better match in organizations with flexibility-oriented cultures and organic structures. Challenges In TQM Implementation In Higher Educational Institutions: The main focus of the article is to identify and deliberate the critical issues and considerations of TQM implementation in the area of higher education. Critical issues in implementing TQM in higher education include leadership, customer identification, cultural and organizational transformation. Unlike business organizations, chancellors and departmental heads of higher educational institution do not enjoy ultimate authority in hiring and firing of personnel, process of allocation of resources and distribution of responsibilities and authorities. Lack of necessary authority makes it difficult to deploy their concepts, opinions, values and goals through layers of higher education institutions. Deep rooted traditions dating back to centuries, a rigid departmental model, inter departmental competition for resources, lack of market focus are the cultural and organizational reasons that makes it difficult to tune in with TQM transformation. Ambiguity in customer identification also crea tes hurdles in TQM implementation. While most administrators tend to perceive students as customers of faculty in classrooms, many faculty staff resent this metaphor as being too commercial. Without a well-defined customer and a customer focus, quality efforts may be easily diffused. Owlia and Aspinwall concludes that customer orientation is a more problematic principle of TQM when applied to universities because of special nature of many academics whose motivation to work is often independent of market issues [21]. The effectiveness of leadership is adversely affected by individualism among academic staff and due to absence of team working. Impact of TQM in higher education is small due to organizational inert

Recommendations for Healthcare Worker Health and Safety

Recommendations for Healthcare Worker Health and Safety Liz Rushe Comprehensive plan and aims Outline the aims of the assignment and background details of the setting My name is Elizabeth Rushe, I am currently doing a healthcare QQI awards course, as part of my course work and assignments, and I have to do some work experience, in a nursing home setting, for sixty hours. I applied in Riada House in Tullamore Before I started my work experience, I had to apply in writing, for the work experience and sent in my cv along with my guards clearance and my insurance letter, two references, when I had all the paper work in order I had to set up a meeting with the manger, to meet with them and see, when I could start doing my work experience. I met with the manager her name was Geraldine, she was very nice and made me feel very welcome, and she asked me all about the course and asked did I like it. Geraldine said that they do have a lot of students doing work experience in the setting, we talked about when I would start and what I needed to wear, which was a black trouser and polo shirt. I asked her about the setting, she told me that there were 35 bedded units, consisting of 6 respite care and 29 long term care beds. The care team at Riada House aim to provide high quality, person centred care within a supportive, homely and welcoming environment. The care team aim to promote independence and residents choices. The rights and dignity of each resident will be respected at all times. I thanked Geraldine for her taking the time for meeting me and that I look forward, to starting my work experience there and that I would see her on the date that I was starting on, as I walked up the hall to the main door, any staff members that I met, they all smile and said hello, as I met them, which tell me that this is a nice place. Liz Rushe Occupational Health and Safety in the workplace Noise and sound HAZARDS As a healthcare assistant, working with noise and loud can cause stress for both patients and the healthcare assistant, especially on a long shift. Patients are not able to get a full night sleep, as they may have waked up shortly are falling asleep and too tried to get up the next day. As someone has the radio or television up a bit too high, or a staff member letting something fall in the middle of the night that might have made a loud noise. RISK Loud and distracting sounds and noises can interfere with the healthcare assistant duties, as this can distract them and not concentrate on the patient that they are attending, which puts the patient at risk. CONTROL MEASURES Make sure that all televisions and radio are turn off or turn down low after 8pm in the evening and that all the ward doors are closed to help aid a good night sleep.   That all staff are wearing low and comfortable footwear, (cushions souls). Liz Rushe Stress HAZARDS If the healthcare assistant is under or feeling stress in the workplace, this can cause physical and mental health problems and up set to them,   this can cause them to be distracted in their work and not having their minds fully on their job, this could result in putting the patient, other members of staff and them selves at risk. This   may lead to the healthcare assistant been absence for work, this can lead to more problems for the healthcare assistant, as they are out of work, they are not getting their full wages. RISKS The healthcare assistant can start to have problems, such as high blood pressure, skin problems (eczema, rash), the healthcare assistant can have disturbed sleep, which will affect them carry out their daily duties and this can affect their confidence in their work. The healthcare assistant can take to drugs, alcohol, or even develop an ulcer from worrying, which can also lead to hair loss or going grey. If the healthcare assistant is on any medical, or coming into work after taking drugs or alcohol, this could affect them in their work environment CONTROL MEASURES Taking up daily exercise, as getting out in the fresh air can help your mood; also as you are walking, they might find it can tell them to talk to another person about what is going on in their lives. Going to their manger and having a talk with them, might the only thing that they have to do to fit the problem, that they are having and if not it might be the first steps that they take to putting it right. Liz Rushe Diet, exercise and lifestyle HAZARDS Having a good lifestyle, might not always be a good thing, if we do not take any exercise at all, this could affect the healthcare assistant, in their daily work. Taking daily exercise is one of the key in fighting and preventing heart disease, depression and anxiety.   