Change, Creativity, and Innovation

Reflective Observation There is no need to elaborate the fact that our community and our county is in dire need of creative people. Creative individuals are sources of innovation and creative solutions that can enhance our way of life. Without them culture and society will stagnate and the world will be overwhelmed with problems and unable to solve new challenges that crops up everyday.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Change, Creativity, and Innovation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is a need to be creative but it starts with the individual. I must aspire to be creative and to see things differently. I need to train myself to think outside-the-box. The readings, especially the book by Dawson and Andriopoulos was a tremendous help in this regard. Creativity is closely related to change and innovation. Creative people are not bound by the status quo. This is not an easy thing to do. There is the risk of be ing alienated if an action or word spoken will offend another person, especially if that person has power and influence. In a corporate setting there is a tendency to follow policies set by those who are unwilling to adapt and to experiment. Creative people are wary of the limitations set by others and at the same time they too feel the pressure. It is a balancing act. It is not practical to always go against those who are in power, especially if that person is your boss. However, men and women and children of the 21st century would probably be still living in caves today if not for change agents. Abstract Generalization One of the most intriguing and interesting component of organization change has something to do with speed and scale of change. I believe that this is an important topic that I need to familiarise myself with. An example of is the concept called first-order incremental change which is another way of saying that change must be a slow and adaptive – the objecti ve is to refine a business process rather than to radically alter something that has been proven effective (Dawson Andriopoulos, p.15). As the wise saying goes there is no need to fix something that is not broken. On the other hand there is a continuous need to innovate. While it is a helpful strategy to incorporate first-order incremental change in the creation of business strategies that will increase the overall efficiency of the organization, there will also come a time when it is no longer enough to fine-tune current business processes. When your competitors are doing something unexpected and utilize newer technology it is also time to adapt or perish. It is time to think about the next level of change called second-order discontinuous change (Dawson Andriopoulos, p.15). This time around change is not expected to occur piecemeal but it is so significant that it can even transform the way the company is doing business.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second-order discontinuous change rarely happens because in my opinion human beings are creatures of habit. This is especially true when it comes to old organizations and successful businesses that have made a mark in the community or society. Their products are well-known and the corporate leaders have tasted what it was like to be on top. For these people and for these organisations it is almost impossible to abandon what has been a proven money-maker. However, the leaders, especially those who will inherit the company will have to think long and hard and consider underlying issues such as sustainability and long-term profitability. More importantly an old organisation that could not adapt to a changing environment will soon fade away. Application There is a need to find out how open I am to change. I need to know if I am conscious of the fact that change is inevitable and I had to deal with i t in a constructive way. It does not matter if I am not willing to adapt because others around me are willing to improve their game, enhance their skills, and transform their mindsets in order to compete at the highest level. This new understanding of change will help in not only assessing my career path but also in terms of challenging myself to reach higher goals. One way to find out is to look for like-minded people. This person can be a mentor, a teacher or someone who is an expert in the field of management. This person can also be a colleague who is also interested in studying change in both the corporate or individual level. This person will help me look for areas in my life that I can improve. I will have to interact with this person to find out if I am willing to change for the better. Another way to go about it is to study the lives of innovators, inventors, mavericks and people who had a vision of the future and persisted no matter the ridicule and the discouragement that they received from people all around them. Their lives will be an inspiration to never stop growing, never stop learning, and never stop reaching for goals no matter how high and no matter how implausible they may seem at present. Innovators and inventors are not merely stubborn individuals – they tend to work hard. Their goal is mastery of their craft. And more importantly their activities were geared toward one thing and it is to discover a solution for a particular problem that is making life difficult for many. The breakthrough or the solution will radically alter the way people live.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Change, Creativity, and Innovation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Creative Economy Reflective Observation There is nothing that is as inevitable as change. Nevertheless, many were caught off-guard by the sudden and radical change that occurred in the business world because of the intro duction of the personal computer and the Internet. The personal computer made it possible for an employee and an entrepreneur to accomplish a lot of things at less the time. Before that clerical work was done manually. Accountants for instance had to laboriously write down a great deal of information using nothing but paper and pen. It there was a need for a copy then they had to do it over again. The combined effect of the computer and the Internet is just an example that change is good and the same time change must be managed, meaning leaders must react to it correctly. Those who did not adapt fall by the wayside. I wonder what happened to the company that manufactured typewriters. The question lingers in my mind, I want to know how a group of individuals, a community and even a nation can be transformed from an ordinary consumer society into a creative economy. How can it be done in such a purposive manner? What are the conditions that must exist before a creative economy can be developed? I am interested to know the answer to these questions because I believe that in the future the impact of creative economies will be felt all over the world. At this point, only the rich countries in the Western world are fully aware of the importance of creative economies but in the near future its importance will be greatly magnified. Abstract Generalization There are two ideas in this section that really grabbed my attention. The first one is the research findings highlighted by the authors that there are several highly-industrialised and affluent countries that pride themselves on being â€Å"creative economies† (Dawson Andriopoulos, p. 76). It is one thing to train an individual to be creative it is quite another to develop a whole nation to think creatively and to use the by-product of that creative process to strengthen the economy of that said country. This is an entirely new thing for me. I used to believe that the economy of a particular country is based on resources – both natural and human. I was not able to figure out that there is a vast reservoir of creativity within the human resources department that is yet untapped. Most companies train their people to do a particular task. It is actually a very routine task such as those working in the factory floor.