My city should enact an ordinance prohibiting businesses from Essay

My city should enact an ordinance prohibiting businesses from distributing plastic shopping bags with retail sales - Essay Example c. Environmental degradation This section will highlight how plastic paper bags contribute to environmental degradation and what can be done by authorities to reduce the effects of plastic bags on the environment. d. Dangers to human life. This section will discuss how plastic bags endanger human life. The section will also provide examples of situations whereby human life is endangered by plastic bags. e. Summary This part will give a summary of what is contained in the paper. The section will also give a few suggestions on how to end the hazards caused by plastic bags. f. Works Cited This section will list all the sources that were used and consulted during this research. Introduction Non biodegradable substances are used in the manufacture of plastic bags. Therefore, they do not decompose and are quite durable, during which time they separate into toxic particles which contaminate waterways and the soil. Plastics are large molecules that consist of units known as monomers. In plas tic bags, the units of monomers are known as ethylene. Plastic bags have been shown to pose a hazard to marine life, human life and contribute to environmental degradations. ... Manufacturing a new plastic shopping bag is cheaper than recycling, the reason why more and more bags are being manufactured as people shop. This increases dependency on foreign oil, which is used in the manufacture of plastic bags. Natural resources are depleted as the earth is extracted and destroyed in order to mine oil to manufacture plastic bags that are used, on average, for 10 minutes then dumped. Traditionally, plastic bags are made from polyethylene. Polyethylene is in turn, made up of monomer ethylene chains derived from petroleum and natural gas. Petroleum and natural gases are non renewable natural resources. Therefore, their products are getting costlier or diminishing every day with increased mining (Stillwell 63). Petroleum and natural gases are vital for everyday lifestyles as they are used in lighting, heating, transport and as raw materials in factories. With the current circumstances without a viable option for energy sources, petroleum and natural gas supplies sho uld be controlled to avoid a situation where industries would grind to a halt. It has been documented that the number of barrels of oil used globally are between 60 to 100 million annually in the manufacture of plastic bags (Stillwell 63). This oil could be put to better use. Therefore, what was a short-lived convenience for shoppers soon becomes an ecological hazard to all in habitants of the earth. Hazards Faced by Marine Life Due to Plastic Bags More than one million marine reptiles, birds and mammals succumb to plastic bag-related deaths each year (Brown 1). Some get entangled in them, losing limbs or life, while others ingest them. Sea turtles, for instance, consume plenty of jelly fish in their

Han Poems ( Chinese Poetry ) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Han Poems ( Chinese Poetry ) - Research Paper Example It is worthwhile to note that the Han dynasty led to the development of different poetic forms. Thirdly, China has the modern period poetry that is characterized by westernized free poetry structure (Maghiel Van Crevel 405). The Han poetry also known as classical poetry was developed during the Han period. This is the period during which, the Chu lyrics advanced and evolved into the fu lyric. In this lyrical pattern, a poem is simply in rhymed verse except for the introduction and the concluding passages, which are in prose. More often, the introductory and concluding parts of the poem are in the systematic form of questions and answers. This form is often referred to as poetic essay. For instance, Xi Kang’s Qin Fu is a perfect of the poetic form in this context. The Han poetry was also characterized by the yue fu poems (newpages.com). The yue fu poems are simply song lyrics that were inclusive of indigenous folk songs as well as, versions of renowned artists such as Li Bai. T he literary history of Chinese history was dominated by the fu genre which is a descriptive prose combined with verse. The Han period is described as an important cultural flowering age of the Chinese poetry. ... , the emergence of the Han poetry, Confucius has the credit of revolutionizing the Han poetry due to his effort in educating pupils on poetry by use of the book of songs whose impact on Chinese literature led to the undisputed success of the Chinese poetry. Undisputedly, the vigor and realism of the Han art inclusive of poetry is notably among the most sophisticated periods in Chinese lengthy history. Most people fond of art are curious to find out the founder of the Han poetry who is none other than Liu Pang. Liu Pang (forum.kungfumagazine.com). In a comprehensive detail, the Han poetry was written during the period dating back to 206 B.C-A.D.220. The Han dynasty lasted during this period. The form of writing was simply the â€Å"yuefu† style. A later period of the Eastern Han was characterized by poems, which were in the form of five characters in each line. The repetitive use of five characters in each line stood out as the distinguishable attribute that achieved melodious smoother effect evoking subtler human feelings. The Han poetry was written in the form of the fu genre until the classical period when it began to develop into the modern known as Shi form. In contrast to the fu genre, the Shi form has seven characters in each line. The Han poetry entailed the use of an adopted persona to address a wide range of topics in the ancient Chinese society (Maghiel Van Crevel 344). Concisely, the Han poetry is a reflection of the territorial expansion of China hence the purpose for which it was written was to record the history of China. During the Han period, China experienced a drastic development in knowledge, which led to its tremendous expansion linking it to other countries such as Syria, Iran and India. The Han poetry gives a detailed account of the sorrow filled,

