Reflective paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Reflective paper - Essay Example My view on organizational atmosphere of participation has also changed and I now see them as supportive and open to participate in community development. The concept of community has nurtured self determination and community mobilization in me. This has enabled me to gain influence and control and partners and a player in community action and decision making. By participating in community development, one can weigh on the costs involved and know if the activity is viable. With the knowledge of cost in mind, one can use it in the development of appropriate incentives. The community concept has sharpened my relation skills and I can now easily interact with members of the community which has made me have a broader knowledge of my environment. As a facilitator, I have been in a position to guide and model dialogue processes proving information when needed and intervene in case of breakdown in the process of communication. Besides, I have learnt not to be neutral and engage myself fully in processes of dialogue. Such facilitation catalyzes community participation and engagement (Butcher et.al, pp58) The community development and community practices have always been at the core of social work concept in towns. The reasons why community in social work is important are: community work aims at uniting people who were previously not organized into coalitions and effective groups that work as a group with an aim of pursuing a common social agenda, secondly, community work aims at strengthening traditional neighborhood, kinship and friendship ties and developing new structures in the society which are important for the daily operation of a society and lastly, community based activities provides the best structure that is efficient and cost effective for the service of the poor (Butcher et al, 1994) Community is very crucial in social work because the community is their objective. Social work

Bullying Essay Example for Free

Bullying Essay According to cyberbullying. org, cyber bullying can be defined as the harassment, humiliation, torment, embarrassment a child, preteen, or teen faces from another child, preteen, or teen. The perpetrator uses the Internet, interchangeable technologies, or even their cellular phones to carry out the illegal act. Those who are faced with such an issue should reach out and make their voices heard. Bullying by any means, is undoubtedly wrong and painful for those who are victimized by it the effects cyber bullying can have on a child or teen can be utterly dangerous or in some extreme cases, deadly. Quite recently, in the news, was a story about Rutgers University student, Tyler Clementi, committing suicide allegedly due to two students streaming a video of him and another male being intimate. The two students who live streamed and recorded Clementi were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy. It is reported that 9 out of 10 gay children are harassed or bullied and are four times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual children. In my high school, a dear friend of mine felled prey to cyber bullying. A group of classmates discovered a video online of a girl, who looked somewhat similar to my friend, in a sexual act. These classmates then went around the entire school, showed everyone the video, and attempted to convince students that the girl recorded was in fact my friend. However, the girl in the video and my friend had significant differences about them that made it clear to me that these bullies were simply targeting her based on their personal vendetta against her. As a result, unfortunately, my friend started missing many school days and later I discovered she was cutting not only her arms but her legs as well. Any type of bullying can lead to emotional distress, lack of self confidence, and thoughts of suicide; these effects could last a lifetime. According to bullyingstatistics. org and statistics from the I-safe  foundation, over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying. Countless amount of teens are unaware of the fact that the many things they post online, whether it be good or bad, can eventually come back and haunt them in the future, especially when applying for a job or college. What can truly be done about cyber bullying? Sadly, most incidents of cyber bullying go unreported; possibly because a great number of people don’t find the issue that big of a deal. In my opinion, cyber bullying can be averted by educating students on the matter, not only in schools but at home as well. Schools should set up programs and seminars educating students about bullying and its effects. The College of Mount Saint Vincent has taken the initiative of creating the counseling center where students can walk in and discuss any issues that their having with counselors who are more than willing to listen and offer their support. Parents should monitor their children and their actions. They should be conscious of who their children are talking to and who their friends are. For many like my friend and Tyler Clementi, cyber bullying has already taken a dramatic toll on their lives, but if more students come forth and speak on their experiences on the issue it is without a question that this horrific trend can  end.

