Footnote to Youth Essay

1. What view of life does the story present? Which character best articulates this viewpoint? Marriage in a very young age when you are not yet prepared with the obligations accompanied to it will give birth to more problems. That we should not rush time in our decisions but nevertheless to weigh every single action we’ll be making. Dodong is the one who represents the typical youth that experiencing a lot of uncertainties in life that make him realize that he sacrifice his youth just for the sake of proving himself that he can manage his own life because he is matured enough to face this life’s challenges. If he can managed himself to have a family because he knows that he is in the legal age that he can be independent and can definitely choose the right from wrong. But because of his foolishness, he had difficult time meeting the expectations that he must achieve. Because he just realized that he was wrong that he was not listening to his parents about dealing with marriage, family and life after marriage. And now that he has his own family, he just accepts the fact that it already happens. 2. According to this work’s view of life, what is mankind’s relationship to God? To the universe? Teenage marriage is the most common problem of the youth these days, Love and being in love encompasses a lot of things in life that we have to keep in mind. Being married at the young age is something that many people should consider because with everything that’s been happening in our society we might just regret it. Indeed, marriage is a holy sacrament that is to be taken seriously and responsibly by two people who have witnessed their love grow. 3. What moral statement, if any, does this story make? Is it explicit or implicit? Having a family is really hard to do a lot of thinking before pursuing to do it. Also, being aware and conscious of the Filipinos in terms of our status in life that it is not practical for a typical youth to get married if they are not physically, financially, emotionally, psychologically stable. Furthermore, it is better for us to follow what our parents what is think for us is best because our parents really knows how life should be. They already experienced these things and they do not want  to experience this kind of things. Finally, we must have proper education about responsible parenthood to avoid consequences when we engaged to have a family. 4. What is the author’s attitude toward his world? Toward fate? Toward God? It gives reminder for the Filipinos especially the youth of what a real life could be today. Explains the life a youth who get married earlier without planning what will happen ahead. The author wanted to guide the youth in dealing with early marriage. He made the story for us, youth, to be guided. Guided in our decisions in life. That we should not rush time in our decisions but nevertheless to weigh every single action we’ll be making. 5. What is the author’s conception of good and evil? Eagerness of youth is in terms of what they want and when they want it. So true in the community. Yet, this very young and too eager generation do not yet know or too far away from the realization of the possible outcomes of their very subjective decisions in life. I am also a youth who get what I want. I realized that is it not always good to have everything I want at hand when I wanted them. As I seek the journey of the road called life, I come up into a though that everything I wanted most will come right on time, thus, creating greater fulfilment and contentment in life. Meaning, what life may offer is too different from what we want in a rush. What we either achieved is best rather than good. 6. What does the work say about the nature of good or evil? Do not let things pass so fast. Savour each moment that you are still in the bracket of youthfulness. The secret to a fulfilled life and too far from regrets is to live each day or moment meaningfully. 7. What does the work say about human nature? You can also see the disappointment because the youth of today is like Dodong who is apathetic about the real score in life and because they say that they are mature, close-mindedness are being seen for this. This story is true to life and all the youth is experiencing this kind of trouble. For example at the provinces, because of lack of education and orientation of the parents and siblings about responsible adulthood and parenthood, their siblings are  engaging to a lot of relationship and turnout to be marrying at the young .Because in provinces, it is not wrong to marry at the young age but there is certain limitation. If the man is mature enough to face life challenges to avoid consequences. He will get to marry his partner provided that he has his parent’s consent. Like Dodong

Living downstream essay Essay

The toxic century refers a history of events in how mankind has polluted the environment and even our own bodies. This was done using harmful chemicals and toxins through a variety of military and industrial practices. Even now if we eat healthy, exercise and live the most innocent lives, you can come under attack from this invisible enemy, simply by existing on this planet. What caused this? Of the 200 organic chemicals known to cause breast cancer in animals 203 are manmade and 9 are natural. This stat shows us that we created a toxic environment. Wilhelm Hueper who we learned about in class said The majority of human cancers are traceable to environmental exposures and therefore potentially preventable† â€Å"Why did we do this to ourselves? After each World War, numerous military plus industrial practices and technologies have introduced a series of new chemicals into our bodies and damaged the environment we call home. This led to many diseases such as cancer or †¢Itai itai byÃ…  †¢(ouch ouch sickness) the toxic century is a by-product of rapid industrialization due to war. Sandra Steingraber wrote the book living downstream about her experiences with cancer and chemicals. In it she details the wars in playing an active role in the toxic century and in her words† changed chemistry and physics forever.† After each world war the need for each country trying to rapidly industrialize in order to beat other countries was so important that common sense was not present. Countries decided to forgo safety checks in order to make sure their products were more effective. As a result, many chemicals such as chorine, DDT (used as an insect repellant in the war) and PCB’s were released in society for commercial use. DDT in particular was linked to cancer and hurt wildlife in the areas it was released. Chorine was used in the war as a biological weapon was very effective and fatal against enemies. After the war, chorine was released in cleaning products, medicines and agriculture. They used propaganda and the ignorance of the people in order to sell the products. It was a time where western society was obsessed with cleanliness, they would give up anything to have it in their homes. First it was health issue & economic industry, soon it became a desirable convenience & cultural norm. The cold war was created as a by-product of the two world wars. After World War 2, countries have found a new untested technology known as nuclear bombs. This led to the invention nuclear power where countries started generating power from nuclear sources. The problem of this is nuclear accidents. At least 6 of the biggest nuclear accidents have been recorded. Chalk river in Canada being one and the most recent one in Fukushima, Japan. Nuclear fallout results in cancerous carcinogens being released into the environment. The effects of which are not felt until years and years later. This is not allof the negative effects, more importantly, a state of fear was created in society. An example was given in lecture about a town that was near a nuclear plant. When an explosion occurred in the plant, the people fled thousands of miles away. The mayor only recommend a few people leave and just a few miles away. This shows you the state of mind, these people were in after hearing about other nuclear meltdowns. On the positive side, it shows that people understand the dangers of the toxic century and things like this will not be endorsed by the people in the future. Sandra Steingrabber advised at the end of her book that we should use the precautionary principal in our daily lives. That we should act to prevent and not the other way around. One can only imagine what would have happened if we testing chemicals before using them commercially or simply not using them at all. One could argue that we gained so much as a society thanks to the inventions that came along because of these chemicals but can we truly weigh human lives against that? Only in learning about the toxic century like any other piece of history, can we prevent future situations similar to the one we are in.

