Tips From a College Senior

Tips From a College Senior It’s my last first day of school! I’m feeling particularly sentimental about the fact that this is my final year, so for all you incoming freshmen and high school readers, I thought I’d share a few of things I’ve picked up along the way: Learn to ask for help Everyone talks about how college forces you to become independent, but personally, college taught me how to ask for what I need. These four years are for you to invest in yourself and really make the most of the resources available to you. There’s this quote I really love from the poet Diane Di Prima: “You can have what you ask for. Ask for everything.” Whether you’re seeking mentorship, emotional support, or academic guidance, there is someone (and in many cases, an entire designated team) at Illinois waiting to help. Ask for everything. Have a Plan B I can’t count how many times things have failed to go according to plan during my college career. It’s a blessing and a curse. Although in the moment, it often feels like the latter. Circumstances will change, and more importantly, you will change. My advice is to learn to embrace the uncertainty, and always have a backup plan in mind. For example, during my sophomore year, I applied for a competitive academic program in the College of Business. When I was rejected, I was devastated; but I had done some contingency planning. I chose to pursue another technical major and study abroad instead. Had I been admitted into that particular program, I would’ve never had the opportunity to go to Hong Kong. This is a somewhat extreme example and not all backup plans entail jetting off to Asia for a semester, but my point is, it’s important to be adaptable, open-minded, and aware of your options. Choosing to study abroad in Hong Kong was arguably one of the most random decisions Ive made in college, but I wouldnt trade the experience for anything. Take pictures My biggest regret is that I have very few photos from my freshman year. I mean I probably have a dozen food pictures that I Instagrammed at various points, but none of my freshman dorm, the Quad in autumn, or the snowman I built with my friend the first time it snowed. I doubt senior citizen Ria will have any interest in the numerous grilled cheese photos that college Ria tookshe’d want to see the good stuff! It’s possible that I’m just terribly lazy when it comes to documenting memories, but I’d definitely encourage all of you to put in a little more effort than I did. Future you will be grateful! Seriously, nobody needs this many sandwich photos! And with that, I’ll get off of my soapbox. I can’t wait to see what this final year brings, and I’m so excited to share the ups and downs with all of you. Go Illini! Ria Class of 2018 I'm studying both Finance and Information Systems and Information Technology in the Gies College of Business. I’m from Los Altos, California.

Marx, Durkheim, Weber and Sociology Essay - 1681 Words

The theoretical works of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber still influence sociological theory. Though their works are decades old they still are a major part of what sociology is today. Though their theories can seem very different, there are some similarities. To become a great sociologist one most learn and understands how to use all sociological perspectives. To do this one must understand and use the different theoretical perspectives created by Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Karl Marx theoretical perspective on conflict is by far one the most interesting theories in sociology. Born into a middle class family in Germany, he had a very close relationship with his father. Marx began his studies in law, but switched to philosophy.†¦show more content†¦Those who control means of production have power over the rest of the society (Morrison, 2006). Marx saw two very different social classes. The first being the proletariat or those who work who own the means of production. The second class being the Bourgeoisie, or the owners of the means of production (Morrison, 2006). Marx believed that because one group had power over another is the root cause for social issues. When Marx saw the conflict between these two classes, he began to look for an understanding how it began. Marx focused on the change to a capitalistic society, by looking at the history of economic development. Marx believed that the economy went though different economic stages. He believed that each economic development had their own laws (Morrison, 2006). Marx saw that capitalism began because of industrialization. Conflict theory allows us to see the conflict between social life and capitalism. Marx saw the power struggle between classes and felt that it is wrong to ignore inequality. One of the biggest inequalities between the two classes was the alienation of the workers (Morrison, 2006). Only one class, the wealthy gains the full benefit of the labor. An example of this is a worker