‘Reasonably Foreseeable’ Victim Evidence

‘Reasonably Foreseeable’ Victim Evidence 1.  Davina Davina must prove that her depression is medically-recognised (McLoughlin v. O’Brian (1983)) caused by the accident and that she was a ‘reasonably foreseeable’ victim. She must also show that her injury would be foreseeable in a person of reasonable fortitude (Page v. Smith (1996)). Davina is a secondary victim (Alcock v. Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police (1992)) so must establish a close relationship between herself and Bertram, proximity to the accident and that her injury came through sight or hearing of it. Bertram is Davina’s brother; Davina heard the accident and attended immediately afterwards thus her claim should succeed, Whitchester District Council The pothole may constitute a breach of the Council’s duty under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain ‘highways maintainable at public expense’. However, section 58 provides a defence if the Council took reasonable care to ‘secure that the part of the highway†¦ was not dangerous to traffic’. Therefore, if the Council carries out regular inspection and makes timely repairs it will have fulfilled its duty. Ethelred Ethelred may be vicariously liable for Conrad’s negligence, since Conrad is an employee (Ready Mixed Concrete (South East) Ltd v. Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1968)) acting in the course of employment; although Conrad had finished his deliveries, he was going back to the depot and thus not ‘on a frolic of his own’ (Joel v. Morrison (1834)). Conrad Conrad owed Bertram the recognised duty between road users (Caparo v. Dickman (1990)) and must reach the standard of a reasonably competent driver (Nettleship v. Weston (1971)). Conrad was ‘hurrying’ back to the depot suggesting he was speeding or driving carelessly particularly since he was unable to stop in time. In a case involving multiple causes of injury, Bertram only needs to show that a breach materially contributed to the damage (Bonnington Castings Ltd v. Wardlaw (1956)). Running Bertram over with his lorry would cause a reasonably foreseeable (The Wagon Mound (No 1) (1961)) material contribution to his injuries which would not have occurred ‘but for’ Conrad’s negligence (Barnett v. Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management (1969)). Alphonse Alphonse owed Bertram the recognised legal duty of care between road users (Caparo) and must show the same standard of care as a reasonably competent and experienced driver (Nettleship v. Weston). There is nothing to suggest that Alphonse was driving carelessly before hitting the pothole. It is unlikely that he will be liable to Bertram. It is likely that his broken wrist would be too remote for liability to arise (Wagon Mound). Alphonse should have been aware of the difficulties walking whilst wearing a neck collar and taken extra care on stairs. Bertram By stepping into the road without looking, Bertram could be considered to be contributorily negligent. The existence of a duty of care is irrelevant (Jones v. Livox (1952). If Bertram is found to be contributorily negligent any damages will be reduced to the extent that his carelessness caused his injuries, considering the relative blameworthiness of the parties. (500 words) 2. Private nuisance Private nuisance can be defined as unlawful interference with use or enjoyment of land. The claimant must be the landowner (Hunter v. Canary Wharf Ltd (1997)) and the interference must be an unreasonable state of affairs causing damage or personal discomfort as a result. Lordly is the landowner. Frequent bonfires will constitute a state of affairs. In considering whether this is unreasonable, the character of the neighbourhood will be considered (St Helens Smelting Co v. Tipping (1865)) in relation to the degree and type of interference that could be expected in that locality. It is likely that frequent burning of tyres on village outskirts would be unreasonable. Lordly has been unable to enjoy his garden because of the smell; smell is recognised as a recognised category of nuisance (Wheeler v. JJ Saunders Ltd (1996)). Sumpoil would be liable as the creator of the nuisance. Chip will not be able to bring a claim for disruption to his mobile phone as he is not the landowner. Public nuisance Public nuisance can be defined as nuisance which materially affects the reasonable comfort and convenience of a class of Her Majesty’s subjects (A-G v. PYA Quarries Ltd (1957)). Road users have been held to constitute a class (Castle v. St Augustine’s Links (1922)). Moreover, the claimant must have suffered special (particular) damage, which must be different in nature or extent from that suffered by the rest of the class. The smoke has adversely affected visibility for drivers and thus affects their convenience Lordly has suffered further damage and could therefore