Monday, September 30, 2019

Off Site Visits

CONTRIBUTE TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLES HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPLAIN THE PREPARATION AND SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN IN OFF SITE VISITS. Safety is our top priority even the shortest visits need to be thoroughly planned and requires its own risk assessment. All are off site visits for this age group (2yrs-3yrs old) are local. All visits our thoroughly planned and a risk assessment is carried out. A visit is made to all new places/venues.The risk assessment includes details of the modes of travel, possible hazard areas and precautions to minimise the risks, staffing ratio, medical and special needs of pupil and staff, and staff telephone contact details. The risk assessment is reviewed before a second visit is made. The register is taken before the children leave the centre. The children our counted at regular intervals throughout the visit and on return. The children remain under supervision at all times.Before the group/ party leaves the centre key person/ managers will provide a list/ reg ister of everyone including adults travelling with the group/ party. Together with a time table/ programme for the offsite visit. The children are briefed in advanced about the visit. Parent/carers of children taking part in the offsite visits/activities should be provided with all appropriate information about the intended visit. Parent/carers must give their permission in writing before a child can be included in any off site activity .The children leave the centre mostly in pushchairs, the children that walk, walk in pairs, hand in hand. When walking by roads an adult will walk in front, middle and behind. The children taking part in offsite visits are 2-3yrs old, the ratio is 1 adult and 4 children. There are always two key persons one designated as group leader for the visit. All adults accompanying a party/ group must be made aware by the managers of the emergency procedures which will apply. Each adult should be provided with an emergency phone and numbers.This will normally be the manager’s number. Close super vision and proper protective clothing/ blankets and rain wear are essential for even the shortest visits/excursions. All key persons are qualified in paediatric first aid. If a child has a minor accident or becomes ill, the group leader or another member of staff will phone the child’s parent/carers emergency contact number at once and arrange for him/her to be collected. If contact cannot be made, the group leader, or another member of staff will take the child to the local hospital or, if the llness is more minor, back to school. A member of staff will remain with the child at the hospital or school until parent/carer arrives. A member of staff will carry a first aid kit at all times. If a child/children are on medication the nessecery forms are signed by parent/carer. Medison is named, dated and put in a bag/container and taken on offsite visit. The key member of staff will administer the medication to their key child, this is th en reported on a medication form timed, dated and signed. A contingency plan is important because it is a what if plan.A contingency plan is known as a plan B, a backup plan in case in case things go wrong. If the contingency plan is good then a plan c is not needed. Contingency plan is a plan put together (by the key person) for an outcome other than in the usual expected plan. Things seldom go exactly as we plan, so having an idea, something out of your control will sometimes happen. A contingency plan helps you navigate these potentially threatening moments and give you steps to do so in a practical manner. EVALUATIONUpon returning to school a review and evaluation should be carried out as soon as possible. A copy of the completed form should be given to the child co-ordinator within one week of your return to school. Leaders should also ensure that upon completion of a visit a complete file of names, addresses, insurance arrangements, contacts, procedures etc. is kept for at lea st 3 years. This information will be required if of any future claim, from any incident that may of occurred on the offsite visit. Karen fairbrother 6. 2. 13 Resources Trinity policy

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Roles of the Mentor and of the Preceptor in Nursing

The nursing profession has found itself under siege in recent decades, facing an insufficient number of students entering the field to replace those individuals who are leaving it.   For this reason it is incumbent on those individuals already employed as nurses to assist the newly graduated nurses entering the field, easing their transition and assisting with retention. Both mentors and preceptors are practicing nurses who have put themselves into these supportive roles, ensuring that the conditions in the clinical environment create a safe and efficient workplace amenable to appropriate nursing care.   As a result of this great and continued need for the retention of new and newly advanced nurses, both mentors and preceptors are of overwhelming value to the profession.   The roles that these individuals play, however, are quite different, despite their equal value in nursing education. Mentors in Nursing Practice Mentors have long been part of professional development in other fields, dating back to ancient Greece and ancient Rome and, perhaps, beyond.   Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000), citing Hamilton, state that â€Å"it was fully expected that the youths would learn from and emulate the values of their assigned ‘mentor.’   The term mentor became synonymous with wise, faithful guardian and teacher† (37). Some of the assumptions associated with a mentor and mentee relationship are that the mentee will eventually become self-directed through guidance, rather than other-directed and that the mentee will eventually become more performance oriented through the development of critical thinking skills developed over time in practice, rather than relying on the knowledge obtained in school (Morton-Cooper & Palmer, 2000).   It is up to the mentor to help the mentee develop these skills through a collaborative effort, acting as a guide to assist the mentee with achieving his or her potential. Preceptors in Nursing Practice Like mentors, preceptors are skilled clinicians who possess a broad body of knowledge.   Many nurses who excel at their nursing practice can be preceptors, even if they do not possess the teaching skills to be mentors.   Unlike mentors who work closely with their mentees, preceptors are individuals that model behavior for the learners on the clinical floor.   In addition, preceptors observe the learners and analyze and evaluate the behaviors and activities that they observe.   Preceptors have what might be termed a â€Å"quasi-mentoring† role in terms of students, providing support when the student needs it, rather than the day to day guidance provided by the mentor.   According to Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000) the lack of understanding of the preceptor’s role allowed it to be confused with that of the mentor (p. 47). Learning Contract A learning contract is a formal tool used in mentoring situations.   This contract makes provisions for resource allocations, establishes the relationship between mentor and mentee, and provides sufficient and useful assessment of the learner’s progress (Morton-Cooper & Palmer, 2000).     In addition, preceptor learning contracts that set the learning objectives held by both the learner and the preceptor are useful documents, particularly in the case of rotating schedules and other difficulties that might prevent the preceptor and learner from being on the floor at the same time. The learning contract can also be used as a learning â€Å"diary,† in which the learner records the emotions connected with the clinical experience (Morton-Cooper & Palmer, 2000).     Because clinical nursing experience is an experiential form of learning, having records of the learning process and the emotions associated with it can provide valuable insight in connection with the environment in which the nurse is learning and working. In addition, this contract can be used to provide a roadmap that might be used to measure the learner’s commitment to the program. Conclusion The preceptor and the mentor are both valuable members of the teaching team, who act in conjunction with the nurse educator’s classroom instruction. The learning contract is also a valuable learning and teaching tool that can be used to direct both the teaching process and the learning process, as well. Reference Morton-Cooper, A., & Palmer, A. (2000).  Ã‚   Mentoring, preceptorship and clinical supervision: A guide to professional roles in clinical practice.   Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Inc.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Aligning Business Strategies and Project Management

Aligning Business Strategies and Project Management Project management has become very important topic all over the world. Literature shows that more than 30 companies fail to accomplish its project with success due to misalignment between business strategies and project management. Many companies face this problem of missing link of business strategies and project management. Alignment is necessary for getting competitive advantage and goals of its business. Top management also play important role in alignment of business strategies and Project management. Keywords: Business strategies, project management, alignment, project portfolio management Introduction: Project management has become very important and also serves as core function in many organizations. Projects are any temporary activities that have starting and finish point, it has performance parameters. Projects face triple constrains (1) time (2) budget and (3) performance. It was assumed that for attainment of organizational goals one has to meet triple constraints of tim e, budget and performance. Project management plays a vital role in achieving organizational goals and considered as backbone of organization. Project management is knowledge that meets the requirements of projects. Project management plays important role in accomplishing strategies, business goals and desired outcomes. Organizations link their projects with business strategies to achieve the goals and objectives. Strategies are activities that guide and direct the use of the resources to accomplish the organization’s vision and goals and sustainable competitive advantage. Mostly these components comprising the strategies of the business like internal analysis, organizational structures, control systems have strong links to project management processes and activities. Project management includes project portfolio management (PPM). PPM is about how organizations controls its projects and align them with business strategies. Many organizations are working on numerous projects a nd they are conscious to get maximum return of their business. PPM also includes the maximization profit which is main objective of all organization. Basically projects are bases of any organization to build up business strategy and project management relation. When organizations link their projects to their business strategy, they are better able to accomplish their organizational goals. Companies should align their business strategy with the project management action to implement the strategies in the projects. Such alignments are difficult because the objectives of business strategy are sometime not clear and well-communicated with project management. Misalignment may cause an organization to missing goals, communication gap and missing link of business strategy and project management. The lack of alignment of business strategy to the project management leads to the project failure and has adverse effects on organization performance as well. . There is need of systemic approach t o align the projects with business strategy. So important in managerial challenges involved that aligning project management and business strategy and encouraging individuals to participate in using emerging strategies to create new ideas and renew existing strategies. Literature indicates that some factors that helps in creating link between business strategy and project management if there is any gap between the bridge of business strategy and project management that should be filled to achieve high returns and competitive advantages. As literature shows that SPL elements such as spirit, strategy, organization, tools and processes that elements should be align between business strategies and project management and in depth understanding of factors that are missing and relationship of these factors with business strategies and project management. Portfolio management play important role in project management and business strategy linking. Implementation of strategies with formulati on, receive less attention than formulation so there should be proper emphasis on the implementation as well as.

