Right to silence - Protecting only the guilty Dissertation

Right to silence - Protecting only the guilty - Dissertation Example It would also be necessary in this review of literature to consider the situation that would arise should the rule be abolished in its entirety. Besides, it would also be appropriate to assess the effect on legal professional privileges as a result of the change in rules and its impact on the conduct of criminal cases. Present status of the right to remain silent: Under the laws of the United States, a person cannot testify for himself. Thus, under the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, a person cannot be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.† (U.S. Constitution: Fifth Amendment, 2011). Thus it is well within the ambit of a person’s Fifth Amendment rights to refuse to answer any questions put forth by a policemen or any law enforcement authority to assess a person’s complicity or otherwise in a crime. A person could refuse to testify not only in order to save himself from the possible use of his stated words against himself, or even to disapprove his involvement, or state a claim of his innocence in a given case scenario. However, the laws are now changing and there are proposals to bring about reforms in the aspect of the right to remain silent during questioning. In the landmark case of Miranda v Arizona 384 U.S. 436 (1966), the Court reiterated the suspect’s rights under Fifth and Sixth Amendment of US Constitution. A suspect does have a right to remain silent and also has to be informed that whatever statements he makes could be used as evidence against him during trial proceedings. Besides, a suspect has the right to a lawyer, who could act as his counsel and be present during interrogation of the suspect.†You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?† (What are your Miranda Rights?, 2010). However, it is seen that in recent times, there are proposals to change or reform the concept of the right to silence enjoyed by suspects in cases. In the year 2010 case of Berghuis v. Thompkins, the defendant, Thompkins accused of first degree murder failed to invoke his Miranda rights to remain silent and to counsel because he failed to do so "unambiguously." Moreover, the Supreme Court reasoned that Mr. Thompkins waived his Miranda right to remain silent when he "knowingly and voluntarily" made a statement to the police. The Supreme Court further held that, even if Mr. Thompkins' counsel was ineffective, he cannot show he was prejudiced by counsel's deficient performance – a prerequisite to establishing that his Sixth Amendment right was violated.† (Thompkins, 2009). This was indeed a departure from the Miranda judgment regarding enforcement of Fifth Amendment laws, and is a decision by the United St ates Supreme Court in which the Court considered the position of a suspect who understands his or her right to remain silent under Miranda v. Arizona and is aware he or she has the right to remain silent, but does not explicitly invoke or waive the right. The changes in the law are evident in the fact that Miranda ruling could not be enforced in the Sebastien Boucher case. In a recent case of In re Grand

Legal Age for Alcohol Consumption Essay Example for Free

Legal Age for Alcohol Consumption Essay Different governments have age limits for legal consumption of alcohol. For instance, in most western states individuals below 18 years of age should not consume alchohol. Other countries have an age limit of 15 years (Miller, 2010). All these governments have reasons for setting this age requirements for alcohol consumption. For example, some argue that raising the legal age limit may not have an impact on society, if people do not have the will and zeal to stop irresponsible drinking. Others argue that raising the legal age limit would allow individuals to drink when they are mature and responsible (Kolander, 2011). This would reduce chances of irresponsible drinking. I believe governments should raise the legal age requirement for alcohol consumption, as an effort to reduce the negative impacts of alcohol to society. I support the idea of raising the age limit for alcohol consumption. However, I also believe that this cannot be a successful measure to deal with the negative impacts of alcohol to society, without using other avenues. For instance, governments should implement a program to educate the youth on the negative impacts of alcohol. According to reports from a number of police departments, most youth consume alcohol when they have not met the age limit. This implies that raising the age limit can only be effective if parents instill morals in their young children (Miller, 2010). Therefore, the religious groups and the family have a massive role to play in regulating early consumption of alcohol. Secondly, raising the age limit for consumption of alcohol will reduce the harm of alcohol on the health of consumers. Individuals suffer from chronic effects due to alcohol consumption when they have access to it at early ages. For instance, the danger that an individual who started consuming alcohol at the age of 18, is more severe than that of an individual who started drinking at 25. Health experts have claimed that early exposure to alcohol consumption has drastic effects on key internal body organs, compared to individuals who start consuming alcohol at late ages. In addition, raising the legal age for alcohol consumption reduces chances of addiction, due to less exposure (Billings, 2010). Early exposure to alcohol consumption has also led to a deteriorated culture in society. Families have broken up due to irresponsible drinking by children, who end up indulging in other criminal activities such as burglary, to finance their alcoholic behavior. At the current legal requirement of 18 years, most youth may not have the finances to finance their consumption of alcohol. This makes them depend on their parents by lying to them, to get money. In the event that the parents are not able to meet the financial demands of the children, the children look for other options to financial stability. Some go to the extent of stage managing kidnaps to get money from parents. This has eroded the positive values of society, especially the youth, who are the largest group of the world’s population (Kolander, 2011). In conclusion, the above illustrations indicate that early exposure to alcohol consumption has more negative effects than positives. For example, individuals have a high probability of acquiring health complications, such as lung and kidney infections. Secondly, early access to alcohol consumption also erodes the morality of society. In addition, early alcohol consumption may also affect the academic life of young adults, who end up as addicts to alcohol. These young adults also face the threat of joining illegal gangs in society. Thus, it would be reasonable to suggest that governments should consider revising the legal age limit upwards. However, other institutions in society must also aid in alleviating the negative impacts of alcohol to society. Religious groups and the family should provide advice to young adults on the dangers of early alcohol consumption. References Billings, S. (2010, October 24). Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Raised to 25 to Eliminate Deadly College Partying? Retrieved July 19, 2012, from christwire.org: http://christwire.org/2010/10/should-the-legal-drinking-age-be-raised-to-25-to-eliminate-deadly-college-partying/ Kolander, R. W. (2011). Drug Abuse Prevention. New York: Jones Bartlett Learning. Miller, W. R. (2010). Rethinking Substance Abuse: What the Science Shows, and What We Should Do

