Quebrals Reflections On Development Communication Education Essay

Upon reading Quebral ‘s Reflections on Development Communication ( 2002 ) , I stumbled upon the undermentioned lines: â€Å" Let us non bury development, allow us ne'er bury development. In development communicating, it remains the weightier of the two. † As a DevCom pupil who is about to step out of the university ‘supposedly ‘ equipped with all the cognition about development communicating, my immediate response to the statement above was to travel back to my ain experience all throughout my old ages with College of Development Communication ( CDC ) in University of the Philippines Los Banos ( UPLB ) . Afterwards, I felt the demand to cognize whether other senior pupils like me personally experienced and felt the weight of development in DevCom, which harmonizing to Quebral should be â€Å" weightier † as opposed to the communicating constituent – therefore, the birth of this research. Waisbord ( 2001 ) defined development communicating as â€Å" the application of communicating schemes and rules in the underdeveloped universe. † Harmonizing to Cagasan ( 2008 ) , this definition is based on the development theories that evolved through the old ages due to miss of advancement and betterment in the societal wellbeing of those populating in the post-war epoch. In relation to the persistent development jobs that paved manner to the alterations in the development idea and patterns of development communicating in general ( Ongkiko and Flor, 2003 ; Quebral, 2002 ) , there is the demand to continuously explore both the bing and emerging constructs of â€Å" development † in order to relieve these jobs. Quebral ( 2002 ) said that â€Å" communicating should follow where development leads. † Recognizing that the development constituent is the really nucleus of the development communicating subject calls for a deeper apprehension of how Development Communication pupils view â€Å" development. † This apprehension will be important in the function of the pupils as future development communicators. It is dry that cognizing how of import the development facet is in our DevCom work, there are really few surveies that explore the perceptual experiences DevCom pupils about development, all the more their experience on how the construct is emphasized in DevCom. The bing and emerging social jobs serve as the bases for the â€Å" substance of development † as discussed by Quebral ( 2002 ) . While development and communicating as separate constructs have their ain of import functions in the DevCom procedure, the development facet is found to be the weightier of the two. Development should order the sort of communicating needed to accomplish the ends of DevCom. However, development as a procedure and construct is of course germinating. The alterations in the development thought – from modernisation ( economic ) up to participatory ( critical ) – are accountable for the plurality of significances and understanding associated with the construct of development. Knowing this, it is interesting to cognize about the significances constructed by DevCom pupils sing the development construct and how they felt its importance through the full class of their undergrad DevCom experience. This survey was prompted by my personal inquiry as to whether what I have experienced in my three and a half old ages with CDC-UPLB truly emphasized the â€Å" weightier † importance of the development constituent. Different people have different experiences, experiences which are said to be socially constructed. Different experiences, in bend, consequence to different apprehension or reading of those experiences. This plurality is besides observed in DevCom pupils ‘ concepts of development and their experience in relation to the accent on this construct. This survey will be guided by Kelly ‘s Personal Construct Theory and its hermeneutical signifier, Social Constructionist Theory ( besides societal constructionism ) .Research ProblemThrough a heuristic-hermeneutic geographic expedition of selected DevCom pupils ‘ DevCom experience, this survey will try to reply: how do selected DevCom pupils â€Å" experience † the â€Å" weightier † development facet of DevCom in the BS Development Communication course of study? Specifically, this research will reply the followers: What are the concepts of development among selected DevCom pupils prior to exposure to DevCom classs? What are the present concepts of development among selected DevCom pupils? What are the specific experiences of selected senior DevCom pupils that influenced their meaning-making and apprehension of development? What are their sensed functions of development communicators based on their apprehension of development? What are the observations of selected DevCom pupils sing the preparation they received with regard to giving accent on the development facet of DevCom?Research AimsIn general, this research aims to follow how selected DevCom pupils â€Å" experience † the â€Å" weightier † development facet of DevCom in the BS Development Communication course of study by carry oning a heuristic-hermeneutic geographic expedition of their DevCom experience. Specifically it aims to: Identify the concepts of development among selected DevCom pupils prior to exposure to DevCom classs ; Identify the present concepts of development among selected DevCom pupils ; Determine the specific experiences of selected DevCom pupils that influenced their meaning-making and apprehension of development ; Determine selected DevCom pupils ‘ perceived functions of development communicators ; and Enumerate the observations of selected DevCom pupils sing the preparation they received with regard to giving accent on the development facet of DevCom.Significance of the StudyThe â€Å" I † position plays a large function in DevCom pattern since development communicators act as agents of alteration. This survey can lend in detecting how pupils understand and â€Å" experience † the construct of development which is believed to be the more of import constituent of DevCom and important in analyzing and practising development communicating. In add-on, this survey can make full in the spreads in understanding development as a construct and as the â€Å" weightier † constituent of DevCom, every bit good as the DevCom pattern in general. It can assist measure whether DEVC classs lead the pupils to the right path approximately development as a construct and the pattern of DevCom. Through the histories of the research worker and the selected senior DevCom pupils who participated in this survey, CDC-UPLB will hold the opportunity to take a glance of the DevCom experience of the college ‘s shortly to be â€Å" official merchandises † – the graduating pupils.Scope and Boundary linesThis survey is grounded merely on the premise that people with different concepts anticipate things in the same manner ( Kelly, 1963 ) . Craig ( 2002 ) , as cited in Cangao ( 2009 ) , said that one does non necessitate to hold a direct experience of what other people experienced in order to understand it. Alternatively, it can be assumed that what they have experienced resembles our ain. It is impossible to interview all the DevCom pupils ; therefore assorted purposive sampling was conducted. This is suited for surveies that merely necessitate a little part of a population to be studied. However, one disadvantage of this method is that there is no manner of cognizing whether the selected samples are representative of the population. Since this survey looks into the emic positions of the selected DevCom pupils sing their apprehension and existent â€Å" experience † of the weightier development facet, it can non be guaranteed that the same contemplations are true for the full population, sing the differences in their experiences. The term â€Å" DevCom experience † is besides used merely to mention to the journey taken by the selected senior pupils all throughout their old ages with CDC. This survey besides does non insinuate that DevCom should entirely set its attempts in stressing the development facet of DevCom ; for one, it is still a field of survey in Communication. However, the realisation of the â€Å" development as the weightier facet † – which ( based on my experience ) is frequently overlooked in some DEVC classs – should assist CDC realine its instructional precedences.Chapter IIREVIEW OF RELATED LITERATUREIn analyzing development communicating as a field, it is of import to understand its constituents to cognize how it works and whether its patterns are still aligned with its uttered ends. This literature reappraisal will supply a brief but comprehensive background about development communicating with the focal point on its development facet.The Evolving â€Å" Devel opment † Concept – the Core Ingredient of DevComDevelopment as a construct, as stated in different surveies, frequently takes a unidirectional way: â€Å" from a province of poorness to one of dynamic socio-economic growing † as stated by Quebral ( 2002 ) and it is frequently associated with the footings â€Å" betterment † ( Cagasan, et al. , 2008 ) and â€Å" positive † societal alteration or transmutation. In New Perspectives on Communication and Development ( 1976 ) , Everett Rogers defined the term development as â€Å" the purposeful alteration toward a sort of societal and economic system that a state decides it wants. † This is besides related to premise presented by Pratt ( 1993 ) wherein the writer stated that development revolves around the premise that bing and non-existing social constituents can order the â€Å" life criterions and the societal wellbeing desired by its people. † The thought of development may look really basic but it underwent a long history of development. A figure of surveies in DevCom traced the alterations in the development thought by sing the different theories that influenced the field. In discoursing the development of the development construct, Srampickal ( 2006 ) looked foremost into the modernisation theory by Lerner, Schramm, Pye, and Rogers in the 1950 ‘s and 1960 ‘s. This phase is similar to what Ongkiko and Flor ( 2003 ) referred to as the First Development Decade which entails the economic position of development. During this phase, development was gauged through the states ‘ gross national