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even those doing sales and administrative functions are seldom encouraged to be creative. In the first few weeks of employment everyone has to undergo a training program and the end result of that training program is to produce employees that are programmed to think by the book. In other words they must not deviate from corporate policy and they should memorise their manuals. Every possibility has been analyzed with regards to the company’s product or services that the employee simply had to refer to their manuals if there are problems and more often than not they can find the answer to their query in there. But as the authors were quick to point out the advent of the Information and Digital Age has created a host of new products and services that are oftentimes interrelated. For example the mobile phone can now access the Internet and it can be used for m-commerce or mobile commerce – shopping using the phone whenever and wherever the customer feels like purchasing a product or service. Application I would like to become part of a discussion or a group that will promote the development of my community into a mini-version of a â€Å"creative economy.† I can start this initiative by talking to the local entrepreneurs and try to interest them in thinking about creative solutions for the community. In order for them to buy into this idea, I have to make them understand that they can make money by helping the community and they can start by solving some of the basic problems that our community is facing. We can jumpstart this process by creating awareness that there are entrepreneurs willing to finance small business ventures that will hit two birds with one stone. This means that the business model that they will create will be a money-making venture but at the same time solving the community’s problems. A good way to start is to create business models that will help in promoting a sustainable environment that is conducive for doing bu siness. For instance a local entrepreneur can finance the establishment of a sidewalk vendo-machine type of equipment that will collect empty bottles, beer cans etc. A local business can also partner with the local high school and provide cash incentives to high school seniors who can develop a solution to environmental problems faced by the community. This initiative is not merely a copycat of projects that has been proven to be effective in other cities. This initiative is based on the idea given by the authors when they said that: â€Å"Creativity is based on combining disparate sources of information and transforming the raw data into valuable insights† (Dawson Andriopoulos, p. 78). A steady stream of disparate information will come from the initiatives mentioned and it is up to the community and the businesspeople in the community to use these data to solve problems. Deliberate Creativity Reflective Observation Creativity must be and can only be deliberate. It does not happen to the lazy and to the unprepared. Creative minds are honed by years of practice and experimentation. I can just imagine the Wright brothers who dreamt of flying and the way they pursued their dream by doing countless experiments. Numerous times they failed but they also succeeded and the world was never the same. Although no one can really predict if his work or struggle will amount to something significant, it can also be said that no inventor, innovator or revolutionary succeeded without first taking one deliberate step towards a particular goal. I believe that change agents are not simply interested in studying change. They want to be innovators. They want to be part of the solution. They want to make a contribution and they want to have the opportunity to solve a nagging problem that is causing a great deal of discomfort and grief to many people. Creativity must be deliberate. There is no need to emphasise the need for learning and preparation. There is no need to elabor ate on planning and doing the necessary steps to acquire information and to learn new skills. It is also important to learn team work. Creativity is sometimes only possible through synergy the convergence of talents and experiences. A team can accomplish more. Creativity is deliberate process and this simply means that I must do whatever it takes to solve a problem and help others improve their way of life. Abstract Generalization There are two things in this chapter that inspires me and challenges me. It is an inspiration to know that every technological breakthrough and every novel solution to a problem was made possible by a creative individual. It is indeed an example worth emulating. On the other hand it is a challenge for me – sometime it is even a reproach – knowing that I am simply a consumer of these bright ideas and I had never contributed anything. The authors were able to send their message that each person is a creative individual. The ability to create so lutions and to find ways to improve human existence is not a capability reserved only for those with high-level I.Q. it can also be done by ordinary folks like me. But the most important thing to remember is that creativity is a deliberate process. It means that the person must be always conscious of increasing his capacity to make sense of information that he or she has gathered. We always hear the suggestion that creative solutions were by-products of inspiration just like when a scientist took a stroll suddenly without warning able to see in his mind the solution to an ancient problem. What I realized from reading this chapter is that these people were creative because they made sure that they will use their minds to generate insights. They are not merely consumers of information and passive participants they were active in the pursuit not only of knowledge but the creative way of using this knowledge. The most important thing to remember is this: â€Å"A creative mind must be a ble to deal with complexity, discriminate options and to be open to new ideas and not constrained by habit† (Dawson Andriopoulos, p. 110). This statement reveals two things, first, creativity does not happen out of the blue, the person aspiring to be creative must train himself to think and behave in such manner that he or she can develop creative solutions. Secondly, the number one obstacle to creativity is complacency, conformity, and habit. Application I need to study more with regards to the creative process, creative minds, and creative individuals. What intrigues me the most is the assertion that creative minds are able to see through the complexity, meaning they are not overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information coming from different media streams. This is a helpful trait in the 21st century where people can easily access information from various sources. I need to determine what kind of mental exercise or preparation is needed to train the mind to think beyond th e ordinary. I need to find out how to break free from habits that easily tempts the mind not to seek out innovative solutions. There is truth to the saying that if it is not broken, then do not fix it; but sometimes you just have to go beyond the obvious. Another element that has to be added to the discussion regarding the deliberate nature of innovation and change is the word focus. It is important to understand that men and women who changed the world did not do so by doing different things at the same time. They were focused on doing what they believe is essential and the things that they needed to accomplish to bring them closer to their goals. In order to maintain focus it help if I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses. It would greatly improve my chances of success if I know of the areas in my life that I can improve and strengthen in order to produce a skill or a quality that will allow me to solve problems or bring me to places and meet people that in turn can help me inc rease my knowledge and my propensity to develop creative solutions. Works Cited Dawson, Patrick Constantine Andriopoulos. Managing Change, Creativity and Innovation. London: Sage Publications, 2009. This report on Change, Creativity, and Innovation was written and submitted by user Perla Erickson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Women as Image essays

