Historical Background Of Foster Care In Ireland Social Work Essay

Historical Background Of Foster Care In Ireland Social Work Essay In order to fully appreciate the present situation of foster care in Ireland, an insight into the past history of foster care will be told. There has been a long tradition of fostering in Ireland. Foster care was present in the past, it was known as fosterage. It can be seen during the Brehon laws. Children from families of all classes were put into care of other families. This form of care was to lighten somewhat of the pressure for space in the home. This may have been as families were quiet large in the past and also financial difficulties. It also included children who were abandoned and needed the support and protection (Robins). The Brehon laws acted as the legal laws in Ireland and created two types of fosterage on where no remuneration was given and the other where a few is given (Shannon, 2005). Foster parents in both cases were to maintain their foster child to there rank. It was under a legal contract to keep and for the child until the period of was fosterage was not being cared for sufficiently, the chid was to be returned to there family home (O Higgins, 1996). Foundations of the present law around foster care were developed with the introduction of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1862. This provided children being boarding out to families who were not in work houses (O Higgins, 1996). The Infant Life Protection Act of 1897 presents where our recent system has originated from. This involved the appointment of females to inspect the conditions in which the children lived in, it also gave power that if not up to standards the child could be removed and placed in with families. Under the Health Act of 1953, health boards were empowered which provided for a major shift towards foster care. The arrangements that were introduced in boarding of childrens regulations in 1954, included provisions around the issue of being boarded out, placement in an approved school or if over 14 placed in employment (Task Force, 1980). Providing to be an important piece of legislation was the childrens act of 1908. It stated that a child who was neglected or abuse could be placed in the care of a fit person (O Higgins, 1996) Foster Care Foster care as previously discussed was a main expression towards the need for recognition of the rights of the child. Development in this area for acceptance that the child has needs of their own has led to the system of foster care that provides personalised family care that the workhouses and institutions could not provide. (Kelly and Gilligan, 2000, pg 7-8) Offers care in family setting Offers care in communication Offers opportunity to make attachment relationship to committed foster parents It can permit children to be attached and identify with family of origin It can include the childs family in care of child It can provide care and support into adulthood It can channel extra support from the agency for the child and carers (Kelly and Gilligan, 2000, pg 8) Modern child protection procedures are not sufficient as to make up a childs placement plan alone. It is more complex, as child care professionals now see the importance of individualisation and providing not only the physical care but the attachment and emotional needs ought to be provided for also (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). Children need to be placed in an environment where there needs are met, wishes can be supported and they can make individual choices for the future (Coakley, Cuddleback, Cox, 2007) Foster care is not a simple method of caring for a child; most children have experienced some form of trauma, may have been hurt or may have health or behaviour problems (Task Force, 1980). This calls for foster carers to be understanding and accept their emotions through being sensitive and caring. This can be a basis for the start of developing a relationship with the child (Fahlberg, 2004). The emergence of relative care in Ireland has proved beneficial to families. Keeping in with familys tradition and connection helps the development of childs identity, the surfacing of partnership as a key principle in child care (Broad, 2001). Legislation in Foster Care Firstly the researcher will examine the legislation in relation to relative foster care in Ireland. Child Care A ct 1991 There is a clear promotion for the welfare of children in the Child Care Act 1991. The health board has a statutory duty to identify children who are not receiving adequate care and protection (RWGFC). The welfare of the child is paramount and where appropriate the board is to give consideration to the wishes of the child based on their age and maturity (RWGFC). If social services are to meet the needs of children going into foster care then they must, among other things, listen to the child and include the children where possible in the decision making process (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). A plan is made which outlines aims and objectives for the placement and detailed guidelines for support to be given to the child, foster parents and natural parents (Shannon, 2005). UN Convention on the Rights of the Child The UN Convention was ratified in Ireland in 1992. It includes articles providing rights that relate to the childs life. It involves protection of the child from any form of discrimination and states the best interest of the child shall be held where possible when action is being considered which involves the child. It recognises the childs right to be protected and provided for. Foster care is mentioned in Article 20, stating that it is a substitute care provider when the parent or guardian fails to do so. This shows that foster care is a recognised as a suitable and appropriate form of care. Children Act 2001 The health board as stated in Section 23P requires at least 30 days notice for a private foster care placement to be arranged ad for an emergency foster care arrangement the health board requires notice within 14 days according to Section 23P2 (Shannon, 2005). At the time of notification, the health board has to be provided with the sufficient information around the foster placement (Shannon, 2005). It is said that the welfare of the child should be a primary concern to the foster parent. Section 23U allows for three interventions which the health board are obliged to use if the following occur. If it comes to the health boards attention that a private foster care arrangement has been arranged without notification to them or that the carers are not providing for the safety and welfare of the child then the interventions which can be implemented include a supervision order, an order to take the child and put into care or an instruction to terminate the order (Shannon, 2005). National Standards of Foster Care The national standards for foster care were devised following concerns around the quality of foster care services. These concerns were highlighted by the Report of the Working Group on Foster care, Foster Care: A child Centred Partnership (NSFC). The standards were developed by a committee who gathered information from experiences from individuals and organisations who work in the area of foster care and from a representative group of young people currently in foster care (NSFC). The National Standards for Foster Care 2003 provide guidelines on the provisions of quality foster care within the existing legislative framework (Shannon, 2005) There are 25 standards in all; the first 13 standards take into consideration the standard of care of the child including