Saturday, August 31, 2019

Protection of Vulnerable People: Safeguarding those with Mental Illness

Introduction Individuals with mental health conditions may suffer from neglect and abuse as a result of their condition (Taylor, 2006). Hence, the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK places emphasis on safeguarding these individuals and recognising them as a ‘vulnerable’ group. The Department of Health (2000) states that the act of ‘safeguarding’ is synonymous with protecting those who are more exposed to abuse and neglect. The main aim of this essay is to discuss safeguarding patients suffering from mental illness. The first part of this essay discusses vulnerability in this group. Factors that influence vulnerability and how these impact the health and wellbeing of these individuals will also be explored. The second part discusses multidisciplinary and multiagency interventions to protect and safeguard those with mental health conditions. The third part examines the safeguarding laws and policies that support and inform the work of a multi-disciplinary team. This w ill then be followed by a reflection of the findings of this essay and how these influence practice of a student nurse. Finally, a conclusion that summarises the key points raised in this essay will be done. Vulnerability of patients with mental health conditions Watkins (2008) observes that the limited ability individuals with mental health conditions to express themselves increase the risk of abuse. For example, patients might express their fears and anxiety through aggressive behaviour (RCN, 2008). When patients are placed in a new environment, such as a hospital setting, they might be unable to articulate their feelings and become anxious. This is aggravated when they could not see their family members or when nurses take over their families in providing for their care (RCN, 2008). McDonnell (2011) explains that is not uncommon for these patients to become defensive and aggressive when surrounded with ‘strangers’. Second, patients with mental illness often suffer from stigmatisation, discrimination and isolation (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011; Moran et al., 2013; Mestdagh and Hansen, 2014). Moran et al. (2013) states that isolation could aggravate the patient’s mental health condition since loss of social support increases risk of depression. Stigmatisation, on the other hand, increases vulnerability since patients might not access appropriate healthcare services due to negative perceptions of patients with mental illness (Mestdagh and Hansen, 2014). Individuals with a history of mental illness could also experience discrimination at work or when applying for employment (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). All these factors influence the health and wellbeing of those with mental health condition. Lack of social support and inability of an individual to find an employment increase the risk of depression (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). It is widely established (Cocker et al., 2014; Lubkin and Larsen, 2011) th at chronic depression is strongly associated with poor health outcomes such as development of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and other chronic conditions. Importantly, depression has been associated with poor adherence to medications or a care plan (Grenard et al., 2011). Hence, vulnerable individuals such as those with mental health conditions could suffer poorer health as a result of discrimination, stigmatisation and isolation. Multi-disciplinary and multiagency interventions to protect and safeguard those with mental health conditions A blended approach in caring for vulnerable individuals with mental health conditions has been promoted in the NHS (Transition Pathway, 2005). Different groups of healthcare professionals are involved in safeguarding those with mental health conditions. For instance, occupational therapists help patients engage in occupations that help restore meaning in their lives. On the other hand, therapists provide different types of counseling to assist individuals cope with their condition. For example, these therapists offer cognitive behavioural counseling or family therapy to help patients with their thought process or engage family members in the support and management of the individual (Gehart, 2012). Drawing from different literature, mental health nurses could also use current evidence to help inform care plans that are specific for the needs of a vulnerable individual. Meanwhile, a focus is made on patient-centred care (Transition Pathway, 2005) This means that vulnerable individuals participate in healthcare decisions regarding their health. Health and social care team members provide the needed support as they help students arrive at an informed decision. Today, there are many types of therapies and interventions for individuals with mental health condition. Watkins (2008) observes that each individual is unique and hence, blended approach and choices are necessary to create a healthcare plan specific for the individual. The chronic nature of mental health conditions also requires prolonged support and care from different healthcare team members. Similarly, multiple agencies have to coordinate care for each person. Many vulnerable individuals with mental health condition have to transition from supported care to independent living. Further, transition from adolescence to adulthood for vulnerable individuals could be a specially challenging time. The Department of Health (2011a) has provided the Pathways to getting a Life white paper to help health and social care practitioners coordinate care for those with mental health condition transition to independent living. One of the challenges when providing multidisciplinary and multi-agency care for vulnerable individuals is allowing patients to exercise autonomy while maintaining their safety. The Nursing and Midwifery Councils’ (NMC, 2008) code of conduct stresses the importance of respecting patient autonomy when making healthcare decisions. However, patient autonomy might be difficult to observe especially if choices of the patients could lead to poor health outcomes. On the other hand, patients are also encouraged to participate in healthcare decisions. While this is considered as