Going for a walk can help change your mood, after a bad day at work or just help clear your head, if anything was worry you, if they are getting it hard to focus on their job, which can lead to bad judgment. A well balance diet can help too, this can start feeling good on the inside, and this diet must contain, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, mineral, salts and fibre, plus some fat. RISKS If something is wrong at work, this can affect the healthcare worker, judgement and choices that they made about each patient. If they are not concentrating on what they are doing, they can easily mix up mediation. By not taking exercise can be the cause of back pain, other injury, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or type two diabetes, depression. CONTROL MEASURES Regular physical exercise is great; taking 20 30 minutes, three times a week will help improve our physical and mental health.   Reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. having a well balance diet, can help us feel good, this also helps   our bladder and bowl keep in working order, penalty of roughage dose help. A few drink free nights together and giving up smoking will improve the healthcare worker chance of living long and fitter as well. Liz Rushe Dangerous chemicals, fumes and dust HAZARDS The healthcare assistant should always read the labels on all chemicals, before use, and never mix any chemicals together. All chemicals are dangerous and need to be treated with care, as the can catch fire or cause some long term health problems for the healthcare worker. If chemicals get on the skin, this may cause skin irritation, chest problems, as the fumes can be dangerous. RISKS The healthcare assistant could be out of work for a long time, due to inhaling fumes that have cause chest problems, or skin irritation. If not stored properly, some chemicals can catch fire, which could lead to someone getting buried. CONTROL MEASURES All chemicals must be labelled clearing, that everyone knows what the are and how to use them, store away in a locked and safe area or cupboard. Good housekeeping is always top of the list, as damp dusting, will help keep down dust that can lead to health problems. All ways wear PPE, gloves, mask, and apron when dealing with any chemicals. Never put any chemicals into minerals bottles at ant time. Liz Rushe Occupational related illness HAZARDS People and patients coughing or sneezing on you, passing their germs to you. It is important that healthcare assistants always follow policy and procedures, by wearing PPE, gloves, aprons etc. The healthcare worker should report anything that they see, that could cause a hazard, such as wet floor, this could cause someone to fall or slip, which could result in the person been injury. RISKS Bad house keeping can cause a risk, such as air borne bugs (dust), spills that occur, if not clean up straight away, can result in slipping or falling, which lead to that person been out of work (back injury). Steps could be highlighted for safety if in a dark area, also keep all hall ways clear of any equipment or boxes. CONTROL MEASURES If the   healthcare assistant is not trained in the right control measures, they should look to be trained, and it is important that the healthcare worker, maintain a good standard of house keeping, spraying door handles, hand rails, good hand washing, and report any defects that they see, on equipment, or in the wards. Liz Rushe Manual handing HAZARDS If the healthcare assistant is not trained probably in moving, or lifting patients in a hoist, this could result, in the healthcare assistant or patient getting hurt. Always use the slip sheet, instead of pulling the patient up the bed by hand. Not wearing the right footwear, can be a hazard, wearing non slip soles and comfortable can help been on your feet all day and reduce back injury. RISKS If the task needs two people, the healthcare assistant must not attempt, to do this by themselves, as this could result in the patient or the healthcare assistant getting hurt. Never lift by them as this could lead to the healthcare assistant been out of work, due to back injury, always using a hoist. CONTROL MEASURES The healthcare assistant must make sure before using any equipment, that it is in good working order and report it if needs attention and always be in the correct standing position before moving anyone. Make sure that before moving or changing the patient, that you have everything that is needed; it is too late half way through. The healthcare assistant must give themselves penalty of room in moving a patient and not wearing clothes that could restrict their movement. Liz Rushe Select one occupational related illness and give a detailed description of CAUSES Back injury is the most common injury in the healthcare sector, along with contacts with germs, falls, trips, and slips on wet floors. As the healthcare assistant goes about their daily duties, it is important for them to follow policy and procedures, to reduce the risk of injury to themselves or patients. By not using a hoist when lifting a patient into or out of a bed, chair or if need be into the toilet, there will be a pulling on the back. The healthcare assistant who does not take care, when picking up, putting down any such items as boxes, etc. Not using the slip sheet, when moving a patient up in the bed and pulling them up using their own