bring a claim in public nuisance against Sumpoil. Harassment Section 3 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 creates a statutory tort of harassment, satisfied if the defendant pursues a course of conduct (on at least two occasions (section 7(3)) that causes another to experience harassment. Such conduct can include words (section 7(4)). Therefore, Chip’s frequent swearing at Sumpoil may give rise to liability for harassment if it caused Sumpoil to feel harassed, alarmed or distressed. Assault and battery Battery is defined as the intentional direct application of force to another person. An assault is an act which causes the reasonable apprehension of infliction of a battery. Sumpoil walked up to Chip carrying a large wrench.. If Chip reasonably apprehended that Sumpoil was going to hit him, then Sumpoil would be liable for assault. Chip punching Sumpoil on the nose would constitute a battery, and, if Sumpoil apprehended the punch, would also give rise to an assault. Interference with business Lordly interfered with the supply of goods to Sumpoil’s business and may be liable for the tort of interfering with business if he knew of the existence of the contract and intend to interfere with its performance (Merkur Island Shipping Corp v. Laughten(1983)) without sufficient justification, leading to an actual breach of contract, causing damage. However, it is not clear whether the delays in delivery constituted a breach of contract or whether Sumpoil suffered resulting loss. (500 words) List of cases A-G v. PYA Quarries Ltd [1957] 1 All ER 894 Alcock v. Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1992] 1 AC 310 Barnett v. Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management [1969] 1 QB 428 Bonnington Castings Ltd v. Wardlaw [1956] AC 613 Caparo v. Dickman [1990] 1 All ER 568 Castle v. St Augustine’s Links (1922) 38 TLR 615 Hunter v. Canary Wharf Ltd [1997] AC 655 Joel v. Morrison (1834) 6 C P 501 Jones v. Livox Quarries [1952] 2 QB 608 McLoughlin v. O’Brian [1983] AC 410 Merkur Island Shipping Corp v. Laughten[1983] 2 AC 570 Nettleship v. Weston [1971] 2 QB 691 Page v. Smith [1996] 1 AC 155 Ready Mixed Concrete (South East) Ltd v. Minister of Pensions and National Insurance [1968] 1 All ER 433 St Helens Smelting Co v. Tipping (1865) 11 HLC 642 The Wagon Mound (No 1) [1961] 1 All ER 404 Wheeler v. JJ Saunders Ltd [1996] Ch 19 Bibliography Howarth, DR and O’Sullivan, JA (2003) Heppel Howarth Matthews Tort Cases Materials (5th edition), LexisNexis Butterworths, London Mullis A and Oliphant K (2003) Torts (3rd edition), Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke Rogers WVH (2002) Winfield Jolowicz on Tort (16th edition), Sweet and Maxwell, London

Personal Narrative: Cheerleading :: essays research papers

Cheerleading A jolt of energy rushed through my body and hit my heart when they call me up to get the team trophy. Not fourth, third, or second, but first place for the third year in a row. Being a captain of a team is an amazing experience. You get to see your team physically, mentally, and emotionally prepare for competition. It's a lot of hard work, but if you try your hardest, make all the practices and have a passion for cheerleading its worth it. Every year we take a few weeks to build a competition routine, the out come is incredible, but the celebration is the best part. Preparing for competition is easier said than done, you need a passion to complete the task. Competition is extremely stressful, but amazing at the same time. It?s a process of mixed emotions, not knowing if it?s importance will have a meaning in the end. Having practice six times a week allows us to work on our jumps, cheers, dances, tumbling, and the most difficult, stunting. Just the counts and lifting people in the air is traumatic enough, but repeating it over and over again it gets strenuous. Dancing is relaxing when you have counts to them, but when you have to learn the dance to the music people get confused and don?t know when to leave to the next formation. Team members start getting fed up with each other at the closing stages of practice, it?s just a natural human reaction after practicing with the same fifteen to twenty girls for three hours. At last we had brought all our practicing skills into work at the final stages. After working hard for three solid months it all paid off, the competing mat was beneath our feet. It was as if I could almost hear the girl?s hearts thumping before we walked onto the mat. I couldn?t stop smiling, I had the biggest grin on my face as if I were the cat who just ate the canary. Only when I thought that was enough, my facial expressions were amazing, all the nights I spent in front of the mirror or watching my self through the reflection of the glass door in my kitchen. It?s hard to go first because watching all the other teams compete makes you think, how did I do?