who builds something that they will never be able to afford. Because of this the worker loses control of their production. This is what conflict theory is, the power struggle between twoShow MoreRelatedThe Impacts of the Emergence of Sociology on the Works of Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber1057 Words   |  4 Pagesemergence of sociology as a discipline is a result of the social, economic, political and technological developments in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In this essay, the adequacy of this viewpoint will be analysed by pointing out these developments and highlighting their impact on th e works of Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber. The three are considered because they are regarded as the pioneers of sociology. Furthermore, the relevance of the early work of the above to modern sociology willRead MoreKarl Marx, Emile Durkheim And Max Webers Influence On Religion1727 Words   |  7 PagesThree theorists, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber, are undoubtedly the fathers of modern sociology. â€Å"Nineteenth century Western Europe was pounded by pivotal forces of transformation. Politics, education, religion, communication science, art, and social life were being revolutionized.† (Mohseni 1994;85) Each with distinct views on society and religion, these sociologists are and their theories are significant especially in the field of society. Just as much as they play a major role in theRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Sociological Theorists Max Weber, Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx1599 Words   |  7 PagesEmile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber are al l important characters to be studied in the field of Sociology. 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Durkheim and Max Weber, Marx is seen as one of the three founders of the social sciences. Emile Durkheim, was a French sociologist. His theories and writings helped establish the foundations of modern sociology. Durkheim disagreed with most social theorists of the late 1800 s because they thought that individual psychology was the basis of sociology. Durkheim regarded sociology as the study ofRead MoreMarx, Weber And Durkheim s Views On The Social1385 Words   |  6 Pagesessay I am going to address three core sociology theorists; Marx, Weber and Durkheim, they all had different opinions about how society functioned through the different types of relationships. Each theorists had a different perspective about â€Å"the social† and how that perspective presented it through society. Marx’s view on â€Å"the social† was focused on production relations and how the classes interacted with one another through that type of relationship (Marx 1844). 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A Great Period Of Time - 1528 Words

For a great period of time, the main source of authority in the early western world was the Bible. People lived there lives according to the bible and followed Christian tradition. â€Å"Prior to the Enlightenment, believing in God in the West was like believing in the sunrise; the answer to all the big questions of life was God† (Wade). During this time many things revolved around the bible, as did the government since the bible was the main source of knowledge. Many viewed Christianity as the centerpiece of their lives, but the view of many would soon change during the time of the Enlightenment. The enlightenment began in the early 1700’s and during this time period many people started coming up with new ideas about how the world worked.†¦show more content†¦Individuals wanted to use reason and rational to figure out how the world functioned, and they started to not accept religion as an answer. What spurred the Enlightenment to begin was the rise of skeptici sm across the region, the increase in literature, the works of Isaac Newton and The Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution was probably the biggest reason for the Enlightenment to begin. The Scientific Revolution was a movement that began just before the Enlightenment where many new ideas came about through the work of science. There were many individuals that came up with new scientific ideas and many of them were put on trial for heresy, for having a belief that went against Christian tradition. We can see this with the work of Galileo and the new ideas that he came up with. His main claim was that the world was no longer a spiritual world and that it was a world of matter and science. These ideas really challenge the Christian faith and in fact, the pope and religious authority wanted him to give up his ideas, fearing that they would impact the Christian faith. With these new ideas, the gap between religion and science in the world was getting wider and wider. Many more individuals starting coming up with new ideas and these new ideas are what began the â€Å"Enlightened† time period in Europe. New ideas were