Friday, September 27, 2019

How Police Officers learn Professional Ethics Essay

How Police Officers learn Professional Ethics - Essay Example Police officers build up their ethical range, integrity, or moral foundation, from working together with other people and learning ethics and morals. Training of professional ethics for police officers assists them to perform the following: be familiar with an ethical trouble or problem without any difficulty, recognize numerous alternatives to tackle the specific problem caught up in, make a balanced and morally good option of which alternative to prefer, Take quick action build upon that option and acknowledge accountability for the result. Police officers cannot just think morally; they are obliged to conduct themselves ethically as well. Training for professional ethics offers tools for dealing with ethical troubles, however, the police professional ought to possess the nerve to act. According to Michael C. Braswell â€Å"one of the most defining characters of the police occupation is the potential use of coercive force, especially deadly force, to impose the will of the state a nd another defining yet less well-understood characteristic is ethics† Exactly as Law, medicine, business, or further occupations are distinguished by ethics that direct people and group conduct, policing is a profession which includes its particular principles and ethics. These ethics give a foundation by which a behavior of an individual and his thoughts can be calculated. Comparative to other occupations, nonetheless, learning professional morals in policing is completely not the result of teaching, socialization and education. In reality, learning most of the times predate official teaching and socialization endeavor as a consequence of distinctive, communal and historical issues. Furthermore, the procedure of the socialization of police and enculturation on-the-job may well both persistently and unintentionally pressure the constructive ethical thoughts and principles conveyed to the police officers by new staff. A sound and all-encompassing unusual subculture could be pr esent in certain examples, which can inertly or actively educate unethical conduct to new police professionals. â€Å"Ethics in policing bears directly on issues of reform, control, and legitimacy of law enforcement institutions in a democratic society.† (Michael C. Braswell). The initial stage in meeting such tests is to better comprehend the foundation and subject matter of professional ethics so consequently that management, nation, government and the judges can more efficiently encourage reliable behavior of police force. Ethics are primarily learned in the framework of our first and generally close affiliation with our relatives and friends. Relationships similar to them are in which individuals learn understanding and being compassionate, appreciation, honesty and justice. Through proficient education and experience at work the police officer becomes familiar with presented morals and ethical standards of policing. As stated by council of Europe that there are four dive rse feature of ethical troubles in police employment. Ethical problems in which diverse principles struggle are deficient in knowledge, acting over hurriedly and with disobedience. The process of socialization of being a police official is one analytical feature in building professional

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Management Decisions Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Decisions - Term Paper Example On the other hand, increase of stock prices causes economic growth through investment and consumption channels. The finding of this essay shows the interrelationship between the increase in stock’s price and growth of the economy. This is enhanced through consumption and investment channels that exist in the product and financial market Management decisions Introduction Management in a firm entails board of directors who are entrusted by shareholders with responsibilities of running the business because they have the required expertise. Management should hire temporary workers and upgrade old machines in order to lower cost of input. Additionally, they should also ensure the optimal parts kept in the shelf have the capacity to sustain demand in the product market and give optimal profit. It is agreed in all business circles that a firm’s management should also look over shareholders’ interest. This is in an effort to maximize shareholders’ value by engagin g in decisions that that facilitate rise of value and economic growth of the firm. In order to have an efficient financial and product market, stock prices should be addressed because it holds the present and future information of the firm. This implies that great performance of firm’s managements should be focused and reflected in price stock. Therefore, every decision made by the management should address stock prices of the firm in the financial market. This is in an effort to maximize profits thus reflecting to the growth of the economy. In addition, the management should embark on decisions that that lowers the cost of the input in a firm. This is in an effort to increase profit margin, which is achieved when cost of inputs is lower while stock prices increases. This paper work focuses on management decisions to regulate stock prices and input cost in order to enhance economic growth of the firm. Value maximization in a firm The corporate objective of managers in a firm is to safeguard the interest of all stakeholders, who includes customers, employees and the general public who are associated with the company. During decision-making, the management is faced with trade-offs which makes them unable to serve all the stakeholders at the same time. On the contrary, it is elaborate that when the management takes the right decision, there is maximization of stakeholders’ value. In addition to this, they also make a substantial contribution in the growth of the entire economy which causes the prosperity of all stakeholders (Hayes, 2001). Management decision of lowering the cost of inputs and raise the stock price has a greater influence in the economy. This is because it increases the profit margin which is the main objective of firms in the economy. According to macro economics the profit margin in a firm can be achieved through investment and consumption channels in the market. Change in stock prices affects patterns of consumption in the economy thus increasing shareholders wealth. This assumption is based on the life cycle theory, which states that individuals consume a constant percent of their present value and future income. This indicates that stock price and level of consumption have a direct relationship in the economy (Offenbacher, 2007). On the other hand, the relationship

Conflict of Religion and Slavery in the Frederick Douglass Narrative Essay

Conflict of Religion and Slavery in the Frederick Douglass Narrative - Essay Example Religion is not the domain of the dermatologist. The arguments of the whites to view religion from the perspective of color needs to be dismissed without further arguments, as only lunatics can forward such a point of view. Those who justify slavery quoting scriptures are like Satan quoting the Bible. They just do not possess an elementary knowledge about the revelation. Douglass encounters with the so-called Christians, who treat slaves in the most inhuman style, shake his belief in religion. Mr. Severe, overseer in charge at Colonel Lloyd’s plantation, is one of such individuals. As the divinity intervenes he dies as soon as Douglass arrives there. The gullible and innocent slaves take it as a blessing from God. The replacement for his place, Mr. Hopkins, is a good person. The love-hate tussles as for religion in his mind continue, and he thinks that it is a good fortune that he is not one of the slavery victims when he is selected and shifted to the Great House Farm, where life is comfortable. The cruel strokes of destiny fallen on his grandmother who is left to die alone shake his faith in God, and he puts his judgment to test by asking questions about His style of functioning. What deeply pains Douglass is the hypocrites donning the garb of preachers as guardians of religion. Some of them are Master Thomas, the Methodist who holds the sla ves on the plea that he takes care of them, but in reality he does not spare even a crippled girl named Henny from his practices of cruelty. At St. Michael’s, a Sabbath school for slaves established by Whiteman is closed under the violent threats by white religious zealots. Religion, as it is practiced, never helps the cause of blacks, and Douglass mentions Mr. Rigby Hopkins, one of the sterling religious hypocrites, who derives sadistic pleasure in beating his slave on silly pretexts. Such religious leaders quote from the Bible selectively, and their assertions are out of the context. Douglass writes, â€Å"I have said my master found religious sanction for his cruelty. I have seen him tie up a lame young woman, and whip her with a heavy cow skin upon her naked shoulders, causing the warm red blood to drip; and, in justification of the bloody deed, he would quote this passage of Scripture ? ‘He that knoweth his master’s will and doeth it, not shall be beaten wi th many stripes.’ † (Douglass 52). This is the highest form of insult to Christianity. Thus, in the mid-1800s, religion is used as the tool to destroy the emotional world of the slaves and break their psyche. Severe whipping is normal which often causes bodily harm to the slaves. Their working hours are long, from the sun-rise to the sun-set in the open farms, in all kinds of weather. With no educational facilities and no scope for personal empowerment possible for the slaves, the doors to the knowledge world remain shut for them from the cradle to the grave and from the womb to the tomb! In Douglass’ time, slavery is being practiced at its worst. The majority of the religious clusters in America barring the Society of Friends support slavery. That is the period when the North and South are vertically divided by the issue of slavery. The Christians of the North favor the abolition of slavery, but the Southerners are adamant about retaining it and thoroughly convi nced that it has the religious sanctity. The worst part is the condemnation and appreciation of slavery is done in the name of Christianity. So, the politics of religion dominates the issue of slavery. Douglass does not condemn Christianity as such, but his strong resentment is

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Sustainability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Sustainability - Assignment Example Wood is a natural resource which can exist freely or by the influence of human activities. In Italy, there is a greater increasing demand for wood, which has seen the resource being sort for from other countries. Basically, wood is used in Italy for various purposes including electrical power generation, co-fire with coal, and heating in homes, commercial enterprises and institution. This project is aimed at ensuring that wood becomes a sustainable resource in Italy through good and ethical uses and business practices. It will also look at some of the corporate social responsibilities that the businesses and companies of Italy can involve in, in-order to make wood a sustainable resource for the future generations. The project will also touch on the effects of wood to the environment and how such can be controlled to enable the achievement of a sustainable wood condition in Italy. Wood is a natural resource that grows naturally, but can also be domesticated. Wood grows to make a forest, where the forest is now formed by a group of wood. The natural resource is used for various purposes including the use as fuel as well as the use as a building material, electricity generation, heating up rooms and so many other uses. In Italy, wood has always been used for such purposes as mentioned above. The use of wood has been seen to be on a higher increase, beginning from the traditional uses of wood in Italy. Traditionally, wood was used to make furniture, construct structures such as houses and to make sculptors (Bob, 2011: pg. 1-4). During this period, there were a lot of trees that would provide the particular types of wood that were needed for such purposes. People never used to scramble for the resource due to its sufficient availability and occurrence in the land. Considering that the population was not so high and there was plenty of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Consumer Behavior- B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer Behavior- B - Essay Example 3-Graham is a college student who is impulsive and somewhat rebellious.   He seeks out variety and excitement, usually looking for something new, offbeat, and risky.   Even though he was 18 years old and  eligible to vote, he didnt vote in the last presidential election and is not very interested in world events.   To which VALS segment does Graham belong? ESSAY 1- Discuss how a small bio-technology firm could influence the reference group infrastructure and the lead users to accelerate adoption of its products in the market. A small bio-technology firm can significantly influence the reference group infrastructure and its lead users to accelerate adoption of its products in the market by way of exploring key characteristics of lead users and major reference groups like key consumers, suppliers, and industry experts. Only after gaining acquaintance with their key characteristics or their behavior can a firm hope to sell more products in the market. This is because such knowledge can inform a firm about what are the currently hot demands in the buying market. This can boost adoption of products in the market because the firm will be then able to act in accordance of those demands. Lead users form a major reference group and researching such users’ preferences and dislikes can give a firm a lot of valuable material regarding how they can influence other potential customers in foreseeable future. A seller organization hoping to accelerate adoption of its products in the market should essentially understand the buying motives and decisions of their lead users. They can later use this kind of information to convince other customers to make the same kind of decisions. ESSAY 2- Unheard of twenty years ago, discuss the rationale people use today to shop or NOT shop on the Internet.   Given  your response,  what are the benefits to purchasing an iPod direct from a channel member.  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Answer question youtube video Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer question youtube video - Essay Example Buddhism connects with science through the impartial investigation of nature that the religion aptly covers in its doctrines and teachings. Dhamma-Vicaya is defined to be the natural process of identifying one. According Jill, full meditation without destruction helped her reach that point to make decisions that come along with peace. The left lobe of her brain aided in recovering her past and future life. The right one helped her in coordinating the lessons she learned with language that she would understand. The meditation of Jill relates to the ways through which Buddhists extracted their teachings, and there Jill’s meditation is synonymous to Buddhism. Scientifically, the human brain works in coordination, as left side transmits the neuro-impulses to the right lobe and the reverse. Dr. Jill was able to reach vipassana through meditation and coordination of the neuron messages in her two sides of the brain. She was able to prove that there is a link between Buddhism and science through the contemplation process. She was able to link herself while dead while brain neurons transmitted into her impulses of life. After this, she was freed and came back to life feeling peace within her, something that Buddhist experienced while trying to connect nirvana with vipassana within their doctrines and