arms. When making or changing a bed, the healthcare assistant must always raise the bed up to hip level, before starting this task, as this can reduce the risk of back injury. When showering a patient do not lift them, with another assistant, use a hoist to lift them into the shower bed or onto a chair to wheel them into the bathroom. When feeding a patient sit down beside them at their level and do not stand, bend down over them. When changing a patient in the bed, bending over the patient, can lead to back discomfort and after doing this for a length of time, will cause back injury. Liz Rushe Symptoms As the healthcare assistant goes about their daily duties, they may find that not using their manual handing properly   and lifting patients, with their arms   and pulling them up in the beds and chairs that now they are suffering with back pain and discomfort. They may feel tried and not able to do much around the house. This may start to affect the ability to do their normal work duties and affect their home life as well and if this is not look after, might lead to been out of work, for a long time. The healthcare assistant must watch out for things left out in hall ways, as they can fall over them and hurt their backs and walking into rooms, after been cleaned, as the floors might be still wet and they can slip and fall. As the healthcare assistant finds that the simple thing of rolling a patient over in the bed, can hurt them, as this could be the result of wear and tear over a period of time. This can also lead to the healthcare assistant to start getting pains in their, legs, arms and neck as the injury gets worst. The healthcare assistant may have to, leave work and go to the doctor, which could lead to been out of work for long periods of time. Liz Rushe Impact on the worker The impact on the healthcare assistant was out of work, due to wear and tear, or a fall, can have big effect on their lives. If they are out of work, they might not be able to do anything at home, such as hover, wash a floor or other basic things and this could start them feeling down in them selves. As they sit at home the healthcare assistant, could start to eat to much as that all they can do or turn away from food, as they get more and more depressed. Their sleep might be affect, which could lead to been up during the night and asleep all day, which could lead to the person been moody. Along with this, their wages might be affect, which will bring other problems with it, such as doctor bills, any medication that they might have to get, plus if they have to see a physiotherapy, this can start to add up and not been on full wages , can become expensive. This may cause the healthcare assistant to become stress and depress, as financial problems may start to arise.   As the healthcare assistant is at home, they might not see anyone until their family comes home, which this can be lonely on the person. They should try and get out for a walk every day even if they can not go very far, as they will meet someone along the way to talk to them. Liz Rushe Preventative measures It is the healthcare assistant responsibility to be trained fully in manual handing and if not go to the staff nurse or manger to request that this is done.   The healthcare assistant must always follow what they have been shown, through manual handing, as this dose prevent a lot of injury. The healthcare assistant must report any faults in the setting or any equipment that needs to be repaired. Suitable footwear can help, as been on your feet all day can affect your back. Put manual handing into use, by bending your knees when bending and lifting any boxes and always use correct stand, when moving a patient, use your legs to take some of the pressure. Regular exercise can help prevent, some back injury and getting patients who are able to move, to get them to do most of the moving themselves, where possible. Always use the hoist, when lifting or moving a patient to a chair, toilet, shower or bed and never lift anyone by yourself, always have someone with you to assess. When moving a patient up in the bed, always use a slip sheet and never pull a patient up with your arms. Bring the bed up to hip high, when changing the bed or a patient, as the healthcare assistant will not have to bend over, and there for reduce the pull to the assistant back area. When feeding a patient, sit down beside them at their level, so you do not have to bend over them or reach to them. Liz Rushe Recommendations One of my recommendations would be that all healthcare staff, trained in manual handing, before the start the job, and any up date training to be done, for all staff in the setting.   As lifting without a hoist can be dangerous, also that all staff that have anything to do with changing, feeding or looking after the patients. Follow policy and procedures correctly, as this can stop injury to the patient and healthcare assistant. I also recommendations that all staff and students shown how to steer, and walk slowly with a wheelchair, especially around corners. I recommend that all staff wear appropriate foot wear (cushion souls), as I think that this dose helps with back problems. All healthcare staff should their PPE personal protective equipment, gloves, aprons, masks, when dealing with any patients that soiled or any body fluids. For all staff to use the hand gel, as many times as they can during the day, as this is better than hand washing, in killing more germs. All nurses, healthcare assistants, cleaning staff to report anything that they find in the wards, hallways or other parts of the setting that is in need of repair, as this can cause an accident or maybe become a risk for someone. As good communication between staff and manger, is especially to keep everything running smoothly. Liz Rushe Assignment evaluation As part of my assignment, I had to go work experience, in a nursing home setting, as I started this course and doing my work experience, I have learned so much about policies and procedures, health and safety, that following them is very important. I have learned how much care and attention the patients need on a daily basic and this is given to them, by all the staff with kindness and respect. Staff must follow the health and safety policy and procedures, to ensure that everyone is working in safe environment. I have learned that all staff must do everything they can   to prevent the spread of infection and that staff that are dealing with patient of high risk are taking appropriate measures, such as hand washing, hand gel and wearing PPE at all times. When changing a bed, to have the laundry trolley beside the bed and not to bring the dirty sheets to the trolley, in another room.