Media Influences Free Essays

When we as individuals have the desire to learn more about current events and the condition of the world it is only natural that we turn our focus towards the mediums that broadcast the information in which we are seeking. These information sources can be televisions, newspapers, magazines, and/or the most recent technological phenomenon, known as the internet. As of late, devices such as the television have been proven to be much more than just an amusement for many Americans. We will write a custom essay sample on Media Influences or any similar topic only for you Order Now With awareness of the power that television possesses, it has arguably become a given that the content broadcasted through a television also possesses great influence. The media is becoming an ever more powerful force in shaping the world’s perception of itself. An individual’s struggle to develop, and maintain a unique identity and self-understanding apart from media’s influence is steadily becoming increasingly difficult for the youths of today. When the people of the world absorb the many manifestations of the media they believe they are simply viewing reality, but in actuality, the media often proves itself it to be the sole instigator of stereotypes, as well as the creator of adverse social problems that often plague our society. Personally, I believe in order to eliminate the stereotypes that the media generates the public must have a heightened awareness of both the existence of as well as the potential damage caused by these unrealistic and/or stereotypical images and messages we are bombarded with daily.Unfortunately, and just as it was discussed in the ‘Killing Us Softly’ video, these detrimental messages are difficult to fight and to even identify effectively because of the ways in which they are â€Å"wholesomely† or â€Å"harmlessly† presented via advertising. Overwhelming amounts of time and money are devoted to raising a small, specially selected portion of the population as models of physical perfection – and ‘Killing Us Softly’ creator Jean Kilbourne exclaims, â€Å"These body types practically do not exist! For the most part, the types of people we see in the media are television and movie celebrities, fashion models, and sports figures. It is one thing to be acknowledged for one’s achievements, but the issue lies in that the glamorous ways in which these occupations are portrayed by the media are seemingly impossible to separate from the physical appearance of the people who hold them.The glamour that surrounds the media presentation of the lives and careers of these individuals extends, not surprisingly, to the clothes that they wear and the way that they look. One example solidifying this would be the fact that many celebrities, like Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton, create their own clothing and perfume merchandise lines, and both are prospering due to the constant bombardment of self improvement that television urges teenagers t o make. In fact, so much attention is given to celebrity appearances that entire television programs are devoted to little else but visual exploitation of celebrity clothing, and their tangible products of their latest fad workouts – so we too, as common folk can also aspire to be the dangerously skinny, 6’2’’, 97 pound beauty with the flawless skin and natural stage presence†¦achieving such characteristics is no sweat, right?The media presentation of the celebrity body has a single unifying image, regardless of the specific job title of a given celebrity. It can be argued that, because the media portrays celebrities’ bodies as attractive, desirable, and â€Å"good,† they become national symbols of these characteristics. On the contrary, bodies that do not meet this lofty goal frequently are, consciously or unconsciously, regarded as â€Å"bad† or ugly. Consider the ‘successfully’ popular advertising campaign used by Subway, the national fast food sandwich chain. Jared,† the â€Å"star† of the recent number of television commercials, supposedly lost hundreds of pounds while on a diet consisting mainly of the chain’s sandwiches. Jared’s â€Å"before† pictures show him considerably larger than his current size, but they also show him alone, with no friends or family. In stark contrast, however, his â€Å"after† action shots consistently show him not only thinner, but also constantly in the presence of a beautiful woman. Although this is not always the case,) the advertising message here is clear and simple: being fat/not part of the 1% of the population that most models’ bodies fall into is considered to be the equivalent and/or predictor of one’s life being bad, ugly, unhappy and lonely; while being thin/having no source of natural body fat leaves one happy and with attractive partner. Through these commercials, Jared has assumed celebrity status, solely on the basis that his body has changed to approximate more closely to the current standard of what the media