Sexual Abuse: Impacts and Treatments

Sexual Abuse: Impacts and Treatments Sexual Abuse Abstract There is a great deal to be said regarding an individual’s retort to sexual distress. The victim of that suffering has a high probability of creating an offence of their individual, perhaps by means of substance as a means to deal with, or construct any numeral of meager choices as a means of contracting with the abuse. What the distressing thing is regarding it all is that a lot of of the offenders commence as children who are helpless to protect themselves to somebody who is typically in their Family. It is merely in the course of later conceding the trauma that somebody can begin to recognize the result of what ensued to them from that happening. There are a numeral of results that will be discussed in addition to the addiction itself and the process of healing in this paper. The spotlight right through being what the retorts are to sexual trauma. What is Sexual Abuse? Sexual abuse is not the merely abuse that can take place in a home that can have enduring affects on a kid. There are a lot of abuses at which several diverse homes are blameworthy of. For the majority homes there is a great deal of dysfunction and this dysfunction can direct to or unlock a gate for abuse. Since of the home being the prime place for sexual abuse and additional abuses it is significant to perceive what kinds of abuse can approach from the home. There are four kinds of abuses explicit to the home and they are emotional, physical, sexual and spiritual (Laaser 2004). All of these are severe and can direct to troubles for a child later on in life what is significant is that sexual abuse directs to humiliation and the human retort to that disgrace can be distressing. Sexual abuse has for all time been a predicament in the world, other than a lot of people suppose the most awful is children’s sexual abuse. In children Sexual abuse has turn out to be a foremost issue above the years and has established to source a lot of disorders, relationships future problems, and issues of trust. There are as well a lot of diverse reasons someone will turn out to be an abuser and there are a lot of effects that can approach from being assaulted sexually. Invasive sexual abuse is â€Å"having the area of genital stroked or penetrated by somebody who hold either emotional or physical control above the victim (Laaser, 2004, pg 101). â€Å"Childhood sexual abuse is an significant subgroup of the entire sexual abuses and envelops every acts done by adults for instance convincing, deceiving, obliging perverting, or forcing children for their sexual pleasure† (Selvi et. al. 2011. Pg. 85), In the course of this is can be perceived that sexual abuse on children denotes further than merely the sexual act the majority people would imagine of when they heed sexual abuse. In the similar means there are a range of diverse abuses there are as well a range of diverse responses to which a child may perhaps later on suffer. These retorts can be emotional or mental can persist to source harm to the person or somebody else. It is significant to note with this in mind that â€Å"it was accounted that outcomes of sexual abuse on the person rely on the connection of that person with the abuser, sort of the sexual activity, cooperativeness, age, incidence of violence and bodily harm, point of development and pretraumatic psychological growth of the child (Selvi et. al. 2011. Pg. 86). Since of such an extensive range of outcome there are a handful of extensive outcomes that simplify what happens to somebody who is sexually abused. There are a lot of diverse reasons on why an individual will sexually abuse a kid. The predator for one, has been in the course of it themselves and can realize the power that it constructs them feel. Some predators also have extremely lower issues of self-esteem and by controlling an additional being they can sense better regarding themselves. Also there are persons that sense of themselves so highly that if they are abused in the least feature of their lives, they sense they require to recover control, in which case they obtain power over their victim. Outcomes of Abuse It is significant that with all of the study out there it can be observed that there is a general strand of outcomes and a general thread of familiar thread of handling devices. The strand of outcomes that an individual goes in the course of when abused was are, shocked sexuality, feelings of treachery, helplessness, and stigmatization. Shocked sexuality is when somebody is diverged from their usual path of sexual growth; feelings of treachery approach since the majority sexual assaults approach from people that are near to the victim the victim is expected to sense betrayed; helplessness approaches from the victim feeling helpless since they are feeble and powerless which sources â€Å"anxiety, rage, nightmares, learning deficits, criminal tendencies, somatic complaints, and feelings of vengeance in both childhood and later life.† (Selvi et. al. 2010. Pg. 86). Then finally stigmatization which is the alteration of perception of ego that can go with the abuse where the childâ €™s notion of themselves changes to a group of humiliation, evil, and guiltiness. Any or combination of the above are ordinary retorts to sexual trauma and since of these a kid is place in the position to make a decision how to handle with what has occurred to them. Together with coping an additional feature of a child’s response to sexual trauma is their wish to be aware of the trauma. Consequently how is it that a person handles with abuse? There are a numerous of methods that somebody can act in response to childhood ordeal and abuse. Laaser does not restrict the family abuse to merely sexual other than instead includes a countless of diverse abuses a child might suffer to wind up coping in a harmful matter. Nevertheless these methods are general coping devices for people who have been in the course of sexual trauma and they are; codependency, escape, and religious dependence. What is interesting concerning escape is that it is not somewhat that people actually do other than it can as well be a mental escape. Since sex addicts can’t endure excruciating feelings, they seek out to escape the feelings in the course of sexual activity and sexual fancy can modify chemistry of brain and manufacture deep pleasure feelings† (2004. Pg. 109). These escape methods are interesting since they are techniques of escaping a throbbing that a sex addict would have conceded with them for several years. Even though several would think that somebody would just allow it to go; letting go in the mind of a sexual abused individual is not an alternative. The cause is it is escape to a certain extent than letting go is since in a lot of instances they have let the trauma to classify them and so even though at times they necessitate to escape it inside several are frightened to live devoid of it. The subsequently foremost reaction to trauma is codependency. For a person who is sexually abused they are habitually young even though a few are abuse in adulthood or both; there is a incredible amount of humiliation. This humiliation is hard and close to impracticable for a child to contract with, tackle, or even communicating. As a result a few turn to codependency to contract with the humiliation. Codependency is used to explain anybody addicted to an additional individual† it is significant to be acquainted with the result of codependency which is that â€Å"They will totally forgo their interests and needs if that is what it acquires to make happy people who’s support they so very much need† (Laaser 2004. pg. 111). Codependency can be extremely risky for a person since similar to being addicted to substance they can let themselves to be humiliated for the evident liking of that additional individual. In the course of this they can accede themselves to go and devoid of pleasing their exact needs turn out to be hopeless and depressed. What is as well interesting concerning populace who are sexual abused is that the affiliations that they are in can be powerful ones that entail substance abuse, domestic violence , or additional sexual abuse. The individual in these relationships will not act in response correctly to the abuse however rather take it on themselves and persist to look for to please the other person. A depressing characteristic of the way is that sexual addicts seek out to make happy their spouse and to act out sexually in the course of additional sexual behavior. This denotes that when somebody is sexual abuse they are place in a position to be sexual malfunctioned and goes onto endeavoring additional sexually abnormal behaviors. Woman who had incidenced more than 2 incidence of sexual abuse in both childhood and adulthood were additional expected to employ in cunnilingus, masturbation, fellatio, anal and vaginal sex, group sex and swapping of partner on a recurrent basis† (Arata (2002) pg. 131). Since of these sexual actions woman who have been sexually abused when they act in this way place themselves in the means for future abuses. The connection amid child sexual abuse and later on revictimization was to some extent interceded by sexual behavior (2002. Pg. 131). As a result it can be perceived that not merely can codependency be a extremely unconstructive consequence o f sexual abuse other than also the sexual malfunction with the codependency can unlock people up for a many physical and emotional pain. The subsequently retort to sexual maltreatment might be religious dependence which is similar to any additional addiction they seek out godly things as a means to triumph over their sexual obsession. Their justification for this is that they do not desire to set off to hell other than at the similar time they are acting in a bad way of life. A lot of the people who do this might wind up acting out on defenseless children that are in a church surroundings. They sense embarrassed of their behavior and relatively than own up their sin to others and search for help; they turn their addiction inmost to additional humiliation and in the course of this they build up an addiction that occur in the church. Whether escape, codependency, substance abuse, religious addiction, sex addiction, or any additional; it turn out to be clear that for the majority people who go in the course of sexual abuse habitually find extremely negative mechanisms of coping. Sexual abuse can as well source an individual to have future relationships problems. When an individual is abused, they will typically have trusting problems with anybody of the similar sex as the offender. This can source relationships to not have trust and for the victim to be scared of the partner. There are a lot of couples where individual of them has been raped and the partner does not know. This might be since the victim is too embarrassed or since the victim is frighten that the partner will leave them if they discover out. Sexual Abuse and the Disease Model The addiction disease model instituted with alcohol and grows out of that to include all sorts of addictions. It denotes that biological factors incline people to turn out to be dependent on definite chemicals. For years Scientist have been arguing nature vs nurture in the region of personality other than at the present they have combined them by recognizing both values. It is the similar means with sex addiction. A few men and women are deemed inclined to sexual behavior. When this is the instance it requires to be recognize that even though they are inclined the surroundings is what places them in the spot to act in response to that biological inclinations. This denotes that similar to additional addictions the disease model can be utilized for viewing and treating sexual addiction and a sexual behavior. â€Å"As society persists to bear the influences of sexual violence, there is an imperative challenge to recognize the factors of etiological beneath sexual offending. Etiological research has proposed that it is the interface of social learning and biological factors that control the expansion of sexual offending behaviors. Genetic factors might influence a person to follow a precise need of human (e.g. intimacy or sex), other than it is the experiences of environments (e.g. child maltreatment) that offer the ways for which these needs are meet either properly in the course of the growth of relationships or incorrectly in the course of the use of sexual violence† (Simons, Wurtele, Durham, 2008. Pg. 549). This denotes that that relying on a response of individual’s to the abuse they might perhaps go on to additional abuse. This would as well denote that from a biological sense people who do not have the biological inclination in the direction of having sexual needs might either act in response in an additional negative way. The depressing thing concerning this biological inclination in the direction of sexual needs is that they can influence people to such abnormal sexual behavior that they would victimise children. A few of the consequences of sexual trauma can set off additional than what was affirmed other than can as well have brutal psychological effect. This being that the mind can in fact be affected in a means that is where the mind creates ill health. Since of the trauma the self who has experienced it starts to extend symptoms that biologically manifest however is mentally influenced. It is similar to the way that researcher have establish that a cell separate from its lining in a higher area of stress. This means that when a child is sexually traumatized there are a number of different responses they can go in the course of these responses being anyplace from usual alteration all the means to a psychosomatic chaos. In the course of any of these a numeral of behavioral responses might approach depending on the person’s inclination which denotes that they might set off on to a life of coping in the course of harmful actions or onto contracting with the trauma and pardoning the accuser. On the whole there is no apparent way to perceive how an individual might act in response to their trauma however for several the result is revealed in the course of compulsive behaviors; even shoplifting has been seen as a result. Compulsive Behavior in Response to Trauma When looking at the numerous of obsessive behaviors that are observed about us every day from overeating to drug abuse what is significant to be noted is that research on substance abusers and female offenders divulges that childhood ordeal is habitually the primary significant indicator in the etiology of crime substance and abuse† (Caputo 2009. pg. 15). When a research was carried out by Coputo what was significant was that almost half of the section of sex workers were previously sexually abused. Together with sex workers and the drug abusers who were previously sexual abused there appears to be a model of whirling to compulsive behaviors as a effect to their trauma. This might be a means of coping or in accord with the medical model what shoved them in the direction of something that they might have been influenced to. In a lot of circumstances this might denote that there is a double diagnosis of sort since subsequent to a period of drug use the people who were abuse not m erely require to deal with the abuse nevertheless also the behavior dependency or chemical dependency. Programs There are numerals of programs of child sexual abuse put into practice crosswise the USA, which involves kids aged six to 13, who are the mainly susceptible to sexual abuse by an adult (Kenny et al, 2008, p. 38). Techniques of teaching kids regarding self-protection in opposition to sexual abuse consist of being acquainted with the appropriate names for body parts, recognizing what is a fine touch and a appalling touch, whom to trust or not, and conversing regarding it with a trusted grown-up (Kenny et al, 2008). Subsequent to self-protection programs participating, children are appraised in the course of a sequence of tests to perceive how a great deal they studied from the programs. Results illustrated constructive effects, which were mainly connected with parental participation in the programs (Kenny et al, 2008, pg. 44). Studies demonstrate that subsequent to the programs, children feel secure and in power of themselves and their surroundings. On the other hand, there were as well unconstructive side-effects, which demonstrated no alteration in sexual behaviors in children, and confusion since of clashing pre-existing facts (Kenny et al, 2008). The programs will not completely get rid of child sexual abuse, other than it will in any case notify children of its hazards by educating them how they can safeguard themselves. Studies suggest that even though a child has a restricted sum of facts of sexual abuse, it may be adequate to deter a predator from victimizing them (Kenny et al, 2008) .A lot of improvements require being prepared to the programs prior to they can be put into practice into society in general. Consecutively to fix the dilemma of child sexual abuse, it requires being familiar with all parties that children sexual abuse is a taboo. On the other hand, provided that there are persons who do not suppose in child sexual abuse, these programs of prevention can on no account be totally successful. Conclusion There is no means to be acquainted with what means that a person would act in response to sexual abuse; on the other hand what is apparent is that it can have an extremely disturbing outcome in life of a person. These effects can be observed in the course of behavioral from drug abuse to crime or physical with symptoms of psychosomatic. What is nonetheless factual is that sexual offense is one that is a bigger sin. In the course of of the working information of sexual abuse the interesting thing is that it is a rising predicament in the world at present. As a result with all this studies in mind it significant for people to be conscious of the addiction and carry on researching ways to treat people who have been abused or are abusing to assist control this outbreak. References C. A. Arata, (2002). Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Revictimization. American Psychological Association 9, 135-164. D. A. Simons, S. K.Wurtele, , R. L. Durham, (2008). Developmental Experiences of Child Sexual Abusers and Rapists. Child Abuse Neglect The International Journal, 32, 549-560. G. A. Caputo, 2009. Early Life Trauma Among Woman Shoplifters and Sex Workers. Jouranl of Child and Adolescnent Trauma 2, 15-27. DOI:10.1080/19361520802675868 P. Carnes, (2001). Out of the shadows. Understanding sexual addiction. (3rd ed.). Hazelden Center City, MI; Hazelden. K., Griffee, S. L., O’Keefe, S. S., Stroebel, K. W. Beard, S. Swindell, D. H. Young, (2013). Sexual Addiction Compulsivity. The Journal of Treatment Prevention, 19, 225-264. DOI: 10.1080/10720162.2012.705140 M. C. Kenny, V.Capri , R., R., Thakkar-Kolar, E. E. Ryan, M. K. Runyon, (2008). Child Sexual Abuse: From Prevention to Self-Protection. Child Abuse Review, 17(1), 36-54. DOI: 10.1002/car.1012. M. R. Laaser, (2004) Healing The Wounds Of Sexual Addiction. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan Levine, S. B. (2010). What Is Sexual Addiction. Journal of Sex Marital Therapy, 36, 261-275. DOI: 10.1080/00926231003719681 R. C. Scaer, (2001). The Body Bears The Burden: Trauma, Disassociation, and Disease. London, NY. The Haworth Medical Press Y.Selvi , P. G. Ozdemir, A.Atli, , S. G Kiran,. (2011). Traumatic Sexuality After Intrafamilial Sexual Abuse; A Case Report With Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Journal Of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences, 24, 85-88

