Effective Community Participation Strategies Management Essay

Effective Community Participation Strategies Management Essay Introduction Community participation is the creation of opportunities to enable all members of a community to actively contribute to and influence the development process, while sharing equitably in the fruits of development (UN 1981). Midgley, Hall, Hardiman and Narine (1986) define community participation as the direct involvement of ordinary people in local affairs. Community participation can be summed up as a means of educating citizens in order to increase their competence. Reid (2000) defines community participation as a vehicle for influencing decisions that affect lives of citizens and an avenue for transferring political power. However, it can also be a mechanism for ensuring accountability, receptivity and sensitivity of social services to local communities. Successful community participation allows community members to act in response to public concerns, empowers community members to openly give their views about decisions that affect them and to actively take responsibility for chang es in their community. Importance of Community Participation According to WHO (2002), community participation helps communities to target resources more effectively and efficiently, allowing people to become more responsive to community needs and take responsibility. Communities have a wealth of untapped resources and energy that can be harnessed and mobilized through community participation. Community participation methods empower people to creatively develop skills and build competencies and capacities within communities. Furthermore, better and more sustainable decisions are made by involving communities in decision making because community participation is a way of extending the democratic process by opening up governance and redressing inequality in power. It offers new opportunities for creative thinking, innovative planning and development (WHO 2002). Heberlein (1976) notes that better community decisions are the ones that involve citizens at community level and they are generally more acceptable to local people. Cook (1975) argues that citizen participation in community affairs serves to check and balance political activities by allowing fuller access to benefits of a democratic society. This increases democracy and combats exclusion. WHO (2002) points out that community participation in decision making, planning and implantation is a human right. It is therefore important to implement new structures of governance that transcend citizens being viewed as passive recipients of services provided by agencies and decided by few representatives. This will open up genuine community participation at grassroots, empowerment of local communities and create a sense of citizenship. Community participation ensures ownership and sustainability of programs, provides a source of information, knowledge as well as experience and eliminates deficiencies in the society, empowering members to put emphasis on problem solving (Christensen and Robinson 1980). Cahn and Camper (1968) suggest that merely knowing that one can participate in community development and become accountable for development of a local community promotes dignity and self sufficiency within the individual. Interestingly, Cook (1975) points out that community participation can legitimise a program, its plans, actions and leadership, which brings the difference between success and failure of the program. Programs that lack community support end up failing while the ones embraced by the community become successful. WHO (2002) views community participation as an essential tool for ensuring that interventions and programs aimed at promoting health, wellbeing, quality of life and environmental protection are sustainable. Reid (2000) argues that active community participation is the key to building an empowered community. Participating communities are open to involvement by all groups and responsibilities are divided with an aim of engaging special talents and interests of contributing organizations and individuals thus decentralising power and responsibilities. Participating communities carry out their activities openly and publicise them widely. The citizens are well informed about community work as well as their opportunities for personal involvement in meaningful roles (Reid 2000 and Cook 1975). Successful community participation involves participating communities that do not discriminate against each other. Such communities willingly offer themselves to community involvement and perform their activities with an open mind. They are not controlled by any single organization, group or philosophy and their leadership is used to facilitate discussion of diversity of viewpoints instead of pushing for i ts own agenda. What Makes Effective Community Participation Community participation requires going beyond consulting to make citizens an integral part of decision making and action process. It should not be viewed as a response to initiatives or agendas from politicians and professionals (WHO 2002). Spiegal (1968) notes that citizen participation is the only process that can meaningfully tie community development programs to members of local communities. The participation programs involve a significant number of people in situations or actions that enhance their well being. It involves peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s income, their security, time, commitment, skills and even their self esteem. According to Brager, Specht and Torczyner (1987) there are three major aspects to be considered for successful community participation, namely: the kind of community participation under consideration, type or nature of people participating and how the participation takes place. Evans (1974) also points out the significance of issues such as, who participates, the nature of activities that people participate in, why they participate and how the activities they are participating in contribute to principles that they value as a community. Sharing community responsibilities, assuming good intentions for all stake holders involved in community initiatives and affirming the community strengths brings oneness to the community and creates effective community participation. According to WHO (2002), valuing partnership between local communities and sponsors of a community