Comparison of the lives of American, Chinese and Thai women

Recent decades have witnessed enormous and far-reaching demographic changes in the lives of American, Chinese and Thai women. These changes touch almost every aspect of life -education, marriage, divorce, employment, sexual behavior, childbearing, and living arrangements. In fact, it is difficult to avoid the media's persistent messages regarding the new woman.We know that women are entering higher levels of education in unprecedented numbers, going into professions traditionally reserved for men, delaying marriage and remaining employed after they are married as well as after their first child is born, divorcing at higher rates, and heading a greater number of households. It is not surprising to find these changes the subject of intensive study by social scientists, policymakers, market researchers, as well as the media. From the perspective of the individual woman, the creation of a family through marriage is a major event.It changes her relationship to the family from which she ca me and provides her with a new set of roles, responsibilities, commitments, and expectations. It is a significant transition in the life course, one that has historically marked the entry into adulthood. The marital behavior of American women has significantly changed in recent decades, and this change has signaled a shift in the relationship of individual women to the family as a social institution and in the way women organize their lives.To begin with, changes in marital behavior since the 1950s point to a significant decline in the importance of marriage in the lives of American women. This decline is being met with a rise in the importance of the primary individual. More women are expected to remain single throughout their lives, those who do marry are marrying later, and marriages are more likely to end in divorce. Consequently, women are spending a smaller proportion of their lives married. Delayed marriage is related to the increasing numbers of young women living alone.Howe ver, the majority of Chinese women, rural and urban, it is still within the context of the family and in their performance of familial roles that they are judged. A fine worker who neglects her husband and beats her children is a bad woman. A fine worker who neglects his wife and beats his children is a fine worker. There have been major changes in the family in urban China. It is most certainly not the buffer (or barrier) it once was between women and the state, but it remains the unit of consumption, the primary caring unit for the weak, ill, or elderly, and its proper functioning is still seen as women's responsibility.Here again, the rural family reflects the vast differences in China between city and countryside. Although it is no longer the only unit of production, that function in 1981 being shared with the production team, it still provides much of the family's resources, and much of that production is women's responsibility (Ebrey 1990). More importantly, even though the ru ral family is now a setting from which women of certain ages go out for varying periods of time to interact with the work world of men, it is still the natural habitat of women. Thai Family Law within the Civil Code contains many outright discriminatory items.For example, if a woman engaged to be married has sexual relations with a man other than her fiance, her fiance is entitled to terminate the engagement and seek compensation from the third party. An engaged woman does not have reciprocal rights. Similarly, if a spouse seeks a judicial divorce (as opposed to a divorce based on mutual consent), the husband is able to divorce his wife on the grounds of adultery but the wife cannot use this reason against her husband without proof that the husband has maintained and honored the ‘other woman' as his wife ( NCWA 1995).Currently the marriage registration system affords women no protection from bigamous husbands, and neither do they provide women with protection against sexual ab use, sexual harassment, rape or domestic violence (NCWA 1995). Domestic violence (especially wife beating) is major family problem in Thai society but it remains underreported because of the social stigma attached to the victims and the perpetrators. One study on Status of Women and Fertility in Thailand conducted in 1993 interviewed 2800 women and found that one-fifth (approximately 600 women) reported having been beaten by their husbands.The highest concentration of women who had experienced domestic violence was in Bangkok. About 13 per cent of Bangkok women reported being beaten regularly and 47 per cent of these remained in the relationship within a submissive role, neither retaliating nor leaving (Chayovan et al. 1995). Traditionally Thai customs have discouraged marriage at a young age and the impact of urbanization and socio-economic development have reinforced this tendency leading to an increase in marriage age among Thais (Limanonda 1992).The last four census figures indi cate that the age at first marriage for women has risen from 21. 6 in 1960 to 23. 5 in 1990. Nonetheless marriage is still the overwhelming choice with only a small number of Thais remaining single by the age of 50 (Limanonda 1992). The divorce rate is increasing especially in Bangkok where remarriage among younger divorcees is quite high. This increase in the marriage dissolution rate has resulted in a growing number of female heads-of-households. From the 1994 Household Survey, out of the total 15. 8 million households counted, 3.2 million households (about 20. 1 per cent) were headed by women and these households had an average of 3. 2 family members. The average age of these women heads was 51 years old. The low levels of education and income prevalent among these single female heads of-households signifies a considerable burden for the women involved since they would most likely be the major provider of the economic and emotional needs of their household members. Chinese and Am erican attitudes toward men and women differ even in situations in which sexual attraction theoretically should have no importance.Many American women today share in the public life of the nation. A majority of them have gone to school with men, worked in the same offices with them, shared identical or similar interests with them, and have even fought them on broad social, political, and economic issues. American women can count among their ranks doctors, lawyers, high government officials, professors, industrial and commercial executives as well as laborers, police, clerks, and members of the armed services. One hundred years after the Opium War only a small minority of Chinese women enjoyed comparable distinctions.They also could name among themselves workers in various professions and occupations, no less than crusaders against social evils deeply embedded in Chinese tradition, but these few women towered above the illiterate majority who either did not hear about the privileged ones or looked upon them with idle curiosity. The reason for this lack of confidence is, however, not so obscure. To begin with, it is connected with the fact that many American women who work outside the home feel defensive. This is one arc of a vicious circle, for the more defensive women feel, the less confidence men will have in them.Why do educated American women who have had lengthy experience in a man's world feel more defensive than their educated Chinese sisters who have but recently obtained equality and are only a small minority? The answer again lies in the underlying psychological patterns of the two groups. In the American individual-centered pattern of thought, sex, being diffused, appears whenever men and women meet. The boundaries defining when sex does or does not apply are simply not clear. Sexual attraction occurs without reference to time, role, and place.In the Chinese pattern, sex, being relegated to particular areas of life, does not pervade every aspect of l ife. Therefore, the Chinese male will react very differently to a show girl and to a woman professor. In the same way, the Chinese female will view different males from the standpoint of their diverse stations in life. To put it more plainly, for Americans, sex differences tend to overshadow situation. For Chinese, situation tends to overshadow sex. An American woman is always prepared to use her womanly charms whether her business is with a store clerk, her landlord, or her husband.She is likely to be pleased by any sign that her beauty is appreciated, whether the complimentary word or glance comes from a bus conductor, her pupils, or a business associate. Even a modern Chinese woman is sure to bring humiliation upon herself if she copies her American sisters in this respect. For in her culture, female charms and beauty are sexual matters, and should therefore be reserved for a woman's lover or husband, or at least for a man whom she might marry. On the other hand, the American wom an is, in male eyes, never separated from the qualities of her sex, even if her work