quality of response to factors around the childs needs and services required, whilst sticking to the relevant legislation (NSFC). The 2nd section involving the standards 14 to 17 are in relation to the assessment process of possible suitable foster carers and the training and support they require to provide for successful foster placements (NSFC). The final 8 standards are aimed at the duties and responsibilities of the health board. These standards provide guidelines which aim to promote the quality of services provided by the foster care professionals and Health Board (NSFC). The Child Care (Placement of Children with Relatives) Regulations The Regulations where put in place in 1995 as section 39 of the Child Care Act 1991 requiring the Minister for Health and Children to make regulations in relation to foster care. These regulations are directed at children who have been placed with a relative. The health board must pay attention to the rights and duties of the parents but the board must consider and consult with the child on his or her preferences (Shannon, 2005). Certain procedures must be implemented and fulfilled prior to the placement of a child in a foster care setting (Shannon, 2005). In relation to the welfare of the child needing to be considered, being placed in a family members home can cause conflict between relative carers and the birth family, so if this conflict cannot be settled then other placement should be considered (Shannon, 2005). Once the relative carers have lawful custody of the child, Article 16 of the regulations directs that the relatives take all reasonable steps to ensure the promotion of the childs health, development and welfare. In addition to the above many other factors contribute to the regulations. A relative intending to care for the child, must in according to Article 5 give in certain information regarding their health, two referees, examine into the relatives background such as criminal charges and any other relative information to the Health Board (Shannon, 2005). According to Article 12, the Health Board has to keep records of the children in foster care, including personal details of the child, an up to date case record containing certain documents (Shannon, 2005). In addition to this, the health board may visit the child as stated in the care plan. Whatever the arrangements made, Article 17 calls that the foster placement has visitation from an authorised member of the health board at least once every three months for the first two years (Shannon, 2005). To ensure the above aims of the childs placement, it is recommended that the case should be reviewed in terms of the successive of the placement and the possibility of the childs return to their natural familys home (Shannon, 2005). A foster care arrangement will end when the child reaches 18 years. Other possible reasons are that the child returns to their family home or at the request of the relative carers (Shannon, 2005). Assessment Process in Relation to Relative Foster Carers There are certain issues around the assessment process that are a cause for concern. Certain developments and amendments need to be applied to provide the best opportunity for foster care placements to be successful. In traditional foster care the assessment process lasts for a length of nine months usually, this process has to occur before the child is placed in the foster home. In comparison relative care, this process of assessment usually occurs after the child is placed with relatives due to the rapid movement of the child (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). A decision for the child to be placed with relatives is usually in the midst of a crisis. The family can be approached by the agency or the family themselves may contact the agency. As there are different regulations for traditional foster care and relative foster care, and the placement of the children occurs at different times, then it is questionable that there should be different assessment criteria (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). In recent studies, it shows that birth families themselves had preference to relatives caring for their children rather than with a home outside the family. Depending on the route to which the child entered relative care, either by agency approaching the relatives or the relatives approaching the agency, this can cause conflicting tensions between families (OBrien in Broad, 2001). The decision to take on the care of a grandchild is not an easy one. If the birth parents are not happy with the Health Service Executives decision to place their child in care, it can become a dilemma (Climo et al, 2002). The model of assessment of relative care is the same used for traditional foster parents. This is not right for relative carers as they have a connection with the child and family, the process is different to which they become known to the agency and the fact the placement is already made (OBrien in Broad, 2001). The assessment process of placement of a child with a relative usually occurs in two stages. The first is a preliminary assessment of the relatives; if the agency is content with the outcome then they proceed with the placement of the child. When the child is residing in the relatives family home the formal assessment process occurs (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). The following issues were found in a study done by David Pitcher assessing grandparents. The grandparents felt confused when being assessed and feared giving aware giving certain answers would result in their grandchildren not being placed with them. The process needs to be explained and the grandparents informed on the reason behind it to allow the process to be carried out in an honest manner (Pitcher in Broad, 2001). As grandparents have not planned to take on the full time care of a child, the can feel unprepared. Placement of the child usually occur mid crisis so it can cause the grandparents to feel stressed as they face meeting the criteria that is expected of them (Coakley et al, 2007). Social workers need to work with the grandparents in preparing them to cope with the challenges to promote successful placement and to alleviate these pending placements (Coakley et al, 2007). If the process is not explained properly this can lead to difficulty between the social worker and the grandparents. The grandparents can feel overwhelmed by the depth their private lives are being looked into. They can find this process negative and very intrusive and also it can be a frightening experience for them (Kelly Gilligan, 2000) As the process begins the grandparent should be given a written copy of the format of the interview. The social worker needs to give an honest explanatory description to the grandparents to prepare them for the process ahead. The aim of the social worker is to get an idea of the carers personality, to look at practical issues i.e. housing schools and to discuss together the perceived length that the placement will be (Broad, 2001) It can be of some reassurance for the birth parents that the child is going to live with people they know and may trust. The child can have different feelings of moving homes as in a study by Terling, 2003; found that trauma can be reduced when the child knows the person that will care for them rather than a stranger. Although the grandparent must acknowledge that while the child does know the grandparent, it does not reduce all of the stress and trauma that the child may experience when moving into another form of care (Broad, 2001). Also, the relationship between the grandparent and child must