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Qualitative Study on COPD Essay Example for Free

Qualitative Study on COPD Essay This is a qualitative study conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler as a randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of a lifestyle behavioral intervention to increase physical activity among patients with moderate to severe COPD. (Wortz, K. 2012) 54 patients of age 45 or older were randomly selected from April 2010 through January 2011 using a patient registry database with a coded diagnosis of COPD along with physician referrals. Data collection consisted of: baseline, demographic, clinical and self-management needs, smoking status, spirometry, 6-min walk distance, BMI, Obstruction, SOB, Exercise Capacity (BODE) index, Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ); which includes 10 open ended questions and Geriatric Depression Scale. A sample of 47 interviews with the mean age of 68.4 years old, 53% male, 87% white were used in the analysis. 57.5% has moderate COPD, 31.9% sever COPD, and 10.6% very severe COPD. (Wortz, K. 2012) The results of this analysis suggest that the content of self-management support with COPD should focus on addressing patients’ fears associated with the uncertainty, progression, suffering of their disease, expectations about overcoming or replacing losses, their needs for improved health literacy and their desire for improved care. Attention to these areas may enhance patient self-efficacy and motivation to improve self management.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Introduction To Jungle Warfare History Essay

Introduction To Jungle Warfare History Essay Jungle warfare is a military term used to define combinations of special techniques that are aimed in areas that are or similar to jungle terrains. Categorically considered as one of the most dangerous forms of warfare, the training for jungle warfare is usually specialized and separated from the traditional military education because of the differences in the approaches and tactics used. Initially, the United States was not too keen on having jungle warfare training for the military troops as they viewed jungles, as impenetrable and unsuitable for military operations. However, because of the successful attack of the Japanese Army to the British forces in 1942 through the Malaysian Jungles, this line of thinking was slowly erased, and jungle training was placed as an important form of military warfare training. Nevertheless, in a jungle environment, the combat operations of the US Army have met limited success and continue to be challenged. As evident in the 1965 to 1975 Vietnam War, the US Army faced significant challenges and struggles to be victorious. Highlighting on the Vietnam War, this paper will attempt to identify the challenges faced by the US Army. The paper will also discuss the kind of training needed for jungle warfare to address these challenges. Background on Jungle Warfare Training One of the most famous and successful jungle warfare training grounds of the United States military troops was found in Fort Sherman in Panama. Called the Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC), it produced about 19,845 graduates from the year 1953 to its last year of operation in 1999. It was considered as the most grueling training grounds and as John Smit, one of the products of the JWTC in 1967 put it, this training was so crucial to the militarys ability to wage war in Vietnam and short of going into actual combat situation, it was the best training warfare facility that could be established (Abel, 1999). The origins of JWTC can be traced back to April 1951, when then Commanding General received Training Memorandum 9, which later on established the Jungle Warfare Training Board (JWTB). The primary mission of the JWTB was to research, analyze and report on findings and recommend changes and additions to the established United States Army doctrine and techniques of jungle warfare and equipment designed for operations (Hudnall, 2004, p.58). JWTB emphasized and kept alive the spirit of jungle warfare in the military. The essentiality of the trainings being done in Fort Sherman was highlighted during the Vietnam War, because it was during this time that the need and importance for jungle warfare training was parallel to that of the army troops survival and victory. The results of the participation of the United States in the Vietnam War could not be thoroughly discussed without going into the condition of the troops jungle warfare training. Therefore, with this point in mind, this paper will be dealing with the results of the combat operations of the US Army in the jungle environment during the 1965 to 1975 Vietnam War, on why it has met limited success and continues to be challenged, and on the significant challenges and struggles for victory. In addition, this paper will also discuss the kind and quality of jungle warfare training, which the soldiers received in preparation for the Vietnam War and its impact to the problems encountered. The Vietnam War and the Challenges of Jungle Warfare The jungle warfare training of the United States Army in Panama held a significant but insufficient experience to the trainees especially during the onset of the Vietnam War. Swatrzlander (2002) noted that one of the biggest mistake that contributed to the loss of the United States during the war was not the type and quality of training they had to undergo before being sent off for war, although it plays a certain factor, but it was more on the sending off of sheltered American boys to fight in the guerilla or jungle war, which is by definition is an extremely strategic and deadly kind of warfare, and as such cannot be fully taught at only limited periods of time. The three-week training grueling and extensive as it may be was simply insufficient as compared to the experience and training of their Vietnamese counterparts, with the latter holding quite an advantage in jungle wars as they were practically raised in this type of environment and at young ages they were already trained to be hateful and merciless killers. It must also be pointed out that not all American soldiers who were on duty for the Vietnam War were born, trained and even liked to be soldiers. In fact, a considerable number of them were only into this situation because of the draft being put into play by the US government. All males during this time were required to sign up for the draft once they turned 18 and if they were drawn from the list, they were forced to join the military, and quite possibly be sent to a conflict or war zone with duties like that of the Vietnam War lasting for about a year. The Americans were given only a few weeks training to fight tough, experienced, hardcore guerilla fighters. The educational package provided by the JWTC included the use of weapons and tactical skills, through rigid trainings and exercises. It ran for ten three-week cycles annually, with reinforcement training exercises also occurring in addition to the ten regular cycles being promoted. The training cycle is usually composed of three steps: the training for individual soldier skills, small unit and company. Other trainings to help military troops prepare for the jungle wars and the survival in such environment included several patrols to the jungle terrains of Panama. This allowed them to experience the overall condition of being thrown into a jungle in preparation for Vietnam War. Individuals were exposed to different animals and vegetation, edible, non-edible, poisonous and non-poisonous. During this time, instructors repeatedly emphasized and stressed the various diseases and viruses which they may come in contact with in this type of environment. Shots like Gamma Globulin, a vaccine t o prevent contact of yellow fever which was quite common in central and South America, were given to the trainees (Protsch, 2004). Lindsay-Poland (2003) described the training for jungle warfare as one that served to test soldiers masculinity against savage nature and toughen them for the task of fighting civilizations Asian and Latin American enemies (p.196). Instructors taught the would-be fighters counterrevolutionary warfare with high specialized and complex tactics. Techniques designed to trap and smash enemy forces, as well as how to stage and repel ambush attacks, were just some of those items integrated into the curriculum. Afternoons were spent in the centers prized possessionthe zoo, where trainees hold and wrestle wild animals including the much-dreaded boa constrictors, just to practice dealing with the inhabitants of the jungle. Together with the curriculum being set out by the JWTC, the Jungle Operations Committee (JOC) also took certain initiatives to improve their mode and quality of instruction. Aside from conducting courses, the committee gathered questionnaires to officers and other military personnel who were assigned in Vietnam and asked for the reappraisal of the curriculum based on their experiences (Hudnall, 2004). This approach allowed them to acquire a more accurate detail on what is to be expected and therefore what is needed by the troops to prepare and survive in the jungle. It permitted the school to view its weaknesses and strengths especially in the improvement of their subjects making students more realistic to see the actual scenario in which they were about to face. A more concrete example of the improvements done through this practice can be traced back to October 1965, where instructors were able to observe a jungle-operations course in Hawaii, which was actually quite similar as to that in Panama but this time with an extra twist. The addition of the scene for a cordon and the search mock Vietnamese village was one point which the JWTC did not cover during their training. This theoretical enactment of possible scenes in Vietnam created a slight disadvantage to their trainees as compared to that of the other training. Such approach may help the trainees physically and mentally prepare more for the situation and believing in this as quite important to the students in training, the cadre or instructor added it into their curriculum. The condition in Vietnam was also a contributing reason why US military received minimal success. The environment was very harsh to the United States military; diseases like Dysentery, Malaria and Jungle Rot were very common and affected a lot of the soldiers. Jungles provide very little visibility with a few yards at most. Monsoon condition was also a factor as it rained straight for three to four months, making the troops wet, no matter how hard they try to keep themselves dry. Animal attacks, tigers and snakes were also situations which although were expected from the onset of their trainings were significantly different as compared to that in their training in Panama (Swartzlander, 2005). No experience in training would compensate for the actual scenario, especially when training and combat grounds differ in climatic conditions and natural resources and bounties. Aside from the lack of experience of the United States Army to jungle warfare, another item which may have caused the struggles and limited success during the Vietnam War was the training and actual stocks for the artillery. The United States and other Western countries depended on superior technology to defeat their opponents. However, in jungle warfare, the jungles erode to this blanket of superiority, making them more vulnerable (Kemp, Withington Keggler, 2008). Thick jungles can limit the use of vehicles and helicopters, which made surprise attacks, especially by those well-versed in the jungle terrain, easier. The close range battles and the barrier of trees and plants also made it more difficult to use support weapons and precision-guided ammunitions. Most of the weapons, uniforms and military ammunition used for training and actual combat during the Vietnam War were quite ill-suited for the type of fights and the tropical environment. Military issued uniforms were heavy and hot, and quite easily destroyed in the jungle environment. They were cheap, and they rot easily especially due to changes in weather condition. The high technology equipment and artillery used by the US army during the height of the Vietnam War also caused several problems for the troops on the ground. Take for example the M-14 rifle which was actually the type of armament used by the first batch of soldiers sent to Vietnam. With a weight of a little over eight pounds, it added to the sixty-five-pound weight survival kit brought by the soldier while away from camp. Furthermore, even if troops were trained in handling this equipment in jungle training centers, with shots either set to single or semi-automatic, they were not prepared for the different problems the weapons would actually pose during the actual encounter. Both the M-14 and its replacement the M-16, which although is much lighter at six pounds as compared to the former, jammed easily under wet and dry field conditions (Westheider, 2007). Grenades, which were also included in the individuals set of weapons, were still considered quite risky in the jungle environment. Fuse pins can be caught and removed by trees, shrubs, and some undergrowth resulting to possible unwarranted and unintentional deadly explosions. Another important point of jungle warfare, which added to the loss of the US to the Vietnam War, is their new strategy, which they used during the latter part of the war. Instead of following the search and destroy mission tactics to defeat the Viet Cong the more accurate name of their opponents they shifted their focus to also eliminating those that are supplying provisions to their enemy. However, with this new focus, new complications arose. Compared to US soldiers, the Viet Cong did not wear uniforms, and it was impossible to detect and identify them amongst the general public, especially together with the innocents. While US troops may have the best weapons and artillery or jungle warfare training, they were still unsuccessful because they had a difficult time identifying their opponents (Levy, 2004). This problem proved to be one of the strongest points of the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War. The US, in its desperation to end the dominance of the Viet Cong, resulted to two major search and destroy missions, the Operation Cedar Falls and the Operation Junction City, whose primary aim was to destroy the major strongholds and headquarters of the opponent. Nevertheless, in both occasions, the enemy left the targets before the American soldiers could attack and destroy the area. However, once the US military left these areas, the Viet Cong would make their way back and re-occupy the place. This was a continuous pattern all throughout the Vietnam War, resulting to difficulties for the US Army to concretely win the battles in Vietnam. The US government may have concluded these two missions as a success since they were able to take up the area but overall, it was still a negligible triumph because the degree of loss to the Vietnamese side was very small. The failure of the two major missions can also be credited to the different techniques and strategies that the Viet Cong used: they built underground tunnels to escape confrontation, questioning, and capture and with their knowledge of the jungle area; they also prepared plans, whether it was hiding behind trees and or shooting enemies from on-top. Conclusion The US army encountered many challenges during the Vietnam War. First was the lack of training and experience in jungle warfare. The three week period was simply not enough to instill the techniques and skills necessary for having a full-pledged jungle fighter. Second were the significant differences in climate and environmental conditions. Although initial training before the actual deployment to Vietnam was in a jungle terrain, the differences in seasons as well as climate, between Vietnam and Panama still held a big effect to the primary condition of the troops. Third, the weapons and equipment handed out to troops were unsuitable for jungle warfare conditions. Lastly, the tactics used by the troops were inappropriate for jungle wars. The fact that the enemies of the US during the Vietnam War were well-versed in jungle operations or warfare and that they had the support of local community was already a large challenge posed, as these are coupled together with the other four items presented above. It can be argued that the training, considering the limited time and resources, at the jungle warfare training school, was the best it had to offer. In terms of teaching basic information and letting soldiers initially feel the conditions of conducting wars, inside the terrain, the JWTC is assumed to have sufficiently and credibly spread the available information. Nevertheless, this still proved insufficient in the type of war that the US troops battled in Vietnam.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Against Censorship :: essays research papers