has no connection with them.She feels defensive because the male resents her intrusion into what he considers his world, and he is resentful because she brings with her the advantage of her sex in addition to her professional abilities. The Chinese woman's sexual attractions belong to her husband or fiance alone. She can safely invoke them only in the privacy of her marital situation. But for this very reason, once she has achieved a new occupational or professional status, the Chinese woman tends to be judged in male eyes by her ability and not by her sex.With sex confined to the specific areas of marriage or prostitution, working females have no need to be defensive when entering into traditionally male activities, and males have no cause to view them as transgressors. A socially desexed female is just as good as a socially desexed male. The system of resolving sexual transgression may come to a s tandstill in the case of transgression that crosses ethnic boundaries. We have seen that sexual morality is embedded in the communal social order primarily of the woman's community.Matters are settled within the community, or between Karen communities with shared understanding of the processes for amending the breach. What happens, then, when a breach takes place with those for whom such sanctions are meaningless? The cooling ritual and subsequent marriage cannot be enforced. From a comparative perspective women in Thailand have suffered less discrimination than women in China. Indeed, gender relations in three Thai Kingdoms of Sukhothai, Ayudhaya, and Ratanakosin provided a positive template for the inscribing of a better status for women in the twentieth century.Even in this context the improvement in the status of women since the 1970s has been dramatic. Women's activities have expanded in all spheres as a result of the economic growth of the nation and the accompanying social po licy initiatives of successive governments, academic institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Religious practice has supported the participation of women in worship. In Thai Buddhism a child should aim to gain spiritual merit for his/her parents in order to demonstrate gratitude to the parents for giving life to the child.Sons can perform this act of filial gratitude by joining monasteries and becoming monks. This avenue is not open to women but the exclusion of women does not imply that men have superior status to women. Daughters have other mechanisms for repaying debts of gratitude to parents that are equally as valid—they are simply different from those of sons. There is a clear shift in the nature of women's participation in the national economy since the 1970s. Women have joined the wage-labor force in greater numbers than ever before with the expansion in jobs outside of the dominant agricultural sector.Traditionally agriculture was the main focus of eco nomic activity for Thais and women were an integral part of the agricultural labor force. Women produced a considerable proportion of family and national income from their agricultural activities and played significant roles in marketing and selling the family produce and controlling the family finances (Chayovan et al. 1995). The rapid industrialization of the Thai economy over the past two decades coupled with the globalization of the international labor market have combined to generate large numbers of Thai women migrating from their homes to other centers for employment (Mills 1999).Women comprised the majority of those entering the Bangkok metropolitan area as the opportunities in the service and industrial sectors expanded. Women were preferred employees for the new jobs such as clothing and shoe manufacturing, the sorting of transistors, the assembly of pocket calculators and the handling of microchips for computer components. Thai government planners note that in four out of seven geographical regions the net migration of the female population has been consistently higher than that of men since 1980. They predict that this trend will continue until 2010 (NESDB 1992).The majority of these female migrants move into the large urban centers, have no skills or training, many have little or no knowledge of city-life and even fewer have a network for social and moral support at their destinations. The economic downturn since 1997 has also demonstrated that unskilled women workers remain the most disposable workers. They are often the first laid-off and few have access to severance or redundancy payments. Many of these women are single-parents or heads-of-households with a group of parents or children depending on their wage.The social security system in Thailand is currently too weak to provide support for these women and their families. Labor laws that guarantee severance pay or worker's compensation need to be introduced across all sectors of the economy to ensure that these, the most vulnerable of Thailand's industrial workers, are protected. In sum, employment for women in Thailand remains concentrated in the unskilled, or semi-skilled sectors and also in the informal agricultural sectors. Thai women have made considerable progress in the last thirty years.This results from Thailand's comparatively equitable cultural traditions as well as the rapid economic development of the nation since the 1970s. However, certain groups of women remain at a severe disadvantage compared to men and consequently their potential to contribute to national development is often ignored or overlooked. The continued existence of these weak points, given Thailand's favorable economic and cultural context, suggests that many opportunities for improving the status of Thai women have been missed.As greater numbers of women enter the administrative and political realms and with the continued support of international bodies like the UN, fewer opportunities shou ld be missed in the future. At home, prostitution remains a long-term, growing and unsolved problem. Economic hardship remains the predominant reason for women to enter the sex industry. Lack of education combines with diminishing economic opportunities to create considerable incentives for women to become prostitutes (Cook 1998). Others are forced or lured into the profession by unscrupulous middle-men.Leaving their homes on the assumption that they will be working in factories, many girls find themselves tricked into prostitution instead. Some of the women traveling overseas do so illegally but the income they earn is generally sent home to support parents and siblings in desperate need. Needless to say the majority of these sex-workers work in adverse life-threatening circumstances. The illegal nature of the industry makes it very difficult to monitor numbers of women involved and the conditions under which they work.The work describes in detail a number of important changes in t he fife course of American, Chinese and Thai women. The descriptions of behavioral change are arranged in a series of specific demographic topics – educational attainment, marriage rates, fertility, etc. – and then supplemented with an analysis of women's attitudes over the last twenty years. All of these changes point to a rise in the primacy of the individual woman that is paralleled by a decline in marriage and the family.In general, these demographic changes have been driven by economic, technological, and cultural developments that have permitted women greater control over their lives. This new control is reflected in complex life-course changes that can be roughly summarized as a movement away from the orderly progression of the 1950s (student, then jobholder, then wife, then mother) to participation in several roles simultaneously. Works Cited Chayovan, Napaporn, Malinee Wongsith, Vipan Prachuabmoh Ruffolo. â€Å"A study on status of women and fertility in Thai land,† IPS Publication No.229/95 (May), Institute of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 1995. Cook, Nerida. â€Å"Dutiful daughters†, estranged sisters: women in Thailand,† Gender and Power in Affluent Asia, eds K. Sen and M. Stivens, Routledge, London, 1998. Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. â€Å"Women, Marriage, and the Family in Chinese History,† in The Heritage of China, ed. Paul Ropp. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990. Limanonda, Bhassorn. â€Å"Nuptiality patterns in Thailand: their implications for further fertility decline,† Fertility Transitions, Family Structure, and Population Policy, ed.Calvin Goldscheider, Westview, Boulder, 1992. Mills, Mary Beth. Thai Women in the Global Labor Force: Consuming desires, contested selves, Rutgers University Press, Piscataway, 1999. National Commission on Women's Affairs (NCWA). Women's Development in Thailand. A report prepared by the National Committee for International Cooperat ion for the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women, Nairobi, Kenya (15-26 July), n. p. , Bangkok, 1995. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB). Population Projections for Thailand 1980-2015, NESDB, Bangkok, 1992.

