Translation Issues 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Translation Issues 1 - Essay Example But the transmission of the correct information from the source language and its expression in the target language, to a great extent, pivots on the good command of lexical relations of the both of the languages, as they assist the translators to decode the meaning of a text properly. It is also unquestionably true that when the intention and goal of the author behind the original text and its aesthetic purpose are taken into concerns, the task turns into a form of art that is intended to attain the highest possible level of excellence. This paramount importance of the knowledge of lexical relationships of words in a linguistic system is mainly due to the fact that words convey different connotations and denotations in different lexical positions of words in a sentence, therefore utterly changing the meaning of the words. As in most cases a translator has to perform text analysis, semantic explorations, other meaning related investigations of the languages, an in-depth analysis of th ese languages helps greatly. Qualities of a good translation have been assessed by different scholars in different ways. But the web of relations of the words in a sentence and even in whole of the text is important for all of the good qualities of a successful translation. A translation has certain qualities for which it can be marked as a good translation. Scholars have suggested some factors that are to be maintained for the sake of good translation. According to the French scholar Dolet, â€Å"word for word† translation is detrimental for a good translation. Such type of translation may spoil the beauty of both of the content and the forms of the text. It is because that every language has its own sets of words that are especially unique in nature and consequently they have certain annotations and connotations and are interrelated through several lexical relations with the assigned meaning. Very often these

Northern Ireland Essay Example for Free

Northern Ireland Essay Within the results many important factors have arisen. Looking at the map produced using my national competition and local competition I can see that the stores are nearly evenly spread across Northern Ireland. This tells me that there is a large enough market for computer games in the Northern Ireland area as these stores can be sustained. On the other hand this tells me that there is already a lot of established national competition, and the business I am opening is not entering a gap in the market. A large number of the stores (4) are situated in Belfast, which can be easily accessed by Lurgan through the m1. So I would need to treat these Belfast stores as a serious threat, and I would need to keep the local market from buying there games there and also by enticing some of there customer to shop at our Lurgan store. This would mean that I would have to give the customers something that is not offered in the Belfast stores. The local competition consists of three stores in the Craigavon area which, although not in the immediate area, still pose the most serious threat to my business. The stores are already established, and this means that there is a market, although there may not be enough room for another games store. But the advantage I have is that none of these three stores are based in Lurgan town centre, so that would mean there is an untapped market that I can enter into. My covert observation of game shows me a successful business in the Belfast area. I taught me that a computer games store is one in which a lot of people browse and not buy the first time that they are in the store. This would tell me that we would need to tempt customer into buying what they may be interested in. This would require me to hire skilful staff who would have a keen interest in computers and would have a wide scope of knowledge about the games and equipment that would be available. I would hope to be a manager that has a lot say over each aspect of the business I would be able to adopt a McGregor theory Y approach. I would do this, as I would like to delegate to my workers to effectively use their skills to the highest level. It would also help in improving organisation and motivation, and also help in the costs that may be meet in hiring extra managers or staff. However, as I want a lot of control over my business I may have some characteristics of a theory X manager as I would be on the floor as much as I could, and also would try and make all the main decisions to be taken in the business. Analysis of my questionnaire results provides me with various important numeric results. The first important result that I came across was that every one of my respondents owned a computer. This was very significant, as my potential market would have to be persons who already owned a computer, and would be interested in my goods, and so if they did not already own a computer these goods would be useless to the consumers. Briefly this means that this question give me an estimate of how large my potential customers is. However these potential customer may not be interested in games and owning a computer may not mean that they could be persuaded to attend my store. Knowing now if the person owned a computer or not I then needed to find out what type of computer they may own. I found that the majority of respondents owned a PC or a Playstation. This was significant in that the second most popular was the Playstation which is a pure gaming machine, and this would suggest that there is a large number of persons living in the Lurgan area who enjoy computer games and may be interested in my store. Knowing who owns a computer games console I was then interested in knowing how frequently the respondents would buy computer games, to know how often customers would use my store. Over half of the respondents would buy their games over six months apart. This is a negative result as it tell me that there may be spells when the business may not have much custom and periods when it does, making balancing the books an up hill task. I was interested in knowing where my respondents would buy their games to know where most of my competition comes from (locally or nationally), and whether the Lurgan market would attract any of their custom. The results showed me that the majority of the respondents would not buy their games from the Lurgan area and so my national competition would pose a bigger threat than first expected. Lastly I was curious to whether the respondents would use a specialist store if it were available. The majority said that they would mean that a lot of the respondents who do not buy their games in Lurgan might if