Laws of England and Wales Essay

â€Å"The defendant who seeks to avoid criminal liability on the basis that s/he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the alleged crime must have a defence that falls within one of the following, legally recognised, categories: Insanity, Diminished Responsibility or Automatism. While, at one level or another, these â€Å"mental disorder defences† share common characteristics, they each differ significantly. Unfortunately, this point does not appear to be fully appreciated in English Law.† Discuss the validity of this statement. Inherent in our legal system is an idea of culpability. The word itself embodies notions of moral responsibility and blame. There are two elements that will allow us to determine whether or not someone is to be considered culpable. The first is that the person on whom we wish to apportion blame is an actual agent of harm as opposed to a mere causer. That is to say that they are instrumental in an action and are not simply a victim of a spasm or similar associated condition. The second is that he/she has the capacity to understand the laws and moral order that exist within society. Hart’s principles of justice assert that ‘a moral license to punish is needed by society and unless a man has the capacity and fair opportunity or chance to adjust his behaviour to the law, its penalties ought not be applied to him.† Such deep-rooted notions of culpability have necessitated development in the area of defences to ensure that those who fall outside of the legally recognised parameters of accountability are afforded ‘protection’. Amongst such defences are Insanity, Automatism and Diminished responsibility. This essay will identify the similarities and differences of these defences by exploring their theoretical foundations and determine whether, in practice, they are sufficiently understood by the courts to achieve their desired end. The theoretical basis for an insanity defence is embedded in the notions of fair opportunity as discussed above. It is felt that the insane man is ‘too far removed from normality to make us angry with him’. The impetus of the law and its functions might well be considered outside of his comprehension and similarly, so too might the moral implications of his act. Therefore, it would not be either ‘efficacious or equitable’ to hold such a man criminally  responsible . As Duff remarks of the potential insane defendant â€Å"if she cannot understand what is being done to her, or why it is being done, or how it is related as a punishment to her past offence, her punishment becomes a travesty?†. Therefore, if a defence of insanity is successful the defendant will be given a ‘special verdict’ namely ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’. Although this special verdict may bring indefinite detention (a fact which is reconciled in theor y by ‘compelling considerations of public interest’ ) it still serves to reflect a lack of culpability and therefore, blame. The basis on which the non-insane automatism defence is founded is somewhat more fundamental than that of insanity. It was developed to exculpate those who had been the victim of events rather than those who had fallen foul to circumstance . A plea of automatism is ‘not merely a denial of fault, or of responsibility. It is more a denial of authorship’ in the sense that the automaton is in no way instrumental in any criminal act. Lord Dilhorne remarked in Alphacell that â€Å"an inadvertent and unintended act without negligence? might be said, not caused’. Others have described such acts as ‘acts of god’. It is with this class of act that the defence of automatism is concerned – acts which might be said seen as ‘inconsistent with the requirement of an actus reus’ . This lack-of-instrumentality concept is reflected by the fact that on a finding of automatism a defendant will be granted an unqualified acquittal by the courts. Detenti on is unnecessary for as well being blameless, the automaton presents no future threat to society. Whilst Insanity and Automatism serve as general defences in law, Diminished responsibility operates only as a defence to murder. It offers those ‘bordering on insanity’ the opportunity to argue that at the time of the killing they were ‘suffering from such abnormality of mind’ so as to ‘substantially impair their mental responsibility’. If such an argument is successful (all other things being equal) the potential murderer will be convicted of manslaughter and hence will escape the mandatory life sentence that a finding of murder brings. The defence’s existence is justified (much like insanity) by notions of responsibility and blame. The doctrine, it was felt, ‘was needed to reflect the view that where there was less responsibility there ought to be less punishment.† Despite some clear differences in the three defences’ theoretical foundations and intentions, it could be said that technically they have become somewhat confused in law. Discussion will now turn to the two automatism defences before then going on to examine diminished responsibility in context. Whilst both automatism defences are grounded in the idea that ‘where there is no responsibility there should be no blame,’ policy reasons have necessitated their independent development. Because of this, the person who seeks to raise automatism as a defence is subject to a very tight definitional distinction. This tight definitional distinction between automatism and insanity is highlighted by Glanville Williams when he describes non-insane automatism as ‘any abnormal state of consciousness†¦.while not amounting to insanity.’ Such statements offer little definitional worth, as to understand automatism we must first understand insanity and this, as will become clear, is no easy task. The contemporary framework of the insanity defence can be found in M’Naghten’s Case where Lord Tindal authoritatively ruled that?: â€Å"?to establish a defence on the ground of insanity, it must be clearly proved that, at the time of the committing of the act, the party accused was labouring under such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind, as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing; or, if he did know it, that he did not know he was doing what was wrong.† Subsequent development of a non-insane automatism defence, for reasons discussed above, necessitated judicious refinement of these insanity parameters to insure that those who sought to invoke the former were deserving . Therefore, considerable onus was placed upon the meaning of the rules, especially the phrase ‘disease of the mind’. First, it was decided that ‘mind’ referred to the mental faculties of reason, memory and understanding and not simply the organic mass that is the brain. Then, in Sullivan, (the defendant was charged with assault which, he  claimed, was the result of the post-ictal stage of an epileptic seizure) the definition expanded to catch transient and intermittent impairment of the mind. It was held that the permanence of a disease ‘cannot on any rational ground be relevant to the application by the courts of the M’Naghten rules’. This finding ran contrary to contemporary medical definitions and began to impinge upon the design of the non-insane automatism defence: that being to catch one-off, faultless incidents of automatism. Perhaps more significantly, Sullivan continued to develop Quick on what is now thought to be the defining boundary between the two defences, that of internal and external causes. This distinction was cemented in Burgess where Lord Lane explicitly referred to the difference between internal and external causes as the point on which the ‘case depends, as others have depended in the past’ The defendant in Burgess was a sleepwalker who assaulted a friend whilst in a somnambulistic state. It was held that somnambulism was a disease of the mind under the M’Naghten rules largely because it was considered a ‘pathological’ (and therefore, internal) condition by expert witnesses in cross-examination. While, to some, this internal/external distinction ‘makes good sense,’ to others its effect is wholly inappropriate, as it fudges the boundaries between the theoretical rationales of insane and non-insane automatism. Irene Mackay, for example (as well as pointing to contradictory obiter ) attacks the distinction with reference to its effect. She contends that sleep ‘can hardly be called an illness, disorder or abnormal condition. It is a perfectly normal condition.’ Of interest here, Graham Virgo points to anecdotal evidence that cheese might cause sleepwalking. If such evidence could be substantiated, the somnambulist could potentially escape a special verdict by virtue of the fact that eating cheese would be considered an external cause. Such a consideration is far from easily reconcilable with the aforementioned notions of blame and responsibility as expounded by Hart’s principles of justice. Mackay continues to attack Burgess on a second defining point. She contends that the court failed to properly adopt the definition of ‘disease of the  mind’ as put forward by Lord Denning in Bratty – namely that it is â€Å"any mental disorder which has manifested itself in violence and is prone to recur.† Considering statistical evidence showing that no one had ever appeared before a court twice charged with somnambulistic violence, Mackay remarks ‘something which is prone to recur must be at least ‘inclined to recur or have a tendency to recur or be to some extent likely to recur.’ Despite such protestations, current medical opinion is that sleepwalking is caused by internal factors and may be likely to recur . Therefore it is suitable for M’Naghten insanity as defined. The result of these calculated distinctions between the two defences is that ‘epileptics, sleepwalkers, those suffering from arteriosclerosis and diabetics during a hyperglycaemic episode, may all now be regarded as insane.’ This is surely an unacceptable position. After all, such people appear to fit far more comfortably within the (theoretical) realms of automatism than insanity. They are rational people, capable of recognising rule following situations, who are (largely) the victims of one off incidents of involuntariness. If we are to label a diabetic insane because they neglected to take their medication, are we to do the same with one who gets a migraine from omitting to take aspirin? The difference of cause is the resultant harm and the need for the courts to protect society. Incidentally, close scrutiny of the M’Naghten rules leads us to conclude that where a defendant’s inability to recognise he was doing something wrong was due to something other than a defect of reason caused by a disease of the mind he would generally have no defence at all. Things do not get any clearer when the defence of Diminished Responsibility is brought into the frame. The statutory provision for the defence is found in Section 2(1) of the Homicide Act 1957 and provides that a person shall not be convicted of murder: â€Å"If he was suffering from such abnormality of mind (whether arising from a condition of arrested or retarded development of mind or any inherent causes or induced by disease or injury) as substantially impaired his mental  responsibility for his acts or omissions in doing or being a party to the killing.† The problems begin with semantics and normative questions of degree: what qualifies as ‘abnormality of mind,’ how much is ‘substantially’ and what is ‘mental responsibility’? Even debates on the questions have offered little assistance. For example, the Government, in an attempt to explain the key term, said that ‘abnormality of mind’ referred to conditions ‘bordering on insanity’ while excluding ‘the mere outburst of rage or jealousy’. Such an explanation is obviously of little worth considering that ‘the response of judges and psychiatrists?[to the section]? have ranged from the very generous to the very strict’. In fact the courts it seems, have entertained ‘practically any ground where it was thought morally inappropriate to convict the defendant of murder’. For example, psychopaths, reactive depressives , alcoholics and those in ‘disassociated states’ or suffering from ‘irresistible impulses’ have all been brought within the protective scope of the section. Lord Parker in Byrne, also attempting to clarify the section’s ambit, said that it dealt with ‘partial insanity or being on the border line of insanity’. He went on to add that ‘Inability to exercise will-power to control physical acts? is? sufficient to entitle the accused to the benefit of this section; difficulty in controlling his acts? may be’. Confusions are evident here for, as Smith and Hogan note: ‘A man whose impulse is irresistible bears no moral responsibility for his act, for he has no choice; a man whose impulse is much more difficult to resist than that of an ordinary man bears a diminished degree of moral responsibility for his act’ It would appear then, that the former should be acquitted as insane rather than have his punishment mitigated. However, if the inability to control his acts is not caused by a ‘defect of reason’ or ‘disease of the mind’ then the defendant has no defence in insanity. In this respect therefore, the defence of diminished responsibility appears to be patching up the deficiencies of M’Naghten; acting as ‘a device for circumventing the embarrassments that flow from a mandatory sentence,’ or the stigma attached to a finding of insanity, by allowing judges to â€Å"follow in a common sense way their sense of  fairness.† Greiw, writing in 1988 comments on the section. He suggests that the section is not to be seen as a definitional aid rather it is ‘to be seen as legitimising an expression of the decision-maker’s personal sense of the proper boundaries between murder and manslaughter’. The result of the lax and open wording has allowed the defence of diminished responsibility to be used almost as a catch-all excuse, spanning, and adding to, the defences of insane and non-insane automatism. It has been able to accommodate states of mind and circumstance that would be insufficient for either automatism or insanity whilst at the same time justifying this accommodation by virtue of the increased severity of a murder charge. To some this position is considered entirely unacceptable and contrary to the theories of blame and responsibility discussed hereto. Sparks for example, comments ‘to say that we are less willing to blame?a man if he does something wrong, surely does not mean: we are willing to blame him less, if he does something wrong.’ It would seem however, that due to the inadequacies of M’Naghten and the acceptance that some states of mind falling short of insanity should be considered mitigatory, the courts had little choice but to develop the defence of diminished responsibility in this way. From the issues discussed in this essay it is clear that whilst, in theory, the three defences of Insanity, Automatism and Diminished Responsibility, do indeed exhibit differences, in practice they have become somewhat amalgamated. This is probably due to two factors: First, it must be accepted that ‘there is no sharp dividing line between sanity and insanity, but that the two extremes? shade into one another by imperceptible gradations.’ This proposition leads us to conclude that first, the problem is one of definition. Second, the courts are aware that ‘pleading a blackout is one of the first refuges of a guilty conscience and is a popular excuse’. Therefore, they have tended to view the problem of involuntariness ‘with great circumspection and have adopted a restrictive approach as to when there should be a complete exemption from liability’. In order to balance this definitional problem with the requirement of  certainty, whilst ensuring that only the deserving are completely acquitted, the law has had no alternative but to define distinct parameters. It is these parameters which have both caused the fudging of the two automatism defences and necessitated the creation of a diminished responsibility defe nce. Whilst, in some respects, this amalgamation is unacceptable, its effect has been to provide blanket coverage for those defendants suffering from either a mental disorder, disassociated condition or episode of sudden involuntariness. Far from saying that the law has failed to ‘fully appreciate’ the differences it appears that the courts, due to restrictions, have simply created ad hoc a range of defences whose purpose is to reflect, on a continuum, impeachable notions of culpability. Bibliography. Books 1. Ashworth, Principles of Criminal Law (2nd ed., Oxford, 1995) 2. Clarkson. C.M.V. & Keating. H.M. Criminal Law. Text and Materials. (4th ed., 1998, Sweet & Maxwell) 3. Hart. H.L.A., Punishment and Responsibility, (1968, Oxford) 4. Smith , J.C. B. Hogan., Criminal Law (6th Edition, 1988, London, Butterworths.) 5. Williams. G., Textbook of Criminal Law (2nd ed., Stevens & Sons. 1983) Articles Dell, Diminished Responsibility Reconsidered. [1982] Crim.L.R. 809 Duff. R.A., Trial and Punishments J.L.S.S. 1986, 31(11), 433 Goldstein. A., The insanity Defense (1967) Griew. E., The future of Diminished Responsibility. Crim. L.R. 1988, Feb, 75-87 Laurie. G.T., Automatism and Insanity in the Laws of England and Scotland. Jur. Rev. 1995, 3, 253-265 Mackay. I., The Sleepwalker is Not Insane. M.L.R. 1992, 55(5), 714-720 Padfield. N.,Exploring a quagmire: insanity and automatism. C.L.J. 1989, 48(3), 354-357 Royal Commission on Capital Punishment, Cmnd. 8932 (1949-1953) Smith. J.C., Case and Comment. R. v. Hennessy. (1989) 86(9) L.S.G. 41; (1989) 133 S.J. 263 (CA) Smith. K.J.M. & Wilson. W., Impaired Voluntariness and Criminal Responsibility: Reworking Hart’s Theory of Excuses ? The English Judicial Response. O.J.L.S. 1993, 13(1), 69-98 Sparks. Diminished Responsibility in theory and Practice (1964) 27 M.L.R 9 Virgo. G., Sanitising Insanity ? Sleepwalking and Statutory Reform C.L.J. 1991, 50(3), 386-388 Cases 1. Alphacell [1972] 2 All ER 475 2. Burgess [1991] 2 W.L.R. 106 C.O.A. (Criminal Division) 3. Byrne [1960] 3 All ER 1 4. Cooper v. McKenna [1960] Q.L.R 406 5. Hennessy (1989) 89 Cr.App.R 10, CA 6. Kemp [1956] 3 All ER 249; [1957] 1 Q.B.399 7. M’Naghten’s Case (1843) 10 C & F, 200, 8 Eng. Rep. 718. 8. Quick and Paddison [1973] Q.B. 910 9. Seers [1985] Crim.L.R, 315 10. Sullivan [1984] A.C. 156 (House of Lords) 11. Tandy [1988] Crim.L.R 308 12. Tolson (1889) Legislation 1. Homicide Act. 1957. 2. Trial of Lunatics Act 1883

Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but potentially severe, life-threatening infection of the inner lining of the heart and the surface of valves known as the endocardium. If IE is left untreated, local tissue destruction occurs and heart valves become damaged due to pathogen invasion resulting in severe regurgitation of blood. Consequently, the heart becomes less proficient at pumping blood around the body which can lead to congestive heart failure that is the main cause of death from IE1. IE is a rare affecting around 1 in 30,000 individuals each year in England but is important as despite antimicrobial therapy, severe complications including stroke, heart failure or even death2. Delayed clinical diagnosis of IE is common as the initial symptoms such as fever and fatigue are varied and non-specific. Early diagnosis is crucial to enable faster treatment of IE critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. This review will discuss the aetiology and pathophysiology of IE alongside the standard procedures used for diagnosis. Aetiology of IE:IE is mostly caused by gram-positive cocci with Streptococci, Staphylococci and Enterococci which usually originate from oral, skin and gastrointestinal tract flora respectively, accounting for 85% of cases3,4. IE can also be caused by fungal infections such as Candida or Aspergillus colonising the endocardium5. Individuals at risk of include those that inject drugs or have a central venous catheter inserted as medical instruments can be infected by opportunistic pathogens, so manipulation of the skin disrupts the physical barrier allowing transient bacteria to enter the bloodstream6. Despite medical advancements, rates of IE are increasing due to a rise in surgery for valve replacement2.Pathophysiology: Understanding the pathophysiology of IE provides an insight into disease progression and aids in diagnosis7. The endocardium has an outer endothelium with an underlying basal lamina and an inner sub-endothelial layer made of loose connective tissue, fibroblasts and collagen fibrils8. Despite the presence of transient bacteraemia in the bloodstream, IE is rare due to the resistance provided by the intact endothelium lining the heart valves, heart chamber and great vessels9. If endothelial erosion occurs by altered haemodynamics, valvular heart disease, or mechanical lesions from artificial heart valves, blood would be exposed to the sub-endothelial layer and to stromal cells, thromboplastin and collagen present3. Exposure results in activation of the coagulation cascade resulting in fibrin deposition and platelet aggregation7. Consequently, small masses known as sterile thrombotic vegetations mainly made of platelets, fibrin, red and white blood cells4 form on the damaged endothelium on cardiac valve leaflets resulting in non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis [Figure 1]. Vegetations are frequently found in low-pressure areas on cardiac valves due to the Venturi effect where blood flows to a lower-pressure area. Greater mechanical stresses are imposed on the left cardiac valves as blood is pumped under higher pressure. Thus, vegetations are usually identified by echocardiography on the atrial surface of the mitral valve and the ventricular surface of the aortic valve10. Knowing the common vegetation sites enables faster diagnosis of IE. Colonisation of an initially sterile vegetation may occur by adhesion of transient bacteria in the bloodstream [Figure 2]. Adhesion of gram-positive bacteria occurs as adhesins present on the surface of gram-positive bacteria recognise the exposed fibronectin, fibrinogen and platelets3. Bacterial colonisation and growth results in leukocyte infiltration into the vegetation further activating the host coagulation cascade. Vegetation enlargement occurs as bacteria grow and produce a biofilm made of polysaccharides and proteins which aids bacterial persistence11. Pathogen binding initiates neutrophil chemotaxis and infiltration occurs concentrating proteases and oxidative activities12 which can cause valvular damage and cusp perforation [Figure 2]. Thrombotic vegetations can disseminate and become septic emboli possibly resulting in the blockage of small vessels, organ failure or stroke if a cerebral artery is occluded13. Clinical presentation:Delayed diagnosis of IE is common as IE has varied presentations; therefore, blood cultures and echocardiography are predominantly used in diagnosis and clinical presentations are used to help guide diagnosis. IE is traditionally classified as either acute where a sudden development of IE occurs within days, or as subacute if a gradual development of IE occurs over weeks to a few months14. Patients usually present with persistent or recurrent fever, chills, or with non-specific and highly variable symptoms such as malaise, night sweats, myalgia, arthralgia or anorexia16. If the onset of the disease process is slow, classic examination findings such as Osler nodes (red nodular lesions found on fingers and toes), Roth spots (a white-centred haemorrhage in the retina) and Janeway lesions (non-tender, haemorrhagic plaques usually on palms and soles)15 may present [Table 1]. Auscultation of the heart is important as regurgitant murmurs are identified in nearly half of patients16. Identifying regurgitant murmurs is critical as murmurs are a result of valvular insufficiency which commonly develops as a result of IE. As clinical presentations are non-specific and highly variable, a low threshold criterion for further investigation is needed to avoid delay in identifying individuals with IE16. Diagnosis:Rapid diagnosis of IE is essential to initiate antibiotic therapy and avoid progressive, irreversible valve damage7. In comparison to the original Von Reyn criteria for the diagnosis of IE which only consisted of clinical and microbiological investigations, the modified Duke criteria is used in secondary care as the latter is more effective in diagnosis by incorporating echocardiographic findings18 to provide a greater insight into any endocardial pathogenesis [Table 1]. Two major, one major with three minor, or five minor criteria are required for a definitive diagnosis. For example, an echocardiogram showing endocardial involvement alongside a positive blood culture result is sufficient for a definitive diagnosis of IE [Table 1]. Possible diagnosis of IE requires at least one major and one minor criterion or three minor criteria. In clinical practice, the Duke criteria is used but does not replace clinical judgement otherwise misdiagnosis or delayed would result due to the varied clinical presenations19. Microbiological Tests: Identifying underlying microbial aetiology is essential for optimal individual patient treatment. Microbiological tests are performed to identify positive blood cultures. Prior to initiating antibiotic treatment, two sets of blood cultures are taken20. Incubation of a standard blood culture lasts for five days to recover nearly all cultivatable causes of IE21. However, negative tests in around 10% of patients22 may result from antibiotics being given prior to blood cultures or alternative diagnoses such as non-bacterial endocarditis. Around two-thirds of initially culture negative patients are identified as positive with further testing such as serological testing for Bartonella and Coxiella22; therefore, the incorporation of serological testing in the modified Duke criteria is critical to avoid delayed diagnosis. Echocardiography: Echocardiography is crucial in the diagnosis of IE and in predicting the embolic risk. Performing echocardiography as early as possible is essential to diagnose IE and thus initiate treatment23. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) can be involved in diagnosis [Figure 3]. In TTE the transducer is placed on the chest wall and sends out ultrasound waves which pass through the chest wall into the heart. As TTE is non-invasive, it is initially used to identify evidence of endocardial involvement that is stated in the modified Duke Criteria such as vegetations or valvular perforation24, [Table 1]. TTE has a lower sensitivity of 60-75% in comparison to TOE which is more than 90% sensitive; therefore, most patients also have the TOE test where the transducer is attached to a tube, is guided down the pharynx and larynx into the oesophagus to achieve a more detailed image of the heart23, [Figure 3]. Conclusion:Rapid diagnosis is critical as IE has high mortality with over a third of patients dying a year after diagnosis despite advancements in the sensitivity of the diagnostic criteria1. Delayed diagnosis contributes to mortality as vegetation enlargement and subsequent cusp perforation continues resulting in blood flow disruption, deterioration of cardiac function or systemic effects from emboli.