initiative and confirming benefits of the initiative is a vital tool for effective community participation. Local communities do not want to be treated as being helpless. Treating them with respect no matter how poor they are, listening to them and learning from them boosts their morale to participate and own the community initiatives (UNCHS 1986). Smithies and Webster (1998) argue that successful community participation must have support at community grassroots level, with full consultation and involvement of local communities in planning and implementation of such initiatives. Research has shown that community initiatives implemented through resourcing grassroots work and local action with both geographical communities and communities of interest as the starting point for community initiatives has yielded great success and proved effective and sustainable. This process has often led t o establishment of trust and mutual respect between communities and professionals intending to work with such communities to achieve desired objectives. WHO (2002) identifies networking for the purposes of facilitating development of community and professional infrastructure as an integral part of effective community participation. Networking gives an opportunity to communities, professionals and all those involved in community projects to share common experiences, strengthen competencies and build alliances that focus on recognition and realisation of potential people in organizations working to ensure effectiveness, capabilities and adaptability within the context of community participation. Effective community participation involves planning of concept, process, structure and content Smithies and Webster (1998). This ensures meaningful and long-term community participation at all stages of community projects. This requires an effective two way communication to ensure that the views of community members are incorporated into strategic plan. Spiegal (1968) observes that local communities should be given an opportunity and responsibility to manage their own resources, define their needs, aspirations and make decisions affecting their well being. An effective community participation program is therefore established on the basis that local people have the innate capacity to understand and act on their own problems. The approach of such initiatives should be people centered and consensus driven and involve vulnerable groups of such as people with disabilities and the elderly. They should also have a gender balance. Cahn and Camper (1968) argue that sustainable and inclusive community participation should aim at developing community infrastructures, whereby formal arrangements for communication, consultation, collaboration as well as informal networks for inter agency liaison should be developed with a shared understanding and a common purpose. All stakeholders should work in partnership to share skills and be committed to mutual learning and joint training as they appreciate and acknowledge resources that communities have in terms of expertise. Barriers to community involvement should be addressed by availing resources and taking positive approach towards building effective communication among all stake holders and adequate information management. There should be good governance and transparency in decision making to avoid prejudice. Barriers to Effective Community Participation USAID (2000) notes that community initiatives are highly likely to fail in societies where there is unfair distribution of benefits of community participation or community work among local members. Highly individualistic societies where there is little or no sense of community partnership are faced with lack of cooperation, selfishness, corruption and at times mismanagement of resources that could benefit the entire community. Bass (1995) observes that community initiatives that lack policies, laws and institutions that encourage, support, manage and reward local participation in planning and development process are faced with challenges of failing. The success of any community participation initiative is largely dependent upon the precise strategy scope, goals and likely participants. Political and cultural circumstances dictate the extent in which community initiatives succeed. Community initiatives influence by bad governance and political interference never benefit the locals but are only used by politicians as political milestones. Mayo and Craig (1995) note that communities need an appropriate organisational structure put in place for them to express their interests and build effective community participation. People are reluctant to join community initiatives whose organisational structures are cumbersome, time consuming, dictatorial or grossly insufficient. Communities that have little knowledge or limited information on the nature and benefits of community initiatives withdraw their participation and often oppose the initiatives because they are hardly involved in their planning and decision making. Case Studies Case Study 1: Newcastle City Council Newcastle city council works through partnership with other organisations such as police, universities, health service providers, all groups and individuals from community, voluntary and private sectors to ensure that community initiatives influence the future prosperity of the city (Newcastle city council). The council has a variety of community participation initiatives that have been quite successful such as building schools for future, whose main vision is to raise aspirations, opportunities and achievements of all Newcastle residents and to create a culture of learning that enhances creativity and economic prosperity. Other Newcastle city council initiatives include the rough sleepers initiative and housing initiatives. The main objectives of Newcastle city council are: to develop and sustain opportunities for local people and groups for the purpose of influencing what goes on within their communities, to create opportunities aimed at shaping and influencing quality service delivery to local communities, to manage and coordinate engagement activities for consistency, quality and partner participation. The Newcastle city council aspires to ensure that community development activities provide opportunities for entire community to participate in community programs and share their skills (Newcastle city council). These objectives have been