Censorship Today I would like to talk about censorship. Censorship is the removal of information from the public. Today censorship is a phase of social control. It is becoming more and more common all over the world today. It reaches as far as political power and public opinion. Often censorship is undertaken by governments. Censorship is closely tied in as a concept with freedom of speech and other forms of human expression. The censorship of opinion for the most part was restricted to the control of speech rather than of printing. The censorship of free speech attempted to control the audience. The purpose of this speech is to give information regarding censorship knowledge. Censorship occurs when expressive materials, like books, magazines, films and videos, or works of art, are removed or kept from the public. Censorship also occurs when materials are restricted to particular audiences, based on their age or other characteristics. A few types of censorship are political, religious, and the the censorship of music, but there are many more. Political censorship occurs when the government conceals secrets from their citizens, while religious censorship is when any material of a certain faith is removed. This often involves a dominant religion forcing limitations on less dominant ones. Many musicians protested against censorship in music and pushed for more freedom of expression. Considerable amounts of music has been banned since the 1950's all the way to the present. One example is that many states in the U.S. decided to make it illegal for selling N.W.A.'s â€Å"Straight Outta Compton† album and the fines for catching anyone would go from $10,00 to $100,00 depending on how many minors were involved. When a society has freedom, citizens can collect and distribute any information they want without any restraints. Another example is that in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it clearly states that â€Å"Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: the freedom of thought, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication." which means that this material in any form cannot be altered by the government in any way. Also, citizens have the right to access information in all forms of media to be able to watch, read or listen to whatever they want. The concept of freedom involves protecting the

performance apraisal critique Essay -- essays research papers

The performance appraisal system used by our organization is done annually. The purpose of the review is for employee as well as manager, to aptitude performance from the past year relating to the specific responsibilities and objective of that employee. This gives the opportunity for managers to give feedback on the strengths and development areas that are summarized from that previous year. Employees must also use this opportunity to give feedback on how they can best perform and develop themselves. This Annual review period is an opportunity to communicate and work together to build unity in the workplace. Realistic plans may be made for the employee’s development and growth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The supervisor and the employee review the job description standards and compare the employee’s accomplishments against the standards set. The data comes from established performance metrics, employee self-assessment and customer or coworker feedback from daily activities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are five levels of the performance rating. Outstanding is the highest rating. To get an outstanding rating means the employees contribution to the business far exceeds requirements. The employee is personally committed to the company’s mission, values and goals at a consistent level. The employee takes the initiative to identify challenging work goals and tries to find solutions. The employee’s quality is never a question, even under challenging situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next rating is an excellent rating. The employee who receives an excellent rating produces more than required. The employee takes the initiative in developing and finding challenging work goals. Each responsibility is finished with quality and on time. That employee needs little direction or supervision. The employee thinks beyond the details of the job and contributes to the objectives of the department. All of the employee’s decisions and actions are higher than expectations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next level of rating is commendable. This employee performs what is expected of an experienced individual in the department. The employee’s errors are minimal and they have learned from their mistakes, some improvements from them are expected. They schedule projects and work on problems in an orderly manner. They understand suggestions and recommendatio... ...sp;These conditions do not empower employees. Employees are told what to do and they have a small amount of insight on what their actions are contributing to. Employees feel powerless; we are reluctant to take the initiative for fear of doing the wrong thing. We do our jobs as told, and have little sense of personal responsibility or commitment. Our goals are set for what is measurable rather than what goals are important. We have very few interactions with our manager over the course of the year to discuss how things our going. Employees have lack of information about the company’s goals. We are discouraged from asking for help or coaching assistance from our supervisor. Our goals are assigned to us without mutual agreement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We must change the organization to give employees the understanding for how our work contributes to the organization. Employee’s goals are achieved by our freedom to choose the best way to take on these goals. Supervisors must be supportive and actively coach employees. There must be minimum supervisor control and interests of discovering better ways of working. When employees discover this, it will be reflected in our reviews.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Cinematic Techniques in Strictly Ballroom Essays -- Baz Luhrman Film M

Extended Film Response How the film techniques used by Baz Luhrman to influence the portrayal and development of characters in the film Strictly Ballroom? In the film Strictly Ballroom, the director Baz Luhrman uses many different film techniques to influence the portrayal and development of characters. Costume and makeup is used as a vital technique to show the audience the characters’ personalities and also the development of some characters. Camera angles and lighting is another technique that is used to exaggerate the characters’ personalities and the scenes they are in. Luhrman also uses character behaviors as an effective technique in portraying each characters’ personality. In the film Luhrman uses costume and makeup to portray characters’ personalities. Such as Shirley Hastings. Shirley’s costume and makeup shows the audience a great deal about her personality. Shirley always wears pink, puts ‘over the top’ makeup on and wears a lot of jewellery. This tells the audience that she is ‘over the top’ and maybe insecure about herself or her past. Liz Holt is another character whose personality could not have been portrayed if it wasn’t for the costume and makeup used. Liz is a drama queen and exaggerates everything including her costume and makeup. She nearly always wears yellow and also exaggerates her makeup with bright colours even when she’s not dancing. Luhrman also used costume and makeup to show the development of one of the main characters, Fran. At the start of the film, Fran is introduced with acne, glasses and baggy clothes, which shows the audience that she is not comfortable with herself and not confident. But when Fran starts dancing she slowly becomes more confident and her costume and makeup changes. Fr... ...eally talks and is presented as someone who is quite awkward. Doug also gets pushed around by everyone, until at the end of the film when he yells at his son Scott to listen to him, giving the audience the impression that he is tired of getting pushed around and no one listening to him and also because he didn’t want his son to make a mistake. Film techniques are used extremely effectively in Strictly Ballroom by the director Baz Luhrman. Costume and makeup, camera angles and lighting and also character behaviours were used to influence the portrayal and development of all of the main characters. Without these film techniques, Strictly Ballroom could not have been made into a film as entertaining as it is and the characters personalities and development would not have been portrayed. Bibliography Baz Luhrman, 1992, Strictly Ballroom, Motion Picture, Bazmark.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis of “Pink Think”