The psychological effects of people with intellectual disabilities Dissertation

The psychological effects of people with intellectual disabilities experiencing loss and bereavement - Dissertation Example This girl of 19 years and very dependent on her mother was not allowed to come anywhere near her mother’s body before she was taken away. She was being continually picked upon and that left her irritated and lost. The bereavement could not be handled by this girl and the attitude of her aunt made her worse. The community as a whole did not know how to handle grief associated with bereavement. The psychological responses such as yearning, anxiety, depression, distrust of others and complicated grief were expected of the intellectually disabled. Carers and staff were not prepared to recognise or to provide effective support at the time of loss and bereavement. Their ignorance of how to handle the situation could be the main culprit. Searching through the literature, I was surprised to find that little empirical research had been done to specifically look at the normal or complicated grief response in people with learning disabilities. On a personal level the subject is of great interest to me and it is intended that this research will increase my knowledge in theory and practice as well as enhancing the importance of research to my continuing professional development. History My search took me to the university Library. Electronic search engines and databases were looked through. PSYC INFO, CINAHL, PUBMED and the COCHRANE electronic databases helped me gather some material pertaining to the subject. The keywords used were bereavement, psychological reactions, loss, complicated grief, grief and learning disabilities. The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) library, Department of Health and Rowntree Foundation website helped me to retrieve grey literature. Boolean operators were used to narrow the results. Combined randomised controlled trials of bereaved adults with learning disabilities that compared community based interventions were included in the review. Life events with its psychological problems that were emotional, psychiatric and behavioural responses t o bereavement were also included. Recognition and concept of death by people with learning disabilities and their families and carers, as well as inclusion of assessment tools of complicated grief were selected. The exploration of support and interventions were also collected. A number of recent articles had considered the implications of grief and bereavement for people with learning disabilities. This had influenced me to concentrate on the parameters of the years between 2002 and 2010. Because of limited empirical studies I have included some of the articles with case studies illustrations. With eleven journal articles, I was ready to start on my hunt for ways of managing complicated grief in intellectually disabled persons. Could I be signalling off a process which has the outcome of the improved welfare and quality of life of the intellectually disabled at heart where bereavement grief is concerned? Critique of two articles on data collection and analysis Dodd, P., Guerin, S., McEvoy, J., Buckley, S., Tyrrell, J. & Hillery, J. (2008). A study of complicated grief symptoms in people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52 (5), 415-425. The data were contained in the two assessment tools used for this study: Complicated Grief Questionnaire for People with Intellectual Disabilities (CGQ- ID) and Bereavement History Questionnaire (Adapted). The tools had been described

The Impact of Leadership Styles on the Effectiveness of an Organizatio Assignment

The Impact of Leadership Styles on the Effectiveness of an Organization - Assignment Example The  vision of the organization is to become the premier Arab bank, invest in people, to deliver the world’s best quality products to its customers, to deliver the maximum returns to its shareholders, and benefit all the communities in which their operations took place (Oxford Business Group, 2008, pp.103-104). The bank had faced a lot of challenges but the organizational culture of the bank helped it to maintain its market position. The culture of conservatism and prudence in the National Bank of Kuwait proved to be a key to the success of the organization. The bank has the largest branch network in the country and has total assets of $58 billion. Many foreign firms and blue chip companies having their business in Kuwait has the national bank of Kuwait as their partner (Espinoza, Fayad and Prasad, 2013, pp. 111-112). The organization operates in a region where the political, geopolitical and financial crisis is a very common factor but a prudent, conservative culture, caref ul stewardship, and risk management organizational culture helps the firm to overcome such risks. The founders of the bank were merchants who were basically rich. The leader’s themselves has value for money and has a prudent nature. They strive and work hard for earning this money. The bank even had opened its global operations across London, Singapore and New York in order to provide extensive service to the wealthy clients of the bank and capitalize on the surpluses produced by the oil wealth of Kuwait. The bank has over the time adopted a regionalization and diversification strategy (Wohlers, 1983, pp.54-55). In order to adopt such a strategy the bank has broken down silos between the line and support functions and has transformed into more of a group structure. Commonly the banks do not have a very fun working place. The work culture at NBK is unlike a common bank. NBK has proved to be a receptive place to work, with the help of the open door policy. The open door policy initiates open communication within the work environment of the bank.  

Bill Clinton and Globalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bill Clinton and Globalization - Research Paper Example Clinton’s main focus was on handling the instability across the world through globalization. The other factors among the list of priorities were innovation and technology, decision making and finance. Integration of the world economy has been one of the prime concerns of Clinton. But the concept of transformation of the globalization into a unified and homogenous structure driven by free trade and capitalism was confronted with serious opposition also. It was said that the entire world has not been able to benefit from globalization and bringing the civil society in the scene was the only way of dealing with the problems. The project tries to bring forth the steps taken by Clinton in initiating outsourcing as a major step towards globalization (Weier-a, 2008). Bill Clinton chaired the â€Å"Global Fairness Initiative (GFI)† (Global Fairness Initiative, 2003, p.1) which was an organization created to introduce and enhance free trade which would simultaneously preserve th e labor, environmental and human rights standards in the world. The promise made by Clinton was to implement responsible investment and trade which would create economic opportunities and jobs across the world and would lead to the improvement of millions of lives while protecting the human rights, environmental and labor standards (Global Fairness Initiative, 2003, p.1). The promotion of outsourcing was one of the major steps towards globalization by Clinton. Outsourcing was considered to be inherent to free trade. Outsourcing was considered to be a new variant and a budget balancing tool which required farming out whenever possible. Clinton recognized that outsourcing would allow firms to provide service at a low cost at a higher quality that which the Government would produce. In the recent years outsourcing has evolved as a positive business evolution which moved towards flexibility and nimbleness Bill Clinton and Globalization It was Bill Clinton’s assumption that global ization was something inevitable. He encouraged the concept of free trade which was a major step towards globalization. He believed that low process would lead to low prices, increased exports and this would eventually build a stronger economy. â€Å"The economic benefits of the tariff reductions we negotiated during the Clinton administration represent the largest tax cut in the history of the world† (Klein, 2003). In 1998, the economic transition which he had predicted long back was actually taking place. The economy was appearing and functioning in such a way that seemed to be beyond imagination few years back. Unemployment rates were falling significantly and the inflation rates seemed to remain at historically low rates. Prosperity was appearing and increasing at all levels of income. The average household income increased by an amount of 35% during the span of eight years that Clinton has remained in office. Technology had changed the conventional notions of time, space and borders. Globalization was able to change the traditional and regular routines of the middle class family. This was a significant transformation according to Clinton (Klein, 2003). He said the globalization would yield a global economy which would have profound effects on workers, their works and their wages. It would

