How equal opportunities and managing diversity impact on organisations and their HRM practices The WritePass Journal

How equal opportunities and managing diversity impact on organisations and their HRM practices Introduction How equal opportunities and managing diversity impact on organisations and their HRM practices ). In regard to this, this report presents findings from primary and secondary research that was carried out to establish the importance of embracing and managing workplace diversity. Research Approach As aforementioned, this research was carried out using both secondary and primary approaches. The secondary approach involved reviewing literature that has been published on various databases about the subject of workplace diversity. A preference was given to peer-reviewed journal articles because of their renowned credibility in terms of the researched information they offer (Yin, 2010). Since the time and resources to carry out an exhaustive primary research was limited, semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative data from a seven colleagues in college. The data was collected through an audio recording for further analysis. This approach was selected because it is relatively informal and does not require a lot of time to get the required information (Yin, 2010). Findings Findings from Secondary Research Many researchers have carried out studies the subject of workplace diversity. However, as pointed out by Herring (2009), this concept is relatively new, dating to the 1980s. Some of the factors that have contributed to an increase in workplace diversity include the increased immigration – especially to developed countries – which has led to an increasingly international workforce. The equality campaigns that have been on the increase have also led to an increase the number of ethnic minorities and women in the present-day labour pool. It is evident that if poorly managed, diversity will adversely affect productivity of human resources. Thus, human resource managers in organizations ought to implement effective diversity management practices so as to turn diversity into an advantage (The Times 100, 2013). Importance of Managing Workplace Diversity With the ever increasing diversity in global population and workplaces, it is vital to establish the benefits of managing diversity. Michalle and Barak (2010) argue that diversity increases the productivity of employees. This is because of the fact that a diverse workplace comprises of different talents, skills and experiences, and if these differences are combined and directed towards the achievement of a common goal, it is certain that it will be advantageous to the organization. In another research on workplace diversity, Herring (2009) established that effective management of a diverse workforce increases creativity and problem solving. By treating contributions of every employee at the workplace as important, regardless of their experience, race or gender, useful insights about how to approach a certain task in the organization can be found. Organizations that fail to take advantage of the diversity in their workforces may lock out ideas from employees that may be of phenomenal importance to the progress of the company. Companies that have created a reputation for effective management of diversity have the advantage of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, which comes with diverse talents and capabilities. Inclusion in the workplace motivates employees by creating in them a sense of belonging. Acknowledging diversity in the workplace motivates the employees and also increases their levels of commitment towards the organization.   In a study carried out by Groeneveld (2011) on management of workplace diversity and its impacts on employee turnover, he established that companies adhering to diversity policies in recruitment and other human resource management practices in their organization had much less cases of employee turnover than those whose diversity management approaches were not as ideal. Given that diversity will be almost inevitable in future, organizations have to ensure that they put the most effective diversity management practices in place. There is also a legal advantage of ma naging diversity in organizations and encouraging inclusion. Application of appropriate approaches in diversity management limits the chances of lawsuits by employees that feel excluded (Michalle Barak, 2010). Not only does this save money that could have been spent on litigation expenses, it also creates a positive reputation of the organization to a wide range of stakeholders. Tadmor et al. (2012) argue that companies that target a market with diverse customers greatly benefits from employing a diverse workforce. For instance, if a company has a marketing team that comprises of people from different races, religions and genders, the possibility of such a team attracting a wide range of customers is higher as compared to a team that consists of people from the same gender, race or religion. Thus, effective diversity management may increase the returns of a company by attracting more customers. Challenges of Workplace Diversity Management Even though management of diversity has many advantages for employers and employees in organizations, Caà ±as and Sondak (2010) argue that there are several associated challenges. Management of diversity involves the recognition of the value associated with the differences in the workforce, promotion of inclusiveness and elimination of any kind of discrimination that exists in the workforce. Ensuring that all these aspects of management are exhaustively addressed may be challenging for human resource managers, especially when diversity among employees is quite extensive. Some of the disadvantages that are associated with poor workplace diversity management include increased employee turnover, lack of synergy and ineffective communication among employees, and an increase in the chances of companies facing lawsuits and negative publicity (Tarmac, 2012). A recent example of a diversity issue that tainted the image of an organization took place in 2011, when a Liverpool hospital placed an advertisement for job vacancies. In their conditions for application, the included as statement that referred to equal opportunities as â€Å"usual rubbish† (Hough, 2011). Even though the statement