Analysis of Current Accounting System Essay

1. Terms of reference 1.1.1 This report has been prepared to cover the requirements of the learning and assessment area Principles of Internal Control and Evaluating Accounting Systems at Level 4 of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Diploma in Accounting qualification. 1.1.2 This report forms an evaluation of the Accounting System of the Inkwell Limited. 1.1.3 The main purpose of the report is: To evaluate the accounting system and procedures that are currently in place at IWL To identify weaknesses within the system, suggest possible improvements and make recommendations for improvement. To analyse cost benefit for suggested improvements. 2. Executive summary 3. Methodology 3.1.1 This report has been prepared using information provided by AAT case study text and study materials from Home Learning College. 3.1.2 Research for the recommendations has been made using internet. A list of websites used can be found in Appendix 1. 3.1.3 In developing the report support and assistance from my Home Learning College tutor was provided. 4. Introduction 4.1. Inkwell Ltd (IWL) was formed seven years ago. IWL is the medium-sized company that supplies a complete range of re-manufactured inkjet and laser toner cartridges that are fully compatible with all major printers. Since its launch IWL has grown steadily and now has revenue of over  £16 million. The company employs around 180 full-time employees. 4.2. IWL has adopted the functional structure system with three departments i.e. finance, sales and purchases. The BODs comprised of Managing Director, Sales Director and Finance Director is responsible for all decision-making activities in the company. The management structure chart can be found in Appendix 2. 4.3. The main purpose of accounting function of the IWL is to collect and process information from other departments in order to prepare statutory and management accounts as well as to determine the price of cartridges the company can pay for in order to achieve required profit margin (management accounting). The Finance Departme nt is also responsible for making sure that inventory levels meet IWL’s policy, the company’s credit rating is kept strong, management accounts are prepared every month, orders from suppliers are monitored and supplier payments are arranged for. 4.2 To make an effective use of the accounting systems and procedures in place the finance department has been divided into two main areas of accounting i.e. financial accounting and management accounting (cost accounting). The area of financial accounting has been further sub-divided into the sections of general ledger and inventory, purchase ledger, sales  ledger, payroll and personnel database. The chart showing the structure of The Accounts Department is provided in Appendix 3. 4.2.1 Sections within the finance department interact and maintain a relationship with other departments. The information flows to general ledger from the sales ledger, purchase ledger and payroll, personnel section and shops. The general ledger provides information to the Company Accountant for the purpose of preparing monthly management accounts and approving supplier payments, to The Finance Director for the purpose of preparing financial statements and to the Sales Director for the purpose of costing IWL’s products. The Purchase Ledger section has a direct relationship with the General Ledger and the IWL’s suppliers. The Sales Ledger section maintains a close relationship with the sales department as well as with the General Ledger. The Payroll and Personnel Database section is working closely with shop managers from whom it collects the information to prepare payroll for employees. The department also co-operates with external users such as HMRC in order to comply with statutory requirements. The Costing Section is working closely with The Sales Director. 4.3 The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of an enterprise that is useful to a wide range of users such as suppliers, customers, government agencies or financial institutions in making economic decisions, for instance, whether to grant a loan or to give credit to the company. At the financial year end the Finance Director at IWL prepares the following financial statements: 4.3.1 Income Statement: this statement provides information about the financial performance of the company in terms of revenue from sales, costs and expenses incurred to generate the profit. It also provides information about gross and net profit generated for past financial periods. It is also referred to as the Profit and Loss Account. 4.3.2 Statement of Financial Position: this statement shows the financial position of the company at the end of each financial year. It provides the information about the company’s assets, liabilities and the equity claim of its shareholders. It is also referred to as the Balance Sheet. 4.3.3 The Statement of Cash Flow: this statement provides a link between the Income Statement and Statement of Financial Position as at the year end of the  previous and current financial years. Its main purpose is to reconcile liquid funds to profit by providing an analysis of cash inflows and outflows from operating, investing and financing activities. 4.4 A stakeholder is an entity that can be affected by the results of a company in which they are said to be stakeholders, i.e. that in which they have a stake. The critical external stakeholders for IWL have been identified as follows: 4.4.1 The financial institutions- IWL has a strong relationship with its bank. Through producing a series of convincing annual business plans, the company directors have been able to raise sufficient finance to grow IWL into a significant player in the cartridge supplies sector. Without this co-operation it would be much harder to expand the Company to its current position. They are IWL’s stakeholders because they lent money to The Business and they would be affected in case The Company becomes insolvent. 4.4.2 Customers- the IWL has a base of around 120 large trade customers. These customers account for 20% of IWL’s revenue. It is imperative to maintain good relationship with customers in order to remain competitive and have high customer satisfaction level. Customers are categorised as stakeholders because the company’s actions can affect their financial position. 4.4.3 Government- The government is interested in businesses as they set out the regulations and need the businesses to do well to keep the economy healthy. Economic policies introduced by The Government through taxation, and the ability of The Government to influence interest rates, impact on the business through prices and costs. The company needs to make sure that it is paying the right amount of tax and VAT and that it complies with all government’s policies and accounting standards. 4.5 IWL is the medium-sized, centralized, manufacturing company operating nationwide. For a small sole trader or partnership type organisation, like off-licence shop, there are likely to be few transactions to process. As a result the basic single entry record system, with detailed cash book, would most likely be used. A simple structure where the owner or partners make all the decisions related to the business would also be adopted. However, the single entry system lacks controls necessary to verify the accuracy of the postings and therefore would not be practical in circumstances where a high  volume of business transactions had to be processed. Medium and large sized companies will most likely use more sophisticated, double entry bookkeeping system. Higher amount of transactions would require more people to operate it and therefore the structure would be more sophisticated too, with either divisional or matrix structure adopted. The IWL uses double entry system. 5 Analysis of the Current Accounting System 5.1 The main external regulations the IWL has to comply with has been identified as: 5.1.1 The Company Law- compulsory legislation that governs the formation and registration of limited companies. It sets out the responsibilities of companies, their directors and secretaries and also determines the requirements relating to the preparation of Financial Statements of a company. It is legally binding on all limited companies in UK. In case of any changes in The Company LAW, staff training may be required to ensure compliance which will affect The IWL’s cash flow and availability of resources i.e. staff released for training. 5.1.2 The Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Regulations- this regulation apply when a business organisation employs individuals and sets out the requirements for deducting PAYE income tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC’s) from payments made to employees. The regulation also stipulates rules for sending PAYE income tax and employees’ NIC’s to HMRC and identify the forms and returns that must be kept and submitted when administering the scheme. Any changes to the regulations i.e. change of the company tax rate or the National Insurance Contribution (NIC) has a direct effect on IWL because these are statutory requirements and The BODs need to make sure the staffs are appropriately trained and that they comply with the regulations. This may require substantial cash outlay as well as additional labour to provide cover for absent staff so these sorts of changes may significantly affect the Company’s finances. Accounting Standards-these are the regulations and codes of practice which have been developed to try to reduce the number of different interpretations and treatments used by accountants in preparing and presenting the Financial Statements for limited companies. This regulation have a direct impact on the company’s actions, as IWL is a limited company and have to prepare Financial Statements each year. The  Finance Director, being ACCA qualified, is applying accounting standards while preparing the financial statements. Changes made to the standards may require the Finance Director to undertake additional training which again will affect the company’s finances and the availability of staff. 5.1.4 The Data Protection Act 1998- the act lays down the principles by which the personal data should be managed by ‘data controllers’. Business organisations that keep personal data in respect of living and identifiable person are data controllers. The IWL has Payrol l and Database section in the Accounts Department therefore is obliged to comply with the regulation. Only authorised members of staff are to use IWL’s computers. In case of any changes in the Data Protection Act 1998, the Company may be required to, for example, purchase new safe for keeping the records in safe and secure way or to purchase new database software to meet the requirements of the regulation as well as train staff and review and implement changes in company’s policies. 5.2 Fraud is an intentional act by management or employees in order to obtain an unfair or illegal advantage. The most common causes of fraud in a business can be identified as a lack of operational internal control procedures within the business, lack of internal anti-fraud controls, especially risk management, as well as a lack of internal audit. In order to improve fraud and theft detection, the BODs needs to regularly review company’s fraud policies and procedures to ensure that they effectively reduce risk, improve processes and are in compliance with prevailing laws and regulations. This involves identifying the company’s specific fraud risks and then developing and implementing controls, procedures and operational changes to mitigate those risks. 