Internal Communication Between Managers and Employee Research Paper

Internal Communication Between Managers and Employee - Research Paper Example For the success of a communication in an organization, therefore, managers need to implement plans that will ensure that employees are free to give their ideas, which can be constructive to the organization. In establishing a communication, people can achieve proper communication especially in their processes of introducing a new product into the market. Different stakeholders need to play their parts in the whole process so that they can be accountable for all the things they do regardless of the result of it all. In the same way, different organization managements use various media, which include; websites, social media, TV, radio, brochures, gift cards and email to reach the intended targets to communicate. With effective methods of communication, organizations address the different needs they have through intensive consultation between the members of the management team and employees. Sometimes the methods of communication adopted by the managers or the employees adopted may not be effective and therefore, training is required to enhance proper communication between them. This training also needs to be evaluated to ensure that it gives all the trainees the necessary skills they can use to present ideas to the people they intend. The method of data collection in the process of acquiring the data that is analyzed was primary data collection in which managers and employees were interviewed. The process also included the collection of data through observation of the behavior of different participants in relation to the different conduct when relating to each other. Analysis of Internal communication between managers and employee The process of analysis of internal communication between employees and managers involved three levels to ensure total coverage of all the different areas of the communication between them.

Summary response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary response paper - Essay Example The result is that the general southern populations eat unhealthy foods in a region that is still much agriculturally productive; large scale production and technology have taken over agriculture and the produce is exported elsewhere since it is now a luxury to the poor southerners. Hence, the rich eat healthy and get thinner while the poor eat unhealthy meals and become obese. I contend that Sabin raises a critical observation and that mass production of fresh foods for export may be killing the ability of the poor to access these foods forcing them to eat fast foods. I have found it cheaper to visit fast food stores than make a purchase at gourmet eating places which are now the reserve of the high-end markets. I however would argue that the activities of large scale producers should not hinder organic farmers; a policy of not competing with them would be important. If all small scale farmers practiced their traditional production, there would still be enough fresh produce for the local markets. Stanley articulates the issue of our uncontrolled consumerism and disregard for the plants and animals and even the earth in our efforts to satisfy our guts. He argues that the production process is concealed from the market to civilize the same form of savagery practiced in the jungle. We really are just as bad as wild animals; â€Å"†¦Man is such a hypocrite: I often watched these documentaries in fascinated horror while casually chomping a chicken breast sandwich on my couch†. The production process remains hidden from the consumer with the packaging and marketing concealing the cruel sourcing (112). Stanley argues that it is quite difficult for someone raised on meat to transform into a vegetarian and states that we should mind how we treat the living sources of food to compensate for our dependence on them (115). The ignorance of the

What does the Government, Local Community and Employers Want from Essay

What does the Government, Local Community and Employers Want from Colleges - Essay Example In that line, one can clearly tell that colleges are very fundamental institutions in modeling any country’s economy. The better the training offered by colleges the more the surety of good economic contributors. It is evident that communities and employers have to maintain close and detailed watch of the various colleges to scrutinize the kind of graduates they produce to the community and production plants. The governments also have some stakes in the operations and output of colleges in terms of the quality of graduates they release into the market. Communities’ Expectations from Colleges Colleges are not only centers for learning but also employment sectors that offer job opportunities to service providers to the students and learners. Keller reports that colleges are grouped into two different levels depending on the driving body. Keller indicates that there public colleges, which are specifically driven and monitored by governments of different regions. The other division of colleges according to Keller is the private colleges, which are actually monitored and managed by private bodies or organizations and not governments. The listed division of colleges recruits workers from the societies and offers different portions of wages to the employees at different levels of operations. Communities have it as a routine that private colleges will always offer higher incomes to it workers at different levels of operation (Keller). Public colleges on the other hand are institutions that offer lower income margins as compared to the private counterparts. However, Keller provides clarity that public colleges with the low salaries offered to employees have well established retirement pension schemes that rewarded to the retired workers. Communities therefore will always keep careful look at the public colleges to reward pensions to their former workers within a certain period. The fact is contrary to the private colleges, which do not initiate in long-ter m pension plans. In addition, communities expect that workers in the public sectors will comply with the national retirement age and retire at the exact age indicated in the legislations of a country. Private colleges on the other hand do not have close sensitivity on the retirement age of its employees and could at times contract aged and highly skilled professionals to continue serving the institutions. For that matter, members of the community who happened to work in the public colleges and have attained the retirement age will call back to the private colleges in search of employment (Keller). In the views of Anna, communities keep watch on colleges to lower the costs of learning in order to accommodate particular individuals who never got the opportunities to advance their education to university levels. Furthermore, communities view colleges as the appropriate avenues for undertaking lifelong learning that is essential for long-term success of individuals. Anna further states that communities expect colleges to produce graduates who can challenge and compete with individuals who underwent degree programs. Additionally, communities expect colleges to offer high standards of education guaranteed by highly qualified and hardworking teachers (Gladden). In addition, communities expect colleges to act as crossing bridges to universities for individuals who never performed better in the high schools (Gladden). Due to the perceived small numbers of students in college, communities expe

Reasons for Closing Quantanamo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reasons for Closing Quantanamo - Research Paper Example These detainees are to offer intelligence that will help the American government deal with the crimes of war and terror. There have been very many reasons why the facility should be closed. Some are from the policy standpoint while others are legal reasons. To date, the facility’s closure has proved to be very difficult. The American government’s main aim is to show the whole world that even in the face of their troubles, they still uphold their values. Keywords: Guantanamo, Closure, Detainees, Detention, Facility Introduction Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States, it was passed by the Congress that there was need for Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) (Garcia, Elsea, Mason & Liu, 2009). The military was given the mandate to use all the necessary and appropriate force against those who had planned, committed, or given any assistance in the terrorist attack. Individuals from Afghanistan and other parts of the world, who were ca ptured by the United States Military force during this operation, were relocated to Guantanamo Bay, US Naval station. This facility was used to detain them, and prosecution would follow before the military tribunals (Garcia, Elsea, Mason & Liu, 2009). Since 2002, nearly 800 persons have been brought to Guantanamo. In order to continue their detention, majority of these detainees have been transferred again to a third country. A substantial number of released detainees have also been transferred from Guantanamo. Despite the transfer, there are a number of detainees who remain in the facility. They include: Those who have been placed in preventive detention so as to bar them from going back to the battle field. The nature of this preventive detention is non-penal and must be terminated upon the cessation of hostilities (Garcia, Elsea, Mason & Liu, 2009). Those waiting to be brought before a tribunal, so that they can face charges filed against them such as â€Å"alleged violations of the law of war† (Garcia, Elsea, Mason & Liu, 2009, p. 1). If convicted, these people may be sentenced to life imprisonment or execution. The last category includes those who have been cleared for release or transfer to a different nation. Such persons are such as those who are believed not to have contributed to the hostilities or those who are no longer regarded as threats to US security (Garcia, Elsea, Mason & Liu, 2009). Closing Guantanamo was a stated desire and policy in the administration of President Bush. It was supported by both the republican and the democrat presidential candidates. These were John Mc-Cain and Senator Barack Obama. Guantanamo has been used as a detention facility for terrorist suspects, but there has been the argument that it has been damaging the US national security. In 2008, there was widespread consensus within policy circles that it was supposed to be closed. There is lack of specificity on how to close the institution and at the same time, se ek to protect the real national interests and the security of the citizens of the United States (Mendelson, 2008). This policy of closing the facility has been one of the most difficult and most confronting issues in the United States of America. The current administration has been unable to implement the goal of closing the facility because it has received a lot of opposition. Even though it is the goal of the Americans to close Guantanamo, the United States cannot