“Citizens of a kind” :: Essays Papers

â€Å"Citizens of a kind† The following clippings from regional Irish newspapers begin in 1923, soon after the founding of the state, and continue to the present day in chronological order. The premise informing the selection is that Travellers are caught in a dynamic of colonialism – misunderstood by the majority they live amongst, and disadvantaged by their difference. Their situation is comparable, in many instances, to that of gypsies throughout Europe and the indigenous minorities of many ex-colonies. It is no coincidence that attitudes toward Travellers, as evidenced by some of the following clippings, hardened in the decades following the founding of the Irish State in the 1920s. The early years of the republic were difficult economically, and a nationalist ideology of a homogenous, mono-cultural, unquestioningly Catholic united state was perpetuated as a consolation for the loss of privileges enjoyed as part of the Empire. The transfer from colonial to post-colonial status problematised the pla ce of this minority population, and internal tensions surfaced in the absence of a colonial presence to demonise. I have concentrated on papers covering the general West of Ireland / Connacht area (Galway, Mayo and Roscommon), and in particular, articles dealing with Galway, since this is my hometown, and a traditional Traveller stronghold. Most clippings are from the longstanding Connacht Tribune. In a report on a Galway Urban Council meeting entitled â€Å"Nomads in Galway: Citizens fear an epidemic† (Connacht Tribiune 10 Mar. 1923: 5), the old colonial fear of being contaminated by the Other (in fact, a fear of secretly being or becoming the Other) is detectable: Mr J.P. O’Brien wrote on behalf of a number of citizens stating that unless the council took steps to have the gypsies who are camping†¦removed, there was a danger of epidemic breaking out. He pointed out that it was illegal for these people to camp within the urban area. They could camp a quarter of a mile outside the urban area, and then only for a couple of days. The strategy of distancing is implicit in the use of the words ‘gypsy’ and ‘nomad’, which connote that these people are somehow foreign, and most explosively, in the use of ‘gypsy’, that they are actually British. (Within the British Isles, gypsies are from Wales and England only.) The word gypsy is a dispossessing of their Irishness, and it is easier to be cruel to what is constructed as being outside the self in a new state where the ideology of nationalism is uppermost.