merchandise ( GNP ) or the entire value of goods and services in a twelvemonth and their capableness to accommodate new engineerings. Harmonizing to Preston ( 1996 ) , modernisation is an American thought which became popular after the Second World War for its claim that all societies were heading towards industrialisation. This development theory claims that the less developed states can merely better by undergoing economic growing and behavioural alterations in people in footings of labour ( Kendall, 2008 ) . Kendall ( 2008 ) elaborated modernisation theory through the economic development phases framed by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy ‘s economic adviser, Walt W. Rostow:Traditional PhaseThis is to a great extent characterized by â€Å" fatalistic value system † or the traditional and cultural beliefs which delimits the people to accomplish societal and economic alteration. This is the phase wherein people lack motive to work because of their belief that poorness and economic want are inevitable.Take-off PhaseDuring this period, people begin to be more optimistic about accomplishing economic growing. Here, high-income states guide the low-income 1s towards the following phase of economic development.Technological AdulthoodThis phase is determined by a state ‘s technological betterment, new industries and acceptance of beliefs and values being demonstrated by high-income states.High Mass ConsumptionThis is the last phase of Rostow ‘s economic development wh erein the state eventually achieves the â€Å" high criterion of life. † Modernization paradigm and its focal point on transmittal theoretical account of communicating which was characterized by transmittal of information through mass media runs were greatly criticized for pretermiting the potencies of interpersonal communicating in the procedure. However, subsequently on, this peculiar unfavorable judgment has been realized and was incorporated in the theoretical account ( Inagaki, 2007 ) . In support to this dominant paradigm, Everett Rogers ( 1976 ) introduced the thought of diffusion of inventions which concerns a top-down attack in pass oning technological thoughts, which in the 1960 ‘s were focused on agribusiness and household planning methods. The difference between modernisation theory and diffusion theoretical account lies on emphasizing the importance of interpersonal communicating. The latter recognized the restrictions of mass media in impacting behavioural alterations which is considered an advantage of interpersonal communicating ( In agaki, 2007 ) . One of the criticisms modernisation theory had to face was its limited description of development utilizing the duality between traditional and modern, agricultural and industrial, rural and urban, etc. ( Preston, 1996 ) . Modernization theory besides failed in the facet that development is non merely mensurable through economic statistics ( Lagerwey, 2009 ) . Fair ( 1989 ) said that the dominant paradigm of the First Development Decade failed to see the other causes of underdevelopment aside from economic footings ( e.g. GNP, per capita income ) which includes the â€Å" instabilities and category contradictions † historically created in Third World Countries through colonisation. Ong ( 2009 ) argued that even the economic position of development involves beyond mere economic sciences. The writer named several other concerns of development: efficient societal organisation, improved societal constructions, peace and order, skilled labour force, effectual policymaking and execu tion, to call a few. While it is true that development is economic in nature, it does non purely halt at that place. Harmonizing to Tagle ( 2009 ) , development must besides hold its societal constituent wherein self-fulfillment and harnessing of human possible drama a really of import function. Towards the terminal of the 1960 ‘s, the alleged dependence theory emerged which realized that the modernisation attack merely made the Third World states to a great extent dependent on the First World states ( Ongkiko & A ; Flor, 2003 ; Srampickal 2006 ) .The unfavorable judgments on the economic position of development led to the birth of the humanistic position in the 1970 ‘s ( Second Development Decade ) . During this phase, the quality of life ( indicated by fulfilment of basic demands, employment, equality and instruction ) and adult male himself became the steps of development ( Ongkiko & A ; Flor, 2003 ) . On the other manus, the 1980 ‘s was labeled as the Third Development Decade. During this period, realignment and concentrate on development precedences set during the old phase were initiated. Concerns like â€Å" adult females in development ( WID ) , environment, societal dimensions, autochthonal peoples and sustainable development † were given accent ( Ongkiko & A ; Flor, 2003 ) . Harmonizing to Roman ( 2005 ) , sorting the construct of development into different paradigms can be both utile and deceptive. The writer pointed out that while development paradigms are helpful for differentiation intents, they besides tend to take communicating bookmans astray by: ( 1 ) giving the incorrect thought that these paradigms finally replace each other ; ( 2 ) the impression that the paradigms are bound to be sole ; and ( 3 ) the magniloquence of these paradigms tend to befog how they are applied in world. He besides emphasized the inclination of development communicators to lodge with one of these paradigms which accordingly consequences to restricting themselves â€Å" within a general model of what development is or should be. † The alterations in the development idea have a really important impact on the communicating constituent of DevCom. Eligio ( 2008 ) noted that â€Å" the displacement in development thought † consequences in â€Å" rethinking of communicating. † This is farther supported by Quebral in her Contemplations on Development Communication ( 2002 ) where she pointed out that since development is the weightier facet of DevCom, it is besides the finding factor of the content of communicating. Quebral farther emphasized that even though DevCom is seen as a subdivision of communicating in an academic position – as pupils are taught about communicating being the tool or scheme used to consequence positive alteration in the society – it must ever be clear that the construct of development is more of import. This constituent of DevCom is the 1 that sets it apart from other communicating subjects and the 1 that determines the DevCom end and message. Quebral stressed that à ¢â‚¬Å" communicating should follow where development leads. † Given this degree of importance in the field, it is, therefore, imperative to give focal point on the construct of development.The Communication-Development RelationshipDevelopment as a desired societal criterion is believed to be possible through communicating ( Pratt, 1993 ) . Gebner ( 1967 ) , as cited in Ongkiko and Flor ( 2003 ) , merely defined communicating as â€Å" societal interaction through messages. † As an ever-changing procedure of reassigning messages and shared significances between and among members of society, communicating is said to take a really of import function in accomplishing the end of development. In different facets of life – societal, economic, religious, and political – development is believed to be impossible to take topographic point without the procedures of communicating ( e.g. information sharing, duologue, and knowledge exchange ) . Harmonizing to Wilkins an d Mody ( 2001 ) , the field of development communicating today has been re-conceptualized by the usage of modern engineerings and processes – in simple footings, the usage of communicating for social and single improvement. This besides enables communicating to link people in â€Å" participatory and shared-decision devising † ( Srampickal, 2006 ) . To understand DevCom, it is of import to understand development and communicating non merely as two separate constructs but besides as â€Å" spouses. † Majority of the literature that talks about development communicating defines the field as the usage of communicating to accomplish the end of societal alteration. However, Quebral ( 2002 ) pointed out that for the instance of DevCom at Los Banos, development communicating is non the same as â€Å" mediated communicating. † She reiterated the weightier importance of the development constituent in the field and that the ends of DevCom reflected in her definition – speedy transmutation, societal equity and fulfilment of human possible – are all refering to the â€Å" sort of development we are taking for. † Therefore, it is necessary to transfuse in the immature DevCom pupils the right â€Å" substance of development † in order for them to be applied in their pattern in the hereafter.Developmen t CommunicationThe being and return of different signifiers of social jobs gave birth to the field of development communicating ( DevCom ) . Harmonizing to Ongkiko and Flor ( 2003 ) it is out of necessity – the demand to work out the social jobs, peculiarly in developing states – that development communicating came into the image. DevCom as a professional and scientific field in the Philippines had its foundation on agricultural communicating, but the realisation that the development-oriented issues are non merely present in agribusiness and rural jobs paved manner to the alterations in the subject ( Ongkiko & A ; Flor, 2003 ; Librero, 2008 ) . Today, the dominant position of DevCom worldwide involves both the societal and single degree: ( 1 ) positive societal alteration and ( 2 ) realisation of human potency which finally leads to human improvement ( Wilkins & A ; Mody, 2001 ; Ongkiko & A ; Flor, 2003 ) . This is reflected in the most normally used definition of DevCom, at least for the Los Banos School of Development Communication, given by Dr. Nora C. Quebral ( 1988 ) : â€Å" aˆÂ ¦the art and scientific discipline of human communicating applied to the rapid transmutation of a state and the mass of its people from poorness to a dynamic province of economic growing that makes possible greater societal equality and larger fulfilment of the human potency. † This definition of DevCom, every bit good as its accompanying pattern, has already evolved since she foremost coined the term in 1971. In 