considers to be attractive.In truth, there is a huge difference between the male and female body types glorified in the media and those of the public at large. For women, â€Å"desirable† physical characteristics (as they are portrayed in the media) include being thin, long-legged, slim-hipped, and large-breasted. In addition, the media-portrayed â€Å"desirable† physical characteristics for men include being mus cular and possessing a full head of hair. While this has been the normal projection of a â€Å"desirable† man for decades, in some cases this desirable form has also been altered to an extreme (much like the unrealistic physical expectations of women. Just like the counterpart Barbie dolls, G. I Joe has evolved into a highly influential and popular action figure that displays levels of muscularity far exceeding the outer limits of actual human attainment. Thus, the unrealistic evolution of both Barbie and G. I Joe may seem insignificant, but in truth it reflects an ever changing and demanding projection of the human body that has been fabricated by none other than, the mass media.In the gap between what is absolutely beautiful in the eyes of the media and the physical reality of the popular majority, it seems as though nearly everyone, at some point in his or her life attempts to alter him- or herself in a physical way, in order to conform more closely to the marketed â€Å"norm† of attractiveness and desirability. Television, magazines, and newspapers are filled with advertisements promoting self-loathing attitudes, while offering â€Å"miracle,† and body-altering â€Å"cures. The body that does not conform to a sexy, sleek stereotype becomes a thing to be hated, improved upon, and generally tortured into submission. Again, in the video we watched, media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that, â€Å"Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel anxious about our weight. † Ultimately, the unachievable presentation of the human body in the media leads to many outlets that can harm/distort the average human being’s perception of themselves.The changes a person must make in order to become what the media considers to be beautiful leads to many problems such as: disordered eating, including anorexia, bulimia, over-exercising, excessive dieting, and over-anxiety over food (just to name a few. ) While most of the population recovering from disordered eating is still predominately composed of women, the number of men with disordered and dangerous eating habits as well as distorted body images is reportedly on the rise.In addition to inevitable physical damage, intangible psychological harm results from body image problems to which the media contributes greatly and regularly. The perception that a single, narrow range of body types is acceptable and healthy for men and women is not only in error, but contributes to widespread social discontent. Instead of celebrating the diversity and beauty of the human form, the media stifles our desire to feel comfortable with ourselves. How to cite Media Influences, Papers

My Motivation For Seekin Admission Essays - , Term Papers

My Motivation for Seekin Admission My inspiration to succeed has always come from within. As a child, I had the vision of becoming a star and a role model for the next generation. I applied to Emerson College because I believe it will help me fulfill those dreams. I am a person who is driven to achieve, and help others. The adversity of living in a small town, the frustration of being different, of looking to rise above and realize my own autonomy has helped me grow. The next step in my growth is Emerson. I am also a person who has a strong connection to beauty and art. I have been able to surmount any and all tribulations, and use music as my outlet. Music for me is the manifestation of one's own expression beyond words. Music is something that has always helped me go beyond the status quo and realize who I am and who I want to be. Music is knowledge, which will lead me to my own meaning of life. With the help of college, experience, and my own expression I hope to gain knowledge and wisdom. College is a process (among many others), which directs me to my next move in life. It is a step that I am obliged to take to gain a wider horizon of this world. One day I hope to apply all that I have learned to reach my goals and help others. A person is nothing without dreams. I live every day with this constant reminder written on a post-it note hidden in my wallet. It reminds me that I have a long way to go in life. I am still small and insignificant in many ways and have not yet broken free from my cocoon. The only thing I can hold onto are my dreams; to obtain internal serenity, and to become successful and proud of what I've made of myself- whether that be a Wall Street business woman or a small town hair dresser. As long as I can look back on life and agree with myself that I did not live the ordinary, average life -I will be happy.