The Chrysalides Essay Example for Free

The Chrysalides Essay During the course of the novel The Chrysalids we learned and traveled into the minds of some of the characters. All of the characters had their strengths (as well as weaknesses) but one character in particular seemed to keep her cool and lead her group of friends with a power known as ESP (extra sensory perception) away from a place known as Waknuk where they would be hunted and killed werent it for the fact that they all looked like regular human beings. The name of the girl I speak of is Rosalind. She plays a very big part in the story even though most people dont pay much attention to the things she does, she in essence keeps the group together and keeps them alive because she is a determined, resourceful and self-reliant young woman. To start lets look at some of the characteristics that make Rosalind who she is. A large part of her personality revolves around her determination in everything she does in life. (this includes her love life, her motherly attitude, the safety of the group etc. ) Lets start with her love life. In the early stages after David and Sophie are separated because her deviation is discovered we find out that Rosalind and David start to like each other, we find this out more through David then Rosalind as David is mainly the one speaking in the novel and we know that they like each other because things like She was handsome, with a face you could not help watching; she was attractive, too, in the way she moved and carried herself, (93) and I loved the bronze-gold hair that felt like heavy silk in ones hand(p. 149) It is also stated in the book that they would ometimes go into the fields to meet with each other and keep a romantic relationship but they could not do so as often as they would have wanted to because their fathers did not quite like each other The feud between our families which had first come into the open over the matter of the great-horses had now been established for years. (98). In terms of her determination towards her motherly duties at the time (taking care of Petra) she was always making sure she was safe even if it meant taking her away from David emotionally. It also served as a relief to her having another female other than David that she could vent to. She was also determined to keep Petra calm when she was scared of what would happen to the group and try to get information out of her calmly when she contacted the people of Sealand. for example when she says Did you ask her the name of the place, darling? Rosalind inquired. and But it is, darling. You get them from her, then you show them to us only gently, so that we can read them. (136) She would say words like darling and keep calm and say things in an upbeat tone so that she would cooperate and tell them what they wanted to know. To finish off this topic of discussion I look toward the fact that Rosalind was always determined and ready to help the group when they needed it. She did various things throughout the book to show her determination to the group. These actions were very beneficial and helpful but may have gone unnoticed because she was always the one pulling the group together so we forget about the smaller things she did and usually just recall the big things. For example, some very important things she did that could have gone unnoticed during the course of the book include the fact that before David and Petra had to leave home because the group had been discovered, they had not packed very much for the journey as opposed to Rosalind who had everything set up and ready to go at a moments notice. This small detail in the plot could have made the difference between life and death for the 3 of them. I say this because if Rosalind did not have everything set up the way she did it might have taken too long to get the horses or they might have run out of food on the way and starved making them incapable of finishing their journey. In essence we can already see that Rosalind is a true leader and we can also see by the last example that she is a very resourceful young lady. She demonstrates this in many parts of the novel and every time she shows this trait it not only helps the group proceed in their journey but also advances the plot. To start if we look back to the novel we can see that in every case where a plan needed to be made or a task executed she would be at the front lines getting everything ready to ensure that everything went smoothly. This included events such as the escape from Waknuk which I have already mentioned AND also the route for the journey they would take to get into the Fringes. She would also make contact to Michael whenever she could to get a status report on the soldiers position Whats happening? I asked Michael. Was that your lot shooting? No. That was the other party. Theyre trying to draw the Fringes men across their way so that we can come in from the opposite side and take them in the rear. (173) During their travels the group would also meet up with some people they didnt particularly want to see. Rosalind being the resourceful quick thinker she is would quickly take care of them with whatever and however she could. Perhaps I was sleeping lightly, or it may have been just coincidence that I woke up to catch an anguished thought from Rosalind. Ive killed him, Michael. Hes quite dead . . . Then she slid off into a panicky, chaotic thought-shape. (103) This just goes to show that her resourcefulness and committed attitude strengthens her overall personality and she will go to great lengths and use as well as do whatever she has to do to keep the group safe, which truly displays her personality and the type determined resourceful kind of person she is. To conclude there is one more point that must be addressed that brings her personality all together. Rosalind never had anyone at home or in her family she could talk to. For the most part she had to grow and learn for herself. This is what gives her, her protective shield and bring her together as one of the strongest (if not the strongest) member of the group. In every