Term Paper on Poverty

Term Paper on Poverty Prejudice, affluence, and poverty in America are linked issues. Works by four authors discussed in this essay, Takaki, Fallows, Olds, and Gioia, help us to understand how the social issues of class and race are intertwined, making an analysis of both necessary for an adequate understanding of any one individually. While the authors discussed here approach the issues from different angles, their works taken side by side clearly show us how prejudice helps the affluent shrug off responsibility toward the poor, offering ‘explanations’ as to why some groups (or persons) remain in poverty and others do not. Additionally, it is argued that those living in affluence – and thus those with the means to significantly address the poverty issue – may, in fact, have a reduced awareness of the existence and reality of poverty. As a result, not only is poverty per se not addressed (we don’t address what we don’t see), but the existing myths and prejudices that help to maintain class divisions, both in society at large and embedded in our legal and social structures, remain unchallenged. However, it is only by examining both the objective nature of the current era together with prejudice and the self-justification of the affluent that one can understand how prejudice, affluence, and poverty are intertwined. The nature of money, according to Gioia’s poem titled simply â€Å"Money†, shapes the reality of life for both the rich and the poor, according to how much they have or don’t have. Gioia’s poem reminds us of the many meanings we accord to money, how we need it and spend it, and how it functions in our economy. One of the clear messages in Gioia’s poem is that money, itself, does not discriminate. It is what it is regardless of who has it, but for those who have it, it grows and multiplies. For those who don’t have it, or don’t have enough of it, it does not. If money itself does not discriminate, how do we account for the gap between those who are affluent and those who are poor? What prevents some from getting it, while others have enough for it to grow? How we answer this question, and the logic behind our answer, is very connected to policy decisions we make concerning poverty, and how effective we are in addressing it. One of our traditional explanations for the why the poor are poor and the rich are rich, according to the American ideology, is that the poor are those who have not worked sufficiently to gain money. Likewise, those who have money, according to the same ideology, are those who have been frugal, worked hard, saved, wisely invested, and who have otherwise ‘lived right’. Takaki, in his article â€Å"Race at the End of History†, provides a summary of how this is embedded in our ideology: â€Å" The American dream still holds promise to all us as Americans. Everyone, regardless of race, can make it into the mainstream through hard work and private effort. † (p. 387). This kind of definition, and the ideology behind it, makes it possible to approach policy issues in such a way that places overwhelming responsibility on those who are poor for their own plight. As Takaki points out, our emphasis is on the fact that success is to be achieved through ‘private’ means, rather than government assistance (p. 387). Addressing poverty then becomes a question of getting those who are not working hard enough, not ‘living right’, to do so. This definition of poverty allows us to say, those who have a lion’s share of wealth deserve that wealth, and those who are in poverty, deserve that poverty. Viewed this way, there is no reason, then, to seriously listen to claims of ‘glass ceilings’ or discrimination, or to look in any other way at prejudices built into our social and legal structures that unfairly increase the odds for some, and reduce them for others. How is it that, in the face of evident continued poverty among certain ethnic or racial groups, we continue to believe in this ideology? Surely, by now enough evidence of systematic discrimination, glass ceilings, and other obstacles for specific racial and ethnic (and gender) groups has shown us that the American dream as summed up by Takaki is based at least partially on a myth. Yet many people still agree with, for example, what Takaki suggests (p. 385) Francis Fukuyama’s explanation is: that poverty is a matter of cultural difference. Parillo, in â€Å"Causes of Prejudice†, and Fallows in â€Å"The Invisible Poor† each help us to understand forces at work that help to perpetuate the myth even in the face of a contradictory reality. Parillo points to prejudice and the continuation of prejudice through the