Women as Image essays One of the most basic connections between womens experience in this culture and womens experience in film is precisely the relationship of spectator and spectacle. Since women are spectacles in their everyday lives, theres something about coming to terms with film from the perspective of what it means to be an object of spectacle and what it means to be a spectator that is really coming to terms with that relationship exists both on the screen and in everyday life. Judith Mayne Since the 1960s feminist film theory has been examined in relative detail. The idea of the male gaze, conjectured by feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey in her well known article Visual pleasure and narrative cinema became a base point for further analysis of the spectators role in film. However relevant the idea of the male gaze became, an area requiring more investigation was that of the female spectator and her role in viewing the spectacle on the screen. In the above quote Judith Mayne highlights the importance of the female spectators journey through realizing herself as a spectacle in her everyday life and realizing herself also as a spectator viewing herself as a spectacle on the screen. By coming to terms with the fact that women are spectacles in life, their relationship to women on the screen becomes complex. The male gaze is both voyeuristic and narcissistic, as the male spectator as the bearer of the look sees the female protagonist as both an object/spectacle, and also adopts a narcissistic identification with the ideal ego of the male protagonist. The female spectacle is offered up as an object of fetish for both the male spectators in the film and in for viewing audience. The gaze however need not be specifically male as theorist E. Ann Kaplan explored the relevance of the active/male passive/female debate. The female spectator need not necessarily adopt a masculine gaze to the scree...