be looked at, questions need to be asked by the social workers such as does the grandparent actually like their grandchild and is there a sense of belonging for the child (Broad, 2001). Training should be specific to the carers needs. Parenting the Family Cycle The individual life cycle takes place within the family life cycle which is the primary context of human development (Carter Goldrick, 1988, pg 4). In early adult hood it can be expected that a couple will become parents of the younger generation, this can be an exciting period in a persons life. This new role that they adopt can involve responsibility in the childs developmental process and having authority in acting out parental roles to their children (Carter Goldrick, 1988). Perspectives of the role in later life are viewed as having less responsibilities and more time to reflect and relax. An older person is thought to experience retirement, dependency of others preferably their children or younger relatives, a sense of financial insecurity, possible loss of friends through death and the difficult time when a spouse dies (Carter Goldrick, 1988). Although this is a much generalised view, these experiences do occur. Grandparenthood can offer a person a sense of being and bring joy to their life. Becoming a grandparent can create new motivation and add fulfilment to an elderly person life. It creates opportunities for them to experience a new role and to develop a special close relationship (Carter Goldrick, 1988). Grandparents have a good position in their family network because they are not the parents of the children but they have a caring and considerate interest in their grandchilds development (Brubaker, 1985, citied in Bernades, 1997). A grandparents role has no clear guidelines, they can adopt rules but in remembering that they do not have the same authority that they had with their own children. Instead, grandparents can spoil and indulge in their grandchildren (Bernades, 1997). There are different styles of grand parenting involving different characteristics. The types of relationships they hold with their grandchild can vary from being distant to authoritarian and being involved in their life with assuming responsibility but having love and care (Hammer Turner, 1990). This can have an effect when a grandparent becomes a full time carer for their grandchild. If the grandparent was distant then it can be harder to develop a bond that has been absent. In comparison if a grandparent has been involved and caring, then to gain authority and create rules it can take some time and adjustments (Hammer Turner, 1990). It involves a lot more responsibilities than previously needed. They will have to set routines, assume responsibility in daily tasks and educate the child with essential skills and attend to the needs of the child (Hammer Turner, 1990). Grandparent hood can be seen as a second chance at parenting. This can be seen for grandparents when their own child has failed at their duty of parenting, the grandparent can become the main carer due to the fact that they feel part to blame. They may feel that in helping, they can fix the problem that they may have blame in (Hammer Turner). Another possible reason presented by Climo, 2002, seen that grandparents felt a commitment to the value of family continuity, they agreed to take care of the family. Their commitment to both generations their child and grandchild meant they felt it was their responsibility to step in (Climo, 2002). Also grandparents may not want their grandchild to be placed with strangers and fear that they may lose contact with their grandchildren (Climo, 2002). Factors Attributing to Relative Care It may be hard for the grand parent to deal with conflicting issues between themselves and the birth family so by introducing skills this can assist in managing family dynamics. This can essentially result in ensuring the best outcome for the childs welfare (Coakley et al, 2007). These include boundaries with birth parents, adopting care plan and following guidelines around maintaining a good relationship with the birth family (Coakley et al, 2007). If the grandparents allow continuous contact with the birth family, it can have a negative effect. This can be said when the reason for placement was abuse, if constant communication is occurring then the child may be put in danger. Also, the grandparents will never be able to gain responsibility, authority or develop a routine if the parents are interfering and not sticking to access plans that have been drawn up (Terling, 2001). Some argue that relative carers are not capable of meeting the childs needs (Sparr, 1993, Dubovitz, 1994 citied in Terling, 2001). There are assumptions that a child experience of parenting from their parents can be transmitted from one generation to another (Pugh De Ath, 1985). The grandparents capability needs to be questioned, looking also at their suitability of caring for their grandchildren, as they are the ones who raised the troubled parent (Gladstone Brown, 2007). Parental failure can be seen as a result of learnt behaviour from previous generations poor parenting (Davidson, 1997, citied in Climo, 2002). As characteristics run through the family, it can prove that the relative carers might have similarities in parenting to that of the birth parents. Especially in this case considering that the grandparents raised the birth parents. It can be said that if the reason for placing the child in care is due to abuse or neglect this can be a worry and should be considered (Terlin g, 2001). Implications can occur when a grandparent takes their grandchild into care. They can find it hard dealing with the childs emotional, behavioural, physical problems, issues of attachment or loss, perceived agency inadequacy, dealing with authority of the child welfare system and dealing with birth parents (Coakley et al, 2007, pg 93). A custodial role can affect the grandparents health as they need to alter their routine and plans, they can feel physical tired, have less time for themselves and have extra duties to do around the house with the addition of a new person (Gladstone Brown, 2007). As they are then busier, relationships can be affected. They have less time to interact and enjoy doing things with their friends, this can cause them to become socially isolated (Broad, 2001). Other relationships include the grandparents other grandchildren who can become jealous at the thought of their grandparent being closer to one grandchild and providing them with more attention (Jendrick, 1993, citied in Climo, 2002). Depending on the grandparents employment status, they may have to quit their job as they will be responsible for the child, this can have an affect on their financial income. They will have more to payout as an extra person, with less money to do this with (Gladstone Brown, 2007). It was found that grandparents can become to resent the situation they are in and it showed they felt they were incapable of keeping up with the child (Climo et al, 2002). Role of the Social Care Worker Relatives who foster care tend not to receive as much support, can ask for less help and it is believed that social workers feel they need less help than traditional foster care workers. The worker and grandparent need to draw up a support plan that will ensure the above do not occur (Broad, 2001). The social worker needs to assess what it was like for the grandparent when they were parenting their own children. They need to reflect on what worked for them when raising their children, try to identify possible mistakes they made and acknowledge how it will be different