Women have been told what to do since the beginning of time. â€Å"Pink Think† furthers that idea. This article by Lynn Peril explains what influences have impacted the way females act and think. Emotional appeal, the use of the theory pink think and her use of specific examples from history all come together to establish her case that women have been expected to fit into a specific mold in order to be a successful woman in life. Every woman feels the need to fit in with society. By fitting in, the woman would get the perfect guy, be successful in life and feel included.Lynn Peril shows how the attitude of Pink think made women feel the need to fit in. There were articles that showed the joys of housewifery. Women who read these articles felt that if they were a housewife and enjoyed the aspects of it written in the article, they fit in. It is a trait in women that all women want to fit in. We look in magazines and wish to look and dress like the models. This was what women th ought about Pink think. It was the â€Å"in† way to act and think. Women who thought this way fit in and those who did no wanted to so that they could fit in.Lynn Peril shows how Pink think made women want to fit in, and it worked. The theory of Pink Think is a set of ideas and attitudes about what constitutes proper female behavior. It was very popular from the 1940s to the 1970s. The theory of Pink think is the main argument of this essay. The cultural mindset of Pink think touched every female. The women read about it in articles, teens learned about it in their home economics textbooks, and little girls learned the feminine behaviors in games such as Miss. Popularity.With all the aspects of a woman’s life having some type of Pink think, it is no wonder women felt the need to fit into this mold. Pink think also told women that femininity was the only way to get and marry a man. And that was the only way to have a child, which was what women were supposed to do. Pink think also â€Å"made beauty, charm, and submissive behavior of mandatory importance to women of all ages in order to win a man’s attention and hold his interest after marriage. † It made women believe the only thing to do in life was to please a man.Pink think took over the way women act and thought in order to fit into what society thought a woman should be like. The use of specific examples in â€Å"Pink Think† helped Lynn Peril show that this theory influenced women in any stage of their life. Pink think influenced women from the way they put on their bathing suit to the choice of contraception. The example that had a real influence on me was the Miss America competition of 1961. Nancy Fleming’s answer to just kick both of her heals off and continue down the runway was a good one, but her answer that too many women were working and they should just be at home was shocking.Also the fact that she won after that answer really surprised me. Fleming was p utting women throughout the country down and saying they should just stay at home and have no place in the workforce. Women should have the choice to work or stay at home. I do not think the role model for America should have told the world that women are over powering men and her place is in the home. Peril’s use of several specific examples allows her to connect to deferent readers. By having several examples, Lynn Peril expands the audience that she affects.By using emotional appeal, the use of Pink think, and several specific examples Lynn Peril shows readers how women were influenced to act and think a certain way. Some of these attitudes are still looming around today. Just because Pink think was popular from 1940-1970, does not mean the idea does not show up today. Women are still expected to act and think a certain way. Lynn Peril showed how women were supposed to act back then, and it has changed in present day, but some ideas are still around. Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Pink Think† Women have been told what to do since the beginning of time. â€Å"Pink Think† furthers that idea. This article by Lynn Peril explains what influences have impacted the way females act and think. Emotional appeal, the use of the theory pink think and her use of specific examples from history all come together to establish her case that women have been expected to fit into a specific mold in order to be a successful woman in life. Every woman feels the need to fit in with society. By fitting in, the woman would get the perfect guy, be successful in life and feel included.Lynn Peril shows how the attitude of Pink think made women feel the need to fit in. There were articles that showed the joys of housewifery. Women who read these articles felt that if they were a housewife and enjoyed the aspects of it written in the article, they fit in. It is a trait in women that all women want to fit in. We look in magazines and wish to look and dress like the models. This was what women th ought about Pink think. It was the â€Å"in† way to act and think. Women who thought this way fit in and those who did no wanted to so that they could fit in.Lynn Peril shows how Pink think made women want to fit in, and it worked. The theory of Pink Think is a set of ideas and attitudes about what constitutes proper female behavior. It was very popular from the 1940s to the 1970s. The theory of Pink think is the main argument of this essay. The cultural mindset of Pink think touched every female. The women read about it in articles, teens learned about it in their home economics textbooks, and little girls learned the feminine behaviors in games such as Miss. Popularity.With all the aspects of a woman’s life having some type of Pink think, it is no wonder women felt the need to fit into this mold. Pink think also told women that femininity was the only way to get and marry a man. And that was the only way to have a child, which was what women were supposed to do. Pink think also â€Å"made beauty, charm, and submissive behavior of mandatory importance to women of all ages in order to win a man’s attention and hold his interest after marriage. † It made women believe the only thing to do in life was to please a man.Pink think took over the way women act and thought in order to fit into what society thought a woman should be like. The use of specific examples in â€Å"Pink Think† helped Lynn Peril show that this theory influenced women in any stage of their life. Pink think influenced women from the way they put on their bathing suit to the choice of contraception. The example that had a real influence on me was the Miss America competition of 1961. Nancy Fleming’s answer to just kick both of her heals off and continue down the runway was a good one, but her answer that too many women were working and they should just be at home was shocking.Also the fact that she won after that answer really surprised me. Fleming was p utting women throughout the country down and saying they should just stay at home and have no place in the workforce. Women should have the choice to work or stay at home. I do not think the role model for America should have told the world that women are over powering men and her place is in the home. Peril’s use of several specific examples allows her to connect to deferent readers. By having several examples, Lynn Peril expands the audience that she affects.By using emotional appeal, the use of Pink think, and several specific examples Lynn Peril shows readers how women were influenced to act and think a certain way. Some of these attitudes are still looming around today. Just because Pink think was popular from 1940-1970, does not mean the idea does not show up today. Women are still expected to act and think a certain way. Lynn Peril showed how women were supposed to act back then, and it has changed in present day, but some ideas are still around.