Clinical Governance and Risk Management Essays

Clinical Governance and Risk Management Essays Clinical Governance and Risk Management Essay Clinical Governance and Risk Management Essay Clinical Governance and Risk Management have become increasingly important over the last decade in the various fields of nursing. The development of the concept of clinical governance will be discussed and how it can be facilitated into practice with relation to learning disabilities nursing. Clinical Governance was first introduced in the White Paper ‘The New NHS: Modern, dependable’ (DoH, 1997). Donaldson (1998) viewed clinical governance as the vehicle to achieve, locally, continuous improvements in clinical quality, which will aid the government’s agenda for modernisation of the NHS. This modernisation includes improving services such as clinical audit, clinical effectiveness programmes and risk management. Donaldson was among many authors in 1998 that contribute to literature, which supported the need for clinical governance at a time when the standards and quality of healthcare provision were in decline. Risk management and assessment will be discussed in relation to learning disabilities to include disabled children in the child protection system. High quality risk assessments and risk management strategies are essential for children and adolescents with disabilities. It will be shown that barriers faced in the assessment process often lead to disabled children being discriminated against in the child protection system. To understand the development of clinical governance, we must firstly gain knowledge of its origins. During the early 1990’s, government documents and a series of high profile medical disasters such as the National Health Service (NHS) failures in bone tumour diagnosis and in paediatric surgery in Bristol helped to bring quality improvement to the top of the White Paper agenda (Nicholls, S et al 2000). The Patient’s Charter (1992) and The Citizen’s Charter (1993) are documents that drew the publics attention towards the quality and standards of care been delivered by the NHS. Both these charters gave rise to informing and empowering patients to the standard of care they found acceptable. Upon the deliver of these charters, healthcare professionals and the public became better informed and educated, thus demanded a higher quality of healthcare. The decline in the quality and standard of care by the NHS was now made public. The government had to act upon this. As mentioned, the term clinical governance became prominent following the publication of the first White Paper report, in which the government set out its agenda for the modernisation of the NHS. Succeeding this a year later was a new White Paper report, A First Class Service – Quality in the new NHS (DoH, 1998) which defines clinical governance as ‘A framework through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish’. The evolution of clinical governance, promoted the various sectors of the NHS to embrace and define this new system to their specific field. Dewar (2000) suggests that the official definition has deliberately been left incomplete so that health professionals can define their own systems of clinical governance in their own way. An explosion of clinical governance definitions were circulated through the health sector in relation to specific fields such as, doctors, GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists etc. The Royal Collage of Nursing (1998) defines clinical governance as ‘a framework, which helps all clinicians including nurses to continuously improve quality and safeguard standards of care’. McSherry and Pearce (2007) argue that even though the majority of healthcare professionals welcomed the initial definition, individuals have interpreted, internalised and transferred the meaning of clinical governance to their specific profession. The definitions supplied by the individual sectors, are in agreement that this is a framework, which pulls all the ranges of organisational departments together, and were individuals and organisations are accountable for clinical quality, service and patient safety. The Health Act (1999) gave chief executives of NHS trusts a statutory responsibility for clinical governance; they are accountable for the successful implementation. However, to achieve the daily high standards of care all staff must acknowledge and understand the components that support clinical governance into their practice. Boden and Kelly (1999) view these components as Clinical audit, Clinical effectiveness, Clinical Risk management, Quality assurance and Organisational and staff development. Some of the components may or may not be new but they are now placed in an overall framework for quality and assurance. Each element mentioned, must be scrutinised to ensure it is serving both the patient and the organisation. McSherry and Pearce (2007a pg. 59) state that ‘to ensure that an organisation and staff deliver a high quality service, they need to have sound knowledge and well developed skills and competencies to perform their roles efficiently and effectively’. To attain this, it is essential that each component is lead by a clinician who has respect and confidence in healthcare staff and has the ability to influence, guide and lead through change. Walshe (2000) recognise the growing number of research articles on clinical governance that identify the many challenges that organisations face in its implementation. The barriers affecting the implementing process originate from internal and external sources, which can affect the organisation, teams and individuals (McSherry and Pearce 2007b). Key themes linked to the barriers affecting the implementation are