Dining Feature

It was an intelligent idea to go against conformity, and Open this kind Of restaurant – not a Korean dining place. Singling is a slang term for Singapore and Western (English). Its menu holds Asian cuisines that are not commonly around the metro and Western delicacies which the Filipinos are quite used to. The restaurant had a unique attack on food; it is the first to introduce Singapore dishes in the streets of Marking, and mind you, its menu is usually the mall-worthy and overpriced type of menu, but hey, they offer food at a very reasonable price.Walking along Lilac street, a residential and dining road in Barraging Conception Dos in Marking, it is quite noticeable that Singling Cafe is a newly opened cafe because for those who know the place, the stall they are now occupying has long been vacant, and with long, I meant really really long. Another is when you look from the outside, their accent of red and black details over light brown wooden furniture looks unique compared to the other 3 restaurants beside it. Entering the empty restaurant on a Sunday afternoon, what greeted me was an edgy and laid back interior design.All pieces of furniture are wooden, a few chairs and the frame of a huge mirror are wooden but are colored red. Their menu is along the counter and also on top of all tables. They also have a chalkboard menu that holds the drinks they have. I took a seat on the left side of the diner just across their gigantic mirror with red wooden frame. At my back is a wooden wall with white small frames with photos of food that they offer. The menu on the table is only printed in bond paper, but a clipboard holds it and makes it a little more presentable.I decided to order 4 dishes, ND below are my reviews on the four: MME Green (PH 168. 00) – The first dish that arrived is the MME Green, a Singapore dish. The dish looks kind of orange with noticeable bite-sized chicken, and it had a green accent because of the cabbages which are crunchy â⠂¬â€œ fresh, indeed! It came out with a strong seafood and spicy smell, but when once tasted it, it turned out not too spicy and not too neutral. It is spiced just right. You can easily water down the spiciness. No wonder that the noodles are quite firm because they are fried yellow noodles.I was just mind of confused looking for shrimps and seafood pieces, but there were not any. I, then, wondered where the strong seafood smell might come from. The dish was so oriental because of the spices incorporated in it. Juicy Lucy Burger (PH 198. 00) – This dish is the shish in Singling. This burger is their best-selling Western dish. The burger bun was presented in a unique way. It was like joint panels formed like a flower. Outside the burger were cabbage strips, a tomato slice and a cucumber slice topped with Thousand Islands dressing.These vegetables were also in the burger, but the tomato ND the cucumber were doubled, and instead of cabbage strips, the burger had a whole crunchy cabbage leaf. The vegetables and the % pound beef patty are drizzled with mustard. The patty looks ordinary, but once you begin eating it, little by little you can notice the melted cheese inside it. It is not a usual patty, I swear, it was spicy and cheesy at the same time. The cheese compliments the spiciness of the patty (with spiciness I meant full of spices). Braised Pork Belly with Steamed Rice (PH 188. 0) – The Braised pork belly and the Rice were served separately. The dish looked plainly presented with pork Cuts, brown sauce and spring onions that added a green accent to it. Its sauce is brownish and smooth. It is quite salty and resembles the taste of Showing's Sad Sauce. The pork was still quite tough making it hard to chew. The rice goes well with the dish because it helps lessen the saltiness of the sauce. However, it is disgusting that I have already swallowed the rice yet the pork stayed in my mouth because it was difficult to chew. Cereal Shrimp (PH 298. 0) -? Looking through the menu, this dish struck me cause I have not yet tried Shrimps with Cereals. The dish was served with 3 Fried shrimps and a significant amount of oats as topping. With the oats almost overwhelming the shrimps, the dish was significantly color light brown with orange and green touches because of the shrimps and the curry leaves respectively. Began peeling the shrimps and noticed that it looks well-cooked even from the outside, and I just verified it when I tasted it. It tasted like plain shrimp until I tried it with the oats. It tasted buttery, and the oats were crunchy.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

The first impression that the average person might have when reading about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is that it appears to be greatly beneficial to Americans with disabilities. Certainly, it was intended to be of assistance to these individuals; however, a question remains regarding the degree of assistance that it provided to the, or if it was beneficial at all. The intention of the ADA was to open access to all aspects of society, to people with all kinds of disabilities.It was intended to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the same way that previous civil rights laws protected people from discrimination based on race or biological sex. The ADA is divided into five sections, called â€Å"titles. † These titles each address certain topics including various regulations for businesses and organizations of almost any size or purpose, requirements for communications over the telephone, and other provisions in terms of providing physical access, as well as other forms of access to the disabled population.Overall, the ADA does provide the valuable