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Sociology of Health

The Sociology of Health The socio-medical model of health The socio-medical model of health focuses on the social factors which effect an individual’s health and well-being. They believe each person should be treated in accordance to their own personal circumstance and situation surrounding there illness, rather than be treated as a member of a group suffering from a particular illness, and should be treated the same as each person within that group. The socio-medical model concentrates on social factors contributing to the standards of health.Social inequality and living standards are important influences on the standards of health. The socio-medical model suggests that the wealthy are more likely to have good health and suffer from less illness, and the poor are more likely to have bad health and suffer from more illnesses than the wealthy would. Things which could be factors contributing to ill health within societies with poor living standards, according to the socio-medic al model are; damp or cold houses, lack of exercise, poor diet, lack of education and health awareness etc.The socio-medical model also suggests that the standards of health varies across different cultures, and that what is considered an illness in one society might be not be seen as an illness in another society. For example the contagious skin disease ‘yaws’ was so common in sub-Saharan Africa early this century that it was not considered a disease at all, it was considered normal because most of the population had the disease. The socio-medical model thinks that some societies also treat people with an illness differently from other societies.For example Australia does not allow anyone with HIV into the country, which is seen by most other countries as morally wrong and contrasts with the way people with HIV are treated in the majority of societies around the world. Time is another factor which the socio-medical model believes influences the standards of health. For instance cigarettes were promoted as being positive over 60years ago, whereas today smoking cigarettes is a well-known health threat.Socio-medical treatments for illnesses include looking at an individual’s personal situation, identifying the factors which have contributed to their illness or disorder, and removing these factors in order to correct or resolve the problem. For example a young man who has gone bald, from a socio-medical point of view, would be assessed and factors in his life such as great stress at work would be identified, this stress would be seen as the cause of his premature baldness, and they would try to help the man find a health way to vent his stress – in order to improve his condition.The biomedical model would view this man in a different way, they would concentrate on genetic factors such as premature baldness in his father, and put this forward as the cause in contrast to the socio-medical model. The biomedical model of health The biomedic al model emerged after the industrialisation of the western world. New scientific discoveries and methods were being used to produce a new model of health which used new technologies and tests such as x-rays, biopsies and electroencephalographs in order to monitor people’s health.These tests aim to show ‘biological malfunction or irregularity’ in order to diagnose illnesses, which are then treated using biological methods such as drugs, operations, hospitalisation etc. (Ross Clarke, 2012). According to the biomedical model the individual is not responsible for their illness or condition, and think that illness is caused by; a biological breakdown within the individual (this can be things such as infections, genetic malfunctions, broken bones and so on) or by external factors invading the body – such as virus’s and disease etc.They believe every single illness has ‘one single observable cause’. (Mike Harris, 2008). The biomedical model b elieves that the cause for a certain illness in one person has the same cause of that illness in another person – so all people with that illness should be given the same treatments, no individual cases are usually taken into account. (Ross Clarke, 2012). The biomedical model refers to ‘good health’ as having no illness. If you have ‘bad health’ you are considered to be ill, or to have an illness.Treatment is given with the aim of correcting a malfunction within the body and once this malfunction is corrected, you will be considered to be healthy again. (The Open University, 2012). The biomedical model is the dominant model of health in the modern western world. It treats illness and ‘malfunction’ with the use of medication, operations, radio and chemo therapy, transplants etc. Some socio-medical methods of treatment, however, are used alongside the biomedical model treatments, such as the use of therapy. (Unknown Author, 2012).The diffe rent approaches to mental health and illness Mental health and illness can be defined and viewed in many different ways according to many different factors including; the models of disability, the culture, gender, social class, the time period, religion etc. (Ross Clarke B, 2012). The biomedical, or medical, model of health would describe mental illness in the same way they describe any other illness; that it is caused by one single physical/genetic cause. This could be things such as genes passed down from your parents, a bump or bang to the head etc.They believe that symptoms are caused by a physical problem within the person or in the brain and they group these symptoms together in order to diagnose an illness or syndrome. The medical model uses two classification systems of mental illness in order to diagnose a patient. These two systems are the DSM IV and the ICD-10. The DSM identifies the patient’s symptoms in order to give a diagnosis for their disorder, while the ICD- 10 not only identifies the disorder and relevant symptoms, but it also tries to identify a cause. Andrews, G. , Slade, T. , Peters, L. 1999). The medical model of mental health describes people with mental illnesses as victims of their disorder, they see them as being unable to control their own actions and place no blame on the patient. The medical model uses drugs and therapies in order to treat people with mental illness, these could be things such as antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant drugs, mood stabilisers, sectioning, institutionalisation, ECT (Electro compulsive therapy), psychosurgery etc. (Saul McLeod, 2008).The socio-medical model’s approach to mental health is a total contrast to that of the medical model. It believes that many of the treatments used by the biomedical model are inhumane and unnecessary, and that mental illness is a result of social and personal factors surrounding an individual, rather than as a result of a biological cause. The socio-medical mod el would use therapies such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), client-centred therapy, family interventions, self-help groups, social and individual learning skills sessions and vocational training.The therapies used by the socio-medical model aim to give insight into the patients personal problems which could be causing the mental illness, they aim to give the patient unconditional positive regard, boost self-esteem and confidence (which may be low due to the negative perceptions of mental illnesses in most societies) and try to promote an independent life for the patient so that they can live in society safely, whilst still getting the care and treatment they need from community carers etc. (Coppock and Dunn, 2009).They believe the society you live in, your quality of life and your social class has a great influence on an individual’s mental health. They would say that due to the financial stresses and low life quality of the lower classes, this would make them more li kely to suffer from mental illness. They will use the client centred therapy to identify the personal problems in an individual’s life such as marital problems, financial problems, problems in the work place etc. The socio-medical model believes that the medical model stigmatizes patients by treating all patients suffering from a particular mental illness the same.They believe that society has a negative perception of mentally ill people and that they should not be labelled as it is not their fault they are suffering from that condition. (Ross Clarke B, 2012). Besides the different medical models, there are also other approaches to the study of mental health. Sigmund Freud, and others who follow the psychodynamic theory, would say that mental illness is due to an unsuccessful completion of a psychosexual stage or due to a trauma in a person’s childhood, and that bringing their unconscious thoughts to the surface of the conscious mind (using psychotherapy) will eliminat e the problem. Unknown Author B, 2011). Different time periods have also had different approaches to the study of mental illness. Early this century, for example, people suffering from mental illness were seen as being inadequate to the rest of society, a danger to their-selves and others and unable to live ‘normally’ within society. They treated these people inhumanely, carrying out horrendous treatments which often resulted in patients becoming emotionless and ‘zombified’.Before the 1950’s ECT was carried out without the use of anaesthetic, which was very painful and uncomfortable for the patient. Around this time people with mental illnesses were being institutionalised on a regular basis, and by the mid 1950’s there was a total of around 150,000 people across the UK in mental institutions. (BBC, 2010). People were institutionalised for a variety of different reasons, ranging from sufferers of depression, to violent outbursts (mostly among women) and then extreme things such as murder or suicide attempts.These institutions at the time thought they were providing the best form of treatment for their patients, but people in more recent times think that the institutions had an unpleasant ‘prison-like atmosphere’ and that they totally took away people’s rights, freedom, independence, social skills and self-esteem and confidence and that the treatments they used were unnecessary and inhumane. (BBC, 2010).In the late 1950’s – early 1960’s a more humane approach started to be taken to the study of mental health. The start of the NHS in 1948 meant that mental health would now have a more modern and humane view from society, the NHS started to introduce new treatments and therapies in the asylums/institutions such as ‘programmes of activity’ including craft and sewing classes ect, and also introduced an ‘open-door policy’, aiming to give the patients more indep endence and freedom.This new approach recognised that asylums were not necessary for all mentally ill patients and in 1961, a man named Enoch Powell tried to change societies vision of mental ill health and, as the health minister of the time, he vowed to close all mental asylums/institutions and to instead, release patients into society, providing treatment and care for them at home and in the community via community carers. (Adam McCulloch, Michael Fitzpatrick, 2011). It wasn’t until the 1970’s however that people stopped being admitted into the asylums and still took until the 1980’s for the first asylum to close.By 1990 100,000 patients had been released into society and mental hospitals started to become extinct. This was the start of care in the community for the mentally ill, as we know it today. (BBC, 2010). The modern approach to mental illness is that there could be a number of causes, whether that be genetic, organic, personal, social or a combination of either, and that sufferers should not be labelled, should not be considered ‘abnormal’ and that they should be treated just like any other ‘normal’ member of society. Ross Clarke B, 2012). They should receive sufficient care via GP/hospital appointments, care in the community and by alternative therapies such as family interventions, self-help groups etc. ‘User movements’ have also quite recently been introduced, this is a system which encourages the patient to work with a professional such as a doctor/psychiatrist to help choose the treatments they receive in order to make them feel more in control of their illness or disorder and to help them feel more confidence that the chosen treatment will work. BBC, 2010). People with mental illnesses are no longer stigmatised or labelled and a majority of the western world have now accepted mental illness as a genuine problem which needs to be solved, rather than seeing it as a condition which needs to be locked away from society like in the early 50’s. References Mike Harris. (2008). Sociology of health and illness. Available: http://www. slideshare. net/Bias22/sociology-of-health-and-illness-presentation#btnNext Last Accessed: 06/12/2012Unknown Author. (2012). What is the biomedical model? Available: http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-the-biomedical-model. htm Last Accessed: 06/12/2012 Ross Clarke. (2012). Booklet 3 – the different constructions of health and illness. The Manchester College, 2012 The Open university. (2012). Models of healthcare: the biomedical model. Available: http://openlearn. open. ac. uk/mod/oucontent/view. php? id=398060§ion=1. 6 Last Accessed: 06/12/2012 Andrews, G. , Slade, T. , Peters, L. (1999).Classification in psychiatry: ICD-10 versus DSM-IV. The British Journal of Psychiatry. v. 174. no. 1. p. 3 – 4 Ross Clarke B. (2012). Booklet 4 – approaches to the study of mental health and illness. The Manchester College, 201 2. Saul McLeod. (2008). The medical model. Available: http://www. simplypsychology. org/medical-model. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. Coppock and Dunn. (2009). Understanding mental health and mental distress. Available: http://www. sagepub. com/upm-data/30675_02_Coppock_&_Dunn_Ch_01. df Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. Unknown Author B. (2011). Psychology 101. Available: http://allpsych. com/psychology101/personality. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. BBC (2010). BBC4 video – mental history of the mad house. Last Accessed 27/11/2012. Adam McCulloch, Michael Fitzpatrick. (2011). Mental institutions, Enoch Powell and community care. Available: http://www. communitycare. co. uk/blogs/social-care-the-big-picture/2011/09/mental-institutions-enoch-powell-and-community-care. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. The Sociology of Health The Sociology of Health The socio-medical model of health The socio-medical model of health focuses on the social factors which effect an individual’s health and well-being. They believe each person should be treated in accordance to their own personal circumstance and situation surrounding there illness, rather than be treated as a member of a group suffering from a particular illness, and should be treated the same as each person within that group. The socio-medical model concentrates on social factors contributing to the standards of health.Social inequality and living standards are important influences on the standards of health. The socio-medical model suggests that the wealthy are more likely to have good health and suffer from less illness, and the poor are more likely to have bad health and suffer from more illnesses than the wealthy would. Things which could be factors contributing to ill health within societies with poor living standards, according to the socio-medic al model are; damp or cold houses, lack of exercise, poor diet, lack of education and health awareness etc.The socio-medical model also suggests that the standards of health varies across different cultures, and that what is considered an illness in one society might be not be seen as an illness in another society. For example the contagious skin disease ‘yaws’ was so common in sub-Saharan Africa early this century that it was not considered a disease at all, it was considered normal because most of the population had the disease. The socio-medical model thinks that some societies also treat people with an illness differently from other societies.For example Australia does not allow anyone with HIV into the country, which is seen by most other countries as morally wrong and contrasts with the way people with HIV are treated in the majority of societies around the world. Time is another factor which the socio-medical model believes influences the standards of health. For instance cigarettes were promoted as being positive over 60years ago, whereas today smoking cigarettes is a well-known health threat.Socio-medical treatments for illnesses include looking at an individual’s personal situation, identifying the factors which have contributed to their illness or disorder, and removing these factors in order to correct or resolve the problem. For example a young man who has gone bald, from a socio-medical point of view, would be assessed and factors in his life such as great stress at work would be identified, this stress would be seen as the cause of his premature baldness, and they would try to help the man find a health way to vent his stress – in order to improve his condition.The biomedical model would view this man in a different way, they would concentrate on genetic factors such as premature baldness in his father, and put this forward as the cause in contrast to the socio-medical model. The biomedical model of health The biomedic al model emerged after the industrialisation of the western world. New scientific discoveries and methods were being used to produce a new model of health which used new technologies and tests such as x-rays, biopsies and electroencephalographs in order to monitor people’s health.These tests aim to show ‘biological malfunction or irregularity’ in order to diagnose illnesses, which are then treated using biological methods such as drugs, operations, hospitalisation etc. (Ross Clarke, 2012). According to the biomedical model the individual is not responsible for their illness or condition, and think that illness is caused by; a biological breakdown within the individual (this can be things such as infections, genetic malfunctions, broken bones and so on) or by external factors invading the body – such as virus’s and disease etc.They believe every single illness has ‘one single observable cause’. (Mike Harris, 2008). The biomedical model b elieves that the cause for a certain illness in one person has the same cause of that illness in another person – so all people with that illness should be given the same treatments, no individual cases are usually taken into account. (Ross Clarke, 2012). The biomedical model refers to ‘good health’ as having no illness. If you have ‘bad health’ you are considered to be ill, or to have an illness.Treatment is given with the aim of correcting a malfunction within the body and once this malfunction is corrected, you will be considered to be healthy again. (The Open University, 2012). The biomedical model is the dominant model of health in the modern western world. It treats illness and ‘malfunction’ with the use of medication, operations, radio and chemo therapy, transplants etc. Some socio-medical methods of treatment, however, are used alongside the biomedical model treatments, such as the use of therapy. (Unknown Author, 2012).The diffe rent approaches to mental health and illness Mental health and illness can be defined and viewed in many different ways according to many different factors including; the models of disability, the culture, gender, social class, the time period, religion etc. (Ross Clarke B, 2012). The biomedical, or medical, model of health would describe mental illness in the same way they describe any other illness; that it is caused by one single physical/genetic cause. This could be things such as genes passed down from your parents, a bump or bang to the head etc.They believe that symptoms are caused by a physical problem within the person or in the brain and they group these symptoms together in order to diagnose an illness or syndrome. The medical model uses two classification systems of mental illness in order to diagnose a patient. These two systems are the DSM IV and the ICD-10. The DSM identifies the patient’s symptoms in order to give a diagnosis for their disorder, while the ICD- 10 not only identifies the disorder and relevant symptoms, but it also tries to identify a cause. Andrews, G. , Slade, T. , Peters, L. 1999). The medical model of mental health describes people with mental illnesses as victims of their disorder, they see them as being unable to control their own actions and place no blame on the patient. The medical model uses drugs and therapies in order to treat people with mental illness, these could be things such as antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant drugs, mood stabilisers, sectioning, institutionalisation, ECT (Electro compulsive therapy), psychosurgery etc. (Saul McLeod, 2008).The socio-medical model’s approach to mental health is a total contrast to that of the medical model. It believes that many of the treatments used by the biomedical model are inhumane and unnecessary, and that mental illness is a result of social and personal factors surrounding an individual, rather than as a result of a biological cause. The socio-medical mod el would use therapies such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), client-centred therapy, family interventions, self-help groups, social and individual learning skills sessions and vocational training.The therapies used by the socio-medical model aim to give insight into the patients personal problems which could be causing the mental illness, they aim to give the patient unconditional positive regard, boost self-esteem and confidence (which may be low due to the negative perceptions of mental illnesses in most societies) and try to promote an independent life for the patient so that they can live in society safely, whilst still getting the care and treatment they need from community carers etc. (Coppock and Dunn, 2009).They believe the society you live in, your quality of life and your social class has a great influence on an individual’s mental health. They would say that due to the financial stresses and low life quality of the lower classes, this would make them more li kely to suffer from mental illness. They will use the client centred therapy to identify the personal problems in an individual’s life such as marital problems, financial problems, problems in the work place etc. The socio-medical model believes that the medical model stigmatizes patients by treating all patients suffering from a particular mental illness the same.They believe that society has a negative perception of mentally ill people and that they should not be labelled as it is not their fault they are suffering from that condition. (Ross Clarke B, 2012). Besides the different medical models, there are also other approaches to the study of mental health. Sigmund Freud, and others who follow the psychodynamic theory, would say that mental illness is due to an unsuccessful completion of a psychosexual stage or due to a trauma in a person’s childhood, and that bringing their unconscious thoughts to the surface of the conscious mind (using psychotherapy) will eliminat e the problem. Unknown Author B, 2011). Different time periods have also had different approaches to the study of mental illness. Early this century, for example, people suffering from mental illness were seen as being inadequate to the rest of society, a danger to their-selves and others and unable to live ‘normally’ within society. They treated these people inhumanely, carrying out horrendous treatments which often resulted in patients becoming emotionless and ‘zombified’.Before the 1950’s ECT was carried out without the use of anaesthetic, which was very painful and uncomfortable for the patient. Around this time people with mental illnesses were being institutionalised on a regular basis, and by the mid 1950’s there was a total of around 150,000 people across the UK in mental institutions. (BBC, 2010). People were institutionalised for a variety of different reasons, ranging from sufferers of depression, to violent outbursts (mostly among women) and then extreme things such as murder or suicide attempts.These institutions at the time thought they were providing the best form of treatment for their patients, but people in more recent times think that the institutions had an unpleasant ‘prison-like atmosphere’ and that they totally took away people’s rights, freedom, independence, social skills and self-esteem and confidence and that the treatments they used were unnecessary and inhumane. (BBC, 2010).In the late 1950’s – early 1960’s a more humane approach started to be taken to the study of mental health. The start of the NHS in 1948 meant that mental health would now have a more modern and humane view from society, the NHS started to introduce new treatments and therapies in the asylums/institutions such as ‘programmes of activity’ including craft and sewing classes ect, and also introduced an ‘open-door policy’, aiming to give the patients more indep endence and freedom.This new approach recognised that asylums were not necessary for all mentally ill patients and in 1961, a man named Enoch Powell tried to change societies vision of mental ill health and, as the health minister of the time, he vowed to close all mental asylums/institutions and to instead, release patients into society, providing treatment and care for them at home and in the community via community carers. (Adam McCulloch, Michael Fitzpatrick, 2011). It wasn’t until the 1970’s however that people stopped being admitted into the asylums and still took until the 1980’s for the first asylum to close.By 1990 100,000 patients had been released into society and mental hospitals started to become extinct. This was the start of care in the community for the mentally ill, as we know it today. (BBC, 2010). The modern approach to mental illness is that there could be a number of causes, whether that be genetic, organic, personal, social or a combination of either, and that sufferers should not be labelled, should not be considered ‘abnormal’ and that they should be treated just like any other ‘normal’ member of society. Ross Clarke B, 2012). They should receive sufficient care via GP/hospital appointments, care in the community and by alternative therapies such as family interventions, self-help groups etc. ‘User movements’ have also quite recently been introduced, this is a system which encourages the patient to work with a professional such as a doctor/psychiatrist to help choose the treatments they receive in order to make them feel more in control of their illness or disorder and to help them feel more confidence that the chosen treatment will work. BBC, 2010). People with mental illnesses are no longer stigmatised or labelled and a majority of the western world have now accepted mental illness as a genuine problem which needs to be solved, rather than seeing it as a condition which needs to be locked away from society like in the early 50’s. References Mike Harris. (2008). Sociology of health and illness. Available: http://www. slideshare. net/Bias22/sociology-of-health-and-illness-presentation#btnNext Last Accessed: 06/12/2012Unknown Author. (2012). What is the biomedical model? Available: http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-the-biomedical-model. htm Last Accessed: 06/12/2012 Ross Clarke. (2012). Booklet 3 – the different constructions of health and illness. The Manchester College, 2012 The Open university. (2012). Models of healthcare: the biomedical model. Available: http://openlearn. open. ac. uk/mod/oucontent/view. php? id=398060§ion=1. 6 Last Accessed: 06/12/2012 Andrews, G. , Slade, T. , Peters, L. (1999).Classification in psychiatry: ICD-10 versus DSM-IV. The British Journal of Psychiatry. v. 174. no. 1. p. 3 – 4 Ross Clarke B. (2012). Booklet 4 – approaches to the study of mental health and illness. The Manchester College, 201 2. Saul McLeod. (2008). The medical model. Available: http://www. simplypsychology. org/medical-model. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. Coppock and Dunn. (2009). Understanding mental health and mental distress. Available: http://www. sagepub. com/upm-data/30675_02_Coppock_&_Dunn_Ch_01. df Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. Unknown Author B. (2011). Psychology 101. Available: http://allpsych. com/psychology101/personality. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. BBC (2010). BBC4 video – mental history of the mad house. Last Accessed 27/11/2012. Adam McCulloch, Michael Fitzpatrick. (2011). Mental institutions, Enoch Powell and community care. Available: http://www. communitycare. co. uk/blogs/social-care-the-big-picture/2011/09/mental-institutions-enoch-powell-and-community-care. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