achieved through priorities such as successful coordination and leadership of participatory community initiatives, development of protocols, toolkits and performance management framework. The council has a web based resource for effective consultation as well as inclusive ward committee structures to establish views of all community groups, to improve coordination with partners in engagement activities and to enhance skills and expertise in community development participation (Newcastle city council). Each ward in Newcastle has a neighborhood response manager and a neighborhood response team to ensure that views of residents are incorporated in service delivery. Most of the decisions are made through effective consultation with local community groups, which are then involved in implementation of such decisions through active participation in service delivery (Newcastle city council). Newcastle city council has been a successful community initiative through active participation of local communities at grassroots, Case Study 2: The Tsunami Project Following the Tsunami disaster, several groups of grant makers such as the American Jewish society, Global fund for children, Global green grants fund, Oxfam America and Global fund for women among others positively responded to assist the affected communities. However, a closer look at available literature on Tsunami shows that the central role of local organisations such as mechanisms for ensuring local participation is widely recognised throughout the Tsunami community initiatives. However, it is evidently clear that grassroots participation in Tsunami response was insignificant, this forced local communities to compete for resources and recognition (Roper and Harvey 2006). The Tsunami initiatives seem to have been driven by what grant makers had planned and purposed to deliver instead of being driven by the needs of local communities involved. The initiatives were planned and implemented without consultations with local communities. This made it difficult for more sensitive issues emerging after the disaster to be addressed because beneficial roles could only be achieved through tapping into existing community groups, focusing on marginalised groups to strengthen their capabilities, building solidarity across social divides, funding women- led initiatives to promote gender equality and giving local people an opportunity in coordinating implementation of temporary shelter (Roper and Harvey, 2006). The objectives of Tsunami response by several organisations were not well defined to members of the local community, there was little involvement of local communities in planning and implementation of Tsunami initiatives and this made the local communities feel like they were left out of the projects, without a sense of ownership hence it was difficult to address the real problems facing communities after the Tsunami disaster. Conclusion This research paper started by defining and discussing community participation initiatives and what makes community participation initiatives to be successful. Community strategies and initiatives are only successful when the local communities are fully involved in planning and implementation of such initiatives. Participatory community initiatives bring psychological satisfaction to members of the local communities, giving them a sense of ownership to community initiatives while tapping into the unlimited potential of skills and knowledge from local communities. Through the two case studies discussed, Newcastle city council has been a successful community initiative because local communities are actively involved in planning and implementation of community initiatives. This gives them a sense of ownership and the ability to identify with the initiatives and contribute to the total well being of the entire community through participation. They are not afraid of offering their expertise because they know the benefits of being involved in community initiatives. On the other hand, local communities were not given a chance to participate in planning and implementation of Tsunami project. The implementing agencies viewed communities as desperate people and did not give them an opportunity to air their views or become involved in planning and implementation of the project. This led to unfruitful results in implementation of the community initiative, with massive failure of the projects and even increased risks to local communities after implementat ion of the projects. Community participation is not an idle principle. Communities that have chosen to follow it find that not only do they derive more satisfaction from the joy that comes from open community involvement, but they also achieve more results, more rapidly and with greater benefit to the community as a whole. In short, participating communities succeed better than those that only pay lip service to this important principle.

What is sexting? Essay

In this age of technology and information, internet and mobile technology devices dominate our society (Burton, L, 2012, p.1), with over 90% of Australians aged 15-17 owning mobile phones (Australian Communications and Media Authority, 2010, â‚ ±4). Today’s teens are also overexposed to sexual content in many aspects of the media (Burton, L, 2012). This highly sexualised digital culture has transformed the way youth relate to one other (Walker. S., Sanci, L. & Temple-Smith, M, 2011). One phenomenon that has emerged from the increased accessibility of these devices and sexual exposure is the practice of ‘sexting’ (Society Pages, 2013, â‚ ±1). The term ‘sexting’ derives from merging the words ‘texting’ and ‘sex’ and â€Å"refers to the sending of sexually provocative material from modern communications devices† (Forde, L. & Hardley, S., 2011). ‘Sexting’ is currently receiving mass media attention (Walker, S., Sanci, L., & Temple-Smith, M., 2011). It is recognised as one of latest youth phenomena in popular culture (Funnell, N, 2012). Although the sharing of sexually explicit material is not a new concept, it has become simpler with the internet (Walker, S., Sanci, L., & Temple-Smith, M., 2011). Shared images â€Å"become part of a young person’s digital footprint, which may last forever and have the potential to damage future career prospects or relationships† (NSW Government, 2008, â‚ ±3.). The prevalence of sexting A national survey conducted in 2010 by the organisation