West High School in Denver, Colorado Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

West High School in Denver, Colorado - Essay Example West High School or New Denver West High School Home of the Cowboys was pioneered by Owen J. Goldrick. His school opened in 1859 in a log cabin with 13 students. West High School was organized in 1883 and in January, 1884 moved to Colfax Ave.West High School in Denver, Colorado Abstract â€Å"We turn dreams into futures.† This is the motto of the Denver High School, the topic of my research. I went to Denver West High School and examined the school’s environment, teachers, students, and academic and extra-curricular flow of activities. I went to Mr. Jorge Loera, principal Denver West High School and asked permission to visit and observed at least three classes to feature in my essay. Mr. Loera gave me the class of Ms. Anderson, Mr. Clymo, and Ms. Headrick. West Denver High School was described in general and in three specific classes. The feature includes Denver West High School’s history, academic programs, the qualities of the teachers’ selected and clas s interaction, and the students’ viewpoint. The teacher-parent-students’ relationship were also discussed as West Denver High School includes parents in the child’s learning. Brief History West High School or New Denver West High School Home of the Cowboys was pioneered by Owen J. Goldrick. His school opened in 1859 in a log cabin with 13 students. West High School was organized in 1883 and in January, 1884 moved to a wonderful new building on Colfax Ave. and Mariposa St. called the Franklin School. For years, the name of Franklin School and West High School were synonymous. On June 13, 1884, at 2:00PM, Charles McDonough, Effie Hallam, Lelia Williams, Frances Brandt, Laura Duccy, and Morrison Stillwell became the first graduates of West High School. On a cold January morning in 1926, 1000 students and teachers said "goodbye" to their school of 33 years and marched from 5th and Fox to the new West High School at 9th and Elati. After 83 years, it is still the Home of the Cowboys. The Academic Program Denver’s West High School serves grades 9-12 in the Denver Country 1 School District. The school is dedicated to the academic success of the student. West High School creates partnership with parents in building the character and academic performance of the students. Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, World Languages, Fine Arts, Music, Physical Education, and Career Technical Education are the subjects being taught in Denver West High School. The only teachers in Career Technical Education are Mr. Clayton, Ms. Pegues, and Mr. Mascarenas. Math subject focuses on Algebra, Geometry, Probability and Statistics, and Pre-calculus. English program entails American Hispanic, British, and World Literature, and College Preparation Reading and Writing. Science covers the topic related to Advance Placement Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics. Social studies include topics such as Advance Placement Government and United States Hi story, Civics, Psychology, Geography, Hispanic History and Student Council. World Languages that are being taught by teachers are German, French, and Spanish. Fine Arts offered activities related to Band, Computer Arts, Video/Film Production, Chorus, Dance, Photography, Ceramics/Sculpture, Drawing/Painting, and Theater/Drama. Academic Calendar Plan for Music, Physical Education, and Career Technical Education are not yet available so related subjects/topics under this academic program were not yet posted. The extra-curricular activity that this school is best known for is Radio/Video/Multimedia. Extra-curricular activities are heavily encouraged by the school and most of the students are involved in the activity. West High School also offers programs for children with learning differences or disabilities. The administration, as well as the teachers makes sure that every student are aware of the academic program and calendar to inform the students and the parents about the subjects b eing taught everyday in the class. Based on GreatSchool’s Rating Criteria, Denver High School has 1 out of 10 rating criteria. The GreatSchool rating criteria is based on the comparison of test results in different states. The school also has an average Community Rating of 3 out of 5 stars, based on reviews from 20 school community members. The Teachers There is 1