they had a better quality of service. My second questionnaire done to gain further information showed me a very significant result. Most of the first questionnaire respondents did not purchase games in the Lurgan area, and so I needed to look at where they would then purchase. I found that 3 respondents purchase games in Belfast, 1 in Lisburn and 3 in Portadown. But what was most significant is that the store in Belfast and Lisburn (part of the national market) were specialist store such as the one that I was planning. This could suggest that these specialist stores attract my local market away because of something that only a specialist store offers. When looking at the property values in the Lurgan area I came across various properties, which could be potentially busy locations, where I could attract a wide and large scope of my potential customers. I needed a retail property large enough to accommodate all of my products and their layout, including enough space that would be needed to present each part in a manner that is organised and invite the customer to look at our products. I also needed a property that was not going to push up my fixed costs so high that I could not possibly meet them, and would have problems in the long term in making a profit or be able to break-even. The first property that I had looked at was the most promising of all the properties in the Lurgan area. It was located at 35 William Street Lurgan. At 75000, this was the cheapest property that was currently available in the Lurgan area, and cost is an important factor, as I would wish to keep my possible costs to a minimum. I could attain a mortgage on the property meaning that I would not have to pay out such a large sum on start and not run into financial difficulties from the start. Also banks are always interested in investing in franchises as they are seen as less risky than most other business start-ups. The property is also a size that is feasible enough to hold everything that I require and also leave enough floor space for me to work with. I could use the top floors for offices for myself or to rent out to other firms. However these floors need some additional work done. The property is also located just 100-200 yards from the town centre and is adjacent from a car park meaning that this is a very accessible property. I found very few properties in the Lurgan area, with Century 21 stating most retail properties are sold before a brochure can be made. The other properties that I had found in the Lurgan area where either too small, expensive, or located too far from the town centre.

Analysing The Role Of Women In Social Care Social Work Essay

Analysing The Role Of Women In Social Care Social Work Essay It could be argued, that work within the social care profession is predominantly women-centred due to the fact it is mainly a female profession. However, research shows that this may not be the case. Although the majority of staff is indeed women, men, however, make up the majority of senior management roles (Dominelli, 2004). This inevitability produces a situation whereby, the decisions regarding policy are made mainly by men for women. The focus of this study is to critically examine the fact that although women overwhelmingly undertake the majority of the caring roles within the social care profession, these organisations remain firmly under patriarchal power. This essay will consider the role of women as professionals, carers and managers within social care organisations. It will examine traditional theories of management, the challenges faced by women who become professionals and managers and strategies appropriate for the effective delivery of care. To conclude it will consider whether there is indeed a role for female managers within an environment dominated by men. Social work can be seen as originating from industrialisation in the nineteenth century and the Charity Organisation Societies of Great Britain and America (Payne, 2005). Dominelli (2004) argues these organisations promoted friendly visiting and prevented disorganised charitable giving. This organised way of working was the first step to establishing social work as a discrete area of activity and as a profession (Adams, 2003). Professional relationships inside hospitals reflected the Victorian patriarchal family ideal, where female nurses were perceived as mothers and carers and male doctors as fathers (Deacon, 2002). These stereotyped ideas eventually characterised the power relations within other bureaucratic structures (Payne, 2000). Professionalism was viewed as a practice based on a long training period, a degree of autonomy, with membership to a group. This particular degree of social distance characterised professions as enjoying high status and autonomy (Payne, 2005). Nurses and social workers were consigned to the category of semi-professional, on account of their perceived limitations of their training, knowledge base and autonomy (Nazarko, 2004). The claim that nursing and social work lacked the basis of technical or abstract knowledge, that domestic skills and interpersonal skills were more suited, could be argued, reinforced the discourses of semi-professionalism (Banks, 2001). In addition, work based in state welfare bureaucratises, such as those of social work and nursing, did no commenstrate with the traditional idea of professionalism (Payne, 2005). Thompson (2002) supports this argument stating social workers and remedial therapy occupations were often viewed as semi-professionals as they did not fulfil all the attributes within the trait approach (Thompson, 2002). Sharkey (2000) takes this further, critical of implications of the associations of women with the caring role, stating that it represents a social construction and is division of power exerted over women by men. In the same way sexism is constructed, it must be viewed that other marginalised groups, such as black, disabled groups are subject to the same issues of power imbalance (Dominelli, 2004). To counter this imbalance and provide professionalism with a career structure and job security, most professionals in health and social care work in large formal organisation (Moonie, 2004). Traditional concepts of professionalism has changed as professionals are employed in either a clinical or an expert role to perform certain, clearly defined, tasks or be involved in service management (Bradshaw, 2004) Miller (2004) argues that professionals attempt to seek to reclaim professionalism by seeking power over territory by defining an area of expertise which is theirs alone. Thompson (2002) believes by the seeking of power through a claim of expertise, may actually disadvantage the very people whom professionals aim to