Treating The Aged With Respect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Treating The Aged With Respect - Essay Example The old adage is to enjoy life to the fullest, from the early years to the onset of the sunset years. This is equally applicable to anyone, whether rich or poor, as enjoyment of life can be quite simple. It does not take plenty of money to do so, although money certainly helps in so many ways if one can have it (and plenty of it if possible). There are advantages to growing old, such as experience and wisdom that supposedly goes with it; love and respect are the other things one can crave for. American society is characterized by a hectic lifestyle and working schedule; everybody is either at school trying to earn a degree or working hard to earn enough for comfortable living and also at the same time attain that iconic American dream, to reach the middle class. Another dream is to have squirreled away enough savings for an enjoyable retirement to afford some things. This paper deals on the question whether Americans treat their aged with enough respect and love. Discussion Contrary to anecdotal evidence, Americans greatly honor their old relatives although it can be admitted that most of these younger people are often quite busy pursuing their careers that precludes them expressing their love and respect for their senior loved ones in the more frequent ways that most people normally expect. But nevertheless, they express this through phone calls. They also send loving letters to them, and for those seniors who are Internet savvy, then they can also connect on the Internet through social networking sites such as Facebook. A point is that people mistakenly believe the seniors are largely forgotten in a fast-moving society such as America where everybody is in a hurry to get off to somewhere. From the viewpoint of the old and aged citizens of this country, they have the vantage point of having a lifetime of memories or a long list of experiences to comfort them in their old age. They may suffer from some infirmity but that does not preclude them from enjoying life as long as they are not bedridden yet and can still pursue some activities of normal living (Cowley x). Seniors can also surprisingly be creative and inventive when it comes to meeting some of their physical needs without asking for help. These can be illustrated by taking their time when walking (very slowly so as not to fall) or find a new way of doing things only t hey can think of. What is quite remarkable is often their positive outlook on life despite advancing in years and facing the inevitable (Janis 5). Most seniors tend to become deeply spiritual as they are in a stage in life prior to going into eternity. Today's senior citizens enjoy an active lifestyle unlike that of earlier generations of aged people who were confined to nursing homes and spend the rest of the day doing nothing or keep playing the same parlor games over and over throughout a day. The advent of modern medicine has made senior living worthwhile and older or retired people can go wherever they want to such as places as go on luxury cruise or enjoy a sunny beach environment in a tropical country. These people go whenever they want to go with no one curtailing their activities. A positive attitude is the next best thing to having good health; it keeps the years away. The saying is to live and love well enough to keep mind and muscles going for a long time (Stein 52). You nger people show their respect for older loved ones when they visit them in nursing or retirement homes to enjoy being together with their aging parents or relatives. Moreover, they also show respect

Intelligence gathering Essay Example for Free

Intelligence gathering Essay The primary objective of intelligence gathering â€Å"†¦is to deal with future danger, not to punish past crimes. † This rings especially true in the world of terrorism. Although you are not seeking to punish past crimes, you cannot discount their usefulness when attempting to understand the future. Information is endless in terms of quantity. There are no limitations to the resources that can create useful and viable information. Perhaps the best source of information is that which comes from human sources. However, in law enforcement the use of undercover officers and informants is limited. The costs and risks associated with such operations are exponential. Also, many of the terrorist groups and organized hate groups are closed societies and are difficult to infiltrate. â€Å"To invade Iraq without preparing to deploy immediately and instruct properly the forces necessary to establish order, protect the inhabitants rich cultural legacy, and safeguard the material infrastructure of government and the health system is hardly to evince concern for real people as distinguished from abstract ideas. † (Thomas 2003 4). Nor is Ð ° determination not to tally at least the civilian Iraqi dead and maimed, the collateral damage, as it were, of liberation. Nor is leaving Afghanistan in shambles the better to pursue Ð ° war of choice and opportunity but hardly necessity in the Middle East, Nor is willed amnesia about the fate of the Central American countries where, in the name of democracy during the Reagan years, neo-conservatives championed war rather than fostering compromise and leveraging the social change that might have given substance to democratic forms. But all of these acts and omissions are entirely consistent with Ð ° cynical power-sharing compromise with the hard proponents of an unadorned chauvinism. And they are consistent as well with Ð ° sentiment that administration realists and neo-conservatives appear to possess jointly, which is indifference to what liberal humanitarians deem essential: due regard for the opinion of our old democratic allies and due concern for the lives of the peoples we propose to democratize. â€Å" (Thomas 2004 11). Therefore, much of the information gathered comes from traditional sources such as reports, search warrants, anonymous tips, public domain, and records management systems. This information is used to populate various investigative databases. When investigating Ð ° crime or developing answers to ongoing patterns, series, or trends, law enforcement personnel often rely upon numerous databases and records management systems. â€Å"One predictable yet little remarked consequence of the outrages committed in America on 9/11 has been an upsurge of academic interest in the study of terrorism. The number of US institutes and research centers and think thanks which have now added this subject to their research agendas or, in some cases, have been newly established to specialize in this field has mushroomed. In Britain and other European countries the increase in interest has been more modest: some universities are now beginning to recruit specialists in terrorism studies to teach the subject as part of the curriculum of political science or international relations. Yet throughout European academia there is still Ð ° deep-seated reluctance, if not outright refusal, to recognize that studying terror as Ð ° weapon, whether by sub-state groups or regimes, is Ð ° legitimate and necessary scholarly activity. Most of the standard British introductory texts on politics and international relations make no reference to the concept of terrorism, or if they do it is only to dismiss it on the grounds that it is simply Ð ° pejorative term for guerrilla warfare and freedom fighting. Equally remarkable is the neglect of the use of terror by regimes and their security forces. The omission of Ð ° reference to these phenomena in the introductory texts is all the more startling in view of the fact that throughout history regimes have been responsible for campaigns of mass terror, of Ð ° lethality and destructiveness far greater in scale than those waged by sub-state groups. (Mary 2003 25) â€Å"It takes little imagination to see that the events of September 11 delivered Ð ° profound shock to Americas sense of its relationship with the outside world. Commentators inside and outside the United States strove to find words to express their sense of the enormity of the attacks. The attacks were Ð ° â€Å"wake-up call for Americans. † They constituted the â€Å"end of American innocence,† Ð ° final blow to Americas privileged position of detachment from the messy and violent conflicts that blighted less favored countries. America had now once and for all entered the â€Å"real world† of international politics, its â€Å"illusion of invulnerability† finally shattered. An important assumption behind these reactions was that Americas stance toward the outside world could and must change as Ð ° result of these events. American isolationism (in so far as it still existed), its tendency to act unilaterally, indeed its famed â€Å"exceptionalism† itself must inevitably give way to an acknowledgment that the United States was just like any other power. What precise policy implications might flow from such recognition was as yet unclear; it was enough that the events of September 11 constituted Ð ° turning point in American foreign relations. The world, it was said repeatedly, would never be the same again, and neither would America. Simulation exercises of terrorist situations which have occurred can be extremely useful. Lessons can be learnt. Response patterns and negotiating positions have to be viewed in the broader context of government policy-making. Problems shown up by simulation can be examined with Ð ° view to solution are policy-makers prepared for Ð ° potential crisis or not? Communications breakdown, working at cross purposes and the impact of critical disorganization are regular difficulties. Terrorist tactics and strategies change and this can strain the capabilities of the authorities to respond effectively. â€Å" (John 2004 33-36).