1999, Quebral changed the footings â€Å" speedy † to â€Å" planned † and â€Å" societal equality † to â€Å" equity † ( Eligio, 2008 ; Quebral, 2002 ) . This shows the trouble in set uping a individual and inactive definition of DevCom due to the altering micro- and macro- scenes that the field has been exposed to and the uninterrupted alteration both in development [ and ] communicating ideas in peculiar ( Quebral, 2002 ) . Therefore, it is critical to concentrate on the â€Å" many beds of significance † attached to DevCom ( Eligio, 2008 ) .Marginalization and the DevCom BiasWilkins ( 2000 ) defined development communicating as â€Å" the strategic application of communicating engineerings and procedures to advance societal alteration † . The DevCom enterprises expressed in this definition fundamentall y falls under the end of bettering the quality of life of those in the poorer countries of the universe ( Morris, 2003 ) . Harmonizing to Waisbord ( 2001 ) , the historical factors that influenced development were founded on the embedded premise that the sort of development that developed states should be replicated by developing states. Although, this modernisation theory is believed to hold â€Å" passed † in the 1980 ‘s, Eligio ( 2008 ) still inquiries this passing of the dominant paradigm. In their treatment of development construct, Ongkiko and Flor ( 2003 ) presented foremost the societal jobs that must be addressed by development communicating. These social jobs are the 1s nowadays in the Third World states: poorness, unemployment, high population growing, inequality, malnutrition, and the likes of it. In relation to these social jobs, Quebral ( 2002 ) commented: â€Å" From clip to clip, an old job is dusted off and given a new or broad angle, as in nutrient production or generative wellness alternatively of household planning. Poverty, nevertheless, stays – starkly – as poorness. It has proved to be stubborn, many-rooted job withstanding one-dimensional solutions. † The development of development positions is non without matching alterations in attack. New constructs of development have emerged in recent surveies on development communicating. This includes accent on people mobilisation, authorization, and engagement ( Cagasan et al. , 2008 ) . However, the writer argued that development should travel beyond the basic demands: â€Å" poorness is no longer the exclusive account for underdevelopment. † The construct of marginalisation emerged and this involves issues of human rights, spiritualty, morality, and other well-being concerns of adult male. Therefore, marginalized people are non merely those who are missing in footings of economic position. While the positions and attacks have changed, the nucleus societal jobs related to underdevelopment stay the same. Ongkiko and Flor ( 2003 ) said that DevCom â€Å" purposes to learn the hapless to better his life. † The writer besides stressed the function of DevCom in assisting people fulfill the lower order of Maslow ‘s Hierarchy of Needs – a theory of motive which claims that human demands can be arranged harmonizing to their importance ( Figure 1 ) . It can hence be assumed that development communicating has a prejudice towards the marginalized sectors since they are the direct donees of DevCom projects.5th Self-Actualization and fulfilment4th Esteem and StatusHigher Order3rd Belonging and societal demandsLower Order2nd Safety and Security1st Basic Physical NeedsFigure 1. Maslow ‘s Hierarchy of Needs ( Ongkiko & A ; Flor, 2003, p. 165 )The alterations in development communicating throughout the old ages led to realisations of implicit in concerns sing p ower and construction ( Wilkins & A ; Mody, 2001 ) . Harmonizing to White ( 2004 ) , power in the field of communicating prioritizes the individualities and resources of different societal groups. Wilkins ( 2000 ) emphasized the demand to do alterations in the field of DevCom by locating â€Å" its discourse and pattern within contexts of power. † This focal point on power, along with the end of impacting positive alteration, is portion of the critical attack to DevCom. Quebral ( 2002 ) noted the different values which are all brought about by the paradigm displacements in the development idea. These values include engagement, struggle declaration, sustainability, and gender equality. One good illustration of this critical chase in DevCom is the survey conducted by Cadiz in 1994 that looked into the function of engagement in the development procedure. Eglio ( 2008 ) said that Cadiz took a â€Å" critical instead thanaˆÂ ¦ positive position of societal world † and that Cadiz ‘ survey showed that DevCom is a â€Å" communicating scientific discipline that addresses the societal worlds of the hapless. † In her effort to emphasize the DevCom ‘s displacement from positive position to a critical base, Quebral ( 1993 ) wrote: â€Å" Critical theoryaˆÂ ¦takes a more philosophical oppugning stance towards cardinal societal inquiries. Sing the communicating procedure as inseparable from society ‘s societal and cultural constructions, it sets as end the self-emancipation of people from domination ; hence its involvement in the Reconstruction of society. † Servaes ( 1999 ) , as cited in White ( 2004 ) , established the demand to get down development enterprises at grass-roots degree of communities. White ( 2004 ) explained Servaes ‘ thought by indicating out that the escape of societal motions from hierarchal construction by set uping their ain systems of communicating and organisation chiefly defines the development procedure.Plurality of Worlds and Concepts of DevelopmentMultiple worlds have influence on manner development communicators construe the construct of development. Harmonizing to Fetterman ( 1998 ) , the certification of multiple worlds in a specific field is â€Å" important to an apprehension of why people think and act in the different ways they do. † In analyzing societal jobs, which in the instance of this survey is important in understanding different significances of â€Å" development † , Holsti ( as cited in Moran, 1993 ) can be quoted: â€Å" We need constructs of what is, what is of import, what is desirable, and what is related to what are likely to be at the nucleus of the political procedure that societal, psychological, economic, or whatever procedure is to be studied. † This thought of Holsti is related to the construct of world that is personally constructed by an person. Moran ( 1993 ) said that personal building is ever the â€Å" mention point † for finding similarities and differences between/among constructs under survey. In the instance of University of the Philippines – College of Development Communication, the survey conducted by Cagasan et. al. , ( 2008 ) documented the assorted concepts of development that have emerged in module and pupil research surveies of CDC-UPLB from 1972 to 2004. The writers of the survey noted the â€Å" series of substitutions † that the construct of development has gone through in the instance of CDC-UPLB module and pupils who experience different worlds, given the diverse scenes and backgrounds, non to advert their personal prejudices. The survey participants were asked about their personal definitions of development, perceived significance of development based on DevCom pattern, their ain beliefs on what manifest development and significances of development based on their personal experience. Cagasan et. Al. ( 2008 ) presented three major subjects of development as consequences of the survey:Development as bettermentThis concept of development emerged from the grim influence of the modernisation paradigm. Development is viewed here as â€Å" betterment. †Development as a endThe altering multiplicity of significances of the development construct can be attributed to its nature of being a long-time end. Its subtheme involves the construct of â€Å" alteration. †Development as a procedureThe thought reflected in this concept is that development itself is a procedure. This most recent position of development involves the constructs of â€Å" authorization, engagement, autonomy, inaugural and societal investing. † Cagasan ‘s survey showed that the plurality in worlds can convey in multiple concepts of development. In the same manner, it is interesting to cognize how this plurality besides affects the manner immature DevCom pupils construe the construct of development.College of Development CommunicationThe College of Development Communication ( CDC ) website described the DevCom household as â€Å" [ a ] closely knit household of persons equipped with the cognition, accomplishments, and values to move as accelerators for societal alteration. † It is known as the 9th college of University of the Philippines Los Banos and considered to be the innovator in DevCom both as a field of pattern and field of survey in the universe. CDC started as the Office of Extension and Publications under the so UP College of Agriculture ( UPCA ) in 1954 and evolved several times until it was elevated into a college in 1998. The College introduces and trains undergraduate and graduate pupils in â€Å" procedures and constructions of communicating with accent on those that promote equity, authorization, environmental sustainability, and peace and human rights † ( Communication for Social Change Consortium, 2010 ) . The College ‘s vision and mission besides emphasize the end of sustainable development and betterment of quality of life the Philippines and other developing states. The Bachelor of Science in Development Communication plan requires pupils to finish 148 units which include the nucleus classs of DevCom, general instruction classs ( GE ) , every bit good as proficient and societal scientific discipline electives ( CDC-UPLB, 2004 ) . Since this survey will look into the experiences of the selected senior DevCom pupils, the wining subdivisions will advert the nucleus classs of the BSDC plan ( see Appendix A ) .Theoretical ModelThis survey falls under the phenomenological tradition of communicating which focuses on â€Å" depicting lived experience and acknowledging the significance of our corporal, inter-subjective life-world † ( Finlay, 2008 ) . Communicators influenced by this tradition take the emic position or a ‘view from the interior ‘ in looking at the mundane life of an person ( Griffin, 2008 ) . In this survey, the construct of meaning-making, every bit good as lived and shared experiences of the selected senior DevCom pupils in relation to their constructed significances of the development construct were explored. In the context of the â€Å" weightier † development facet in DevCom, experiences of the participants will state a batch specifically on how this construct is being emphasized in DevCom classs. Social constructionist theory ( besides societal constructionism ) , the hermeneutical signifier of constructivism, will be used to depict these experiences of the research worker ( heuristics ) and of the other selected participants ( hermeneutics ) .Personal Construct TheoryKelly ‘s PCT is besides called â€Å" theory of alteration † ( Rix, 1982 ) . Harmonizing to Neimeyer and Bridges ( 2004 ) , the focal point of personal concept theory ( PCT ) is on how persons and societal groups â€Å" organize and alter their positions of ego and universe. † By and large, an single positions the universe through forms which he/she creates to suit their worlds. These forms are called concepts ( Kelly, 1963 ) . Kelly ‘s thought of personal concept theory was derived in this earlier thought of â€Å" constructive alternativism. † Under this belief, adult male ‘s buildings of world depend on how adult male will construe the events and things around him which accordingly forms his ain positions of the ego and the universe. Kelly presupposes that adult male is a scientist – the 1 who invents his ain world and trial it. Man has the duty to foretell and command the class of events. As cited by Carl ( 1999 ) Kelly explained the function of adult male as a scientist: â€Å" The scientist does non keep up his or her theoretical proposal to be judged so much in footings of whether it is the truth at last or non — for the scientist assumes from the beginning that ultimate truth is non so readily at manus — but to be judged in footings of whether his or her proposition seems to take toward and give manner to fresh propositions ; propositions which, in bend, possibly more true than anything else has been therefore far. † Interpretation, anticipation and response in relation to personal experiences are possible through analysis of concepts ( Mahoney & A ; Mahoney, 2004 ) . Kelly ( 1963 ) established the thought that concepts are â€Å" representation of the universeaˆÂ ¦erected by a life animal and so tested against the world of that existence. † This implies that people do non merely move in response to external universe but he/she besides has the power to construe its events and behave harmonizing to them. PCT looks at people as animals that have the capableness to form their perceptual experiences or beliefs based on repeating subjects and significances ( Neimeyer & A ; Bridges, 2004 ) . Therefore, it can be construed from this that people have their ain readings of worlds depending on how they see the universe from their personal positions. This is a clear representation of Mahoney ‘s ( 1988 ) â€Å" proactive knowledge † which he considered to be one of the basicss of con structivism. Kelly ( 1963 ) besides introduced the construct of constructive alternativism wherein people have the power to ‘reconstruct ‘ his/her belief systems if they no longer suit him/her. For illustration, in the instance of this survey, even though pupils have been exposed to assorted significances of the construct of development during their first twelvemonth as DevCom pupils which may hold helped them set up a peculiar concept of it, they can do ‘alternative buildings ‘ based on their personal experiences. This farther explains the multiplicity of significances since the manner people construe the universe is affected by changing personal experiences.Constructivism and the Construction of ExperienceThe modern-day constructivist argument presents the statement between â€Å" cognition as innovation and cognition as contemplation of world † ( see Figure 2 ) ( Chiari & A ; Nuzzo, 1993 ) . This besides answers the inquiry: What is existent? and Does an external world exist? Littlejohn ( 1999 ) , as cited in Cangao ( 2009 ) , explains that constructivism looks into human readings and actions based on â€Å" classs of the head. † This implies that people ‘s procedure of making significances is done by â€Å" sorting experience into classs † which in bend are socially constructed and based on interaction with other people ( as cited in Cangao, 2009 ) . Constructivism is concerned with an single interpretation his/her world ; this is every bit opposed to the statement that people are representation of a socially-constructed world as said by societal constructionism ( Chiari & A ; Nuzzo, 2004 ) . Maturana ( 1978 ) , as cited in Chiari and Nuzzo ( 1993 ) , defined world as a â€Å" sphere specified by the operations of the perceiver. † The perceiver referred to by the writer is person who can â€Å" do differentiations in actions and ideas † while being able to work as a separate entity from his or her environment. In order to understand how personal concepts in relation to their ain constructs of world can be interpreted, Ewen ( 1992 ) enumerated Kelly ‘s colloraries aligned with the Fundamental Postulate [ â€Å" The psychological procedures that comprise our personality are of course active, and are molded into customary forms by the ways in which we anticipate the hereafter † ( Ewen, 1992, pp. 347 ) ] :Question Knowledge as Knowledge/realityrelationship asDoes an external world exist? INVENTION COINCIDENCE IdealismnoDoes it be independently of the perceiver? yes SPECIFICATION STRUCTURAL hermeneutic no Yoke yes Constructivism Is it possible to cognize it? Construction ADAPTATION group as VIABILITYyesIs it a lucifer between cognition and world possible?REPRESENTATION ADAPTATION trivial no as SYMMETRY critical RealismyesREFLECTION naifFigure 2. Wayss of gestating Knowledge-Reality relationship ( Chiari & A ; Nuzzo, 1993 )Construction Corollary: Peoples interpret events based on similarities and differences Individuality Corollary: Each person has his/her ain reading of events or world Organization Corollary: The usage of hierarchies — which besides vary among persons – in forming personal concepts Dichotomy Corollary: Every concept has two poles Choice Corollary: The inclination to value the pole of bipolar concept that allows more accurate anticipation of events Range Corollary: Concepts are believed to be merely utile in foretelling limited types of events Experience Corollary: System of building to a great extent relies on experiences and the desire to better in foretelling events Modulation Corollary: There are concepts that limit the alteration of the system based on what is convenient to them Atomization Corollary: An person can utilize the contradicting facets of personal concepts at different times Commonality Corollary: Different people can hold similar ways of interpreting things Sociality Corollary: An apprehension of how one interprets/views the universe is needed in order for a individual to associate to another individual. Boeree ( 2006 ) explained that by â€Å" procedures † in the cardinal posit, Kelly means that people ‘s experiences, behaviours, perceptual experiences and emotions are non caused by a preexistent world but by the unconditioned single desire and capableness to expect or construe the universe. For this research the Experience Corollary was considered. Kelly ( 1963 ) defined experience as the procedure of how an single continuously ‘reconstrues ‘ replicated events. The writer pointed out that experience corollary has a direct impact on our perceptual experience of acquisition. He noted that the credence of the phenomenon wherein a individual invariably concept or construe replicated events assumes the happening of the acquisition procedure. It can be said that â€Å" the experience and Reconstruction of that experience is synonymous with larning † ( Rix, 1982 ) .Social Constructionism ( Hermeneutic Constructivism )Harmonizing to Burr ( 2003 ) , societal constructionism embraces the being of many-sided versions of world as experienced by societal existences. Self and world are said to be human buildings. However, the manner humans construe what is existent for them – how they think and how they act on their ideas – is besides socially constru cted ( Collin, 1997 ; Raskin, 2002 ) . Simply put, we are societal existences who portion and see the universe with others ( Lock & A ; Strong, 2010 ) . For this research, hermeneutic contructivism, specifically Gergen ‘s societal constructionism, was applied to analyze the lived and shared experiences of selected DevCom pupils. This signifier of constructivism conceptualizes human psychological science as â€Å" ensemble of societal dealingss † ( Parker, 1998 ) and that there is no observer-independent world ( Raskin, 2002 ) . The analytical model used in this survey was adopted and modified from Pilon ‘s ( 2009 ) Heuristic-Hermeneutic Procedure in the Socio-cultural Learning Niches. Figure 3 shows that the procedure is composed of four phases: ( 1 ) prepossession, ( 2 ) reading, ( 3 ) apprehension, and ( 4 ) account. Based on the literature, this procedure is considered â€Å" participatory, experiential, and reflexive. †Analytic ModelInterpretation2( Experiences in larning contexts )Understanding31PreconceptionResearch worker+OTHERS( Insight, empathy, accomplishments, intuition ) ( Prior experiences, values, cognition )Explanation4( Revision, deeper understanding )Figure 3. The heuristic- hermeneutic procedure of the DevCom ExperiencePreconception was characterized by the selected senior DevCom pupils ‘ apprehension of development prior to exposure to DevCom classs. Interpretation was determined by their specific experiences in the class of their undergrad DevCom life, peculiarly the experiences refering to the accent on the â€Å" weightier † development facet in DevCom. Subsequently, apprehension is determined by how they acted on what they have learned in DevCom and how they developed their accomplishments and practiced critical thought. Last, account was characterized by their â€Å" deeper understanding † of the construct of development and their observations on how the development construct should be instilled as the much more of import constituent of DevCom.