was replaced after negative feedback from the public, it has drawn negative attention from different parts of the world, which has also affected reputation of the hospital. For effective diversity management, Herring (2009) suggests that managers have to first understand the diverse needs of their employees and identify areas from which discrimination may arise. They should then create the ideal policies that will ensure inclusiveness in the organization. Findings from Primary Research To establish the impacts of equal opportunities and diversity management in the workplace, mixed reactions were obtained from some of the peers that were interviewed. Whereas two of them were of the view that ensuring workplace inclusion may be unnecessary for organizations, five of the respondents were for the idea that managing diversity is among the most important human resource management practices of the 21st century. Responses in support of Workplace Diversity One of the questions that the subjects were asked was how diversity may affect the productivity of an organization. In response to this question, one of the respondents, who is a proponent of diversity argued, â€Å"There is no way that a company in the 21st century can survive without having a diverse workforce. Diversity does not only exist in the colour of the skin or the language we speak. Everywhere in the UK, there is diversity in religion, gender, and generations. What companies ought to do is agree that diversity is inevitable, and find ways to deal with it for their own advantage.† This response indicates that there is widespread knowledge about diversity and organizations ought to device the necessary approaches to increase productivity of their diverse employees. Another respondent added â€Å"Diversity in the workplace is good. Though it may be difficult at the start, continued co-operation with team members from different backgrounds makes it possible to understa nd and appreciate one another. If I am offered a job in two companies, one with a good reputation of inclusion and another known for discriminating against some workers, I will definitely choose the one that has created a reputation of inclusiveness† Responses against Workplace Diversity In response to the same question on how diversity may affect productivity of an organization, another respondent who thought diversity is overemphasized argued, â€Å"I think diversity in organizations is a good thing, but organizations ought to focus more on merit. If I have vacancies in my company and I am looking for the best employees to fill those positions, I should not be forced to select a ‘diverse workforce’ because the policies say so, instead, I need to select the most qualified candidates. If the most qualified candidates are from the same gender, ethnic or religious backgrounds, I should be free to hire them. This whole diversity debate may not be as constructive as we think it is.† The response given by this respondent is also quite sensible, which indicates that there are some disadvantages that are associated with workplace diversity policies. Findings from primary research, as indicated, were mixed. Whether the response provided by the respondents supports or is against the importance of diversity in the workplace, they both acknowledge the existence of diversity issues in the 21st century. However, most of the respondents were in support of the implementation of appropriate diversity management strategies. This indicates that equal opportunities and management of diversity in organizations is among the most important practices in present-day human resource management. With a projected increase in levels of diversity in the UK population, as well as other parts of the world, it will be inevitable for organizations to have a diverse workforce (Caà ±as Sondak, 2010). Conclusion The 21st century has been characterized with a phenomenal increase in diversity among population across the globe, which has also affected the composition of employees in many organizations. This research had the aim of establishing the importance of inclusion and the management of diversity in organizations. Even though some disadvantages of employee diversity were established from the primary and secondary research that was carried out, most of the respondents and all the secondary sources accessed indicated that inclusion and diversity management is a very vital human resource practice. From the findings of the research, one of the recommendations that can be made for human resource managers is that all employees have to be informed on the importance of workplace diversity and how to effectively collaborate with their workmates from different backgrounds and gender. References Caà ±as, K.A. Sondak, H., 2010. Opportunities and challenges of workplace diversity. New York: Prentice Hall. Groeneveld, S., 2011. Diversity and employee turnover in the Dutch public sector: Does diversity management make a difference? International Journal of Public Sector Management, 24(6), pp.594-612. Herring, C., 2009. Does Diversity Pay?: Race, Gender, and the Business Case for Diversity. American Sociological Review, 74, pp.208-24. Hough, A., 2011. NHS hospital usual equal opportunities rubbish job advert sparks investigation. The Telegraph, 5 September. Michalle, E. Barak, M., 2010. Managing Diversity: Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Poster, W.R., 2008. Filtering Diversity : A Global Corporation Struggles With Race, Class, and Gender in Employment Policy. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(3), pp.307-41. Tadmor, C.T., Satterstrom, P., Jang, S. Polzer, J.T., 2012. Beyond Individual Creativity The Superadditive Benefits of Multicultural Experience for Collective Creativity in Culturally Diverse Teams. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 43(3), pp.384-92. Tarmac, 2012. Diversity and inclusion policy. [Online] Available at: tarmac.co.uk/about_us/about_tarmac/idoc.ashx?docid=ffe70bb0-4510-476a-8dd4-b352a63c1b48version=-1 [Accessed 26 February 2014]. The Times 100, 2013. Competetive advantage through diversity. [Online] Available at: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/tarmac/competitive-advantage-through-diversity/conclusion.html#axzz2MxtlEGBP [Accessed 26 February 2014]. Yin, R.K., 2010. Qualitative Research from Start to Finish. New York: Guilford Press.