best practice, some patients might be reluctant to participate in healthcare decisions (De Las Cuevas and Penate, 2014; Goggins et al., 2014; Hajizadeh et al., 2014). This might be due to poor levels of knowledge regarding their condition (Goggins et al., 2014) or inability to participate in healthcare decisions (De Las Cuevas and Penate, 2014). The former could be addressed through patient education while the latter through representation of a family member. Meanwhile, social care has an integral role in helping vulnerable individuals not only transition to independent living but also in assisting them find suitable employment. The partnership between health and social care ensures that individuals receive sufficient support when they return to their communities. Hence, empowering patients to take care of their own needs and to manage their condition prevents exacerbation of the condition or development of complications. Safeguarding laws and policies The policy ‘No Health without Mental Health’ (Department of Health, 2011b) acts as a guide for different healthcare professionals, social care workers and other stakeholders when providing care for individuals with mental health conditions. Specifically, this policy states that equitable treatment should be provided for vulnerable groups. This suggests that treatment and services should not only be patient-centred but also responsive to the immediate and long-term needs of the vulnerable individual. However, equitable mental health treatment for different groups of patients still remains a challenge in the NHS. For instance, Nzira and Williams (2008) argue that all individuals, regardless of their race or ethnicity, should enjoy equality in choice of their care providers and process. However, analysis of recent literature (Cantor-Graae and Selten, 2005; Kirkbride et al., 2008; Marmot, 2010) suggest that individuals from the black and minority ethnic groups do not enjoy the same ‘equality’ promoted in the Department of Health’s (2011b) policy. Incidence of mental health conditions is still higher in the black and minority ethnic group compared to the general white population in the UK. Further, this group also experiences social exclusion as a result of poor housing opportunities. There is evidence that poor housing and homelessness have been associated with poorer mental health (Pattereson et al., 2013). Hence, individuals with mental health conditions who happen to belong to the black and minority ethnic groups tend to have poorer health outcomes compared to their white counterparts (Kirkbride et al., 2008). Apart from evaluating the impact of the ‘No Health without Mental Health’ policy on vulnerable groups, it is also essential to investigate current legislations that safeguard those with mental health conditions. The Equality Act (UK Legislation, 2010) and the Mental Health Act 2007 (UK Legislation, 2007) both promote the rights of mental health patients. The first Act supports equality in the workplace. For instance, the Act states that employers are generally not allowed to ask about the disability of an individual before a job is offered. Although this does not exempt employers from asking questions on the health and background of future employees when absolutely necessary, this shows that equality is observed in the workplace. Meanwhile, the Mental Health Act 2007 (UK Legislation, 2007) introduces changes to the previous Mental Health Act 1983 (UK Legislation, 1983). This time, definition for mental health professionals is broadened to include different healthcare pro fessionals who are involved in the care of patients even without their consent. It should be noted that patients who pose a significant threat to others and to their own selves are admitted, detained and treated in hospital settings under this Act. Refection On reflection, this essay helped me realised the importance of increasing my knowledge on the needs of vulnerable patients with mental health conditions and the factors that promote their vulnerability. Healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, serve in the forefront of care. As leaders of care, I will facilitate the care and management of vulnerable patients in the future. This is only possible if I am aware on how cultural differences, stigmatisation, discrimination and isolation influence the trajectory of their condition. I realised that all these factors are crucial in promoting inequalities in healthcare. If I fail to address these factors, I will not be able to provide quality care to my patients. This essay also helps me appreciate the value of working in multidisciplinary teams and being aware of the roles of each team member. Since mental health conditions are complex, a blended approach is necessary to address individual needs. Vulnerability of an individual is increased when team members fail to consider and address the holistic needs of a patient. In my current and future practice, I should be aware of how I could contribute to effective team collaboration in order to reduce patient vulnerability. There is also a need to be aware of different safeguarding laws and policies for mental health patients. This will help me use these laws and policies to lobby for the rights of my patients. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2008) stresses the importance of patient safety and providing only quality care. Patient safety is observed when policies and laws on safeguarding are used to the fullest. On reflection, I should continue to become acquainted with different policies and legislations on safeguarding to ensure that the rights of my patients are protected. Specifically, this will help me find appropriate programmes or care pathways for my patients. On reflection, I should provide patient education to help patients make informed decisions regarding their care. This will not only empower my patients but also help them self-manage their own conditions. Conclusion This essay explores the concept of vulnerability and focuses on patients with mental health condition as a representative of the vulnerable group. These patients have additional challenges since mental illness is still strongly associated with discrimination, isolation and stigmatisation. Ethnic background also plays a role in their access to appropriate health and social