Brown v. Board of Education Decision Essay examples -- Civil Rights Mo

The Broken Promise "Histories, like ancient ruins, are the fictions of empires. While everything forgotten hands in dark dreams of the past, ever threatening to return...†, a quote from the movie Velvet Goldmine, expresses the thoughts that many supporters of integration may have felt because no one truly knew the effects that one major verdict could create. The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a very important watershed during the Civil Rights Movement. However, like most progressive decisions, it did not create an effective solution because no time limit was ever given. James Baldwin realized that this major oversight would lead to a â€Å"broken promise.† Before the decision of Brown v. Board of Education, many people accepted school segregation and, in most of the southern states, required segregation. Schools during this time were supposed to uphold the â€Å"separate but equal† standard set during the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson; however, most, if not all, of the â€Å"black† schools were not comparable to the â€Å"white† schools. The resources the â€Å"white† schools had available definitely exceed the resources given to â€Å"black† schools not only in quantity, but also in quality. Brown v. Board of Education was not the first case that assaulted the public school segregation in the south. The title of the case was shortened from Oliver Brown ET. Al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. The official titled included reference to the other twelve cases that were started in the early 1950’s that came from South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and the District of C olumbia. The case carried Oliver Brown’s name because he was the only male parent fighting for integration. The case of Brown v. Board o... ...le knowing their identity, so that they do not have to face the judgments of others. "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person! Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth!" (Velvet Goldmine). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84. Ewing, James. â€Å"Desegregation: Progress Report.† New York Times 26 Sep. 1954. â€Å"Integration Gain is Noted in South.† New York Times 7 Jul. 1957. Irons, Peter. Jim Crow’s Children: The Broken Promise of the Brown Decision. New York: Viking Penguin, 2002. â€Å"Text of Supreme Court Decision Outlawing Negro Segregation in the Public Schools.† New York Times 18 May 1854. Velvet Goldmine. Dir. Todd Hayes. Perf. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Toni Collette. Miramax, 1998. Brown v. Board of Education Decision Essay examples -- Civil Rights Mo The Broken Promise "Histories, like ancient ruins, are the fictions of empires. While everything forgotten hands in dark dreams of the past, ever threatening to return...†, a quote from the movie Velvet Goldmine, expresses the thoughts that many supporters of integration may have felt because no one truly knew the effects that one major verdict could create. The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a very important watershed during the Civil Rights Movement. However, like most progressive decisions, it did not create an effective solution because no time limit was ever given. James Baldwin realized that this major oversight would lead to a â€Å"broken promise.† Before the decision of Brown v. Board of Education, many people accepted school segregation and, in most of the southern states, required segregation. Schools during this time were supposed to uphold the â€Å"separate but equal† standard set during the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson; however, most, if not all, of the â€Å"black† schools were not comparable to the â€Å"white† schools. The resources the â€Å"white† schools had available definitely exceed the resources given to â€Å"black† schools not only in quantity, but also in quality. Brown v. Board of Education was not the first case that assaulted the public school segregation in the south. The title of the case was shortened from Oliver Brown ET. Al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. The official titled included reference to the other twelve cases that were started in the early 1950’s that came from South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and the District of C olumbia. The case carried Oliver Brown’s name because he was the only male parent fighting for integration. The case of Brown v. Board o... ...le knowing their identity, so that they do not have to face the judgments of others. "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person! Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth!" (Velvet Goldmine). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84. Ewing, James. â€Å"Desegregation: Progress Report.† New York Times 26 Sep. 1954. â€Å"Integration Gain is Noted in South.† New York Times 7 Jul. 1957. Irons, Peter. Jim Crow’s Children: The Broken Promise of the Brown Decision. New York: Viking Penguin, 2002. â€Å"Text of Supreme Court Decision Outlawing Negro Segregation in the Public Schools.† New York Times 18 May 1854. Velvet Goldmine. Dir. Todd Hayes. Perf. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Toni Collette. Miramax, 1998.