Analysis of the Hungarian Mobile Market Essay

Introduction The mobile market is still one of the most rapidly expanding business sectors in Hungary. Openness to new technologies and society’s need for swift communication, have elevated current statistics to show that the number of mobile telephones in Hungary exceed that of landlines. And it appears that the balance continues to shift more in favor of mobiles. This is characterized by the occurances of the previous years. At the end of 1999 the proportion of landline to mobile use was two to one, by the end of 2000 the number of landlines was only 25% higher than that of mobiles. Recently, over the course of the past few years dramatic changes have taken place. The country’s leading mobile provider, Westel Mobile Rt., reached 2 million subscribers by June 12, 2001; at the same time Pannon GSM reported 1.5 million subscribers, while the number of Vodafone subscribers was around 260,000.According to a recent report of the Telecommunications Supervisory Office, the number of opera tional mobile telephones in October 2003 amounted to 7,614,256. Given the tendencies of previous years, this number is expected to increase. Therefore, we can observe that mobile penetration has increased by nearly 100% over the course of the last few years. Growth shows no sign of slowing with the market. This makes it one of the highest growing markets in eastern Europe. But how will the Hungarian mobile-market develop further? Can the sharp increase of recent years be maintained, and when can we expect signs of market saturation? The Main Market Players Westel Mobile On 16 June 2000 Westel’s analogue and digital divisions, Westel Radiotelefon and Westel 900 GSM, officially became known as Westel Mobile; the company required a name change to reflect the fact that it was scheduled to introduce a GSM-1800 service. Westel was granted a GSM-1800 licence in mid-1999 when the government awarded Hungary’s third digital concession to Vodafone. In the interest of promoting fair competition, Vodafone was afforded a year-long period of exclusivity before Westel was allowed to launch its own GSM-1800 offering. Westel began sales of dual-band handsets in January 2000 in preparation for its November launch. Westel’s GSM subscriber base almost doubled during the course of 2000, from 842,000 to 1.6 million, growth which the company has attributed to the popularity of its pre-paid service Domino. The sale of Domino packages accounted for 76% of total revenues in 2000 and by the end of the year pre-paid users outnumbered post-paid customers, ac counting for 52% of the total subscriber base; this had risen to 57% three months later. By the end of March 2001 Westel had signed up a total of 1.8 million subscribers and in mid-June 2001 it registered its two millionth customer, by which time 60% of its customers were pre-paid. Westel launched its WAP service in early February 2000 and by the end of the year claimed that 100,000 customers were using WAP-enabled handsets. According to the company, there will be a boom in its WAP services once access times have been cut by GPRS. In spring 2001 Westel launched GPRS to a couple of hundred users and has scheduled full commercial launch for 1 August. It is aware that the technology could be slow to take off, however, and has already indicated that initial growth could be affected by the lack of handsets. A major development for Westel customers in 2000 was the introduction of the GreenZone tariff package, which allows customers living in rural areas to make lower cost calls. The GreenZone covers around 80% of Hungarian territory. In addition Westel has roaming agreements in place in 87 countries with 196 networks. It has also highlighted the popularity of SMS services; 200 million were sent during 2000 and in the first half of 2001 Westel customers sent more than 30 million per month. Westel Mobile retained its dominance over the market having almost doubled its subscriber base during the course of 2000, from 842,000 to 1.6 million, giving it a market share of 53.1%. By March 2001 the number of subscribers had reached 3.39 million, equivalent to a penetration rate of 33.7%. estel Mobile is owned by Matav (51%) and Deutsche Telekom (49%). Pannon GSM Although growth was steady during 2000, Pannon gained little ground on Westel; at the end of March 2001 it claimed a market share of 40.4%, up slightly on the 39.3% it recorded a year earlier. At the same date its subscribers numbered 1.37 million, 38% of whom were signed up to its pre-paid package Pannon Praktikum, which was launched in November 1997. By May 2001 Pannon announced that its customer base had reached 1.5 million. It has offered WAP services since early March 2000 and claims to have signed up several thousand users in the first four months. Majority shareholder KPN announced in June 2001 that it was seeking to offload its stake in Pannon as well as its minority stakes in the Ukraine and Indonesia. Interest in the stakes has been high and at the time of writing KPN confirmed that talks with potential buyers were well under way. Analysts have suggested that Vodafone may show interest in acquiring Pannon to strengthen its position in the country; it is not believed that Vo dafone will be deterred by the fact that Pannon is likely to be sold in conjunction with VoIP operator Pantel. Pannon is owned by KPN (44.66%), Telenor (25.78%), Sonera (23%) and TDC (6.56%). Vodafone Hungary When the VRAM consortium launched Hungary’s third digital mobile network under the Vodafone name in November 1999 it stated that its aim was to achieve a market share of 10% by the end of 2000. It failed to reach this target, signing up 200,000 customers, equivalent to just under 6.5%. Nonetheless, growth has been rapid. By March 2001 Vodafone had signed up 223,000 subscribers, up 374% from the 47,000 it claimed a year earlier. At the beginning of 2001 Vodafone announced that it would invest USD60 million in Hungary to build 400 base stations nationwide in addition to the 800 it has already installed. Vodafone has invested hundreds of millions of dollars since the inception of its Hungarian project to fund infrastructure, marketing and technological advances. The VRAM consortium consists of Vodafone (50.1%), RWE Telliance (19.9%), Antenna Hungary (20%) and Magyar Posta (10%). Market Share Development in Hungary Total Subscriber Development in Hungary Market Analysis This market is characterized by severe price discrimination implemented by all the participating firms. All three members of the market have pre paid and post paid packages available to their customers. It is observable that more users choose the pre paid packages in general. This can be derived from the price discrimination of the competing firms on the market. The following diagram also illustrates this tendency. Since the slope of the two lines is determined by the cost per minute it is obviously the lower envelope that represents the line according to which buyers should base their preference-based decisions. A customer who does not uses his or her mobile a lot will choose one of the pre paid packages. Controversially someone who is willing to talk much on his or her mobile will choose the post paid package, which implies to pay more for getting the started and costs less to use. In the intersection point of the two lines is the point where the customer is indifferent between the two. The market had witnessed unprecedented growth during 2000. At the end of the year it was home to 3.1 million users, this constitutes a 92.5% increase on the previous year end of 1999. This also beat the government’s forecast of a target of 2.5 million by a considerable margin. Also noteworthy is that mobile penetration reached an impressive 30.7% in December 2000, up from just 15.9% twelve months earlier. The market is growing indeed. according to analysts, 2002’s tendencies were easy to predict. The fast growth continued in the mobile market. However, it seems harder to foresee the development of the market later on. The only fact evident is that in the long run, there will be more mobile terminals in the country than the number of people living in it. Hungary’s new telecommunications act, which is currently being debated in Parliament, is also expected to further boost competition in the mobile phone market. With three competing mobile phone operators the Hunga rian market is probably the toughest in the entire region. Mobile Penetration Development in Hungary The second year of liberalized telecommunications in Hungary was marked by a decline in the number of fixed-line subscribers, but a persistently growing mobile market. In the first quarter of 2003, the number of mobile subscriptions (including active SIM cards and analogue subscription) rose to over 7 million for the first time, says a telecommunication market quarterly report compiled by the National Communications Authority (HIF). A comparison of 2003’s summer figures with those from the summer of 2002, shows an increase in mobile phone subscriptions of 22%. The numbers illustrate a major trend in the telecommunications sector of, let’s not forget, a country of only 10 million inhabitants. Westel leads the sector with a 47.5% market share, while Pannon GSM ranks second at 36.94%, followed by Vodafone, the smallest player, but one that is quickly growing with a 15.56% share of the market, according to HIF. Prices appear to increasingly level off, and the competition is speeding up. Therefore the mobile companies react faster to each other’s steps. Several years ago it took mobile operators almost half a year to counter each other’s marketing actions, but today it is a matter of days. This type of price war competition was started by Vodafone, Hungary’s third mobile phone provider, which entered the market in 1999. Vodafone’s Vitamax pre-paid cards became an instantaneous hit. Initially Vodafone’s prices were some 15-20% lower than anything offered on the market, but in the time since Westel and Pannon have lowered their prices as well. Pannon’s new campaign: â€Å"De-Juice† was a response to Vodafone’s younger image, and offers prepaid options along side Pannons already existing Praktikum service. Since March this year, Westel has introduced three new pre-paid Domino packages that offer competitive and unified tariffs on calls mad e to fixed-line or other mobile networks. There is also a considerable amount of price competition in the post-paid sector. Similarly to the post-paid packages, there is a very large array of package allocation possibilities. Of these assortments Westel’s cheapest offer for subscribers is its ‘Tà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rsalgà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ M’ package, under which users can call within the network for 36.75 Hungarian Forints per minute in peak hours. Under Pannon’s ‘Horizont’ package, subscribers can choose between three different categories (Bà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nusz, Plusz, Extra) that offer economical prices for calls made at different times of the day. In the meantime, Vodafone has come forward with its Rock ‘n’ Roll ‘Csà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cs Plusz’ subscription package, which offers a tariff of 6 Forints per minute for the first 10 minutes of a call made to any network. So competition is fierce among mobile operators for post-paid subscribers and pre-paid card users. Although companies believe they will win customers by advertising the lowest prices, we have ascertained that many pre-paid packages hide additional charges for calls made after prime time hours. Many analysts say that even after Hungary’s new telecom law takes effect, price competition will continue since there are still significant reserves in pre-paid card rates. Although mobile operators are extremely careful about detailing their strategies, we believe that telephone equipment prices, along with regular subscribers, will remain the main campaign elements in the future. One aspect of the new telecom law states that from May 1, 2004, customers may keep their mobile numbers even if they switch providers. It seems that this will greatly rearrange the market. It can be expected that pre-paid phone customers will probably have to pay much more for the mobile handsets (as opposed to being relatively cheap, as is the case right now), as it would not be in any company’s interest to give expensive, modern phones cheaply to customers who could change providers at any moment. Meanwhile, the value of regular subscribers is expected to grow and those customers who sign a long-term contract will probably be the most important ones. Pannon GSM, for instance, seems to put more focus on the post-paid customer segment instead of the SIM card market. The current price competition, mostly focused on pre-paid card users, is seen spreading to subscribers who would be able to make cheaper calls as well. Vodafone is also pursuing a similar strategy. Telecom Policy Director Pà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½l Marchart says: â€Å"I expect that the new regulation will stimulate market competition even in those markets that show monopolistic signs today.† In reality however, the new regulations are being carefully scrutinized and opinions vary. It is questionable whether they will fulfill the function of creating real market competition. Prices would radically drop if real market competition existed in the market. This question was first raised by Hungary’s Competition Authority (GVH). The office made headlines recently with its inquiry into the telecommunications services sector, which resulted in imposed fines for Westel and Pannon. The sector inquiry enabled GVH to achieve a more accurate view of the mobile phone sector. The office found several problems on the mobile market, mainly with the pricing of calls generated from mobile phones to fixed-line networks. GVH accused mobile operators of utilizing restrictive practices in-order to increase mobile use in Hungary. The inquiry alleged that there is a mobile phone cartel in Hungary. But of course in the end it accused mobile service providers of little and did not prove that there were coordinated actions taken on by the mobile firms. GVH could not even prove that call fees to other networks were too high, but only stated that some contracts among mobile providers could distort competition. Westel was fined HUF 210 million and Pannon GSM HUF 150 million by GVH. The fine is not substantial, however, and accounts for a mere fraction of mobile operators’ turnover. Westel and Pannon said they will appeal the GVH decision in Hungarian courts. Vodafone did not have to pay any fines. The mobile companies agreed that fees for calls to other mobile service providers would cost less than calling fixed-line operators. In Summary then, we believe it is safe to say that continued competition and occasional price-wars will continue to surface among the three mobile conglomerates in Hungary. We have just recently perused in the latest issue of the Budapest Times that the new telecoms legislation has just been officially approved in Parliament. The new telecom act will come into force January 1, 2004 for fixed-lines and May 1, 2004 for mobile networks, just in time for the EU entry. We are yet to see what real effects this law will have on market competition, and if predatory and limit pricing attempts will be detected and penalized by the GVH. Also of note for future developments is Hungary’s ensuing EU absorption. Although it is expected that new fixed-line operators will enter the Hungarian market after EU integration, in the mobile market, the situation is quite different. Given the considerable number of active mobile phone users in the Hungarian population, it seems inconceivable that a potential new entrant firm could operate efficiently next to the incumbents. They would need a lot of resources and a good financial background, since return on the investment would probably take a good number of years. The fact that the number of mobile providers is not bound to increase in the future is one issue that all three firms seem to agree on. However, we believe that eventual new entrants will or should make their way on the market, since this would further promote competition which is an obvious goal of the Hungarian Competition Office (GVH). What we, consumers can do is to hope that at some point in time prices and minimum average costs will tend to meet, setting an end to the presence of dead weight loss. This way welfare as well as consumer surplus will be maximized on the Hungarian mobile market. Bibliography Sources Consulted and Referenced: Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) official website; www.gvh.hu Hungarian National Communications Authority (HIF) official website; www.hif.hu Pannon GSM Mobile Service Provider Corporation official website; www.pannongsm.hu The Budapest Times Newspaper. Issue: Nov 28. – Dec 4. 2004; www.budapesttimes.hu Vodafone Mobile Service Provider Corporation official website; www.vodafone.hu Westel Mobile Service Provider Corporation official website; www.westel.hu