The key to success ( grit) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The key to success ( grit) - Essay Example It is true from the talk that positive psychology linked to perseverance are part of grit. This is for the reason that changing one’s mid-set is pertinent to changing his or her grit. It is also important to note that these two aspects are key to realizing deliberate practice, a type of effortful activity that improves skills. Her belief that success can only be predicted by hard work is however questionable. For instance, a teacher who wants to predict success in her students would wonder how to get his kids to try harder. It is not that easy for a teacher to get learners determined and make them work hard if they lack a positive attitude. Secondly, there are so many more determinants of success, such as self-drive and self-motivation, which do not necessarily need hard work but the inner push and confidence in oneself. I totally agree with her that without grit, success cannot be achieved. This is because of her definition of the term as a multidimensional concept that involves so many learner-centered characters like perseverance, struggle, and self-determination. The other reason is that her research concerning grit is relevant in a way that it assures brilliant students that only those who set goals and stay focused to those goals even when life gets harder and even when inconvenience comes will achieve

Is Capital Punishment Effective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is Capital Punishment Effective - Essay Example 2). However, sound policy should not be based on what is popular. Rather, the best indicator that capital punishment makes sense from a public policy perspective is arguably its success as a deterrent of crime. The deterrent effect of capital punishment has been debated for some time. Studies on the extent to which the death penalty actually causes a decrease in the incidents of murder and other violent crime have produced mixed results. Nevertheless, recent moves by several states to impose moratoria on capital punishment have offered a novel opportunity to assess the impact of a suspension of the death penalty. For the first time, it has been possible to directly compare and contrast violent crime statistics in several jurisdictions both pre- and post-moratorium. This has shown a clear and substantial correlation between elimination of capital punishment and increase in incidents of murder. This paper discusses the evolution and current state of capital punishment in the United States. It will survey the seminal Supreme Court cases on the topic; and will consider empirical evidence that substantiates the effect of the death penalty as a deterrent. Not only is the death penalty appropriate within a democratic society in which the overwhelming majority of people support it; but it is also a reasonable public policy choice given the evidence substantiating its deterrent effect. The 20th Century was a very active period for application o... unishment declined somewhat in the 1940s and 1950s, executions were still much more frequent than today: approximately 130 a year in the 1940s and 75 a year during the 1950s, compared to an average of 48 per year in the 1990s. Over 65% of the American public approved of the death penalty during these decades" (Dezhbakhsh & Shepherd, par.10). The 1950s and 1960s witnessed a decline in support for the death penalty, with its lowest point coming in at 42% in 1966. "Opposition to the death penalty increased because of growing doubts about the morality of the death penalty, awareness of Western Europe's abandonment of capital punishment, abatement of the 1930s crime wave, lack of deterrence evidence, widespread belief in the racially discriminatory use of the death penalty, and increasing concern about the arbitrariness of death penalty sentences" (par. 11). The number of executions began to decline, reflecting the drop in public support. The movement of states away from mandatory death sentence statutes and toward discretionary statutes whereby juries had the power to decide whether or not a particular case warranted the death penalty led to an arbitrary application of capital punishment that raised questions about its constitutionality. This period culminated in the Supreme Court's Furman decision, 408 U.S. 238, in which the Court held that "the imposition and carrying out of the death penalty in these cases constitute cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments" (Furman v. Georgia, 1972). The holding in Furman essentially found "that discretionary capital statutes resulted in arbitrary sentencing, violating the Eighth Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment clause. This decision effectively voided the death penalty statutes of all

In the Mood for Love Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

In the Mood for Love - Movie Review Example ses are having an affair with each other, both were very dejected, started to fill the gap in their lives by bringing more emotions to their friendship. The theme of the story was melancholic depicting how two disheartened and deceived people found peace with each other’s company although they thought not to be as their spouses. It has been said that Wong has created moody atmosphere using a combination of mise-en-scene, cinematography and his unique direction in the movie. The most inspiring aspect of In the Mood for Love is its brilliant cinematography. Most of the scenes in the movie were shot with the normal lens in order to avoid visible distortions so that the viewers can feel being the part of the movie themselves. The closed shots and close-ups were taken from the telephoto lens as it gives a feel of personal encounter to the viewer. In an interview, Wong declared that he wanted to shoot a movie like Vertigo by Hitchcock in which most scenes were taken outside the frame leaving the rest on the viewer’s imagination. Many of the scenes were shot from behind the windows, partitions and grills in order to create suspense as asserted by the director. Another important aspect of cinematography is Wong’s direction was the use of tracking shots to slide flawlessly between spaces. (Roger 105). Wong by emphasizing on the cinematography kept most of the scenes longer so that the audience would not be interrupted by the cuts and scene transitions. This also helps the audience in getting indulge within the plot and sink with the story line. Christopher Doyle and Pin Bing Lee, the cinematographers of the movie have been acclaimed great appreciation on the brilliant work they have done in the movie. Critics claim that the missing elements in the movie like music or dialogue in some scenes were amazingly covered by intelligent framing and filming of the characters which give us enough detail about the scene and the story. They used techniques like lowering the

Poverty related issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poverty related issues - Essay Example This scheme allows and asks all the citizens across all the states irrespective of their residence to participate in the charity, because poverty and charity are both indiscriminate disregarding time and space. In this process one may not think that pro rata contribution of a few dollars by him/her is the job done. One may contribute as much as he can comfortably afford. Here comfortable affordability means the amount, which can alleviate a suffering of a poor without causing a suffering for you. And one should never sit back to see what others have contributed. If all of the citizens think like that then the charity may go empty and poor may die. While drawing a thin line between charity and duty one must be very careful. A man who gives regular and enough charity should not consider himself generous. Bread left over from one's meal always belongs to the poor. Here it is never meant that a citizen is required either to give away half of his income into charity, or all that he himself does not need. The beauty of helping others lies in a feeling for those who suffer from poverty. Utilitarian point of view is very clear about this. One should work enough to have enough to give away in charity. Keeping oneself underutilize is not good. And one should never think that since government is responsible for the social spending on poor, he/she is absolved of this responsibility. Other point which may stop a person from charity is that poor are always over populated and they do not follow the population control programs. Coercive application of these programs never works. A conducive environment comes from enough purpose oriented recreational and educational programs. Poverty is also a state... Poverty is the name of a situation and process. This is a situation when an individual, family or a community can not provide for bare minimum needs of food, clothing, shelter and heath. It is the process when this situation causes, hunger, disease, and death. Historically poverty and affluence have coexisted in the human society (Peter singer 1972). The solutions to the poverty always existed in human morality. When the human conscience is rightly jerked, it is hoped that poverty would no more be seen in the human societies. State the general occurrence of poverty in Unite States (the most affluent society) In United States of America only about 32 million people live below the line of poverty. This number is distributed unevenly amongst different socio-economic groups of the states. 25%Afro-American, 22% Hispanics, 10%Asian American, 8% non-Hispanic whites respectively live in the perpetual poverty. Income inequalities and racial discrimination is the worst producer of poverty in the American Society. The worst hit groups in the ethno-racial groups are the poor children, women and disabled. These marginalized people are vulnerable to homelessness, street crimes, malnourishment, neglect in the health care, domestic violence and discriminate educational facilities. What are the social problems emanating from poverty? Different social problems emanate from this marginalized group of American society that directly hit the American society. Poverty is badly impacting the health of women and children. The burden on health facilities and health insurance is increasing many folds in these poverty stricken communities. When the parents cannot afford the children’s feeding costs.

Reflective Journal-Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective Journal-Ethics - Essay Example By adopting the responsibilities of this one person, I began to imagine the worldview of this person. Focusing on my own responsibilities, as I understood them helped me to see that one of the greatest challenges in making ethical decisions lies in the ability to recognize when a decision actually needs to be made. Following established procedures and adopting a view of the world that is equipped with blinders can lead to unethical decisions. It is easy to say that you faithfully did your job and still act in an unethical manner. Unfortunately, this is all too easy to do when all a person cares about is holding the party line and doing their duties in a way that does not question the outcome of their decision. Another aspect of the simulation game that was especially powerful was the understanding of motivation and perception of others. I felt that the activity where the impact of my decision on all of the other participants was graded from high to low as a very insightful activity. It helped me to see that individuals that have the most to lose from a decision will seek to influence the decision making process the most. They will use whatever power and influence they have to maintain their positions. This is not something that I ever thought about quite in this way. I can see how information that each individual provides might be tainted by their own biases that are coming from the fact that they are trying to maintain their positions. Weighing the impact of a decision on all of the players helped me to identify when I might be open to influence from someone that might lead to an unethical decision. I found the game to be a good teaching tool for creative thinking as well. In most situations involving ethics, the answer or decision cannot be made in a vacuum and there is rarely a black or white answer. Some things are clearly unethical, such as withholding information about a product that has