care services. Those belonging to the black and minority ethnic groups have higher incidence of mental illness and less access to healthcare services compared to their white counterparts. The care pathway for vulnerable groups is supported by different health and social care agencies. Multidisciplinary and multi-agency team working are necessary to provide support to vulnerable groups. This essay demonstrates the importance of coordinating care and using a blended approach. Patient-centred care is highly promoted in the NHS since it is essential to design a care plan specific to the healthcare needs of an individual . Finally, this essay shows the importance of becoming acquainted with different policies and legislations on safeguarding. Knowledge on these policies and laws will help nurses exercise patient safety and quality care. Nurses will be able to identify appropriate health and social care services for each mental health service user. References: Cantor-Graae, E. & Selten, J. (2005) ‘Schizophrenia and migration: a meta-analysis and review’, American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, pp. 12-24. Cocker, F., Nicholson, J., Graves, N., Oldenburg, B., Palmer, A., Martin, A., Scott, J., Venn, A. & Sanderson, K. (2014) ‘Depression in working adults: comparing the costs and health outcomes of working when il’, PLoS One, 9(9): e105430 [Online]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25181469 (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). De Las Cuevas, C. & Penate, W. (2014) ‘To what extent psychiatric patients feel involved in decision making about their mental health careRelationships with socio-demographic, clinical, and psychological variables’, Acta Neuropsychiatrica [Online]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25288200 (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). Department of Health (2000) No secrets: Guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. London: Department of Health. Department of Health (2011a) Pathways to getting a life [Online]. Available from http://www.ndti.org.uk/uploads/files/2011-Pathways-to-getting-a-life.pdf (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). Department of Health (2011b) No Health Without Mental Health: A Cross-Government Mental Health Outcomes Strategy for People of All Ages, London: Department of Health. Gehart, D. (2012) ‘The mental health recovery movement and family therapy, part 1: consumer-led reform of services to persons diagnosed with severe mental illness’, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(3), pp. 429-442. Goggins, K., Wallston, K., Nwosu, S., Schildcrout, J., Castel, L. & Kripalani, S. (2014) ‘Health literacy, numeracy, and other characteristics associated with hospitalized patients’ preferences for involvement in decision making’, Journal of Health Communication, 19(2), pp. 29-43. Grenard, J., Munjas, B., Adams, J., Suttorp, M., Maglione, M., McGlynn, E. & Gellad, W. (2011) ‘Depression and medication adherence int eh treatment of chronic diseases in the United States: a meta-analsyis’, Journal of Internal Medicine, 26(10), pp. 1175-1182. Hajizadeh, N., Uhler, L. & Perez Figueroa, R. (2014) ‘Understanding patients’ and doctors’ attitudes about shared decision making for advance care planning’, Health Expectations [Online]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25336141 (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). Kirkbride, J., Barker, D., Cowden, F., Stamps, R., Yang, M., Jones, P. & Coid, J. (2008) ‘Psychoses, ethnicity and socio-economic status’, British Journal of Psychiatry, 193(1), pp. 18-24. Lubkin, I. & Larsen, P. (2011) Chronic illness: impact and intervention, London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Marmot, M. (2010) Fair Society, Healthy Lives: Strategic Review of health inequalities in England post-2010 [Online]. Available at: www.marmotreview.org (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). McDonnell, A. (2011) Managing aggressive behaviour in care settings: Understanding and applying Low Arousal Approaches. Australia: John Wiley & Sons. Mestdagh, A. & Hansen, B. (2014) ‘Stigma in patients with schizophrenia receiving community mental health care: a review of qualitative studies’, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 49(1), pp. 79-87. Moran, G., Russinova, S, Gidugu, V. & Gagne, C. (2013) ‘Challenges experienced by paid peer providers in mental health recovery: a qualitative study’, Community Mental Health Nursing, 49(3), pp. 281-291. Patterson, M., Rezansoff, S., Currie, L. & Somers, J. (2013) ‘Trajectories of recovery among homeless adults with mental illness who participated in a randomised controlled trial of housing first: A longitudinal, narrative analysis’, British Medical Journal Open, 3(9):e003442. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003442. Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008). Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Conduct [Online]. Available from: http://www.nmc-uk.org/templates/pages/Search?q=spiritual%20care (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). Royal College of Nursing (RCN) (2008) â€Å"Let’s talk about restraint† Rights, risks and responsibility. London: RCN. Taylor, D. (2006) Schizophrenia in focus. London: Pharmaceutical Press. Transition Pathway (2005) Person Centred Transition pathway is here: How did it happen[Online]. Available from: http://www.transitionpathway.co.uk/index.html (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). UK Legislation (1983) Mental Health Act 1983. Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/20/contents [Accessed: 3 November, 2014]. UK Legislation (2007) Mental Health Act 2007 [Online]. Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/12/contents (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). UK Legislation (2010) Equality Act 2010 [Online]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/when-mental-health-condition-becomes-disability (Accessed: 3 November, 2014). Watkins, P. (2008) Mental health practice: A guide to compassionate care. London: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Friday, August 30, 2019

“Gender Inequality Exists to Some Extent, in Most Areas of Society, in All Countries of the World”. Geographically Examine This Statement.