Pacific Precision Financial Situation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pacific Precision Financial Situation - Essay Example Pacific Precision's increasing NWC can be examined by looking at the components of this financial measure. Appendix 1 shows how this is computed for the years 2002-2004. What becomes apparent is the increase in days' sales outstanding and days' sales of inventory. The increase in days' sales outstanding indicates the inefficiency of the company in collecting its accounts receivable. Having its sales tied up in accounts receivable for a longer period means that it doesn't have adequate cash to cover its immediate obligations. Meanwhile, the increase in days' sales in inventory shows that Pacific Precision is not very efficient in moving its inventory into sales. This has negative implications-the company incurs holding cost of inventory and its current asset becomes bloated with less liquid resources. These two ratios simply imply that the company's inefficiency makes it less liquid and hindering it from paying its current creditors, and thus, a higher NWC. 2. 2. What is your assessment of Pacific Precision's profitability Keeping in mind that there are many ways to measure profitability (net income, ROS, ROE, ROA, EVA, etc.), what observations would you make about adequacy One of the ultimate measures of Pacific Precision's profitability is its computed return on equity (ROE). It should be noted that the main goal of a business organization is to maximize shareholder value which is, in turn, measured through the ROE. In order to gain an adequate assessment, the company's ROE must be benchmarked with the other players in the industry. Appendices 2 and 3 show the computed ROEs of Pacific Precision and its competitors from 2002-2004. It should be noted that Pacific Precision's ROE is in an uptrend during the period under consideration. During 2002, the company records a 12% ROE which mounts to 13.34% and 18.18% in 2003 and 2004, respectively. This becomes a good indication of the company's performance as it reflects its ability to enhance its profitability. However, in the benchmark analysis, it can be seen that the company is performing worse than its two competitors. In fact, Company #2 even manages to record an ROE of 20.7% during 2004. Even though Pacific Precision's profitability is improving, it should be noted that it lags behind other industry players. 3. It appears that Pacific is increasingly dependent on short-term debt. What is driving this use, and is it in your estimation a relatively minor or a serious issue for management Over the past years, Pacific Precision has been becoming overly dependent on short-term debt. One reason that the case states is the company's previous attraction to the low interest rates on yen short term loans. However, interest rates have increased making these short term debts escalates. The dependence on short term, debt can also be attributed to the company's inefficiency in managing its working capital. As stated

Libby-Broadway Drive-In, Inc. v. McDonalds System, Inc Case Study

Libby-Broadway Drive-In, Inc. v. McDonalds System, Inc - Case Study Example Libby sued McDonald's, alleging a breach of the franchise agreement. In this case, the agreement is unenforceable because it was not made in the form required by the Statute of Fraud which is applicable law in this case. Said law provides that "agreement which cannot be performed within a period of one year should be in writing and signed by the party to be charged of the its performance" in order to be enforceable. The substance of the case, as quoted from this case is that "if the plaintiffs would give up their options and would sell the other restaurant, McDonald's would provide them with two franchises of comparable size, location, and profit". The performance of the act required to be done by the plaintiff cannot be performed in one year, thus, the performance of the obligation of McDonald's cannot also be performed within one year because the performance of the latter's obligation depends on the performance of the act required from the plaintiff. Therefore, the said agreement should have been reduced into writing as required by the Statute of L aw. Secondly, a contract of lease is also required in the agreement on the property where the franchise is to be established.