Jeep Grand Cherokee Essay

Jeep Grand Cherokee is an American car. This kind of cars is survivor’s favorite things in VALS types. Survivors live narrowly focused lives. They are accustomed to use their familiar things, can’t accept new things quickly. Therefore Jeep brand which has more than 70 years history and born for war can satisfy the sense of survivors’ security. At the same time, survivors are cautious customers. Just in time, the design philosophy of Jeep-safety, comfortable, power, meet their requirements. Jeep brand is their best choice. The price of brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee starts from 39,895 dollars, this price level is medium-high. It’s expensive, but the price is not higher than Mercedes-Benz SUVs and BMW X5. For this reason Jeep Grand Cherokee is not a rich status symbol. However Jeep Grand Cherokee absolutely present a kind of personal character, it’s a symbol of recalcitrant man. SUVs are trendy because of better vision, more capacious space. On this basis, Jeep Grand Cherokee obtain better fuel economy by using new V6 engine. Increased back space make it more suitable for family, through the change of interior atmosphere let Jeep Grand Cherokee has become home up. Still powerful cross-country performance and improve highway playability let it drive up full of fun. Grand Cherokee try to attract more people to choose as family car. Hence, if you want to have fun with family in weekend, you can’t miss this car.Jeep Grand Cherokee is not offbeat no matter on speed or safety, but it can find balance in both. Jeep Grand Cherokee is a domestic car. It’s more appropriate survivors who like familiar brand and proud of owning American car even products. 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee use headline for: You’ll need to find a different excuse for being late to work. This headline really attract office worker. This press Jeep Grand Cherokee is comfortable and has fun to drive. Comfortable is the other most important reason for choose American car. Grand Cherokee shows this characteristics of the incisively and vividly. The seat not only soft and comfortable, and let any shape people drive this big car can find the most suitable for their own driving posture. Jeep own a pure cross-country blood, this SUV retains its essence and enhance the characteristics of adapting road. This advertising didn’t use celebrity charm and use model. It’s just a  picture about Grand Cherokee run in snow. This picture foil masculine, at the same time correspond subtitle: When you enhance the legendary Jeep brand capability with a Selec-Terrain system, snow doesn’t stand a chance. This advertising posted on Reader magazines whose readers have own-opinion. Overall this advertising conveys adventure emotional approach and express it’s comfortable and has fun with driving. It’s impressive and attractive advertising.

Applying Theory to a Practice Problem of Nursing Essay

Applying Theory to a Practice Problem of Nursing - Essay Example Nursing has developed differently through the years, with the efforts of the theorists of the different nursing eras; they have helped turn it into a respectable and reputable profession. It cannot be questioned for it has been backed up the different nursing theories which helped carve what nursing practice is today. Providing care is one of the main responsibilities that a nurse has to give to a patient. In fact, nursing has almost come to be defined as synonymous to caring, because nurses include care into their daily interventions. Caring for people in the field of nursing involves the simplest of things. Indeed, listening attentively (and hearing the message between the words) to what patients say about themselves, about their environment, about their current situation, about matters concerning the mind, heart, and soul, and different other things are part of caring that is inherent in the nursing profession (Bernick, 2004). Caring in nursing also manifests itself in the simple aspects of therapeutic communication, in a touch that can transcend the barriers of age and race, and even in the nurse’s simple presence at the bedside, giving the patient the feeling of peace and security. This process of caring has been maintained for all these years by both contemporary and pioneer nurses. But with the appearance of technologies that can diagnose a patient without having to ask them any questions aother than their personal information and lessen the time of poking and proding, the idea of spending a quiet tim e with the patient has lost some touch to the nurses nowadays. The idea of saving time and alloting them to other chores rather than giving the patients the care that they needed runs within the nurse’s mind. Time spent with the patient decreases which means the care given to the patient also diminishes. The application of nursing theories actualy loses its touch on the nurse, without the nurse even noticing. Caring is one of the essential component of nursing, one they tend to overlook and disregard. To be unable to perform this task means that the nurse is not performing the responsibility placed upon their shoulders. The only time that nurses realize that providing more than the average activities and giving the caring needed not only improves the healing ability of the patient is through the presentation of evidences of improvement when they are given; one of which is presented by situations where the cases are treated with the application of the different theories develo ped through the years.This paper aims to determine the importance of application of theories on the everyday job of a nurse. How with the guidance of the theories developed years ago can improve the ability of a nurse to provide proper care for their patients. The application of nursing theories in practice has improved the nurse’s ability to provide for all the needs of the patient. Whether it be his physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual need; a nurse can help the patient with the proper application of a specific theory needed by the situation. The theories used in practice were identified and classified according to three general divisions: The grand theories, mid-range theories and the borrowed theories. Application of Grand theory to the Problem Nursing theory is an important aspect of nursing that

Role Of Satirical TV Shows In People's Enhancing Political Awareness Essay - 7

Role Of Satirical TV Shows In People's Enhancing Political Awareness - Essay Example Satirical television shows help the audience to be more conscious of the news and politics by using comedies to expose the misconduct of politicians. Satirical TV shows provide are designed and comedies but has a rich content that exposes the truth of the political arena. First, the TV shows provide disclosure of hidden political agendas that the public are least aware of. The designers of Satirical TV shows use an exciting approach to tell the public of the mischief of politicians. These programs provide a detailed exposure of the information that covers the effects of the politics on the society and the specific country or even particular groups in the society. They cover a wide range of misbehavior patterns among the politicians and present them in a comical manner. Providing this information to the public allows people to learn about the behavior of their political leaders and this attracts their attention to be wary and more conscious of political behavior. In addition, the satirical TV shows make a direct attack on the political leaders, hence sensitizing them on the need to change certain negative behaviors. Most of the satirical TV shows expose specific political characters who have misbehaved and ridicule them. Actually, these shows mock negative political actions and sensitize the victims to change their behavior. As politicians are sensitive of their public image and the way these shows portray them to the society, they fear mockery and would rather come off clean. When these programs expose them to the public, they push them to change in an effort to reconstruct their political behavior. On this note, satirical TV shows provide the public with the real political images of their leaders and give the public the opportunity to push their leaders to change. In brief, satirical TV programs attract the people to contribute to changing the political arena.

Reasons behind Nursing as Career Choice Dissertation

Reasons behind Nursing as Career Choice - Dissertation Example From this dissertation it is clear that recruiting general nurses, especially in the United States and Europe, has undergone considerable decline over the years. Such possible loss of entrants to the profession of nursing, along with the increased rates of attrition, has brought about issues among stakeholders such as occurrences wherein the supply of nurses is insufficient for meeting health demands. The increasing life expectancy along with the rising number of patients who are experiencing acute and chronic health conditions emphasize the need for an increase in nursing staff members. However, certain issues have been identified in human resources. According to reports, there have been challenges in nurse recruitment and the filling up of nursing positions at hospitals. For instance, in 2000, there was a shortage of an estimate of 110,700 registered nurses as reported by the Ministry of Health in the US. In addition, it was reported by Buerhaus, Staiger, and Auerbach that the shor tfall of registered nurses in the country is likely to reach up to 500,000 by the year 2025. Other countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom, have experienced nurse shortages as well. Numerous studies, such as that of Grainger and Bolan have explored the significance of recruiting nursing students as well as the need to address the issues that come with such procedure. Therefore, it has been asserted that a more thorough and organised procedure for selection can help recruit motivated students and reduce the possibilities for nursing students to not continue with a nursing career. For effective recruitment to be carried out, there is a need to look into the reasons as to why individuals prefer nursing as their career; furthermore, the factors that influence such reasons should be identified as well (Brodie et al., 2004). Such information can not only provide guidance to the content recruitment campaigns and improve their reliability; knowing such reasons may also have a positive impact on the rates of attrition from nursing programs which can consequently present implications for workforce planning (Seago et al., 2006). It has appeared that the society and the media have had significant influence on individuals selecting nursing as their career choice as well as on the recruitment of students to the nursing profession. A number of studies have suggested that applicants have been interested in the positive reputation of a nursing career (Rheaume, Woodside, Gautreau, and Di Tommaso, 2003). On

Self Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self Reflection - Essay Example This paper aims to assess how I act and influence the group, with specific examples from my career or college life. In addition, I will provide a future vision of action that I would take in order to improve my behavior. To make my self-assessment more reasonable, I would like to describe some of my characteristics first. To start off, I am always motivated to learn more in order to gain new knowledge. Hence, I consider my job and my studies as an excellent source of knowledge. Time and energy are the two main factors that help me do things right. When I work, I try to work intelligently by focusing my energy on the task at hand to achieve my goals at the shortest time possible. I maintain the philosophy that real knowledge is not the new information but the information that will contribute in improving my behavior, and that real time is the time spent to achieve my goals. I am the type who prefers to spend more time in planning and analyzing a task than doing the actual work. For instance, when my boss gave me an assignment due after five days , I spent the first three days planning and analyzing the entire assignment while the time required to execute the plan was only one or two days. The secret behind this is my belief that there is always a better way of doing things. Having this belief and the drive to learn more led me to maintain a good standing in my job. Focusing in goals is one of the things I am proud in my career. Hence, I always schedule and note the achievement. In fact, I care more about it than the work itself! My boss was wondering how I can provide him with projects progress the moment he asks about it accurately. For that I’ve deserved to upgrade at first opportunity. Nevertheless, I still need to change some of my bad habits like stubbornness and being critical of others. Even if I am confident with my ideas and my