Science and Technology in Childcare

Science and Technology in Childcare Introduction This paper identifies the everyday concept in relation to science, a broad topic and the appropriate scientific concepts which can be introduced to the children. Using Slowmation as a digital resource, it can be used to develop to support the concept development and the storyboard to designate steps from everyday to scientific concepts. The ‘everyday concept’ identified From the observations obtained from the first assignment, the everyday concept identified is that â€Å"the plants are thirsty†, according to Ann’s theory as she waters the plants daily. From her understanding, the leaves are always thirsty and by watering on the leaves, it will not be thirsty anymore. Hedegaard and Chaiklin (as cited in Robbins, 2012) recommended that the most effective for learning happens when educators intentionally takes into children’s account. By identifying Ann’s everyday concept, I can then extend her understanding in scientific concepts through intentional and purposeful facilitation. This everyday concept can be utilized as a starting point for science experiences (Anderson, Ellis, Jones, 2014). Topic chosen and â€Å"Scientific Concepts’ Based on the everyday concept which I have identified, Plants would be the broad topic for children to find out more. As children are active and competent learners (Stoecklin, 2012), this topic would encourage children to have hands-on interaction, play and discovery as they would be involve in planting little seeds, which lead to understanding the scientific concepts relating from their everyday concepts. Children often began to ask questioning and engaging with natural and physical world which resulted in children constructing their own hypotheses from their everyday experiences (Anderson, Ellis, Jones, 2014). These concepts which children had organized does not have to be replaced, instead, it can be rationalised through facilitation (Anderson, Ellis, Jones, 2014). These are the specific scientific concepts that I aimed for the children in my class to understand: Most plants need water, light, minerals, warmth, air, Plants get the water from their roots Seeds grow into plants with roots, stems, leaves, and flowers Some plants grow from roots A plant’s roots use the soil to hold the plant in place. The plant can grow tall if it has a strong base. I have revisited some of these scientific concepts to assist me in supporting the children’s learning and develop it into digital teaching resource. According to Science of Life Explorations (n.d.), it explains what a plant need for growth. Each segment describes the environmental factors affected the growth of a plant. Too much or too little of each factor will slow down the development of the plant. To support Ann’s learning of her everyday concept â€Å"plants are thirsty† and relating to the scientific concept â€Å"plants need water and sun to grow†, I read up the factors affecting the growth of a plant and I learnt that too much water can make a plant die as plant’s roots need space and air to breathe. I also looked up â€Å"How Stuff Works† to find out more about how water helps in growth of the plant. In my readings, I reaffirmed that plants take in water through their roots and plants need water to support them (Freeman, n.d.). Thus, in my preparation for my resource, I will include this science concept in my digital resource. In addition, I also learnt that these scientific concepts are interlinked. To understand the growth of a plant, these are important factors which I hope the children will eventually understand as part of their potential learning progress. Digital Resource The digital resource that I would choose to develop to support and share this concept development would be to use slowmation. â€Å"Slowmation† (abbreviated from â€Å"Slow Animation†) is a simplified way of telling a story or explaining a concept that is played slowly at two second per second (Fleer Hoban, 2012). I believe that by using ‘slowmation’, I am able to share with the teachers on how this digital resource can be a pedagogical for refining their science teaching. Slowmation is being used as a method of encouraging teachers to begin to identify their children’s understanding in relation to their science topic which they are investigating (Keast, Cooper, Berry, Loughran, Hoban, 2010). Slowmation can be created through these five connecting representations (McKnight, Hoban and Nielsen, 2011). The first step is to write down notes from prior experiences, followed by using a storyboard to plan for animation to making simple models or using cameras to captures of models and moving them manually and lastly to create the animation. Although Slowmation is similar to clay animation and digital storytelling, it is easier to be implemented in a classroom and it displays the features like purpose, timing, orientation, materials and technology (Hoban, Nielsen, 2012). In relating back to the science concept, the growth of a plant can be narrated using Slowmation. In this case, I decide to pick a sunflower seed to demonstrate the growth of the plant. The purpose would be to explain on how a sunflower would grow from a seed. Children’s knowledge gained on the things such as sunlight and water which a sunflower needed to grow can be narrated in the animation. Fewer photos will be needed as animation is played slowly. The orientation of the models are usually in 2D, hence, it can be placed on the table and makes it easier to manipulate while capturing the photos. The materials used for the animation are easily available as it can be dough, drawings, pictures or 3D objects such as rocks, leaves, or seeds. This will be further explained in the storyboard. When teachers have gathered the children’s understanding science concepts about plants, it can be added into the animation and explain it in the narrative form. The main idea of slowmation is that a narration can be added to explain a particular science concept while the models are animated as in a narrated flip book (McKnight, Hoban and Nielsen, 2011). In a research done by Keast et al., (2010), they mentioned that Slowmation were most effective when the concept is self-contained and easy to summarise and represent after a series of lessons. It is also suggested that teachers who were introduced to Slowmation had incorporated into their teaching had benefited their children’s learning as it has helped them to better understand how their students developed their undemanding in their science concepts (Keast et al., (2010). Storyboard – Reviewing on the scientific concepts based on the growing of a plant Slowmation worked well as a review for the topic, taking in the major concepts of the topic (Keast et al., 2010). Taking into considerations from the everyday concepts identified, the storyboard described how the everyday concept leads to scientific concepts. Based on their knowledge gained, the children can narrate the story. The story began where Ann likes to water the plants then to finding out how plants grow using sunflower seeds. They can use dough to make a sunflower or even used a real sunflower in the story. While introducing the tools for planting, the real objects can be captured to include it in the Slowmation. In the following sequence of the story, children can draw out each stage of the plant, until it turned into a sunflower. Each step is carefully planned in such a way that the information that is needed to be shared is drawn. As the animation is play slowly at two frames per second, the children are able to view the process of the plant growing as part of the reflection. They will also explain the nutrients the plant need in order to growth and identifying the parts of the plant. To conclude the animation, a song about a little seed (refer to Appendix 2) can be added at the end of the story. In this storyboard, it is also clearly explained what plants need in order for it to grow, how a tiny seed grow into plants with roots, stems, leaves and flowers by using a sunflower to demonstrate the scientific concepts. Supporting Children’s Further Learning of the Scientific Concepts In addition to the digital resource, I would plan for an environmental project, in this case creating a garden to further enhance the environment and at the same time, the children would be applying the scientific concepts which they have learnt while embarking on this project. In addition to that, the children would also be exposed to learning about sustainable development. Banks (as cited in Fleer, Jane, 2011) reasoned that children should be practiced at thinking at a social, environmental, cost-effective, technical, moral and social level. While creating a garden to further enhance on the school environment, the children would further develop more scientific concepts such as growing root vegetables such as carrots, onions, garlic by placing these vegetables into the soil. The children will also be involved in technological thinking skills as they are thinking about their environment in school, designing and planning how they would want to create their garden. They will be using their imagination and creativity to create their garden. For example, the children may use materials they could use for their planters. This could an empty bottle, a container or even a tyre. Vygotsky (as cited in Fleer Jane, 2011, p. 89) mentioned that â€Å"imagination is not just an idle mental amusement, not merely an activity without consequences in reality, but rather a function essential to life†. The children also explore how to use gardening tools while doing planting. While planning, designing meaningful experiences for the children, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Singapore has developed the iTeach principles to set as a guide for educators to take into consideration during their preparation in engaging with the children in bringing in everyday and scientific concepts together. â€Å"Teachers as facilitators of learning† (MOE, 2012) extended and scaffold the children’s learning through their abilities and experiences. This can relate to Rogoff’s three lenses of analysis on how educators can observe their children in school (Robbins, Bartlett, Jane, 2006). â€Å"Children learn when they are engaged in play that enjoyable and thoughtfully planned† (MOE, 2012, p. 34). This statement describes that play is the main tool for children to explore and learn in the environment. When children are engaged in purposeful play, the children are involved in not just only play, but bringing in active participation of children exploring, developing and applying their skills and knowledge based on their cultural, interests and abilities (MOE, 2012). In relating back to the everyday concept identified, Ann’s interest was displayed as she was watering the plants and this led to exploring more scientific concepts such as plants gets water from their roots, and find out what plants need in order to grow. As an educator, I have to constantly reflect on my teaching on how I can thoughtfully create stimulating and challenging environment that provoke children’s curiosity and sustain meaningful learning (Children’s Services Central, 2012). With â€Å"intentional teaching† (Children’s Services Central, 2012) in mind, I would place materials and tools purposeful and deliberately for children to notice and make use of them. I would also carefully choose the contextual learning environment for children to be engaged in. As my centre has a luxury of greenery space, it will definitely benefit the children’s learning in this authentic learning context where children construct more everyday concepts and relating it to the scientific concepts making real and relevant to the real world (MOE, 2012). Conclusion As an educator, it is important for me to understand how much the child already knows, how I can enhance the learning potential by bringing in personal experiences and incorporating intentional teaching while making use of the cultural influences and context available. The learning does not end once the child knows; it should be a learning journey for the children as they apply the skills in the real world. For educators, we should make an effort to increase our knowledge in science and develop confidence in teaching science (Robbins, 2012). Using digital resource has definitely helped me in explaining science concepts and made it easier for children and teachers to understand. References Fleer, M., Jane, B. (2011). Design and technology for children. (3rd ed). Frenchs Forest NSW: Pearson Australia. Robbins, J. (2012). Learning science in informal contexts: The home and community. In Campbell, C Jobling, W. (Eds) Science in Early Childhood (pp.94-112). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Robbins, J. Bartlett, J. Jane, B. (July, 2006). Children’s technological and scientific thinking in block play: A cultural-historical perspective. Paper presented at 40th Annual Conference of the Australasian Science Education Research Association, Deakin University, Geelong Australia. Anderson, J. L., Ellis, J. P., Jones, A. M. (2014). Understanding Early Elementary Childrens Conceptual Knowledge of Plant Structure and Function through Drawings. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 13(3), 375-386. Fleer, M., Hoban, G. (2012). Using Slowmation in early childhood centres: Possibilities and imaginings for intentional teaching. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(2), 61-70. Keast, S., Cooper, R., Berry, A., Loughran, J., Hoban, G. (2010). Slowmation as a pedagogical scaffold for improving science teaching and learning. McKnight, A., Hoban, G., Nielsen, W. (2011). Using Slowmation for animated storytelling to represent non-Aboriginal preservice teachers awareness of. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(1), 41-54. Hoban, G., Nielsen, W. (2012). Using â€Å"Slowmation† to enable preservice primary teachers to create multimodal representations of science concepts. Research in Science Education, 42(6), 1101-1119. http://www.cscentral.org.au/Resources/intentional-teaching-web.pdf http://www.letstalkscience.ca/hands-on-activities/life-science/how-do-plants-soak-up-water.html http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/h2o5.htm Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Little Seed Rhyme First you take a little seed And plant it in the ground Then you pour some water on And let the sun shine down And watch it grow and grow and grow and grow Grow it up to the sun sun sun And let it bloom and bloom and bloom and bloom Flowers for everyone Name: Loo Si Hui Student ID: 25687514 Page 1