Human Resource Training and Development Essay

Training and development is a major investment made by employers , and therefore great care should be taken to ensure adequate returns on the investment. Training and development. Some experts try to differentiate training from development. In this case, both training and development is in the same meaning. Training is more to short term, and focuses on current needs of the employee and the organization. Development meanwhile looks more to the future needs, whereby development are about preparing employees for tomorrow’s jobs, technology and economic situation. Most on-the-job training efforts are about ensuring that employees can perform their present tasks as well as possible. Leadership programmes, on the other hand, are an example of the development initiatives taken by employers to ensure they have a steady supply of senior managers ready to drive organizational success. TRAINING EMPLOYEES. Training is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities or known as K. S. A. K. S. A. is necessary to successfully perform a job. Several reasons exist for an organization to conduct training for it’s employees. Here are the 4 reasons why K. S. A. is important. 1. Economic, social, technological, and government changes can make the skills learned today obsolete in the future. 2. Planned organizational changes (such as the introduction of new equipment) can make it necessary for employees to update their skills or acquire new ones. 3. Performance problems within an organization such as low productivity or large scrap problems can be reduced by training. 4. Regulatory, contractual, professional, or certification issues can require an employer to provide training for it employees. STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROGRAM. * Perform job analysis. * Perform needs assessment * Establish training objectives * Conduct training program* Evaluate training outcomes Job analysis. Job analysis is actually more focusing on the Knowledge, skills, and abilities (K. S. A. ). K. S. A. is actually necessary to successfully perform a job. Perform needs assessment. Needs assessment is a systematic analysis of the specific training activities the organization requires to achieve it objectives. In general, five methods can be used to gather needs assessment information – 1. Interviews 2. Surveys / questionnaires 3. Observations 4. Focus groups 5. Document examination. Interviews with employees can be conducted by specialists in the Human Resource Deaprtment or by outside experts. Basic questions that should usually be asked are as follows : 1. What problems is the employees having in his/her job. 2. What additional skills and/or knowledge does the employee need to better perform the job? 3. What training does the employee believe is needed? In conducting an interviews, every organization would have several additional questions about specific issues. In addition, if interviews are to provide useful information, employees must believe their input will be valued and not be used against them. Surveys and/or questionnaires are also frequently used in needs assessment. Normally this involves developing a list of skills required to perform particular jobs effectively and asking employees to check those skills in which they believe they need training. METHODS OF TRAINING Several methods can be used to satisfy an organization’s training needs and accomplish it’s objectives. Some of the more commonly used methods include on-the-job training, job rotation, apprenticeship training, and classroom training. * On-The-Job training. On-the-Job training or simply known as OTJ, is normally given by a senior employee or a manager. The employee is shown how to perform the job and allowed to do it under the trainer’s supervision. * Job rotation (cross training) One of the OTJ training is job rotation, sometimes called cross training. In job rotation, an individual learns several different jobs within a work unit or department and performs each job for a specified time period. One main advantage of job rotation is that it makes flexibility possible in the department. For example, when one member of a work unit is absent, another person can perform the job. The advantages of OTJ training are that no special facilities are required and the new employee does productive work during the learning process. OTJ training has been found to be more effective than classroom training that may be seldom be used when the person returns to the job. It’s major disadvantages is that the pressures of the workplace can cause instruction of the employee to be haphazard or neglected. * Apprenticeship Training Apprenticeship Training provides beginning workers with comprehensive training in the practical and theoretical aspects of work required in a highly skilled occupation. Apprenticeship programs combine OTJ and classroom training to prepare workers for more than 800 skilled occupations such as computer operator and laboratory technician. * Classroom Training Classroom Training is conducted off the job and is probably the most familiar training method. It is an effective means of imparting information quickly to large groups with limited or no knowledge of the subject being presented. It is useful for teaching factual material, concepts, principles, and theories. Portions of orientation programs, some aspects of apprenticeship training, and safety programs are usually presented utilizing some form of classroom instruction. * Virtual classroom Internet technology has advanced rapidly and as a result the training of Prev Page employees is changing. In some companies, employee training has moved from the old typical style classroom to the internet. A virtual classroom is an online teaching and learning environment that integrates chat rooms, desktop video conferencing, web sites, and e-mail distributions into a typical lecture-based systems. Virtual classroom offer training in either self-paced courses, real-time courses through intranets, or real-time video conferencing. In a typical virtual classroom, a professor lectures to a local class and a remote class that may be thousand of miles away. EVALUATING TRAINING When the results of a training program are evaluated, a number of benefits accrue. Less effective programs can be withdrawn to save time and effort. Weaknesses within established programs can be identified and remedied. Evaluation of training can be broken down into four areas : 1. Reaction – How much did the trainees like the program? 2. Learning – What principles, facts, and concepts were learned in the training program? 3. Behavior – Did the job behavior of the trainees change because of the program? 4. Results – What were the results of the program in terms of factorssuch as reduced costs or reduction in turnover? * Reaction Reaction evaluation should be consider a wide range of topics, including program content, structure and format, instructional techniques, instructors abilities and style, the quality of the learning environment, the extent to which training objectives were achieved, and recommendations for improvement. Reaction evaluation questionnaires are normally administrated immediately following the training, but they can be administered several weeks later. The major flaw in using only reaction evaluation is that enthuasiasm of trainees cannot necessarily be taken as evidence of improved ability and performance * Learning Learning evaluation concerns how well the trainees understood and absorbed the principles, facts, and skills taught. In teaching skills, classroom Prev Page demonstrations by trainees are a fairly objective way to determine how much learning is occurring. Where principles and facts are being taught, paper and pencils tests can be used. Standardized tests can be purchased to measure learning in many areas. In other areas, the trainers must develop their own tests. To obtain an accurate picture of what was learned, trainees should be tested both before and after the program. * Behavior Behavior evaluation deals with the nature of the change in job behavior of the trainee and is much more difficult than reaction of learning evaluation. The following guidelines can help evaluate behavioral change. A systematic appraisal should be made of on the job (OTJ) performance on a before and after basis. The appraisal of performance should be made by one or more of the following groups (the more the better) * The trainee * The trainee’s superior * The trainee’s subordinates * The trainee’s peers or other people thoroughly familiar with his/her performance. A statistical analysis should be made to compare performance before and after training and to relate changes to the training program. The post-training appraisal should be made several months after the training so that the trainees have an opportunity to put what they have learned into practice. A control group (one not receiving the training) should be used. * Results. Results evaluation attempts to measure changes in variables such as reduced turnover, reduced costs, improved efficiency, reduction in grievances, and increases in quantity and quality of production. As with behavior evaluation, pretests, posttests, and control groups are reqired in performing an accurate results evaluation. Prev Page BENEFITS OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT As we know, training is designed to change attitudes, develop skills, and impart knowledge. Effective training programmes may require expenditure on the part of the employer, but they bring about a number of benefits to the organization, including – * Increased productivity which in turn leads to higher profits. * More satisfied employees which lowers turnover rates. * Aid recruitment efforts making it easier to hire talented employees. * Trained employees are more innovative. * The company is in a better position to compete both nationally and internationally. Trained employees help ensure that company profits are maximized. At the same time, the training of employees is significant at the macro level of the economy. Well-trained staff can produce higher quality products which can successfully gain a good share of the world markets. By training and development organizing work around subordinates becomes fairly easy. The span of control of the managers increase which help the organizations in low costs and thus better allocation of resources takes place. It also helps the managers effectively and efficiently attain the organizational goals. Also by training the employees helps the employees get updated with the latest skills and techniques, which in turn increase the productivity and output per worker and the marginal and average productivity per worker increases. THE MALAYSIA CASE ON TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT. Malaysia is an example country that really put an efforts in order to maintain and establish a good way of training and development. As we know, Prev Page Malaysia are now competing with highly sophisticated staff from many multinational company from many nations. Through this, the Malaysian government takes a keen interest in helping and encouraging employers to train their staff continuously. The government of Malaysia has established a number of initiatives which directly or indirectly help employers to train their employees. This include – * A free educational system up to secondary level. * Subsidized tertiary education in public universities. * Encouraging top-class foreign universities to establish branches or campuses or conduct training programme’s . * Establishment of Industrial Training Institutes to train industrial training instructors. * Introduction of the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd. Act. (Human Resource Development Bhd. Act. ) International HRD Types of Expatriates Expatriates Free Agent Heart at Home Going Native Dual Citizen Proactive Career Stagnant Career Ethnocentric Adaptable Most Effective There are generally four types of expatriates managers : Free agent. There are two types of free agent. The first includes people who put their career above either the parent company or the foreign operation where they Prev Page are working. They often are highly effective, but they will move with little warning from one company to another, may serve their own short term interests at the expense of the company’s long term ones, and do not plan to return to their home country. The second types of people are who takes foreign assignment only for the large compensation. Heart at home The heart at home type is very ethnocentric and usually eager to return home. When the company wants strong headquarters control, this type of person may be useful and effective. Going native The going native type learns and accepts the local way of doing business, want to stay in the foreign location, and prefer not to consult headquarters. This type of person may be appropriate for situations in which the company follows multi domestic practices. Dual Citizen The dual citizen type has a clear understanding of global needs, why he or she is needed at the foreign subsidiary and local. This type of person usually finds methods to align the interest of headquarters and the subsidiary. Generally, the dual citizen is most effective type of expatriate managers. Training and Development for Expatriate Managers Training focus on preparing the manager for a specific job, while development is concern with the developing skills of the manager when he work with the firm. Normally, most firms focus more on the training rather than on development of the management. Management development programmes for expatriate managers increase overall skills levels by continuing learning in management and rotations of managers through jobs within the global firms to gain more experiences. Management development is best to used as strategic tool to build strong understanding about other culture and informal management network, both of which are supportive of a transnational and global strategy. Before expatriates are sent for their foreign assignment, they need to be Prev Page prepared for their foreign assignment, they need to be prepared for their new and more challenging tasks. So, it is important for expatriates well trained before they leave the country. Training for expatriates managers involve obtaining skills for a particular foreign posting. Training can helps expatriates and their families to ready with the above problems related to the foreign assignments. Cultural training, language training, and practical training will help those expatriate to solve the problem and reduce expatriates failures. Cultural training Cultural training provides opportunities for expatriates to understand and value the culture of the host country. The training must be cover the country culture such as in aspect of history, politics, economy, religion, and social and business practices prior to departure. Cultural training can promote an appreciation of the host country’s culture and help in expatriate adjustment. Language training Although the English is the international language, expatriates are needed to learn and understand some language of the host country. It is because to helps effective communication between locals and expatriates. Language training helps to improve expatriates’s effectiveness, aid expatriates in adjusting to foreign culture, and create a better corporate image. Practical training Practical training is the best mode to prepared the expatriates to adapt new environment and daily activities. Sharing experiences with those who have been to the host’s country is one way to have real life experiences prior to departure. Once in the host country, seeking support from other expatriates from the same country would speed up the process of adaptation in the new environment. Practical training can help expatriates and family ease into day to day life of the host country. Repatriation training Another issue in training and development is repatriation which refer to preparing expatriates for re-entry into their home country organization. This is the same to support expatriate to adjust the expatriate in a new environment. Prev Page Cross Cultural Training Cross cultural training is a kind of cultural training given to the potential expatriates before they go on their overseas assignments. Cross cultural training refers to the development of awareness between people where a common cultural framework does not exist. There are two approaches of cross cultural training which are cross cultural awareness training and culture or country specific training. Cross Cultural Awareness Training. Cross cultural awareness training deals with the manifestation of culture in the workplace and has many applications. Its main purpose is to evaluate and undertake the challenges cross cultural differences can bring to the workplace. This training generates awareness of a foreign culture and creates understanding of how to foster mutual trust, respect, and understanding in a different culture. This training an effort to equip potential expatriates with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage a multi-cultural staff. This training helps them to create fair and comfortable working environment and enhance negotiations with foreign clients or customers in discussing possible terms and conditions. Culture or Country specific training Culture or country specific training is commonly targeted at individual or teams that often visit a foreign country or who frequently interact with foreign client. Such training usually focuses on areas such as values, morals, ethics, business practices, etiquette, protocol, or negotiation styles with reference to one country. This better equips participants with the key skills. Understanding and appreciating intercultural differences ultimately promotes clearer communication, reduces communication, reduces barriers, builds trust, strengthen relationships, open horizons, and yield tangible results in terms of business success. Repatriation of Expatriates Repatriation is a critical issues in the training and development of expatriates managers. Repatriation is concerned when the expatriates who have been living abroad for certain period of time for re-entry into their Prev Page home country. Repatriation should be seen as the final link in an integrated, circular process that selects, train, sends, and brings home expatriate managers. Repatriation is the return of the expatriate to his or home country following completion of a lengthy foreign assignment. Repatriation is needed as expatriates who have spent a few years in host country cultures often experiences distress in readapting to their own home culture. The distress is normally caused by adaptation to the host country, followed by re-entry, which means that they have adapt to something that they left before. This creates disturbance in the early period of coming back, and is referred to as reverse culture shock. The disturbance is worse when returning managers are not able to get the right position or nothing more than to get the position in the home office. Like expatriation, repatriation requires advance preparation. If repatriation is not properly managed, the expatriate will encounter problem when returning to the home country. Some of returning employees fell that their international experiences is not valued because they be placed in lower position rather than high position on overseas. Moreover, some expatriates report that they have difficulties in financial upon returned. Many experiences reverse culture shock when in readjustment to home country culture. For employees and employee who have worked several years abroad have difficulties to readjustment the daily life like before. Problem with repatriation arises in three general areas such as personal finances, readjustment to the home country work environment, and readjustment to the home country social life. Companies give expatriate many financial benefits to encourage them to accept a foreign assignment. While abroad, expatriates may live in the high standard neighbourhood and sent their children to the private schools, socialize with elite group, and still save more money because of high wages. Some of human resources practices for smoothing repatriation including providing expatriates with an advance notices of when they will return, more information about their new jobs, placement in suitable job regarding with their foreign experiences, housing assistance, reorientation programmes, periodic visits to headquarters, and enlisting a formal headquarters mentor to watch over their interests while.