African American History Essay

Introduction The America that was there after the conclusion of the civil war is nothing like the America we recognize presently. Significant events have occurred since 1865 that have shaped our understanding of what America is today. Major industrialization and urbanization, equal rights for all citizens and the two major world wars that have shaped our understanding of what America is today. While, there are numerous events that have shaped America, there are few events that have served as markers of change for the entire society, particularly for the African Americans. From 1619 to 1865, a significant number of African American immigrated to the United States as slaves. Ever since the arrival of the first African Americans in Point Comfort, currently known as Fort Monroe in Hampton, the African American community has made significant strides in the community. However, the major event that occasioned this strikes transpired in 1865: the abolishment of slavery. This marked as a single major event that catapulted the African American society to where it is today. This article will examine the history of African American from 1865 to today. In 1865, the civil war between the north and south, or civil war as it is known came to an end. This was a time of great upheaval in the American society. The entire American society was attempting to integrate, and become part of the union. The south had agreed to integrate and become part f the union (Feagin, 2014). The South had consented to join the union. In the same year, President Lincoln was assassinated. The conclusion of the Civil War occasioned the beginning of the period of reconstruction. This period was characterized by upheaval, and the AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865 3 country attempted to reintegrate itself, and also integrate the southern. This was a period of new beginning for the entire nation (Gates, 2012). The Constitution 13th amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States of America. This phase is edged in history as one of the most imperative event in the African Americans history (Feagin, 2014). During the era of reconstruction, which lasted from 1865 to 1876, significant events occurred that shaped the lives of African Americans. The African Americans begun the process of reintegration, and they found themselves with a system that they were not used to. This period was not just a period of reintegration for the white people, but rather for the entire nation (Feagin, 2014). During this time, it was particularly challenging to the African Americans because they were attempting to integrate to a society that was heavily biased against them. During the reconstruction period, there was little political and social agreement, especially over the issues of who should be permitted to vote (Gates, 2012). There were disagreements as to whether confederates, ex-slaves or those slaves that fought during the war should be allowed to vote. The death of President Lincoln and the establishment of new administration under President Andrew Johnson made the process of reintegration more complex for African Americans (Feagin, 2014). In 1866, legislation known as the ‘Black Codes’ was overwhelmingly passed by every white legislator of the former confederate States. The black codes greatly hampered the ability of African Americans to be reintegrated into the society (Gates, 2012). During that same year, the Congress passed the Civil rights act, which conferred citizenship rights to all African Americans, and giving those equal rights and liberties as to those of the white-American people (Feagin, 2014). The 14th amendment was ratified, in 1868, which defined citizenship for the African Americans, and also which overturned the Dred Scot decision (Gates, 2012). The 14th amendment strengthened the civil and legal rights of the African Americans, elucidating among other things, AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865 4 that no state in the union shall deprive any African Americans their due process in law and the equal protections provided in the law (Feagin, 2014). The 14th amendment ensured, to some extent that the African Americans civil rights were protected. The 14th Amendment reversed the United States Supreme Court ruling in Dred Scott v. Sanford, which ruled that African Americans were not truly United States citizens (Feagin, 2014). The 14th amendment had several profound impacts on the lives of African Americans. First off, the amendment integrated African Americans into the society, by overruling the previous ruling that African Americans were not truly American citizens (Gates, 2012). Secondly, the 14th amendment prohibited the national and state governments from depriving any person, including African Americans, liberty, life and property without due regard and process as established in law. By guarding the civil liberties and rights of African Americans, the law inflicted a penalty, which entailed the loss of electoral votes and the loss of congressional seats, on states that dispossessed African Americans of their voting rights. Thirdly, the 14th amendment guaranteed all Americans, regardless of their racial affiliations protection under the law (Feagin, 2014). This clause serves an essential foundation for the decision to repeal the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that overturned segregation. The 15th amendment was ratified in 1870, which gave African Americans voting rights. As the third and final amendment to be ratified in the reconstruction period, the 15th amendment forbids the national and state governments from refusing a citizen the voting rights based on that citizen’s color, race or servitude (Feagin, 2014). The adoption of the 15th amendments was greeted with extensive celebrations in African American communities and other abolitionist societies. The sense among African Americans is that their rights had been offered protected and secured. The adoption of the 15th Amendment completed a series of civil change, and it was one of the most significant events African American historical events. The 15th amendment meant AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865 5 that the African American communities did not require the protection they were being offered by the government (Feagin, 2014). Towards the end of the reconstruction era, the south recognized that it would no longer be conceivable to hold on the perspective of recreating itself out of the North. In spite of this, there was still lingering tensions between the North and South (Feagin, 2014). Although equal rights were granted to African Americans, they did not fully enjoy them. While African Americans enjoyed expanded freedoms, it would not be till nearly a hundred years later, during the Civil rights movement that the entire fruits of reconstruction would be seen. The period of reconstruction ended in 1877, during which, a deal was struck with Democratic leaders from the south, to make Rutherford B. Hayes the U. S president, in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the south, and which stops the efforts to protect the Civil liberties of African Americans. In the period after the reconstruction era, rapid industrialization followed. During this period, African Americans on the south started escaping to the North to run away from oppression (Gates, 2012). In 1879, thousands of African Americans moved to the north. In the industrialization period, rapid industrialization and development ensued in big cities in the United States. Construction of railroads spread across the country. Railroads encouraged the growth and expansion of cities (Gates, 2012). Many Africa Americans migrated to the cities to work in the processing and production companies. In 1881, Tennessee ratified the first of the ‘Jim Crow’ segregation rules, which segregated stated railroads. Over the next 15 years, similar laws were passed throughout the southern States. The segregation laws caused African Americans to migrate to the northern States (Gates, 2012). The Jim Crow segregation laws conferred a separate but equal status to all African Americans. In practice, the separation led to circumstances for African Americans that were second-rate to those offered to white Americans. AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865 6 systematizing several of economic, educational and socials disadvantages. The southern states had De jure while de facto applied in the northern states (Feagin, 2014). The Jim Crow segregation laws inflicted segregation in housing, which was imposed by covenants, job discrimination, and loan lending discrimination in banks, and also African Americans were also discriminated in labor unions (Gates, 2012). During the industrialization era, companies came up across various cities. African Americans were increasingly becoming urbanized, and left their farms and homesteads, and moved to big cities to get jobs. In 1887, the ‘standing Lincoln’ statue was unveiled at Augustus Saint gardens in Chicago (Feagin, 2014). The Plessey v. Ferguson case was a milestone ruling in the United States. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that ‘Jim Crow’s separate but equal segregation policies to be legal, and begin being implemented. These laws barred African Americans from equal access in all public facilities. The 1900s marked the rise of civil rights movement across the United States. In 1954, the court in Brown v. Board of education case, ruled that segregation in education facilities to be unconstitutional and this measure strike down segregation in education facilities (Feagin, 2014). In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. Her defiance offered the start of a momentum to the civil rights movement that spread across the United States. She was not the first black person to refuse to wake up for a white person, but by the time of her action, there was growing resentment and anger in the African American society for being treated as second-class citizens. Word went around about Montgomery mistreatment and arrest (Feagin, 2014). The Women’s Political Council resolved to protest Rosa Park’s ill-treatment by arranging a bus boycott to start on the day of Parks’ trial, December 5th. Martin Luther King Jr. and the African American community established an association, the MIA (Montgomery Improvement Association) to carry on boycotting until the AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865 7 Jim Crow segregation laws were altered (Feagin, 2014). The key objective was to stop segregation in the public transport system and other sections of the society, and also to employ African-American drivers in Montgomery. The public unrest ensured for 382 days, costing the Montgomery bus company he sums of money, however the city declined to give in (Feagin, 2014). The Montgomery protest leaders filed a national lawsuit in opposition to the city’s segregation rules, claiming that Montgomery desecrated the 14th Amendment. In 1956, a national court stated that the Montgomery segregation rules were unlawful, but lawyers for Montgomery County appealed. On November 3rd, 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that the segregation laws in Montgomery were illegal. During the protest, the Montgomery authorities made many arrests (Feagin, 2014). At one time, the police detained a group of African Americans waiting for carpool pick-ups. A court jury acknowledged the boycott unlawful, and 115 protest leaders were detained. In 1957, Martin Luther King, Jr. established the Southern Christian Leadership conference, which served as the forefront engine of the civil rights movement. The conference served as the main council for organizing civil rights protests across United States. The civil right movements were against discrimination of any kind and the fair treatment of all people, regardless of their color across United States. The civil right movement characterized main campaigns and protests of civil resistance (Feagin, 2014). The civil rights movements lasted between 1955 and 1968. The civil rights movements were characterized by civil disobedience and non-violent protests. In 1964, the civil rights act was ratified, and it prohibited all acts of discrimination. In 1965, The Voting Rights Act was ratified, and it outlaws the carried out in the South to disenfranchise black voters. In 1967, the first African American senator, Edward W. Brooke, was elected, and he served for two terms (Feagin, 2014). Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Tennessee, which was one of the sad moments in African American AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865 8 history. The election of Barack Obama served as a significant milestone for United States, particularly the African American community. President Barack Obama was elected the first African-American president, in 2008. President’s Barack Obama’s election served as one of the most significant milestone for the African Americans community (Feagin, 2014). A racial divide that was there between the African Americans and white Americans was erased, and it was erased for all eternity. President Barack Obama was elected for a second term in office, which signaled the apparent rise of the African American community to the top (Feagin, 2014). In his second term in office, President Barack Obama has shown that there are things that seem more possible for the African Americans, than they were in his first term. He has made African Americans realize that they can achieve anything if they want to, and made their expectations realistic. Conclusion From the shackles of slavery in the 1800s, the African American community has risen to take full advantage of their civil liberties and freedoms. For over 300 years, African Americans fought for their civil rights and freedom. The African Americans struggles have been a major issue in each juncture of United States history. In 1776, when slave-holders were revolting in opposition to the menace of British abolitionism, the African Americans formed part of the American Revolution. During the civil war, the African Americans were also part of the struggles. African Americans have endured as much as any other community and have fought for the rights and liberties of all people in the community. From the attainment of freedom, and the struggle to get equal rights and civil liberties, the election of Barack Obama as the first African- American President, the African American community can gladly say that the racial divide between the Blacks and white Americans has been completely erased. AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865 9 References Feagin, J. R. (2014). Racist America: Roots, current realities, and future reparations. London: Routledge. Gates, H. L. (2012). The Oxford Handbook of African American Citizenship, 1865-present. London, UK: Oxford University Press.