help. In attempt to counter imbalance of power, professionals possess specific codes of conduct and ethics (Banks, 2001). Scott (2001) argues this is necessary, that professionalism implies not just expertise, but moral responsibility. For the social worker, their moral philosophy is embedded within a specific professional Code of Practice (Adams, 2003). Rather than self regulating groups with claims of moral conduct, it may be that professionals are operating obstructive practices (Banks, 2001). With the emergence of consumerism and the subsequent contract culture, there has been an increase in the administrative approach and the growth of procedures and one could argue, will undermine their pledge for moral responsibility (Adams, 2002). Dominelli (2002) suggests social workers are increasingly having to meet the demands of government performance strategies, the cloak of specialist knowledge could be interpreted merely as a disguise to win resource battles, or to exercise group power politics (Adams et al, 2009). It could be argued that this is inevitably a result of a globalising world economy, a New Right philosophy of value for money and a demand that people look after themselves (Means et al, 2003). Furthermore, within the current political climate, professionals have to be committed to providing seamless, client led services, with a greater demand for accountability for the public resources expended in service provision (Brechin et al, 2000). According to Butcher (2006) many professionals may find problems arise within the agency context. They may find there is dichotomy of interest with their role as a professional and the role and responsibility within the organisation (Butcher, 2006). In the first instance, the interest of their client may be paramount, however, acting as gatekeepers they manage the planning and distribution of services (Bauld et al, 20004). The NHS and Community Care Act 1990 implies professionals share power, however, acting as gatekeeper may only mean power and control will still remain with the state (Sharkey, 2000). To counter oppressive practices alongside organisational constraints, professionals can work in a number of anti-oppressive ways (Tibbs, 2001). Social workers can look at particular ways of thinking that will counter the oppressive elements of a professional status. For example, social workers working from an anti-sexist or anti-racist way. Professionals can utilise legislation and agency policy and use them as tools to effectively bring about change and combat oppression (Killick, 2001). . The government policy of caring in the community could be said to further reinforce oppression, whereby, informal care is reliant on the goodwill of women to undertake the free caring role of a relative or to undertake low paid work within social care (Bradshaw, 2004). By contrast, following the natural assumption that men should be in paid work, if men do undertake the caring of a relative or friend, they often considered incapable of undertaking domestic work so are usually offered more help and support than a woman in a similar situation (Scott, 2001). To counter this imbalance and provide professionalism with a career structure and job security, most professionals in health and social services work in large formal organisation (Alcock, 2000) The majority of roles advertised by social services usually refer to caring such as social care, community care and residential care. However, such language could be said to be a concept associated with women and adapted from natural role they adopt during childbirth and afterwards (Cree, 2003). Women are brought up to believe that caring for others is a fundamental part of their existence (Powell Hewitt, 2002). This argument suggests that there are fundamental differences between men and women. Women are said to be emotional and caring so are more associated with the humanistic types of work such as undertaking the physical care of a person (Sharkey, 2000). Whereas, men are considered to be less emotional, hold authority and power, whereby management is seen as a natural course within their career (Jones, 2003). It has been further suggested that assumptions of being a successful manger, or similar status jobs, is based largely on male behaviour (Malin, 2000). However, a study of research undertaken on leadership styles by Malin (2000) found that women were similar to men in terms of leadership styles and therefore just as suitable to be managers. Any differences found were said to be qualities such as feelings and emotions, that organisations may need more of this in the future (Means et al, 2003). However, despite there being similarities in leadership style, for women who seek a management post, their feelings and emotions represent a block. Women are expected to undertake the more emotional caring tasks, whereas men are perceived to be more suitable to the macho task of management (Yeates, 2001). Advertisements for management posts reflect this attitude, with a notable absence of references to caring. Designed to reflect the status of the post, usually include language such as target. analytical, objectivity, determination, placing importance on salary, related packages, expectations to work outside normal hours and high status (Zinn, 2008). It could be argued, management positions that are advertised using language that is bureaucratic and masculine in their approach are designed specifically to attract able bodied white men (Jones-Devitt Smith, 2007). It could be argued, the very nature of the job specification only serves to exclude and further marginalise women. This is synonymous with the glass ceiling phenomenon, whereby women face obstacles when moving into management such as dominant male attitudes and culture, discrimination and womens own expectations (Carney, 2006). Subsequently, this presents several fundamental problems for women. The policies and procedures of organisations are being managed by men to benefit men, important decisions are undertaken by men and women suffer discrimination, womens skills and abilities are not being utilised (Clarke, 2004). It is important to understand, however that for many women workers within social care they are already victims of abuse of power, at work and home, as carers of the system and by individuals. For example studies of gender abuse, have found abusers are overwhelmingly men (Moonie, 2004). It could be argued that the abuse of power is part of the fabric of womens lives (Glasby Littlewood 2009). According to Moonie (2004) men are the very group who perpetrate most of the abuse which result in individuals requiring social services intervention, are themselves in positions of power, such as managers, within