raising their grandchild (Broad, 2001). They need to understand it may be difficult in altering their role towards their grandchild, possibly identifying their idea of discipline as it may not be appropriate in terms of child welfare, for example corporal punishment was norm years ago but times have now changed. Also as the hope is that the child can one day return to their birth family, the parents own beliefs in raisi ng a child has to be made aware to the grandparent so they do not confuse the child (Broad, 2001). The grandparent may find parenting hard if they have to deal with social services monitoring them. It can be difficult for the grandparents as now there are many factors to be considered which put increases in the demand of them (Pugh De Ath, 1985). In comparison to parenting in the elderly persons time, the knowledge around the needs of the child in terms of physical, intellectual, social and emotional development has become more recognised. All of these will be monitored by officials in the case of relative foster care. As before a parent would not receive this type of pressure to ensure that their child is constantly receiving care and having there needs met (Pugh De Ath, 1985). Grandparents can feel inadequate under the high expectations of their role in the childs development. It can be quite a comparison as when the grandmother was parenting there was little demand to satisfy social demands. The importance was to run the household and the saying mother knows best was the pare ntal ethnic (Pugh De Ath, 1985). In comparison to traditional foster care, relative carers are said to not receive as much support as needed. Possible reasons for this are because the social care workers may have the idea that the relatives do not require the same level services (Dubowitz, Feigelman Zuravin, 1993, citied in Mc Coakley, 2007). According Schlonsky Berrick citied in Mc Coakley, social workers may be influenced by the relationship that is already present within the family. As the child is under the care of their family, the social worker may feel it is the families right to raise the child without the intrusion of them (Coakley et al, 2007). Another possibility is that the grandparents themselves either refuse or do not request support from services (Coakley et al, 2007). Grandparents may feel that asking for help or showing a need for help may be perceived as a weakness in their ability to cope. In the findings conducted by Mc Coakley 2006, it can be seen that mutual goals should be drawn up in the a ssessment process so that the best possible care for the child can be achieved. In addition to this, if the agency can show how committed they are in tailor making the families intervention and meeting the needs specific to the child and family then the family may welcome support more openly (Coakley 2007). Gladstone Brown (2007) identified the following factors which contributed to a positive relationship between the social worker and grandparent. It was found that firstly if a social worker presented as a friendly, considerate personality and the grandparents felt that they could connect and talk to them then they were more likely to open up to them. Social workers need to show an understanding to the situation, and allow the grandparents to feel appreciated for the contribution they are making (Gladstone Brown, 2007). Grandparents appreciate when a social worker responds to their needs and offers them informative advice and support on child management issues and referrals of other services that could offer support (Gladstone Brown, 2007). For a grandparent being informed can help them with their new role of parenting. As they are monitored and assessed, receiving feedback can allow them to know where they stand and how they can improve and also know what they are doing right. Also as their situation changes they need to know about entitlements that they can receive (Gladstone Brown, 2007).

Feminist Art Movement: Overview and Analysis

Feminist Art Movement: Overview and Analysis The feminist art movement that officially began in the 1960s- refers to the efforts and accomplishments of feminists who made art reflecting womens lives and experiences. In doing so, it brought more visibility to female artists, and was a very influential political statement in itself. It was a movement that consisted of various artists and general public alike, who all fought for the same things, equality, womens liberation and womens rights. Artists that made more than their fair share of political statements through their art were the likes Ghada Amer and Barbara Kruger. The issues that they addressed were ideologies commonly held in society, and were issues that they intended to change. In this case, the challenging task that the artists dealt with in the following works, is the issue of equality between males and females, through examining the issue of the predominant male gaze -acknowledged all throughout Feminist art history. In La Jaune, 1999, Ghada Amer addresses the idea of the male gaze, and the representation of the female identity. With We Wont Play Nature to Your Culture, 1983, Barbara Kruger uses direct address exploring the gendering way of looking, and focusing on the predominant male gaze and works to favor the female gaze. Most Feminist Political theory, in contrast, sees women and their situation as central to political analysis; it asks why it is that in virtually all known societies men appear to have more power and privilege than women, and how this can be changed. The issues that feminist artists fight for have been around for many centuries, but only up until the 1960s had it truly been acknowledged. Although during the years 1850 to 1914 had the first official wave of feminism occurred, the feminist movement gave way to several woman activists part taking in the political actions performed by all female organizations scanning across the globe, that also gave way to the three -then- newly founded, very influential groups of woman who protested and demanded there be equality between men and woman in all aspects of life. First to be acknowledged are the Suffragettes, who triggered off other woman movements campaigning for womens suffrage, namely the National Union of Womans Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), and from the rights movement in 1848, the Womans Social and Political Union (WSPU), (McQuiston, 1997, p. 18). These political groups utilize manual mass production of political posters in order to spread their messages, and like the discussed work s of Amer and Kruger, their artworks addressed the gendering way of looking, (King, 1992, p. 135). In saying that, these are works of the two artists that are primarily concerned with patriarchy in the viewing of their artworks to do with the representation of the female identity, and what they can do to change this gendering way of looking. It wasnt until the social revolution of the 1960s occurred, and within it the second wave of feminism, that woman themselves once again used communication media and other innovative formats to produce their own visual and verbal messages for womens liberation. (McQuiston, 1997, p. 19) Barbara Kruger is one of the more acknowledged female artists that do this; use visual, and verbal messages to communicate their ideas. All throughout the three waves of feminism, the male gaze has remained a dominant universal issue, intensifying through out the years through that of bold statements made by artists like Barbara Kruger herself. The concept of the gendering way of looking became a visual construct through the way the male visual