5.3 The most common types of fraud can be identified as the theft of assets and corruption. The effects of the fraud activities can devastate the company in various ways, for instance, financial loss, external confidence , company morale or increased audit costs. Theft- this is probably the most common method of fraud, usually carried out because staff are presented with opportunities due to lack of physical controls and little or no segregation of duties with individual members of staff being given too much personal control over procedures. Impact of the theft can be fairly easy quantified. If, for  example, the manager overstates the hours worked by an employee, these can be easily calculated by multiplying the rate per hour by hours worked. In fact this is stealing the company’s time and subsequently money. There is a high risk of such an activity occurring within IWL shops as the company has no procedure in place for sales, warehouse or administrative staff to sing in or out when they arrive or leave work. This type of fraud often happens without knowledge of the management. 5.3.2 Corruption- this form of fraud usually involves a dishonest member of staff working in collusion with others to commit acts of fraud. The example of su ch an activity is changing contract terms and conditions after it have been awarded in favour of the supplier. There is a great possibility of this type of fraud occurring in the IWL’s due to lack of internal control procedures for purchasing inventory. This results in loses to the company because, the company is paying more for the product therefore reducing the Company’s revenue. 5.4 The accounting system can support internal control by means of setting the standards and using of control systems. 5.4.1 Standards allow the organisation to define its expectation of how things should be achieved. They allow the management to monitor the performance of the employees. These standards can be based on what the organisation expects from the staff, for example, implementing of company’s procedures. The organisation will generally outline to the staff what it expects in relation to performance levels, like cost of ensuring work is carried out effectively and that the deadlines are met, as well as in relation to the error allowance. Standards should be set in relation to the organisation’s objectives and goals. A tool commonly used for the purpose of measuring performance is that of standard costing. A main feature of standard costing is variance analysis, where differences between budgeted and actual figures are monitored. This allows the organisation to identify where changes may be required. 5.4.2 Use of control in systems is aimed at ensuring that the plans of organisation are being met. Deviations found by the control monitors should be investigated and if they negatively affect organisation then corrective action should be taken. An internal control system includes all the policies and procedures adopted by the organisation to achieve the objectives of: Effective conduct of the business, Implementation of internal policies and procedures, Safeguarding the assets of the organisation, Detecting and preventing incidences of fraud and error, The accuracy and completeness of the financial records, The timely preparation of reliable financial information. Regardless of the size of the organisation the accounting system must be reliable, cost effective and capable of being used effectively by the person(s) operating it. An accounting system of the IWL is a collection of computerized and manual accounting processes, procedures and controls created to collect, record, classify, summarize and interpret financial data for decision making by management. The record keeping systems of IWL meet organisation’s requirements for financial information. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threads (SWOT) analysis has been prepared to identify those areas of the current accounting system that do not operate satisfactory and can be found in appendix 4. The analysis showed that the work is going through the correct sequence of events and processes and that there is good segregation of duties within the department. However, there are areas where the systems could be improved. These have been identified as better staff training and introd uction of audit trail. Better trained staff would become specialised in the area they operate which would enable them to complete tasks more efficiently and effectively and therefore reduce costs. The audit trail would minimise potential for error and would act as a control tool for staff activity. Weaknesses Identified Within The Accounting System The weaknesses that rise potential for error and possible exposure to fraud within The Accounting System of the IWL have been identified as insufficient staff training and lack of audit trail procedures. 6.2 Insufficient staff training caused many problems during the last six months period. There was not enough cover in the sales ledger section when the clerk was off sick or on holiday leave which caused accumulation of work that affected other departments as the financial information was not presented in the timely manner. The fact that no one was able to provide cover was evident proof of staff training needs. Another area where problems  occurred due to lack of training is that of the payroll and database section. The clerk was provided with only one day in-house training of how to operate payroll software and this resulted in mistakes with the staff salaries calculations. This is the example of error that occurred because of the lack of training. Some of them have been underpaid what may result in lower staff morale and de-motivate them which will result in worse productivity or alternatively may give a reason to commit fraud. Work could be delegated to different persons what would also act as an anti-fraudulent control because the person providing cover could spot any unauthorised or suspicious activities and report it to the management. It is recommended that all staff should be sent for training in order to become multi skilled. 6.3 Another weakness identified is the lack of internal audit procedures within the accounts department of the IWL. The impact on the organisation may be significant to the company in terms of money and reputation, should the fraud activities took place. Internal audit has proved to be the most successful method of detecting fraud. It would be advantageous to any organisationif its internal audit function were able to advise management on identifying and assessing the risks associated with fraud co uld review and monitor the internal control procedures in place to minimise the risk of fraud and also actively engage in detection of fraud within the accounts function. Internal controls are also successful as means not only of deterring or preventing fraud, but also of exposing acts of fraud. Many of the causes of fraud can be guarded against and, together with analysis of reports and trends and the investigation of errors and anomalies, fraudulent activities are often expose. The typical measures introduced in practice to help deter and prevent fraud has been identified as: Educating staff and raising awareness of the possible types of fraud and the likely impact of fraud on the organisation and its stakeholders. Whilst there is a belief that that such education could not only alert staff to types of fraud but could also encourage staff to indulge in fraudulent activities, research shows that money spent on educating staff and promoting staff awareness does in fact deter fraud and in the long run benefits outweigh costs. 6.4.2 Monitoring performance and making sure that accounting procedures are being followed. One member of staff, for instance accounting technician when his review and recommendation process is  completed, could be delegated to perform this task with all the discrepancies and suspicious activities reported to the management and appropriate action taken to mitigate risks. 6.5 The company can support individuals who operate accounting sys tems using training, manuals and written information and help menus. 6.5.1 Training- well trained staffs operate their accountancy systems more effectively than the untrained staffs. A review of the training needs of the company and its accounting staff has been undertaken, these have been identified as follows: General ledger and inventory clerk- appropriate training in the work of the Sales Clerk would relieve pressure from the Sales clerk who has no accounting or credit control qualification and who has a heavy workload during busy periods. 6.5.1.2 Purchase ledger clerk- this member of staff is already familiar with the work of the sales ledger section and an update of skills in this area is worth considering. The Purchase Ledger clerk is part AAT qualified and expressed an interest in studying for intermediate level 3 exams. 6.5.1.3 Sales ledger clerk and credit controller- this staff member has experience of the purchase ledger having worked as a Purchase Ledger Clerk before joining IWL. Some further training in this area would give a greater degree of flexibility. The clerk has expressed an interest in professional accountancy training and this should be encouraged. 6.5.1.4 Payroll and Personnel Database clerk- this staff member is working on a recently installed system has a heavy workload and is in need of additional training. Further training by a company who sold IWL new system is recommended. The clerk has an accounting qualification but further training should be discussed. 6.5.1.5 Costing technician- this is the only member of staff that has the experience to operate costing system. This member of staff shows reluctance to gain accounting qualification. The issue needs to be reso lved to the benefit of the company. 6.5.2 Manuals are files containing documents which provide the user with detailed information relating to procedures and operating activities. An example of the manual is handbook created by the Finance Director of the IWL relating to the IT systems. 6.5.3 Help menus- are aimed at providing assistance to the system user by allowing them to query items relevant to their effective use of the system. It provides the information on how to use the software in the correct manner. Sage payroll has such a facility in place. 6.5.4 Written information- the example may be company policy handbook issued by the Finance Director. 6.6 Every member of accounting staff is required to comply with statutory and organisational requirements. The types of controls that can be put in place to ensure compliance may include: data security controls and administrative controls. 6.6.1 Data security controls are put in place to ensure that the organisation’s data files are not subject to unauthorised access, change, disclosure to unauthorised persons, loss, damage or destruction. The IWL has a data security controls in place, however these are not being adhered to properly. It is recommended that staff should be informed about requirements of changing the password regularly and that unauthorised person should not be given access to the company’s computers. 6.6.2 Administrative controls can be categorised as segregation of duties, written policies and procedures and supervision. Due to lack of staff training, it is not possible to segregate and share duties between workers as they are not multi-skilled. This rise a possibility of error occurring as well as fraudulent manipulation of the system. Written policies are in place however, accountability and responsibility for implementing should be clearly defined. Every member should be informed about the consequences in case the procedures are not followed. Supervision of individuals or groups involved in the processing, checking and use of information within the system is essential. It is recommended that the activities of staff should be controlled by either member of the BODs or the Company Accountant. 6.7 The potential areas of fraud arising from lack of control within the accounting system have been identified as inventory control section and the purchase ledger section. Inventory control system would benefit from acquiring the Purchase Order Processing module which would improve the accuracy and reliability of the inventory control and would minimise risk of fraud. The Purchase Ledger section need more supervision as the Purchase Manager seems to be the most unreliable and suspicious person.