aspect of her life that we know of in the novel she relied on herself and got things done for her well being as well as the well being of those she cared about, because she was incredibly self-reliant. She always took things into her own hands and would even scold or get away from people if things were being done wrong Do you mean to say thats all youve brought? she said disapprovingly. ( ) She also took an active role in being a parental figure for Petra even though she had no parenting experience. She would simply rely on what she knew from what she had learned from what she had done through her mistakes and accomplishments and apply it to her real world scenarios. And in doing so would also give her the capacity to apply a game plan to other scenarios in her life such as how to keep everyone quiet about the groups powers and how to avoid and escape dangerous situations. It could even be said that being alone helped her develop her mind faster and that her armour would keep her in her thoughts long enough to be able to make non-rash decisions which could have ultimately led to the groups overall victory in the end. In conclusion the aspects of Rosalinds personality let her strive in a community where she would not have been accepted.  Knowing this Rosalind trained herself in the 3 key personality traits I have discussed which allowed her to be able to carry herself and the group to a triumphant victory over the people of Waknuk and allowed her to finally be able to take off her armour She turned her head. The under-Rosalind was in her face, smiling, shiny-eyed. The armour was gone. She let me look beneath it. It was like a flower opening. (208)which was probably Rosalinds biggest accomplishment.

Social Work Law Problem Question

Social Work Law Problem Question Melanie, a social worker working for the social service department of the local authority, has just been assigned a possible child protection case as the nursery school attended by a child called Sophie aged 3, has alerted them about their concerns about her. The school are worried about Sophie as she has recently become withdrawn and has not been playing and interacting with the other children. She also comes to nursery sometimes looking rather unkempt and dirty and a couple of weeks ago when the children were discussing what they eat for breakfast, Sophie said she doesnt have breakfast. Sophie has not been at nursery for the past week. Melanie arranged to pay a visit to Vicky, Sophies mother and discovered the following by way of background. Sophies father is Darren who lives with them intermittently. Darren has been violent to Vicky when she was pregnant with Sophie and she obtained an injunction against him and they separated before Sophie was born. However, they resumed their relationship when Sophie was 6 months and since then Darren has lived either with Vicky and Sophie or he often stays with his mother when there has been an argument. Vicky seemed depressed and said there had been an incident at the weekend and Darren has gone back to his mothers. The house is dirty and Sophie is home is still home from nursery. Melanie notices how thin Sophie was and also that she had bruises on her right arm which Vicky says were as a result of a fall in the playground at nursery. Melanie arranged to pay Vicky a visit again the same time the following week and when she turned up no-one answered the door. She asked a neighbour passing by whether they had seen Vicky and/or Sophie. They replied they hadnt seen them for a few days but heard Vicky shouting and swearing at Sophie in the garden the other day. They said they saw Darren outside the house yesterday. Melanie is seeking your advice as to how the local authority could proceed next. Advise her as to the duties of the local authority in this situation, and what her legal options are, whether or not Vicky co-operates. Ensure that you provide Melanie with information not just on the measures that can be taken in the short term, but also, in the long term if necessary. Following a referral from the school, the local authority need to consider what harm Sophie may be facing and the appropriate solution needed. Clearly, concerns are expressed in the instant case as to whether Vicky and Darren are properly fulfilling their parent responsibility. Just as the Children Act 1989 imposes duties on parents, it also imposes duties on the local authority. The Children Act 1989 s47 requires the local authority to investigate cases where there is reasonable cause to suspect that the child or children concerned are suffering or are likely to suffer significant harm. The Act requires the local authority to act, wherever possible, in partnership with the parents of the children. Encouraging co-operation between parents and local authority and maintaining, wherever possible, the care of the child within the family are the guiding philosophies of the Act. Sophie satisfies the test for children in need, hence, the local authority has a statutory duty under the Childr en Act 1989 s17(10)(a) as It would appear that both Darren and Vicky seem unconcerned about the difficulties that their child is suffering; the issue is how to endorse Sophies welfare long term. There are two long-term child protection measures in the Children Act 1989, the care order (Children Act 1989 s33) and the supervision order (Children Act 1989 s35). It is suggested that the care order is the more appropriate order. As Sophies parents are not considerate, the more coercive powers of the care order, including the local authority gaining parental responsibility under Children Act 1989 s33(3) may be necessary. It seems working with the family by providing support would be ineffective and instead a more coercive approach might be necessary under Children Act 1989 Part IV to assist parents and children in need. This general duty to children in need requires the local authority to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Sophie has not been attending school, she is physically thin and has been verbally and physically abused. In order to obtain a care order in respect of Sophie, the local authority