organisation. For example in 1991 a number of men who held positions of responsibility within care homes were found guilty of physical and sexual abuse of children in their care (Zinn, 2008). It could be argued; therefore it is not possible for a group of people to make sound decisions regarding victims of abuse, if they themselves abuse their power. Therefore, if women are to challenge this abuse of power, they need to be given equal access to management; therefore human resource policies should facilitate this. Women are brought up to believe a fundamental part of their role is to care; they have the advantage of trying to juggle home life with work life (Yeates, 2001). Work/life balance policies, flexible working, part time working and crà ¨che facilities are some responses to enabling women to participate as men do. According to Zin (2008) these responses are a solution invented by men aimed specifically for women under the guise of equal opportunities. This only serves to reinforce male and female stereotypes (Miller, 2004). Furthermore, management posts are not always included in such equal opportunity policies and therefore, likely to exclude a higher proportion of women from management. Although arguably, a change in retention and recruitment policies to enable women to become managers is important to facilitate this, it could be further argued, a change in attitude and culture regarding gender roles is more fundamental (Powell Hewitt, 2002). Women it seems are acceptable management material if they are the same as men and unsuitable if they differ. A workforce study undertaken by the National Institute for Social Work found workplace attitudes to be reflective of society a third of staff surveyed reported incidents of racism from colleagues and managers, with 45% reporting such behaviour from service users and their relatives (Jones-Devitt Smith, 2007). Feminists argue that a focus on structural change and a challenge of dominant male assumptions is the way forward if attitudes are to change (Jones, 2003). Furthermore, it could be argued the structure of social services only serves to reinforce the attitude of women as carers. For example residential workers, home care assistants, care worker, roles usually undertaken by women (Adams et al, 2009). Therefore, a removal from dominant patriarchal attitudes appears to be a long way off. Theories of how organisations structures functions are broadly male dominated and further serve to reinforce the ideology of management (Cochrane, 2001). As a result the structures and processes of social work within social services are also basically masculine. The hierarchical principles and management of social services departments are associated with pyramidal structure of authority and control (Cochrane, 2001). It could be argued, this supports the view that patriarchal values remain embedded within organisations but interestingly, conflict with the caring role of social welfare organisation. An organisation with a flatter structure where there is no hierarchy, but each person takes on a specific role for the benefit of the organisation and the client, is more synonymous with the caring aspect of social work. Also that of a feminist theory, whereby organisations take a collective approach (Scott, 2004). This type of organisational structure can be seen within smaller voluntary organisations (Clarke, 2004). Organisations such as social services are structured within a more bureaucratic, hierarchical style. Clarke (2004) believed that where there were high numbers of employed staff, it was necessary to initiate rules and procedures within a clear line of command. As a result of this masculine model of organisational structure, policies, consciously or subconsciously, reinforce the idea that gender differences are a product of nature rather than social construction (Yeates, 2001). Once a person becomes a manager, their effectiveness is dependent on several factors including style. Yeates (2001) introduced the scientific management approach. It required workers to undertake tasks in a specific way in an attempt to make organisations rational, studying how management methods could effectively control the workers in other words, how to find the most efficient ways of doing a job (Scott, 2001). This appears to fit with bureaucratic mechanisms within a large social welfare organisation. In contrast Deacon (2002) considered the importance people make within organisations and identified a humanistic approach to management. He believed the behaviour of people produced an informal structure which influenced how an organisation functioned, which in turn influenced which management methods should be adopted (Deacon, 2002). Clarke (2004) argues that managers can adopt interpersonal approaches and be open and honest showing their real feelings rather than adopting an authoritarian approach by checking up on staff. This method seems compatible to work within social care, rather than the masculine traits traditionally associated with management styles (Bauld et al, 2000). It could be argued, however that management is a balance of the two, a combination of problem solving, such as case management, organising the department, resources etc, and affective interpersonal skills. Within male dominated environments, this balance can be difficult to achieve (Powell Hewitt, 2002). For women managers, to show a caring side could be perceived as weak. If a woman adopts a male approach she is considered aggressive. She is seen as different and not compatible with what is the perceived norm (Brechin et al, 2000). In some cases, adopting the male style of management and fitting the culture of masculinism can produce a negative and unproductive style of management for example women mangers not approving of mothers who have children pursuing a career (Bradshaw, 2004). For some this may not pose a problem, having wanted and being able to gain a senior management position. For others, they have felt in order to survive it has been necessary to adopt the male style of management but do not to notice it any more.