The Green Mile :: essays research papers

The Green Mile was about a murder of two girls. When the father is told by the mother that the 2 little girls are missing, he gets a whole crowwd together to look for the little girls. They find the girls in the arms of a huge black man (I had to add the about the color of his skin because this part of the story takes place in the 30's and we all know how strong racism was back then). We later find that the man's name us John Coffey. (Just like the drink but not spelled the same.) They take John to jail and everyone is impressed by how large he is. He has huge muscles and he towers over everone. The guard in charge of the green mile goes into the cell that John Coffey is in and removes the cuffs from John's hands. The guard notices that John is very gentle and very kind, and that he has something very special. So for the first couple days The guard watched John carefully, he caused no trouble and John was also quiet. In the first few weeks, they got another prisoner, his name was Wild Bill.Wild Bill was in-fact very wild, he even tried to attack the guards while he was coming in. In the end we all find out that Wild Bill killed (murdered) the two little girls that John Coffey had been convicted of killing. John however, still was sentenced to death. At 11:30 pm the next day John Coffey walked down the green mile. John was placed in the electric chair (ol' sparky) and they placed the mask over his head John told the guard to take off the mask because he was afraid of the dark, and he didnt want to die in the dark. So the guard took off the mask, then placed the wet sponge on his head, they pulled the hood down and put that over top of the wet sponge. The guard yelled "Roll on 2" and they pulled the lever. John Coffey was dead. The guards were so sad they cried, some of them quit just because if that incident. They knew he was innocent but they couldent do anything about it. I think that the books were sad, and very heart pounding.

Women and Religion in the Middle East

Religion and Women in the Middle East Religion goes hand in hand with culture, and in the Muslim countries this is very apparent. The cultural importance of men over women may have stemmed from religion, however it was further recognized when imperialist countries introduced capitalism and class divides. â€Å"Islam must combat the wrenching impact of alien forces whose influence in economic, political, and cultural permutations continues to prevail† (Stowasser 1994, 5).Now, instead of an agrarian state where both men and women had their place, difficulties have formed due to the rise in education and awareness that women can and do have a place in society beyond domestic living Though women are not equal to men anywhere around the world, the differences between men and women are greater possibly in the Muslim world, partially due to religion and culture. â€Å"Fewer women are educated in the Muslim world than in other culture areas†¦The percentage of women working other than agriculture is probably the smallest in the world, the birth rate the highest, and the laws regarding marriage and related matters most unequal† (Stowasser 1994, 5). Though, of recent years inequality has been blamed on the Islamic religion, gender inequalities were in the Middle East before Islam. However, by radical groups and male elite, women are being discriminated because of their gender due to religious connotations amongst other things. The male bias, like in most religions, has been enforced within society like in the text of the Qur’an.Keddie and Beck asserts that, â€Å"In Islamic law women have male guardians; woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man; women are considered to have less reason than men† (Beck and Keddie 1978, 25-26). So the Qur’an in many of the Middle Eastern countries has been taken and formed in ‘Islamic Law’ which may not entirely reflect what is said in the Holy Book, but has been used to discr iminate and divide, not only gender, but class and status. What will be discussed is the divide between men and women due to religion, and why that is in certain countries in the Middle East and not others.It is not necessarily the Qur’an that has brought about the discrimination of women. There is male dominance in most every religious book. However it is how it has been translated, either by modernists, conservatives, and fundamentalists and how this has altered the treatment of women in society. In addition to this, it is also important to consider the country and how it is run. In the Middle East, regime is varied and eclectic; it would seem that the countries that are run by elite monarchists such as Saudi Arabia, have stricter laws on women and are more conservative or fundamental Islamists.On the other hand, countries that have a more lenient approach have better education and rights for women (though still not as forward as some Western countries). These thoughts by f undamentalists or conservatives relate to Muhammed’s spouses and how they are discussed in the Qur’an as there are no female prophets. According to Stowasser, the main components and treatment of women are set in the Qur’an, which is ‘segregation and quiet domesticity; modest comportment, indeed, invisibility