Persuasive Essay on Adoption

Homosexual Couples Should Be Allowed to Adopt New Jersey’s statewide parenting legislation espouses a progressive stance on the matters of same-sex parenting and child care in the processes of adoption and foster parenting. The Garden State allows for same-sex adoption; allows single homosexuals to adopt; and allows second parent same-sex adoption (â€Å"Same-Sex Adoption Laws,† n. d. ). New Jersey has passed progressive laws and policies that prohibit discrimination charged against gay individuals in the adoption process (Sudol, 2010).New Jersey state law also bans discrimination against gay individuals in the foster parent process (2010). New Jersey Statutes Annotated 9:3-43 enables for any person to adopt permitted the said person(s) pass a background investigation and meet adoption criteria for eligibility(N. J. S. A. 9:3-43). Unmarried joint adoptive parents petitioning to adopt a child can do so because of N. J. S. A. 9:3-43. In re Adoption of two Children by H. N . R. , 666 A. 2d 535 (N. J. Super. 995) permits second parent adoption; this statute exercises the possibility for an individual to petition for shared rights of custody with a parent who already possesses legal parental custody of a child. Several states prohibit joint adoption due to unmarried status. This statute is favorable for unmarried parents seeking to adopt in New Jersey. This New Jersey statute provides for an overall tolerant atmosphere for queer individuals and couples looking to adopt or become foster parents. In summary, laws and policies regarding same-sex adoption vary from state to state.The three common forms of adoptive guardianship are individual (single) parent adoption, joint adoption, and second parent adoption. Firstly, the most traditional type of adoptive parents is the single parent adoption. This is where an unmarried individual adopts a child that has been put up for adoption by the birth parent or by the state. Secondly, joint adoption is when an unmar ried couple can petition the court to adopt a child. Lastly, in the case of a second parent adoption, one parent has legal guardianship over a child and a second parent petitions the court to become a legally recognized co-parent.Bans on gay marriage vary state by state, as a consequence, gay couples cannot petition for adoption as a married couple but, as single individuals. This creates the opportunity for gay couples to become legal parents of foster children since most states prevent unmarried couples from adopting. As a result of state to state differences in the question of gay adoptive parents, second-parent adoptions are either permitted or the laws are unclear (Montana, 2009). Montana (2009) argues that ambiguity in court decisions are prevalent regarding gay second parent adoption petitions.Montana (2009) asserts how a state’s unclear and ambiguous position on second parent adoption places the decision on the judge to rule according to his or her personal beliefs co ncerning homosexuality rather than the letter of the law. The courts of twenty-one states including Washington, D. C. have granted second-parent adoption availability to several individuals applying to become legal second parents or co-parents of former foster children (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006).Mississippi law bars same-sex couples from all possibilities of adoption but, allows the viability for single gays and lesbians to adopt (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006). In Utah and New Hampshire, all unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation are allowed to adopt (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006). The following states allow adoption by openly gay and lesbian couples: Florida, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D. C. Social movements and countercultures during the 1960’s and 1970’s emerged and challenged institutionalized oppression.The Civil Rights movement addressed the pli ght of African Americans in a viciously racist society. Gay rights and the feminist movement actively subverted traditional gender norms through political activism. The American public’s disapproval of the Vietnam War served as the political platform to advance anti-war, civil rights, feminist, and queer political agendas in the increasing struggle for equal rights in a discriminatory inequitable society. The social movements of the 60’s and 70’s impacted the traditional views of adoption in the United States.The trend of challenging the dominant society’s oppressive social structures that best represent the interests of the dominant group, influenced society to question adoption laws during the 1970’s (Montana, 2009). Much like today, openly gay applicants were barred from adoption. The majorities of the cases was and still are second-parent adoptions, in which the biological parent is the legal guardian and their life partner petitions the state court to adopt (Montana, 2009). Adopting a child that is unrelated to either partner is still difficult in contemporary society; however, it is o longer illegal in most states (Montana, 2009). The seventies birthed professional organizations designed to advocate for disenfranchised oppressed groups. One of the most renowned organizations that continues to engage in public education and legal activism is Lambda Legal. Lambda Legal’s mission is to achieve full equality and secure the legal protection of the LGBT community. Throughout the 1970s, Lambda Legal was instrumental in winning some of the nation's first court cases on behalf of gay and lesbian parents and same-sex couples (Lambda Legal, n. . ). Since its inception in the seventies, Lambda Legal has battled to institute policy change, social change through political and legal activism, and to shape new positive attitudes about the LGBT community through educational awareness. For instance, a landmark court case, Finstuen v. Edmondson, was a paramount victory for LGBT individuals and same-sex parents everywhere. In 2004, the Oklahoma legislature exacted a punitive law that rendered children orphans if adopted in other states by same-sex couples.Thus, when their families returned, moved to or traveled through Oklahoma, the parents’ legal custody over the newly adopted children is not recognized by the state of Oklahoma. The three families in this case were headed by same-sex couples with children adopted in Washington, New Jersey and California respectively. Two of the families moved to Oklahoma. In the legal defense of the three families, Lambda Legal argued that the law is unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment violating the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses. All legal parents have a fundamental right to care for and raise their children, which is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution (Lambda Legal, n. d. ). Lambda Legal remains active in challenging discriminatory laws and policies on the local and state level that work to invalidate the legal adoptions of children by same-sex parents. Lambda Legal secured pivotal wins for the LGBT community’s adoptive parents in its most recent trials; these trials are similar to the Oklahoma court case where the rights of same-sex couples and their adopted children were denied. The Evan B.Donaldson Adoption Institute is another notable organization that partnered with the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) to produce a legal document to ensure ethical practice and policy to secure the well-being of same-sex adoptive families. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and the NASW Illinois chapter are dedicated to promote the best interests of children by engaging in research regarding adoption. The adequate education and training of child welfare professionals encourages fundamentally sound and ethical practice when interacting with the gay community. In an effort to fight for ethical public policies and laws for same-sex adoption, the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute immerses itself in political activism to apply pressure to local and state political officials to consider issues that inhibit the likelihood of same-sex parents for homeless foster children. The number of children in need of homes is steadily increasing; organizations like the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and Lambda Legal are instrumental in changing the willingness of adoption agencies to accept same-sex parents. Organizational response creates room for social change.Although the debate about same-sex adoptive parents continues to gain national attention, state, local courts and adoption agencies will continue to arbitrarily deny or accept same-sex petitions for adoption if the federal government does not intervene to standardize this issue by implementing an overriding national policy. Ryan Nishimoto, author of â€Å"Marriage Makes Cents: How Law ;um p; Economics Justifies Same-Sex Marriage,† suggests that society’s objections against same-sex marriage and same-sex adoptive parents are rooted in homophobic sentiments, religious views, and denigrating stereotypes (Nishimoto, 2003).The Supreme Court has historically undermined the gay rights question in contemporary American law (Nishimoto, 2003). The Supreme Court shares the general public’s sentiments about homosexuality’s immoral nature which deems same-sex couples unfit for marriage and parenting (Nishimoto, 2003). The prohibitions on same-sex marriage intimately impact the legal and economic dimensions of homosexual relationships. Marital benefits heterosexual couples receive do not apply to same-sex couples looking to adopt.Nishimoto (2003) lists how same-sex partners are excluded from insurance awards, social security benefits, public pensions, worker's compensation, income tax benefits, and estate tax benefits. Being that gays are not able to mar ry, their partners are not considered spouses. As a result, same-sex â€Å"unions† and â€Å"partnerships† are not legally recognized to qualify for the aforementioned benefits that heterosexual couples reap. This reality complicates adoption and custody cases for LGBT same-sex couples. Same sex couples must file for a second parent adoption so that both artners have legal custody over the adopted child. This process is emotionally draining and financially costly; a petitioning gay or lesbian parent faces extensive social work assessment to establish suitability (Nishimoto, 2003). State laws can prohibit same-sex second-parent adoption nullifying the possibility of a couple possessing joint custody of a child. Once again, second-parent adoption may be unclear in state legislations. This leaves the decision to appeal a petition on the court judge. A couple’s opportunity to gain joint custody relies on the judge’s personal views on homosexuality (Nishimoto, 2003).Nishimoto (2003) concludes the discussion of adoption and custody battles for LGBT couples by stating, â€Å"Thus, even if the parents overcome the lengthy, costly obstacles in their path, a judge may simply choose not to authorize the adoption. † Recommendation/Conclusion Interventions at the practice level can have far reaching benefits for same-sex parents and their children. Same-sex friendly foster agencies must engage in practice that does not further oppress the LGBT population with uninformed and unethical practice, policy, and unprofessional behavior.According to Sudol (2010) foster care agencies must cultivate a culture of inclusive practice integrated at the agency and case levels. At the agency level, staff training must have a comprehensive coverage of LGBT issues and topics; paperwork documentation, informational materials must use inclusive language, advertisements should portray a diverse representation of LGBT families, and inclusive recruitment effort s. Inclusive practice suggests that a practitioner uses culturally competent language as preferred by individual/family, avoids â€Å"outing† people, and includes other LGBT people/groups in family engagement/kin search (Sudol, 2010).In addition, Sudol (2010) adds that child welfare professionals and social workers alike, need to avoid focusing on the sexual identity of the individual/family by seeing the human not the identity. We strongly agree that the federal government must negotiate the contemporary question of same-sex parenting. It makes no sense for the federal government to give a blind eye and a deaf ear to same-sex parenting. Same-sex marriage coupled with this debate is gaining increasing attention as homosexuality gains legitimacy within the broader dominant society.The overview of current adoption law concerning lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents by the National Center for Lesbian Rights perfectly considers contemporary evidence justifying why LGBT parents are fit for adoption and why the Supreme Court must address this ensuing issue as opposed to leaving it for individual states to reconcile. One, a growing number of children lives in families with two same-sex parents. University of Maryland, Family Policy Impact Seminar, conducted research juxtaposing the rates of adoption in â€Å"gay-friendly† states in comparison to states with â€Å"anti-gay† policies.Studies showed that â€Å"gay-friendly† states adopted children and found permanent residencies as twice as much as â€Å"anti-gay† states. Two, sexual orientation is not relevant to parental ability. Discourse on the capabilities of same-sex parents to be adequate parents is governed principally by harmful stereotypes and moral judgments condemning homosexuality. â€Å"Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents.Indeed, the evidence to date sugg ests that home environments provided by gay and lesbian parents are as likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to support and enable children’s psychosocial growth. † (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2002). Three, the need for adoptive homes and the increasing visibility of lesbian, gay, and bisexual parent families has contributed to a dramatic decrease in anti-gay discriminatory policies and practices on the part of adoption agencies and courts.Four, adoption provides legal protection to children of LGBT parents. The United States guarantees financial support, inheritance rights, social security benefits, retirement benefits, and state worker’s compensation benefits for children of heterosexual parents. The downfall to this is that current law is bias against LGBT couples. Children are not eligible for these benefits if the co-parent in a same-sex partnership is not legally recognized as a guardian.For example, if the child is sick and needs to be hosp italized, the second parent cannot give medical consent for treatment to his/her child. These incentives/benefits must apply to all children regardless of the parent’s marital status and sexual orientation. The LGBT community has made progressive strides for legal rights in the area of family law (NCLR, 2011). To strengthen and preserve the emotional health of a family in a same-sex parented household, society must change their traditional views of what constitutes a family.LGBT organizations remain fierce and persistent in advocating for equality and legal rights of the gay community. Custody, visitation rights, domestic partnership benefits, sick-leave benefits, marriage, and adoption are all arenas which the gay community continues to transform for their benefit (NCLR, 2011). Legal recognition of family relationships for same-sex families further enables courts, social welfare policies, and child welfare institutions to adopt LGBT inclusive protections. Mass media mirrors our society’s values and social attitudes.The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) encourages media outlets to recognize the highly increasing numbers of families with gay, lesbian and bi-sexual parents by incorporating their stories and experiences into the coverage of all issues related to families. The diversity of images in popular media aids in the reconstruction of the idea of the â€Å"ideal† family. It is more important than ever for literature, publication, television, cinema, advertisements, and music to be change agents in today’s society.Structural change may be slow; however, as a society we must realize that thousands of loving individuals and couples are being denied the chance of giving orphans a loving home. The numbers of orphans increasing in foster care services are disproportionate to the number of foster parents willing to adopt them. This fact alone without a shadow of a doubt calls to question the involvement federal govern ment to revise law and policy to integrate the needs of same-sex parents and the growing orphan problem in the United States.The investigation of same-sex parents continues to produce evidence suggesting that children growing up in same-sex households report feeling more tolerant of other groups. The quality of parenting and family functioning are not inhibited by the parent’s sexual orientation. Lastly, children raised by same-sex parents do not exhibit psychosocial and emotionally disruptive behaviors (Children Welfare Information Gateway, 2011). | |