will first have to satisfy the threshold criteria in the Children Act 1989 s31. These are that they are satisfied that the child, here Sophie, is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm due to lack of parental care or to be being beyond parental control. This test does seem to be satisfied. Harm is defined in the Children Act 1989 s31(9) and it is clear from Re O (A Minor) (Care Order: Education: Procedure) (1992) that this can include truancy. Any application made under the Children Act 1989 will have the childs welfare as the paramount consideration s 1(1) and the court will be reluctant to intervene unless it can be shown that the making of an order is better than leaving things as they are s1(5). An education supervision order is made on application, usually to the Family Proceedings Court, wh ere the local education authority acts in consultation with the social services. The Children Act 1989 s36 requires children of compulsory school age to attend school or else an education supervision order may be made. Sophie is of compulsory school age and it does seem that she is not being properly educated according to her needs, age and ability, given the amount of time during which she is absent from school. Section 36(5) creates a presumption that a pupil at a school who is not attending regularly is not being properly educated. Thus, it would seem that it would be possible to show to the court that Sophie is not being properly educated. If the court was satisfied of this, it could appoint a supervising officer to ensure that the child attends school. This supervising officer takes responsibility for guiding and assisting both the child, Sophie, and her parents, Vicky and Darren, in understanding the importance of education and laying down certain guidelines to ensure that Sop hie does attend school. The order will usually last for one year but it can be extended or conversely it can be discharged on application by the child, Sophie, or her parents or, if all is going well, by the education authority. If, however, the supervision order does not succeed in getting Sophie to attend school, then the local authority may need to consider the more drastic step of seeking a care order. A care order is available under the Children Act 1989 s31 and is only available once the local authority has carried out preliminary investigations to see if any action is necessary to safeguard or promote Sophie, see, 47(1). Generally, the local authority must consult both Sophie and her parents but, if the case is an urgent one or consultation may prejudice Sophies welfare, the local authority may act without consultation. In any application for a care order, both Sophie and her parents must have notice and be made respondents to the application. Since Sophie is a child it is usually necessary to appoin t a childrens guardian to act to safeguard her interests. The childrens guardian will talk with Sophie and try to ascertain Sophies feelings and wishes in regard to the present position. Sophie is obviously entitled to be consulted and clearly her co-operation will be essential for the smooth running of any future plans concerning him. The statutory grounds for a care order are found in the Children Act 1989 s31. The Family Proceedings Court must be satisfied that the child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. This does not require proof on the balance of probabilities that there will be harm in the future; it is enough to show a real, significant likelihood of harm see, Newham London Borough Council v AG 1993. Harm includes ill-treatment or impairment of health and development. In the present case, it does appear that Sophie is being ill-treated at home and her lack of attendance at school, and her parents apparent unconcern of the situation, do seem to indicate that maybe his health and development are being impaired. The second criterion under s 31 is that the harm or likelihood of harm is attributable to the care being given to the child or likely to be given to her if the order is not made, not being what it would be reasonable to expect a parent to give him, or secondly, the child being beyond parental control. This is an objective standard based on what a reasonable pa rent could or could not do, Lancashire County Council v A (2000). In Re O (A Minor) (Care Order) (1992) the persistent truancy of a child was deemed suitable for a care order to be made and this would be the case here. Since neither Darren nor Vicky is able to control Sophie to ensure that she attends school, or they do not particularly concern themselves over her attendance, this would show that it is not reasonable for them to behave in that way concerning the education of their 3-year-old daughter. Again, as with any Children Act 1989 order, the childs welfare is the paramount consideration see, s1(1) and, in order to determine what would be in Sophies best interest, the s1(3) checklist would be examined. The first consideration in the checklist would be the wishes of the child, Sophie. She is still a child and definitely at the age where the court would consider her wishes. However, this does not mean that she would be able to dictate to the court what she wished to do. Definitely, her disinclination to attend school would not result in the court deeming any care order unnecessary. In fact, her inability to behave maturely in respect of her education may indicate that her wishes will not carry a great deal of weight. The second criterion on the checklist is the childs physical, emotional and education needs. Clearly Sophie is in need of some guidance, and the fact that she is not attending school, she is a child who seems to be drifting through life. The apparent unconcern of her parents seems to indicate that something must be done for Sophie. However, whether this would necessarily require her to leave her home and be taken into the care of the local authority is another matter. Th e court may decide that a less draconian measure would be more suitable. If Sophie wishes to remain at home it may be that the shock of being threatened with removal will be enough to make her mend his