Preparation

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Youth Involvement in Disaster Management

Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 1 The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Youth Involvement in Disaster Management Presentation Paper for the Youth Session at The 5th Annual Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management At the Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica By Stephen O. Akeyo, MA, MSA, Ph. D. Student Indiana University, Indiana- USA December 9, 2010. Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Outline I. II. III.IV. V. Abstract Introduction Current Issues Analysis How I look at the Necessity of Youth Involvement Justification for Involving Youth People a. Fostering a sense of local ownership b. Promoting Individual’s right c. Hand-on Experiences VI. Lesson Learned a. Previous Account of Youth Involvement b. What is being done to address Youth Involvement VII. Recommendations for Good Practices 1. Education and Information sharing 2. Tabletop and Drills Exercises 3. Supporting Youth Programs 4.Youth Direct Research Involvement a. Service-Learning Experience i. Being Disaster Ready ii. Community Service 5. Ongoing Research Study VIII. IX. Conclusion References Akeyo, S. 2 Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster I. Abstract Akeyo, S. 3 Can young people perform well when they are involved in disaster preparedness and planning roles? Social norms have often failed to incorporate youth in leadership roles and decision making process even during emergency situations.Sadly, when a disaster strikes in any given community, youth and children are found to represent more than a third of disaster victims, yet their response role in a disaster is generally restricted to that of passive victims. The tremendous contributions that young people can make to disaster management are largely untapped. Involving young people in disaster management can help them learn topics that affect their lives while at the same time gaining hands-on experience designed to equip them become tomorrow better leaders.A ny comprehensive disaster management that is designed to incorporate youth in its programs, not only benefits creativity and energy of young people but also in the process strengthens partnerships for resilience. This paper will address current issues affecting disaster management, the role of youth in disaster management, experience and lessons learned from organizations â€Å"such as; the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; the 2004 Tsunami disaster that impacted the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia; the 2006 Katrina disaster in New Orleans – U. S.A; and Plan International case study in El-Salvador. This paper will recommend youth involvement in their own community disaster management activities such as table-top exercise tailored into identifying risks; designing community emergency plans as well as their own; exercising a plan; setting up early warning systems; and implementing response; mitigation; and risk reduction plans. Conference participant will be challenged to adopt best practices and be encouraged to conduct further research study and platforms designed to foster youth-adult partnerships for resilience.Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster II. Introduction Akeyo, S. 4 Disasters and emergencies such as fires; severe weather; tornadoes; earthquakes; floods; pandemic event; life threatening situation; equipment failure; a cyber-attack or a terrorist attack can strike anywhere at any time with little or no warning. Such disasters and emergencies come with no respect of geographical or national boarders and never occur at convenient times. All emergencies are â€Å"local† phenomenon of which young people and children are a part of.Young people and children must therefore be prepared and trained in all matters pertaining to disaster response. They can use this knowledge to save their own lives and even defend their communities’ livelihood. The world population statistic projection given on World Youth Report in 2002 indicated that youth alone without including children and adult at that time comprised nearly 30 percent of the world's population as it shows in the diagram bellow (UN-New York, 2003): In any disaster, young people and children represents more than a third of disaster victims.Most humanitarian sector restricts these minors involvement to more of being in a Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 5 â€Å"passive victim† role. Providing youth and children the opportunity to be directly involved in disaster preparedness activities enables them to develop skills that prepared them for any threat that may come. There is evidences of spontaneous rescue efforts done by youth and children which were direct result of prior involvement in rescue missions conducted by youth clubs and organizations such as the Boy’s and Girl’s scouts; Pathfinders Club; and many others alike.Involving young people and children in emergency preparedness activities valid ates their capacity to be responsible members of their community who thus are entitled to more respect than what is typically extended to them in these types of situations. Youth involvement in planning, decision making and in the implementation of emergency preparedness programs is critical to the long? term success of sustainable disaster management initiatives and community resilience (UN- DSD, 2009).In the past there have been a number of barriers that hinder youth involvement in disaster management; which includes attitudes concerning the abilities of youth compared to experienced adults, and the up-down mode of societal norms. This paper will suggest that involving young people in emergency preparedness activities will promote an increase in the net community resources in confronting emergencies and enhancing community resilience.Furthermore, involving youth in disaster management process would enable disaster responders, managers, community leader, government agencies as well as humanitarian entities to draw on the full range of community resources when disaster strikes. Therefore, there must be a forum that will allow such collaboration to take place. III. Current Issue Analysis We live in communities that are increasingly becoming vulnerable to natural as well as manmade disasters that cause substantial loss of life, economic damage.Disaster = Natural or Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 6 manmade hazard + vulnerability. Risk = (hazard x vulnerability)/capacity. Unfortunately, our communities are not well prepared to deal with such disasters when they come as a result of inadequate knowledge or an ability to mitigate and respond to the disaster in due time. As a result, many people lose their lives and properties or find themselves trapped in disaster high spots which they cannot escape without external intervention.Frequently when a disaster strikes, it forces vulnerable communities to temporarily or permanently evacuate the comfo rt of their homes, neighborhoods, workplace and institutions or confine themselves to their home, leaving them without basic services such as water, gas, electricity, telephones or emergency help. Community vulnerability to disaster can be elaborated better with the bellow (Khan, 2008): Figure – 2. What is Disaster? Vulnerability Disaster Hazard Underlying Causes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.Limited access to resources Illness and disability Age/Sex Poverty Other Dynamic Pressure Lack of: 1. Institutional training 2. Education/Skills 3. Population growth 4. Urbanization 5. Uncontrolled development 6. Environmental Degradation Unsafe Conditions 1. 2. 3. 4. Dangerous location Dangerous building Low income level Dangerous jobs (police, mines etc. ) Trigger Events 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Earthquake Tsunamis Floods Cyclones Volcanic -eruptions Drought Landslide War/ Terrorism Technological Accident (Car/Plane etc. Environmental Pollution Disasters accounts for 98 percent of the cu mulative number of people affected by natural disasters and 77 percent of total reported economic damage (WMO, 2007). In the least developing countries (LDC) in particular, climate-related disasters accounted for 89 percent of Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 7 the total economic damages (WMO, 2007). Most people in developing countries have limited capacity to assess climate risks and lack available weather information required to plan adaptive responses.These people are more likely to be severely affected by climate-related diseases, such as influenza, diarrhea, cholera, meningitis, dengue, and malaria. Weak infrastructure, poor communication networks, shortage in electricity supply, low public awareness, and insufficient resources in many communities and neighborhoods hinders the provision of timely climate and early warning advice, which can delays response efforts causing an impact to become of significant amount (EM-DAT, 2009). IV.How I look at The Necessit y of Youth Involvement Though disasters are local phenomenon, in these modern days their devastating impact can be felt beyond borders of impacted nations in terms of human, material losses or the flow of refugees. It is therefore important that the disaster reduction efforts be addressed in a multilateral and comprehensive way. These unforeseen disasters require immediate, coordinated and effective response by multiple government agencies, volunteers, relief agencies and private sector in order to meet human needs and speed recovery efforts.Comprehensive disaster management and emergency preparedness should be based on the concept of active young people’s participation in all phases of the disaster cycle. Rather than seeing disaster-affected youth as victims or passive recipients of outside assistance, good disaster management must recognize the value of including them in the planning process. There is no better resource in a community than young people. It may be easier to obtain funding for projects and related disaster preparedness programs, but without sufficient community resources in place, disaster preparedness and risk reduction are not possible.Resource building enhances Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 8 community capability and provides positive response to various emergencies; reduce disaster risks, and helps foster confidence, dignity, and resilience. It is a fact that when a disaster strikes, local people are the first to respond, before any other outside agencies arrives to and assist in recovery efforts. Many of these first responders who struggle to save lives with limited resources at their disposal before more help arrives to take assist are energetic young people.Sometimes local elders may know which members of their community are hardest hit, and what kind assistance is appropriate for them, but they will ask young people to give them help. Young people must therefore be included, trained and empowered to carry out disaster prevention, preparation, and planning and response efforts. V. Justification for Involving Young People a. Fostering a Sense of Local Ownership Traditionally disaster management has been dominated by top-down relief efforts that assume children and youth are passive victims with no role in disaster preparedness.Involving youth in disaster preparedness process not only benefits them, their families, and communities, but also contributes to grassroots empowerment which boosts levels of ownership within their overall disaster preparedness plan. Research has indicated that when young people receive preparedness training they are more likely to act wisely and protect themselves against abuse; exploitation and illegal drug trafficking (UNICEF, 2007). b.Fostering Youth’s Ability to Act In life it is very hard to maintain a positive mindset when people have no faith in you. Youth are an enormous pool of energy, talent, and enthusiasm eager to contribute to society. The t ime has come whereby young people’s ability as agents of change must be recognized. There some unique abilities and skills that young people alone can bring to the table, such as Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 9 intercultural communication and innovative use of technology (ICRC, 2010).Many have made a difference in their neighborhoods, schools and even at the national level by address safety issues and seek solution for the existing problems (NCPC, 2001). Youth possess unique strengths, which are enhanced by community support and collaboration. Given opportunity to as participants and not observers will to introduce them and get to be part disaster management agencies within their local communities, across their borders and around the world. Compared to adult, many youth are trained in public speaking, ournalism, intercultural music and dance, communication, cultural harmony. Young people already have power; of being united through social networks such as MySpace, twitters, Facebook and they will use it interact in a very short time. Youth can influence easily their peers to be disaster ready. Adult mentors should work closely with youth in an effort to incorporate their ability and talent in disaster management process. c. Promoting Individual’s Rights Although our social norms have such often portrayed young people as dependent and helpless victims in emergencies.In practice, however, the reverse often applies and youth commonly have far more options open to them than do adults. The notion that excluding young people from direct involvement in calamities helps protects their well-being and trauma that adult face is undermining their resilience and coping in the context of adversity. Around the globe young people have proven to be faster in responding and volunteering in relief efforts when disaster strikes (Perren-Klingler, 1996). Young people want to be part of the big picture in making contribution that makes a differen ce and changing lives.It is the right of young people and children to be recognized and be interacted with as dignified humans rather than treating them just as vulnerable and helpless disaster victims who are only objects of charity. They Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 10 should be encouraged to use their potential to become agents of change globally. Their ideas and energies can be put into good use. The idea of involving youth and encouraging their participation in risk reduction measures is in line with international commitments which legally bind the signatory states to observe the rights of children and youth (Silbernagl, 2010).Like adults, young people also have a right to participate in decisions and efforts to address disaster management and risk reduction within their communities. Their rights include being trained and supported in understanding and making positive contributions to matter that affect their livelihood. This is in line with articles 6, 12 and 13 of the international legal framework set under the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, which upholds children’s rights to (Plan, 2005). d. Hands-on Experience Involving young people in disaster planning provides opportunities to reach beyond our traditional â€Å"top-down relief efforts. This becomes a link that equips young people to take on new roles and become active agents of change. Most jobs nowadays require applicants to have some experiences which are technically not taught theoretically in college class rooms. There must an employer who will be willing to offer an opportunity to on the job training. The inexperienced young people likewise need mentors in disaster preparedness process who are willing to work closely with them by involving them in active roles that gives them hands-on experience to eventually fill-in the shoes of their adult mentors when they are no longer available for duty.Adult and youth can learn from each other. Blending experien ces of adult to young people new ideas and innovations works better as playing flat (white) and sharp (black) keys on the piano. There will be always unquestionable wisdom, experience and knowledge which can Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 11 only be found from the adult (Old School). However, young people may also have skills such as foreign languages, technology that adults do not have, or are challenged in mastering.Adult mentors must therefore pass-on the touch of qualities in their young mentee. If they can let go of their tight control, be patient, and trust the process, mentoring will become more effortless and enjoyable, and will be responding to recommendations from the research on resilience and on nurturing success stories. It is important that mentors must realize they are making a difference in the lives of young people by creating inside-out social change. This is preparing future leaders, who are disaster resilient, compassionate, and job ready a nd good citizens.Thus, the united effort of young and old will result in strength, while diversity may only hinder the effort of the desired community resilience when disaster strikes. VI. Lesson Learned a. Previous Account of Youth Involvement The contributions young people have made in emergency response within their own communities are easily traced to such incidents as the Indonesia Tsunami of December 26, 2004. Consider the incredible story of Tilly Smith, an 11 year-old from England, vacationing with family when tsunami occurred. This proves how prior lesson she learned about tsunamis in geography class was used to save lives of many.When she noticed strange behavior of the sea on the morning of the tsunami, she convinced over 100 people to leave the beach before the struck minutes later (Randall, 2005). Another example involves a number of young people who actively participated in saving the lives of others, often times putting their own lives in jeopardy, until the internati onal relief workers and emergency responders could arrive. â€Å"These young people all over the affected region took action, helping to distribute aid, assisting with clean-up and rebuilding efforts, looking after those younger than them, and using their creativity to letRunning Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 12 others know about the devastation (ISDR, 2005). During this stressful disaster, a call went out in the Maldives – â€Å"Whoever can help, please come. † Each volunteer was given an age-appropriate task. Many adults stayed away but the young people came forward. When a psychosocial counselor was sent to concentrate on possible problems with young people, she couldn’t find anyone. â€Å"They were all working,† she said (UNICEF, 2007). Another example of youth involvement in a disaster comes from hurricane Katrina.Hurricane Katrina which made landfall on August 29, 2005 and resulted in death of over 1,000 citizens and caused approxim ately 80 percent of flooding to the city of New Orleans within 18 hours (U. S. White House, 2006). Shortly after the disaster occurred, a group of young people for the Vietnamese American Association of Louisiana took an active role in assisting the Vietnamese community with evacuation, relief and recovery efforts (Leong, 2006). They were also able to translate information from formal English sources (i. e. FEMA and American Red Cross) to their non-English speaking family members in order to pass on important messages such as the location of evacuation safe places, relief supplies and food distribution centers, and registration for FEMA assistance. During the recovery period, these young people were instrumental in boosting morale among the younger children and bringing attention to other risks affecting their community. Plan International has mobilized children and youth in El Salvador, Central America, to play a significant role in environmental resources management and disaster r isk reduction.The children and youth have worked with their communities in developing risk maps, designing community emergency plans, setting up early warning systems, and implementing response, mitigation and risk reduction plans, among other activities. Plan International's experience in El Salvador has already been replicated in other Central American countries (UNISDR, 2007). Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster b. What has been done to Address Youth Involvement? Akeyo, S. 13 There some few steps done by various disaster management organizations that are significant initiatives in addressing youth involvement in disaster management.One agency that involves youth in local community disaster and emergency preparedness is the U. S. Federal Emergency Management agency (FEMA) which is tasked with planning. This agency provides an in-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness course on its website (FEMA, 2009). Another major provider of disaster management worldwide is the Internation al Red Cross- Red Crescent Society. This agency is active in mobilizing youth to take active part in disaster situation to help their neighbors across their own streets, across the country, and across the world each year.In developing countries, evidence of youth platforms that address disaster management is taking place. On October 27-29, 2010 in the eastern African country of Kenya, youth held a national wide youth convention to campaign for disaster management initiatives. This conference held in the city of Nairobi was an example active platform that were held to mobilize and build capacity of youth and prepared them to respond to climate change and environmental degradation.Conference participants attest that it was a perfect opportunity that was used well by the organizers to include youth in disaster management and decision making process in the effort to address climate change at local, national, regional, and continental level (Tuwei, 2010). In country of Uganda, youths hav e appealed to decision makers to involve them, at all levels, in the effort to address the climate change under the theme, â€Å"Time for Action†. Director and Head of the Youth Affairs Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Dr.Fatiha Serour said, â€Å"International Youth Day gives the world an opportunity to recognize the potential of youth and celebrate their achievements† (Kigonya, 2010). In the Caribbean, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 14 must be commended for introducing and involving 16 member countries for youth disaster management activities during their annual Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Conference in 2009.This initiative of CDEMA will promote youth involvement in various communities they represent and the overall disaster management development in that region. Likewise, Pan International mobilized youth in El-Salvador to play a significant role in environmental r esources management and disaster risk reduction (DRR). This initiative is currently benefiting their community through a joint taskforce of youth-adult in developing risk maps, designing community emergency plans, setting up early warning systems, and implementing response, mitigation, and risk reduction plans, among other activities (Plan International, 2007).In 2010, Plan International facilitated 54 focus groups across Haiti, where young people had the opportunity to discuss the impact of the earthquake on their individual lives, and what they needed most in the recovery process; and to share their hopes and dreams for the future of their country. It is reported that the youth were enthusiastic to be involved in the rebuilding of their country, and wanted to take part in the work being set out towards a prosperous future for Haiti (PLAN, 2010).Lastly, the 2007 national meeting on â€Å"Policy Advocacy for Enhancing Community Resilience to Natural Disasters Focusing on Children a nd Youth† held in Jakarta, Indonesia was held to address the importance of involving young people in the disaster management process (UN-ESCAP, 2007). VII. Recommendation for Good Practices A study done by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) suggested that social capital was the predictor of more effective human functioning, stronger institutions and community resilience (Diaz, 2008).Furthermore, strengthening individual, community and private sectors in disaster preparedness has both and strategic value (Flynn, 2010). Therefore, Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 15 good practices that can help include young people in the emergency management process can be successfully achieved by following these recommendations: 1. Education and Information Sharing Generally, young people are not aware of what emergency response leaders and relief agencies may expect them to do or know when a disaster occurs. Such information is critical to successful emerg ency preparation and disaster response and recovery efforts.Information sharing is a principal component of an effective emergency management strategy to help a community improve its level of preparedness, response capabilities, and resilience. Youth forums, conferences and workshop are the best example of information sharing. Participants can pass relevant information to their peers, by sharing of knowledge or information and training obtained. Relevant information shared with young people on disaster risks will unify communities and promote a culture of disaster readiness and collaboration at all levels that include disaster experts, responders and other stakeholders (ISDR, 2005).However, all information collected must be analyzed for accuracy, authenticity and urgency before incriminated to the targeted individuals. Local communities should provide disaster and emergency preparation and response training programs to all citizens; especially youth designed community training progr ams promote citizens to take personal responsibility in preparing for and responding to a disaster. Sufficient staff should be trained in working with youth and children so that they may understand and recognize the importance of their participation in disaster response, relief and recovery efforts.Disaster training for children and youth should include age-appropriate lessons in preparing for emergencies, response behaviors, CPR and basic first aid, water safety, and basic child care. Educational leaders can develop school-based curriculums that address these topics. Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 16 Furthermore, NGOs and church-based organizations can also be used to help provide disaster preparedness training to young people as well. Training youth and children in disaster preparedness activities before an emergency occurs helps them to survive and provide assistance to others. . Tabletop and Drill Exercises Planning is the key! Necessity of planning can be illustrated by the famous a story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. â€Å"There was an important job to be done and Everybody was invited to do it. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Infact, Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that. Everybody wouldn't do it.It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done† (Unknown Author). The tabletop exercise is essentially a group brainstorming session centered on a scenario narrative and problem statements or messages that are presented to key players in emergency response. Tabletop exercise can be utilized to increase youth awareness of risks that surround them, (Strength, weaknesses and Opportunity and Threats) and how they can better prepared to deal with them before disaster happens.This will help not only the young people bu t also the emergency coordinators in examining response capabilities, and evaluate coordination with other agencies e. g. Law enforcement, emergency responders, establish closer working relationships and within local and outside coordination. Tabletop exercise can also be used to acquaint the young people on the policies, procedures, roles, communication and responsibilities before, during, or after the simulated event. Youth mentors must work with the youth to decide whether do a full-scale exercise that involves local first responders and professional moderators or just aRunning Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 17 simple affair conducted by in-house disaster planners and youth in training. The scenario can also be discussed on how much gloom and doom you want your tabletop exercise should look like (i. e. Involving injured people, property destruction etc. ). This will help both the adult and their mentee to test how quickly they can pull together key players. This ex ercise process will provide a less stressful, more time effective method when the actual emergency happens. 3.Supporting Youth Programs Every community, emergency managers and responders should work with new as well as existing youth organizations to address the local issues, concerns and proposal for success. If community has several youth groups, it can be helpful to assign each on with specific roles and responsibilities which will make them expert in their trained response role. Emergency personnel must develop such caring relationships not only between adultyoung people but also between youth-youth, emergency responder-emergency responder, and emergency personnel-community.Teachers and mentor should reflect personally on their beliefs about resilience, and also, as a staff, exchange experiences-both personal and literary- about overcoming the odds (Resiliency In Action, Inc. , 2007). Such relationship and opportunities for active youth involvement: small group process, cooperat ive learning, peer helping, cross-age mentoring, and community service makes participants feel to belong to â€Å"a family,† â€Å"a home,† â€Å"a community. 4. Youth Direct Involvement a. Service-learning Experience i. Being Disaster ReadyIt is very important to know that, if one cannot take care of them self, it will be impossible to take care of others. Youth can be given individual training that will help them be Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 18 mentally and emotionally prepared to act promptly and to develop in them the ability to take care for themselves, and applying practical survival skills as needed. Individual training must include being informed of disasters that are most likely to occur in their community, be helped to develop and practice their response plan and get survival kits.In most situations, disasters impact is felt by the whole family. Youth can be trained on how to they can be involved in their own family’s emerg ency plan. Youth must know how to work as a team of their respective families in learning basic emergency skills and how to react when faced with fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, explosions, warning signals, fallout protection, terrorism attacks, and other emergency situations. ii. Community Service Youth can be trained according to their capabilities to take active role in the community response plan.Such activities as, volunteering to provide health care and first aid services in reception centers, homeless shelters, food bank, care for elderly in nursing homes, helping at respite centers or child care facilities, can be good experiences for the youth. They can also be involved in evacuation of casualty from the scene of the event, transportation of ill, injured, infirm to reception or medical facilities. Service-learning experiences engage young responders in the educational process, using what they learn in the classroom to solve real-disaster scenarios.Such a practice will promote confidence and experience in their over role performances and in adherence procedures and policy. By rendering disaster management services to the community, youth will eventually improve skills necessary for civic action: leadership, communication, decision-making, problem solving, teamwork, relationship building, planning and organizing, concern for others. They also increase their knowledge about their communities and gain confidence, interest andRunning Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 19 motivation and in working for their communities. Moreover, young people engaged in disaster management activities gain skills in leadership, problem solving. b. Ongoing Research Study Disaster management is an applied science that needs constant scientific research, theory testing and updates. Young research should be identified and be involved in meaningful research design and implementation of research roles especially in issues that affect their lives.They should be emp owered to collect data and report on information to raise awareness of a problem and/or advocate for change in the condition underlying the community need (for example, youth analyze a community’s emergency preparedness plan and offer suggestions for how to improve the plan). This learning opportunity will enable young researcher to provide their insights, talents and perspectives in their own environment, appropriate to their level of development and expertise. For better results, emergency managers must therefore partner ith these young researchers, students as well as other professionals worldwide across multiple disciplinary perspectives of emergency management to develop and promote solutions that bridge the theoretical and practical applications of comprehensive emergency management. A wellintegrated youth-adult research study will lead to innovative tools and applications that empower the local, national and international communities, create a context for partnerships, and generate research findings that can be used for future disaster management interventions and improvements in ongoing practices. VIII. ConclusionThis initiative to involve youth and to promote youth engagement is not an easy task. While youth have historically been recipients of basic personal safety education in emergency preparedness, they have not been included in community wide preparedness activities. However, that may be changing. Ever rising emergencies and disasters are a reality that all must face Running Head: Youth Involvement in Disaster Akeyo, S. 20 together. It is important to recognize that youth engagement initiatives, collaboration and partnerships in disaster management have multiple payoffs that save lives and promotes resilience in difficult times.Moreover, involving young people who are involved in disaster preparedness will bring a revolutionary change in society. The youth of today will become leaders and parents of tomorrow, which will ensure that they pa ss this knowledge to their children. Making disaster preparedness a societal practice can as a result be passed on from generation to generation. Youth involvement in disaster management will therefore succeed only if they are given. Adult mentor may run up against complex, messy, and difficult problems while molding the youth. Sometimes they may even be discouraged and give up the task.Likewise, the young may think the older mentors’ ideas or approaches are not proper and primitive which may result into conflicts. The truth is, every good outcome requires hard work, a sustained commitment to working as a team, and a willingness to listen and learn from each other. Developing trusting relationships between young people and adults does not happen overnight; but with sustained engagement and guidance, young and old can work shoulder by shoulder to prepare and respond to disaster when it happens (Pearson, 2010). R