Things Fall Apart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Things Fall Apart - Essay Example For the first time, an African intellectual and researcher was portraying the Igbo society from the nationalistic perspective. Realization dawned on the thinking Achebe that the untold story about the Africans must be told by an African writer, and not by the white-skinned historian or the novelist, through their colored glasses and biased pen. His mission was to prove the original beauty about complexity and sophistication of African society which the colonial power termed as the society of savages. The colonial powers had caused irreparable damage to country’s social, cultural and political fabric. The historical clock had taken the full circle. The publication of the novel came as the warning shot to the colonial powers, when it saw the light of the day two years before Nigeria’s independence and series novels on the subject of colonist racist claims and hailing African culture, history and society appeared on the scene. Achebe can be considered as the architect for launching the literary movement for the artistic and cultural renaissance of Nigeria and Africa and challenging the colonial-inspired, coated and opinionated literature that mocked at the profound African traditions. Achebe demonstrated how pen was mightier than the sword. By depicting the various facets of just one character, Okonkwo, Chinua Achebe informs us so much about the African Culture and lifestyles prevailing then, and their customs and traditions. The description of his physical strength is symbolic of the physical strength of the African tribal communities as a whole. His father was a lazy man, good for nothing and given to drinks. The nature and aptitude of Okonkwo was exactly opposite. And only an African author of the caliber of Achebe describes his traits in a befitting manner. The European writers would not have the writing skills to create a character like Okonkwo, because they are unable to gauge the depth of the inner world of the

Marketing Situational Analysis Essay Essay Example for Free

Marketing Situational Analysis Essay Essay The following essay is a situation analysis of the macro-environment for a Melbourne based Australian phone cover manufacturing organisation, called Kind. Kind creates a range of covers for all types of mobile phones which are recyclable, biodegradable and trendy. Kind conducts their own research, development, design and manufacture. The organisation was founded by a group of generation Y, tech savvy and environmentally conscious people who saw an opportunity to create accessories in an industry considered to be consumerist. A view supported by Downie and Glazebrook (2007), â€Å"Mobile phones have been described as the ultimate example of consumerism. †(p. 1). Kind’s idea for their latest range of covers specifically include hypo colour, (cover changes colour when activated by heating or cooling through personal touch), mood sensitive covers (cover changes colour relative to the emotion being felt by the person), and gel moulded covers with finger grips. They believe their value proposition is to provide a range of products that offer their customers socially responsible fun, feelings and functionality by being a customer-centred company. The following discussion under the sub-headings will analyse the six components of the mobile phone industry macro-environment specifically identifying trends that may impact Kind’s target market, marketing-mix and planned marketing strategies. Demographic â€Å"The demographic environment shows a changing age structure in the population, changing family patterns, geographic population shifts, a better-educated and more-white-collar population, and increasing ethnic diversity.†, (Kotler, Brown, Adam, Burton Armstrong, 2010, p. 160). This holds true for Kind’s market in Australia with the population ageing, birth rates falling and increased life expectancy, older people are predicted to outnumber younger people by 2050. This may pose a potential threat to Kind’s target market in that there will be greater competition for customers entering the market or more creativity required to find new markets. Kind may need to expand their product range to cater for the older generations with covers that address issues like restricted mobility and loss of coordination from conditions such as arthritis. Reinforced by Kotler, et al., (2010) â€Å"The Boomer market will only grow in importance in coming years, as more boomer reach retirement age.† (p. 145). This is a trend that Kind should keep a close eye on and begin research and development in. Looking at Australia’s current family pattern Kotler, et al., (2010), states â€Å"smaller family sizes resulting from a desire to improve personal living standards, the increased number of women working outside the home†, (p. 141), supports the view that there is market for the mobile phone industry because the parents feel there is a security need to stay connected to their children. â€Å"For children aged 5-8 years, almost all of them (95%) used their mobile phone more to contact family (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). This new group is otherwise referred to as â€Å"’tweens’ aged between six and 13.† (Downie Glazebrook, 2007, p. 1). It must be noted that Kotler, et al., (2010) defines the tweens as aged between 10 and 14, regardless, this group is increasing in market share and are demonstrating a trend towards strong purchases of entertainment products. Added pressure is placed on parents by the tweens who have grown up accustom to consumerism and â€Å"are motivated by status and aesthetics in their purchasing decision.† (Downie Glazebrook, 2007, p. 1). This trend may be met by the inter-changeability of mobile phone covers because they are an economical means of maintaining the tweens attention and status with their existing phones. An economical argument for parents to easily identify with and one which Kind can target. Kind has a product that appeals to a variety of demographic group for varying reasons. The youth group, often further defined as Generation X and Y demonstrate trends which Kind should consider when analysing their target market. Generation X is environmentally conscious, financially wary, value quality and is well educated, contributing to the growth in white-collar population significantly. Generation Y are technically savvy, communicate using mobile phone, email and chat rooms and have driven the â€Å"Markets for teens’ toys and games, clothes, furniture and food† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 144). Whilst they are often viewed as selfish, statistics support the fact that they are â€Å"a civic-minded generation with a conscience†, (McQueen, 2007, p. 43). â€Å"figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics which showed that in 2002, 28% of young people aged 18-24 had undertaken voluntary work in the previous 12 months†, (McQueen, 2007, p. 43). A response to these characteristics may be a marketing-mix which communicates the social conscious benefits of Kind’s products whilst promoting the professional business use it also contains and the interchange ability making the product fun, easily. Kind would be remiss to not target the civic-mindedness of Generation Y by setting up a charity fund or trade-in cover exchange that gives something back to the community. Given Kind’s target market is Australia wide, population changes between states is not really relevant. However, shifts between rural and urban areas should be considered given the Australia Bureau of Statistics (2010) reports increases in urban population and decline in rural populations, particularly those affected by drought. The relevance in this statistic is that more households with access to mobile phones are located in the metropolitan area, Australia Bureau of Statistics (2010). Economic In developed countries such as Australia, mobile phones are moving towards no longer being considered a luxury item and more one of necessity given the use of mobile phones as the preferred method of communication for generation Yers and white-collar Xers use as a business tool. The Bureau of Australian Statistics (2007) survey results have indicated a 7.7% growth in communications services each year on average with most of this attributed to the household use of mobile phone and internet services. This is relevant to the consumer spending habit in the current economic context which has affected income levels and household expenditure. â€Å"More recently, the global financial crisis has led to a sharp decline in demand for luxury products, as more people have become unemployed, or are unsure of their job security.† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 149). This is a win-win situation for a mobile phone cover manufacturer given that sales will continue at a steady rate or if people do decide to maintain an existing mobile phone, they will want to ensure that it is adequately protected to last longer or give it a new look, therefore the consumers spending pattern is less likely to alter for this kind of product. Natural Environment Kind creates a range of covers for all types of mobile phones which are recyclable and biodegradable which would place their products in a very favourable position from a pollutant perspective. â€Å"Some trend analysts believe that the decade after 2010 will be seen as the ‘Earth Decade’ and that protection of the natural environment will be the main worldwide issue facing business and the public.† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 151). Kind would be wise to examine their use of non-renewable resource they may use in the production of their products as well as the operations of their organisation. It is not just about the products they product being environmentally friendly, but the way in which they produce them as well. Knowing their carbon footprint and those within their supply and distribution chains would speak volumes. Even the way in which they market their products could be an opportunity to reinforce their green message, i.e. no use of print media in the marketing-mix. Kind has to also keep up with the issues affecting the mobile phone issues, such as the growing public concern of the mineral tantalum use in mobile phones. Research using Wikipedia (2010), reports that this is a product which is mined, with great affect on the natural environment. Exports of this mineral have been cited as helping to finance present-day civic conflict over areas in the Congo which are abundant in natural resources. Kind may find benefit in highlight the fact that the use of their product protects the longevity of a mobile phone, thus minimising the reliance on mining and people may actually view a purchase of this product as actually helping the people in Congo. Technological The fast pace of technological advance is probably the most challenging aspect to Kind’s products. Given the current variety of shapes and sizes of mobile phones in the market and the constant stream of new models, keeping up with this market requires Kind to be highly adaptable and have the ability to implement changes in products quickly. It may be savvy to target only the most popular makes and models dependant on the demographic being targeted. Political â€Å"The political environment consists of laws, government agencies and pressure groups that influence and limit various organisations and individuals in a given society.† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 155). Given that Kind is a manufacturing business, distributing Australia wide, they need to keep abreast of developments which may affect manufacturing and marketing throughout all the States and Territory. Kind will be required to ensure that any packaging they develop conforms with current legislation along with any competitions run Australia wide meet all the State laws on gaming and lotteries. Again, in with reference to the mobile phone industry, who are in media reports regarding concerns over public health risks from the radio waves they emit causing an uncommon form of brain tumour as discussed by Lavelle (2005), Kind could assign some research and development actions towards addressing a solution to these concerns. This could be view by consumers as dangerous positioning as they are actually agreeing with a pressure group that there is a risk and attacking the market that directly feeds them. Cultural â€Å"The cultural environment shows long-run trends towards the use of branded products as a means of self-expression, decreasing organisational loyalty, an increasing appreciation for nature, and a search for more meaningful and enduring values.† (Kotler, et al., 2010, p. 160). Kind produces products which fit this trend fantastically as long as they market their environmental and social conscience and continue to develop products which allow the consumer to express themselves. The cultural environment is made up of secondary beliefs. Central to societies need to communicate is the belief that they cannot do so unless they have a mobile phone. It could be argued that the secondary belief is that they have to look good and have the trendiest cover while they do it supported by Kotler, et al., (2010). â€Å"Many people use products, brands and services as a means of self-expression†, (p. 157). There may also be an opportunity for Kind to tap into the different subcultures as they are open to shifts in values and are impacted by popular activities. The possibilities are endless for Kind, in that if their organisation is highly adaptable, and new product lines can be easily implemented, they can keep pace with these subcultures. For example, monthly covers with the latest number one hit music artist on it. Kind can decide to take a proactive approach to the marketing and really build their products into something that shapes public opinion. As an example, the health risk on mobile phones and the potential for Kind to capitalise on providing a solution may seem risky but they are could make a real statement, leading the way and would be shaping the public opinion. Conclusion Kind’s analysis of target market has demonstrated that are a few areas demographically that hold value. These are the change in age structure with Baby Boomer demands on a solution for mobility and coordination issues, Gen X parents demanding to feel safer by being connected to their children, but notably highly influence in their purchasing decisions by the status and aesthetic tweens and finally the youth groups demanding to be socially networked via technology. Economic trends are not of great concern on these target markets as the need to communicate using mobile phones is demonstrating continued strong growth. The predicted trend towards the ‘Earth Decade’ being the main worldwide issue provides the greatest opportunity for Kind. Their marketing-mix, product range and company values are well positioned to maximise the benefits associated with this trend. Kind is in an industry that is at the forefront of technological advances and must pay close attention to ensure that they maintain connection meaning they may have to restrict their product line to only the most popular makes and models. Political and cultural trends on the health risks associated with mobile phones are a concern to the target market. However, the consumers appear to be remaining ignorant. This could be an opportunity for Kind, but the risks associated with this should be carefully researched before taking any action. The long-run trend towards an appreciation of nature and products being used to express ones self is primed for the products that Kind produces. Further supported by the secondary belief that people have to look good while they communicate using their phone is an almost perfect market for Kind’s products. The adaptability of Kind’s products and organisation can easily lend itself to different subcultures and any such changes within them. In summary, Kind’s value proposition, to provide a range of products that offer their customers socially responsible fun, feelings and functionality by being a customer-centred company, has a large potential market with what appears to be matched by an actual market. The key is to translate this into demand. References Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2010). Measures of Australia’s Progress, Communication, Children and Mobile Phones, Australia. Cat. No. 1370.0. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/1370.0~2010~Chapter~Children%20and%20mobile%20phones%20(4.8.5.3.2) Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2003). Measures of a Knowledge-based Economy and Society, Australia, 2003. Cat. No. 1377.0. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/[emailprotected]/46d1bc47ac9d0c7bca256c470025ff87/817903E27C4FFBE0CA2571960017E512 Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2010). Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2008-9. Cat. No. 3218.0. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/Products/3218.0~2008-09~Main+Features~Main+Features?OpenDocument#PARALINK11 Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2007). Australian Social Trends, Trends in Consumption. Cat. No. 4102.0. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[emailprotected]/Latestproducts/0485BB5550FE5799CA25732C00207C77 Downie, C. Glazebrook, K. (2007), â€Å"Mobile phones and the consumer kids†, Australian Institute Research Paper, No. 41. Retrieved from https://www.tai.org.au/documents/downloads/WP97.pdf Kotler, Brown, Adam, Burton Armstrong (2010), Marketing (8th Edition), Pearson Education, Sydney, NSW. Lavelle, P. (2005). â€Å"Mobile phone: a health risk?†, ABC Heath Wellbeing, The Pulse. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2005/01/27/1285335.htm McQueen, M. (2007). The ‘New’ rules of Engagement, Hyde Park Press, Richmond, SA. Wikipedia. (2010). Coltan. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coltan