â€Å"Gender inequality exists to some extent, in most areas of society, in all countries of the world†. Geographically examine this statement. Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on the gender. It arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles, behaviors, and activities and attributes that a given society deems appropriate for men and women. For two years Iceland is the number one country for gender equality followed by Norway in second, Finland third and Sweden fifth – showing that the Nordic countries are the best for gender equality.The gender equality gap is measured by looking at politics, education, employment and health. According to recent studies the highest representation of women in parliament was in Europe, in which 20. 56% of parliamentary people were female, and the lowest Oceania in which 7. 5% of parliamentary people were women. Women’s political empowerment is very important, and small loans can help improve it. More power means an increase in confidence to change and challenge gender relations. Economically it will mean women have increased access to markets, and increased control over income, assests and resources within the home.Kuwait is an example of a country trying to solve gender inequality issues and increase women’s empowerment politically, socially, and economically. Women in Kuwait have been given the right to run in local and governmental elections, as well as vote in elections. Sub-Saharan Africa is another area in which women’s empowerment is being promoted. This time through giving women mobile phones to help improve their lives slightly. Statistics show that within Sub-Saharan Africa 300 million fewer men than women have mobiles. So the plan was to issue 150 million mobiles to women across the region.It is thought that mobiles can help with literacy, health programs and project awareness, developing small businesses, and gaining fina ncial independence. Education is also another area in which gender inequality is trying to be beaten. By improving women’s educations statistics show that Fertility rates and Infant and child mortality numbers will decrease, while women’s labour force and women’s children going to school will increase. Gender inequality in education correlates with ethnicity and religion, domestic responsibilities, cultural restrictions and less economic power.Examples of gender inequality within education are in Pakistan and Yemen. In Pakistan the Taliban was restricting women’s education. 125,000 girls have had to abandon their education after 180 schools were torched and 900 school closed down. Taliban are brutal, they behead, assassinate political figures and destroy homes. A recent example might be the fourteen-year-old Malala who was shot in the head by the Taliban on her way home from school because she was trying to promote women’s rights. In Yemen being th e lowest global rating of gender inequality means they’re heavily investing in this sector.The International Development Association (IDA) are working to increase access to and the quality of education, as well as promoting it to women nationally. They’re encouraging female teachers, which will increase ‘social acceptance’. 1000 new female teachers were introduced in 2008 alone, and they successfully attracted girls to schools. As well as 100- new female teachers, 4000 classrooms and 200 schools were built, and 80 of the original schools were repaired. All of these efforts have worked, as the illiteracy rate has halved from 90% in 1999 to 45% in 2009!Other areas in which gender inequality exists are within culture and government, migration, health, employment, birth ratios and legal rights and land ownership. Not all countries with gender inequality issues are third world countries. Infact, some are the most developed. Places like China, Switzerland and Th e United Kingdom all suffer from gender inequality. This might show that gender inequality does exist to some extent in all countries of the world, not just less developed countries because they don’t have the money to over come the problem. China’s a very good example of the birth ratios gender inequality issue.It is estimated there that men will outnumber women by 30 million by 2020. And in 2005, china’s birth rate was 119 males to every 100 females, in some provinces it went up to 140 males. According to feminist writers in China, it is because Chinese people would rather have a son, as they’re considered more useful, they also say that son preference is seen as blunt gender discrimination. Overall it’s common for one to think that the statement â€Å"Gender inequality exists to some extent, in most areas of society, in all countries of the world† is very much true.All the evidence points towards geographically spread gender inequality wo rldwide, not just certain countries in which one might assume to suffer from gender inequality. Yemen, Ethiopia, Kuwait and Sub-Saharan Africa are all strong examples of less economically developed countries suffering from gender inequality, and UK, Switzerland and China more economically developed countries also suffering from gender inequality – however all are affected by politics, education, employment and health.