culture, management, leadership, communication, education and training, knowledge and support (McSherry and Pearce 2007c pg 121). A study by Currie and Loftus-Hills (2002) found that clinicians were aware of the importance of creating a culture in which clinical governance could thrive but felt that they still exist in a blame culture, which seeks to address mistakes and apportion blame to individuals. Creating a culture that inhibits staff to voice their concerns or report when mistakes are made. This culture that seeks to apportion blame only leads to secrecy, mistrust and a failure to report mistakes, which hinders staff development and learning. For clinical governance to be accepted and practiced with in healthcare, a shift in attitudes and culture is needed. T o achieve this Cullen et al (2000) states that we need to unlearn some old habits and develop some new ones in order to develop a new healthcare culture that works under the guidance of clinical governance. This new cultural will guide staff in reporting mistakes, without prejudice, to the appropriate staff member and reducing clinical risk through learning by mistakes. Improving the patients experience in healthcare is seen as the central purpose of clinical governance. Roberts (2002) report that each year nearly 28,000 written complaints are made about aspects of clinical treatment in hospitals and the NHS pays out around ? 400 million in settlements of clinical negligence claims. As part of the government’s efforts to improve quality assurance and patient’s safety, the Department of Health (2000) published ‘An organisation with a memory’ which identified areas of healthcare practice that requires change. Clinical governance and risk management are included in the contents, as they are part of the government’s current strategy for modernisation in the NHS. Risk management is a statutory duty to be carried out by every NHS and other health organisations. It has been defined as ‘ a means of reducing the risk of adverse events occurring in an organisation by systematically assessing, reviewing and then seeking ways to prevent their occurrence. Clinical Risk management takes place in a clinical setting’ (NHS Executive, 2001). All healthcare professionals must ensure that risk management is a process for identifying the risks that have adverse effects on the quality, safety and effectiveness of service delivery. A risk management strategy provides the framework for assessing and evaluating those risks and takes positive action to eliminate or reduce them. Within a clinical healthcare setting the elimination of risk is paramount, however it will now be argued that the complete elimination of risk for people with a learning disability is not always preferable. Many definitions of risk are negative and this often leads to the assumption that risks should be completely eliminated. Giddens (1998) argues that risk taking â€Å"is a core element in the creation of a dynamic economy and innovative society† (cited in Denney 2005 p. 11). From a more individualist perspective risk can be seen as an opportunity to learn about the implications of our decisions (Sellars 2002). This is particularly true for people with disabilities. Often people with disabilities are over-protected and consequently do not have opportunities for experimentation and learning (Sellars 2002a). When a person with disabilities is empowered to take risks it can give them a sense of achievement and independence. Taking risks is part of leading a normal life and people with disabilities should be empowered to take risks. Risk in this context is positive. The complete elimination of risk would deny people the opportunity of personal development and learning from mistakes (Sellars 2002b). Therefore it is argued that the complete elimination of risk is undesirable. The Disability Discrimination Act was a key development for people with disabilities. The Act was a major step forward in determining how statutory services should respond to the aspirations of disabled people (Russell 1996). The Local Authority as a service provider has responsibility for the discriminatory attitudes or omissions of its employees. Another key policy document was The Same as You, a review of services for people with learning disabilities. The publication of this document is to be applauded since it strengthened the view that people with disabilities should be empowered to lead a normal life. There is much emphasis on empowering people to take risks as it is recognised as part of leading a normal life. Although there has been many improvements in the way in which society views disabled people there is still evidence that they discriminated against. This is clearly evident in the child protection system. There has been an overwhelming body of research conducted in the United States which highlights that children with disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse. A study by Sulivan and Knutson (2000) found disabled children were more likely to be abused and neglected than non-disabled children (cited in Miller 2003). They discovered that â€Å"disabled children are 3. times more likely to be neglected, 3. 8 times more likely to be physically abused, 3. 1 times more likely to be sexually abused and 3. 