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 27

Summary - Essay Example That is how Huxley views the society functioning based on the ideals of a â€Å"Technocracy† – society with lost spiritual belonging and personal transcendence (Miller 2011). Further, the author explains that a technopoly is a more radical concept than technocracy and explains it from the Postman’s perspective, whereas Huxley’s society in the novel is good example of a technopoly. Also, there is analyzed the concept of black-and-white standardization and compared to the Huxley’s case system. Based on this approach the postmodern society becomes more and more limited because of standardization. Miller (2011) provides several examples to illustrate the existing problem, including the problem of standardization of education. Putting of children into groups based on the criteria of their age, and teaching them to learn for good grades as a key factor to career success is one of the problems that the author has identified to be similar to the Robinson’s video and cast idea (Miller, 2011). The author is challenging the established and widely accepted formal working hours and its effectiveness to the overall organization, including the employee, the boss (entrepreneur) and the client. The problem raised in the article lies in the fact that people tend to spend their time at work even when they have done all the tasks. Many office workers spend the last hours at work by surfing the Internet or re-reading emails (the so called â€Å"face time†) as they don’t want to be perceived as idlers. Pozen (2012) explains this behavior can be transcribed as ignoring or even discouraging efficiency in the workplace. Another concern raised here was the common perception of senior managers that people who are working till late hours and during the weekends are â€Å"reliable†, â€Å"dependable†, dedicated† and â€Å"committed† employees (Pozen, 2012).

Great War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Great War - Essay Example leadership of Winston Churchill did not want to participate in the War because, he felt the country had immigrants from all the fighting groups and it would be difficult to join either group. According to Winston, if America had stayed away from the War, peace agreement would have been reached between Germany and the other allies and Russia could not have suffered from Communism, while Germany could not have enthroned Nazism. Other people felt that the war hard no economic, political and social gains. In this case, many people did not get any reasons for joining the war. At that time, American had many inhabitants drawn from all over the world. Most of the immigrants had already acquired American citizenship and hence, by America joining the war, it would have appeared as if American is at war with itself. It is understandable that most of the immigrants had close ties with their ancestral homeland. Some of these immigrants were already recruited in the American army. This further ag gravated Americans not to be involved in either side as information would have leaked to immigrants’ ancestral army. Another reason that prevented countries such as America and Canada failed to join the fighting countries as there was no apparent economic gain in the war. It is important to note that the war was basically concerned with massive destruction of property and killings all over for no economic gains. In this case, these countries made a decision to stay out of the war. Furthermore, it should be noted that the countries that fought during the World War I invested huge sums of money in the fighting. A lot of resources were needed to buy tankers, fighting jets, ammunition, guns and other dangerous chemicals that were used in the war. All this money was invested for no material gains and hence Americans and other countries failed to join in the war. Another reason that contributed to Americans staying out of the war was the pressure from the socialists, labor unions,

Freud The early Twentith Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Freud The early Twentith Century - Essay Example Dora's father had been a patient of Freud's and recommended that she seek treatment from him after discovering a suicidal note on or in her writing-desk (Freud's account is equivocal on this particular). Though her father did not suspect that she would harm herself, he was "none the less very much shaken" (Freud 17) and sought help for his obviously ailing daughter. Dora's symptoms included a host of somatic and mental affects such as dyspnoea (difficulty breathing or hysterical choking), aphonia (loss of voice), hysterical unsociability, and depression. All of these symptoms Freud would trace back to the repression of Dora's sexuality. The willful repression of the sexual urges Dora felt for the adults around her (including her father, her father's mistress Frau K., and her husband Herr K.), Freud concludes, is responsible for all of her hysterical symptoms and, using the interpretative techniques developed in The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud attempts to show that Dora's denial o f these conclusions is a resistance to her own natural inclinations. In other words, Dora represses her true desires and this repression is the source of her hysterical symptoms. "Whereas the practical aim of the treatment is to remove all possible symptoms and to replace them by conscious thoughts," Freud writes, "we may regard it as a second and theoretical aim to repair all the damages to the patient's memory. These two aims are coincident. When one is reached, so is the other; and the same path leads to them both" (Freud 11). In other words, Freud must convince Dora of the correctness of his psychoanalytical interpretation in order for her symptoms to abate. The impairments to her memory, Freud claims, are just those repressed desires that have caused her hysterical symptoms. She must accept Freud's analysis in order to be cured of her ailment. It is this diagnosis of the origin of Dora's symptoms and the path to a cure that I wish to challenge. In order to effectively demonstrate the flaws in Freud's account, I shall turn to the circumstances leading up to Dora's treatment. Dora's father was in a loveless marriage with a woman whose interests in life, we are told, were confined to the upkeep of the family home. Dora's family had moved to a health-resort outside Vienna to provide a better climate for her father's tubercular ailments and made friends with a couple that had lived at the resort for several years, Herr K. and his wife Frau K. Frau K. became her father's nurse and, in time, his mistress. Dora cared for the K.'s two children and was "almost a mother to them" (Freud 19). Two incidents of a sexual nature occurred between Herr K. and Dora, both of which Freud would misinterpret to his patient's detriment. Herr K. would accompany Dora on walks and one day made sexual advances toward her after a trip to the lake. When she told her father about the incident, he called on Herr K. to explain himself. Herr K. denied any such overtures and conjectured that Dora had imagined the whole thing. She had, after all, "read Mantegazza's Physiology of Love and books of that sort in their house on the lake" (Freud 19). It was, Herr K. claimed, most likely that she had been over-excited by such reading and fantasized that Herr K. might be amorously intwined with her. Much to Dora's