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Aggregated demand Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aggregated demand - Research Paper Example From time back, suburban and new cars have made the economy powerful and pushed recoveries. In contrary, Millennial have no interest in the two. The same way sale of cars have dropped in this age cohort, young people’s share on mortgages from the year 2009 to 2011 has dropped to half of what was 10 years back. Majority of the generation of America might never consume compared to the lavish spending of their parents. At the time Zip car was formed, a gallon average price was 1.5 dollars and I phones never existed. From then, it has been the largest car sharing firm in the world. Zip car bases its success on two factors. The first being the doubling of gas prices that made the sharing attractive. Secondly, smart phones became present everywhere that made the sharing of cars easy. Besides, the mobile market has given power compared to car sharing. It has enabled friends to communicate from a distance. This could result to shifting from automobiles to mobiles and s decline in spen ding habits. Millennials are sharing most things such as living quarters. Most of the millennials lived with their parents due to the great recession (Cam Marston, pp 85) The society where people owned houses has been replaced by squatters and renters. As much as most millennials may want to have their own houses they have been faced with challenges like low savings due to low pays and tough conditions of banks. The debt of students trail most buyers as they look for car loans or mortgages. At minimum individual ownership of houses rates are not likely to return to peaks that they hit at the time of housing bubbles. In 10 years, most people consisting mainly of millennials will pull together to make new households. As a whole living aside urban sensibility, small houses and townhouses are cheap, and developers have in mind that in order to attract this group, they need to provide for bank accounts that are in tatters. The kinds of property the millennials buy now differ from what wa s purchased five years back. The houses are placed within the perimeter of shopping centers. Such buyers require shares of zip cars and bikes. In short in future, the buyers may require cars and houses that are small and cheaper that is specifically meant for the new economy. If millennials do not post own and post drive generation, they will be less owning and less driving generation. The situation would lead to tough adjustments of the economy in the near future. In the past decades, the industry of houses has always solved the problems of recession. At the time the federal dropped the interest rates at the time of recession in the 1980s, it aided fuel the recovery of Regan (Eugene et al. pp 2) As the housing market declined, the government has lost the main means of manipulating the economy by reduced interest rates. Instead, the service recovery that is there is not strong. The small houses that are constructed in mixed used, dense areas in general take long to construct than ma nsions in other places. And because the small houses require few furnishings and fixtures, their building stimulates less activity in the economy. To add to that, both auto making and construction are basically blue collar jobs. These sectors employ many middle class employees that would be hurt through changing from auto manufacturing and home construction. Companies that deal in internet connection of high speed and personal electronics do not require many employees. Moreover, the jobs that they create skew steadily towards the peak of socioeconomic ladder. On the other hand, in the long term or long run, there is cause for sanguinity. There

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Strategy - Essay Example The supplier caters almost 35% of the requirements of the company that is huge and might put the company in jeopardy (Thompson, 2012). In the given circumstances, the company needs to take into account the adverse economic environment and formulate a successful corporate strategy to cope with the business complexities (Johnson et al 2011). Haberberg and Rieple (2008) demonstrate that a well-planned corporate strategy provides means to renew competitive advantage in line with the changing environment. Accordingly, it will be most appropriate to delve deeper into the existing toy market scenario. Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the UK constitute almost 73% of the total European toy market. Most of the supply of the toys in the Europe comes from China. The infant and preschool toy segments constitute almost 20 percent of the market – a largest segment in the total toy sales. Toy shops in the five major countries of Europe sell almost 40% of the total sales in toys (The Toy Sector in Europe, 2010). Furrer (2011) argues that the ultimate purpose of any corporate strategy is the value creation. In order to sail through difficult times, the company needs to adopt positioning strategy to earn higher revenues by using scarce and limited resources at its disposal (Besanko, 2010). Accordingly, the company will be benefitted by positioning to the fastest growing infant/preschool segment of toys and expand by capturing the imagination of this class of children. Porter (1985) argues that it is important to differentiate the product from its competitors so that it is valued by buyers and the uniqueness in the product is eventually rewarded through a higher price. Moreover, innovation is must to make product distinct and unique Grant, 2010). In order to ensure uninterrupted supply, suppliers’ evaluation and selection process needs to be done most meticulously (Sollish & Semanik, 2011) and therefore an effective and flaw-less sourcing strategy needs to be at