9 times more likely to be emotionally abused. Overall they found that 31% of disabled children had been abused compared to 9% among the non-disabled population† (Miller 2003a pg. 19). Therefore it has been well established in research from the United States that children with disabil ities experience an increased risk of abuse. Research in the UK which explores the safeguarding and abuse of children with disabilities is limited (Millar 2003b). The very fact that there has been little research in the UK seems very telling of the attitudes and cultural norms of British society. This seems to point out that disabled children are less worthy of being protected from abuse. Research literature can be divided into three main categories which indicate increased vulnerability factors for the disabled child. Miller (2003c pg. 20) describes these as: â€Å"attitudes and assumptions held by others, inadequacies in service provision and factors associated with the impairment†. Middleton (1996) argues that there is a widespread belief that children with disabilities are not subjected to abuse. This can lead to a failure to report abuse. Poorly developed services can also increase a disabled child’s vulnerability to abuse (Miller 2003d). For example, disabled children are often taught to be compliant and when their behaviour is seen as non-compliant they are often subject to techniques which ensure compliance. Also, disabled children may not have access to support with communication (Miller 2003e). Lack of support services can leave children with disabilities and their families feeling isolated and Miller (2003f pg. 22) argues â€Å"isolation is widely recognised to be a factor for abuse†. When a child does have access to services they may be more vulnerable to abuse simply because of the multitude of people in their lives (Middleton 1996a). Another concerning problems highlighted by Miller (2003g) is organisational and skills gaps between professionals who work with disabled children and those who work in the child protection system which creates barriers to effective child protection. Also when a disabled child is behaving in a way which may indicate unhappiness more often than not it is associated with the impairment rather than being taken as a sign of abuse (Middleton 1996b). These factors create barriers in the assessment of risk for children with disabilities. Calder (2002) argues the DOH framework for assessment has changed the focus of assessment. It is based on an ecological approach and expects that assessments are grounded in evidence based practice. The practice guidance for this framework suggests that it has been designed to be inclusive of all children in need and states that it is the duty of social services to ensure that â€Å"every child is assessed in a way that recognises the child’s individuality and particular needs† (Department of Health 2000 pg. 73). The assessment process will involve the systematic collection of information which results in the identification of risks, what they are, and the likelihood of their future occurrence, if there is a need for intervention and if so what that will be (Calder 2002a). Calder (2002b) argues that whilst this framework which was research driven is better than a framework which involves professional consensus he argues that it struggles to ‘embrace the diversity of practice situations’. Calder (2002c) argues that professionals must acknowledge that this framework is merely a tool and it can only aid professional judgement. This appears to be particularly true when it is applied to the assessment of children with disabilities who face abuse. Some criticism can be applied to the use of this model of assessment in work with children with disabilities. One of the expectations of the assessment process is that it is grounded in evidence based practice (Calder 2002d). As previously mentioned research in relation to the abuse and safeguarding of children with disabilities is limited. This makes the expectation that assessments are grounded in evidence based research almost impossible to achieve. Middleton (1996c) argues that there is a lack of confidence among disability specialists in the child protection system. Lack of familiarity with the child’s disability can often get in the way of social workers using their child protection expertise (Richardson Edwards 2003). An adequate assessment will often require the social worker to work in collaboration with many different professionals and other significant people in the child’s life. It may also be important to gather information from a specialist on the child’s impairment (Richardson Edwards 2003a). Sufficient time will be required to complete a holistic assessment (Richardson Edwards 2003b). However, Richardson and Edwards (2003c) argue the current child protection system does not allow for the additional time that may be required to complete a good assessment. Paul and Cawson (2002 pg. 270) argue â€Å"it is society’s response to disability that may lead to the increased abuse of disabled people†. This is evidenced in the belief that parents with disabled children are under more pressure than most parents and therefore abuse is seen as more excusable (Middleton 1996d). Attitudes such as this could lead to reticence in challenging parents which will be detrimental to the risk assessment process. Another major problem in the assessment process is that disabled children are often in contact with many people and it may be difficult to identify the perpetrator (Richardson Edwards 2003d). Richardson and Edwards (2003e pg. 39) argue â€Å"this should not inhibit action to safeguard a child although in our experience it often does†. Sobsey and Doe (1991) argue that disabled children have as much right as any body to experience a safe environment. They argue that while any environment cannot be totally risk free steps can be taken to reduce risk and any failure on the part of the agency to implement risk management techniques is negligence. Considering the increased risk that children with disabilities face it is essential that risk assessment strategies are identified and implemented. Sobsey and Doe (1991a) identify a number of risk management strategies which could be implemented. For example, â€Å"people with