HR practices Business Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HR practices Business - Article Example According to the author evaluating the human resources practices of a firm can help you find way to better employ the talent a firm has (Durkin, 2011). A technique or tool that was mentioned in the article that can help managers evaluate their human resources practice is HR audits. The use of an HR audit can give a manager assurance that the human resources practices of the company meet the current legal standards and uphold the internal policies of the company. It can be beneficial for professionals in the HR industry to belong to professional organizations. An organization that has a lot credibility and power in the industry is the Society for Human Resource Management. The organization’s website has a HR audit tool kit that can be used to perform a preliminary audit of the HR function of a firm. The HR function of a company does not replace the necessity for a legal department. Companies can save money on legal expenses by having a lawyer firm on retainer rather than pay a fixed monthly payment to the lawyers of a department. The implementation of an HR audit can help the firm identify potential legal risks associated with its handling of human resources. The strategy is a proactive approach towards risk management. A problem that is occurring often in corporate America is a lack of knowledge about HR regulations and laws. A lot of companies in the United States are breaking labor laws unknowingly. The fact that many companies do not know the laws does not exempt them from compliance. â€Å"One fundamental human resource function you should inspect is the gathering and filing of employee information, from the application to the termination of employment, and all documentation in between† (Durkin, 2011). A common problem in regards to this type of documentation is proper safeguarding of the information. It all starts with the simple things such as having an employee filing cabinet with a key. The human resource department should separate the per sonal information of employees in various categories. There is sensitive information such as social security number, age, medical record or disability data that should not be in the normal employee file that the managers have access too. Access to such data can lead potential discrimination from the managers towards a specific employee. Companies also have to comply with the Family Leave Act. Employee record retention requirements vary by state law with some common federal laws. Confidential information must be protected to protect both the employer and the employees. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 stipulates companies must keep payroll records up to three years. A topic in human resource that was often discussed in class that I believe should have been talk about more in the article is training and development. The author mentioned that it was important for companies to invest in its human resources, but he did not provide solutions to solve the problem. The performance of employees in a corporation can be improved through training and development. The proper use of training and development can improve the employee retention rate of the company. Investing in training and development should be a company wide initiative, but the firm must also identify talent that deserves advance training because the company determined that the employee has potential. The managers of corporations should receive more training than any other employee since they are responsible for the performance of

Write your opinions about the character of Iago from Othello comparing Essay

Write your opinions about the character of Iago from Othello comparing with your own experiences or personality - Essay Example The same sentiments are common in our daily lives, people always make their own decisions by trying to come up with conclusion pertaining others. They tend to judge others on a negativity basis (Shakespeare 23). He has also capabilities of charming and persuading people, in expense for his trustworthy and loyalty. Though he had a desire to retaliate and revenge, despite of his lack in evidence. People tend to be hypocritical in their daily chore (Shakespeare 33). They behave differently from their real character. This is meant to blind fold others, not knowing what are the great traits in others personality. It is so hard to separate between real and fake individuals in life. He is also very glad to damage Desdemononas happiness in the process of revenging on Othello. Individuals full of jealously will always wish you drop below their levels, majority in working environment (Shakespeare 43). Although he is deeply rooted in unpleasant, he choose his intellect ability to lay a plan and convience others. This portrays great deception in his traits. Majority of politician tend to deploy a strategy, to lie and cheat on the people in the name of getting votes and their selfish desires (Shakespeare 27). Leadership especially in African perceptive is meant on empty promises. These are people who use deception language to persuade others in voting them. At the end lago believed he was going to be punished, though his fate was left in casinos hands. He left with his evils plans by standing on his violent and cunning

Environment xenoestrogens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environment xenoestrogens - Essay Example Until now, the focal area of endocrine disruption has been on the chemicals that mimic oestrogens (xenoestrogens). But, the recent proof suggests that quite a number of abnormalities in the human breast could be interceded by means of the androgen receptor. The main identified risk factor remains lifetime exposure to oestrogen. In view of the involvement of oestrogen in the development, progression and treatment of breast cancer, questions have to be asked concerning potential interactions of the many chemicals in the environment which can be stored in breast tissues and which can mimic the action of oestrogen. The source of such compounds can be dietary, from plants (phytoestrogens) or from environmental contaminants of food/water (xenoestrogens) but I have proposed that an alternative route for exposure may be through the long-term regular application to the underarm of a variety of cosmetic ingredients with oestrogenic activity. The molecular basis of oestrogen action involves the interaction of the oestrogenic ligand with intracellular oestrogen receptors, ER' and ER', which function as ligand-activated transcription factors to alter the expression patterns of hundreds of genes and to regulate growth of human breast cancer cells. This project will compare the ability of different oestrogenic ligands to bind to ER, to regulate gene expression and to increase cell growth. A substantial literature search will be used to identify the oestrogenic potency of the many oestrogenic ligands which can enter the human breast and calculations will be carried out to estimate exposure of the human breast to individual chemicals and to complex mixtures of chemicals. Much of the existing focal point in the field of endocrine disruption is in the backdrop of the oestrogenic action of a variety of artificial chemicals. The capability of a chemical to unite to the oestrogen receptor, either in vitro or in vivo, has been in use as an explanation of oestrogenicity. The concern is that whether exposure to the chemicals which have steroid-like action can disturb the regular endocrine function, which can lead to distorted reproductive capacity, endometriosis, infertility, and cancers of the uterus, breast, and prostate (Colborn 1995, Jensen et al.1995, Safe 1995). The occurrence of a powerful anti-androgen can actually create an 'oestrogenic environment', thereby producing indications which directs to oestrogen exposure. Vertebrates generate steroids through a system which inhabits the chronological degradation of cholesterol to progestins, hence androgens (e.g. testosterone) and finally oestrogens (e.g. 17'-oestradiol). This pathway is available

Chapter's summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter's summery - Essay Example Seizing leadership in everyday conversations is a great art. To an extent it is God-given but one can achieve that level by constant practice. Such perfection in the art of conversation with the backup of solid backgrounder information is an attainable reality, so that the words spoken carry a deep impact and not a passing influence. The listener responds with the feeling that something tangible is added to his knowledge on the subject. When a person speaks, one’s inner perceptions come to the fore and the speech has the impact on the person or the audience with whom one interacts. If the impact is positive, the framing aspect is perfect. If it is negative, more efforts and exercises in the area of framing are needed. With the charismatic leadership the role of language is unique and such leadership makes proper use of metaphor, analogy etc.at the proper time. What you speak is no doubt important; but how you speak what you speak, supported by the wealth of relevant informatio n is more important. Such level in the art of speaking is possible by proper framing. The listener feels amply rewarded and shows an express intent to get more and more details when he interacts. He remains attentive. In chapter I the quote that appeals to my heart immensely, is what we remember of John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address when he said, â€Å"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.†(1) The brevity of the idea and the profound impact that it creates instantly on the audience is worth emulating. This type framing carries the universal appeal and it addresses to the entire humankind. This quote has two important parts. It appeals to the citizen to be less demanding and perform more in the interest of the nation. The hearty expectation of sacrifice for the national interests is ingrained in the appeal of President Kennedy. It hints in style about the responsibilities

Women were second-class citizens in the year 1900 Essay Example for Free

Women were second-class citizens in the year 1900 Essay Women were second-class citizens in the year 1900. How far is this a true assessment of women at the beginning of the Twentieth century? This is difficult to answer as it is hard to determine whether all women had the same problem or whether some were better treated than others. There are many views as to whether women were second-class citizens and it is a widely speculated point as many different people have many different answers. There is much evidence that women were second-class citizens in the year 1900, but there is also evidence that they were not treated too badly and some even liked the way things were. In spite of this, some campaigned for more equality in many areas such as political rights and marriage. This is shown in many ways. There were limited job opportunities and women were only allowed to do domestic service, nursing, teaching, factory work, shop work or living at home and working there. Despite this, women seemed happy with most of the jobs available to them and did not really want new jobs. Women also had limited education opportunities. Women, like men, had a compulsory primary education and occasional secondary education, and a few even went on to study at Cambridge. However, few were allowed to do degrees in university and the quality of the education women got was lower than that of the boys. Also girls were generally taught things that only women do such as needlework and housework as well as letters and arithmetic etc but the boys were taught how to do farming and office work instead. This meant that women had few job opportunities due to the limit in their knowledge and education. The women in 1900 had quite good right when it came to marriage, due to campaigns in the late 1800s. Even though the church saw women as subordinates, they managed to get many new rights for themselves due to hard work and campaigning. There was a Custody of Infants Act passed which meant that women who were divorced were able to keep their children. The Married Womens Property Acts in 1870 and 1882 meant that they were able to keep any land they owned before they got married as their own and not their husbands. The Guardianship of Infants Act and Married Womens Act in 1886 allowed women even more freedom when it came to marriage and divorce. This shows that in 1900 women were not too badly treated when it came to marriage. Working-class and Middle-class women had life very differently. Working-class women generally worked all day and came home to housework, cooking, cleaning etc. In contrast to this, most middle-class women did not have to work as their husband supported the family. Despite this it meant that the middle-class women had very little freedom and although they were not tied down to working life it gave them very little to do and therefore they were probably treated more like second-class citizens than the working-class because of their limited opportunities. Women had very little freedom when it came to the vote. They were almost certainly classed as second-class citizens when it came to political rights. This is evident because, although women were allowed to vote in all kinds of local council elections, they were not allowed to vote in parliamentary elections. This meant that they were classed with criminals and the infirm of mind. Some women objected very strongly to this. Women in 1900 had very little political power, if any at all and this is an indication that they were viewed as second-class citizens. In conclusion I think that women in 1900 were not completely viewed as second-class citizens in many respects because, as is shown above, they had previously gained a lot of rights not open to them before the 1850s. This meant that, although in some areas such as the vote, political rights and many job respects they were treated as less than the men, they were not completely treated as second-class citizens. The fact that they were viewed as second-class citizens in some respects shows, in my opinion, nothing but human nature as every being looks down on something, in this case, the men looked down on the women and the women looked down on the children who had even less rights than they. This is still true nowadays as humans, even though we are now largely equal, look down on people of different nationalities, race, religion, colour etc and also humans look down on animals which in turn look down on each other for example; the lion is the king of the jungle so it probably looks down on the tigers etc. This is just the nature of living creatures so in my opinion, women were not treated too badly in 1900 and have come a long way since then.

Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Legalization of Marijuana Essay One of the major issues that Texas and the rest of the States governments are facing right now is the debate on Marijuana, whether or not to legalize it or decriminalize it. The questions are being asked and discussed, what are the effects? Will legalizing marijuana lead to increased use? Is it a gateway drug? And how many people are getting arrested for minor possessions each year? The illegality of marijuana in Texas is a problem because it is causing users to resort to supporting the black market; it’s a drain on taxpayer’s money and causing major overcrowding problems in the prison system. I propose legalization of medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, and decriminalizing charges associated with marijuana along with age and quantity restrictions to solve this problem. Texas legislature and the rest of the States are all debating this issue, but most of the common public is misinformed or has a stigma on what marijuana is and how it affects you which can lead to many misinterpretations on the plant or a stigma against users. Most of the time it can lead to loss of a job, prison and permanently stains your criminal record. So, what is Marijuana? It’s a drug made from the dry shredded parts of the Cannabis sativa hemp plant. This plant contains a chemical called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or more commonly known as THC. What studies have discovered is that it’s very similar to chemicals that the brain naturally produces but it disrupts the natural function of these chemicals in the brain by overloading your senses. Marijuana smoke can also irritate the lungs and frequent smokers can have the same respiratory problems experienced by those who smoke tobacco. Any type of smoking leads to risk of lung cancer. Marijuana has many effects on the brain, this includes but is not limited too short-term memory loss, motor coordination, slow reaction time, mood swings and in some cases can cause severe anxiety. Because of these effects it is believed to be one of the leading causes of car crashes, second only two alcohols. One of the greatest questions asked about Marijuana, is it addictive? While most people believe no, the truth is  statistically 9% of those who try Marijuana will become addicted. Youth are more susceptible than adults and about 2.7 million people in the U.S alone meet the criteria for marijuana dependence. (lung.org) THC stimulates brain cells to release the chemical dopamine, which creates a euphoric feeling and can lead to a physical addiction. Similar to tobacco withdrawal, people trying to quit marijuana report irritability, sleeping difficulties, craving, and anxiety. While there are certainly benefits and proven cases of medical marijuana helping people cope with epilepsy as well as cancer patients using the plant to cope with nausea and other symptoms, we must ask ourselves, do these benefits outweigh the risks? Yes the symptoms from smoking marijuana regularly aren’t good, but the symptoms received from marijuana are some of the same symptoms that people get from excessive smoking of tobacco products. Or you could say that the loss of motor function, short-term memory loss and slow reaction time are also symptoms of alcohol abuse. Yet both tobacco and alcohol is legal, with not one medical benefit. Marijuana is illegal even though it has been proven to help some people cope with their disease in some cases, yet its possible to get jail time for one gram of weed. Marijuana is a multi billion-dollar industry, but because marijuana is illegal on the Federal level, taxpayers are seeing none of that money put back into the economy. Instead all the profits are going straight into drug dealers pockets through the black market. Its estimated that the market for marijuana in California is about 3 to 5 billion and that Cali makes up roughly 10% of the national drug market so it could be estimated that the National market is about 30 – 40 billion dollars a year. (Canorml.org/) If marijuana was legalized on a National level all of that money would be pouring in and stimulating the economy, which has been on a steep decline for the past decade. The fact is that â€Å"roughly 750,000 people are arrested for charges of minor possession of marijuana each year, which is roughly 48% of all drug arrests in the United States† (drugpolicy.org) The taxes required the citizens of the U.S to just maintain the prisons alone cost a fortune. â€Å"The cost of prisons was $39 billion in fiscal year 2012† (vera.org/) This means that its costing regular citizens $18.7 billion to put marijuana users behind bars. This is not only a drain on U.S resources but it’s also a major source of overcrowding of the prisons systems. Currently the U.S incarcerates 1 in nearly 100 American  Adults. (alec.org) There are better ways of dealing with crime than mass incarceration. Now how does all this relate to Texas? Currently there are 8 bills in Texas’s house of representatives regarding decriminalizing or legalizing medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. However nothing has been officially decided in the current legislative session. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that lawmakers would not approve legislation that would legalize marijuana. â€Å"I don’t think decriminalizing marijuana is going to happen this session,† Abbott said during a news conference. â€Å"I will see Texas continuing to lead the way of diverting away from activity that involves drug use and helping people lead more productive lives.† (Dallas News) But although laws have not been passed to decriminalize possession of marijuana, Abbott did acknowledge efforts to get people off the herb rather than slamming them in jail and crowding the legal system. â€Å"Texas has really been a national leader with regard to drug diversion courts and drug diversion programs,† Abbott said. â€Å"Our goal is not to stockpile prisons with people who are arrested with minor possession issues, our goal is to help those who are found with minor possession take a pathway that is more productive than what jail provides.† This potentially means that there is a source of agreement in Texas legislature that there are some abuses that are happening within the justice system regarding marijuana laws. The â€Å"War on Drugs† has is a waste of Texans taxpayers money and legislative resources as well as causing an overcrowding issue in our prison systems. Not to mention that Texas alone could bring in $166 million in revenue from medicinal marijuana alone which would give a huge boost to the economy. (dallasobserver.com) Legalization would eliminate almost half of the criminal population in Texas resulting in clean records and better chances of getting a decent job in the Texas work force. It would nearly abolish half the black market drug trafficking since about 50% of drugs being brought in from other states such as California or countries like Mexico is marijuana. Without the stigma and the illegality of marijuana that money would go to the states and the economy rather than supporting the criminal underground. All of these problems could potentially be solved through legalization of marijuana for recreational use but subjected to the same age and quantity restrictions as alcohol or tobacco. The sound evidence for legalization of the herb is causing marijuana opposition arguments to go up  in smoke. Work Cited; Annotated Bibliography â€Å"10 Facts About Marijuana† Drug Policy Alliance, 25 July 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. 10 common facts about Marijuana. Will legalization lead to increased use? Fact: There is no evidence that implementing medical marijuana laws impacts the rate of adolescent use. How many people are arrested for marijuana each year? Fact: Roughly 750,000 people are arrested for marijuana each year, the vast majority of them for simple possession, with racial minorities over-represented. Misinformation and misrepresentation are the leading causes for the debate on marijuana legalization. ERIC SCHLOSSER INTERVIEW. PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. Frontline Interview of Eric Scholsser who has written several articles on impact of marijuana enforcement and how it affects the legal system. Schlosser makes the point n a lot of its internal dynamics to the McCarthy era witch-hunts, which I had studied in college. And the deep unreason to it and the hysteria surrounding it seemed very similar. And what concerned me most was how it seemed like another scapegoating. This country traditionally has gone thorough periods of intolerance where we look for scapegoats blame scapegoats and avoid dealing with our real problems. And the war on marijuana seemed like a classic example of that national tendency. So the question that I address myself to in the articles Ive written is how does society come to punish a person more harshly for selling marijuana than for killing somebody with a gun? Under the laws of 15 states you can get a life sentence for a 3rd non-violent marijuana offense but the average prison sentence for a convicted killer is about 6 to 8 years. Henrichson, Christian, and Ruth Delaney. Vera Institute of Justice: Making Justice Systems Fairer and More Effective through Research and Innovation. The Price of Prisons: What Incarceration Costs Taxpayers. VERA Institute of Justice, 29 Feb. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. The main argument for this source is the price of prison and what incarceration is costing taxpayers. Among the 40 states that participated in a survey, the cost of prisons was $39 billion in fiscal year 2012. Prison Overcrowding American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC  American Legislative Exchange Council. American Legislative Exchange Council, 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. Prison Overcrowding: The United States currently incarcerates 1 in nearly 100 American adults. America’s incarceration addiction grew during the late 1980s and early 1990s as state and local governments passed â€Å"tough-on-crime† legislation. For example, California’s â€Å"three strikes† law called for mandatory sentencing of repeat offenders, and New York adopted the â€Å"Broken Windows† strategy that called for the arrest and prosecution of all crimes large and small. The solution to this problem is decriminalization of possession charges on a Federal level. Marijuana. American Lung Association. American Lung Association, 2 Feb. 2015. Web. 09 Mar. 2015 what is Marijuana? It’s a drug made from the dry shredded parts of the Cannabis sativa hemp plant. This plant contains a chemical called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or more commonly known as THC. What studies have discovered is that it’s very similar to chemicals that the brain naturally produces but it disrupts the natural function of these chemicals in the brain by overloading your senses. The source states that many states are debating whether or not marijuana can be used as medicine. As of right now the FDA has not approved medical use because there is not enough evidence that the benefits outweigh the risks. Marijuana has also only been useful in a limited number of symptoms compared to the wide variety it has been promoted to â€Å"cure†. In addition it has been found not to be as useful in curing these symptoms as other FDA approved drugs for the same symptoms. THC stimulates brain cells to release the chemical dopamine, which creates a euphoric feeling and can lead to a physical addiction. Similar to tobacco withdrawal, people trying to quit marijuana report irritability, sleeping difficulties, craving, and anxiety. Economics: Drug War Facts. Economics. Drug War Facts, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. Data tables of the US Drug Control Spending. Source: National Drug Control Budget: FY 2016 Funding Highlights (Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy) See more at: http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/economics#sthash.MWYakCDP.dpuf