(Dominelli, 2004) This means women are pressured to join prevailing norms, if they want to avoid being different (Deacon, 2002). Statutory provision within social care could be said to support this argument. child protection work is considered a controlling aspect of social work, which fits with the controlling aspects of management (Payne, 2005). Interestingly enough, this is synonymous with the community care framework and the concepts of care mangers. Tibbs (2001) argues this is another strand in the masculinsation of management within social services. However, the values that are fundamental to the caring role for the client within social services is not necessarily transferred into the values of management of care as management becomes increasingly bureaucratic and procedural (Nazarko, 2004). Furthermore, tasks that consider the care of the customers and staff are essential within an environment that requires a supporting management team (Jones-Devitt Smith, 2007). Womens contribution should be widely recognised if such a service is implemented. Work undertaken by Bradshaw (2004) found organisations that are managed by people who believe in the potential of workers and customers, produces excellent organisations. This language appears to be intrinsic within the modern social services department, whereby best value, quality protect and performance indicators underpins governments strategy for improving services and working environments (Glasby Littlechild, 2009). This philosophy on caring is further emphasised by awarding star ratings for local authorities for providing high quality services. Within this philosophy of caring environment, it is likely that more women would be attracted to management posts and take part in the organisations quest for excellence (Killick Allan, 2001). Moonie (2004) indicates women managers have much to offer the organisation since the emergence of customer care and total quality management. Although Miller (2004) suggests this simply is a political move, under the guise of community care legislation, a way of meeting resource demands and residualing services. As a result of the market of care, consumerism and competition, there is pressure for local authorities to become more business like (Deacon, 2002). Senior managers are now recruited from the commercial arena where it appears, they know nothing about social care. With the emergence of business management posts and the values and models that underpin those of a commercial organisation, such as marketing strategies and performance indicators, bureaucratic procedures and control increases (Jones, 2003). Nevertheless in an organisations quest for excellence women managers could prove invaluable. Tibbs (2001) argues that women managers will have a tendency to put issues of staff care, such as support and supervision above administration. Leadership or management within a group is central to the function of facilitating organisation or group effectiveness and performance (Payne, 2000). Therefore a manager who is humanistic in their approach, it seems is able to meet current government policy with regards to welfare provision (Miller, 2004). Looking for the impact of effective leadership in more detail it is necessary to consider the concept of leadership and also the role of the manager in supervision (Carney, 2006). Leadership can be performed at an informal level within the team or at an organisational level (Butcher, 2006). Research into leadership by Carney (2006) established that satisfaction and group effectiveness can be affected by the type of leadership within the group (Carney, 2006). Although, Cochrane (2006) proposes that leadership roles vary according to the managed level within the organisation. According to Cree (2003) the most important element is influence and that leadership suggests a process of group support, goal achievement and group contentment. To understand leadership, it is necessary to understand the distinctions between managed and leadership, Deacon (2002) argues to be an effective manager it is necessary to exercise the role of leadership. Considering this, leadership is not necessarily just a function of a formal manager but acts of leadership by a person who has specific leadership qualities (Bradshaw, 2004). For example a manager is said to have continually co-ordinate and balance in order to compromise conflicting values (Powell Hewitt, 2002). Whereas leaders, may work in but can be said not to belong to an organisation. They are able to consider what events and actions mean and express empathy with other people. (Jones-Devitt Smith, 2007). It could be argued womens attributes are compatible with the philosophy of empathy and consideration for others (Glasby Littlechild, 2009). Cree (2003) suggests that leadership styles are more effective and more consistent with the type of humanistic management that social w ork requires. Supervision is an also an arena where women, it could be said function better than men (Moonie, 2004). Women maybe more able to empathise and discuss an individuals issues and concerns. However it could be argued this may be too simplistic. According to Miller (2004) not all women may be able to undertake effective supervision, whereas there may be male managers that are equally as capable of adopting a humanistic style of supervision. Payne (2000) suggests that regardless of what attributes that can be brought to supervision there are areas of supervision which may hinder team work and professional development. Supervision may be unavailable due to time restrictions, the abuse of power such as withholding information or asserting negative control, a lack of feeling supported particularly as managers are not in touch with service users lives (Tibbs, 2001). Certain leadership styles may determine how effective supervision is for team members and supports Adams (2003) view of discrepancies in supervision. Social services departments have a history of retention and recruitment and this reflects in inconsistent management (Thompson, 2002). For example, regardless of gender differences, some managers work in a democratic way, consistent with the humanistic approach (Sharkey, 2000). However others may adopt a more authoritative supervision process. This can have the effect of controlling or obstructing team members as a result of asserting authority or power over decision making (Carney, 2006). Subsequently, this can leave managers with high levels of dissonance within the team, which in turn, affects the effectiveness of the team (Jones-Devitt Smith, 2007). Butcher (2006) indicates the supervision process can become a management tool of accountability but suggests it can be also be used as a tool to improve personal and professional development and practice. If supervision is to encourage personal satisfaction and encourage group cohesiveness and effectiveness, it should go below the surface in the analysis of problems and situation (Adams et al, 2009). It could be argued a feeling of being listened to and heard can only serve to increase team moral and performance. In turn effective supervision can be used as a tool for negotiation, problem-solving and more importantly learning (Adams et al, 2009). Women managers could use supervision to make their own individual mark on the workforce without the need of masculine formal systems and practices (Butcher, 2006). By paying attention to things that matter to people which are often neglected such as enquiring about the progress of a problem or a staff member needs to leave work on time to meet childcare commitments (Bradshaw, 2004). As mentioned, this method of working can develop team moral and performance, such as effective team and collaborative working. Facilitating teams to work collectively together to identify areas of organisational improvements and service delivery, it could be argued is considered a necessary requirement of professional workers within social services (Brechin et al, 2000). The caring strand of management means women are at an advantage when it comes to utilising these skills in management, in particular women are brought up to think about other peoples needs to empathise and listen (Zinn, 2008). Indeed it is not to be said that the caring tasks should be done by women alone only to validate the skills women bring to the role of manager, through their perceived roles as carers (Scott, 2001). In terms of operational planning, women managers are able to influence the situation and bring along new understanding of management for both men and women, rather than the traditional methods (Bauld et al, 2000). Instead of an aggressive style, an assertive style will allow individuals to stand up for themselves. People can manage in a supportive way in order to empower and obtain consensus rather than conflict (Thompson, 2002). Patriarchal norms and mens way of behaving does not have to be considered the norm. It could be said, women should be taken seriously without having to act like men (Alcock, 2000). Both men and women can validate the caring side of managing within social services, recognising both work and personal commitments. This is increasingly evident for social workers within social services; managers appear to be more responsive to the holistic needs of staff (Banks, 2001). Moonie (2004) suggests it is difficult to determine whether there has been a genuine commitment of the organisation towards recognising workers needs or the fact that the majority of middle managers consist of mainly women who are generally more sympathetic in their approach. Payne, (2000) outlines it could also be political, due to the nature of the work within statutory social services, has inevitably led to recruitment and retention crisis, whereby this needs to be effectively managed if standards are to be maintained. Power can be used in an ethical and caring way to empower both clients and workers. Paying more attention to the abuse of power, workers must limit their use of controlling power (Glasby Littlechild, 2009). Women can learn to understand power and be less afraid and use it more directly. Managers can use power in positive ways, such as implementing equal opportunity policies (Carney, 2006). Caring itself should be challenged as a concept. No longer synonymous with womens work, it should be constructed as a role that all people can undertake, a skill to be learnt by both men and women (DoH, 1999). Women can stop automatically undertaking the caring jobs. This in turn will serve to change the attitudes and perceptions society has of specific gender roles. Finally government legislation should be strengthened and include enhanced equal opportunity laws and substantial improvements to maternity benefit and leave. Carney (2006) argues that underpinning all policy are principles that men should also be responsible for childcare and that childcare should be publicly funded and community based and most importantly there should be a balance between family life and paid work and leisure activities. Social work is a changing profession dominated by men, who make policies for an essentially controlling activity (Dominelli, 2004). However social services have a culture of caring whereby the majority, which are women, are committed to this ethos. It could be argued that women endeavour to support this caring ethic and are challenging a patriarchal structure by using good human relationship skills and attention to quality of service.

A Defence of Individual Autonomy in a Multination Liberal State Essay

A Defence of Individual Autonomy in a Multination Liberal State Liberalism is committed to protecting the freedom to choose, question and revise one’s own conception of the good life. For this reason, liberalism defends (among many other things) freedom of conscience, expression and association, as well as mandatory, universal education. In Multicultural Citizenship, Will Kymlicka argues that the state is also obligated to ensure that the lifestyle options which are made available to an individual so that she can choose, question and revise her own conception of the good life, are meaningful to her by being understood by her in relation to her own "societal culture". He concludes, therefore, that in a multination liberal state, self-government rights should be granted to national minorities in order to guarantee that their members will have access to their own societal culture. However, in the case of an illiberal national minority, granting them the rights necessary to preserve their own societal culture will result in violations of the individual rights of their members. This is a serious problem for liberalism. Kymlicka proposes that we must accept such violations because the liberal state is not entitled to impose liberal values and practices on to a national minority. He suggests that the state should promote the voluntary liberalisation of the illiberal culture from within, and is only justified in using force in order to prevent severe violations of individual rights. In this paper I will argue that Kymlicka’s approach is lacking in some areas. I will argue that a multination liberal state should not grant self-government rights to a previously non-self-governing illiberal national minority unless the individual r... ...ial obligation, which does not apply to foreign nations, to take further steps, as outlined above, to their neighbouring fellow human beings. Endnotes 1 Will Kymlicka (1995), Multicultural Citizenship, (Clarendon Press, Oxford). p.76 2 Ibid., p.90 3 Avishai Margalit and Joseph Raz (1990), ‘National Self-Determination’, Jounal of Philosophy, 87/9: 439-61. p.447-9 4 Supra, note 1, p.89 5 Ibid., p.83 6 Ronald Dworkin (1985), A Matter of Principle, (Harvard University Press, London). p.231 7 Supra, note 1, p.78 8 Ibid., p.168 9 Ibid., p.169 Bibliography Ronald Dworkin (1985), A Matter of Principle, (Harvard University Press, London). Will Kymlicka (1995), Multicultural Citizenship, (Clarendon Press, Oxford). Avishai Margalit and Joseph Raz (1990), ‘National Self-Determination’, Jounal of Philosophy, 87/9: 439-61.