ideology treats woman as an object of art to secure the artist as primarily male (King, 1992, p. 135). Whilst some feminists have argued to be included in malestream ideologies, many have also long argued that women are in important respects both different from and superior to men, and that the problem they face is not discrimination or capitalism but male power. (Bryson, 2003, p. 3) Through the artwork, We Wont Play Nature to your Culture, 1983, Barbara Kruger directly approaches the concept of the dominant male power and redirects this power to favor the female audience. She communicates her belief in refuting the idea of men being the producer of culture, and women merely being a product of nature. This is exactly what the visually imagery and text in this work demands, and her direct approach in attempting to do so will let us assume that Jacques Ranciere would agree -that Krugers use of text would be effective in this situation- as he once stated: One must recognize that the first tool used to subjugate another is also the first great equalizer: Language. (Chan, 2007, p. 260). Put simply, Krugers approach to reach equality in the gendering way of looking has placed both male and female viewers in a place of lesser patriarchy, but further favors the female gaze through her bold statement We -meaning women- Wont Play Nature to your Culture. The fact that [m]en still [had] greater power to look (Allen, 1992, p.5), had Kruger responding with We Wont Play Nature to your Culture, directly addressing the female audience, instilling the female point of view with more validation in comparison to that of the male gaze. This then shows the attempt that Kruger is making to change the concept of the gendering way of looking, and instead of catering to male gaze, she indirectly does this, but in favor of that of the female gaze, thus giving females the dominance in spectatorship. [] It has an immediate, emotional impact. It can be interpreted as holding a complex comment on the place of scenario and representation in male-female relations under patriarchy. She builds on the feminist analysis of representation as political [] (Mulvey, 2009, p. 134). In saying that, Krugers use of the female figure in this work embodies very strong political statements, as stated by Catherine King -in other words, but to the same effect-, where although Kruger is directly addressing the male audience, in We Wont Play Nature to your Culture, she has in turn privileged the female audience and given them primacy of spectatorship, whom presumably share the same views as the artist herself (King, 1992, p. 187). Therefore, directly approaching the concept of patriarchy, and reverses its place in the viewing of this work. In doing so, also addresses the way in which male representations of women, to stand for nature; take away womens ability to see in their own right. [This image reverses] the advertising tricks used in designs [that are aimed at the female] consumer. and as a result, now favors the female gaze (King, 1992, p. 187). One of womens greatest instruments for visual shock has been the female body itself, assigned political status for the first time by the Womens Liberation Movement in the 1960s. As the female body had been so often stigmatized, exploited in the misogyny, women suddenly took a firm stand and began to use their bodies to make political statements. (McQuiston, 1997, p. 14) Although she wasnt a feminist artist so to speak, Ghada Amers work, La Jaune, 1999, speaks loudly to the ideologies that feminist artists held, namely the concept of addressing the male gaze. Through this work, she works to communicate, and challenges us to rethink the way in which women are represented in society. Amer asks us to rethink the issue of presenting female sexuality in the media by focusing on a cultural aspect of the Western world -extracting pornographic imagery from sex industry magazines and representing them in copied and traced images (Aurricchio, 2001, p. 27). By doing this, Amer directly addresses the idea of the male gaze through presenting women as sexual objects, as [m]en still [had] greater power to look (Allen, 1992, p.5). The 1990s have witnessed an ongoing battle against oppressive representations of women in the media, as well as new examples of women using their bodies to create their own power-messages for political causes. (McQuiston, 1997, p. 172) In response to the degradation of the representation of females as sexual objects, Amer is concerned with this being an issue in dire need of recovery. The idea that women, and the images of women, are constructed in order to be looked at by men -and was constructed with theories in art history, especially those about the female nude- was an idea that Amer sought to change (Allen, 1992, p. 4). So in saying that, Amers work is a direct attempt at making women prime viewers, and make it impossible for the dominant ideologies -such as the male gaze- of feminism to recuperate. [] figures are repeated [of a female in a provocatively arousing position as if to show that a] typically female pastime was literally playing with itself. An endless chain of masturbating women, veiled by a mass of cotton as if attempting to evade the viewers voyeuristic gaze. (Grosenick, 2001, p.30) Amers work slowly manifests itself and comes into being when you as the viewer come to the realization that the art works is not just tangled colored cotton, but that youre staring at a painting of embroidered provocative female figures. It comes in and out of being as its cotton veil brings our perspectives as the audience, in and out of focus, acknowledging the expertise of the maker in the application of the materials evident in the work, then to acknowledge the imagery. Thus, instead of submitting to the male gaze, our attention as the viewer is redirected and aimed at acknowledging the making of the work itself and the craftsmanship of the artist. Amers approach to the idea of reclaiming female pleasure- and in turn, intending to change the idea of the predominant male gaze- prevents the viewer from subjecting to the common ideologies that this work was intended to change, the ideology that [w]omen are suppose to make themselves passively receptive, and men are supposed to seek out their pleasures. (King, 1992, p. 136). The idea of reclaiming female pleasure embeds itself in La Jaune, and the two levels on which Amer interprets pleasure help to convey this concept. As seen evident in the work is the physical pleasure, which is made to appeal to the male gaze, and reclaiming the feminine activity of sewing through the embroidery also evident in La Jaune. Although the representation of the female figure is displayed as an erotic object of desire (Grosenick, 2001, p.35), the veil of cotton that partially hides the imagery helps to guide the viewers attention evade the concept of sexuality and the work becomes a purely busy, colourful painting. Politically speaking, the works by these two very different influential female artists speak to the universally held ideology of the predominant gendering way of looking, addressing the concept of the male gaze through the representation of the female identity. The concept of giving female perspective dominance over that of the male gaze is the main objective of the selected works that have been discussed in this essay. Through Ghada Amers, La Jaune, 1999, she reclaimed the idea of female pleasure, acknowledged the male gaze and commented on the degradation of the female identity through her attempt to recover it. Barbara Kruger, We Wont Play Nature to Your Culture, 1983, did what all feminists tried to accomplish, she created art that directly addressed the issue of the gendering way of looking, and gave privilege to the female gaze above the validation of the predominant male gaze.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Proportional Representation Essay