through veiling; ascetic frugality; devout obedience to God and His Prophet.Insofar as the latter was these women’s husband, special emphasis is also placed on wifely obedience (Beck and Keddie 1978, 118). ’ This is seen as a very conservative view and parts of the Qur’an have been used to determine this, which is said to be harmful to women. Modern interpretations of the Qur’an suggest that manipulation of texts has led to foreign intervention due to human rights issues on gender. However, the modernists do not believe in segregation, and though religion is important to have, you should not be discriminated on how devout y ou are.They use the Qur’an not in a literal sense, but in a way which fits into modern society and works with both genders. The teachings in the Qur’an can be twisted either way. Practices of fundamental Islamists vary when it comes to marital rights, education, and behavior and punishment of women according to the Qur’an. In some societies, women in the judicial process have very few rights that are the same as men, and their punishment seems to be much greater. Treatment by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and by other groups such as the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood all contribute to how women are treated legally.Zohreh Arshadi asserts that in countries such as Iran, â€Å"The Islamic punishments have encouraged a culture of violence against women†¦ The fact that men receive a lighter punishment if they commit a violence against women undoubtedly encourages such violence. We saw how women could be killed with impunity during alleged adultery. Stoning t o death for adultery, although technically admissible for both sexes, has also been carried out mainly against women† (Arshadi 2012).It is in countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and some non-Middle Eastern countries where the Qur’an is taken as a literal word and law, and there is constituted into actual state law. This means that certain texts from the Qur’an are used to treat women violently. For example a passage in the Qur’an states: Hadith Muslim (4:1982)   The Prophet said, â€Å"I saw Hell also. No such (abominable) sight have I ever seen as that which I saw today; and I observed that most of its inhabitants were women. They said: Messenger of Allah, on what account is it so?He said: For their ingratitude or disbelief (bi-kufraihinna). It was said: Do they disbelieve in Allah? He said: (Not for their disbelief in God) but for their ingratitude to their husbands. † Again, the inferiority of women to men that is listed in the Q ur’an has meant that fundamentalist groups put pressures on women that is not apparent for the men. The repetition of how ‘unholy’ and disobedient women are means that is the way they are treated, which infringes on their rights. This was apparent in Kuwait, where a monarch (Sheikhs) and the elite ruled with heavy Islamic laws until the 1980s.There were no schools for girls; it was compulsory for women to be covered in only black by puberty, where then they would soon be married; and Polygamy was common place where not only could a man have up to four wives (condoned by Islamic Law) but could also keep female slaves (Beck and Keddie 1987, 174). This is a typical scene in fundamental countries; women with no education, little rights that match the men, and severe punishment if thought to be misbehaving. Though this has changed since the 1980s, it will still haunt their history.Though there are very few states that are run by this ancient Islamic way, there are sti ll groups that carry this out in modern Middle Eastern countries. For instance the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt have carried out ritual beatings and stoning of women, and it has been made clear they use the Qur’an as a way of putting women in a domestic place only. Asserted by a female blogger in Egypt ‘It is abundantly clear that the Muslim Brotherhood do not see women rights as natural and inalienable. Their rights must be restricted by Sharia and their duties in society; duties which are in themselves dictated by Sharia. (2011. On Coptic Nationalism; The Position of the Muslim Brotherhood on Women and Children – Analysis and Critique of the FJP’s Parliamentary Election Program. ) Another example is the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Revolutionary Women of Afghanistan have claimed that there is whipping, beating, and verbal abuse of women not clothed in accordance with Taliban rules. For instance not having their ankles covered, adultery, and with the ban of cosmetics even painted nails could result with their fingers being cut off. (2012.Punishment of Muslim Women. ) This punishment and treatment is said to be within Islamic teachings, however it is conservative and fundamentalist groups that read the Qur’an literally that enforce such rulings. When we talk of fundamentalist countries in the Middle East in association with religion, Saudi Arabia comes to mind. It is, so to speak, the heartland of religious and holy land. Mecca and Medina, the place where billions take holy migration to, is situated here and therefore Saudi Arabia has strong religious ties and feelings within.It is ruled by the Saud family, who are said