Have Drugs Become Scapegoats In Wider Social Conflicts Criminology Essay

Have Drugs Become Scapegoats In Wider Social Conflicts Criminology Essay Across the world, many countries that experience issues like rising crime rates, domestic violence, unemployment, and even depression look for something to blame for these problems. Over the years there have been cases where authorities, in these countries, target illicit drugs and illegal use of pharmaceuticals as the cause of their problems. Because drug use causes such damage to addicts it easily becomes a scapegoat for wider social issues and conflicts between different racial, religious and national groups. USA In the United States, perhaps one of the most notorious examples of an illicit drug becoming a scapegoat was the situation with marijuana in the early 1900s. This stemmed back to the start of the 20th century when marijuana was mainly used by minority groups such as Mexican farm labourers, blacks from the southern states and Filipino immigrants. The 1910 Mexican revolution led to thousands of Mexicans fled to the US. The large wealthy farmers welcomed these people who were willing to work for low wages and local businesses made money because the migrants spent most of what they earned. (Marentes C Marentes C.P. 1996) However the townspeople and small farmers werent so happy about the immigration. Small family farmers were driven out of business because they couldnt compete with large farms that had cut their costs by paying cheap wages. Caught in the middle, the Mexican migrants became the focus for the economic conflict between business and labour. (Abel E L, 1980) The Mexicans use of marijuana was an easy target and racist politicians, in the farming areas, attacked the migrants as un-American and spread the myth that the use of marihuana caused insanity violence and crime. In 1911 the American consul in Mexico wrote a letter saying that marihuana causes the smoker to become exceedingly pugnacious and to run amuck without discrimination. (Richard J Bonnie, 1974, p.221) Journalists who wrote articles with shock headlines such as the Marijuana Menace and Killer Weed also encouraged these myths. Jerome L. Himmelstein argues that the Killer Weed image got created out of views that were held in society about the drugs original perceived users. Mexican labourers and other lower strata groups. These people were stereotyped as violent/enraged. This idea for marijuana continued until the user group changed during the 1960s, to the middle class youth. (Himmelstein, J.L., 1938, 7(1):35-62) In this way marijuana quickly became the popular scapegoat for the troubles of poverty, racism, and discrimination. The first states to outlaw the use of marijuana were the ones with large numbers of migrant workers from Mexico. California prohibited the possession of marijuana in 1907 and later included it in laws against hard narcotics, such as heroin and cocaine. In 1914, the town of El Paso outlawed the possession or sale of marihuana. The law wasnt really designed to protect the locals but rather as a way of making life more difficult for the foreigners who they resented. (Abel E L, 1980) In the 1960s marijuana again became the scapegoat for a social and cultural problem, this time between generations. During the sixties many young people rebelled against the lifestyle of their parents. They wore different clothes, grew their hair long and turned to different religions and radical politics. The older generation were shocked by the music they listened to, their sexual attitudes and their use of drugs such as LSD and marijuana. During this time the claim of marijuana as a Killer Weed was replaced by the opposite line of marijuana as a Drop Out Drug and in 1965, Time Magazine published an article saying that marijuana now affects users judgement and if used daily will dull a students initiative. (Time Magazine 1965, vol. 85: 49) Writing about this period in The Social Construction of Drug Scares Craig Reinarman says medical scientists were drawn into blaming drugs for the behaviour of youth because the dominant groups in society felt threatened by the younger generations rejection of conventional values. (Reinarman C (1994) 14:143) This rejection of authority came to head over the US war with North Vietnam. A large number of young Americans demonstrated against the war in Vietnam and this led to more conflict with the government authorities that wanted to neutralise the growing anti-war movement. The FBI often arrested protest leaders and activists on marijuana charges. In 1970, in response to what was seen as a growing drug problem, the US government passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act. Ireland Over the last 30 years Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland, has experienced an epidemic of heroin usage, and the problem continues today. Heroin first began flooding into the northern and southern part of Dublin in the late 1970s and since then heroin has become symbolically associated with violent crime, public health problems, massive unemployment and urban decay. For nearly 40 years the use of heroin has been responsible for a lot of the petty crime in Dublin. Addicts are involved in muggings, robbery of houses and prostitution as try to get money to buy the drug. But as the use of heroin criminal gangs moved into Dublin and this led to more violent crime, including many murders, as they fought to control the drug trade. A lot of the crime was between gangs but many innocent people were caught in the crossfire the most well known was Veronica Guerin, a