Every state has its own distinct electoral system in choosing their government, Britain is not an exception. It is a well-established country, which also seeks an appropriate and effective legislature. This in turn involves fair and rational voting policy and distribution of seats. During periods it had different systems of election and the current one is First-Past-The-Post (FPTP here and after). However, recently British government started to investigate its drawbacks and benefits, rationality and fairness of elections and now they are considering replacing it by Proportional Representation (PR here and after). PR is the system of election where seats in parliament are almost in same proportion as votes cast, while FPTP is one of plurality/majority systems, where parties with most votes take all and represent the whole Parliament. (accessed on http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/) The following essay is going to analyze the benefits and drawbacks of PR and as a conclusion it will argue that this system can successfully replace FPTP in electing British Government. To begin with advantages, PR would result in better representation of the racial and ethnic minorities (Amy 1997). These parties are awarded a constituent power at a public and regional degree in the countries exploiting this system. Western Europe and Latin America are the demonstrative examples where PR is dominant according to Andrew Reynolds and Ben Reilly (2002). Besides, imposition of this system would provide the voters with a greater amount of viewpoints, so that the candidates of Minor Parties would have more possibility to get a seat at Westminster (Amy 1997). Participation in solving governmental issues would help to develop some new concepts, which don’t a... ...re Proportional Representation can suitably replace First Past The Post in the election of British Government and I believe that imposition of PR will influence the further prosperity of the government and the country as a whole. Works Cited 1. Amy, J. 1997. Full Representation: The Case for a Better Election System. USA: Crescent Street Press. 2. Farrell,M. 2001. Electoral systems: A comparative introduction. Basingstoke: Macmillan. 3. Gallagher, M., and P.Mitchell. ed. 2008. The politics of electoral systems. Oxford: Oxford University Press 4. Hix, S., R.Johnston and I.Mclean 2010. A research report prepared for the British Academy. London. 5. Reynolds, A., B. Reilly and A.Ellis. 2008. Electoral System Design: The New International IDEA Handbook. Sweden: Trydells Tryckeri AB. 6. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/proportional_representation.htm

major themes of the scarlet letter :: essays research papers

Many of the major themes of The Scarlet Letter are introduced in the opening scene. Some of these themes were sin, nature's kindness to the condemned and the dreary lifestyle of puritan society. The first chapter has little action but it sets up these major themes. The tone of the whole story was set in this chapter. The opening scene of The Scarlet Letter, many major themes were introduced. One of the major themes of The Scarket Letter was sin. Much of Puritan society was based on sin. The first thing built in the town was the prison. There was a gathering outside ofthe elaborate prison. The prison was a major emphasis in the town. This was portrayed in part by "...have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetary, and another portion as the site for the prison." The prison was the first priority for the town to build. Sin and crime was the major emphasis of the town. Sin was a major theme of The Scarlet Letter. Another major theme introduced in the forst chapter was nature's kindness to the condemned. The prison was very bleak and worn down and old. It was very unforgiving for the prisoners. The only sign of hope was a rosebush that grew near the prison. "But on one side of the porta land rooted almost on the threshhold, was a wild rosebush, covered, in this month of june, with its delicate jems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom." Nature was the only thing kind to the condemned. This theme was very important later in the book when Dimmesdale, Hester and Pearl met in the forest. A major them in The Scarlet Letter was nature's kindness to the condomned.

Funding for Pakistan and Culture Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Cul

Funding for Pakistan and Culture Emancipation from the bondage of soil is not freedom for the tree, Rabindranath Tagore, A Bengali poet from the early part of the Twentieth Century History The history of Pakistan as a country is a fairly short one. Pakistan was created and carved out of the country of India in 1947 when the 200-year-old Britain rule of India came to an end and a plan was made to return the continent back to local rule. There was a movement at the time led by the renowned poet Muhammad Iqbal and a prominent politician named Muhammad Ali Jinnah to create a country on the Indian Sub-continent that would be a nation for the Muslim people of the region. Pakistan was created out of the two predominantly Muslim regions in the north west and the east, creating East and West Pakistan. A war was fought in 1971 in which the eastern region split away from the western region, creating two separate nations, Bangladesh and Pakistan. As is often the case with citizens of a new country, there is a lot of national pride among Pakistanis. Most do not lose their language or deny what ethnicity they belong to as I have seen in some Mexican American groups. Some Pakistani people I have known who were born here and have never even been to Pakistan still have pride in customs, clothing, language and religion. Language Development The Indian Subcontinent is a region of provinces where the people of each province speak a local language and have customs different from all other provinces. When the British established rule over the entire continent, it became apparent that they could not unit the country unless there was a language everyone could speak in common. The story is that the British actually in... ...ural Literacy , Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Hirsch, E.D., Jr., Cultural Literacy, What Every American Needs to Know , Houghton Mifflin, 1987. â€Å"Immigrants and Their Educational Attainment: Some Facts and Findings,† Schwarz, Wendy, ERIC Digest ED#402398, Nov. 1996 â€Å"Language-Minority Student Achievement and Program Effectiveness†, Thomas, Dr. Wayne p. And Dr. Virginia Collier, NABE News Vol. 19, May 1, 1996 â€Å"Secondary Newcomer Programs: Helping Recent Immigrants Prepare for School Success†,Short, Deborah J., ERIC Database #ED419385, 1998. â€Å"Trends in K-12 Social Studies,† Risinger, C. Frederick, ERIC Digest #ED351278, Oct. 1992 â€Å"Two-Way Bilingual Education Programs in Practice: A National and Local Perspective†, ERIC Digest, ED379915, Dec. 1994 You have my permission to publish this paper on the Internet. Michele_Iqbal@fastinet.net

How does Alton Towers Monitor Customer Service Essay