to be direct descendants of the prophet Muhammed. The Saud family uses this as a determinant of power. George Lipsky claims that, ‘[Saud’s] used this deeply conservative and puritanical Sunnite orthodoxy as a basic instrument for gaining and wielding power. The result was the creation of a political order in which paramount authority is in the hands of an executive who fills three traditional roles, that of the tribal leader, religious leader, and king. ’ (Lipsky, George A. 1959. Saudi Arabia; its people, its society, its culture.New Haven: Hraff Press. Pg 5) This should assert that the Saudi Kingdom rules by very traditional and conservative ways, including religion. ‘The public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. Severe punishment (imprisonment and deportation) can result should such activities come to the attention of the authorities. ’ (British Embassy Riyadh. 2012. UK in Saudi Arabia. http://ukinsaudiarabia. fco. gov. uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-saudi-arabia/) All laws in Saudi are based from the Qur’an, and the law is sharia.This means that as an extremely religious country, it has had problems facing gender equality and human rights. The penalty for any misconduct, be it adultery to dr essing ‘inappropriately’ is punishable by public beheading or death by stoning. To enforce religious law, the Mutawwa or religious police have been put in place. Mutawwa police have the right to cut off women’s left hand if misbehaving. It is this large enforcement of extreme religion which has gained attention from the Western countries, but little else due to their huge amounts of oil.Lipsky reiterates that, ‘Women, the vast majority of whom live in seclusion and are almost totally without education. ’(Lipsky, George A. 1959. Saudi Arabia; its people, its society, its culture. New Haven: Hraff Press. pg 131) There have been countless claims and acts of violence towards women due to ‘religion. ’ However, it is more of a way for the Saud regime to stay in power, religion is used as a means of quieting the masses. Though the country is forever modernizing, and women’s groups funded by the West are starting to show, the punishment f or speaking out is far too dangerous and risky.Modernization of the Middle East has had it’s implications, good and bad. The treatment of women and their rights in most countries have improved. The countries that were colonized have modernized much more than the Middle Eastern areas that were ignored by imperialist. Politically, economically, and socially these countries have improved their human rights with the course of industrialization. The gap between women and men has not gotten worse, but instead have been brought to the attention of international human rights advocators.Countries such as Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and other revolutionary countries has seen the rise in female activists of the Islamic religion. This may be due to these countries more lenient state approach to having Islam as a main feature of their political system. As these states have seen the rise in social demands for political reform, it means their policies are more liberal than that of a monarchical run state with heavy religious influence. Stowasser asserts that, â€Å"Modernists have long opposed the notion that women’s segregation is a necessary aspect of moral Muslim society† (Stowasser 1994, 132).She goes onto agree with modernists who maintain that, â€Å"the Qur’an established women’s equality with men in all essential respects, a fact misunderstood by Medieval Muslim lawyers† (Stowasser 1994, 132). ’ Modernists believe that many fundamentalist groups manipulate what the text of the Qur’an says in order to fit their social rule. With the study of Kuwait, modernization of the country brought much social reform and change. Instead of the state being run by heavy Islamic law and religious lineage, Beck and Keddie say that, â€Å"the community and education of women [in Kuwait] had been the entry of women into government service†¦Hundreds of Kuwaiti women [are] working in schools and offices alongside men† (Beck and K eddie 1978, 175). Though there are still problems facing women in Kuwait, due to modernization, religion has less of a restrictive connotations, and more of a liberating one. When speaking of modernization versus fundamentalism, in terms of religious rule, the dress code and especially the Hijab and veiling is a topic that determines how liberal a state is on religion and gender. Initially, the dress code of women, particularly the Hijab, was mainly a garment of status.In the Qur’an, it says that women must be dressed modestly and cover in accordance so. Again, it is how groups and states interpret the Qur’an and how extreme and literal they take this to mean. Still today the way a woman dresses reveals status and wealth, though punishment for covering that is not in accordance to law or is seen as provoking can be punished with death. Though the veiling of women has initial religious meanings, it has become more of a political gesture and stance. To not be seen with a veil or appropriate dress has ‘Western’ connotations, which has negative implications.Leila Ahmed agrees that, â€Å"it is a discourse on women and the