Toxic sugar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Toxic sugar - Essay Example Maturation effect, changes in research participants’ responses following numerous exposure to the study’s instrument is another major confound to the study (Goodwin, 2009). The study could be improved through implementing an experimental design over a short period. the design would randomly select research paericipants and organize them into strata with standard conditions. One group, a control group, would refrain from fruit consumption while each of the remaining groups would be subjected to single types of fruits and data collected, and tests performed, to determine incidence rates of type 2 diabetes among the participants (Muraki et. al., 2013). The researchers conducted the research themselves. Even though participant administered questionnaires were used, significant involvement in determination of participants’ consumption levels justifies the researchers’ role. Researchers’ participation in a research matter because it establishes grounds for evaluating reliability threats due to researchers’ bias. Not involvement communicates higher level reliability of a study. The researchers studies human subjects, people identified as women and men. The large number of participants used in the study, 66105 women, 36173 men and 85104 other women, was sufficient though there was no treatment. This means absence of placebo and treatment groups. Researchers in the study considered a 25 year period in which data was collected for different research participants. The period began in the year 1984 and ended in the year 2009 and was long enough for a longitudinal study (Muraki et. al., 2013).). The study was not a controlled experiment because its feature does not meen definition of a controlled experiments. Controlled experiments involved randomization of a study’s participants into groups that receive different treatments, characteristics that did not exist in

Managerial Decision in Supply Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managerial Decision in Supply Chain - Essay Example Supply chain is a key feature to success or a failure of today’s business. This is because getting the correct products to consumers is not only the key player to competitive success, but also the solution to survival. According to Industrial Marketing Management Journal, managerial decisions to prevent failure in the movement of goods and services are very crucial (Handfield, & Bechtel, 2002:367). The decisions should target to respond to the market requirements with overall efficiency. This issue falls on the management. The management should design sound strategies to respond swiftly to the consumer’s demands. Moreover, the strategies should take care of the ever-changing markets. This is the only way to maintain and bring a competitive advantage to the market. For supply chain to remain efficient, it should concentrate on reduction of cost. In addition, the supply chain should avoid wastage of resources of non-value added activities. The managerial decisions should focus to resolve trade-off between responsive and efficiency (Handfield, & Bechtel, 2002:369). This paper examines the managerial decisions that increase responsiveness of the supply chains. ... To achieve this, it calls for the management to make sound decisions to respond well to the customer demands or changes in market. This is because each customer has specific set of needs. Some markets require high level of receptiveness and others concentrate on effectiveness. The general effect of making prudent decisions regarding to each driver establishes the affectivity with which the supply chain serves its market for maximum profits for the participants in the supply chain (Minnich, & Maier, 2008:3). The common tenet from literatures holds that for success of supply chain managers should be aware of changes in the competitive market environment. The managers should then re-organise the supply chain to satisfy the genuine needs of the consumers. This swift response determines the adaptation of firms and supply chain to the needs of the ever-changing markets to achieve lasting competitive success. This means that policy designing, and changes are crucial to respond well to the s upply chain in the five areas of the company. These are production, transportation, information, inventory, and location. The managers’ decisions on the strategies they should focus on the situation at hand. The decision should endeavour to achieve the lower costs of goods and services. This is an issue, which many supply managers grapple with. It therefore means that the managers should choose between two strategies philosophies. The management can either demonstrate a high reaction to consumers at any cost. The other way is to reduce waste in order to achieve maximum profits (Minnich & Maier, 2008:3). The managerial decisions should concentrate on devising sound processes and key performance pointers that rewards

Brita Case Essay Example for Free

Brita Case Essay The Brita Products Company began in 1988 under the recommendation of Charlie Couric, a marketing executive with the Clorox Company. Optimistic of its capability to be profitable, Clorox acquired the right to market the home water filtration system. Clorox, citing the overriding long-term benefits of continuous filter sales, initially engaged in deficit spending. Such measures paid off and Clorox not only created a $350 million market, but also captured 70% of the market revenue. Brita enjoyed success in the market by creating a perception of better tasting water. However, as ater purification technology improved and consumer awareness increased, taste alone was no longer enough to sustain its massive market share. Consumers are demanding more in terms of health benefits and Brita needs to respond to their growing needs and wants. The market environment is characterized by fast growth. As consumers are becoming more health-conscious, bottled water and water- filtration systems are becoming a necessity for most, with a Brita pitcher in 1 out of 7 homes 103 million households. Britas competitors were unable to effectively rival Brita in pitcher sales. Brita dominated despite many new entrants to the market. However, a small competitor, PUR, launched a different water filtration product. PURs faucet-filter system offered added health and convenience benefits that Britas pitcher couldnt provide. Now suddenly, our competitors came up with the first mover product. Thus Couric is considering allocating resources to launch a faucet-mounted filtration system in response to these emerging competitors. Many think Brita needs to capitalize on this opportunity to gain new consumers while their name still remains synonymous with quality and taste. Thus raising the question, how should Brita attempt to further penetrate the market with their products? Lets take a look at the Pros and Cons of each option: Option 1: Implement the new faucet mount filtration system The Purpose This writing aims to present one possible solution to the dilemma that Clorox Company faces. The Clorox Company was the market leader in water filtration in the USA with the Brita Pitcher (one of the Cloroxs most important product), but in 1999 they faced the threat of a new product the faucet mounted filter. Clorox already had its own version of this new product ready to launch into the market, so the issue was to decide the best of the following strategies: 1 . Continue selling only the current product; 2. Introduce their new faucet mounted filter in addition to the pitcher into the market 2. The Analysis Market Summary Clorox launched in 1988 the Brita Pitcher and after a decade they were the market leaders of water filtration systems with a market share of 69%. After the Brita pitcher launch, the water quality became a growing concern to consumers. This new attitude about the quality of drinking water allowed the purified water market to grow in both bottled water and filter systems. This growing on the water market, allowed Clorox Has not defined product Market segmentation