socialization process. Defining prejudice as â€Å"an attitudinal ‘system of negative beliefs, feelings, and action-orientations regarding a certain group or groups of people’† (p. 548), Parillo argues that, through the socialization process, prejudicial views consciously or unconsciously adopted during childhood can then continue into adulthood, and translate into prejudicial choices and behavior in work, social life, and life choices. Additionally, widespread and generally shared prejudicial beliefs and attitudes toward specific groups can be implicitly (or explicitly) reinforced by society at large through, for example, the legal system and cultural norms (p. 557). New generations may not be alert to these subtle reinforcers of prejudicial attitudes and practices, and therefore may not question them. The prevailing stereotypes and prejudices are thus maintained and continued as they are adopted by new generations, and as they continue to be sanctified by the surrounding legal and societal framework. If children acquire their beliefs from their parents through socialization, what prevents them from questioning those values? Surely, we are not all sheep, that unthinkingly accept everything we hear. One explanation that Parillo offers (pp. 550-551) is ‘Self-Justification’, that we need â€Å"reassurance that the things we do and the lives we live are proper, that good reasons for our actions exist. † One way in which this surfaces, he argues, is through a dominant group convincing itself that it is superior to other groups, causing them to associate less frequently or not at all with those groups it deems inferior. Fallows article â€Å"The Invisible Poor† clearly shows how this phenomenon is a reality of our current era of ‘tech wealth’, describing the invisible social barrier between rich and poor people – a barrier so great as to make the poor ‘invisible’ to the rich. Within the tech wealth era, according to Fallows, the production of wealth involves fewer ‘blue collar workers’, so that those directly benefiting from it are not confronted with the realities, struggles, and needs of those less like them. In terms of economic background, there is more similarity between the ‘workers’ producing and benefiting from the new wealth. Second, the nature of work within the tech industry isolates those within it into an insulated world. Long working hours, a minimal amount of leisure time, and social lives primarily focused around those within the same world further contributes to the lack of awareness and connectedness to the rest of the world around them. Third, he points to the ‘racial meritocracy’ of the tech industry, with workers and contributors coming from all corners of the globe. He argues that this racial mix among the tech wealthy leaves them out of touch with the more basic and traditional racial tensions among the less wealthy, and the ways in which those in minority groups not associated with the tech wealthy are still disadvantaged. While Fallows offers a great deal of support for these specific phenomena of the tech wealth era as objective phenomena, which may indeed be at work, combining an analysis of these phenomena with Parrillo’s analysis of prejudice and self-justification offers a fuller understanding of our current era. Sharon Olds, in her poem â€Å"From Seven Floors Up† shows, for example, how even if there are objective forces at work such as those discussed by Fallows, there is still an attitudinal factor at work: when those more affluent are confronted with the reality of poverty, they are looking from seven floors up, through prejudice and self-justification, will more likely (however unwittingly)do not believe it could be a reality of their lives. In sum, given that money itself does not discriminate, and given the overwhelming evidence that there are obstacles to wealth other than the personal failure to achieve the ‘American Dream’, we must look for a fuller explanation of the gap between the rich and the poor. The relationship between affluence and poverty consists not only of objective forces such as new forms of wealth production or characteristics of new economic eras, but more concretely of prejudice. The very real obstacles to wealth encountered by specific societal groups, and embedded in our social and legal structures ,are not only due to the transference of values from one generation to the next, but due to the continued need for self-justification among the affluent. The product of self-justification, prejudice, is the link between affluence and poverty that needs to be analyzed and addressed if social policies concerning poverty are to be effective.