Understanding Teenagers found that 59% of teenagers have electronically transmitted sexually suggestive material (Understanding Teenagers, 2010, â‚ ±3). In another survey conducted by the popular teen girl magazine Girlfriend found that 40% of 558 participants had been involved in sexting (Parliament of Victoria Law Reform Committee Sexting Inquiry (PVLRCSI), 2012). In Queensland alone, 459 sexting offences were reported in 2011 (PVLRCSI, 2012) and in Western Australia sexting offences have tripled in number from 2009 to 2011 (PVLRCSI, 2012). Research by American psychologist Andrew Smiler found various causes that attribute to sexting: to demonstrate commitment in a relationship, to impress friends, to harass or bully, or as a dare. According to an article in the Teacher Learning Network journal, In popular culture, sexting is seen as a young person’s phenomenon: mobile phones, raunch culture, a lack of inhibition, a lack of respect even a lack of morals are seen by many as the perfect storm that has created the sexting phenomenon.(Funnell, N, 2012). Looking at sexting through the lens of Sociological Theory Feminist Theory Sexting is recognised as a gender related issue because young girls feel pressure from the over-sexualised media to present themselves as sexually desirable. Similarly, young men have been conditioned to expect this behaviour. Sexting has created a mechanism for young people to actualize these expectations (Walker. S., Sanci, L. & Temple-Smith, M, 2011). It is understood that young girls are at greater risk of adverse effects than young men by this behaviour (Walker. S., Sanci, L. & Temple-Smith, M, 2011). Experts go as far as to claim â€Å"†¦the possibility of a link between sexting and gendered sexual violence targeting women† (Walker. S., Sanci, L. & Temple-Smith, M, 2011). Woman’s advocate, writer and speaker Melinda Tankard- Reist discusses in her DVD Too Sexy Too Soon that our society tells young girls their primary value is being on display sexually. Our society has created a culture where sexualisation of young girl is regarded as normal (Tutorial DVD). Jean Kilbourne and Diane Levin, authors of Sexy So Soon, argue: Boys are surrounded by media messages that encourage them to judge their female peers based on how they look, often to view them with contempt, and to expect sexual subservience from them (Burton, L., 2012). An interesting anecdote on the evolution of the women’s liberation movement from feminist Anne Manne reads: The relationship between women’s liberation and the new sexual freedom was never an uncomplicated one. The two movements have often been in tension. †¦ Jostling alongside welcome signs of women’s new-found status, and a more relaxed, tolerant, open and liberal society on sexual matters, many of the contours of the new sexual liberalism remain shaped by male dominance (as cited by Burton, L, 2012). Ms Manne (as cited in Butron, L, 2012) goes on to say that â€Å"along the way we  allowed ‘sexual liberation’ to be dictated to by pornography†. This view appears to be supported by many females reported in our media today. In the research paper Underage and Over- exposed Burton (2012) interviewed a young girl who said, Look at most girls’ role models. Most celebrities are just out there at parties, getting drunk and having sex with everyone. Paris Hilton – as much as she is a bad role model to us, she is always in the newspapers and stuff like that so younger generations will be influenced by he. There are also the recent antics of child star Miley Cyrus and her almost pornographic performances at the VMA Music awards in September and her raunchy new film clip for hit single Wrecking Ball. Symbolic Interaction Theory  Symbolic interactionists focus on how communication is central to all human interaction and how these interactions create society (Carl, J & Baker, S, 2011). This theory would view sexting as youth exercising their power to create society. These youth are developing their own standards of what is normal and acceptable behaviour (Carl, J & Baker, S, 2011). Youth consider sexting an adult or media-generated concept (University of New South Wales, 2013, p.1). Youth do not call this activity sexting, but refer to such behaviour as taking noodz, naked selfies, dirty pics or sexy pics (The University of Melbourne, 2012). However, although this creativity and individualism may be acceptable within subgroups, such as the youth subculture, on a macro level it often conflicts with the norm (The University of Melbourne, 2012). Symbolic Interactionist Chafetz argues that men and woman communicate differently: men tend to dominate conversation and woman follow arbitrary rules that men impose. She says â€Å"Women use body language in ways that weaken their ability to assert themselves, this makes them appear less powerful than their male counterparts† (Chafetz, 1997 as cited in Carl & Hillman, 2011 p. 86). Men and woman often act in a default manner associated with stereotyped gender roles. For example, woman use body language and gestures, or in this case nude images, whereas men tend to be more direct displaying their masculinity  by demanding these pictures from their female counterparts (Carl & Hillman, 2011). Sexting is a good example of the manifestation of how an individual’s definition of gender develops from everyday interactions (Chafetz 1997 as cited in Carl & Hillman, 2011). In today’s society, we are flooded with sexually explicit material and people appear desensitised. Psychologist Andrew Smiler stated A porn aesthetic pervades culture – in fashion, music, entertainment and behaviour. This is evident in the billboards, music videos and designer stores that shape the desires and imaginations of a younger and younger demographic. It is not just that culture has become more sexualised. It is that the imagery of the pornographic erotic has shaped the sexualisation of culture. (Smiler, A as cited in Burton, L, 2012). Research conducted by Hewlett Packard found that what is communicated visually has more impact than any other form of communication. Their research supports the idea that visual communication can be more powerful than verbal communication, suggesting in many instances that people learn and retain information that is presented to them visually much better than that which is only provided verbally (Hewlett Parkard, 2004, â‚ ±1). Sexual images are everywhere, often without words, and