veil in which another history is also inscribed, the history of colonial domination and the struggle against it and the class divisions around that struggle† (Ahmed 1992, 130). ’ It has little to do with religion; however, the veil has been used as a way to enforce religion in fundamentalist areas. It is more of a way to speak against imperialists and the Western world, not necessarily religion. Haddad and Esposito assert that, ‘The veil and Islamic dress are the outward obvious signs of women’s adherence to the new Islamic trends.However, the veil and formal compliance with tradition do not necessarily mean commitment to all the ideological baggage associated with it† (Haddad 1998, 182). They agree that is mainly a conservative way of approaching Islam and anti-imperialist feelings. Tho ugh the discourse on the Hijab and dress has been battered with human rights issues, it is not religion to blame, only the extreme use of it in states. Due to modernization, the human rights of women in the Middle East and the

Public Transportation Vs Private Transportation

Nowadays people from all over the world are suffering from the air pollution. One of the reasons of such situation is the constantly increasing car usage. Are we able to do something in order to encourage people not to use private cars or to use them less? To be honest, there are only several things we can do. Among them is propaganda of the risks caused by the private cars usage. We can provide people with the main benefits they can get by using public transport and make the transportation prices more affordable.First of all, advertisement is a very powerful â€Å"weapon†. Many people can remember the ad they saw several years ago. Advertisement has a very strong effect. It can impress people, influence their thoughts and even change them. Of course, it is impossible to encourage all people from all over the world to use public transport only. But still a certain number of people will definitely give up using cars and will give preferences to the public transport as time goes by.Moreover, we can also provide people with the benefits they can get from usage of public transport. For example, it is possible to provide those people who use public transport with the 20% discount when they need to buy something. Also, it is possible to implement special cards that will be some kinds of an opportunity to change bus to train for free. As a final point, let’s take a look at one more thing we can provide people with in order to encourage them to use public transport. It would be advisable to make the public transportation prices lower.Let’s suppose that you pay 40$ per month to drive your own car. If you give preference to the public transport, it will cost 20$ per month. What would you pick as the method of transportation? Sorry to say that it may be quite hard to set the price of 20$ for public transport, as transportation companies may be against such fee’s reduction. But if it happens one day, a great number of people would give up their cars and prefer public transport in order to prevent congestion and air pollution. I’m 100% sure that all the ways†¦ Public Transportation Vs Private Transportation Nowadays people from all over the world are suffering from the air pollution. One of the reasons of such situation is the constantly increasing car usage. Are we able to do something in order to encourage people not to use private cars or to use them less? To be honest, there are only several things we can do. Among them is propaganda of the risks caused by the private cars usage. We can provide people with the main benefits they can get by using public transport and make the transportation prices more affordable.First of all, advertisement is a very powerful â€Å"weapon†. Many people can remember the ad they saw several years ago. Advertisement has a very strong effect. It can impress people, influence their thoughts and even change them. Of course, it is impossible to encourage all people from all over the world to use public transport only. But still a certain number of people will definitely give up using cars and will give preferences to the public transport as time goes by.Moreover, we can also provide people with the benefits they can get from usage of public transport. For example, it is possible to provide those people who use public transport with the 20% discount when they need to buy something. Also, it is possible to implement special cards that will be some kinds of an opportunity to change bus to train for free. As a final point, let’s take a look at one more thing we can provide people with in order to encourage them to use public transport. It would be advisable to make the public transportation prices lower.Let’s suppose that you pay 40$ per month to drive your own car. If you give preference to the public transport, it will cost 20$ per month. What would you pick as the method of transportation? Sorry to say that it may be quite hard to set the price of 20$ for public transport, as transportation companies may be against such fee’s reduction. But if it happens one day, a great number of people would give up their cars and prefer public transport in order to prevent congestion and air pollution. I’m 100% sure that all the ways†¦