Crown, Cork and Seal in 1989

Crown, Cork and Seal in 1989 Introduction Crown, Cork and Seal Company was one of the metal can industries that dominated the United States market in 1989. It had a market share of seven percent in the metal can industries with Avery as the Crown’s new CEO who was determined to change industry outlook.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Crown, Cork and Seal in 1989 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The five-force analysis of industries determines the attractiveness of a market based on competitive intensity where attractiveness in the five-force analysis of industries refers to the industry’s profitability. Threat of new competitors Industries with high profitability tend to attract many new firms that aim at yielding high returns for their investments. The new firms that enter into the market reduce profitability for all firms in the industry, which leads to perfect competition. The metal container industry in United States repre sented sixty one percent of packaged products in 1989. The presence of a large market share attracted many firms in the industry because of profitability, which was evident in the market. The metal can industry was dominated by five major firms, which had a large market share whose balance was being served by more than a hundred firms. This led to high competition in pricing which resulted to decrease in operating margins for Crown Company and other firms in the industry. Threat of substitute products The threat is caused by existence of other products that are able to substitute the common products in the industry. The threat of substitute products means that customers may prefer alternative products instead of the common products. The metal container industry in 1989 had the threat of substitute products, which split its market share. Glass and plastic containers were the substitute products and they had a market share of thirty nine percent. Absence of substitute products would m ean that metal can industry would have a hundred percent of market share.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers or customers tends to pressure firms in price changes, which may be due to buyer volume or availability of substitute products in the industry. The force of the bargaining power of customers affected firms in the metal can industry. This is because customers as well as the buyers through cut-in-order sizes, which led to low profitability, punished firms with uncompetitive prices (Bradley 2005, p.53). The bargaining power of customers in the metal can industry led to competitive pricing and firms encouraged large orders by offering large discounts to customers. The firms in the industry gave in to customers bargaining power by giving large discounts with the aim of protecting their market share. Comp etitive rivalry Every industry has competitiveness, which is determined by firms with the same products within the industry. Due to competition in the industry, Crown, Cork and Seal Company decided to gain competitive advantage by having new technologies and innovations to develop their product line. This helped the firm to gain a powerful competitive advantage over the other firms by meeting the customer’s needs in a more convenient way than other firms in the industry meet. Bargaining power of suppliers Industries rely on suppliers who supply them with labor, raw materials, services and other components. Suppliers may charge high prices to the firms if there are few substitutes. The main suppliers of the Crown Company were aluminum and steel producers. Aluminum had the largest market share but steel had an advantage over aluminum because of its price.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Crown, Cork and Seal in 1989 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion The metal container industry in 1989 was characterized by the five-force analysis of industries. The major threats that affected Crown, Cork and Seal Company were availability of substitute packaging materials like glass and plastic substitutes. There was also a threat in the industry, which was caused by in house manufacture of metal cans by brewers and food producers. Reference Bradley, S., 2005. Crown, Cork Seal in 1989. Harvard: Harvard UP.

slipknot essays

slipknot essays Iowa is best known as "The middle of nowhere." Iowa has never had a singular voice to put it on the musical map since the dawning of rock' n' roll in the early 50's. However, nine young men from Des Moines, wearing industrial coveralls and surrealistic home made masks. They started their own type of music called "L.A. neo metal" also known as "ultra-violence." This type of music is composed of death metal, hip hop, and down-tuned screeching horror. Clockwork Orange is the only band to come even close to sounding like Slipknot. The band member's names are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. As normal people they are Sid Wilson, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray, Chris Fehn, James Root, Craig Jones, Shawn Crahan, Mick Thompson, and Corey Taylor. Each member chose and created their own mask. The members of the band are not defined as individual dew to their number assignments or their masks but dew to their personal instrumental talent. Their line up has changed many times since their start in early 1995. All native Iowans, their rather unassuming, un-happening locale gave the members plenty of space and time to perfect their unusual take on their bond of friendship or as "a family unit." The band recorded and distributed the self-released debut Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. In 1996, and the ball has not stop rolling yet. Attracting the attention of a large number of record labels, Slipknot finally signed to Roadrunner records through nationally recognized producer Ross Robinson's I AM RECORDS imprint in 1997 and ent ered Indigo Ranch Studios in L.A. with Robinson to record Slipknot the self titled album. Slipknot's vast array of influences comes seamlessly wrapped up in a 13-song love/hate letter to the outside world. Only about 2000 copies of Mate Feed Kill Repeat were ever released. Sid Wilson was given the number zero. Sid specializes on the turn table for the band. Sid grew up in and was born in Iowa. At concerts when Sid is not behin...

How Does the Scoring Curve Work for the ACT?