are creating a whole new set of community values. These images are encouraging our young people’s sexual exploration and thus reinforcing the behaviour of sexting. Australian Institute researcher Flood stated that the â€Å"‘regular and frequent exposure to sexual content in mainstream media produces greater sexual knowledge and more liberal sexual attitudes among children and young people†. Although the media operate at the macro level their influence permeates through to a micro level, thus influencing the way individuals communicate. Symbolic interaction provides a useful explanation of how the sub-culture of sexting has developed. Effects of Sexting Social and Emotional Youth are readily involved in this activity but are naà ¯ve as to its consequences. According to Goodings and Everaardt (2010) as cited in of  the Parliament of Victoria Law Reform Committee Sexting Inquiry (PVLRCSI)), 2013 the â€Å"social ramifications can be the most damaging when it comes to sexting†. The case of Jessica Logan an 18 year old student in America demonstrates the dangers of sexting. The images she sent to her boyfriend were later distributed to hundreds of people and ultimately ended in her suicide (Forde, L. & Hardley, S., 2011). Although most cases are not as extreme as Jessica’s, the mass distribution of these images is common. There are many other detrimental physiological, emotional and social (Goodings and Everaardt (2010) as cited in the Parliament of Victoria Law Reform Committee Sexting Inquiry (2012). Sexting is a dangerous activity and unfortunately â€Å"the viral spread of these images and the associated shame have reportedly led to social, psychological and legal consequences for victims† (Katzman, 2010). Legal Owing to the rapidity of technological development, practices such as sexting are not adequately covered by Australian law. This is known as ‘cultural lag’(J, Carl, S Baker, Scott, Hillman & Larwrence, 2011). Young people who send and receive sexually explicit images may find themselves in serious trouble under various state and Commonwealth child pornography laws. One specific piece of legislation is Part 10.6 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995, which makes it â€Å"an offence to access, transmit, publish, possess, control, supply or obtain child pornography† (Forde, L. & Hardley, S., 2011). Furthermore in Queensland, those being convicted of child pornography may also be added to the Sex Offenders Register. Sexting also falls under the category of sexual harassment under S28A of the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Forde, L. & Hardley, S, 2011). These laws are designed to protect children from the abuse of adults and many agree that they are ill suited to the issue of youth sexting each other (Forde, L. & Hardley, S, 2011). Those working with children would need to be aware that if they confiscate a data storage device containing such images, or if such images are stored on a school device, material they can also be charged (Forde, L. & Hardley, S, 2011). My Role As a youth worker I would be involved at a grassroots level in mentoring and supporting of youth involved in this practice. I would also want to be involved in sex education classes. According to experts it is vital to include youth’s opinions and ideas if effective solutions are to be found (Walker. S., Sanci, L. & Temple-Smith, M, 2011, p.8). As a youth worker I need to facilitate this and make sure that youth are given this voice. Christian Youth Work Perspective Adolescence is a time of life where humans are forming their identity (PBS, 2011, â‚ ±1). Young people are searching for truth, purpose and belonging. Many youth do not have any authority in their life instructing them on how to build and maintain healthy relationships and therefore are more likely to be involved in risky relationships (Burton, L, 2012) Christian youth workers and chaplains have a great opportunity to be in schools educating youth on topics such as identity, purpose and healthy relationships. As a Christian youth worker I want youth to find their true identity in Christ and that they ultimately belong to him. This truth is the most empowering knowledge any human can have and it answers these questions of identity, truth and purpose. Christian Evaluation From a Christian perspective the act of sexting would be seen as sexually immoral behaviour and thus frowned upon because it would contain images that would be considered pornographic. There are countless references to such behaviour in the Bible to support this. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 Paul writes; Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies (NIV). Paul reiterates the sin of sexual immorality in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable†¦ The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life (NIV). The message version of Ephesians 5:1-4 provides an excellent example of how healthy relationships are important and without good understanding of them people fall into the trap of immoral behaviour. Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. Don’t allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed. Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don’t talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect. However, it is not the role of Christians to judge the youth involved in this behaviour, but to encourage them to change this behaviour because it is dangerous. The role of Church should be to promote healthy relationships and demonstrate Christ’s love. Recommendations A community approach is needed if sexting is to be effectively reduced. Parents and the education system need to work together with the youth in order to tackle this issue (Walker. S., Sanci, L. & Temple-Smith, M, 2011). The problem could be addressed through: 1. Sex education classes that include advice on (a) the development of healthy relationships, (b) the dangers of sexting and (c) sexual morality and self-image (PVLRCSI, 2012, p.8&9) and (Funnell, N, 2012). 2. Providing seminars for guidance officers, counsellors and chaplains in schools to assist them in addressing this issue with their students (PVLRCS, 2012). 3. Incorporating the voice of youth into the attempts to address the issue of sexting (Walker. S., Sanci, L. & Temple-Smith, M, 2011). 