Alton towers is an industry that offers products and services that are similar to its competitors, they need to continually monitor and asses their levels of customer service, and improve areas so that they can exceed customer expectations. To have a high level of customer service the organisation first needs to identify its aims and objectives this might come in the form of a mission statement. Alton towers mission statement is ‘we create magic moments’ this appeals to people of all ages, and different groups of people, what people look for when they go to Alton towers. Like many other businesses and services it is vital to keep customers happy regardless weather they are old or new, this will encourage them to revisit the attraction. People from different back grounds and ages Price or value for money Alton towers costs à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½23.00 for one adult ticket, so when you purchase the ticket you expect to get value for money which is different for different people, one persons value for money might be fun for the whole family (adults, children and teenagers) another persons value for money might be to visit every ride in the theme park twice. So Alton towers needs to take in consideration that everyone’s value for money is different but cannot lower there prices to low due to competitive organisations and the annual funding needed to keep the park open, so what Alton towers have done is printed off booklets informing people of the prices and opening times of the theme park, height restrictions on rides seasonal times (the time of year that the park is most popular) online information and website from this booklet people can see. When to visit, what time to visit, how much they are going to pay and what rides they can/can’t go on and see if Alton towers offers better value for money than Drayton manor park. Consistency and accuracy of the park If customer receive a good amount of customer service while at Alton towers and this continues each time it encourages people to revisit again and again, Alton towers is forever trying to improve its standard of customer service and rides to make it more enjoyable for people, they are now trying to improve the waiting lines so that rides are easier to access and the lines go down quicker. Accessibility Alton towers have a very good accessibility due to the high amounts of people arriving and departing from the park. Alton towers has increased there car parks so that they can now hold up to 50,000 vehicles a day if the accessibility is bad then customers will assume that it is like this all around the park, there are also ramps to help people who cannot walk up steps or are in a wheelchair, rides also let wheel chair users access the ride from the exits which are also ramped so that access is more easier. Reliability If Alton towers is unreliable then people are influenced to try another theme park. But Alton towers is not unreliable this is what attracts customers to come back, they keep there internet and brochures up-to-date and let customers know what is going on around the park this is reliable because if they where closed one day and they didn’t advertise it lots of people would still turn up at the theme park expecting to get in. Staff At Alton towers they employ the best staff that are trained to deal with the high expected levels of customer service, staff all where a uniform this to ensure that they remain clean and recognized Alton towers also employs over 1500 members of staff and they are all divided to work over different areas of the park to help with customers In busy periods e.g. over the summer Alton towers employs more ‘casual staff’ that can handle high amounts of customers and that can deal with them in an appropriate manner Health and safety If the health and safety of the park is poor the customers will not visit again but if the high standards are noticeable then they will enjoy there visit a lot more, at Alton towers rides have regular maintenance checks and are run in the morning before the park opens to ensure that there are no faults. Cleanliness and hygiene The cleanliness and hygiene standards of Alton towers is essential if the park looks unclean this gives a really bad first impression when the customer see it , the park has been given hundreds of bins, there are also designated litter pickers that patrol the park every 15 minutes, toilets that are all around the park are monitored every 40 minutes to ensure they remain clean and tidy. Enjoyment The main objective at Alton towers is to make everyone’s day (who visits the park) is to make is as enjoyable as possible, they do this by trying to get lines and queues down as quick as possible, offering people fast track system so the can skip the queues, more fast food restaurants are being introduced this will help to the long queue’s that

Meubles Canadal: Looking Towards the Future Essay

Introduction Meubles Canadel is Canada’s leading manufacturing firm in producing high quality furniture for dining purposes and was established in 1982 by three brothers in Louisville, a small town in the province of Quebec in Canada. It is a privately own company and established itself from a small to a large international operating company with still increasing sales around $125 million in 2000. Between 1987 and 1991 Canadel grew rapidly. This was due to the fact that the firm focused on demographic changes. The families’ size decreased in this time and shifted the demand from the â€Å"lunch-corner† and formal dining room segment to dining room furniture to everyday use. Canadel took advantage of this change and started to produce high quality dining furniture. With continued increasing sales, the firm expanded to the U.S market and additionally serves now the eastern part of the U.S with its products. Looking at Canadel in 2000, the firm owns 50% of the dining room market although prices are generally higher than competitor’s prices. At this point in time, the company’s sales were mostly coming from the U.S (75%), 20% from the Canadian market and five percent from Europe and Japan. Further, Canadel’s staff represented 1,550 people of which 800 are directly employed. In the following a case analysis of Canadel will be conducted. The first part represents the external environmental analysis whereas the second part focuses on the internal factors influencing the firm. Ultimately a conclusion will be drawn. External environmental analysis An external environmental analysis contains a macroeconomic and a microeconomic view on firm’s influencing factors. On the macroeconomic level one could ask a general question for example which environmental factors do affect the firm and its strategic management. It is necessary for Canadel to maintain a coherent strategy that fit in its environment in order to reinforce its distinctive competencies and establish sustainability in creating value to its stakeholders. In order to answer this question a PESTEL analysis will be conducted, where the macroeconomic view is studied. PESTEL stands for political, economic, sociocultural, technical, environmental and legal factors, which affect the firm and its strategy. Regarding political factors, the Canadian furniture industry was massively influenced after the introduction of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Canada in 1989. Trades between both countries have become easier due to the elimination of tariff s and in addition competition increased. However, Canadel was not operating internationally in this time therefore, only the increase in competition could have influenced the firm. The next factor, which influences Canadel, is the economic impact. Exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. and the Canadian dollar can affect the export to the United States, which can cause both losses and profits for Canadel. At the moment the firm has an advantage because the Canadian dollar has a