The Effect of Lyrics in Music on Society

Music and its lyrical content has become an integral component of society as it constitutes an essential part in most people’s lives. The advent of MP3 players, ipods and similar gadgets has cemented the widespread reach of musical lyrics, particularly among the so – called MTV generation. While this point cannot be called into question, the exact effect of lyrics on society at large is debatable and is the subject of much controversy. The reason for this is the paucity of research on the said subject. In response to public concern over the harmful effects of explicit lyrics, much has been said and written about it but there is little scientific evidence to back up opposing claims. A careful analysis of the existing research literature, however, reveals that the lyrics in music exercises a profound influence on society and moreover, there is disturbing evidence to show that it does more harm than good. Arguments and Counterarguments about the Effect of Lyrics in Music It has been argued that the lyrical content of music has precious little effect on the collective psyche of the masses and that the focus on its pervasive influence and perceived harmful effects is largely uncalled for. The meaning of songs is subject to interpretation, it has been claimed and as such depends entirely on the listener and his or her individual perception. Besides songs nowadays are layered with intricate meaning and severely tax the cognitive skills of the listeners who usually misinterpret the lyrics or simply don’t care about them. Some are of the opinion that it is solely music as opposed to its lyrical content that affects the masses. Studies conducted by Rosenbaum and Prinsky as well as Wass et al. have supported this claim by revealing that â€Å"†¦ listeners have reported that song lyrics are not particularly important to them and that they are more attracted to qualities of music than they are to the lyrics† (qtd. in Hansen & Hansen 178). All these viewpoints are misleading as they underestimate the sheer insidiousness and impact of the lyrics in songs. The tremendous popularity of rap music bears testament to the power of words, particularly since rap or hip – hop focuses entirely on the lyrics and music merely serves to accentuate the clever wordplay and inherent themes. Thus the genre of rap music with its attendant controversy and crazed fan – following highlights the immense effect lyrics have on society. Further Hansen and Hansen have concluded from their studies that â€Å"†¦despite low levels of lyric comprehension and recall of song lyrics, listeners were able to extract themes of sex, suicide, violence,   and satanism from songs by popular heavy metal groups using schematic processing† (178) . On the basis of this and other studies, it may be concluded that the lyrics in music have the ability to shape impressionable minds, influence beliefs, determine one’s outlook towards life and subsequently at an overt level, affect the behavior and actions of individuals. Lyrics may enable people to become cognizant of socially relevant issues and empathize with their fellow humans. But more often that not lyrics of popular music appears to spawn harmful effects that have dangerous implications for our society. The Harmful Effects of Lyrics and Its Impact on Society Over the years, the lyrical content of music has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts. Lyrical themes no longer celebrate romantic love and peace but glorify pleasures of the flesh, aggression and drug use. Therefore people have become increasingly concerned with lyrics replete with sexual and violent overtones, particularly their influence on youngsters. This concern is not misplaced because in the words of Hargrave and Livingstone, â€Å"†¦ studies reveal consistent messages in music lyrics that may be considered harmful including messages promoting violence among boys / men, homophobic messages, or those encouraging early sexuality among young girls / women† (109) . Contemporary music abounds with alarmingly casual descriptions of lustful and violent activities and has had the effect of desensitizing the masses and prompting individuals to make unwise decisions. With regard to the accusation of harmful effects, lyrics have been directly implicated as a study by â€Å"Rubin, West, and Mitchell (2001) found that fans of rap and heavy metal music scored significantly higher on measures of aggression than did fans of other musical genres† (Giles 67) . And of course it is these particular genres that have come under fire for their brutal lyrics. Thus there is little doubt as to the effects of explicit lyrics on listeners. Thanks to the offensive material conveyed by songs, many of the evils that plague our society can be directly linked to the lyrics in music. For instance the increased incidence of sexual activity among adolescents, teen pregnancies, drug use, violence against homosexuals, women and other minority groups may be traced to the lyrical content of music. In view of the existing evidence, the pervasive effect of lyrics cannot be taken lightly as it threatens to undermine the very foundation on which society is based. Conclusion In light of the evidence outlined above, one may safely assert that the lyrics in music affect society to a large extent. In addition to their profound influence it is found that their effects can be harmful to the individual as well as society. Therefore the impact of lyrical content cannot be ignored or underestimated and further research is imperative to determine its exact nature. Works Cited Giles, David. Media Psychology. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. Hansen, Christine, and Ranald Hansen. â€Å"Music and Music Videos†.   Media Entertainment: The Psychology of Its Appeal. Eds. Dolf Zillmann and Peter Vorderer. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000. 175 – 96. Hargrave, Andrea and Sonia Livingstone. Harm and offence in media Content: A Review of the Evidence. Portland: Intellect Books, 2006.   