4. Schools providing education for parents on the issue of sexting. This should include, (a) the various consequences of sexting, (b) the legal ramifications and (c) how they can impose restrictions on technology more effectively (PVLRCS2012, 2012). 5. Providing a government community service announcement on this issue be, e.g. a television advertisement campaign. 6. Updating the law need to address sexting appropriately. 7. Conducting further research on the topic. Reference List Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). (2010) ‘Trends in media use by children and youth: Insights from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Generation. Retrieved 22 August 2013 from, Burton, L. (2012). Underage and overexposed: Discussing pornography and raunch culture with students. Screen Education, Autumn No. 58, 58-70. Carl, J & Baker, S. (2011). Think Sociology. J.D. Baker, S. Baker, B. Robards, J. Scott, W. Hillman & G. Lawrence (Eds.) (pp.22-23). French Forrest NSW: Pearson Australia. Forde, L . & Hardley, V. (2011). Sexting: The legal implications. The National Education Magazine, June Edition, 56-59. Funnell, N. (2012). Sexting: Male and female – it’s on for young and old. Teachers Learning Network, 19 (2), 37-39. Hewlett Packard (2004). The power of visual communication [PDF file]. Retrieved 18 September 2013, from http://www.hp.com/large/ipg/assets/bus-solutions/power-of-visual-communication.pdf Katzman, D.K. (2010), ‘Sexting: Keeping teens safe and responsible in a technologically savvy world’. Paediatric Child Health, 15(1), 41-2. New South Wales (NSW) Government. (2008)Safe sexting: ‘No such thing’ information sheet for parents. Retrieved 23 August 2013 from, http//www.schools.nsw.edu.au. Parliament of Victoria Law Reform Committee on Sexting Inquiry. (2012). Sexting in Australia: The legal and social ramifications. Retrieved 22 August 2013, from ttp://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/lawrefrom/isexting/subs/S07_-_Salvation_Army_Oasis_Hunter.pdf PBS. (2011). Identity formation. Retrieved 7 September 2013, from http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/adolescence/identity-formation Tankard-Reist, M (Tutorial DVD) The Society Pages. (2013). Youth, technology and the ‘problem’of sexting [PDF file]. Retrieved 22 August 2013, from http://thesocietypages.org/sociologylens/2013/04/20/young-people-technology-a

The Woman in Black

Susan Hill creates a sense of isolation since the beginning of the novel, when Arthur is at Monk’s Piece. The name of Arthur’s new house (Monk’s Piece), suggest that it is a calm place, but it also could suggest that it is isolated, because in the Middle Ages monks used to meditate alone in isolated places. Isolation is also presented in the other house in the book, which is Eel Marsh House. The only way to access to Eel Marsh House was by crossing a place called ‘Nine Lives Causeway’, which is the only path next to the house.Arthur describes Eel Marsh House as ‘submerged’ and ‘untraceable’, this implies that it is almost impossible to escape from Eel Marsh House. It is submerged because the causeway is under the water and it is untraceable because the marshes last forever. The name of the causeway also creates a sense of isolation, it is called Nine Lives Causeway, and this suggests that you must have nine lives to cross it (or to be very lucky and brave). Isolation is also there when Keckwick leaves Arthur alone in Eel Marsh House.He says that he feels â€Å"alone, outside that gaunt, empty house†. This tells us that Arthur is alone in the house, without protection and he ‘predicts’ that he will see the Woman in Black soon. Another time where we feel isolation is when Arthur is alone at the house and he is so scared that he starts to pray. I think that he prays because he is looking for protection and somebody to talk in God. Mrs Drablow also creates a sense of isolation, especially when Arthur asks for information to Mr Bentley.He says that she lived for a long time in the house with nobody. She didn’t have any friends and she is also described as a â€Å"rum’un†, which means that a person is misbehaving (maybe, this is why Mrs Drablow didn’t have friends. In my opinion, isolation is mostly presented when Arthur is alone at Eel Marsh house, and it is a lso important, because it makes the story ‘more gothic’ and some characters, like Spider (the dog) or Keckwick wouldn’t appear in the story and they make the story more interesting. The Woman in Black Susan Hill creates a sense of isolation since the beginning of the novel, when Arthur is at Monk’s Piece. The name of Arthur’s new house (Monk’s Piece), suggest that it is a calm place, but it also could suggest that it is isolated, because in the Middle Ages monks used to meditate alone in isolated places. Isolation is also presented in the other house in the book, which is Eel Marsh House. The only way to access to Eel Marsh House was by crossing a place called ‘Nine Lives Causeway’, which is the only path next to the house.Arthur describes Eel Marsh House as ‘submerged’ and ‘untraceable’, this implies that it is almost impossible to escape from Eel Marsh House. It is submerged because the causeway is under the water and it is untraceable because the marshes last forever. The name of the causeway also creates a sense of isolation, it is called Nine Lives Causeway, and this suggests that you must have nine lives to cross it (or to be very lucky and brave). Isolation is also there when Keckwick leaves Arthur alone in Eel Marsh House.He says that he feels â€Å"alone, outside that gaunt, empty house†. This tells us that Arthur is alone in the house, without protection and he ‘predicts’ that he will see the Woman in Black soon. Another time where we feel isolation is when Arthur is alone at the house and he is so scared that he starts to pray. I think that he prays because he is looking for protection and somebody to talk in God. Mrs Drablow also creates a sense of isolation, especially when Arthur asks for information to Mr Bentley.He says that she lived for a long time in the house with nobody. She didn’t have any friends and she is also described as a â€Å"rum’un†, which means that a person is misbehaving (maybe, this is why Mrs Drablow didn’t have friends. In my opinion, isolation is mostly presented when Arthur is alone at Eel Marsh house, and it is a lso important, because it makes the story ‘more gothic’ and some characters, like Spider (the dog) or Keckwick wouldn’t appear in the story and they make the story more interesting.