journalist who was investigating drug crime, who was shot by criminals while stopped at a traffic light. (Maggie OKane 2000) Ireland has seen a huge increase in the number of heroin related deaths over last 30 years. According to a report in the European Journal of Public Health this is most noticeable in younger age groups where, for example, it rose from less than 1% in 1980 to 23% of 1519 year old male deaths in 1997. Many heroin users in Dublin also die from diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis caused by sharing needles. (Kelleher M J A, Keown P J, OGara C, Keaney F, Farrell M and Strang J, 2003/2004, vol. 15(6), p.589-592) In the late nineties unemployment rates in the disadvantaged areas of Dublin were estimated to be between 33% and peak at 45%. (OGorman A Illicit Drug Use In Dublin) However, in some areas this rate was as high as 55% over three times the average for all of Ireland. Many of the people who turned to heroin in the eighties and nineties lived in run down flats and as they spent more money on heroin the areas became even more dirty and miserable. As a result, many people who had lived in these areas for years and who were the source of a sense of community, moved out to different parts of the city. Often the empty flats were then used for temporary housing of homeless people, making the problem even worse. (Loughran H and McCann M E 2007, Newsletter of the Alcohol and Drug Research Unit, Issue 21) In Dublin its clear that heroin use is closely tied to the citys problems with crime, public health, massive unemployment and run down housing. However the real problem affecting most heroin users in Ireland is extreme poverty. Last year Belfast Telegraph reported the level of persistent poverty in Northern Ireland children is more than double that of those in Great Britain and said that 20% of families in Northern Ireland experience persistent poverty compared to a 10% in Great Britain. (Belfast Telegraph, 2009) A study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) blamed high levels of unemployment, disability, lower wages and poor quality part-time jobs for the high levels of poverty. (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2009) Heroin addicts are the victims of this poverty and the use of the drug should not become the scapegoat for the problem. Poverty has been a major problem in Dublin for a long time. In the early 1900s its estimated that a quarter of families living in one room. (Lambert T, A Brief History of Dublin, Ireland) Heroin might be the thing that pushes people further into poverty but it wasnt the original cause of poverty in Ireland. Heroin is also not the reason for the high levels of disadvantage included the fact that 31% of the working age population isnt in paid work. Former Ireland international rugby player Gerry McLoughlin spoke out on the issues in Ireland saying the government had poor organisation in combating the drug epidemic. It seems to him that the real issue wasnt the Heroin, but abysmal efforts and moves made by Irelands government to fix issues of poverty, increasing crime and failing aid. All of which led to the drug usage. (Cusack J, 2008) There are all these people in quangos who are supposed to be dealing with this, but we can see nothing being done. There is no treatment or rehab centre in Limerick. We see all these people politicians included in their plush, posh offices doing nothing. They are out of touch with the suffering of people on the ground. (McLoughlin G and Cusack J, 2008) In the eyes of GARDAI (Garda Sochna na hireann Guardians of the Peace (of Ireland)) police, Heroin is seen as the drug of economic recession, as back in the 1980s, the drug took hold of the working class during economic failure. (Cusack J, 2008) Illicit drugs are a massive problem in many countries but in cases such as America and Ireland the use of drugs was made a scapegoat for social and cultural problems that had many other causes. References List Abel E L, (1980), Marijuana The First Twelve Thousand Years: Reefer Racism, Schaffer Library of Drug Policy, http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/hemp/history/first12000/11.htm , Accessed 24 April 2010 Cusack Jim (2008). Gardai fear epidemic of heroin in rural areas, The Independant National News Himmelstein, J.L. (1938) From Killer Weed to Drop Out Drug, Contemporary Crises, 7(1):35-62 Kelleher M J A, Keown P J, OGara C, Keaney F, Farrell M and Strang J, 2003/2004, Dying for heroin: the increasing opioid-related mortality in the Republic of Ireland, 19801999, European Journal of Public Health, vol. 15(6), p.589-592 Lambert T, A Brief History of Dublin, Ireland, http://www.localhistories.org/dublin.html , Accessed 1 May 2010 Loughran H and McCann M E (2007) A community drugs study, Newsletter of the Alcohol and Drug Research Unit, Issue 21 Marentes C Marentes C.P., (1996) The first migrant workers http://www.farmworkers.org/immigrat.html Accessed 23 April 2010 New Policy Institute 2009 Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland, Joseph Rowntree Foundation OGorman A, Illicit Drug Use In Dublin http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/4272/1/791-0739.pdf , Accessed 29 April 2010 OKane M (2000), The woman who knew too much The Guardian, Reinarman C (1994) The Social Construction of Drug Scares, Wadsworth Publishing Co., Chpt. 14: p143 Richard J Bonnie, (1974), The marihuana conviction;: A history of marihuana prohibition in the United States, University Press of Virginia; 1st edition p.221 Time Magazine (1965) Education: The Pot Problem, Time vol. 85: 49