Ecological Theory And Child Development

Ecological Theory And Child Development Analyse the contribution of Ecological theory to our understanding of typical and atypical child development, and discuss this model in relation to the factors and possible interventions for child abuse The importance of insight regarding the parent/child bond has always been a component of social services custom, but the significance has not always been indentified of the interaction that the environment plays on a parents ability to act in their childs best interests (Department of Health, 1999). A significant breakthrough in the knowledge of child abuse appears to have emerged through the application of an ecological model of child maltreatment, The ecological paradigm is currently the most comprehensive model we have for understanding child abuse (Gallagher 2001; 76). Such a perspective has generally been derived from theory based on Bronfenbrenners (1979) pioneering work, in which he defines to which The ecology of human development involvesthe progressive, mutual accommodation between an active, growing human being and the changing properties of the immediate settingsthis process is affected by relations between these settings and by the larger contexts in which these settings are embedded. (Sidebotham, 2001; 105). The importance of an ecological standpoint in the perception of abuse is, firstly, that it widens the boundaries of the unfavourable effects of maltreatment on children beyond just the parent-child relationship to consider the familial and social context in which such abuse occurs. Second, the ecological model is transactional; in the sense that it acknowledges the individual and the immediate and wider influences as actively interacting with each other. However, it should be noted that this ideology holds some limitations in the sense that it would not seem to account very well for child sexual abuse. Any pairing together of juxtapositions forms of behaviour as occurs with child abuse or child maltreatment, is bound to result in some loss of specificityIt would be foolish to think that ecological models are the final word on child abusethere is not single solution to abuse (Gallagher 2001; 77). Specific hazardous factors contribute to parents abusing their children. Although maltreatment does not often occur without numerable of these factors interacting in the same household simultaneously. Firstly, the risk of abuse increases in any household exposed to significant stress, regardless if this stress arises from unemployment, poverty, neighbourhood violence, a lack of social support, or an especially demanding infant (CDC, 2006). Bronfenbrenners predominant layer, or microsystem, refers to the collaborations that occur within the childs immediate environment. The childs own genetic and social characteristics affect the habits, behaviour and patience of their peers, For example, a temperamentally tiresome infant could disaffect their parents or even create friction between them that may be sufficient to damage their marital relationship (Belsky Crnic, 1995). Also, the relationship between any two individuals in the microsystem is likely to be influenced by the introduction of a child. Fathers, for example, clearly influence mother-infant interactions, happily married mothers who have close supportive relationships with their husbands tend to interact much more patiently and sensitively with their infants than mothers who experience marital tension, little support from their spouses, or feel that they are raising their children on their own (Cox et al, 1992). In regards to the emphasis on family, the notion to which a parent regards their competence and rates the performance of their parenting role is also a relevant matter. Parenting competence has been noted as problematic among abusive parents (Marsh Johnston, 1990) and linked with increased abuse possibility. Whilst acknowledging that improvement of parenting capacity is an important objective one must be cautious in concluding that improved competency in parenting directly results in a reduction in child maltreatment as observations on interactions based under experimental conditions rarely reflect in daily life (Gallagher,2001;248). Direct exposure to abuse can have a dangerous impact as abused children tend to function less adaptively than their non-abused peers in many areas (Cicchetti, Rogosch, 1993). According to Hipwell et al (2008) Children in a caring and loving environment feel more secure in their immediate surrounds in regard to the microsystem, they develop greater self-confidence, are altruistic and show higher signs of being empathetic. These children are also shown to have larger IQs throughout their schooling life, and show lower levels of anger and delinquent behaviour. As Bronfenbrenners ecological model would present, higher degrees of affection can even buffer a child against the negative implications of otherwise precarious environments (Bartley Fonagy, 2008). Several studies of children and teens growing up in poor, dangerous neighbourhoods show that the single ingredient that most clearly distinguishes the lives of those who do not become delinquent from those who do is a high level of mat ernal love (McCdord, 1982). The Mesosystem is the connections or interrelationship among such microsystems as homes, schools, and peer groups. Bronfenbrenner argues that development will be increased by supportive and strong connections between Microsystems. For example, children who have instigated attached and secure relationships with parents have a tendency to be accepted by others and to have close, supportive peers during their development (Perry, 1999). According to McAdoo (1996) a childs competence to learn in a schooling environment is dependent upon the quality of the teaching provided and also the degree to which their parents place value upon education capital and how they interact with the teacher and vice-versa. However, this can also impact negatively at this level as when deviant peer groups or friends of the child devalue scholastics, they will tend to undermine that childs school performance in spite of teacher and parents best efforts. Numerable research has revealed that exposure to abuse had a severe negative impact upon a childs academic functioning. Schwab-Stone et al (1995) concluded that as the consistency of maltreatment increased this had a direct negative correlation with academic performance. Likewise, Bowen (1999) found in a sample of over 2000 high school students that exposure to community and school violence put limitations on school attendance, behaviour and results. Warner and Weist (1999) revealed that children from low income families who are witnesses to household and neighbourhood violence demonstrated atypical symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. The symptoms continue upon the latter to include atypical externalising behaviours such as anger, inability to form relationships and a decline in academic performance. Surviving on a low income in a bad neighbourhood does not make it impossible to be the caring, affectionate parent of healthy, sociable children. But it does, undeniably, make it more difficult (Utting, 1995, p. 40). Children from low-income households may display more behavioural troubles than their better-off peers. However, according to Gorman-Smith (1998) family factors, including parenting practices do not predict childrens exposure to violence. He suggests that other community factors rather than their household income will influence and operate on children and those family factors are not powerful enough to mediate or moderate their effects. Such studies have often found there to be an important correlation between communities in which citizens have described a high level of community cohesions and children safety, with an increase in child abuse being linked with a negative sense of community identity. Self-care has the most negative effects for children in low-income neighbourhoods with high crime rates (Marshall et al, 1997). Children who begin self-care at an early age are more vulnerable to older self-care children in their communities who can damage or abuse them. These children are more likely to have adjustment problems in school and are more likely to use after-school with socially deviant peers who do not value school and undergo criminal activities. Predictably, then the positive effects of organised after school programs on academic achievement are greater for children in low-income neighbourhoods (Mason Chuang, 2001). Bronfenbrenners penultimate layer, or exosystem, consists of contexts that children and their peers may not be aware although nevertheless will influence their development. For example, parents work environments are an exosystem influence. Childrens emotional relationships at home may be influenced considerably by whether or not their parents enjoy their work (Greenberger, ONeal, Nagel, 1994). In a similar fashion, childrens experiences in school may be influenced by their exosystem, by a social integration plan taken on by the school council, or by job cuts in their community that result in a decline in the schools revenue. Negative impacts on development can also result when the exosystem breaks down. For example, Sidebotham (2002) has shown that households that are affected by unemployment, poor housing and poor social networks are more likely to be involved in increased occurrences of child abuse. Whose comments are justified next to Beeman (1997) who concluded that a lack of so cial support and a high consistency of negative attitudes towards available networks all contribute towards the chances of child maltreatment. The majority of the research on the impact of mothers employment concludes towards a small positive influence on most children (Scott, 2004). Children whose mothers are in employment are more confident and show more admiration for their mothers in contrast to those mothers who do not work. The effect of the mothers work on influencing attitudes and results in school become less apparent, with many studies showing no difference (Gottfried, Bathurst, 1994). Muller (1995) in his large study on the latter topic distinguished a small but comprehensible negative difference on the effect on maths results if that childs mother was in employment. However, this difference seemed to be based on the fact that mothers who do not work as much are less engrossed with their childs work and are less likely to oversee the childs work continuously after school, rather than from a long-lasting deficit brought about by maternal employment in the early years. Thus, working mothers who find ways to provide such supervision and who remain involved with their childrens schools have kids who do as well as children whose mothers are homemakers. Research evidence intuitively shows that when a man becomes unemployed, it places a strain on his marriage; which in turn leads to an increase in marital conflict and both mother and father show more signs of depression. The effects of these conflicts eventually show the same characteristics as families who are experiencing divorce; both parents appear less coherent in their attitudes towards their children, become less loving and less effective at monitoring them. Similarly, children, in turn respond to this situation as they would during their parents divorce by exhibiting a series of atypical behaviours which can include depression, anger or becoming involved in delinquent behaviour. According to Conger et al (1992), the likelihood of abuse at all levels, shows an increase during times of households unemployment. However, according to Berger (2004) parents who are experiencing divorce but who have a supportive framework and emotional support from friends are increasingly more like ly to provide a safe and affectionate environment for children in comparison to those who are occupied in social isolation. Gorman-Smith and Tolan (1998), in their study of the effects of divorce, did not find that family structure and other familial influences had an independent involvement towards the prediction of exposure to abuse in comparison to that of other risk factors such as the breakdown of traditional social processes in the community. Low income parents are characterised by contributing towards their childs atypical development as Evans (2004) concludes that parents of such a nature are less likely to communicate with their children, spend less time engaging with them in intellectually stimulating activities and in turn are harsher and more aggressive in their discipline techniques. Not all children follow the same development pathways and there are certain factors that influence their development. For example, children below the poverty line are half as likely to recall the alphabet and have the ability to count by the time they enter the first years of schooling. This development according to Brooks-Gunn (1995) also applies, and is maintained through to adolescence as older children in poverty are twice as likely as their counterparts to repeat a year of school and are less likely to go onto higher education. In keeping with Bronfenbrenners model, parental values on the best way to deal with discipline will be largely in coherence with the larger culture in which they reside. According to Lockhart (Ecology of Development; 345), by striking a child it will usually stop the chid from repeating the behaviour. Although research evidence suggests that children who are spanked, like children who are abused at later ages are less popular with their peers and show higher levels of aggression, lower self-esteem, more emotional instability, higher rates of depression and distress, and higher levels of delinquency and later criminality (Mostow Campbell, 2004). Bronfenbrenners concluding layer is that of a macrosystem which entails a broad, overarching ideology in which the child is embedded, and whose principles dictate how a child should be treated and how discipline should be distributed. These principles differ across macrosystems (cultures) and sub-cultures and social classes and can have a direct influence on the types of experiences a child will have in all levels of their ecological system. To cite one example, Belsky (1993) discusses how the incidence of child abuse in families (a microsystem experience) is much lower in those cultures (or macrosystems) that discourage physical punishment of children and advocate nonviolent ways of resolving interpersonal conflict. Similarly Clarke (1997) revealed how at the level of the macrosystem, a Government policy that ensures parents have the option to take paid or unpaid leave from their jobs to see to family matters could provide a significant intervention towards child abuse allowing pare nts more free time to observe their childs development and resolve difficulties that may arise within their child. The debate that encircles the surrounding links between culture and child abuse is a complex notion, which has resulted in a myriad of concerns. For instance, recent statistics of child maltreatment has indicated that ethnic minority children are substantially more at risk of abuse than their Caucasian counterparts (U.S Department of Health, 2006). However Lassiter (1987) has countered, showing that these minorities may be over-represented to the relevant services. Lassiter argues that biased statistics do not take into consideration other influencing factors such as socioeconomic status and the level of schooling received. Without considering socioeconomic factors that may also influence the parent and child, research risks inadvertently concluding that factors that increase abuse potential are because of race or ethnicity, or are universal. The contextual risk variable that looks to have the biggest part in forecasting child maltreatment is having a family member who has also been a direct victim of some form of previous abuse. For example, A parent suffering from the stress of having been victimised herself or having another family member who has been victimised may be overwhelmed and more disturbed by the childs behaviour and may, therefore, have a lower threshold for viewing the childs externalizing behaviour as problematic. Primary or universal support targets the community as a whole, with generic initiatives, campaigns and community-based services that support parents and families without entry criteria. Their aim is to prevent problems such as child abuse and family breakdown (Healy Darlington, 1999). MacMillan (1994) in describing child abuse interventions found it necessary to distinguish between the differing forms of prevention, including that of primary intervention to which he describes as any manoeuvre that is provided to the general population or a sample of the general population or a sample of the general population to reduce the incidence of child maltreatment;, and secondary prevention, early detection of a condition with the aim of shortening the duration of the disorder, and tertiary prevention, prevention of recurrence of maltreatment and impairment resulting from abuse. MacMillan further explained the difficulties in prevention in regards to psychological and emotional maltreatment, which accounts for a high number of reported cases but difficulty arises when evidence needs to be collated, and if emotional abuse is accepted as a form of abuse, then the distinction between primary and secondary prevention or indeed tertiary prevention becomes less clear. Osofsky (1995) in his research on primary prevention has called for a nationwide campaign that would address to change the attitudes toward maltreatment and lower peoples tolerance of child abuse. Support for an ecological approach to child welfare is evident in the Framework for the Assessment of Children and their Families (Department of Health et al, 2000), which stresses the need to consider not only the factors relating to the child and their parents, but also the wider context in which children live when assessing their needs, acknowledging the impact of social and community factors on childrens welfare. This is also justified through the Every Child Matters document which refers to the concept of Making a positive contribution; being involved with the community and society. Involving local communities in the prevention of child abuse was acknowledged by Nelson and Baldwin (2002) who asserted that the Every Child Matters model has the potential to involve communities enthusiast ically in partnership with agencies in identifying problems and seeking solutions and that the process can help to build communities which are more informed, aware and thoughtful about child protection. Although the presence of risk factors, such as a poor environment or unsupportive relationships with primary caregivers, or being looked after outside the family, increases the likelihood of a negative outcome for the individual, studies of competence and resilience have shown that, regardless of background, children are generally resourceful. Competence has been shown to be a mediating variable that predicts positive or negative outcomes (Smith, Cowie, Blades, 2001; 569).