National Institute For Health And Clinical Excellence Nursing Essay

National Institute For Health And Clinical Excellence Nursing Essay This essay will critically appraise and evaluate the evidence that underpins Occupational Therapy practice within a hospice setting and specifically an implemented intervention with reference to a case study. Inherent within this will be a critical analysis for the rationale and clinical reasoning behind employing that intervention, including the legislation and political drivers that govern and influence the intervention, the OT practice, and the setting, along with and in relation to the wider context of the service. The case study focussed upon within this essay, surrounds Mrs A (pseudo name used), a lady in her early 60s, diagnosed with an inoperable breast carcinoma with bone metastases. Initially Mrs A had difficulty accepting her deteriorating condition, resulting in her presenting with severe fatigue and loss of occupational identity and engagement in her life-long passion of drawing, despite trialling pharmaceutical treatments. This along with her low mood levels and preferred aim to stay with her family in her home meant she was referred to community palliative care OT (Appendix-slide 4, 5). The World Health Organisation (WHO) (2012) defines palliative care as the physical, psychosocial and spiritual approach that improves quality of life of the patient and their families associated with a life limiting illness. This concept is re-iterated within palliative care policies and a prominent piece of legislation within this specialist field is the End of Life Care Strategy (Great Britain. Department of Health (GB.DoH), 2008). Although published in 2008, it has developed from other integrated publications, such as the National Health Service (NHS) End of Life Care Programme (2007) and is the first national and comprehensive framework aimed at promoting high quality care for all individuals that are approaching end of life. It also provides a basis for health and social care services to build upon and the core concepts of all health professionals duty of care whilst supporting patient and their carers. The philosophy of palliative care differs in focus from the medical model of health care, with its core focus on quality of life and meaningfulness; consequently it fits well alongside OT core principles and paradigms of holistic and patient centred practice (Lucey, 2012; Othero, 2010). Although OT intervention with patients with palliative care needs is not a new concept, there is little evidence that supports this area of practice (American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), 2008; Cooper, 2006). However the Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer document acknowledges the important role and key concerns for OTs, assisting patients in sustaining their independence, autonomy and empowering the maintenance of control over own health decisions (NICE, 2002). Additionally the Route to Success in End of Life Care Achieving Quality for Occupational Therapy (College of Occupational Therapist (COT), 2011) and the National Service Framework for Older People (2001) provides a framework for OTs to work within. These are alongside other ethical and legal principles and professional codes of conduct, such as Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (COT, 2010) and the Professional Standards for Occupational Therapy Practice (COT, 2007). Intrinsic within the core values of OT, are the concepts of the occupational nature of individuals and that occupation has the capability to influence health, a key area within the care of Mrs A (Turner, Foster and Johnson, 2002). Wilcock (2006) suggested that occupation is a basic human need found across the life span through doing, being, becoming and belonging, and the importance of occupational engagement in palliative care has been found in numerous research studies (Burkhardt et al, 2011; Lyons et al, 2002). Vrkljan and Miller-Polgar (2001) provided evidence for the value of breast cancer patients participating in meaningful occupations in order to enhance wellbeing at the end of life. In accordance to these principles Mrs A is experiencing occupational deprivation due to her inability to engage in drawing, however the age of this study restricts its application to todays contemporary practices. According to Ahlberg et al (2003) cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most commonly reported symptom associated with cancer and its treatment, preventing engagement in occupations, usual functioning and infringement on quality of life (Cooper, 2006). Classified as a distressing, subjective and persistent sense of exhaustion or tiredness, fatigue can be experienced during or after treatment by 70%-100% of cancer patients (Stone and Minton, 2008) (Appendix-slide 6). Only recognised as an official diagnosis by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) in 1998, its impacts on everyday occupations are subjective and no two individuals experience the CRF in the same way, making standardised assessments difficult. The impacts of fatigue outreach the individual concerned, increasing duties and responsibilities of carers, friends and family, therefore, it is an imperative OT role to assist, support and educate these individuals in the management of fatigue in a way that is constru ctive to them (Kealey and McIntryre, 2005). These are evident points within the case of Mrs A as she felt she had lost ability to engage in her artistic passion (La Cour et al, 2007; Townsend and Polatajko, 2007). Alongside policies and legislation, the application of the compensatory frame of reference and the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) informs and directs OT practice (Turpin and Iwama, 2011; Kielhofner, 2008). The compensatory frame of reference applies to Mrs A as it aims to maximise her independence and enhance her quality of life. This is achieved by focusing on the management of her symptoms rather than the proactive treatment and cause, a notion that is synonymous with the values of palliative care. Being a practical approach it provides a basis for the fatigue management as it assists with the understanding of the concepts and an alternative method of participating in an activity, however this lack evidence (Duncan, 2011). Although the biomechanical frame of reference addresses occupational performance limitations through concepts of strength and endurance, aspects such as energy conservation could also be teamed with the compensatory frame of reference as a method of increasing the applicability to Mrs As situation and minimising the impacts of her fatigue levels on her occupational engagement (Duncan, 2011; Curtin, Molineux and Supyk-Mellson, 2010) (Appendix-slide 12). Again, similar to the philosophy of palliative care, the MOHO models holistic approach is centred on Mrs As needs (Kielhofner, 2008). Despite the MOHO model having an expansive evidence base and reportedly being the most extensively applied occupation based model in OT practice, there is little evidence base for its application within palliative care and CRF (Lee et al, 2008). Additionally, the models terminology can inhibit inter-professional working (IPW) within the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), therefore it was not applied in its entirety within the setting and the practice with Mrs A (Melton, Forsyth, Freeth, 2010). Furthermore, MOHO lacks the idea of spirituality, a contemporary concept within both OT and palliative care literature (GB. DoH, 2010; Belcham, 2004), and an aspect that is central within the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (Polatajko, Townsend and Craik, 2007). Nevertheless, the MOHO model provides understanding of Mrs As motivation for eng agement in occupation (Lee et al, 2008) and according to Kielhofner (2008) it addresses Mrs As volition, habituation, performance capacity, values, roles, culture and her occupational identity. These are all key areas that her CRF had impacted on and it aided identification of her difficulties and direction for intervention (Costa and Othero, 2012) (Appendix-slides 7-11). In order to assist Mrs A with her difficulties and implement an intervention, environmental and fatigue assessments were conducted indicating occupational imbalance, within her lack participation of drawing and fulfilment of her occupational identity (Whiteford and Hocking, 2012; Mackenzie and OToole, 2011; Creek, 2003). Being non-standardised both assessments lacked the underpinning reasoning for the application and meant that outcome measures would be more difficult to certify the effectiveness of the intervention, in terms of its effects on Mrs As quality of life (McColl, 2010). However it enabled the practice to be patient centred, qualitative and more flexible with no formal structure, which is imperative within the nature of end of life care and ensures interventions are meaningful to Mrs A (Fawcett, 2007). Completion of the assessments also supported the formulation of her aims, which were to manage her fatigue level in order to regain engagement in her former self, and partic ipate in drawing for her husbands Christmas present, therefore justifying the implementation of fatigue management intervention (Appendix-slide 14). Due to the nature of the service, assessments and initial conversations needed to be completed within a short amount of time, yet were aided by the fact that they took place within her home environment with her family present. Research has supported this concept as it provides a personalised and caring therapeutic environment (Meyers, 2010; Brazil et al, 2005), additionally achieving a patients preferred place of care has been highlighted as prominent need within national drivers. However in these circumstances interference from carers and family members or resistance to OT interventions as already in preferred place of care periodically inhibited full engagement in intervention (AOTA, 2008). Lowrie (2006) and Halkett et al (2005) reported that fatigue management, compromising of energy saving, adaptation of role, activity planning and prioritising techniques, is a commonly recommended intervention for and sought after by cancer sufferers in order to maximise quality of life (Hawthorne, 2010; The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), 2009). Although Saarik and Hartleys (2010) study comprised of a four week programme based in a hospice day care, as opposed to within the community, it concluded patients reporting decreased fatigue levels, increased ability to cope and improved functioning post receiving fatigue management. Furthermore the NCCN (2009) has recognised the importance of CRF management and has guidelines recommending that integrative non-pharmacological interventions, including fatigue management are implemented with all individuals undergoing cancer treatment, not only palliative patients. Though its importance is highly