Explore Our Tips For Developing Philosophy Essays

Explore Our Tips For Developing Philosophy Essays Philosophy Essay: Writing an â€Å"A† Grade Essay For many students, writing a philosophy essay may seem to be a tough task to complete, if you bear in mind that a good essay results from hard work and effort of the writer. Both the preparation and research stages are important for developing an effective essay. We have prepared for you a list of tips that will guide you in the writing of your philosophy essay. Make sure you place your focus on to the particulars of your essay. You will have your chance to write and present a well-structured and A+ piece of work at the end to show how well you have understood the topic in question. A philosophy essay is different from any other type of essay assignments. It cannot be tackled with an approach similar to a research paper or literary analysis. Also, it should not be addressed as a factual report from what other writers have expressed in their text concerning the subject. A philosophical paper should be a coherent and factual defense type of paper base on the thesis you choose. To start with, it should remind you that you need a thesis for your work. It should highlight the position you take concerning the subject in question. Each notion you put across will have not less than two sides of an argument relating to it. This means that you should choose on the side, and use the other to prove the relevance and logic within your point of reasoning. Keep in mind that you need to back up each point you present with a relevant argument. At this instance, your focus should be based on what you intend to prove to the reader concerning the topic. It may sound simple but in real terms, choosing a thesis statement can be quite challenging. When you embark on tasks given to write a philosophy essay paper, the general idea is first to write down information regarding the topic. This should be viewed as general, rough sketches of a work in progress. A thesis is a statement which is expressed in a single sentence, to state what the reader should expect. If by this stage you cannot formulate a thesis statement fully, then it still needs more brainstorming. When you formulate your thesis statement, you need to create ways that will persuade your target audience of your point of view. Provide a rational explanation for your ideas. This process mainly consists of the presentation of arguments that are supported with factual evidence.   Here, a lot of students go astray, as some think that their support for the thesis they come up with, will apply to the readers by default. This makes them have less focus on their arguments and the evidence that supports them. Your agreement to a specific side of an argument is not a guarantee that it will be the same for your target audience. If each person reading your work agreed with your point of view, there would be no argument at all. The best approach to writing an impressive philosophy paper is assuming that your target audience is as intelligent as yourself, and they do not support the same views on the subject matter. This will help you create good arguments that might end up convincing them otherwise. In simple terms, do not undervalue your audience. Another obvious mistake student commit is trying to cram all relative arguments about a particular area of study, and putting all of them down on one academic paper.   They think that by crafting a long list of arguments is an automatic indicator of the extensive research they have done. To some extent, it might be true even though you should remember that research for the sake of research does not explain the relevant points of your philosophy essay paper.   Below are some of the reasons why this approach won’t warrant you the success you require to achieve in the writing of a philosophy paper: Many arguments approach the subject matter of research in diverse points of view, which makes the work of the reader harder in keeping track of your reasoning. While you come up with a long list of arguments, you are bound to write both strong and weak arguments on the subject matter. This may structure a wrong impression about your work; in that, you cannot spot the difference between the arguments presented. It eventually leads you to create a jumbled piece of work that will result in poor grades. When you have a long list of arguments that represent your point of view about a particular topic of discussion will limit your chance to provide substantial reasoning for each idea presented. The ultimate goal for the philosophy essay you write is to convince the reader that your point of view makes sense and they should consider supporting your perspective. Short arguments make your work appear superficial thus negatively affecting the grades you are to be awarded. By now, it should be clear that choosing your topic should be carefully done. Even if you are required to analyze several materials relating to your subject matter, only the most convincing parts should be written in your essay. Also, keep in mind that the reader will only be able to read the work you present. This means that if you omit any piece of information that influenced your writing, the writer will definitely not know about it. Do not assume the reader will interpret your work for you. This should prompt you to ensure that all points and arguments put across should be clear and easily understood.   Remember that the reader cannot ask you any question so this should inspire you to be direct, coherent, and extensive with your arguments. Develop arguments that will not provoke objections from your target audience. Remember that your philosophy paper should be clear, coherent and grammatically correct. Logic and uniqueness are vital elements of your writing too. Mistakes you Should Avoid when Writing your Philosophy Paper Long introduction: your professor is most likely your target reader who knows this particular subject. Even in situations that you are writing a philosophy essay for the general audience, you are not required to use too much paper length to introduce your topic of discussion. It only comes out as a work that has too many words but not enough ideas, reason, and creativity. You are encouraged to jump into the writing of your thesis statement directly. Wordy citations: in many cases, students include a lot of external materials in their philosophy essay. Avoid creating an impression of padding your work. Instead, aim at the goal intended which is to give your readers your own interpretation of the topic of discussion highlighting your point of view. It is advisable to refer to external sources once in a while and only use quoted texts if really necessary. However, direct quotes should not exceed 10% of your total work. Utilize more of your space on presenting ideas and backing them up with sufficient arguments that are logical. Not taking a side: while writing a philosophy essay, you cannot stand on neutral ground. Then there would be no need for the essay! Keep in mind your goals are to make the reader take your side about a particular point of view which means you should create your perspective at the beginning of your work. Do not use the views of what other people have written concerning the same subject. Be unique and original to create your own idea out of the subject and convince your readers why they should support your work. Stand your ground and work on the point of view that you find satisfying for you to work on. Not acknowledging it seriously enough: to some point, some debates may come out as trivial, but still have in mind that each debate is triggered by a good reason. Yu not considering the importance of the debate is a sure sign that you have no idea of what the topic entails or its interpretation. If this is the case, considering reverting to your research stage and ensure you have done thorough research on the subject and become conversant with it. Never take the topic too lightly. Make an effort of having extensive knowledge about it before embarking on discussing the topic. Using questions: rhetorical questions can be a good way to engage the reader but should be avoided when writing a philosophy essay. You should also avoid presenting arguments in ways that they suggest an indirect question or founded on generic assumptions. For instance, if you argue that abortion is murder and immoral, you expect that the reader will share your point of view and just back it up. This is a problem that many students have and leads to them failing. You should know that all the arguments that you raise are just to prove that your point is worth consideration. What the reader is left to contemplate and agree about is their point of view. Attacking the Opponents: even at instances that you feel like you totally disagree with their point of view, you need to come up with a rational and logical explanation for your perspective. Your philosophy essay does not give you space to express your emotions on a particular subject you are against. Your main aim should be to clearly highlight and explain why your opponents are wrong and avoid offending them in the process. When you decide to get personal and call the opponents names, its a clear indication that you cannot stand your ground on that particular subject which will eventually negatively affect your final grades on the philosophy essay paper. More Tips to Guide You in Writing a Philosophy Essay Paper Even though writing a philosophy paper might be a bit thought-provoking, consider is as just another piece of writing. This should tell you that there are a couple of ways you can approach it just like the students before you did. Below are some helpful tips that can guide your writing of a philosophy essay effectively and help you get a good grade: Competent structuring and organization: this can be achieved through crafting an outline for your philosophy essay and adapting it in your entire writing. This will help in maintaining the logical flow of ideas as per the arguments you make concerning your topic of discussion. This can only be achieved if you come up with an outline that supports your philosophical essay. Craft the outline even before you begin our writing. This will help while you brainstorm your thought about the topic of discussion and exclude any logical errors or inconsistencies that may arise in writing your paper. Appropriate choice of words: slang and jargon should be avoided at all cost while writing your philosophy essay. Also, avoid using notions that you do not know the meaning of. Find their meaning from a dictionary and appropriately use them if you have to. You should create time for proofreading and editing your work before you submit it. Do not depend on the auto-correction options in your word document creator. Evidence, facts and figure to support your claims: as I explained before, you should not expect the reader to comply and agree with your point of view. Base your work on a perspective that your reader constantly disagrees with your argument. It is your duty to convince them otherwise. Provide substantial evidence to support your claims and convince the reader that your point of view makes sense. Additionally, avoid structuring your paper based on generic assumptions which are quite misleading. Accurate referencing: in the world of academia, plagiarism is one of the biggest offenses when it comes to writing an essay, or any other piece of writing. Situations of unintentional plagiarism arise when you provide information on a particular subject from a source and forget to properly provide both the in-text citation and the complete reference on the separate works cited page. Inconsistent paraphrasing is also a major issue to watch out for. It may lead to detection as plagiarism by a plagiarism checking software which will eventually lower your grades. Make sure you are conversant with the required formatting requirements and consult your professor on which format you should apply and stick to. The logical defense for arguments presented: -In simple terms, each statement you make is likely to be objected. With this in mind, you should be prepared to answer the questions that arise concerning your arguments intelligently. When you anticipate objections and provide sufficiently opposing arguments, you are bound to come up with a captivating piece of work. Always stick to an intelligent reaction to criticism and avoid taking them as threats or mocking. It is quite common that not everyone will agree with your point of view. Thorough editing: you should know that you might be the worst editor of the work you wish to present. Never consider the first draft as the final piece of work you are to present for grading. This will make you go through a lot of rewriting. It is okay to cut off any piece of information that might lead to plagiarism or those that lack sense in the arguments that you have brought to the light. If you consider the tips above, you will will write an excellent philosophy essay that is worth a higher grade from your professor.

Case study(Tanglewood department stores) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study(Tanglewood department stores) - Essay Example 5 Work Cited Page†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Company Profile Tanglewood was founded in 1975 by Tanner Emerson and Thurston Wood. The company operates in the retail industry specializing in clothing, appliances, home decor, and electronics. The stores have an outdoor theme that differentiates Tanglewood from the competition. The company’s mission statement is to be the best department store for consumers seeking quality, durability, and value for all aspects of their active lives. The firm has operating revenues of $7.2 billion while employing nearly 53,000 employees across 243 stores. The company’s target customer is middle to high income customers. Issues and problems Tanglewood was developed by its founders as a family type store where people could come in and find all their shopping needs. The concept helped attract a lot of customer s. The store prides itself in offering the best customer service possible. Another part of the working environment that the owners have always been proud of is having a high level of employee involvement. This attribute was a good idea at first, but as the company has grown it has let to administrative problems. It is important in large organizations for the employees to understand the managerial hierarchy. Stores need manages to be accountable to the operating and strategic decisions that occur at the enterprise. During the 1990’s Tanglewood experienced a lot of growth in terms of total store capacity. The firm grew from a 10 store operation to the current 243 stores it operates today. The problem with the growth the firm achieved was that the company did not build its own stores. It was easier for the firm to acquire other existing stores. The strategy that the firm implemented had lots of short term advantages, but it also led to long term consequences. The firm did not ha ve a unified identity due to the fact that there was a blend of many different corporate cultures. The executive managerial staff of the firm did a poor job developing a single corporate culture for the employees to follow. An organizational culture is a system of shared actions, values, and beliefs that develops within an organization that guides the behavior of its members (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, p.262). A problem the company faced as it grew was that the owners of the firm took an active managerial role without taking on the responsibility of the day to day operations. The owners emphasized more on the strategic side of management. Another inherent problem the company faced was the westward expansion of major competitors such as Target and Kohl’s. The firm had been able to avoid excessive direct competition in the past, but now based on the new market structure the firm has to compete with the major players in the retail industry. The company needs a new administrat ive strategy to better manage its human resources. Alternative Solutions The employees of a company are its most value asset. Due to the importance of human capital Tanglewood needs immediate help dealing with the staff. An alternative solution is for the company to bring a temporary project manager to oversee the operation. The project manager would

Louise Slaughter Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Louise Slaughter - Research Paper Example The term Congress in the United States has two applications (Kura, 2001). First, Congress refers to the Senate or national bicameral legislature. Secondly, Congress refers to the House of Representatives. In the Senate, members are referred to as senators while Representatives are the members in the House of Representatives (Heath, 1999). Persons who are members of both the Senate and House of Representatives are members of congress. Representatives are also referred to as congressmen or congresswomen. The current congress is the 113th and was elected in November 2012. The House of Representatives has 435 members while the Senate has 100 members. The members of US congress are elected to represent people in fifty states. Since the congress representatives are elected, it is possible to have a Congress whose representatives have unequal racial representation. The two Congress chambers are separate. However, they both participated equally in the enactment of legislation. The congress m ust hold one joint meeting in a year to agree on the convening and adjourning dates and count the presidential votes. The ability of the Congress to enact laws is the sanction of that effects other congress actions. The discussion in this paper focuses on the congresswoman named Louise Slaughter. In the discussion, Louise Slaughter is analyzed for her key achievements, voting records, important committee assignments, and leadership positions. Current position of Louise Mclntosh Slaughter Louise was born on 14 August 1929. Today, Slaughter is the New York’s representative for 28th congressional district. She has served in this position since 1993. The political party membership is Democratic Party. Slaughter’s district of representation is found in Rochester, New York. This district partially comprises of counties of Orleans and Monroe in New York. Since 1987 to 1993, Slaughter represented New York’s 30th District. The United States Congressional elections were h eld in November of the year 2012. In these elections, Slaughter’s victory was over Maggie Brooks who had been county representative since 2004. Her representation is now in the restructured 25th District. This District is entirely found in Monroe County except for Rush, Mendon, Hamlin, Wheatland, and part of Clarkson. Slaughter has formerly been the chairperson of the House Rules Committee. Her leadership in this Committee lasted from 2007 to 2011. Other membership roles include ranking minority member as from 2011. After her reelection, Slaughter vowed to fight for issues of Medicare and Social security. She also vowed to fight for the Violence against Women Act renewal (Alaimo, 2012). In most of her career, Slaughter has spent time fighting for the safety, opportunities and health. In addition, Louise is the co-founder of the Bi-partisan Pro Choice Caucus and Co-author of violence against Women Act. Slaughter has also greatly advocated for the protection of the nationâ€⠄¢s troops by ensuring that troops have the needed armor. According to slaughter, she feels that those responsible for protecting the nation should also be protected. Louise has been considered as a true reformer. For now, Slaughter is fighting to pass the Stock Act in her efforts to clean up Washington. Through this act, Congress members will not be in a position to make money in the stock market using insider information. This move will protect million of citizens since her support will not be

Cause and Spread of Infection Essay Example for Free

Cause and Spread of Infection Essay 1.1. Identify the differences between bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites All 4 are different types of pathogens Bacteria is a single celled organism that multiply by themselves. They lives within and on most living and nonliving things. The majority of bacteria’s are harmless and beneficial to the human body but some can cause infectious diseases. A bacterium usually affects one part of the body and doesn’t spread across or through the body. Bacterial infections are normally treated with a cause of antibiotics. Viruses: are made up of genes and proteins that spread throughout the body by invading the body’s own cells so they can reproduce and multiply in the body. They use the body’s cells as a host because they are unable to multiply on their own. They are normally spread directly from human to human. Viruses can be very tough and there are not many effective medicines available for viral diseases. There are currently 21 families of viruses known to cause disease in humans. Fungi: like to grow in warm, moist places. Some fungi can be beneficial to us such as penicillin, but certain types of fungi can be harmful to our health. Like bacteria and viruses, some fungi can act as pathogens. Human fungal diseases can occur due to infection or fungal toxins. Symptoms for fungal diseases can be as common as itching, coughing, fever, wheezing, but they can also be as serious as meningitis or even death Parasites are organisms that use other organism for its survival. They draw nourishment and other needs from its host organism. Parasites that cause infection and disease are known as Pathogenic parasites 1.2. Identify common illnesses and infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites Bacteria: Ecoli/food poisoning, MRSA, CDIF, Sickness and diarrhea Viruses: Common cold, Influenza, Chicken pox, Cold sores, HIV Fungi: Athletes foot, Thrush, yeast infections, Ring Worm Parasites: Tape worms, Scabies, Malaria 1.3 Describe what is meant by â€Å"infection† and â€Å"colonisation† An infection is an invasion of the body by pathogens i.e. Bacteria and viruses which can cause disease and infections Colonisation is when microorganisms live on or in a host organism but do not invade tissues or cause damage 1.4 Explain what is meant by â€Å"systemic infection† and â€Å"localised infection† A â€Å"localised infection† is an infection that is limited to a specific body part or region of the body A systemic infection is when the infection is spread throughout body and affects a number of different organs and tissues 1.5 Identify poor practices that may lead to the spread of infection †¢Not wearing provided personal protective clothing when dealing with personal care and bodily fluids †¢Not changing PPE clothing in-between dealing with service user’s personal care. †¢By walking out in to corridors in PPE clothing whilst in the middle of deal with personal care. †¢Not washing hands correctly †¢Not disposing of solid and wet pads in the correct manner. .2.1 conditions needed for growth of microorganisms Temperature this will be between 8-63 degrees cc this is also called the danger area as bacteria multiply very fast. You will also need food for the bacteria or parasites for feed on. Moisture is another key important fact that will make growth easier Time is another important areas as more time made available as other conditions remain constant makes it easy. 2.2 and 2.4 Infective agents enter the body through open skin, wounds, saliva, blood exchange, oral areas such as mouth, anus. the person infected gets in contact with an infected person and through the media listed and appropriate condition then multiplication will take place and that will lead to infection. 2.3 common sources of infection †¢ Patient as a source for a) Air borne †¢ Patient as a source b) Blood borne †¢ Sexually transmitted †¢ Direct contact †¢ Fecal /oral tansmission †¢ Employees eg MRSA transmission †¢ Animals as source of infection. 2.5 Poor hygiene is most important factor that will always make it likely for any infection to take place. Lack of hand washing, ensuring that we get appropriate treatment and to be contained in one area until we heal or doctor gives us clean bill of health.

Literary Analysis of The True Story of Hansel and Gretel Essay

Set in Poland during the German occupation, â€Å"The True Story of Hansel and Gretel† is told as a fairy tale, utilizing many of the elements that are common to fairy tales. This book reflects the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale, â€Å"Hansel and Gretel.† However, in Murphy’s parable, Hansel and Gretel are two Jewish children who are abandoned by their father and stepmother in order to save them from the Nazis. Setting the tale in Nazi Germany creates an atmosphere of fear and anxiety, and establishes a set of circumstances in which it is possible for people to act in ways that would be unacceptable under other circumstances. The stepmother is a good example of this. She is the force in the family – it is she who decides that everyone in the family will have a better chance of survival, if they split up – the children going off alone together and the parents going in another direction. Unlike the portrayal of the stepmother in the Grimm fairy tale, this stepmother is not wicked. She is strong willed and determined, but not evil, although she is protecting herself and her husband by abandoning the children. Using the stepmother as the villain is common in fairy tales, according to Stone in her article â€Å"Things Walt Disney Didn’t Tell Us.† She suggests that the woman of the family is nearly always chosen for the part of the villain. But in Murphy’s story, the stepmother’s actions, while they may appear villainous at the outset, may be construed as heroic in the end, because she only abandons the children in order to save them. She also cares deeply about the children’s welfare, enough that she loses her life as a result of attempting to find them. In this instance, Murphy is reminding us that the horrors of the time were so great th... ...s not asked to use logic and hence the emotional impact of the story is more direct and perhaps more potent. This book left me with a deeper sense of the horrors experienced by the Polish people, especially the Jews and the gypsies, at the hands of the Germans, while illustrating the combination of hope and incredible resilience that kept them going. Works Cited Murphy, Louise, (2013). The Real Story of Hansel and Gretel. Penguin Books. Stone, Kay (1975). Things Walt Disney Never Told Us. The Journal of American Folklore, Vol 88, No 347, Women and Folklore pp42-50, University of Illinois Press. Hansjorg, Hohr, (2000). Dynamic Aspects of Fairy Tales: social and emotional competence through fairy tales. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, Vol 44, No 1, Department of Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Beauvoir Mansion