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Gender Development in the Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender Development in the Family - Essay Example This portrayal of boys and girls in television commercials and cartoons is expected to create more dominant males and submissive females. Boys will see masculinity as being rational, efficient, competitive, and ruthless while girls will be imbued with femininity by being compliant, emotional, and cooperative (Chandler 5). It should also be noted that commercials and cartoons portray these characteristics as â€Å"natural.† 2.  W hat negative or positive implications do current gender images have for families and our society?   Stereotypes generally create a double standard in the society (Double Standard 3). Current gender images promote discrimination and injustice by making people judged by what they are instead of what they do. In our present society, men are often given more career opportunities than women. An extreme example of double standard is the slut/stud, where a man who slept with ten women is generally envied and highly regarded by his peers while a woman did the same will become an object of disgust.   3.  How do different family ideologies influence goals that a family system might have regarding gender roles?   Family ideologies have huge implications on shaping gender roles. More conservative families tend to favor the more traditional and conventional values. In this type of ideology, girls are raised to be demure, gentle, sensitive, submissive, and dependent while boys are raised to be active, aggressive, and independent. Traditional families also favor male dominance.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Research and findings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research and findings - Essay Example Some of his furniture is a re-work of initial ideas like the combination of a part of a chair and that of a steel material. He is a great designer and studied technology to the professor level in furniture design and industrial design2. The big easy chair is a very famous piece of furniture that was designed and created by Ron Arad particularly for Moroso. This chair is made of a frame from steel material that has stress resistant foam made of polyurethane and also polyester fiber. Although this cover cannot be removed, the armchair has both the properties of a waterproof material and also resistant to light. This makes it easy to use the chair, as it is portable and can be used both outside and inside. It is a rotational chair that can be molded and recycled with colored polythene. The main advantages of this chair are that, it can be used for both outdoor and indoor activities. It is also essential to note that it is waterproof hence, resistant to fade3. This was the first piece of furniture chair that was produced by Ron Arad. This piece of furniture is a fusion of two ideas. The ideas came from readymade of Kee-Klamp scaffolding which was designed originally in the 1930s. The other part that clumps onto the Kee-Klump is the seat of scrap yard which came from a Rover 200. This chair is basically a combination of a car chair with a frame of structural tubing. The frames are what provide the arm and feet rest for the individual sitting on this chair. In 1981, this chair was sold almost at three times its production cost due to its attractive nature. The seat is made of leather while the frames painted in black made of steel material.4 These two designers made it big in the early 1907 to 1978. They were modern architects and also designed furniture. They worked in the industrial and also graphic design including film and fine art. Charles worked in a steel company where he

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Introduction to Marketing Business Report Essay

Introduction to Marketing Business Report - Essay Example It is basically collection of data by conducting market surveys, questionnaire, focus group interviews and telephonic interviews. Sampling techniques and statistical tools will be a prerequisite for Abercrombie and Fitch. Secondary data is basically library research, wherein data already present is used for references and analysis. It includes company reports, annual reports, articles, government reports etc. These are readily available and come in handy during research. a) Abercrombie and Fitch fall in the category of apparels and accessories. It is a lifestyle and retail catering sector for men, women and kids in the age group of 14-22. The audience from this category looks for a comfortable and casual clothing line which is trendy and stylish and at the same time flaunts a luxurious lifestyle (Plunkett, 2008). The consumer buying decision process is essentially the stages a consumer goes through while making choices regarding which products and services to buy and use (Ferrell and Hartline, 2010; Dibb and Simkin, 2008).There are five steps in the identification process of consumer purchase behaviour (Rohan Academic Computing, 2011). The marketing research done above will help in evaluating the buying process of the customers targeted by Abercrombie and Fitch. For repeat purchasers, the experience with the brand will decide their choice of sticking to the brand or looking for something new. For first time buyers, marketing of the brand such as website, promotional activities, advertising will decide how much time and effort the consumer is going to put in that particular brand. The consumer will look into what other brands are offering. The style, latest trends, design, availability, discounts and sale offers are few of the factors which will influence the decision process heavily. Once the consumer has decided to buy Abercrombie and Fitch brand, this decision can be influenced by conditions such as store

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Money,banking and the federal reserve system Essay

Money,banking and the federal reserve system - Essay Example In order to ensure a balance of the bank reserves and to control the monetary base, the Federal Reserve was established. For efficient use of money in the United States, the Banks and the Federal Reserve work together. Money is the most widely used liquid asset in the world today. Cash is the liquid form of money that is applicable and usable in many of the small and medium business ventures. However, there are other forms of money acceptable in many places. These include traveler’s checks, and checkable bank deposits. Money has the capability of generating gains from trading activities since its nature allows indirect exchange. It also provides a uniform way of transacting given that every product or service can be exchanged with money. It contradicts the barter system of trade (Krugman 412). Money plays three main functions in the United States economy. Firstly, it the sole medium of exchange across the country, it is possible to obtain any goods and services in exchange of money. This medium of exchange lacks the capability to be consumed hence it has to be applied in obtaining consumable goods and pay fro services. Hard economic times have called for use of different monetary forms. This has been evident in some Latin American countries that have resulted into the use of the American dollar, a situation also seen in Eastern Europe where they have used Euros. Secondly, it is used as a store of value, meaning money has the ability to purchase power over a given period. Other assets complement money as a store of value but its uniqueness is that its value appreciates in most cases. Lastly, money is a unit of account. In accounting, money is widely accepted as the medium of setting prices and calculating the value of other assets 413-414. The concept of money has continued to change with time. In historical times, silver and gold were considered as the medium of exchange, this was facilitated by their valuable nature in making of making of ornaments and jewellery. Around independence time in 1776, paper money was getting used to complement the gold and the silver coins. The transition saw the introduction of commodity-backed money that whose value was dependent on the promise that it could be possible to turn it into value on demand. (Krugman 414).To further enhance the monetary form, the United States Dollar was adopted as a generally acceptable mode of transacting in exchange of goods and services. This introduced the so-called fiat money that derives its value from the official status it adopts. This type of money has advantages over the former types in that it does not use other resources apart from the material used in its making and secondly, its supply can be regulated to take care of specific economic needs. However, the challenge remains in production of fake currency (Krugman 415). There are two types of monetary aggregates, denoted by the Federal Reserve as M1 and M2. M1 entails the cash, traveller’s checks and ch eckable bank deposits. Other near-moneys are inclusive in M2. In the United States, year 2011 September, M1 was equivalent to $2,136.9 billions while M2 was $9,603.6 billions of dollars (Krugman 416). Near-moneys are accompanied by interests that the cash dos not, this is the reason why they pay higher interests than checkable bank deposits. Banks plays a critical role in the money industry in the United States and all over the world. It is evident that banks play a role in linking the Federal Reser

Tales of a Childhood Pyromaniac Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tales of a Childhood Pyromaniac - Essay Example . My grandmother was a careful lady. As far as I know she had never been in a traffic accident, gone through a divorce, or suffered from identity theft. She was just as careful when we were burning leaves. She would make me wait until the wind was absolutely still. I would sit by the pile watching the weather and waiting for the calm of late afternoon. When the wind would stop I'd go get my grandmother and she would always ask, "Is it as still as a sinner in church". She would get her old silver lighter and head out to the backyard. Grandma always let me light the first leaves. She would break out an antique Zippo lighter and hand it to me. I would struggle with it as I lit one corner of the pile. The sparks would fly like fireworks, the wick would ignite, and the leaves would succumb to the flames. Lighter fluid would seep from the lighter and leave my hands smelling like a used car part. With the scent of the fluid filling my head I would hand the lighter back to my grandmother and she would finish lighting the pile. The flames roared as my grandmother made sure I kept a safe distance. Even from afar, the heat would embrace my young face. I would imagine that the fire was a distant sun and I was a distant planet. Here, in my own world, I could find the warmth and comfort of a familiar face and a familiar place.