disabilities should be taught to discriminate appropriate occasions for compliance and for assertiveness† (Sobsey Doe 1991b pg. 41). Appropriate sex education is also essential. The belief of keeping sex a secret from people with disabilities is discriminatory. Sobsey and Doe (1991c) found that sexual offences against people with disabilities appear to be similar to other sex crimes. For example the offenders are predominantly male and victims are predominantly female. Sobsey and Doe (1991d) found that there w as a similarity in relationships between offenders to victims. There was evidence of an underlying abuse of power (Sobsey Doe 1991e). They found that differences such as the increase of incidence were found to ‘exist as extremes on a continuum rather than fundamental differences’ (Sobsey Doe 1991f pg. 251). Given that offences against disabled children appear to be similar to those against non-disabled children it would seem that developing risk management strategies would be similar. Risk management strategies for non-disabled children appear to have been well established. It follows then that these can be used with disabled children. Services need to be developed in order to be inclusive of children with disabilities. Support for families and children with disabilities are essential. It will be helpful if â€Å"family assessment centres and other support services provide a service for families with disabled children as indeed they are required to do under the Disability Discrimination Act† (Richardson Edwards 2003f pg. 42) Victims who cannot speak for themselves should be provided with assistance so that the risk of abuse may be decreased (Sobsey Doe 1991g). Most importantly our cultural beliefs that often devalue people with disabilities should be challenged and disregarded. It should be brought to the public attention that people with disabilities do add value to our society. Also where people have been subjected to abuse treatment programmes should be provided (Sobsey Doe 1991h). This will be no easy task and there will be many challenges. In order to protect children increased collaboration between disability specialists and child protection specialists is also of the utmost importance. Increased awareness of the abuse of disabled children and research will also be essential. The development of risk management strategies is recognition that abuse does occur and is a step forward in countering cultural attitudes towards children with disabilities. It is clear from research that disabled children are more vulnerable to abuse. Currently the child protection system appears to deny the abuse of disabled children. There are many barriers in assessing and managing risk but this does not mean that disabled children should not be provided with the same protection as non-disabled children. Cultural attitudes need to be challenged and there needs to be recognition that disabled children are victims of abuse. Research about the abuse and safeguarding of disabled children should be conducted in the UK and risk management strategies should be developed. What will it take to get the abuse of disabled children onto the policy agenda, another public inquiry perhaps? Until it is recognised that disabled children are discriminated against in the child protection system there can be no hope of reducing their vulnerability. Word count 3, 186

Powerful Work Wardrobe Tips for Professional Women

Powerful Work Wardrobe Tips for Professional Women You might be the brightest and most talented person in the room, and you of course should always be judged on those merits alone. Still, it doesn’t hurt to dress for success every now and then, just to make a statement with a polished and professional first impression. People are shallow. This is an unfortunate fact. And this disproportionately impacts women in the workplace. You shouldn’t even have to fight it- it’s 2017!- but fight it you can. Here are a few strategies how:1. Be yourself.Don’t try to wedge yourself into whatever is in style or what everybody else is wearing. Make sure to pick things that make you comfortable and confident and feel like yourself. Don’t let your clothes wear you; wear your clothes.2. Add a pop of color.The world is dreary enough. Figure out your favorite colors and see if you can’t incorporate them into your work wardrobe. Shades of red, particularly on the blue side of the spectrum, are said to convey power. But then again, so does black. The colors that flatter you and make you confident are going to be your power colors, no matter what. Bonus: solid colors are less distracting than loud prints.3. Adapt to the style of your workplace.If you’re applying to work in a super corporate environment where formal dress is required, you’ll need you get yourself a suit. If your work culture is much more casual than you’re used to, don’t fret. Get yourself a nice pair of designer jeans that really really fit well. Get some high quality t-shirts and a good jacket. You’ll still feel equipped and powerful- even sophisticated- but you won’t stand out as too gussied up.4. Invest in a good suit.If your work requires you to have a suit, get a really good one. A bespoke one. And have it fitted. Good tailoring is always a great investment.5. Keep it neutral.You may love your tattoos and piercings, or your unique hair choices, but in certain work environments- at least until they catch up to the realities of modern life- it’s best not to display all the wonderful quirks in your personal style.6. Dress for the job you want.Don’t be hamstrung by convention. You know where you want to go in your career. Do your research and know how to dress for that job you want. Trust your instincts. You’re a grown woman and capable of making it work for you.