strong position compared to the U.S. dollar. However, this used to be different and therefore it is important for the three Deveault brothers to take this factor into consideration in order to avoid losses. Another point is the huge unemployment rate that is mentioned. The Deveault brothers feel that they have an obligation to stay in Quebec in order to support their hometown and province, which would not be ensured if they would look for other suppliers in different regions. This decision influences the firm’s management strategy. On the one hand it could mean that Canadel does not take the opportunity to look for other suppliers in different regions who might be cheaper and therefore would enable the firm to benefit in costs savings. On the other hand it improves the relationship to its suppliers and increases loyalty on both sides, which can be more valuable than any cost saving strategy. The next external factor is the sociocultural development over time. As already mention, Canadel is a local company carrying about its employees and suppliers. This clearly influences its strategic operational decision as above discussed. Moreover, the company took advantage of the demographic changes in lifestyle and family size. It began to produce smaller exclusive tables and profited from the decrease in family size. Further, Canadel has a very unique attitude towards work, hiring policy and leisure. It is mentioned that the Deveaults try to maintain a small power distance between their employees and the management level. The company does not have a hierarchal structure and stands for an open-door policy where employees any time have the possibility to see the mangers and talk to them. Meetings held within the management level or with suppliers are classified as very informal without a secretary taking notes. These characteristics affect Canadel’s business decision like staying in the region of Quebec to conduct its business in favour of the local population. Another economic factor is the technological change in the last couple of years. It is obvious that machinery improved and facilitated the manufacturing process of wood. However, one has to remember that the company emphasises the production of unique hand made dining tables. This could lead to the conclusion that the technological improvement did simplify the manufacturing process however, not in the major way. This is solely due to the fact that the production of exclusive dining table is very labour intensive. The last two macro-economic influences environmental and legal impacts are not sufficiently addressed in the case and will be left out in this analysis. On the microeconomic level the model of Porter’s five forces will be used to detect competitive forces that affect the firm’s business decisions. First, the entry barriers are described as very low, which increases the risk of potential new competitors for Canadel. This might give reason to establish the firm as a market leader in the industry in order to threaten potential new competitors. This could be important due to some potential competition from the Asian markets. However, this does not necessarily mean loosing all of the firm’s customers if competition increases because Canadel produces a very specialised product, which cannot be easily copied. Nevertheless, it can complicate Canadel’s business strategy and force them to decrease costs in order to possibly decrease its very high prices for dining furniture. Another fact is that Canadel has a very good relationship to its suppliers and staff, which enables the firm to profit from this loyalty if competition increases. Summarising, it can be said that overall competition is low in this industry. The threat of substitutes can be described as relatively low because people who can afford to pay around $7,000 for a dining table would probably not purchase furniture at firms like IKEA. Moreover, Canadel’s products seem to be very unique and therefore hard to find anywhere else. Analysing the bargaining power of suppliers it can be said that the firm operates with many smaller suppliers in the region of Quebec. Thus, a low bargaining power is identified. Compared to that the bargaining power of customers is characterised as significantly stronger because Canadel produces very unique products, which addresses a specified branch of customers. This could lead to problems if sales decreases and might cause the company into trouble and force them to adjust for this changes. Internal environmental analysis The next part describes the internal factors which influences the firm’s operating strategy. This can be established by a SWOT analysis to detect the firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. One of the most important strengths Canadel can present is the large subcontractor network, which it can rely on. Long-time relationships are important for the firm, as it knows most of its stakeholders from the very beginning. Therefore, controversies and conflicts are probably less frequent and decrease the fear of shortages in resources used for the production process. Further, Canadel has a well developed retail network, which shortens its delivery time compared to its competition. A next strength is the uniqueness of its products and its high quality, which is very much appreciated by the consumers. The high price of Canadel’s products can be identified as a weakness and might decrease its potential number of customers. Maybe it might be valuable to think about an additional production line that is cheaper and hence affordable to more people. A further weakness is the just-in-time (JIT) inventory system that could easily cause shortages although the firm accounted some time lack due to human errors. That JIT inventory system can be of course also identified as a firm’s strength. Canadel’s opportunities are already recognised by the expansion in the U.S. market, which could also be extended to the western part of the U.S. The already mentioned cheaper product line could be an opportunity to attract more consumers and to increase sales or to broaden the firm’s product segment. Major threats of the company are the Asian manufactures, which are likely to produce cheaper products and therefore might capture some of Canadel’s sales. Moreover, it can be said that Canadel has a major competitive advantage in producing high quality and unique dining furniture. It has the capabilities and resources, which is supported by the geographical location. A strong value chain can be identified with a good stakeholder network and a good infrastructure. These factors facilitate the firm’s operating position by focusing on the resources, capabilities and resources of Canadel. Conclusion In conclusion it can be said that Canadel managed to establish itself with a strong position in the fast growing dining room market. It has many opportunities to improve this position and expand its business by increasing its product line and thus attract more consumers. Further, it needs to pay attention to possible new competitors entering the market. Therefore, the philosophy to â€Å"grow when its time to grow† should not be taken too seriously because this might cause trouble to Canadel. It has to adjust to demographic and environmental changes. However, it should maintain its unique business culture and operation strategy. References Johnson G., Whittington R., Scholes K. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy (9th edition). Harlow UK: Pearson Education. Mark K., Hebert L., Crossan M,. (2001). Meubles Canadel: Looking towards the future. Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario.