Why Psychology Is Important Essay Example for Free

Why Psychology Is Important Essay Psychology is the study of the human mind and any of its functions. It also includes the behavior resulting from any changes in our environment. Psychology is very important to mankind in that it is important in understanding the world we live in. Psychology helps us and allows us to better understand the emotional and behavioral effects of our surroundings. According to Taylor (1988), many prominent researchers believe a healthy mental outlook on the world and what we perceive it to be is very important. Psychology is a mandatory course for so many programs of study because it is so widely used in occupations across the world. Using any number of research methods, a psychologist can apply research to the field of Public Relations in order to predict how a demographic will respond to certain things that occur. Not only is psychology widely used in many professions, but basic elements of psychology affect us as individuals each day. The research that psychologists glean from their subjects benefits all of us through better understanding of how our minds work. This is possible through testing of subject groups and adjusting environmental conditions. With the resulting data, psychologists can improve our lives. While most can speculate about behavior and emotion, psychologists us the scientific method to more legitimately predict describe and even explain human behavior. The simple fact that psychology contains so many sub-fields makes it unique. This allows specialized psychologist to concentrate on a more specific aspect of the human mind, such as, developmental psychology where researchers observe human mental growth from birth to death (Feldman 2009). A cross-cultural psychologist could be of help in the conflict affecting Syria. A researcher in cross-cultural psychology could shed light on how people in the region react to the violence and horror that has been occurring over the past couple of years. Through this, mankind can benefit by improving conditions to ease the locals mentally and emotionally. Through experimental psychology, researchers can get a better idea of how people see, and react to the world. This is immensely important as an improved view of the world would increase productivity and overall stress reduction. According to a rigorous survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control, in 2004, 1 in 4 people reported having a mental illness. This means that in any family of four, statistically, on person has a mental illness. Because of this statistic, psychological study is important. With psychological specialists, these people can be evaluated and treated giving them a better quality of life. Studies included in an APA press release in 2005 suggest that people are not made as happy by success as previously thought. Studies show that it is really happiness that is beginning to engender success, suggesting that employees respond well to positive feedback from their work. With this knowledge we can shape society by putting in place emotional and mental buffers in our everyday environment. Psychology is such a widely applied field of the sciences, that many students are required to take a course covering the subject. This is highly effective in making our society more prepared to both deal with everyday stresses and even become capable of making society better through psychological research. There are many fields that directly require a degree in psychology. There are seemingly more degrees that lie outside the social services field that require a grasp of psychology as well. Take, for example, Public Relations specialists. A PR agent is going to take an event that a company or organization is involved in and try to use demographic studies and delicate wording to spin the situation in a positive sounding way. Through test subject research, a psychologist can determine in what fashion to deliver a message or piece of info to the media to achieve a desired result with the public. Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, did some work in PR (HM Publishers 1986). Bernays believed that all people in PR should understand psychology. He felt that if you understand how and for what reason people did things, you could change their behavior. Also, to be a good communicator, you must understand how people behave. With the huge variety of applications, psychology is crucial to many professional fields. Psychology affects all of our lives on an individual level as well as a society. During daily life, an individual may use methods used in psychology. A leader can reward his followers for creativity. An individual can use methods to motivate oneself. One can improve communication skills by noticing non-verbal signals and using tone to reinforce a message. Through attention to personal behavior under low stress situations, a person can determine how they may react under those regular conditions. All of these are simple ideas of psychology applied to make one more productive and effective in society. This makes psychology even more crucial to how people live from day to day. The study of our minds and behavior will continue to be an integral part of everyday life as well as professional endeavors. It is important because, through research, improvements can be made in quality of life as well as productivity. Since it is so applicable to one’s life it is very important to have a greater understanding of psychology. This way, people will have a better understanding of themselves and each other. A large number of social services require experience in psychology. Just as many professions outside the social services do as well, like public relations. An insight into psychological studies may also render a greater understanding of oneself, making society stronger as a whole. It is for these reasons and more that psychological research will always be important.

David Copperfield Analysis

David Copperfield Analysis Introduction to the background, Charles Dickens and his work- David Copperfield Charles Dickens, the most popular writer of the Victorian age, was born near Portsmouth, England, in 1812 and he died in Kent in 1870. When his father was thrown into debtors prison, young Charles was taken out of school and forced to work in a shoe-polish factory, which may help explain the presence of so many abandoned and victimized children in his novels. As a young man, he worked as a reporter before starting his career as a fictional writer in 1833. In his novels, short stories and essays, Dickens combined hilarious comedy with a scathing criticism of the inhuman features of Victorian industrial society. Many of his novels Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, etc., have been made into first-rate TV and film versions. David Copperfield is the story of the narrators life from early childhood to adulthood. In it, David describes all the obstacles he had to overcome in order to acquire peace of mind and economic stability. Review of the literature David Copperfield Plots The story begins with the widowed Clara Copperfield awaiting the birth of her first child. She receives a surprise visit from her husbands aunt, Betsey Trotwood, who insists the child will be a girl, and should be named after her. The child is, in fact, a boy, and she leaves, greatly disappointed. The boy who is born is David Copperfield, the protagonist. His early years are happy, as he lives with his mother and her housekeeper Peggotty, but when Clara falls in love with Edward Murdstone, Davids life takes a turn for the worse. When David is sent off with Peggotty to Yarmouth to spend a few weeks with her brother, he meets Emily, his first love, and her cousin Ham, both of whom are under Mr. Peggottys care. When he returns, he finds that his mother has married Murdstone. Murdstone is a harsh, cruel man who beats David and browbeats Clara into submission with the help of his sister Jane. After David resists Murdstones harsh treatment, he is sent off to Salem House, a miserable school under the oversight of Mr. Creakle, a brutal and incompetent master. There he meets Steerforth and Traddles the first a hero to the youthful David, though completely unworthy of his admiration, and the second a kindly and cheerful boy who will become a lifelong friend. After a semester at Salem House, David receives word that his mother and her newborn son had died, and he returns home. It is obvious that the Murdstones want nothing to do with him. Peggotty is fired as housekeeper, and she marries the coach-driver Barkis and moves back to Yarmouth. David, meanwhile, is sent to work in a factory in London at the age of ten. He hates his job and feels that the men and boys around him are beneath him, though he gains some consolation from the Micawber family, with whom he lodges. Micawber is an incompetent optimist, totally incapable of handling money, but constantly certain that something will turn up. When the Micawbers leave London, David runs away from the factory and walks across the country to Dover, seeking shelter from his eccentric great aunt Betsey Trotwood. She takes him in and adopts him, refusing the claim that the Murdstones stake to him, and he lives happily with her and her feeble-minded friend Mr. Dick. She then sends him to Canterbury to the school of Dr. Strong, a capable and kindly instructor. While in Canterbury, he lodges with Mr. Wickfield, who is Betseys lawyer, and meets his daughter Agnes, who becomes his dearest friend. He also encounters Wickfields clerk, the simpering and hypocritical Uriah Heep, who h ides behind a mask of humility. Potential trouble looms on the horizon as we observe that Wickfield drinks too much, and that Dr. Strongs very young wife Annie may be too fond of her cousin Jack Maldon. When David completes school, he again encounters Steerforth. The two of them visit Yarmouth, where David introduces Steerforth to his friends the Peggottys. By this time, Ham and Emily are engaged, but Steerforth notices the lovely Emily. He acts in a friendly manner toward the Peggottys and becomes popular among the townsfolk, but inwardly despises them as his inferiors. When David returns to London, he pursues a career as a law clerk, and becomes reacquainted with his old friend Traddles, who is now studying to become a lawyer. David accepts employment a Spenlow and Jorkins, and soon falls in love with Spenlows daughter, the lovely but weak Dora. He courts her secretly, but when he declares his intentions, Spenlow denies his permission. Shortly thereafter, Spenlow dies and Dora is given into the care of her elderly maiden aunts. Meanwhile, David hears that Barkis is dying and returns to Yarmouth. While he is there, Barkis dies, but the greater tragedy is that Emily, despite being engaged to Ham, has run away with Steerforth to become a lady. Daniel Peggotty vows to spend the rest of his life, if necessary, to find her. When David calls on Mrs. Steerforth, she insists that she will never allow her son to marry Emily, and will disown him if he tries. To her way of thinking, the whole thing is Emilys fault for seeking to rise above her status in societ y. Her companion, Rosa Dartle, who has long been in love with Steerforth, flies into a jealous rage. David, no longer able to work at Spenlow and Jorkins, takes a job as secretary to Dr. Strong, while Micawber has become a clerk at Wickfield and Heep (Uriah has insinuated himself into the business by blackmailing Wickfield, and has been named a partner). David soon marries Dora. Though they love each other dearly, it soon becomes obvious that she is totally helpless as a homemaker, and is intellectually unsuited to her husband. David, meanwhile, becomes a newspaper reporter, writing about the debates in Parliament, and ultimately a famous novelist. Meanwhile, Steerforth has cast Emily aside and tried to give her to his manservant Littimer. Emily runs away and finds her way to London, where she encounters Martha Endell, a fallen woman whom she had helped many years before. Martha tips off David and Mr. Peggotty, and Emily is reunited with her foster father, who plans to take her to Australia, where her shame is unknown. With the help of Micawber, Traddles, Betsey, Mr. Dick, and David, Uriahs perfidy is exposed and his attempt to marry Agnes is prevented. In gratitude, Betsey offers to finance a trip to Australia for the Micawbers, who decide to emigrate along with Daniel Peggotty, Emily, Daniels boarder Mrs. Gummidge, and Martha Endell. Betsey also regains her home in Dover, which was thought to have been lost through the machinations of Heep. Ultimately, both Heep and Littimer wind up in jail because of fraud and theft, respectively. Following a miscarriage, Dora dies. Meanwhile, Ham is killed in a terrible storm off the Yarmouth shore; ironically, the man he dies trying to save is Steerforth, who is also killed. Peggotty, now left alone, becomes the housekeeper for Betsey, while David travels abroad for three years to assuage his grief. When he returns, he inquires about Agnes, and his aunt leads him to believe she has an attachment. David is convinced that he has ruined any chance he had of gaining Agnes love by treating her like a sister for all these years and seeking her advice when courting the objects of his many romantic attachments. When questioning Agnes about herattachment, it soon becomes obvious that he is the object of it. The two profess their love and soon marry, living happily ever after. main characters David Copperfield The protagonist of the novel, Davids father dies before his birth, and his mother follows when he is still quite young. He is treated badly by his stepfather Mr. Murdstone and her sister. They send him to work in a factory at the age of ten. He later runs away to live with his great-aunt, from whence he goes to school, becomes a law clerk, then a court reporter, and finally a famous novelist. Among the many loves of his life, he marries Dora Spenlow, who dies a few years later, then Agnes Wickfield. Clara Copperfield Davids mother, a kind but weak-willed woman who is dominated by her second husband and dies shortly after the birth of her second child. Clara Peggotty The Copperfields housekeeper, she is unfailingly kind and loyal to David. She marries Barkis, lives for a while in Yarmouth, and later becomes Betsey Trotwoods housekeeper after Barkis dies. Edward Murdstone Clara Copperfields second husband, he is cruel and harsh to both David and his mother. He beats David after he resists his harsh treatment, sends him off to a pitiful school, then makes him work in a factory. Jane Murdstone Edwards sister, she assists her brother in completely breaking the will of Clara Copperfield. She later becomes the hired companion of Dora Spenlow. Mr. Barkis A kind cart-driver who transports David on many of his childhood journeys, he uses David to communicate his marriage proposal to Peggotty, who finally accepts him. Daniel Peggotty Peggottys brother, he is fisherman in Yarmouth. He is a widower who adopts his niece Emily and his nephew Ham after their parents die, and takes Mrs. Gummidge, a widow, into his home. He gives up everything to search for Emily after she goes astray, and, after he finds her, immigrates to Australia with her and Mrs. Gummidge. Emily Peggotty Little Emily, a beautiful young girl, is Davids first love. Because of her desire to rise above her station in life and become a lady, she runs off with Steerforth instead of going through with her planned marriage to her cousin Ham. After years of disgrace living abroad, she returns to London, where her uncle finds her and takes her off to Australia. Ham Peggotty Daniels nephew and Emilys cousin, he is a fine, simple young man who wants nothing more than to marry Emily and live the life of the sea. When Emily runs off with Steerforth, he recklessly throws himself into every rescue party that is required at Yarmouth, and finally dies in a horrendous storm. Ironically, the man he swims out to save is Steerforth, who also dies in the tempest. Martha Endell A young Yarmouth woman who has fallen into immorality, she is treated kindly by Emily, and plays a key role in helping Daniel to find Emily after her own fall. She, too, emigrates to Australia, where she later marries. themes David Copperfield, probably because it is partly autobiographical, was Dickens own favorite among his novels. Whereas he usually concentrates on a specific social problem, which becomes his main theme, here the theme is personal. In David Copperfield he attempted to come to terms with the trials and humiliations of his childhood and youth, writing as a man who had overcome his humble beginnings and become the most successful novelist of his time. Davids life does not directly reflect Dickens life, but important incidents that had left a lasting impression on him are reproduced with little alteration. Dickens was taken from school at the age of 12 when his father was committed to the debtors prison, and put to work in a relatives factory, like David (p.20). Shortly afterwards, when his father received a legacy that set him free, this also allowed the boy to resume his education. Dickens pictures his father in David Copperfield as the eternally optimistic, improvident Mr. Micawber, but he told his biographer, Forster, that he had never forgotten the humiliation of working in the factory, or forgiven his mother, who thought he should go on working. In the novel, the angelic mother of Davids early childhood is replaced by the harsh, cold Miss Murdstone. The second main theme of the novel is that goodness has nothing to do with social position, and social position is too often equated with wealth. Here again, Dickens personal experience was relevant. As a poor young shorthand writer, he had fallen in love with the daughter of a banker, whose father sent her abroad to keep her out of Dickens way, as Mr Spenlow plans to do with Dora. Spenlows attitude towards David changes when Davids aunt loses her money. When he says I thought you were a gentleman he implies that being a gentleman is a matter of money, not of being a gentle man, as David is. This tendency to equate money and social position with virtue corrupts characters judgment and behaviors. The proud rich boy, Steerforth, could have been a good man but has been spoilt by an indulgent mother. Consequently, he looks down on poor fishermen, ignoring their human qualities, and takes advantage of Emily (ruins her in the language of the time) but will not marry her. In contrast, Ham, the humble fisherman who loved Emily, dies trying to save him. At the other end of the social scale, envy of others social position leads Uriah Heep, who always emphasizes that he is humble, to cheat Mr Wickfield and dream of marrying Agnes. David himself is not corrupted. From the beginning, he judges everyone on their merits, refusing to accept that people are inferior because they are poor. 3. Definition a semi-biographical novel A semi-autobiographical novel is loosely based on the experiences of the authors own life. A semi-autobiographical novel may be written to protect the privacy of the authors family, friends, and loved ones; to achieve emotional distance from the subject; or for artistic reasons, such as simplification of plot lines, themes, and other details. Charles Dickens and David Copperfield A lot of critics think of David Copperfield as Dickenss autobiographical novel. To read David Copperfield is to understand Dickens, which will further deepen the understanding of Dickenss other works. David Copperfield is regarded by many as the authors masterpiece. Dickens began to write David Copperfield in l849. David Copperfield was thus produced under such constructed and well planned writing, which, added special dramatic affect to the stories. Autobiographical elements in David Copperfield include Dickens experience working in a factory as a child, reflections on his fathers influence in his life (Micawber is largely based on Dickens father), his work as a newspaper reporter writing on the debates in Parliament, his development as a novelist (the book is written in the first person by a writer looking back on his formative years), and his experiences in matters of the heart. Near the end of his career, Dickens admitted that, of all the children he had produced, he loved David Copperfield the most. 4.1 similar life experiences between David and Dickens David Copperfield is presented more formally as a semi-autobiography, beginning with the protagonists birth. Like Dickens, David was born on a Friday, Because of illness. Little Dickens could not take part in boys game. He liked to read books while other boys were playing outside ¼Ã… ½Dickens always read books in his fathers library ¼Ã… ½In his novel, 1ittle David also liked to read books in Davids fathers library. Dickens worked as a child labor pasting labels onto bottles. David had the same experience after his mother was dead. In Dickenss career, he had to be first a law clerk, then a reporter and finally a successful novelist. In the book of David Copperfield David had carried the same career, even the same order. Davids complex character allows for contradiction and development over the course of the novel ¼Ã… ½David also displays great tenderness, as in the moment he realize his love for Agnes for the first time. David, especially, as a young man in love, could be foolis h and romantic. This is very same to Dickens himself. As he grew up, he developed a more mature point of view and searched for a love who will challenge him and help his grow ¼Ã… ½David fully matured as an adult when he expressed the sentiment that he valued Agness calm tranquility over all else in his life. Any sense of self-importance is immediately deflated however by the digressively self-deprecating humor of the opening (which recalls Tristram Shandy at times) and by the narrators desire for his life to speak for itself (which recalls chapter one of Roderick Random). Throughout this novel we sense Dickenss delight in experimenting with what was for him a new narrative method, and in the opening chapter he demonstrates that working within established literary conventions he can produce a more effective mingling of humor and pathos than any of his predecessors. The first touch of pathos is when David shifting briefly forward in time recalls the indefinable compassion he felt for his fathers grave in the churchyard when our little parlor was warm and bright with fire and candle, and the doors of our house were almost cruelly, it seemed to me sometimes bolted and locked against it. This is typical of the novel in that the narrator recalls the ingenuousness of his younger self with a gentle irony that only serves to highlight the sensitivity of the child. In chapter two this effect is reinforced by the often startling immediacy of the present tense (also adopted in four subsequent retrospective chapters). Here Dickens reveals the radical otherness of the childs perception of the world (in the added alertness of certain senses and different awareness of the emotional and physical proportions of things); the anxieties that accompany that perspective (David is even afraid that Mr Chillip must feel unhappy about a church tablet saying that physicians were in vain, and the underlying buoyancy of youth that reduces the duration of any painful thoughts (almost Immediately afterwards he thinks what a good place the pulpit would be to play in). Dickens is particularly subtle in his mingling and contrasting of the points of view of the youthful protagonist and mature narrator. 4.2 Similar flirtatious disposition between David Copperfield and Charles Dickens 4.2.1 David Copperfields Flirtatious Disposition David Copperfield, articled to the proctors office of Spenlow and Jorkins in London, fell in love with Mr. Francis Spenlows only daughter Dora at first sight, and got engaged to her. He wrote to Agnes, the lawyer Mr. Wickfields only daughter and Davids adopted sister in Canterbury (Ch. 39), informing her that Dora was such a darling and was very blest; but he, while writing so, remembered Agness clear calm eyes and gentle face (Ch. 34). He, it may be considered, is neither devoted to Dora nor single-minded in his affections. When David suddenly learned that that his great-aunt Miss Betsy Trotwood, who was his guardian, was ruined, he told Dora that he was a beggar, asking her if her heart was still his. Oh, yes, its all yours, cried Dora, though in a childish way (Ch. 37). She, it could be said, was simple-hearted, generous and gentle. Mr. Spenlow, when told by David of his engagement with Dora, would never accept it; but he was to die soon. David visited Agnes and told her of his troubles, kissing her hand, which she had given him looking up with such a Heavenly face! After discussing their worries, David said, Much more than sister! and Agnes parted by the name of Brother (Ch. 39). David and Agnes, it could be considered, trust each other affectionately. How would Dora feel, we wonder, if she looked on this sight? Dora, introduced by David to Agnes, found her too clever and was afraid of her. She asked David, what relation is Agnes to you? No blood-relation, but we were brought up together, like brother and sister, replied he. Dora said, I wonder why you ever fell in love with me? (Ch. 42). Dora, surely, did know of his flirtatious disposition and she could have left him forever, but she did not. As for David, he himself chose and married Dora, who was a Fairy, a Sylph (Ch. 26), not Agnes, who had a very placid and sweet expression and was her widower fathers little housekeeper (Ch. 15). Soon David often quarreled with Dora over trifles. He said, Dora, my darling! No, I am not your darling. Because you must be sorry that you married me, or else you wouldnt reason with me! returned she. Dora, it is clear, was seeing a shadow of Agnes behind him. However, after such altercations, Dora reflectively told him she would be a wonderful housekeeper, polishing the tablets, pointing the pencil, buying an immense account-book, etc., though the figures would not add up. Now David was beginning to be known as a writer, and his child-wife, as she asked him to call her, was trying to be good (Ch. 44). It might be considered that at this moment David should have said, Dora, my darling, I love you cordially and am very happy; even if you are not good at housekeeping and figures, you should not mind it at all because you are earnestly endeavoring to be good; as you know, I too am a boyish husband as to years (Ch. 44). David, without saying such things, tried to form Doras mind, but in vain, remembering the contented days with Agnes (Ch. 48), he even considered that his own heart was undisciplined when it first loved Dora, and that there could be no disparity in marriage, like unsuitability of mind and purpose. His own heart, it can be suspec ted, was even now undisciplined because he would have been attracted by Agness clear calm eyes and gentle face more than by Doras efforts to be good; he can be regarded as flirtatious, not as devoted. Such being the case, he was much happier in the second year, the year that Dora fell ill (Ch. 48). She, with nothing left to wish for, wanted very much to see Agnes, not her two spinster aunts, adding that she always was a silly little thing and too young not merely in years but in experience, and thoughts, and everything, and that she had begun to think herself not fit to be a wife to her very clever husband. She died leaving Agnes a last charge that only Agnes would occupy this vacant place (Chs. 53 and 62). Was Dora silly or not fit to be a wife? By no means! Though she might have been childish and poor at housekeeping and figures, she was blessed with many respectable and lovable virtues; for example, she did not abandon David as a beggar, nor desert him despite her fathers will and Davids suspicious relationship with Agnes. She tried earnestly to be a good wife, accepted Agnes and Davids cleverness without defying them, looked down humbly on herself as silly and immature, and left her husband with Agnes foreseeing her death. How serious, benign, gentle and sympathetic! On the other hand, David, even though very clever, was obviously flirtatious, intolerant, and cold-hearted. He should not have introduced Dora to Agnes; far from it he should have broken off his relation with Agnes in choosing Dora, should have expressed his gratitude to her for her not abandoning him and for her trying to be good, should have been generous to her faults as Dora had been to his. He should have known tha t he had much of the responsibility for her feelings of insecurity when she said, I was too young and you are very clever and I never was (Ch. 53). After Doras death, David set out to travel to Europe, and mourned for [his] child-wife, taken from her blooming world, so young. He tried to be a better man, thinking that he might possibly hope to cancel the mistaken past, and to be so blessed as to marry Agnes (Ch. 58). Whether or not he marries her, it can be said, depends on him, but he would have to humble himself and repent, not merely cancel, the mistaken past or his flirtatious mind. He returned home after three years, and confided to Agnes, I went away, dear Agnes, loving you. I stayed away, loving you. I returned home, loving you. How inconsistent! He had said that he mourned for Dora when going away! As for Agnes, she replied, I have loved you all my life (Ch. 62). How would Dora feel if she lived to hear the conversation? Dora, it may be considered, should have left David when she first met Agnes; it might have been because of Agness covert love for him that Dora was afraid of her! Within a fortnight David married Agnes, after which she confided to him Doras last request and last charge as mentioned above, and they wept together but they would not imagine with what feelings Dora had died; also, David did not utter any words of remorse and repentance for having been unable to make Dora happy (Ch. 62). Ten years after the marriage, they had three children, and David had high income and renown as an eminent author. At this happy home, Dora was not talked of at a ll (Ch. 63). It can be concluded that David was a man of a flirtatious disposition for which reason he lacked complete devotion to Dora. As will be discussed, that very disposition was also Dickenss at that time. 4.2.2 Dickenss Flirtatious Disposition Dickens had been looked upon as a very Joseph in all that regards morality, chastity, and decorum as Reynoldss Weekly News wrote on 13 June 1858 (Letters 8: 745n.). He had been accepted as such a man publicly but was rather flirtatious-minded in his private life; in this section it will be revealed how flirtatious Dickens was. Dickens was a serious Christian-minded man, but naturally he was a man in the sense that there is no man that sinneth not (1 Kings 8: 46; 2 Chron. 6: 36; see also John 8: 37, etc.). He was rather flirtatious; as he said, not so long after his marriage, to his wife Catherine, if either of [us] fell in love with anybody else, [we] were to tell one another (Storey 96), and he did show an archly flirtatious attitude towards congenial girls and women of his acquaintance (Slater, D W 122). Six of the girls and women are taken up below. First, there was Mrs. David Colden, daughter of a banker of New York, wife of a lawyer and philanthropist of New York, and fourteen years Dickenss senior, with whom Dickens became acquainted during his first visit to America in 1842. Dickens was deeply in love with her, and wrote a love-letter to her (Slater, D W 122; Letters 3: 30n., 160, and also 242 and n, 219-20). Second, there was Eleanor Emma Picken, a lithographer and a winner of the Societyof Arts silver Isis medal in 1837, by whom Dickens was attracted. He flirted with her on the pier at Broadstairs on an evening in September 1841: Dickens seemed suddenly to be possessed with the demon of mischief; he threw his arm around me and ran me down the inclined plane to the end of the jetty till we reached the tall post. He put his other arm around this, and exclaimed in theatrical tones that he intended to hold me there till the sad sea waves should submerge usà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.I implored him to let me go, and struggled hard to release myself. (Slater, D W 115) Third, there was Christiana Jane Weller, a beautiful eighteen-year-old concert pianist in Liverpool, for whom Dickens conceived an incredible feeling in 1844 (Slater, D W 88-89; Letters 4: 53n., 55, etc.). Fourth, there was Madame Emile de la Rue, wife of a Swiss banker, resident in Genoa, whose nervous disorder Dickens began to treat with his mesmerism from 23December 1844 with so much fascination as to make Catherine very unhappy. This continued for a period of years afterwards (Schlicke 375; Letters 4: 243 and n, 534n.; Letters 5: 11n.; Letters 7: 224 and n). Fifth, there was Miss Anne Romer, actress and singer. Dickens performed with her, on 20 July 1848, the farce of Used Up, in which Dickens played the bored hero Sir Charles Coldstream, and she played his lover Mary. In Act II, Sir Charles, who is in distress, asks her to say, you love me. She replies, Love you! Then he seizes her in his arms, and kisses her; they marry at the plays end (Thomson 46-49; Letters 5: 362n.). Two days after the play, Dickens wrote a letter to Mrs. Cowden Clarke, member of his Amateur Theatricals: I have no energy whateverI am very miserable. I loathe domestic hearths. I yearn to be a Vagabond (i.e. as Coldstream, disguised as a ploughboy, is called by Farmer Wurzel in Act II). Why cant I marry Mary! [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] I am deeply miserable A real house like this, is insupportable after that canvass farm wherein I was so happy (i.e. Wurzels farm). What is a humdrum dinner at half past five, with nobody (but John [i.e. CDs servant John Thompson]) to see me eat it, compared with that soup [i.e. the pea-soup that Coldstream is given by Mary in Act II], and the hundreds of pairs of eyes that watched its disappearance! (Letters 5: 374 and n; emphases added) In this quotation there can be read not only Dickenss flirtatious mind but also his loathing for domesticity. In the letter of 13 January 1849 quoted below, he even shows his dislike for Catherine: My Dear Mrs. Clarke. I am afraid that Young Gas [i.e. Dickenss name as manager of the Amateur Theatricals Company in 1848] is forever dimmed, and that the breath of calumny will blow henceforth on his stage management, by reason of his enormous delay in returning you the two pounds non forwarded by Mrs. G. [i.e. Catherine]. The proposed deduction on account of which you sent it, was never made. But had you seen him in Used up, His eye so beaming and so clear, When on his stool he sat to sup, The oxtaillittle Romer near c c you would have forgotten and forgiven all. (Letters 5: 476 and n; emphases added) Sixth, there was Miss Mary Boyle, daughter of Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Courtenay Boyle, second son of the 7th Earl of Cork and Orrery; she was a distant cousin of Mrs. Watsons and a miscellaneous writer and renowned amateur actress, whom Dickens first met at the Watsons Rockingham Castle on 27 November 1849. On the 29th he and Boyle played, as part of the house-party entertainments in the Hall, Sir Peter Teazle and Lady Teazle from Sheridans The School for Scandal, and also acted, from chapter 41 of Nicholas Nickleby, some scenes of the mad neighbours [i.e. Dickenss] throwing a shower of vegetables to Mrs. Nickleby [i.e. Boyle] to display his affection (Letters 5: 662 and n; Boyle 231-32; Ackroyd 606). On November 30 Dickens wrote a letter to Mrs. Watson: Plunged in the deepest gloom, I write these few words to let you know that, just now, when the bell was striking ten, I drank to H.E.R. [i.e., Mary Boyle]! adding a picture of a heart shot through by Cupids arrow (Letters 5: 663). Three days later he sent to Miss Mary Boyle a parody by him of Grays Elegy in a Country Churchyard, inspired by Mary Boyles graces in the Rockingham Castle Amateur Theatricals (Letters 5: 665 and n, 708-09), part of which is as follows: No more the host, as if he dealt at cards, Smiling deals lighted candles all about: No more the Fair (inclusive of the Bards) Persist in blowing all the candles out. ______ No more the Fair prolong the cheerful tread Of dancing feet until the lights low burn: No more the host, when they are gone to bed, Quickly retreats, foreboding their return. (Letters 5: 708) Mary Boyle joined in his theatricals on 15 January 1851 at Rockingham Castle, where she acted Mary, the lover of Sir Charles Coldstream, again played by Dickens in Used Up (Letters 6: 163n., 225 and n, 261n.; Slater, D W 404). Dickens wrote a joking, flirtatious letter, based on the play in which he disguised himself as a ploughman, to her on 25 December 1852: My own darling Mary. [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] you ant no cause to be jealous for all that I am certain beforehand as I shall a Door her O Mary when you come to read the last chapter of the next number of Bleak House I think my ever dear as you will say as him what we knows on as done a pretty womanly thing as the sex will like and as will make a sweet pin

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) for Global Warming

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) for Global Warming Josh Chaplin â€Å"Can the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) be used as an analogue for anthropogenically-induced global warming?† The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a global climatic occurrence in the early Paleogene period, spanning across the Paleocene and Eocene epoch overlap at 55.8 Ma (Gradstein et al 2004). Although the exact start and end points of the PETM are disputed, drilling in the North Sea and the Southern Ocean’s Weddell Sea has allowed an accurate duration of the phenomenon to be calculated to around 170,000 years. There is, though, much controversy over these figures and the mechanisms that caused such a climatic anomaly, but particularities aside, this geologically recent warming cycle may be of much use when it comes to understanding our changing climate today. A proposed cause of the PETM thermal anomaly is the release of 1,500 Gt of methane and carbon from decomposing gas-hydrate reservoirs in the terrestrial biosphere, initiated as part of a sequence of events leading on from mass volcanism associated with the opening of the North Atlantic (Winguth 2011). The resulting rise in temperature of around average 5.6 °C, and up to 9 °C is comparable to extrapolations which predict the temperature shift by the end of the current century (Rà ¶hl 2000). Sluijs (2007) explains how the climatological evidence for this comes from Oxygen isotope excursions in foraminifera and terrestrial carbonates, increased levels of Magnesium and Calcium in foraminifera and the poleward migrations of tropical plankton, mammals and terrestrial plants. On the other hand, the inception of the modern warming period was human-induced, and carbon was released from traps much faster than it would have been during the PETM, and has thus accumulated in the atmosphere a t a higher concentration in a shorter space of time. The PETM did not surpass a so-called ‘tipping point’ whereby the effects of the warming would be irreversible, whereas the exteremely rapid release of carbon over the course of the past three centuries may have catalysed such a scenario. As a result, it is a reasonable assumption that it may be possible to rely on the PETM as an analogue for modern anthropogenic climate change, due to the analogous effects and root cause, however it must be remembered that the speed of the onset may very well render these expectations void. There are a number of close similarities between modern and past warming periods which vouch for the validity of using their analyses as an analogue for what is happening at present, and what will be still to come. For example, anthropogenically-induced warming and the natural warming of the PETM both were the consequence of excess carbon in the atmosphere. In addition, the scale of temperature rise during the PETM is consistent with predictions for the end of the current century, at around 6 °C (Rà ¶hl et al 2000). Applying the principle of uniformitarianism, the climatic reconstruction of the conditions throughout the PETM can be useful in aiding us to understand what is happening and the effects we can expect. As the globe warms up, consequences occur such as the thermal expansion of the oceans and the release of terrestrial carbon which also have knock-on corollaries as is seen today (Hayward 2011); this is shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, due to the geologically relative recen t occurrence of the event, it is more reliable to construct climatological models and replicate what the potential consequences of the warming may be. This is another advantage in using what we know of the PETM as an analogue for what is happening to the planet at present. Modern Global Warming is, however, remarkably different from the rise in temperature associated with the PETM. Whilst the rise of the temperature today is comparable to the Late Paleocene at around 6 °C (Rà ¶hl et al 2000), the onset of this thermal spike occurred naturally and at equilibrium climatic state. The industrial revolution and the resulting vast amounts of coal, oil and gas which have ended up in the atmosphere as CO2 since the early 1800s have bought about the temperature shift in a very small fraction of the time than it did during the Paleogene. Figure 2 puts this into perspective. The anthropological extraction of carbon reservoirs has depleted their stratigraphic storage much quicker than would be the case naturally through uplift and erosion. â€Å"PETM: Global warming, naturally† (2012) states around 5109 tons of Carbon was released into the atmosphere each year during the PETM, whereas the figure for 2010 alone is 35109 tons. Such rapid accumulation of ca rbon in the atmosphere has never been reconstructed within the last 20 million years, and current atmospheric concentrations of CO2 are higher than at any point within the last 800,000 years (Hayward 2011). With reference to Figure 1, the knock-on consequences of each occurrence within a warming cycle are numerous, and the simultaneous onset of several of these is largely uncharted territory. A tipping point could theoretically be reached whereby global temperatures spiral out of control because of this, and drawing from the reversal of snowball earth periods, such an extreme planetary climate could take many millions of years to return to optimal conditions, if ever again. When considering the centuries that are required to transport all heat to the deep ocean and the millennia needed to remove excess carbon from the atmosphere, the consequences of climate change will still be materialising for generations and will likely last for longer than the 170,000 years it took the earth to remove all excess CO2 from the atmosphere. By 2300 sea levels are expected to be up to 0.8m higher than 1980 levels, many more species will be extinct and the poles will have considerably smaller ice sheets if still in existence, and one can only assume the repercussions will be more severe than the altered migration patterns and dinoflagellate calcite levels of the PETM. In conclusion, the PETM can be considered as an analogous representation of the warming of the globe. In the case of anthropogenic climate change however, the rate of carbon accumulation simply means that the potential consequences of the climatic shift are too unpredictable in years to come. Using the PETM as an analogous model for the current period of warming may suffice for the present, but future outcomes are uncertain as atmospheric carbon continues to accrue at an alarming rate. References: Gradstein et al (2004) – â€Å"A geological timescale† Hayward, A. et al (2011) – â€Å"Are there Pre-Quaternary Analogues for a future Greenhouse Warming?† 933-941 â€Å"PETM: Global Warming, Naturally† (2012) – Found at http://www.wunderground.com/climate/PETM.asp?MR=1 Rà ¶hl, U. et al (2000) – Geology Issue 28 – â€Å"New chronology for the late Paleocene thermal maximum and its environmental implications† 927-930 Sluijs et al (2007) – â€Å"The Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum super greenhouse: biotic and geochemical signatures, age models and mechanisms of global change† 333-338 Winguth, A. (2011) – â€Å"The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum: Feedbacks between Climate Change and Biogeochemical Cycles† 43-45

Frontline :: essays research papers

â€Å"Frontline† exposure of current affairs programs makes a mockery of journalistic integrity. Through humorous portrayals of important issues, and clever imitation â€Å"Frontline† makes veiwers aware of ridicule towards journalistic integrity. While current affairs programs are based on real life stories, which are enhanced to ‘make good news’, Frontline is based on the making of these stories. Frontlines purpose is to inform the audience of the life behind a current affair program but more importantly its main focus is on entertaining the audience. This is achieved in many ways, primarily by bending real life situations out of contempt to journalists uprightness. Current affair programs do not take stories as they are and simply present them with the facts, they are sensationalised and enhanced to bring more entertainment value to them, however this is not widely known throughout the general public. Furthermore it’s exactly what Frontline did with â€Å"The Siege† and â€Å"Dessert Angel† when it complemented certain factors of the story to make them sound more entertaining than the boring facts. By ‘enhancing’ the facts and manipulating the truth it made the stories more presentable to the audience as a form of entertainment and mockery in regards to journalists. This was spoken about in the â€Å"Dessert Angel† episode when Marty shows Stu how anyone can be turned into ‘good media fodder’ Frontline is aimed at being a comedy program and therefore has a main purpose of comedy and entertainment rather than informing. Most nightly current affair programs struggle to get articles for each night. Most with three or four articles a night have a very tight and limited time schedule to prepare each night. Therefore with such a limited time they are unable to really concentrate on the serious analysis of some current affairs programs. ‘Frontline’ exaggerates and exposes this concept in the episode ‘Desert Angel’, where ‘Frontlines’ integrity is taunted as it secures an exclusive with Australian aid worker Jessica Steckle, whom a week before was given a funeral by the team at Frontline with Mike providing the eulogy. The issue is made humorous with the bidding war scene directly following Mike’s adamant speech that the team at ‘Frontline’ do have ethics and integrity. Whilst the episode maintains its criticism of current affairs programs and journalists by indicating that ‘bidding wars’ and ‘chequebook journalism’ are ri fe though-out such programs. In ‘The Siege’, ‘Frontline’ again tackles an exceptionally topical issue, and interspersing ironic humour to signify their criticisms.

Herberts Metaphysical Poems Essay -- Herbert Metaphysical Poems Essay

Herbert's Metaphysical Poems In the first portion of The Temple, specifically Perirrhanterium, Herbert prescribes the didactics necessary for the instruction of the catechumen in a simple, straightforward manner. As the reader moves into the main section of The Church, the author’s poetic wit becomes more complex in both its style and depth of topic. Although the starkness of the messages in Herbert’s metaphysical poems is not as palpable as those of the Church Porch, their ability to teach both abstractly and visually affords them a didactic nature much like the parables of Christ. In basic parabolic structure, the speaker conveys a heavenly message through the simpler and more easily digestible use of an earthly comparison, such as the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, which compares the productivity of seeds to the growth of Christians. Christ presents a divine truth in the basic analogy of a parable, as the OED describes it: â€Å"A fictitious narrative (usually of something that might naturally occur), by which moral or spiritual relations are typically set forth, as the parables of the New Testament.† Herbert utilizes a similar strategy in his poetic comparisons, often taking the process a step further by including visual cues to aid the reader in his understanding of the message; as Bloch points out, â€Å"his larger purpose†¦was to teach like the prophets in a nondiscursive way, to present symbols that the reader could experience in all their constrictions and expansions† (206). Three examples of Herbert’s use of the parabolic structure in his metaphysical poems include â€Å"Easter Wings,† â€Å"Paradise,† and â€Å"Heaven.† The author’s mastery of the metaphysical conceit is evident in each work as he leads the re... ...s. ed. John Tobin. London: Penguin Group, 2004. 38. ---. "Heaven." George Herbert: The Complete English Poems. ed. John Tobin. London: Penguin Group, 2004. 177. ---. "Paradise." George Herbert: The Complete English Poems. ed. John Tobin. London: Penguin Group, 2004. 124. King James Bible, 1611. New York: Oxford U.P., 1996. Rickey, Mary. Utmost Art. Kentucky: U. of Kentucky P., 1966. 35-181. Singleton, Marion. God's Courtier. Cambridge: Cambridge U. P., 1987. 100-02. Stein, Arnold. George Herbert's Lyrics. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins P., 1968. 248-51 Stewart, Stanley. George Herbert. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1986. 104-6 Toliver, Harold. George Herbert's Christian Narrative. University Park: Pennsylvania State U., 1993. 61-239. Vendler, Helen. The Poetry of George Herbert. Cambridge: Harvard U.P., 1975. 222-28.

Hydrogen Peroxide Essay

The same reaction is catalysed by the  enzyme  catalase, found in the  liver, whose main function in the body is the removal of toxic byproducts ofmetabolism  and the reduction of  oxidative stress. The decomposition occurs more rapidly in  alkali, so  acid  is often added as a stabilizer. The liberation of oxygen and energy in the decomposition has dangerous side-effects. Spilling high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide on a flammable substance can cause an immediate fire, which is further fueled by the oxygen released by the decomposing hydrogen peroxide. High test peroxide, or HTP (also called high-strength peroxide) must be stored in a suitable, vented container to prevent the buildup of oxygen gas, which would otherwise lead to the eventual rupture of the container. In the presence of certain catalysts, such as  Fe2+  or  Ti3+, the decomposition may take a different path, with  free radicals  such as HO · (hydroxyl) and HOO · (hydroperoxyl) being formed. A combination of  H2O2  and  Fe2+  is known as  Fenton’s reagent. A common concentration for hydrogen peroxide is  20-volume, which means that, when 1 volume of hydrogen eroxide is decomposed, it produces 20 volumes of oxygen. A  20-volumeconcentration of hydrogen peroxide is equivalent to 1. 667  mol/dm3  (Molar solution) or about 6%. Redox reactions In acidic solutions,  H2O2  is one of the most powerful oxidizers known—stronger than  chlorine,  chlorine dioxide, and  potassium permanganate. Also, through catalysis,  H2O2  can be converted intohydroxyl radicals  (†¢OH), which are highly reactive. Oxidant/Reduced product| Oxidation  potential, V| Fluorine/Hydrogen fluoride| 3. 0| Ozone/Oxygen| 2. 1| Hydrogen peroxide/Water| 1. 8| Potassium permanganate/Manganese dioxide. Chlorine dioxide/HClO| 1. 5| Chlorine/Chloride| 1. 4| In aqueous solutions, hydrogen peroxide can oxidize or reduce a variety of inorganic ions. When it acts as a reducing agent,  oxygen  gas is also produced. In  acidic  solutions  Fe2+  is oxidized to  Fe3+  (hydrogen peroxide acting as an oxidizing agent), 2  Fe2+(aq) +  H2O2  + 2  H+(aq) ; 2  Fe3+(aq) + 2H2O(l) and  sulfite  (SO2? 3) is oxidized to  sulfate  (SO2? 4). However,  potassium permanganate  is reduced to  Mn2+  by acidic  H2O2. Under  alkaline  conditions, however, some of these reactions reverse; for example,  Mn2+  is oxidized to  Mn4+  (as  MnO2). Other examples of hydrogen peroxide’s action as a reducing agent are reaction with  sodium hypochlorite  or  potassium permanganate, which is a convenient method for preparing  oxygen  in the laboratory. NaOCl +  H2O2  >  O2  + NaCl +  H2O 2  KMnO4  + 3  H2O2  > 2  MnO2  + 2 KOH + 2  H2O  + 3  O2 Hydrogen peroxide is frequently used as an  oxidizing agent  in organic chemistry. One application is for the oxidation of  thioethers  to  sulfoxides. For example,  methyl phenyl sulfidecan be readily oxidized in high yield to  methyl phenyl sulfoxide: Ph? S? CH3  +  H2O2  > Ph? S(O)? CH3  +  H2O Alkaline hydrogen peroxide is used for  epoxidation  of electron-deficient alkenes such as  acrylic acids, and also for oxidation of  alkylboranes  to  alcohols, the second step of  hydroboration-oxidation. Formation of peroxide compounds Hydrogen peroxide is a weak acid, and it can form  hydroperoxide  or  peroxide  salts  or derivatives of many metals. For example, on addition to an aqueous solution of  chromic acid  (CrO3) or acidic solutions of dichromate salts, it will form an unstable blue peroxide CrO(O2)2. In aqueous solution it rapidly decomposes to form oxygen gas and chromium salts. It can also produce peroxoanions by reaction with  anions; for example, reaction with  borax  leads to  sodium perborate, a bleach used in laundry detergents: Na2B4O7  + 4  H2O2  + 2 NaOH > 2  Na2B2O4(OH)4  +  H2O H2O2  converts  carboxylic acids  (RCOOH) into peroxy acids (RCOOOH), which are themselves used as oxidizing agents. Hydrogen peroxide reacts with  acetone  to form  acetone peroxide, and it interacts with  ozone  to form  hydrogen trioxide, also known as  trioxidane. Reaction with  urea  produces  carbamide peroxide, used for whitening teeth. An acid-base adduct with  triphenylphosphine oxide  is a useful â€Å"carrier† for  H2O2  in some reactions. Alkalinity Hydrogen peroxide can still form adducts with very strong acids. The  superacid  HF/SbF5  forms unstable compounds containing the  [H3O2]+  ion. Domestic uses * Diluted  H2O2  (between 3% and 8%) is used to bleach human  hair  when mixed with  ammonium hydroxide, hence the phrase â€Å"peroxide blonde†. * It is absorbed by  skin  upon contact and creates a local skin  capillary  embolism  that appears as a temporary whitening of the skin. * It is used to whiten  bones  that are to be put on display. 3%  H2O2  is effective at treating fresh (red) blood-stains in clothing and on other items. It must be applied to clothing before blood stains can be accidentally â€Å"set† with heated water. Cold water and soap are then used to remove the peroxide treated  blood. Some horticulturalists and users of  hydroponics  advocate the use of weak hydrogen peroxide solution in watering solutions. Its spontaneous decomposition releases oxygen that enhances a plant’s root development and helps to treat  root rot  (cellular root death due to lack of oxygen) and a variety of other pests. Laboratory tests conducted by fish culturists in recent years have demonstrated that common household hydrogen peroxide can be used safely to provide oxygen for small fish. Hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen by decomposition when it is exposed to  catalysts  such as  manganese dioxide. * Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizer effective in controlling sulfide and organic-related odors in wastewater collection and treatment systems. It is typically applied to a wastewater system where there is a retention time of 30 minutes to 5 hours before hydrogen sulfide is released.

Principles of personal development in adult social care settings Essay

A duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on a carer requiring that they adhere to a good quality and standard of care. It is my duty to take care of vulnerable adults and to ensure that their needs and well-being are looked after. I exercise reasonable care with respect to individuals’ best interests, this includes protecting service users from any harm or abuse that may occur and avoiding any acts that could result in injury but it also means respecting service users and giving them choices. see more:explain how people may react and respond to receiving constructive feedback I am proficient enough to ensure that every service user is taken care of in a reasonable, responsible and respectful manner. It is my role to ensure that my duty is carried out safely and effectively working alongside my organisation’s policies and procedures ‘My organisation and I have a duty of care to ensure that the service users we care for are safe, protected from abuse by other service users, staff, carers, friends and family. I therefore work within the safeguarding policies and procedures and it is important that I receive adequate training so that I can recognise and understand signs of abuse. It is my duty to record of all relevant information when an accident or incident occurs in the workplace. It is my responsibility to report any improper conduct or suspicion that I think may contribute to abuse. Duty of care and safeguarding work together because it’s my duty of care to provide protection and safety for a vulnerable adult whilst at the same time respecting their needs and choices. The Whistleblowing policy in my workplace makes it clear to me and to staff that it is staff’s responsibility to report improper conduct that compromises service user safety whilst ensuring confidentiality and protection from abuse for service users.’ Describe dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights: It is my duty of care to support service users with their medication and to ensure that they are in good health. I support an individual with her medication and on one occasion she refused for me to administer the tablets. I encouraged her and explained to her that she needs to take her medication  so that she can keep in good health but she still refused. I therefore gave her some time and space for her to reconsider and calm down; approximately half an hour later I returned back to support her with her medication but she said again that she didn’t want her tablets. I therefore recorded what happened, entered this also in the message book and completed an incident sheet. Her doctor was then contacted to explain that she refused her morning medication and to check that everything will be alright although she missed her morning medication. It is the service user’s right to refuse this service if they want to. It is my duty of care to ensure that service users are supported accordingly and when they refuse a service that I record and report this. People with a learning difficulty have the same rights as anyone else in deciding whether or not to engage in a particular activity. It is important as it is my duty to ensure service users’ safety. For example a service user may be a smoker and insist on smoking in her bedroom at night instead of in the smoking room and ignores all advice from staff who are concerned about the safety of everyone. Another example could be a service user who is a little unsteady on his feet but decides he wants to go out and use a bus or train instead of a taxi; he may be at risk of falling and injuring himself, staff and/or others around him. Explain where to get additional support and advice about how to resolve such dilemmas: I can get additional support and advice about how to resolve dilemmas from training, supervision, from my Manager, the internet and also from appropriate professionals such as the GP or the person’s advocate. For example it is my responsibility to ensure that I assist service users in making complaints and to make sure that their complaint is taken seriously and that they are listened to. An advocate could be a person that supports a service user when needed and help with advising about how to resolve dilemmas. Describe how to respond to complaints: All complaints and concerns are dealt with fairly in my workplace and we  respond to individuals’ needs. It is important that all complaints are reported to a senior staff member and logged. Once logged it looked into by the Manager who will try and resolve it. All complaints received are important and must be taken seriously. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) requires my organisation to gather, evaluate and generate reports about complaints – this is to ensure the continual improvement of the service. The main point of these procedures is for service users to exercise their rights. Staff should also respond appropriately to any complaint they receive from service users or their families. If an informal complaint is made this should be discussed and this may stop it becoming a formal issue. The staff member receiving the complaint should listen carefully, take everything into consideration that is said and let the service user know what will then happen. If complaints are not responded to by staff appropriately then the service and the service provider will not improve. The main points of agreed procedures for handling complaints and how to respond to complaints: There are stated steps to follow when a complaint is made. In my workplace we first have to make sure that the service user is given the correct form to complete; and sometimes staff help service users to complete these when they are not able to especially when they have been given poor services. All complaints must be dealt with quickly and fairly. In my workplace the Manager is responsible for conducting the investigation when a complaint is received and a written letter is sent out to the service user to inform them that the complaint is being dealt with and timescales are given to them for a response. The complaints policy ensures that service users are given a good service and protected from harm and abuse as all complaints have to be responded to and regulatory bodies notified. PRINCIPLES OF SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTION IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE Define the following seven types of abuse and for each include their associated signs and symptoms: physical, sexual, emotional/psychological, financial, institutional, self-neglect and neglect by others 1) Physical abuse is deliberate physical force that may result in bodily injury, pain, or impairment. Both old and young people can be physically abused. There are signs or indicators to show physical abuse and there are ways in which victims and abusers act or interact with each other. Physical abuse includes the smashing of furniture and personal belongings, being pushed or shoved, being held against your will, slapped, bitten, kicked, pinched, punched, choked or ducked under water, threatened or hurt with a weapon, threats of violence, locked in or out of the house, hair pulled †¦burnt with cigarettes, acid, an iron, hot food or water †¦ Signs of physical abuse in adults are: bruising, particularly in well-protected and covered areas, fractures, sprains or dislocations, lacerations, burns – including friction burns and scalds, drowsiness, pressure sores, cowering and flinching, unexplained hair loss, significant weight loss, etc†¦. Symptoms include feeling low, angry and in pain. 2) Sexual abuse is when a person is forced or tricked into taking part in any kind of sexual activity. When sexual contact is non-consensual, it is an abuse. It can happen to men and women of any age that is both old and young. It can include sexual penetration of any part of the body with a penis, finger or any object, sexual exploitation, making threats about sexual activities, exposure to pornographic material, touching of breast or genitals, kissing, etc. Activities such as showing pornographic material, forcing the person to watch sex acts or forcing the person to undress are also considered sexual abuse. The signs and symptoms of sexual abuse in the elderly can be bruises around breasts or genitals, genital infections, unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding, torn, stained, or bloody underwear, disturbed sleep patterns, vulnerable adult appears withdrawn and fearful, inappropriate dressing, etc†¦ 3) Emotional Abuse is where one person gains power and control over another through words and gestures which gradually undermine the other’s self-respect†¦Emotional abuse can be name-calling, blaming, screaming, making threats, yelling†¦.neglecting, manipulation, not listening, withholding affection†¦belittling and untrue accusations. Signs of emotional abuse are depression, anxiety, withdrawing or refusing affection, fearful or agitation, lower self-esteem and self-confidence, shouting or swearing, behaviours such as rocking, hair twisting and self-mutilation, vulnerable adult withdrawn and fearful†¦ 4) Financial abuse is stealing or defrauding someone of money, goods and/or property, allowing others to steal money or property, tricking or threatening individuals into giving away money or property, withholding money, refusing to allow individuals to manage their finances, etc. for example when a support worker is taking money from a service users’ purse without his or her knowledge. Signs of financial abuse are signatures on cheques that do not resemble the service users’ signature, or signed when the service user cannot write, unexplained withdrawals of large sums of money by a person accompanying the service user, lack of amenities, such as TV, personal grooming items, appropriate clothing, that the service user should be able to afford, deliberate isolation of service user from friends and family, resulting in the support worker alone having total control, the unexplained sudden transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family†¦. Symptoms include the person feeling fearful, anxious, embarrassed and belittled. 5) Institutional abuse happens when the lifestyles of service users are sacrificed in favour of the routines and/or restrictive practices of the home. Institutional abuse comprises neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, discriminatory abuse, psychological and emotional abuse, financial abuse, service users not being allowed to go out, their personal letters are opened and read, their privacy not respected, their interest  not at the centre of every decision being made, excessive medication and complaints procedure not made available for the service users. Signs and symptoms include lack of own personal clothing and possessions, †¦no flexibility of bedtimes, eating times or waking times, dirty clothing or bed linen, misuse of medication, lack of care plans, lack of heating, staff entering into service users’ rooms without knocking. 6) Self-neglect is when a person does not pay attention to their health and well-being. Service users can neglect themselves due to illness or depression or might intentionally neglect themselves. The signs and symptoms include: living in dirty conditions, poor personal hygiene, poor nutrition†¦not getting medical help, not being interested in the way they look, long toe nails not taking medication. 7) Neglect is when a carer does not carry out their duty of care and fails to care for a service user this can be deliberate or unintentional due to the carer being ill or stressed†¦ Signs and symptoms of neglect include absence of food, water, and heat†¦ poor personal hygiene including soiled clothing, dirty nails and skin†¦inappropriately dressed for cold or hot weather, bedsores†¦.constant hunger, withdrawn, illness†¦ Different factors that may contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse: Living with the carer may increase the chances for abuse to occur as this may cause stress and resentment if the carer feels they cannot cope. If an individual is looked after staff who do not have the right training, any supervision at work or support, are stressed, have personal problems or do not like working in care then this can increase the risk of an individual being abused. If an individual is not mobile, is confused, has dementia, or is aggressive or challenging then this can increase the risk of abuse as the carer might not know how to deal with this, get frustrated and might take it personally and abuse the individual. Domestic violence can also play a part as can the relationship between the individual and their parent or spouse if it was poor and involved abuse. KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO SUSPECTED OR ALLEGED ABUSE The actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused: If I suspect abuse through noticing a sign of physical abuse or change in the behaviour of an individual, I will make sure that I ask the individual what has happened telling the individual the changes that I have noticed. If it is in my place of work and the name of the person that abused the individual is known, whether staff or another service user, I must also record and report this. I will listen to the individual carefully; it is up to them to tell me, I would not ask them any questions about this as this is not part of my job role and would stay calm. I will make sure that I record what the individual tells me using the individual’s own words. I will make sure that I reassure the individual and explain that their safety is the most important and that it is my duty of care to tell the manager. I will make sure that I let my manager know what has happened immediately and pass this information on in private and make sure my report is also confidential. I will only report and record the facts – what the individual has told me. Depending on what is found out the individual might need to continue to be monitored and a plan of care will be put in place that must be followed to protect the service user. ‘I will make sure that I let my manager know and report and record this in private but if the allegation is about my manager or the manager is unwilling to do anything, I will follow my company policy of reporting abuse and report to CQC. The actions to take if an individual alleges that they are being abused: If an individual alleges that they are being abused, I will make sure that I listen to the individual carefully to know exactly what happened. If it is in my place of work and the name of the person that abused the individual is known, whether staff or another service user, I must also record and report this. I will make sure that I record the detail of all allegations that the individual tells me using the individual’s own words; I will not ask any questions or make any judgements about what I have been told and I will stay calm. I will make sure that I record the date and time when the abuse was reported and then sign this record. I will make sure that I take the allegations seriously and reassure the individual that they are right to tell me as their safety is the most important.  I will make sure that I let my manager know and report and record this in private but if the allegation is about my manager or the manager is unwilling to do anything, I will follow my company policy of reporting abuse and report to CQC. Different ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved: Ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved are as follows: By leaving things as they are and not touching anything.  By not removing, cleaning or washing what the individual is wearing and by not handling the individual’s clothes or bedding. By keeping the area safe and not allowing anyone to enter into the area. By recording and reporting carefully, confidentially and in full all that was told to me by both the individual and others if present at the time and also what I noticed; stating the facts only. By preserving any first aid items used. UNDERSTAND THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL CONTEXT OF SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTION FROM ABUSE National policies and local systems that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse and explain the roles of different agencies: National policies – †¦.’Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, the Vetting and Barring Scheme run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), Criminal Records Bureau, Human Rights Act 1998. Local Systems – Safeguarding  Adults Boards, Safeguarding policies and procedures for vulnerable adults.’ Safeguarding Adults Boards – these bring together a number of different local agencies that work with vulnerable adults to share information and monitor their work i.e. local agencies like the police, MIND, housing teams, advocacy groups. The Police – their role is to safeguard vulnerable adults, investigate all reports of vulnerable adult abuse and protect and uphold the rights of vulnerable adults. CQC – to monitor and provide guidance on what all health and social care providers must do to safeguard vulnerable adults from abuse; the safeguarding policies, procedures and systems developed are in place to prevent vulnerable adults from being abused Reports into serious failures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse: A report about Castlebeck Care Ltd which failed to ensure that the vulnerable living at Winterbourne View were adequately protected from risk, including the risks of unsafe practices by its own staff. Individuals in Winterbourne View which is a home owned by Castlebeck Care Ltd were pinned down, slapped, doused in cold water and repeatedly taunted and teased by staff in the home. Castlebeck Care Ltd failed to notify the Care Quality Commission of these incidents, injuries to individuals and of occasions when individuals had gone missing. A report about the murder of Steven Hoskin, a young man with learning difficulties who was abused and murdered in July 2006. In addition to being pushed over the railway and falling from a great height, it was also found that Steven had taken paracetamol tablets, had been drinking alcohol and had sustained recent injuries from cigarette burns. In addition he suffered appalling treatment from his abusers who took over his bed sit and he had neck bruises from having been hauled around his home by his own pet’s dog-lead and the backs of his hands had the  marks of foot-prints. Where can you go to get information and advice about your role in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse?: Local authority Adult Services Department like Social Services My manager, colleagues My company’s policies and procedures on safeguarding The internet Care Quality Commission Independent Safeguarding Authority Books Training and advice from training centres.’ UNDERSTAND WAYS TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF ABUSE How working with person centred values can reduce the likelihood of abuse: Person-centred values include the individuality of the person, the rights of the individual, the individual’s choice, the individual’s privacy, the individual’s independence, the individual’s dignity and the individual being respected If person centred values are taken into consideration when supporting an individual there is less likely to be abuse as all the staff will be working in the same way and will feel shamed if they abuse because of the way that they have been taught to work. If an individual is considered to have a say in what he or she wants and is at the centre of any decision, it will be more unlikely that there is abuse. The individual will know what suits him or her and will not get so frustrated. I always put the service users I work with, their families and friends at the centre of any decision about them and they are an active partner in their own care. Individuals decide what to do, where to go, what clothes to wear and are treated with dignity, respect, confidentiality and are able to make their own choices.’ How encouraging active participation can reduce the likelihood of abuse: Active participation is a way of working that recognises an individual’s right to participate in the activities and relationships of everyday life as independently as possible; the individual is regarded as an active partner in their own care or support, rather than a passive recipient. So if the individual participates actively in their daily activities, which is what I practice, then the risk of abuse is low. For example in choosing the kind of meal to prepare I support individuals to make the lists of what they want to buy and go shopping with them so that they can choose the brand they want. The individual cooks the food the way they want it with little or no support. This is the same with all choices of clothes and outings. How promoting choice and rights can reduce the likelihood of abuse: Individuals are supported to make their choices in anything they want like in choosing food or drink, in what to wear, whether to use hot or cold water to bathe, etc. No individual will choose what will hurt him or her therefore abuse is reduced to the minimum. Individuals’ rights are promoted throughout the service. My service user has the right to do anything that they wish to do and if it is what they want as long as it is not dangerous; a risk assessment is then done to stop any abuse happening. I ensure that I promote service users’ rights and choices by allowing them to make their own choices and support them to have the rights of anyone else. Why an accessible complaints procedure is important for reducing the likelihood of abuse’: The complaints procedure gives the complainant the right to be heard and supported to make their views known. An accessible complaints procedure is understandable and easy to use. It sets out clearly how to make a complaint, the steps that will be taken when the complaint is looked into. It also provides flexibility in relation to target response times. An accessible complaints procedure resolves complaints more quickly as the complainant feels that they are being listened to and their complaint taken seriously. This sets up an open culture of making sure that abuse will not be tolerated in any form and encourages the complainant to not accept this. I remember when Mr R felt very happy when his complaint of being denied sleep was recorded in the complaints procedure. I supported him to write down the complaint and this was taken seriously†¦. Unsafe practices that may affect the wellbeing of individuals’: Unsanitary conditions can spread infection as cross-contamination can occur and can affect the well-being of the individual and others. Improper hand washing can also pose a risk. Dirty kitchen surfaces and equipment can spread infections, not covering hair when cooking can pose a risk to individual as can not reporting faulty equipment when working or not having cleaning materials can also be unsafe. In terms of health and safety not having risk assessments in place when a service user hurts themselves. Staff not checking when a service user is ill or unsteady on their feet. Staff not recording in care plans about a service user’s wellbeing and health and not monitoring them. Other unsafe practices which also amount to abuse can occur such as leaving a service user on the toilet too long, ignoring or not listening to them.  Marks on body not taken seriously and complaints not taken seriously can put them at more danger, harm and risk of abuse. I ensure that I keep to all the procedures for checking for abuse and the wellbeing of the individuals that I work with; by following these and the individual’s care plan I keep within the minimum standards of care and also work in a person centred way to make sure all individuals are happy and safe. The actions to take if unsafe practices have been identified ’: If I identify unsafe practices then I must follow the whistle-blowing procedure and report to the appropriate person(s). I will report to my manager immediately or if it involves my manager then to another appropriate person(s). I will monitor all unsafe practices and make sure that I record and report in full all the evidence and then will talk to my manager because all unsafe practices are dangerous practices that could cause harm to the individual and others. For example, I talked to my manager last week about things being left on the stairs that may cause service users and others to fall over and hurt themselves. She has talked to the staff and now this has stopped. The actions to take if suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been done in response: If suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been  done in response or if it has to do with my manager then I will report to the next level or manager. If it has to do with my manager then I will report to management, then to the social worker and safeguarding team and to the care quality commission and even to the police depending on the response I get. When I worked in a nursing home there was some abuse of service users being left too long on the toilet and I talked to the nurse in charge and changes were made immediately. I had to record the information and give the nurse and manager a copy of my confidential report. If the nurse or manager had not done this then I would follow the whistle blowing procedure.