About the US Federal Privacy Act

About the US Federal Privacy Act The Privacy Act of 1974 is intended to protect Americans against invasions of their personal privacy through the misuse of information about them collected and maintained by the federal government agencies. The Privacy Act controls what information can be legally collected and how that information is collected, maintained, used, and disseminated by the agencies in the executive branch of the federal government. Only information stored in a â€Å"system of records† as defined by the Privacy Act are covered. As defined in the Privacy Act, a system of records is â€Å"a group of any records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual.† Your Rights Under the Privacy Act The Privacy Act guarantees Americans three primary rights. These are: The right to see the records about them held by the government, subject to Privacy Act exemptions;The right to request that the records be changed to ensure that they are accurate, relevant, timely or complete; andThe right to be protected against unwarranted or illegal invasions of their privacy resulting from the collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of their personal information. Where the Information Comes From It is a rare individual who has managed to keep at least some of their personal information from being stored in a government database. Doing just about anything will get your name and numbers recorded. Here are just few examples: Getting a Social Security cardGetting a paycheckFiling a tax returnRegistering for the draftServing in the militaryApplying for Social Security or other federal benefitsWorking or contracting for the federal government Information You Can Request The Privacy Act does not apply to all government information or agencies. Only executive branch agencies fall under the Privacy Act. In addition, you may only request information or records that can be retrieved by your name, Social Security Number, or some other personal identifier. For example: You cannot request information regarding your participation in a private club or organization unless the agency indexes and can retrieve the information by your name or other personal identifiers. As with the Freedom of Information Act, the agencies can withhold certain information exempted under the Privacy Act. Examples include information concerning national security or criminal investigations. Another commonly used Privacy Act exemption protects records that might identify an agencys source of confidential information. For Example: If you apply for a job in the CIA, you would probably not be allowed to find out the names of people the CIA interviewed in regard to your background. Exemptions and requirements of the Privacy Act are more complicated than those of the Freedom of Information Act. You should seek legal assistance if necessary. How to Request Privacy Information Under the Privacy Act, all U.S. citizens and aliens with legal permanent residence (green card) status are allowed to request personal information held on them. As with Freedom of Information Act requests, each agency handles its own Privacy Act requests. Each agency has a Privacy Act Officer, whose office should be contacted for Privacy Act information requests. The agencies are required to at least tell you whether they have information on you or not. Most federal agencies also have links to their specific Privacy and FOIA Act instructions on their websites. This information will tell you what types of data the agency collects on individuals, why they need it, what they do with it, and how you can get it. While some agencies may allow for Privacy Act requests to be made online, requests can also be made by regular mail. Send a letter addressed to the Privacy Officer or agency head. To speed handling, clearly mark Privacy Act Request on both the letter and the front of the envelope. Heres a sample letter: DatePrivacy Act RequestAgency Privacy or FOIA Officer [or Agency Head]Name of Agency or Component|AddressDear ____________:Under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552, and the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552a, I am requesting access to [identify the information you want in complete detail and state why you believe the agency has the information about you.]If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform me before filling my request. [or, Please send me the records without informing me of the cost unless the fees exceed $______, which I agree to pay.]If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of appeal procedures available to me under the law.[Optionally: If you have any questions about this request, you may contact me by telephone at ______ (home phone) or _______ (office phone).]Sincerely,NameAddress What Will it Cost The Privacy Act allows agencies to charge no more than their costs for copying the information for you. They cannot charge for researching your request. How Long it Will Take? The Privacy Act places no time limits on the agencies to respond to information requests. Most agencies try to respond within 10 working days. If you have not received a reply within a month, send the request again and enclose a copy of your original request. What to Do if the Information is Wrong If you think the information the agency has on you is wrong and should be changed, write a letter addressed to the agency official who sent the information to you. Include the exact changes you think should be made along with any documentation you have that backs up your claim. Agencies have 10 working days to notify you of receipt of your request and to inform you if they need further proof or details of the changes from you. If the agency grants you request, they will inform you of exactly what they will do to amend the records. What to Do if Your Request is Denied If the agency denies your Privacy Act request (either to supply or change information), they will advise you in writing of their appeal process. You can also take your case to federal court and be awarded court costs and attorneys fees if you win.