ways. If the court is of the view that Sophie and her parents may be able to correct the defects with a little assistance from other persons, then maybe the education supervision order discussed earlier, or a supervision order, will be more appropriate. The supervision order under the s 31 criteria requires the threshold of harm in s 31 to be satisfied. However, the effect of a supervision order is very different. A supervision order does not vest parental responsibility in the local authority; instead, a supervising officer, either a local authority officer or a probation officer, is appointed to assist and befriend and advise the child and his parents ( s 35(1) ). The supervising officer will do what is necessary to ensure that the child is guided and that her welfare is promoted. U sually a supervision order lasts for one year but it can be extended up to three years by one application; to continue beyond the three-year period another application would be necessary. The supervising officer will try to give directions to Sophie: telling her to attend school; possibly also requiring her to participate in certain activities; and imposing obligations with the consent of Darren and Vicky to help them deal with Sophie and promote her welfare. In Oxfordshire County Council v L (1998) a supervision order was considered appropriate for six children. This was because the parents wanted to meet their obligations to their children, and with help from the local authority they were likely to be able to do so. Another issue is the verbal and physical abuse Sophie had. The incidents at school, the physical abuse and the verbal abuse at the garden, gives considerable cause for concern over Sophies health and well-being. Nevertheless, it is not clear that there is any actual abuse and the local authority should proceed with caution in this very delicate area. For now, regarding Sophie a case conference should be held in which the childs welfare and situation should be discussed. On the other hand, there is the concern that consultation with the parents and with Sophie may increase Sophies unease and could be detrimental by causing delay. Consequently, the local authority needs to act to get to the bottom of the problem and found out exactly what is concerning Sophie. If Sophie has been abused. One option would be to apply to the court for a child assessment order. Such an order is available to the local authority and will enable it to find out exactly what is going on in relation to the child. However, full notice must be given by the local authority to both the child and the childs parents and, at the hearing, the court must be satisfied that the local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that Sophie is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm; that an assessment of Sophies health and development is required in order to establish whether or not she is suffering harm; and that it is unlikely that an assessment will be made or made satisfactorily without a child assessment order. In this case the school report of Sophies behaviour does give rise to concern that Sophies has suffered some kind of harm. Her responses do not seem to be those of the average child in such a situation, her personality, gives for concern. There is no need to show on the balance of probabilities that Sophie is likely to suffer significant harm, just that there is a real likelihood. Vicky and Darrens response is somewhat dismissive and it does not seem likely that the local authority will be able to assess Sophie without a child assessment order. Such an order, if made, will only last for seven days and it does not affect Vicky and Sophies parental responsibility. The local authority has no parental responsibility during the lifetime of this order; the order merely requires Vicky and Darren to produce Sophie so that she can be assessed. This may mean that Sophie continues to live at home although it is possible for her to be assessed as an in-patient in hospital. If Sophie is to remain in hospital, then contact will usually be allowed under s43 between Sophie and her parents. There is the possibility that a child of such an age may refuse to consent to the assessment. Clearly, Sophie is a disturbed and upset child, but hopefully, with pr oper explanation and reassurance, she will be happy to comply with the order. If the local authority is frustrated in its enforcement of the child assessment order or if concern exists that more immediate protection is required for Sophie, then an emergency protection order under s44 of the Act may be sought. The basis of such an application is, first, that the local authority may apply if it has reasonable cause to believe that Sophie is likely to suffer significant harm if either she is not removed to accommodation provided by the local authority or she does not then remain in the place where she is being accommodated. A further option open to the local authority is to apply under s 44(1)(b) on the basis that enquiries are being made with respect to the child and that those enquiries are being frustrated by access to Sophie being unreasonably refused by the parents and the applicant will also need to show that they have reasonable cause to believe that access to the child is requi red as a matter of urgency. The emergency protection order is a very draconian measure; it gives the local authority parental responsibility for the duration of the order (s 44(4) and the local authority can take such action as is reasonable to safeguard or promote Sophies welfare. The court will authorise the childs removal to local authority accommodation or it will order that the child remains in any hospital or other place where the child is being accommodated prior to the order being made. The court will consider whether contacat should be allowed between Sophie and her parents and also whatever medical and psychiatric assessment is necessary. Usually the child will have contact with her parents but if it is considered that this would be detrimental to her welfare then contact can be refused and this refusal cannot be challenged. An emergency protection order