The gold rush essays

The gold rush essays What if the shinny material was never found? In a world of hypothetical questions one has to wonder where our country would be if we had not secured what is currently known to be California, from the ruling hand of Mexico. California state history would be severely different had the Gold Rush never happened. To better understand the affects of this question, I will talk about where the gold rush took place, the results of the gold rush, and the effects of what would happen if the gold rush had not taken place. California derives fro the Latin words Cali and Fornix. Cali fornix means hot oven, another dead end for most linguistic inquiries, but which actually means alchemical crucible, the sort of alchemical crucible that has a single purpose: to turn ordinary materials into gold. (Henry 283). California was later recognized as the golden state; the gold rush came and soon swept California by surprise. The most prevalent area of mining that took place was around the foothills of San Francisco. In the start of the early 1840s there were only a few hundred people living in San Francisco but by the end of the gold rush thousands inhabited there. The citys real estate soon began to rise significantly as did the number of murders and such related crimes. The city of San Francisco burned to the ground six times in the first two years of existence, but the citys vast gold digging entrepreneurs rebuilt the city each and every time. One could say that Californias reason for being was the gold miners who came into the area in search of wealth and fame (Bonanza). Every nook and cranny of the California Mountains was completely engulfed with such miners and as the digging space near the city began to crowd miners began spreading northward and southward. As the miners began to come by the thousands, California began to see the results of its natural fruits (gold)....

Thinking Outside the Box, Turning Rejections to Payments

Thinking Outside the Box, Turning Rejections to Payments Its always painful when we spend time writing up articles only to have them rejected, time and again. However, a simple technique can turn your rejection emails in to payments. You just need to think outside the normal boxes and appeal to a different audience. Let me set the scene. Walking, hiking and backpacking are where I draw most of my inspiration for my writing. I planned a weekend trip to a mountain bothy, a small mountain shelter that is free to use and is a great place to spend an overnight in the wild. They are little more than brick built tents. On my return, I pitched an article to several magazines specialising in hiking and mountaineering. However, they all rejected me. Feeling a bit lost and dejected, I flicked through the long list of magazines accepting submissions. After spending some time reworking the article, I submitted to a completely different genre. Living in the city of London and then spending time in the mountains of Wales, I had the chance to see more of the stars and the heavens than I had ever seen before. Reflecting on this, I decided that it would be good to rewrite the article for a Christian magazine. After all, I am a practising Christian, and enjoy reading about others experiences so why not share my own? I spent some time considering Bible quotations and rewriting the article to reflect how the experience could bring other people closer to God. As the article was for a non-specialist magazine, I need to adapt the language and add explanations that would be required for readers to understand the context of the article. The experience of rewriting was extremely useful, not just to be published, but also to find errors and to tidy up my original article. I pitched to the editor and almost immediately received a response, requesting some images and examples of my previous writing. The article went to features meeting where it was accepted and so I sent the final article with the photographs that I had taken on my trip. The editor was impressed with the uniqueness of the article, especially for his magazine, which led to getting the article published. Having photographs helped too, as this meant that the editor had a complete package and did not need to spend money on stock photography. Magazines that specialise in the outdoors will undoubtedly be inundated with lots of articles on the topic of spending a night in a bothy, so to stand out and have a chance of being published you need to provide a unique angle. Whereas a publication that has a different focus might be more willing to publish as you have a different angle. Try it with one of your own rejected article pitches. Where else could you submit it? Perhaps you could rewrite the news feature for a specialist magazine into an article for a local newspaper. Or maybe a local interest story that was covered My tips for turning rejections to payments:  · Try rewriting the article for a different market  · Look beyond the obvious sources of income, who else might be interested  · Find a different angle for your article  · Try to include photographs and images as editors prefer a complete packaged (you may be paid more for it!)