The Beauvoir Mansion is located on the Gulf of Mexico in Harrison County, Mississippi between Biloxi and Gulfport. Originally the property consisted of six hundred acres and was the private property of Sarah Anne Ellis Dorsey, a woman who had known Jefferson Davis, the first and only President of the Confederate States of America throughout her life. She also was a classmate of Varinna Davis, Jefferson Davis' wife (Allen xx, 521).Dorsey originally rented the property to Davis so he would have a place to write his memoirs The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government published in 1881 and A Short History of the Confederate States of America shortly before his death. Dorsey later sold Beauvoir to him and also named him as her sole heir, in effect, giving him the property. It was the last residence of Jefferson Davis until his death in 1789 and as the home for his wife for some years after his death (Tinling 187).The Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans bought the property in 1902 and converted it to the Jefferson Davis Memorial for Confederate Soldiers and Sailors (Rosenburg 194). Beauvoir served in this capacity until the mid-1950s when it was recast as the Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library. Pratt and Pratt describe it as â€Å"a state shrine filled with memorabilia of his life and times (145). The Beauvoir Mansion is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. According to the Registry for a site to be listed it should meet one of the following criteria.The site must be associated with events that have made a â€Å"significant† impact on patterns of history,† be associated with a person who are significant to the United States' past, embody a characteristic type of construction, be representative of a building master or have high artistic value, or have contributed or is likely to yield significant historical information (National Registry). Clearly Beauvoir Mansion qualifies because of its association wit h Jefferson Davis, Confederate Veterans of the Civil War and is representative of construction in the South circa in 1852 (Pratt and Pratt 145; Beauvoir).As the Presidential Library of Davis it contains many of his papers as well as large collection of Civil War equipment and memorabilia. In addition, there is a Confederate Cemetery on the site where many Civil War veterans are buried. What is interesting about the Beauvoir Mansion is the wide variety of people it appeals to. Naturally it appeals to admirers, and detractors for that matter of Jefferson Davis and his important role in the Civil War. United States History students, scholars and professional historian as well.The Presidential Library provides resources to those working in this area of United States History. However it is not just history buffs that are interested in Beauvoir Mansion. The site holds a prominent place among those people interested in American Architecture and building construction. Chief among the weakne sses of Beauvoir Mansion is the vulnerability of the location in respect to the violent weather associated with hurricanes and tropical storms that are not uncommon in the area. Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged Beauvoir Mansion in 2005.Devereaux provides detailed information about the damage that includes damage to the Davis house and to the Presidential Library. The Hayes Cottage and the pavilion that served as a hospital for Confederate Veterans were completely destroyed as were the chapel, museum and gift shop. Fortunately much of the damage can be repaired. A four million dollar restoration is already underway with an expected reopening date in 2008. Beauvoir Mansion is an interesting historical and architectural site. It provides firsthand information about the Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy.This is a valuable perspective that is not normally available to the general public who study the Civil War in schools that features the Union worldview. This view of the Civil War is obviously slanted in favor of the Northern States. The old saw about the winning side writing history is often true. Consequently, the people who lived in the Confederacy are largely forgotten and their leaders ignored because the South lost. It is important to remember that there were two points of view about the Civil War.Both positions had merit and defects. It is important to understand the insights both sides experienced in any historical event. The Beauvoir Mansion provides a great opportunity for Americans to learn from the past. When the repairs are completed and the Beauvoir Mansion reopens, it will be a site well worth visiting. Works Cited Allen, Felicity. Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1999. Ballard, Michael B. Civil War Mississippi: A Guide. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2000.â€Å"Beauvoir: The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library Before the Hurricane 2005. † 26 Feb. 200 7 . Cannon, Devereaux. â€Å"Beauvoir Still Stands! † 2 Sep. 2005. Vexillarium. 26 Feb. 2007 < http://vexillarium. blogspot. com/2005/09/beauvoir-still-stands. html>. â€Å"National Registry of Historic Places: Mississippi Harrison County. † National Registry of Historic Places. 26 Feb. 1999 Nofi, Albert A.A Civil War Treasury: Being a Miscellany of Arms and Artillery, Facts and Figures, Legends and Lore, Muses and Minstrels, Personalities and People. New York: Da Capo Press, 1995. Pratt, Dorothy & Pratt, Richard. A Guide to Early American Homes. New York: McGraw Hill, 1956. Rosenburg, R. B. Living Monuments: Confederate Soldiers' Homes in the New South. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 1993. Tinling, Marion. Women Remembered: A Guide to Landmarks of Woman's History in the United States. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986. Wright, John D. The Language of the Civil War. Westport, CT: Oryx Press. 2001.