lasts for eight days ( s 45(1) ), although it can be extended once more for a further seven days s45(6) if the court has cause to believe that, if it is not extended, Sophie will suffer significant harm. The emergency protection order can be challenged by the child and her parents and anyone else having parental responsibility for her, after 72 hours have expired. However, a challenge is not possible if the parties were given notice of the hearing and were present at it s45(11). Since the emergency protection order is a very dramatic step to take, the court will consider long and hard whether it is in the childs b est interest for such an order to be made. Clearly, in this case there are concerns as to what is troubling Sophie and it would seem that the parents attitude is somewhat ambivalent, given the concerns expressed by the local authority. Whether this is sufficiently significant to give rise to the need for an emergency protection order is debatable. Concern has frequently been expressed at the hasty removal of children from their parents care by local authorities; therefore, it may be that the local authority would be best served by making an application for a child assessment order in the instant case, since the evidence of abuse is not sufficiently overwhelming to justify the application for the emergency protection order. An emergency protection order should only be sought if the child assessment order is being thwarted by Vicky and Darren. If either the child assessment order or the emergency protection order produces evidence that Sophie is in fact being abused, then the local au thority will need to consider more long-term measures. The appropriate measure to take would be the care order under s 31 of the Act. The local authority may apply for a care order if it can establish the threshold criteria in s 31. The local authority must first satisfy the court that Sophie is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm and, secondly, that the harm or likelihood of harm is attributable to the care being given to Sophie or likely to be given to her if the order is not made, not being what it would be reasonable to expect a parent to give her; or that the child is beyond parental control. The evidence of Sophies distress at school and her change in personality, either under the child assessment order or emergency protection order, may substantiate the claim that Sophie is suffering significant harm. Harm under the Act means ill-treatment or impairment of health and development. Ill-treatment includes sexual abuse as well as physical and mental ill-treatment. I f Sophie has indeed been sexually abused by either or both of her parents, then the criterion of harm will be satisfied and clearly, if nothing is done, Sophie will continue to suffer this significant harm. It is also necessary to show that the harm is because of the care being given to the child by her parents. If the parents are responsible for the abuse or are failing to act to protect Sophie from it, then their actions are not those of the reasonable parent and the s 31 criteria will be established. Sophies welfare under s 1(1) of the Act is the crucial consideration and is paramount throughout. In cases of serious sexual abuse, it will be necessary to remove the child from the family environment so as to ensure that the abuse does not continue. The s 1(3) checklists must be applied and Sophies wishes must be ascertained. If she is being abused she will obviously have confused feelings about her parents and whether she wishes to remain with them or be removed into local authorit y care. This is not a case where the court can stand back and do nothing. The non-interventionist policy enshrined in s 1(5) of the Act will have to be put to one side as something needs to be done to ensure that Sophies well-being is safeguarded. Any care order that is made will last until Sophie is 18 unless it is discharged earlier either on application by the child, by her parents or by the local authority. Even though a care order is made, the local authority should consider the question of contact, especially in relation to the parents of the child. Usually contact will be allowed even though a parent may have abused the child. It will usually always be possible for the other innocent parent to see the child. Even the abuser may have limited supervised access to the child since it is often in the childs best interest for the relationship to be given the opportunity to be repaired. However, it is crucial to try to ensure that any abuse is not repeated. If Sophie is taken into c are by the local authority, the local authority has a duty under s 22 of the Act to promote the childs welfare and to consider Sophies wishes and those of her parents at all stages. The parental responsibility of Vikcy and Darren does not end on the making of the care order and the local authority will still try to keep them involved in the upbringing of their child where this is still in the childs best interest. The local authority will consult Sophie to see how she wishes her future to unfold and it will also consult her parents if possible. In making any decisions about the child, s 22(5) of the Act requires the local authority to take into account the wishes and feelings of the child and her parents, and also to take into account the childs religion, racial origin and cultural background. In conclusion, therefore, it can be seen that appropriate measures for the local authority are an education supervision order and, failing that, a care order or possibly a supervision order under s 31 of the Act, however, more stringent measures may be needed. First, an investigation by way of a child assessment order will be required or, in an emergency, an emergency prot ection order. If either of these measures discloses that Sophie is being abused then it will be necessary to make a care order under s 31 of the Act. In relation to both children any application must have their welfare as the paramount consideration, and consequently it will only be when the full facts are known about Sophie and Jack that the appropriate order can be sought.