acknowledged there are multiple studies indicating that cancer patients are not receiving the fatigue management intervention in order to meet their needs (Purcell et al, 2010). A study conducted in the United Kingdom, supports this concept, as only 14% of the 1370 of the participants with mixed diagnosis reported receiving fatigue management (Stone et al, 2003). Similarly in an American study of 814 participants, 23% suffering from CRF received management intervention (Henry et al, 2008). However extrapolation of the findings for this American studies small sample size would reduce its validity within the worldwide population and there may also be evidence of cultural nor m differences. Attributable to its recent development, the intervention lacks clarity and a structured evidence base, which is fundamental in assuring a rationale and clinical reasoning for its use within practice (Lowrie, 2006; Wratton et al, 2004). Additionally there is insufficient robust evidence and investigation into the interventions efficiency; however this does not certify the ineffectiveness of the intervention (Duncan, 2011). Alternatively the benefits of the fatigue management include that even minimal changes have positive impacts, its simple applicability and that it is highly patient centred, thus is tailored to Mrs As individual situation (Ream, Richardson and Alexander-Dann, 2006). Overall, literature, although limited, has found that fatigue management intervention has yielded positive outcomes for cancer patients where other conventional interventions have failed, justifying its application with Mrs A. As with many contemporary interventions, further research is required in order to secure effective clinical intervention and management of CRF (Mustian et al, 2007). This coincides with Bannigan et als (2008) statement of further development, which highlights research into the effectiveness of OT interventions is now a priority for OTs. While it is a common opinion that traditional rehabilitation based interventions generate few improvements in physical functioning and suggested as an unethical intervention for palliative patients, research has shown that it is appropriate at many points during the disease trajectory, improving self-efficacy, control and identity, therefore applicable to Mrs A (Guo and Shin, 2005; Eva, 2001). Engagement in occupations reportedly assisting with an individuals ability to connect with the purpose in life and enhancing spiritual wellbeing, quality of life and ability to cope with their situation (AOTA, 2008; Prince-Paul, 2008; Jacques and Hasselkus, 2004). The role of OTs in palliative care rehabilitation has been supported through national guidelines and literature; with NICE (2004) recommending and that all patients should receive a planned rehabilitation approach, including continuous assessment, goal-setting, care planning, intervention and evaluation to prevent loss of identity and poor quality of life. Despite this there is little guidance on how this is delivered in practice, resulting in settings lacking the right rehabilitation approach and consequently the case study setting displaying an absence of comprehensive evidence for its occurrence (Eva et al, 2009; National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC), 2006). Set within a community hospice setting the service provided to Mrs A was governed by the Care Quality Commission, equivalent to the NHS. However unlike the NHS, being an independent charity the hospice has a short organisational hierarchy, therefore limited layers of bureaucracy between the patients and their families, the health professionals and the leadership team. This means that the practice is not governed by such tight and mandatory restrictions and can be creative and adaptive to meet Mrs As needs. Although consequently, it is not so economically and fundamentally secure as a larger organisation like the NHS. Regardless of this it is imperative that service integration between the hospice and the NHS occurs and maintained to benefit Mrs As care. Furthermore, the small size of the organisation impacts upon its culture and enables opportunities for health professionals to undertake and be involved in service improvement and quality assurance activities, which attribute to both professional and personal achievements, furthering the quality of care provisions. Also, issues that are raised are rapidly and effectively examined by the directors with the patients needs central to all actions, instead of cost savings. Despite this, the importance of cost implications remain closely examined as being an independent charity, it is not funded by the NHS and crucial fundraising ensures availability of all resources, yet this can be difficult and precarious especially within todays economic climate. Due to the nature of Oncology and Palliative care being complex and demanding, many health professionals from differing disciplines have to work collaboratively in order to combine expertise and create a service effectively integrated to resolve Mrs As key areas of need, whilst making resources go further (Atkinson, Jones and Lamont, 2007; NCPC, 2006). According to NICE (2002) an integrated MDT and the occurrence of effective IPW is imperative to ensure seamless continuity of care, supportive and timely response to patients needs (WHO, 2012). Although the MDT within the setting for the case study lacked a dietician, therefore this role was split between all other health professionals, occasionally causing some duplicated information or gaps within service provision, being potentially detrimental to Mrs As health and wellbeing (Infante, 2006). Central to the idea of effective IPW is communication and due to the nature of the community setting, this can be made more challenging, with many health professionals on visits when their input is needed (Infante, 2006). This is exaggerated by many of the health professionals within the team working part-time hours. In order to overcome this and instil effective and efficient practice each day, a mandatory multi-disciplinary meeting occurred for all health professionals to discuss patients within their care. Overall the OT presence within the MDT team was well respected, other health professionals identified and recognised the core OT philosophy, which is indicative with end of life care in literature, and replicated in the reasoning for Mrs As referral. This concept was also readily recognised by the directors and replicated within the OT budget. However, regardless of this the OT practice and patient service was restricted due to limited OT professional hours, with recent audits indicating that organisational OT targets were not being met and highlighting the increased need for more OT hours within the caseload. Conversely, despite receiving a late initial phone call, Mrs As level of care showed no evidence of this occurrence, although it could have severely impacted upon her if she required additional input. Furthermore there was evidence of professional tribalism, as some protective professional relationships were formed, restricting effective IPW and efficiency of her care between t he MDT (Armstrong, 2007). Improved quality of life and engagement in meaningful occupations are primary outcomes of all OT intervention within palliative care (AOTA, 2008). In summary, the outcome measures used within the setting were limited, non-standardised, and based on patient feedback (Appendix-slide 18). Yet qualitative and centred around Mrs As the fulfilment of her occupational need and aims, by completing a drawing for her husband and remaining within her home. In addition to this, the fatigue management techniques were found to be transferable to everyday activities, thus Mrs A reporting improvements in her overall occupational participation, quality of life and consequently her wellbeing, therefore further justifying its use as an intervention (Cooper and Littlechild, 2004). Nevertheless within palliative care the importance of timeliness and an awareness of disease progression are crucial for both Mrs A and the OT, as it is evitable that Mrs A will develop further occupational deficits due to dis ease progression; therefore outcomes are short term and future positive or negative outcomes may not be a direct cause of the intervention (COT-HIV/AIDs, Oncology and Palliative Care Education, 2004). This may be fundamental in terms of patient satisfaction as to whether these aims are achieved and then lost again, or not achieved at all. In line with the importance of timeliness, is the concept that earlier referral to OT services would have restricted the degree of fatigue that Mrs A presented with and also the greater the impact of the fatigue management could have had on her quality of life. McLaughlin and Kaluzny (2006) recognised that patient feedback as an outcome measure is a fundamental part of quality and service improvements within care. Despite originally being a debatable concept, patient feedback has now become so well acknowledged that it has formed an essential part of health planning documents (Darzi, 2008). However due to this, it does not conclusively show financial benefits of the OT service, yet presents the importance of patient choice, quality of life and patient led care. Therefore a standardised outcome measure that could have been implemented to provide structure and improve OT practice whilst acting as an assessment, is the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (MOHOST). Implementing this tool would also embed the MOHO model framework further into the OT practice (Kielhofner, 2008). Being observational it wouldnt require input from Mrs A, therefore will not exacerbate her fatigue levels, although only gives the OTs perception of her difficulties . Additionally the Quality of Life questionnaire and the Fatigue Impact Scale, although not OT specific, could be implemented to provide clear areas of focus and as an outcome measure, as these are key elements of the purpose of OT intervention and palliative care settings (Pearson, Todd and Futcher, 2007). Utilising these assessments tools within OT practice would demonstrate both the benefits and the cost effectiveness of the OT intervention, crucial elements within a charity run organisation. To conclude, the role of an OT within palliative care is diverse and challenging, although ideally positioned to assist Mrs A in maximizing her quality of life and achieving her aim of drawing her husbands Christmas present (Kealey and McIntyre, 2005; Vockins, 2004). Achievement of this surrounds addressing her fatigue difficulties in a holistic, ethical and patient centred way, whilst having specialist knowledge of disease related problems within contemporary evidence based practice (Berger, 2009; Steultjens et al, 2004), a notion that has been acknowledged by both professional bodies and researchers (Oertli, 2007; National Breast Cancer Centre and National Cancer Control Intitiative, 2003).