Effect of Alcohol Dependency on Spouse

Effect of Alcohol Dependency on Spouse Psychiatric illnesses are increasingly known to be common in the recent decades and affects over 25% of people at some point in a adults at any point in time, and at least one affected individual living in one every four families—(1). Alcohol dependence syndrome is the maladaptive patters of alcohol intake with tolerance craving, loss of control, and withdrawal symptoms (3). Bipolar affective disorder is episodic in nature with manic or hypomanic or depressive or mixed symptoms occur. Patients exhibit fluctuating severity of any of these symptoms interspersed with a symptom free (euthymics 2) or subsyndromal periods. Cwvently the prevalence of bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) is around 0.4-0.5% with an 1 year prevalence of 0.5to 1.4% and a life-time prevalence of about 2.6 to 7.8% (4). The life-time prevalence of bipolar disorder is about 20.8 per 1000 population in India (6  ±); and that of alcohol use ranges from 1.15% to upto 50% in general (8, 9). Burden Definition (10) – Platt Stigmatization, chronic emotional and economic burden from caring are endured by the families of individuals with psychiatric illness. The illness impact on the primary caregiver’s leisure time activities work and social relationships. These deficits evoke different reactions infifferent or expressed emotional reaction towards the patients, and a sense of insufficiency and helplessness in themselves, all of which impact on the progression and prognosis of the patient’s illness (1). AIM To compare the family burden, the quality of life and psychiatric morbidity between female spouses of patients with alcohol dependence syndrome, patients with schizophrenia, and patients with bipolar affective disorder OBJECTIVES To find the family burden and quality of life in female spouses of patients with alcohol dependence, schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder To evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in female spouses of patients of these three groups To study the association between symptom severity in patients, perceived apathy, significant life events and family burden, and the quality of life and psychiatric morbidity in female spouses in these groups To compare psychiatric morbidity, family burden of care and quality of life in female spouses between all patient groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample is drawn from male patients with female spouses attending the outpatient Psychiatry department at this hospital. Design: Crosssectional, comparative study, including 64 patients with alcohol dependence, 64 patients with schizophrenia, and 64 patients with bipolar affective disorder, and their female spouses. With consecutive sampling from Outpatient department, a total of 192 patients with their spouses are taken up for the study. Duration and period of Study- 4 months Inclusion criteria: male patients with equal to or more than 10 year duration of alcohol dependence or schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder, satisfying the criteria for the corresponding DSM IV-TR diagnoses patients with onset of psychiatric symptoms/disorder after marriage female spouses who provide care for the patients participa nts should be not less than 60 years of age participants to be willing to provide informed consent for the interview and assessment patients willing to allow spouse to be assessed Exclusion criteria: those who did not give their consent refusal to allow spouse to be evaluated patients and/or their spouses with any chronic general medical illness spouses with a history of substance abuse, suicide or previous history of psychiatric symptoms and intervention spouses with a family history of psychiatric illness spouses related to the patients by consanguinity Instruments used A semistructured profoma to collect the sociodemographic details, family history details and a semistructured clinical profile International Classification of Diseases ICD-10 Shortform Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire SADDQ Clinical Global Impressions CGI-BP bipolar and CGI-SCH schizophrenia, severity scales Presumptive stressful life events scale PSLES Apathy inventory –caregiver version Burden Assessment Scale BAS; Caregiver Reaction Assessment -Selfesteem, High life-esteem -positive caregiving, Burnout -Negative Caregiving subscales –CRASH-BOUNCE score WHO Quality Of Life WHOQOL –BREF-1 General Health Questionnaire GHQ-12 MINI plus 5.0.0 v Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview –plus Beck Depression Inventory BDI; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale –anxiety HADS-A CGI-BP Bipolar disorder is a cyclic and polymorphic disease. Patients may show manic, hipomanic, depressive or mixed symptoms, and they may be in partial or complete remission. For this reason, the assessment of the course, severity and outcome of the disorder is very complex. Most of the available psychometric instruments have been designed for the assessment of acute episodes of specific polarity. The CGI-BP-M, a user-friendly scale for the assessment of manic, hypomanic, depressive or mixed symptoms, and long-term outcome of bipolar disorder, is a useful tool for the assessment of the efficacy of several treatments. CGI-S: Amongst the most widely used of extant brief assessment  tools in psychiatry, the CGI is a 3-item observer-rated  scale that measures illness severity (CGIS), global  improvement or change (CGIC) and therapeutic response.   The illness severity and improvement sections of the  instrument are used more frequently than the therapeutic  response section in both clinical and research settings. Amongst the most widely used of extant brief assessment  tools in psychiatry, the CGI is a 3-item observer-rated scale that measures illness severity (CGIS), global  improvement or change (CGIC) and therapeutic response. The illness severity and improvement sections of the  instrument are used more frequently than the therapeutic  response section in both clinical and research settings. Burden Assessment Schedule (BAS) (104): [ANNEXURE IV] It is an instrument to assess burden on caregivers of chronic mentally ill. It was developed to assess subjective burden in Indian population, as many of the burden assessment instruments developed in the west were not culturally suited to Indian population. This schedule has 40 items and 9 domains. The different domains are Spouse related, Physical and mental health, External support, Caregivers routine, Support of patient, Taking responsibility, Other relations, Patients, Patients behaviour and Caregivers strategy. Each of these 40 items was rated on a 3-point scale marked 1-3. The responses were not at all, to some extent and very much. Depending on the questions were framed, the responses and the score for each of those responses would vary. In this study the schedule was modified by arranging 40- items into the above 9 domains. Total score of each domain was calculated separately and at the end the total burden was calculated. This was done to get the domain score apart from the total score. In the spouse was replaced with either son, daughter, brother, sister, mother or father, depending of the patient to the caregiver. In the items 2 and 4, the word ‘sexual and marital’ was replaced by ‘family’ as and when needed. The minimum total score of burden in BAS is 40 and the maximum score in 120. In this the severity of burden was categorized into 4 groups, in the following way, 40-60 –Minimum burden 61-80 –Moderate burden 81-100 –Severe burden 101-120 –Very severs burden Method Consecutive patients attending the Psychiatry OPDs of hospitals attached to J.J.M. Medical College, diagnosed as BPAD and Alcohol dependence according to DSM IV criteria who met the inclusion criteria and did not get excluded were included in the study. Written informed consent was taken from the patients or from the caregivers depending on their ability to give consent, following an explanation about the nature and the purpose of the study in the language in which the patient could understand. Sociodemographic details were recorded on the self designed proforma. The primary family care-giver was one who met at least three of the following criteria (108). Is a spouse, parent or spouse equivalent. Has the most frequent contact with the patient. Helps to support the patients financially. Has most frequently been collateral in the patient’s treatment. Is contacted by treatment staff in case of emergency. Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) was administered to assess the burden on caregivers of BPAD group and ADS group. Severity of alcohol dependence was assessed using Short Alcohol Dependence Data (SADD) Questionnaire. GHQ Validity Discriminative validity There was a non-significant trend in GHQ Total scores and Depression subscales  scores to be higher for carers using Admiral Nurse (AN) teams vs. carers who did not  (Woods et al., 2003). On follow-up, a significant difference was found on the Anxiety  and Insomnia subscale, where outcome was better for the AN group. Another study  showed that carers of dementia patients showed higher levels of distress as measured  by GHQ than carers for patients with depression (Rosenvinge et al., 1998). Furthermore, significant differences in GHQ scores have been found between carers  of people with anorexia and psychosis (Treasure et al., 2001). GHQ scores have also  been found to differ in carers of people with a head injury according to different time  intervals post-injury. The GHQ scores were higher for carers of people with a recent  head injury, which indicates greater burden in this group (Sander et al., 1997). Predictive validity Coping style has been found to contribute significantly to GHQ score variance, with  emotion-focused coping being related to GHQ scores in a study by Sander et al.,  (1997). Furthermore, coping accounted for more of the GHQ variance than disability  scores. Socio-demographic variables Gender has been found to have a significant effect on GHQ scores, but neither race  nor relationship to the injured person had a significant effect (Sander et al., 1997). Dimension-specific variables Strong positive correlations were found between the GHQ and the Relatives Stress  Scale (Draper et al., 1992). Responsiveness The GHQ-28 has been shown to be responsive to change in a study using cognitive  behavioural therapy in carers of Parkinson’s disease patients. Both the Total score and  the scores for 3 of the sub-scales decreased in response to the intervention (Secker and  Brown 2005). Both conventional and AN services led to lower GHQ scores overall  and 2 of the 4 subscales over an 8-month period (Woods et al., 2003).

A Literacy Event that Changed my Life Essay -- Personal Narratives The

A Literacy Event that Changed my Life All my life I have been a lazy person, doing just enough to get by. Most of the time, in high school, I was content with just a â€Å"C†. The only time I wasn’t, was if it was a class I liked, and I paid attention to. If this was the case, I could have received a 99% on a test and been dissatisfied. But, for the rest of my classes, which were most of my classes, that I didn’t like, I never paid attention to or did homework, and I still managed to do well on tests. So basically I didn’t do anything except take tests and I still got satisfactory grades. In school I was so lazy that there could have been a project due worth about 20% of the final grade and I still wouldn’t do it. Once in my 11th grade English class, we had to do a project about anything to do with the medieval time period. This project was worth a great deal of points. So to try to get a grade without doing anything, I went to Redners and bought an apple pie. I then brought the pie to English class and presented my project. I told them that the medieval people ate apple...

Micromotives and Macrobehavior Essay -- essays research papers

Micromotive is the inner motivation that leads us in performing particular acts. Those decisions are to pursue peoples’ own self interest, unintentionally lead to contradict with other people’s acts. Chasing that idea of human nature T. Shelling gives us variable results of how micromotives can guide the society in the world of externalities. Economists tend to rely on A. Smith’s â€Å"Wealth of nation† where he talks about invisible hand theorem† according to which people seek to promote their own self interests in the society and also promote the interest of society. (McConnel, B.). Schelling in his paper presents things from different angle. He convinces us that individual actions can lead to surprising results as an aggregate. In our society people selfishly follow their own interests not considering the results those may have on others: either positive or negative. For instance Wright Brothers have invented the first airplane. That is a great example of positive spillover. Inventers chase their own interest on the first place, but in the long term they have contributed into societal progress. Therefore now we can get to the destination faster and easier. An example of negative externality is someone who refuses to pay the taxes to the government. To save money acts on his own interest behalf, when at the same time his action doesn’t benefit societal â€Å"bank†. That behavior could decrease future potentials for societal development if left ungoverned. Shelling introduces coordi...