Oedipus - Why Didnt His Foster Parents Tell Him The Truth :: essays research papers

Oedipus the King Why Didn't His Foster Parents Tell Him The Truth? Oedipus the King is the story of a man who was betrayed. Betrayed by the very people who gave him life and the very people who raised him. Oedipus was born to Laius and Jocasta the king and queen of Thebes. When Oedipus was born, they consulted an oracle that told them that he would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. Fearing for their safety and the safety of their kingdom they had a servant take the infant to the mountains and leave him on the mountain to die. The servant felt sorry for the infant and gave him to a shepherd who in turn gave him to Polybus and Merope the king and queen of Corinth, who raised him as their own. When Oedipus was older, some men at a banquet who were drunk told him that "I am not my fathers' son". (860) Oedipus confronted Polybus and Merope and they were enraged by these accusations. They convinced Oedipus that the accusations weren't true, "so as for my parents I was satisfied (865). However, something was still gnawing at him. He consulted an oracle for himself and the oracle told Oedipus what the oracle told Laius and Jocasta. After he heard that prediction, he left Corinth never to return. If Polybus and Merope had told him the truth when Oedipus came to them he wouldn't have left Corinth and have set into motion this tragic chain of events. What were Polybus and Merope afraid of? Where they afraid of how Oedipus would have reacted if he knew that they weren't his birth parents, did they think that he wouldn't have understood and wouldn't have appreciated what they did for him. I think that Polybus and Merope have to share some of the blame for this mess, because they were not truthful. Oedipus thought he had avoided the curse by going the Thebes. By defeating the sphinx, he was the hero of the town. He was doing a noble thing by wanting to help his country by trying to find out who or what was causing this plague. When Oedipus finds out the truth he resists it, but he was relentless in his pursuit of it, He wanted to discover the truth in order to help his people but he refuses to believe that he's the cause of it, "What are you saying - Polybus was not my father?

Explain why the Arab invasions of 710 and 711 were so successful. :: essays research papers fc

Explain why the Arab invasions of 710 and 711 were so successful. In answering this question we must first appreciate the difficulty historians face in discovering the real truth of the early Arab invasions, a fact well demonstrated in the varying estimates of Arab invasion forces (ranging from 1,700-9000 in current publications). Scant contemporary evidence exists beyond a short narrative present in a Spanish chronicle of 754, a vital surviving Islamic administrative document of the time, and some archaeological remains. Our knowledge of the invasions is largely founded on the works of later Islamic historians, the Ajbar Machmua text for example and the works of Ibn Idhari and al Maqqari. Unfortunately there are fewer Christian documents available. Julian’s ‘History of Wamba’ is one of few Visigothic texts to be found, further information has therefore been gained from later monastic chroniclers. For religious Muslim contemporary’s the success of the 711 invasion was attributed to the will of Allah as part of Islam’s rapid expansion. Likewise for the Christian author of the 9th century chronicle of Alfonso III the Visigoths’ defeat had been punishment for disobeying God’s commandments. To the majority of medieval men divine intervention was a valid explanation for occurrences, however even then secular minded writers appreciated more practical explanations; principally the unrest which existed within the Visigothic kingdom. The political and social problems which faced Iberia at the time are seen by many modern historians as vital to the conquest’s success. In 710, supposedly the year of the first major Muslim incursion into Spain under Tarif (whether Tarif’s raid even occurred is disputed by some historians ) the new King Roderic succeeded the throne. He was in a vulnerable position from the outset as controversy existed over his succession. It was argued that he had apparently usurped the throne from the rightful heir Akhila son of the old King Wittiza. Although Visigoth royal succession was theoretically elective it was in practice through primogenitor which naturally undermined Roderic’s position. The existence of a rival claimant caused dangerous divisions throughout the kingdom and in Akhila’s demesne land of Tarragona and Narbonne coins were minted without the king’s image, a clear measure of defiance. It is also reported in some sources that during the invasion Akhila conspired with the Arabs to depose Roderic. Some go as far as to say that during the final battle a wing of Roderic’s army loyal to Akhila turned on him in the midst of the fighting.