The ACT is a standardized exam most commonly taken by juniors and seniors in the United States. Many college admissions committees require either an ACT or SAT score, and some states now use the ACT as a high school graduation requirement. The test is well known nationally and its results are recognized by the most competitive colleges and universities in the country. For this reason, it comes as a bit of a surprise that ACT scores are not as commonly understood as one might expect. In fact, there are many misconceptions about ACT scores and their meaning, including the idea of an ACT scoring curve.       In this post, we will outline how ACTs are scored and what the implications of this scoring are on testing decisions and score comparisons. Read on to learn more about how the ACT scoring curve works. The ACT is offered in the United States six times per year, and while it’s common to think that your test will be scored on a curve in relation to the other tests taken on your test date, this is actually incorrect.   Your ACT is scored through a series of careful calculations. First, the number of questions you got right on each separate section is tallied. This results in what is known as a raw score. The raw score is simply the number of correct answers you submitted, and this number is not readily apparent on your score report. Instead, you see a score that is scaled. Your raw score is converted to a scaled score ranging from 1-36. These are the scores headlining your score report and are the numbers you’re probably most familiar with if you’ve researched ACT averages or benchmarks. Your scaled scores for each separate section are then averaged to calculate your composite score. Fractions more than or equal to one half are rounded up to the nearest whole number, while fractions under one half are rounded down to the nearest whole number. Your composite score is the first number that appears on your score report and is widely accepted as the most important indicator of your success on the test. Raw scores are converted to scaled scores by using a test-specific curve designed to correct for slight variations in the difficulty of each test. The curve is not based in any way on the performance of your peers. While we’re most accustomed to hearing about curves that are plotted in relation to other scores on the test, for the ACT this is not the case. Instead, the curve is calculated based on the specific difficulty of the ACT that you took. Because there are multiple versions of the test administered each year, it’s necessary to account for slight variations in how difficult each test is. Questions are weighted by difficulty and each test’s specific curve will take this into account. Again, multiple versions of the ACT are administered throughout the year and the difficulty of each test will vary. But generally, there is no single test administration that is easier than another. Even if a single test was easier, the score conversion process is designed to negate this difference on your scaled score. That is to say, if you did happen to take a slightly easier version of the exam, the scale to convert your raw score would be slightly steeper, making any mistakes more significant than they would be on a harder version of the test. Because many people do not understand the scaling process, there are some misconceptions about choosing a specific test date. One common misconception is that you should avoid taking the test during a particular month if there may be a large group of strong students taking the test, since this would throw off the scoring curve. Some people might say that the October test date is typically the most competitive, since many high school seniors are taking the test for the last time. But this idea is actually false, since the scoring curve does not depend on the scores achieved by other students taking the test at the same time as you. For example, if you take the ACT during a month when many strong students are also testing, and many of them score a perfect 36, your score will be the same as it would have been had they not taken the test. Your scaled score is dependent only on the independent difficulty of the particular version of the ACT that you took. The performance of your peers bears no weight on your converted score. Unless you have an official ACT Converted Score Chart produced specifically for the version of the test that you’re trying to score, you cannot convert your own raw score to the scaled score. On official practice tests, you are given a conversion chart made specifically for that test. While the chart changes only slightly from one version of the test to another, it cannot be reliably used to convert scores from other versions of the ACT. To get an idea of what the converted score chart looks like, and the process for scoring an ACT, check out page 60 of the official Preparing for the ACT Test booklet, which contains a complete practice test and its specific ACT Converted Score Chart. There is no magic formula when it comes to scoring well on the ACT. No test dates are easier than others, no test facilities will administer an easier test on any given day, and no amount of peer influence will change the way your raw score is converted to the 36-point scale. The only way to ensure that you receive the highest ACT score you’re capable of is to maximize your studying and test preparations. Some students find a study group helps to keep them on track and hold them accountable. Other students find that a personal ACT tutor is the most effective means of preparing. Still others prefer studying independently. Whatever the case may be for you, make sure to begin your test preparations well ahead of time. Here are some study guides to get you started: In addition to studying the test content, be sure to study test strategy and format as well. You should go into the test knowing exactly what to expect on test day so that there are no surprises to throw you off your game. Be familiar with the instructions for each individual section, the pacing of each section, and the general content knowledge required. While there is no single test date or facility that will magically transform your ACT score from drab to fab, there are certainly measures that you can take in advance to set yourself up for the most successful testing experience possible. Don’t overlook the value of proper planning and prior preparation as you get ready for your ACT test day. To learn more about the ACT test, check out these posts: With our free ACT checklist, you’ll get tips on how to strategize and get ready for the ACT. Enter your name and email below to download the checklist.

Exploration of a chemotherapy regime used for head and neck cancers Essay

Exploration of a chemotherapy regime used for head and neck cancers and its side effect- mucositis - Essay Example In this regard, chemotherapy is regarded as one of the effective treatments, which is readily accessible for combatting against cancer. It is often viewed to be an anti-cancer drug, which is used to damage cancer cells. This treatment is offered with the objective of minimising the growth as well as the development of cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs are injected in the veins of a human body that circulates in the blood throughout the body, so that they are able to reach the cancer cells effectively. In relation to the case of head along with neck cancers, chemotherapy treatment would be applicable with the assistance of radiotherapy in a combined manner. The aforementioned combined treatment for cancer is recognised as chemo radiation. Chemotherapy treatment is offered to shrink tumours before surgery. The most common chemotherapy drugs that are offered for combatting against neck and head cancers are Cisplatin and 4 day 5-fluorouracil. ... mucositis. Chemotherapy Regimen in relation to Cisplatin and 4 day 5-Fluorouracil Chemotherapy treatment in relation to Cisplatin and 4 day 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) is offered to patients with head and neck cancer after conducting a blood test. On ascertaining that the result of blood test is normal, the chemotherapy drugs are prepared. The nurses insert catheter or ‘peripherally inserted central catheters’ (PICC) line in a vein nearby the collarbone or in the arms of human body. The patients suffering with head or neck cancer are offered with anti-sickness drugs through the line before the infusion of Cisplatin and 5FU (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2012). The chemotherapy treatments are offered for mitigating cancer in different ways. There are certain procedures or plans on the basis of which treatments are offered to cancer patients in an effective manner so that damaged cells are restricted to grow uncontrollably. Additionally, following a particular regimen will eventually facilitate in combatting against the significant concern of cancer. In this regard, one of the most appropriate chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of head and neck cancers is to the follow a mentioned schedule. In this context, in the first day of the chemotherapy treatment, a patient having neck and head cancer is provided with Cisplatin infusion combined with pre and post hydration. After the infusion of Cisplatin, the patient is then infused with 5FU. The 5FU infusion has an effect for four days. The patients having central or PICC line are allowed to leave for home with a portable pump after the infusion of Cisplatin and 5FU. Contextually, the patients with the attached portable pump should return to the medical centre and with the assistance of a nurse, are required to get the pump

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing - Essay Example There are various reasons, which lead to the effective marketing of certain brands than others in the same market. This paper looks at the reasons, which make certain companies such as Unilever, and Good Foods brands gain market dominance quickly than other brands such as Nike and Adidas. One main reason why companies gain market dominance quickly than other brands is the capital invested in the company. This is because these companies have enough capital obtainable to pay for set-up costs and any preliminary losses. These companies’ gains these funds from two main sources. This are from other departments of the company, such as Unilever getting the finance to fund its tea processing from the soap-manufacturing department, or in the other countries where the company has invested, such as a Unilever brand operating in the US borrowing money from a Unilever brand operating in UK. The first strategy of borrowing from a different department is known as diversification process and is usually associated with big companies. The second strategy is known as globalization of markets which results from pressures from competing companies in the same market. ... een in history whereby the legislature enact laws which is a political strategy to develop the national economies that has provided critical protection and support to by creating barriers of entry into the market. Examples of political strategies used are the formation of many licenses, which a company has to fulfill in order to be allowed to operate in a given country. Moreover, some countries create barriers of entry in increasing the tax payable to the government by a foreign company. For instance, in Kenya, a company has to pay a tax of 30% of its total earnings in order to be allowed to operate in that country (Creamer & Neil, 2008, p.8). Furthermore, these companies benefit from excess demands, which surpass their supply. Unilever Company and Good Foods Companies deal with highly perishable goods and which are necessities. These goods enable the company to have regular demand since, for people to live they have to have the necessity as compared to the luxury goods produced by N ike and Adidas. The regular demand enables the company to have a high profit level allowing them to expand. Consequently, this company uses this profit to form a good base by investing in newer markets and developing brands, which will in turn make profit for them (Creamer, 2008, p.5). To buy a product from Nike and Adidas companies, a customer has to spend a lot of money as compared to buying a product from other sporting brands such as Puma and Umbro. By raising their products prices, these companies’ makes mistakes by becoming complacent thus allowing other big firms to develop and therefore undermine their position in the market. In addition, they allow other smaller companies such as Legea, to expand and therefore increase the competition (Hall & Mark, 2000, p.5). Besides, companies

Gasoline Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gasoline Prices - Essay Example Increased fuel prices forces American society to find alternative energy sources and motivates the government to invest more into research and development of the cars with less fuel consumption and improving efficiency of the refinery sector. Crude oil prices have the major impact on gasoline prices. Other factors include refinery capacity in the country, gasoline inventories maintained by refiners which is going downward, regulatory environment (national air quality standards), and the structure of the gasoline market. It is important to note that mergers lead to anticompetitive effects because more power is given to merged companies who are able to increase prices above competitive level. The first wave of mergers has started in 1990s in US when several competing with each other companies have merged. More than 2,500 mergers have occurred at that time - since 2000 only 8 mergers have occurred involving different market segments (exploration, production, and transportation) (Energy Markets: Factors Contributing to Higher Gasoline Prices, 1). Refining capacity in the United States is not expanding at the same rate as demand for the gasoline. The American average refinery capacity is 92 percent - as the result, there is no room to expand production (Energy Markets: Factors Contributing to Higher Gasoline Prices, 1). ... Experts attribute higher prices to the expending demand (particularly for the electricity production) while supply is not expanding at the same rate. The balance of demand and supply is especially affected if demand or supply changes unexpectedly. For example, the prices went up at the end of year 2005 when two hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast region (Natural Gas: Factors Affecting Prices and Potential Impacts on Consumers, 1). As it was noted above, the domestic refineries are already working at their full capacity and the fact that the gasoline is imported leads to the shortage of supply. According to market structure principles, the shortage of supply results in increased cost - people will buy gasoline despite of the price they pay. In 2004 the United States citizens have consumed approximately 20.5 million barrels per day of crude oil accounting for as much as 25 percent of global production. Half of this crude oil was used for the production of gasoline. Data from the Energy Information Administration indicate that the capacity of American refineries is approximately 16.5 million barrels per day. Even though the refineries are upgraded, the majority of them have been built over 25 years ago. By year 2020 the demand for gasoline is projected to increase by 20 percent and the country will not be able to satisfy the domestic demand. As Karen Matusic has noted, since May 2005 the demand for gasoline has increased by 3.3 percent while the price increased by 35 percent. From supply side, she continues, those refineries that has been destroyed by hurricanes are operating now and the capacity utilization rate rose to 91.7 percent (Matusic, 1). Despite of the increased capacity, the price for gasoline is not