Noun-Adjective Agreement in Spanish

Noun-Adjective Agreement in Spanish Noun-adjective agreement is one of the most fundamental aspects of Spanish grammar: Adjectives must agree with the nouns they refer to in both number and gender. Agreement: an Essential, Basic Rule of Spanish Grammar The rule, which has no English equivalent, is that singular nouns are accompanied by singular adjectives, and plural nouns are accompanied by plural adjectives. Masculine nouns are described or limited by masculine adjectives, and feminine nouns are described or limited by feminine adjectives. The same rule applies to definite articles (the equivalent of the) and indefinite articles (a class of words that in English include a, an, and any), both of which sometimes are considered types of adjectiveshttps://www.thoughtco.com/noun-adjective-agreement-3078114. How To Modify Adjectives for Number and Gender The normal form of adjectives, the form you will find listed in dictionaries, is singular and masculine. To make the adjective plural, follow one of these steps, which as the same as for making nouns plural: If it ends in an unstressed vowel, add s: verde (green, singular), verdes (green, plural). El rbol es verde, the tree is green. Los rboles son verdes, the trees are green.If it ends in a z, change the z to a c and add : feliz (happy, singular), felices (happy, plural). Soy feliz, Im a happy person; somos felices, we are happy people.If it ends in another consonant or a stressed vowel, add : difà ­cil (difficult, singular), difà ­ciles (difficult, plural). La tarea es difà ­cil, the task is difficult; las tareas son difà ­ciles, the tasks are difficult.Note that in a few cases it is necessary to add an accent mark to maintain the stress on the correct syllable or delete one when its no longer necessary to indicate stress. For example, the plural of inglà ©s (English) as an adjective is ingleses. Making a masculine adjective feminine is even easier. Just follow these steps: If the singular masculine adjective ends in an : pequeà ±o (small, masculine singular), pequeà ±a (small, feminine singular). El gato es pequeà ±o, the cat is small; los gatos son pequeà ±os, the cats are small; la chica es pequeà ±a, the girl is small; las chicas son pequeà ±as, the girls are small.If the singular masculine adjective ends in any other letter, the feminine form is the same. El autobà ºs es grande, the bus is big; la casa es grande, the house is big. Adjectives can come before or after nouns, or they can be used with verbs such as ser (to be) to describe nouns. But (except for invariable adjectives) they will always match the nouns they describe in both number and gender. Invariable Adjectives There are a few adjectives, known as invariable adjectives, that dont change in form. Most of them are either uncommon colors or words of foreign origin. An example is web as in la pgina web (the web page) and las pginas web (the web pages). Sometimes a noun can be used as an invariable adjective, but this practice is much less common in Spanish than in English. Being Spanish students seldom will have the need to use invariable adjectives, but you should be aware that they exist so they dont confuse you when you see them. Sample Sentences Demonstrating Noun-Adjective Agreement Las familias felices se divierten en la playa rocosa. (The happy families are enjoying themselves on the rocky beach.) Felices is plural because familias is plural. The feminine form rocosa is used because playa is feminine. La and las are feminine definite articles. El hombre feliz va a ascender al pico rocoso. (The happy man is going to climb to the rocky summit.) The singular feliz is used because there is only one man. The masculine rocoso is used because pico is masculine. El is a masculine definite article. Al is a contracted form of a plus el. Ha sido un dà ­a largo entre muchas semanas largas. (It has been a long day among many long weeks.) The singular masculine largo is used with dà ­a because dà ­a is masculine and there is one of them, but the plural feminine largas is used with semanas because semana is feminine and there are more than one. Un and muchas are masculine and feminine indefinite articles, respectively. Un taco es una preparacià ³n mexicana que en su forma estndar consiste en una tortilla que contiene algà ºn alimento dentro. (A taco is a Mexican preparation that in its standard form consists of a tortilla the contains some food inside. Su is a determiner or possessive adjective that changes with number but not gender. Estndar is an invariable adjective - the same word would have been used with plural or masculine nouns.) Key Takeaways With the rare exception of invariable adjectives, adjectives must match the nouns they refer to in both number and gender.Singular adjectives are made plural in the same way singular nouns are.Adjectives ending on -o or -os can be made plural by changing those letters to -a or -as, respectively.