Individual Optimism and Health

Iris Hobnobs Optimists take proactive steps to protect their physical and mental health as well as focusing on goals that benefit their socioeconomic standing. â€Å"The trait of optimism may provide cognitive, coping, and contextual resources that promote better mental health† (Carver, et al. , 2010. P. 880 up. 2). Optimism is a behavioral trait that describes people who look for the positive in a situation. Optimism can help people cope in negative situations and lead to greater well-being.Optimists ability to cope with negative situations gives them increased opportunity to succeed and live healthier lives, compared to pessimists, because they believe a positive result is more likely. Comparatively, optimists should be measured the same against pessimists on a scale of very pessimistic to very optimistic with the majority of people falling somewhere in the middle (Carver, et al. , 2010). People display varying degrees of capability when confronted with positive and negative situations and tend to react based on their acquired behavior.Past experiences can affect the espouse of a person to either pessimism or optimism depending on whether the cause was permanent or temporary (Peterson & Salesman, 1984). How a person responds can influence the ultimate outcome of a situation whether it pertains to physical or psychological health. Psychologically, optimists seek a positive outcome in the face of negative causes or conditions that range in influence anywhere from benign to malignant.A person dealing with a stressful situation There are rare instances in which optimists fall short on their ability to overcome a negative tuition, which are mostly discounted due to the specificity of situations. For example, if a pregnant mother is optimistic about the health of her baby but has a miscarriage despite her positive attitude. A mother's optimism for her child's health did not influence the possibility of a miscarriage and left her especially vulnerable because she had not prepared herself to deal with the possible negative outcome.This situation is uncommon because the prevalence of medical assistance in most industrialized nations supports an optimistic viewpoint for the birth of a healthy child. Past causes that have a persistent negative effect can influence a person to think pessimistically because the stability of negative effects increases the likelihood of a perceived negative outcome. Conversely, temporary negative effects can influence a person to think more optimistically because the negative effects do not have a strong enough correlation with the perceived outcome (Peterson & Salesman, 1984).The idea that ‘everything will turn out all right in the end' removes a person's need to analyze potential negative conditions due to the eventual positive outcome. By not focusing on the potential negative conditions, the level of distress experienced during negative situations is decreased, also fostering continued dispositional o ptimism. Therefore, optimism is seen as an acquired behavioral trait and coping mechanism and can be taught to pessimists to improve their well-being.Patients with terminal illnesses may overlook the negative conditions of their illness by emphasizing the positive conditions with dispositional optimism. Researchers have also found that a person with dispositional optimism can positively influence heir physical recovery or management of life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer or HIVE, because the increased capability minimizes the level of distress they experience and allows them to use additional bodily resources toward recovery. The general line of thinking underlying this research is that optimists may be less reactive than pessimists to the stresses of life; the lower physiological stress responses may (over many years) result in less physical wear and tear on the body; the end result may be better physical health and even greater longevity† (Carver, et al. 2010. P. 883 up. 13). Optimists are also less likely to engage in activities that can harm their physical health or develop harmful habits and addictions, such as smoking and drinking.Engaging in physically harmful activities can be seen as an escape mechanism (Carver, et al. , 2010) in response to conditions or experiences that the person feels are too stressful to cope with or overcome. In moderation, these activities may not have a direct influence on a person's immediate physical health but can foster behavior that increases the risk of continued harmful activities. Smoking one cigarette can make a person feel more relaxed and may not seriously affect their health, but smoking every day increases the risk of serious health problems with little prospect of physical recovery.Optimism can foster behavior that benefits a person's well-being, psychologically and physically. It allows a person to overlook or cope with emotionally stressful situations despite the negative circumstances and see an o utcome to which they will ultimately benefit. A person with dispositional optimism also shows a motivation toward goals that improve physical health and a decrease in the level of engagement in activities that might be harmful.Optimism is a behavioral trait that does not have to be inherited and can be taught to anybody that wish to improve their well-being.