Family Law - case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Family Law - case study - Essay Example In this case, there is no adultery. Dorothy can get divorce by consent if George agrees to it. It is the easiest way as there are a few problems in this divorce. George is not of incurably unsound mind. The 1937 Act allowed divorce for misfortune and 1964 decision of the House of Lords allowed cruelty as a ground for divorce. George cannot be divorced under cruelty, adultery and physical and mental violence, and hence, mutual consent would be the best way for the divorce. According to Divorce Reform Act 1969, provided that "the sole ground on which a petition for divorce may be presented to the court..shall be that the marriage has broken down irretrievably" (11-008, p.275). Desertion for a continuous period of at least two years cannot be a ground here. Nor George 'has behaved in such a way that the petitioner could not reasonably be expected to live with the respondent.' Parties have not lived apart for two years. According to the Act, court has to grant a divorce decree "unless it is satisfied on all the evidence that the marriage has not broken down irretrievably." If Dorothy insists that marriage has broken down, it is impossible for George to prove otherwise. There are no children under the age of 16 in this case. Marital breakdown becomes the main issue, as Dorothy believes that her marriage cannot be saved. If she makes a statement under section 5(1)(a) on the marital breakdown, she has to state that: 1. The party is aware of the reflection and consideration period under section 7; 2. Wishes to make arrangements for the future. If both make the statements, each of them have to state the above. Dorothy has to prove that George spends all his time and money on his hobby, neglecting her and home. She has to prove negligence on his part and also that she is shouldering all the responsibility on her own. Another point in Dorothy's favour is that she should be able to prove that George's financial contribution to the family home had been inadequate for years. Meeting with the marriage Counsellor becomes an important prerequisite of divorce. According to Family Law Act, 1996, there is no point in allowing the 'empty legal shell' of the marriage to continue, when the actual marriage has already broken down completely. With the divorce, Dorothy will also be entitled to the share of the property, if any. She is also entitled for retirement benefit sharing, pension sharing and Cretney et al (2002), Principles of Family Law, (Family Law Act, 1996, 11-043 to 11-057, pp. 297 - 309). Ancillary relief can be made to either of the party, as in the eyes of law both are equal. In spite of that, Ancillary orders mostly are made in favour of the wives, mainly because their need and closeness to children is thought to be more important. No doubt, every case is weighed according to

Driving Under the Influence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Driving Under the Influence - Essay Example Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA (2013) indicate that motor vehicle crashes resulting from alcohol impairment costs over $37 billion every year. In 2010, the number of associated deaths were 10,000, accounting for about 31% of traffic-related deaths in the US, implying one death in every 51 minutes. Therefore, those driving under the influence pose a serious social problem to the society. This has seen many organizations, such as Students Against Drunk Driving, SADD and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, MADD, set up to impact on public attitude and the enactment of appropriate legislation on DUI (Carper & McKinsey, 2012). A police officer could contact a driver for various reasons including speeding, dangerous and aggressive driving, running the red lights or just an equipment violation. Pulling over such drivers aims at ensuring the safety of the suspect and all the other road users. When one is suspected of intoxication and as such stopped, sub mission to a field sobriety test would be required. This preliminary test conducted at the scene could involve standard roadside tests as documented by the NHTSA (2013). An officer conducting the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test looks whether the suspect’s eyes jerk involuntarily. ... Intrusive and extractive methods have however proven to be expensive as more states rely on the accurate and economical method of using machines such as the breathalyzer to measure vapor content. Refusal to submit to such a chemical test in the pre-text of the right against self-incrimination could lead to the driver’s license being revoked. This follows the implied consent to test of sobriety whenever suspected by the police, with Nemeth (2012) documenting this implication through the acceptance of a driving license. Carper & McKinsey give the example of the Illinois Vehicle Code which states that for any one below 21 â€Å"arrested as evidenced by a Uniform Traffic Ticket†¦ shall be deemed to have given consent to chemical tests of blood, breath, or urine† to determine the blood alcohol content of such a person, provided the police have a reason to believe that the driver has consumed alcohol (2012, 474). Even so, before revoking the license, the driver has the r ight to warning of the effect of law and administrative or court hearing. All the 50 states in America have set the blood alcohol concentration, BAC of 0.08 as the legal limit for all drunk driving. The BAC for commercial drivers is even lower, at 0.04. For those below the age of 21, the limit is set to zero: any level of alcohol warrants arrest of such persons. Some jurisdictions illegalize driving while taking alcohol, as such, open container of alcohol in a car could warrant an arrest. BAC conveniently measures the alcohol content in the blood by weight. According to Hunter, Wong, Beighley, and Morral (2006), this intoxication level could be reached by a 120-pound female and 180-pound male after only two