Ian van Eyck Essay -- essays research papers

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Raw by Scott Monk Essay

Raw follows the story of Brett Dalton a teenager with an attitude who has succumb to peer pressure and lives outside the law. After being picked up for various minor offences Brett finds himself having to spend time at a rehabilitation centre. the image that I have created symbolises Brett Daltons perspective of the rehabilitation centre called the farm. The farm is home to many young crime committers such as Brett. The farms main purpose is to reform kids that are sent there. It is very different from most detention centres in regards that a lot of trust is given to the inmates. Brett was confused with this as his image of the farm was completely different as he states in the book â€Å"what kind of detention centre is this ? there weren’t any bars on the cells ? There weren’t even cells† the farm ran a much different way to which Brett thought which I have created in my image. My image helps to express the idea of how Brett sees the farm through his eyes. At the start of the novel Brett is considered as a rebel and feels that the whole world is against him and blames others for his troubles he has the perception that the farm will be full of guards and have locked gates and that it will never change who he is . Brett’s negativity towards authority is expressed in his antagonism towards the police but throughout the novel Brett comes to understand that not all power and authority is like that represented by police that power is non-merely vested in institution’s and authority figures but there are sensitive and compassionate individuals that through the book help Brett to regain control over his own destiny Although the farm does not successfully help Brett get out of trouble as he ends up in jail but he learns many lessons and that ‘he is the only one that can change who he is

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Removal of Contaminants from Natural Gas essays Natural gas is one of the most popular forms of energy today. It is a colorless, odorless fossil fuel that is environmentally friendly relative to other fuel sources. Methane is the major component of natural gas, which is used in heating, cooling, production of electricity, and many other uses such as the reforming process to manufacture fertilizer. Natural gas is found by drilling into the earth's crust where pockets were trapped thousands of years ago. Once the gas is brought to the surface, it must be processed to remove impurities such as liquids (water, heavier hydrocarbons), sand, other gasses like carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, butane, propane, ethane, etc. The removal of these impurities occurs in what is known as the Gas Processing Industry using various techniques to produce what we know as Natural Gas. The final product is transported throughout the country using large pipelines to large industry, small businesses, and residential customers. Initial Stages – Physical Separation The natural gas processing industry begins with the separation of the bulk liquids from the gas streams. While the devices that perform these tasks can get complicated they all work on basic principles. Generally, the industry refers to these devices as either "separators or scrubbers" and they are simply large vessels that are designed to slow the fluid velocity and allow gravity to cause liquid droplets to fall. In addition these vessels provide enough space to allow the gas to separate from the liquid and a means for the gas stream and liquid streams to exit separately. Often they are built to separate three phases, two liquid (water & hydrocarbons) and gas by using a boot on the bottom or and intermediate exit point created using a pipe extension or side exit point. At the gas outlet, most of these devices use a mist eliminator to remove small fine droplets. Most mist eliminators look similar to a block of steel wool and provide a s...

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Mauna Loa reveiled (Volcanic History) essays The unique landscape of Hawaii mostly originated form volcanoes. Most of the active volcanoes on earth are discovered around the islands of Hawaii. The island of Hawaii is made up of five volcanoes: Kohala, Mauna Kia, Hulalai, Mauna Loa, and Kilawa . Among these, the enormous volcano, Mauna Loa covers the large area of the island. Though this huge volcano erupts less frequently, its past history, recent eruption and for its significance as the largest volcano on our planet made Mauna Loa a center of attention for the world. Being one of the earths most active volcanoes, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1843. These eruptions have produced lava flows covering 806 km2 of the island of Hawaii. The longest lava flow from the eruption of Mauna Loa was the pa hoe hoe (means ropy or smooth) flow in 1859. This 50 km long lava flow has reached the ocean north of Kiholo Bay on Hawaiis west coast (Fig.1.1) . Another eruption that occurred in 1880-81, has produced a 48 km long pa hoe hoe flows (1). Between 1868 and 1950, five eruptions produced lava flows that have reached the West Coast (Fig.1.1)[2]. One of these eruptions was fissure (crack) eruption started on November 21st, 1935 and ended on January 2nd 1936. Other four eruptions have produced lava flows traveled to the sea in 3 to 48 hours (in less than 3 hours one flow poured into the sea, 15 km away, from the southwest rift zone)[3]. These basaltic, highly fluid lavas caused a great damage to the infrastructure (roadways, buildings etc.) and covered a large area in Hawaii with lava. After the eruption in 1950 Mauna Loa has reawakened in 1975 with a one-day summit (highest point; the top) eruption (2). After that the most recent eruption occurred in 1984. According to the data provided by the scientists of Hawaiian Volcanic Observatory and Mauna Loa Observatory, small earthquakes began at a rate of 2-3 per minute at 10:5...

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Overview of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry Essay

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