Effects Of Censorship Of Nudity Film Studies Essay

Effects Of Censorship Of Nudity Film Studies Essay An Idealistic view of film is nature without check with original energy (Walt Whitman, 1860); it is a free wheeling machine expressing thoughts, ideas and personal identity. A form of art that can be easily viewed and be approachable to the masses. It can also be viewed as a way to waken souls and bring others to a reality that could be theirs. Yet if we look at history we see that this form of art has been cornered into a pen, bitten on its heels by rules and regulations and commented on by boards of censors. Throughout this essay I intend to see the affects of censorship upon nudity through the pre-code era, Hays office and ending over the pond in England with a film that caused controversy for the images not shown and the perspective of the camera, Peeping tom (1959). Film has always been seen as a way of communication between people and as a way of expressing an issue to crowds without too much difficulty. This has obviously caused issues in the past as to the impact film has upon people and to those who are more vulnerable to exposed ideals or ways of life. Censorship covers many different aspects of film, from what is seen to the underlying subtext. Brought in to monitor the film industry in 1934 the Hays office was set on creating the Golden Age of film. This golden Age was set around ideas of a moral code, set on re-conditioning society from the flappers and Jazz, which during the Pre-code years was censored by the MPPDA (Motion Picture producers and Distributors of America), although their censorship was considered lax. It was a strict code that every picture was expected to regulate itself to. Although The Hays office is the most known regulating office, unions were created by the people such as the WCTU (Womens Christian Temperance union) and the DPPLA (Department for the promotion of purity in literature) to regulate what they saw. It is alongside these regulations that a coding system for age was created to allow a larger range of versatility in work although this was brought in 1968. As a society we have always singled out people, whether due to their race, sexual orientation or political views. This is no different in film. Within the golden age, Mae West (1893-1980) was seen as a victim of censorship. Her sexual past made her a target and a risk to the Hays Office; making her golden age turbulent. (Mae West, 1893-1980) A free wheeling sexual libertine victimized by a punitive censorship body staffed by a group of Victorian prudes (Mae West, 1893 1980) Wests history on Broadway caused her issues. She was known for Broadway Acts such as; Sex a tale of a prostitute (1927) and The Drag (1927). Due to both of these plays she was sent to jail on the grounds of obscenity. She was also later arrested under the same charges for the production of Diamond Lil. Yet images on stage were uncensored which gave West a chance Whereas in the film industry they were monitored with a close eye. The new problem they encountered with West was the way she still managed to make anything sexy. Clothe her up or down it didnt, make a difference. Due to this they started to try and distil her sexual presence through the disguise of stupidity or comedy, disallowing the viewer from becoming succumbing to her charms. This method was often used through out the Golden Age allowing producers to keep such actresses as West and Monroe in the later years without having the original reel cut too heavily. Thus Hollywood started to make the documentary of the world unrealistic. Film wasnt about the artistry of film making, but rather the way in which a head office could manipulate those watching to become and believe what they saw. Sexual liaisons were made undefined and ambiguous. Politics were close to unmentionable and god forgive you if you wanted to portray a relationship with someone from another race. King Kong (1933) and Tarzan and His Mate (1934) both bring up issues of racism and nudity within film. In king Kong we encounter tribal people. These tribes are witnessed to be wearing very little other than flowers around their necks and straw skirts. Although this sounds very Hawaiian it is a much more substandard way of dressing. The men are depicted with nothing upon their chests and the woman with bare legs, arms, shoulders etc. This in comparison to Ann who is fully clothed with the hint of an ankle and show of an arm is quite obvious. The idea being, that a woman depending on her race could be allowed to have more skin showing than another. This was obvious in the golden era where films disguised as documentaries, such as The love life of a Gorilla and Legong; Dance of the Virgins (1935) in order to be able to show images of nudity. Although this images were more shocking to the public for their obvious nakedness and did cause some uproar from the Hays office little was actually done to the editing to stop such ceremony of skin. Tarzan and his Mate (1934) escaped the Hays Office just in time, as it was brought round into the industry the following year. Unlike King Kong it wasnt nudity in the aboriginal race but rather that of the character brought into the wild environment. This was the step forward the industry had been trying to make. Allowing White woman the same expression through nudity as others. Occasionally a naked woman might be spied in part or whole. Inspired by expeditionary films that exposed native girls in a state nature, the studios sought to extend the custom to white women in exotic environments (Thomas Doherty 1999) This is exactly what Tarzan accomplished. It had brought the naked white female form to the viewing audiences. Although a body double was used for the nude underwater scene, the scene was real and it was there. Nudity was coming onto the screen, or thats what they thought. Within a few months of the picture being released it was brought back to be censored by the newly brought in hays office. The underwater scene and other certain shots were taken away and only brought back years later for the public view. (Tarzan and His Mate, 1934) Although the progression of nudity was relevant in the pre-code era such laws were brought in after, to stop these kind of steps forward from happening. The Idea of being naked and out of the house but in a natural environment is a step away from reality and probably a reason why such a transgression could have be made before the Hays Office and then evolved from then onwards in baby steps. Duel in The sun (1946) poses us with the question of the morality of the main girl, pearl. From the beginning we see that her mother is a dancer who also gives in to other mens needs other than her husbands. We see from the beginning that Pearl is dancing outside the club, mimicking her mother, it is even expressed by a man passing that she is becoming like her mother and smiles in approval. We are led to believe that Pearl is a mixture of pure and evil as her parents are mixed. From this we gather a sense of a double identity that both excites others and causes them to also be protective these responses are split between the two brothers both possessing one. Duel in The Sun (1946) Within the film we are presented with a temptation of a nude figure in an interrupted swim scene, where pearl is being watched by one of the brothers. She hides in the reeds and asks him to go away, but to no avail, we do not see the ending but they end up coming home together. This is likely to be regulated by the Hays office, as making sexual liaisons and situations ambiguous was one of their ways at keeping some more fruity pieces of work within films. Within this seen we are not able to imagine what they do when we leave but what is under the water, as before she is interrupted we get a glimpse of a figure with bare arms and legs. This natural display of the body is compared nicely to its surroundings creating an enticing view for the spectators as it has a youthful naive feel to it. Duel in The Sun (1946) Within this scene we are presented with a pearl covered in little other than a woven blanket. Although she exposes legs and is obviously naked underneath the overall out come is that of a scared and intimidated woman. It is also meant to be a comedy shot in which she is being taught about the sins of the flesh and not giving into temptation; a comical contrast to the way in which she is presented. This is the most likely reason for her being presented in such a way upon the screen. Although at a stretch it can be said that such unveiling of a Woman on screen could be down to her mixed race it was also a progression forward as it was seen in Hollywood that a different skin would entice less of a moral outburst in comparison to whether the Woman was Caucasian. Although this could be seen as a stretch the idea of confronting racism was still a way off with American society and racism was a part of everyday life. It was in fact noted that Hollywood in the pre-code era was trying to bring nudity to the Caucasian form. Some like it hot, starring Marilyn Monroe was as much a comedy as a sexual spectacle. Her Costume was tight and flaunted her curvaceous figure with such precision that she was just contained within it. This is a leap forward in the contrast to duel in the sun as Pearl is dressed, although appealingly, in flowing garments that give a hint to curvature and progress in flaunting her asserts throughout the film getting more and more tight around her upper body. (Some like it hot 1959) As we can see above Monroe has been dressed in a very flaunting dress. Although covered over the breast the material is a lightweight and partially transparent mesh. Giving more whilst covering the important areas. We are also privileged to see from her knee downwards. Overall a lot of skin is revealed in contrast to Duel in The Sun, where pearl in everyday attire is covered. We also have to take in to consideration the job of Monroes for the role, which is that of a lead singer for a girls band group. In this group she is notorious for getting into trouble and falling for wayward men. This is easy to see in the way in which she dresses provocatively. (Some like it hot 1959) Her role is likely to be a driving factor in how she has been allowed to dress in this this film. It can also be seen that it has passed the Hays Office due to the comical side of the film, erasing all sexual presence as each sexual moment is in fact comically dressed, even Monroe has been created as a figure to make fun of. Her character is dreamy and not all there, she drinks consistently throughout the film giving her the look of a lost cause hanging on waiting for her fairy tale dream to come true. In fact the dream also registers some homosexuality at the end where as they run off one of the cross dressing men reveals to the old man hes led on (as a scape goat) that he is in fact a man. The man Winks and carries on driving the boat. This in itself would of caused some form of an uproar though the way this has been juxtaposed at the end and the comical twist allows it to be taken lightly and it becomes non-threating to the audience. Peeping Tom(1959) when first shown caused outrage. It wasnt necessarily because you saw anything particularly gruesome; in fact you saw nothing of the sort. It was the way in which you became to murderer, through his line of sight. You saw what he wanted you to see. The idea of being so close to the mentality of a man who isnt mentally stable as he tries to capture what he calls the soul of a person through the use of filming them and seeing their fear. The film shows the uncomfortable reality of the addictiveness of catching a moment, questioning what is right to capture on film and what is not. The film not only creates a voyeuristic atmosphere but documents his movements his life and his strange behaviourisms. It is this closeness to the character, his thoughts laid out bare on film, that creates and uncomfortable viewing sensation to the viewer. Nudity in the film is shown little, other then near the beginning when he goes to his second job as a pornography photographer. Here the girls are dressed in flimsy underwear and are shot in poses although not vulgarly. There is a quick shot in a restored version of the film allowing for a quick flash of one of the girls breasts, rumoured to be the first nude female scene in British feature film. The society that first watched a viewing of this film was outraged and the film was banned. Yet it is the interest in the voyeurism of the piece that made the nudity (and other parts of the film) unacceptable. The feel of the sexual tension and the ability to feel like you were there was to high a risk for the censorship boards. Nudity in comedy or a way in which a character could be disconnected from the viewers could be worked upon but this came to close to reality and endangered the audience. It was only in 1968 that the MPPA also known as the Hays Office was by a movie classification. This system allowed Hollywood more range within their films as they could regulate who would be allowed to view the reels. The rating system went as: G, PG, Pg-13, R or NC-17. It would also cause less distress with parents, as they would know that their children would be unable to see films inappropriate for their age. The reception of nudity in Hollywood has taken years to understand. To understand that its not something to be afraid of but to embrace and monitor as if you would a child. The naked body is a piece of art and should be accepted as such, yet with nudity in a motion picture the sexuality of the body is noticed. Yet other films industries, for example those in main land Europe have always managed to keep nudity harmless and natural Maybe it is the fantasy that is Hollywood that makes nudity so much more than what it is. It is the presentation of nudity that needs to be addressed not the harsh censorship of it.