Hocus Pocus Abracadabra Essay -- Mythology

As a child the notion of magic was as simple as a magician sawing a woman in half, then piecing her back together, or the illusion of a human gravitating in mid air. Even as adults, we are still awed by such pastime entertainments of magic. On the contrary, Rebecca L. Stein and Philip L. Stein depict magic as a way of life similarly to elements of religion. In The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft Stein and Stein illustrated magic as being a subcategory to religion; laws of magic; functions of magic; how it works; magic in society; and divination. In terms, of magic, what is it; and what makes it real? WHAT IS MAGIC? Magic refers to methods that somehow interface with the supernatural and by which people can bring about particular outcomes (Stein and Stein 136). Unlike religion, magic is geared to the satisfaction of an individual (e.g. Voodoo). Magic in contemporary societies has negative connotations affiliating magic to witchcraft or Voodoo like practices. Unlike religions rituals that tend to involve the whole of the community, magic is often centered on the needs and desires of an individual (Stein and Stein 137). However, in Western civilizations magic is the â€Å"answer† to unanswerable questions, and is the validation to which things are the way they are (dream interpretations, psychics). For instance, teenyboppers craze over horoscopes in Pop culture magazines. Readers feed into justifications to their emotions and faith, and hopes of true love. Overall, who wants to be in the world alone and lost? Therefore, horoscopes are the directions when one is confused when they are at the fork in the road. Based on that, is magic an omniscient power that can collectively derive from the supernatural? In some cases, m... ...o are hungry, or the faith for those who are near the edge of giving up. Regardless of the levels of diversity in cultures magic exist in various forms. Works Cited 1. Howie, Linda, et al. â€Å"Some Thoughts on Magic: Its Use and Effect in Undergraduate Student Life.† Totem: The University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology 19.1 (2011): 187. Web 30 Mar. 2012 2. Stein, Rebecca L, and Stein L. Philip. The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. 3rd ed. *Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, (2011), p. 136. Print 3. Stein, Rebecca L, and Stein L. Philip. The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. 3rd ed. *Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, (2011), p. 137. Print 4. Zorich, Zach. â€Å"Archaeology† Fighting with Jaguars, Bleeding for Rain 61.1 (2008): n. pag. Web. 30 Mar 2012. http://www.archaeology.org/0811/etc/boxing.html.

Characteristics of a Good Proposal Essay

The need for the proposed activity is clearly established, preferably with data. The most important ideas are highlighted and repeated in several places. The objectives of the project are given in detail. There is a detailed schedule of activities for the project, or at least sample portions of such a complete project schedule. Collaboration with all interested groups in planning of the proposed project is evident in the proposal. The commitment of all involved parties is evident, e. g. letters of commitment in the appendix and cost sharing stated in both the narrative of the proposal and the budget. The budget and the proposal narrative are consistent. The uses of money are clearly indicated in the proposal narrative as well as in the budget. All of the major matters indicated in the proposal guidelines are clearly addressed in the proposal. The agreement of all project staff and consultants to participate in the project was acquired and is so indicated in the proposal. All governmental procedures have been followed with regard to matters such as civil rights compliance and protection of human subjects. Appropriate detail is provided in all portions of the proposal. All of the directions given in the proposal guidelines have been followed carefully. Appendices have been used appropriately for detailed and lengthy materials which the reviewers may not want to read but are useful as evidence of careful planning, previous experience, etc. The length is consistent with the proposal guidelines and/or funding agency expectations. The budget explanations provide an adequate basis for the figures used in building the budget. If appropriate, there is a clear statement of commitment to continue the project after external funding ends. The qualifications of project personnel are clearly communicated. The writing style is clear and concise. It speaks to the reader, helping the reader understand the problems and proposal. Summarizing statements and headings are used to lead the reader.

Why is the Golden Age of Policing’ such a potent myth in British society?

The Golden Age of policing refers to a time when things were apparently better. We have all heard elders in our society talk of the good old days when none of today's atrocities happened: when the police did a better job, when there weren't as many criminals. However how true is the myth of the Golden Age? In order to examine this myth it is crucial to look at the police and their roles back in the 1940s and 50s and compare it to their roles today and also look at society and their view of the police. There is lots of historical evidence available to us about the police and how it has formed since, in particular the 18th Century. This evidence is based on original documentation from the time and gives us an accurate account, however we can only interpret and construct the history, as there is nobody alive to tell us otherwise. The so-called Golden Age is within living memory and we only have to use the evidence, to tell us of the time, but we can also ask people who were there. These people can compare current policing to the Golden Age and in contrast an age of better times is created. This works with other issues not only policing. Police roles in Britain remained fairly static from the early 19th Century to the 1960s. The police had four main functions, the first being Crime Prevention, to prevent crime before it began. Policing was visible and unmilitary. Crime Detection was a function that involved the apprehension and prosecution of criminals. It did not really involve detection, as this was a low priority function because there was paranoia about spies. Detection involved invisible policing in contrast to the visible policing of crime prevention. The third function was that of Public Order, which dealt with rioting. This was a variable function as public order was stable within society. The last function was the service role. The service role was an important part of policing at the time as the police did many other jobs including tax collection, auxiliary firemen and licensee inspections. The police provided cheap labour for society and were a huge part of community life. The role of the police changed with the introduction of The Police Act 1964. The structure of the police also changed and the tripartite relationship was put in place, which is still seen today. The main roles of the police have changed slightly and now include crime prevention, crime detection, the service role and a range of special units that have become more important than the public order role. Special units within the police include units such as the Drugs Squad, Fraud Squads and public order squads like riot control and armed police. It is said that these specialist units have had an influence in the decline of the service role. Officers do not spend as much time dealing with low level crime, as they are unable to solve this type of crime and so instead concentrate on high impact crime. The police moved away from the service role as professionalism was introduced and a move was made from the amateur unskilled labourer to a professional employee who in turn was paid well. To join the police became a career. Policing today in comparison to the Golden Age is seen as distant and remote. Policing in modern times has become technological. The use of mobile phones and walkie-talkies has increased efficiency within the police. The police drive round in cars and are hardly seen in some areas. Other areas do have a police presence but it is not always welcome. The police are now more readily armed and use deadly force if needed. In recent years even this year innocent people have been shot and killed by the police. Policing has become bureaucratic and this has caused limited results. Policing has become ruled by administration and paperwork and sees police officers spending most of their time in police stations. In the 1940s and 50s policing was seen as very benevolent. They were members of a community who were well natured and well mannered, they lived within the locality and were seen as non-confrontational. There was an apparent use of minimal force. They didn't carry arms and the local bobby was seen with nothing other than his truncheon. Society at the time was in a state of stability and the public order role of police was very minimal. Policing was seen as un-technological. They didn't have the use of cars or mobiles and the local bobby was visible walking or on a bike. Policing was something that was good. To examine this view we must first analyse people's attitudes at the time. During the Second World War people were used to figures of authority and they were used to discipline. There was social cohesion, as people seemed to know their place in society. People didn't move about the country as they do today and it was usual to be born and die in the same area. Britain was in a state of economic stability, there was full employment and people seemed happy. The police as figures of authority were respected and put on a pedestal. A survey called Exploring the English Character, conducted by Geoffrey Gorer in 1955 found the public to think, â€Å"The police represent an ideal model of behaviour and character†. (Reiner 1989) The policing of the time seems somewhat idyllic. What is not mentioned is that for the police this era was not necessarily a good one. The job of policeman was not seen as a career at the time. It was a semi skilled job that had a very low wage and this did not get better until the 1970s. Police malpractice in the form of corruption was wide spread through out the force and there were a number of police scandals involving Chief Constables. (Emsley). The Chief Constable of Worcester was imprisoned for fraud and the Chief Constable for Cardigan was disciplined for not administering his force correctly. The Chief Constable for Nottingham was suspended and later acquitted but damage had been done to the police already. (Wall) Recorded crime was on the increase and there were race riots in Nottingham. British society was becoming a consumer society and there was a huge increase in car ownership. This in turn gave the police new duties in traffic control. The police began to have anxieties about the public. (Reiner 2000) In 1960 this malpractice led to the Royal Commission on policing. It is worth noting that to have a Royal commission something must have been wrong in the first place. The media have their own part to play in the representation of the police at the time. There was minimal media coverage and Dixon Of dock Green was the fictional policeman that covered the television screens. He was the perfect friendly local policeman that helped the community and was even kind to the local villains. Unlike today where our screens are inundated with police programmes from â€Å"The Bill† to the fly on the wall police documentaries where the police are portrayed in both good and bad lights. Today the police are seen more as Robocop than Dixon who would wade in with guns and bombs rather than a truncheon. Today's police are constantly in the public eye and because of this the public are more aware of what actually goes on within the police. In conclusion the Golden Age is a myth in British society as there is little evidence that it was better. (Wilson) Policing in the 1950s was different from what it is today but that is expected of anything in life, it cannot stay the same. The Golden age was based on blind faith and ignorance of what policing involved at a harmonious time. In today's age we are confronted with growing concerns of crime from terrorism to drug trafficking which have not been seen in such large scales in this century. Public attitudes to the police have changed and so have the attitudes of those that work in the police. Public confidence has declined due to the rising crime rates that have soared due to cultural, social and economic factors and the increase in reporting and scandals within the police, however the police are in a better state today than before. (Downes and Morgan in Maguire 2002). The Golden Age myth will continue and in fifty years time the Golden Age will be replaced with a new one that is constructed by law-abiding citizens of the police of today.