Psycho Shower Scene Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Psycho Shower Scene Analysis - Essay Example It begins by focusing exclusively on the victim, generating a faint underlying suspicion that she may be being watched. Through a series of close up shots, the camera picks up on the character’s pensive frame of mind, offering a hint that she may be engaged in illegal activity when she tears up a paper from her diary on which she had been jotting figures and decides not to throw it into the dustbin. The shots focusing on the victim throwing the pieces of torn paper into the toilet and taking off her robe before stepping into the shower are replicated at the end of the scene, where after she is murdered, the camera focuses on her robe which will never be worn and the side table in the room, where the notebook she was writing on has disappeared, suggesting the reasons why she was killed. The actual murder is depicted in a series of fast cut, close up shots where the shower head that is sending out its streams of water is the single constant element. At the beginning of the sequence, the camera captures the fountain of water from the shower head in an upward angled shot, which is immediately followed by a shot of the victim smiling and enjoying the water spray. The Director follows this up with a series of shots of the victim soaping herself, but her eyes gradually close in each following shot, as if to underline the fact that she is moving from a happy, contended state to one where she is closing off the dangers that exist in her immediate environment. The appearance of the murderer is achieved through a series of shots focusing on a shadow in the shower curtain that grows darker and more clearly defined as the attacker moves closer. The Director chooses to use a silhouette shot on the attacker, in order to conceal his/her identity, while confounding the viewer at the same time because the silhouette appears to be a woman. The Director films the victim with her back turned to the attacker and has her turn at the very last

Mobile Phone Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile Phone Marketing - Essay Example Failure to do so will eventually turn out to be counterproductive and can lead to the degradation of the brand being marketed (Hendery 2). The dearth of relevant technologies is one other big problem being faced by the proponents of mobile phone marketing. Considering the immense potential of the mobile phone marketing, this channel is gaining an enhanced acceptance amongst the marketing professionals. The corporations are well aware that a mobile phone is something that a person carries everywhere and therefore ample budgetary allocations are being made to launch and support interactive marketing campaigns (Long 1). Infact the potential of mobile phone marketing is much higher as compared to the internet marketing component, as the number of cell phone subscribers is very large as compared to the number of people who own or use computers (Long 1). As per a survey conducted by the Mobile Marketing Association based in Colorado, US, the total number of mobile phone subscribers around the world stands to be a mind boggling 1.4 billion, which is way ahead of the total number of land line phone subscribers throughout the world (Long 1). In the US alone, more then 65 percent of the population owns cell phones (Long 2). Also the text messag ing is gaining much popularity amongst the mobile phone owners (Long 2).There exist many valid reasons that will make mobile marketing really popular amongst the top brands in the UK. First and foremost, the mobile phone marketing enables the brands to interact with a specific target audience (Business Wire 1). Secondly, it enables the brands to ascertain how a user responds to a particular marketing message (Business Wire 1). Last but not the least, mobile phone marketing enables the companies to certify, whether a particular message has reached the customer or not (Business Wire 1). Mobile phone operators also stand to gain from this trend as it promises lucrative revenue opportunities for them. As per a survey conducted by Airwide Solutions in the UK, by the end of 2008, nearly 89 top brands in the UK will resort to text and multimedia messaging to communicate with their potential customers (Business Wire 1). Nearly one third of these brands are expected to allocate more then 10 percent of their marketing allocations to mobile phone marketing (Business Wire 1). Such budgetary allocations are expected to augment to more then 25 percent in the next five years (Business Wire 1). Small screen size of mobile phones was one major barrier to the mobile phone marketing (Shea 1). In the last few years, the mobile phone manufacturers responded to such consumer expectations by making the mobile phones smaller and smaller. Thus the small phones with their small screen sizes severely limited the scope and potential of mobile phone marketing (Shea 1). However, last year this trend was reversed with the advent of Apple's iPhone, which is a small phone with a big screen (Shea 1). Considering the current trend towards bigger screens in association with the recent innovations in the cellular technology like wireless internet capabilities and high speeds, the mobile phone

Gasoline Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gasoline Prices - Essay Example Increased fuel prices forces American society to find alternative energy sources and motivates the government to invest more into research and development of the cars with less fuel consumption and improving efficiency of the refinery sector. Crude oil prices have the major impact on gasoline prices. Other factors include refinery capacity in the country, gasoline inventories maintained by refiners which is going downward, regulatory environment (national air quality standards), and the structure of the gasoline market. It is important to note that mergers lead to anticompetitive effects because more power is given to merged companies who are able to increase prices above competitive level. The first wave of mergers has started in 1990s in US when several competing with each other companies have merged. More than 2,500 mergers have occurred at that time - since 2000 only 8 mergers have occurred involving different market segments (exploration, production, and transportation) (Energy Markets: Factors Contributing to Higher Gasoline Prices, 1). Refining capacity in the United States is not expanding at the same rate as demand for the gasoline. The American average refinery capacity is 92 percent - as the result, there is no room to expand production (Energy Markets: Factors Contributing to Higher Gasoline Prices, 1). ... Experts attribute higher prices to the expending demand (particularly for the electricity production) while supply is not expanding at the same rate. The balance of demand and supply is especially affected if demand or supply changes unexpectedly. For example, the prices went up at the end of year 2005 when two hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast region (Natural Gas: Factors Affecting Prices and Potential Impacts on Consumers, 1). As it was noted above, the domestic refineries are already working at their full capacity and the fact that the gasoline is imported leads to the shortage of supply. According to market structure principles, the shortage of supply results in increased cost - people will buy gasoline despite of the price they pay. In 2004 the United States citizens have consumed approximately 20.5 million barrels per day of crude oil accounting for as much as 25 percent of global production. Half of this crude oil was used for the production of gasoline. Data from the Energy Information Administration indicate that the capacity of American refineries is approximately 16.5 million barrels per day. Even though the refineries are upgraded, the majority of them have been built over 25 years ago. By year 2020 the demand for gasoline is projected to increase by 20 percent and the country will not be able to satisfy the domestic demand. As Karen Matusic has noted, since May 2005 the demand for gasoline has increased by 3.3 percent while the price increased by 35 percent. From supply side, she continues, those refineries that has been destroyed by hurricanes are operating now and the capacity utilization rate rose to 91.7 percent (Matusic, 1). Despite of the increased capacity, the price for gasoline is not

Mobile Phone Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile Phone Marketing - Essay Example Failure to do so will eventually turn out to be counterproductive and can lead to the degradation of the brand being marketed (Hendery 2). The dearth of relevant technologies is one other big problem being faced by the proponents of mobile phone marketing. Considering the immense potential of the mobile phone marketing, this channel is gaining an enhanced acceptance amongst the marketing professionals. The corporations are well aware that a mobile phone is something that a person carries everywhere and therefore ample budgetary allocations are being made to launch and support interactive marketing campaigns (Long 1). Infact the potential of mobile phone marketing is much higher as compared to the internet marketing component, as the number of cell phone subscribers is very large as compared to the number of people who own or use computers (Long 1). As per a survey conducted by the Mobile Marketing Association based in Colorado, US, the total number of mobile phone subscribers around the world stands to be a mind boggling 1.4 billion, which is way ahead of the total number of land line phone subscribers throughout the world (Long 1). In the US alone, more then 65 percent of the population owns cell phones (Long 2). Also the text messag ing is gaining much popularity amongst the mobile phone owners (Long 2).There exist many valid reasons that will make mobile marketing really popular amongst the top brands in the UK. First and foremost, the mobile phone marketing enables the brands to interact with a specific target audience (Business Wire 1). Secondly, it enables the brands to ascertain how a user responds to a particular marketing message (Business Wire 1). Last but not the least, mobile phone marketing enables the companies to certify, whether a particular message has reached the customer or not (Business Wire 1). Mobile phone operators also stand to gain from this trend as it promises lucrative revenue opportunities for them. As per a survey conducted by Airwide Solutions in the UK, by the end of 2008, nearly 89 top brands in the UK will resort to text and multimedia messaging to communicate with their potential customers (Business Wire 1). Nearly one third of these brands are expected to allocate more then 10 percent of their marketing allocations to mobile phone marketing (Business Wire 1). Such budgetary allocations are expected to augment to more then 25 percent in the next five years (Business Wire 1). Small screen size of mobile phones was one major barrier to the mobile phone marketing (Shea 1). In the last few years, the mobile phone manufacturers responded to such consumer expectations by making the mobile phones smaller and smaller. Thus the small phones with their small screen sizes severely limited the scope and potential of mobile phone marketing (Shea 1). However, last year this trend was reversed with the advent of Apple's iPhone, which is a small phone with a big screen (Shea 1). Considering the current trend towards bigger screens in association with the recent innovations in the cellular technology like wireless internet capabilities and high speeds, the mobile phone