protections to many Americans. It allows individuals with disabilities to have access to education, employment, housing who may not have previously had opportunities in these areas. However, the ADA is not without its issues. The language of the ADA at times goes beyond regulating easily defined and delimited impairments that have objectively determined bases to protecting individuals defined as â€Å"impaired† merely because they are affected by people’s perceptions of a condition or illness that they possess.The language of the ADA raises other issues as well, including the suggestions that the ADA is little more than an enforced quota system or that the measure â€Å"infantilizes† the individuals that it claims to protect. This paper will be used to summarize the ADA and describe its history, as well as some of its effects. Some of the indi viduals involved with ADA and its policymaking will be addressed. Finally, this paper will be used to discuss the assumptions and values inherent in the ADA and some recommendations for its change. The History of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The ADA is a civil rights bill.When it passed into law on July 26, 1990 the people who wrote it expected that it would protect individuals with disabilities in the same manner that the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ADA is divided into five sections, known as â€Å"titles. † These titles define, suggest, or regulate a number of different issues, including: 1. Equal employment opportunities 2. Access to public services overseen by state and local governments 3. Access to both publicly- and privately-run businesses for people with disabilities whenever possible 4. The availability of telephone and other voice communication services to the hearing impaired 5.Definitions of the breadth, depth, and limits of ADA protections and o f limitations to state immunity, as well as describing technical assistance programs of importance to businesses (Eckert, 2003). Regardless of the size, all state and local governments fall under the provisions of the ADA. The provisions of the ADA also apply to all sizes of business, regardless of how many people are employed by those businesses. Certain exceptions are made, however, when compliance would cause undue hardship for the business that needs to make modifications. Before the 1960s, people with disabilities were often removed from the general population.Previous generations assumed that individuals with disabilities were â€Å"suffering† due sins either they or their ancestors had committed. Children with disabilities were sent to separate schools from other children, if they were educated at all. The first attempts to care for American citizens with disabilities did not come until the nineteenth century, when life was a little easier and people were able to turn to doing charitable acts. These acts sprung from the community having a â€Å"humanitarian religious background that stressed the responsibility of the successful to help the unfortunate† (Rubin & Roessler, 2001, p.6). The first efforts made benefited individuals who were deaf or blind; only later were attempts made to assist individuals who were mentally retarded or mentally ill (Rubin & Roessler, 2001, pp. 6-7). Regardless of these advances, new laws were passed in the second half of the nineteenth century that were based on the scientific theories of eugenics. These laws prohibited people with mental or emotional disabilities from marrying, among other things, to remove them from the gene pool (Rubin & Roessler, 2001, pp.15-18), eventually leading to individuals with disabilities being segregated, including segregation through special education and vocational education. Eventually, as expectations for social responsibility waned, the government took on the role of setting guidelines as to how people with disabilities were treated. Progress first came in terms of worker’s compensation laws and rehabilitation acts. The Depression slowed much of the progress being made in rehabilitation services, but eventually the improved economy resulted in the creation of a number of rehabilitation programs (Rubin & Roessler, 2001, pp.31-32). The period between 1954 and 1972 for that time to be called â€Å"The Golden Era of Rehabilitation† due to all of the legislation enacted during this time (Rubin & Roessler, 2001, p. 34). One of these pieces of legislation was the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1954, which authorized funding for vocational education and expanded services. In addition, amendments to the Social Security Act provided aid for individuals with disabilities (Rubin & Roessler, 2001, pp. 33-36).Despite these efforts, individuals with disabilities still faced discrimination. Even the Civil Rights Act, passed in 1964, did not protect peop le with disabilities from discrimination. However, the Civil Rights Act was the first among this kind of legislation to formulate actual penalties against those states that did no enforce the Act. These penalties included â€Å"termination of financial assistance if states and communities receiving federal funds refuse to comply with federal desegregation orders† (Rubin & Roessler, 2001, p. 42).The Civil Rights Act, however, did provide the foundation for other legislation, such as the Architectural Barriers Act, passed in 1968. In what was quite possibly the most important move for the disabled community, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 removed many physical and intellectual barriers to individuals with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was one of these acts of legislation. The ADA built upon previous acts by prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities, as described in an earlier section.The sociopolitical model came into being at about the same time the ADA was passed. As the medical model fell out of favor, having a disability was no longer considered a stigma and the isolation of individuals with disabilities was slowly put aside. Instead of seeking to segregate the disabled or trying to â€Å"fix† them, the new model is attempting to integrate them and bring equality to the disabled population. Individuals with disabilities were brought into the educational system and into the workforce and were perceived as equals perhaps for the first time in history.Both the ADA and the legislation that reauthorized its provisions addressed many areas of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. As part of this focus on discriminatory practices, Title I of the ADA addressed pre-employment testing and screening. According to Power (2000) the ADA â€Å"mandated when employment testing should be done, and described how testing must relate to the essential functions of the job (p. xiii). Testing accommo dations under the ADA were divided into the categories of medium, time limits, and content (Power, 2000, p. xiii).These limits allowed more individuals with disabilities to have wider scope when taking pre-employment tests, permitting them to test in areas for which they may have previously been arbitrarily deemed unsuited. Positive and Negative Impacts of the ADA However, not all of the effects of this legislation were necessarily positive ones. The ADA undeniably fostered ill feelings in the American public, based on the public’s perception of the ADA being nothing more than legislation that enforced quotas or as legislation that encouraged abuse through its widely inclusive language.This last perception was reinforced by the popular culture in the media, such as its mocking treatment in segments of the popular cartoons The Simpsons and King of the Hill. These two programs featured episodes in which characters deliberately abused the ADA, forcing situations by which they fi t the apparently loose provisions of the act. In the mind of the public, Homer deliberately overeating to fit the definition of â€Å"morbid obesity† and the efforts of Hank Hill’s co-workers to force various personal issues into compliance with the ADA provisions showed how the ADA could reinforce or even reward malingering.The King of the Hill episode took a sly jab in this vein at the ADA by its conclusion, which showed the entire office being â€Å"protected† under the auspices of the ADA, with only the manager being held responsible for doing any work (Krieger, 2000, p. 20). The last scene of that particular King of the Hill episode may be of importance for several reasons. First, as already noted, it sends a subtle message to the American public, many of whom do not have informed opinions about the act, about the ADA.Second, as noted by Cary LaCheen, a parallel exists between the way that the media portrays the ADA and the manner upon which it is ruled in the courts (cited in Krieger, 2000, p. 25). Finally, this final scene might have played on fears that the American public had at the time of the â€Å"high levels of job instability and worker displacement† that characterized the then-current labor market and that potentially bred â€Å"insecurity, fear, and resentment toward employment protections extended to members of disadvantaged groups (Krieger, 2000, p.28). While these publicly-held sentiments are not caused by the ADA itself, they are a response to the frequently vague and over-broad language and interpretations of the language of the act itself. Schwochau and Blanck (2000) suggest that the ADA has actually had a negative effect on the employment of people with disabilities or, at the very least, that the ADA has not created improved working conditions for individuals with disabilities.The authors indicate that at the time that their article was written the figures produced in the surveys provided by the National Org anization on Disability actually reflected a decline in the number of such individuals who were employed (Schwochau & Blanck, 2000, p. 271). The same surveys indicated that educational barriers still remain, with individuals with disabilities still obtaining unequal education despite being largely integrated into the general education population.However, the surveys indicated that there had been some increase in employment for severely disabled individuals (Schwochau & Blanck, 2000, p. 271). Two interesting and potentially disturbing aspects exist in the ADA legislation. One such aspect is that it legislates people’s perceptions; that is, if the perceptions of others cause a person to be perceived as disabled, then that person is protected under the provisions of the ADA (Boyd, 2002, p. 2). Boyd (2002) lists HIV status, disfiguring facial scars, and morbid obesity as three such perceived disabilities (p. 2).Another difficult aspect is that the ADA, intended to prevent discrim ination, is discriminatory in and of itself. It does not recognize the rights of all individuals with disabilities; rather, it recognizes the rights of only those individuals whose disabilities meet the statutory definition of disability (Colker, date, p. 98). While the drafters of this act chose to use longstanding definitions of certain disabilities, adopting some definitions from Section 504 from the Rehabilitation Act, it is clear from the above paragraph that these definitions contain some gray areas.Because individuals who do not meet these defined limits are not covered by the ADA, people who lack disabilities are unable to bring reverse discrimination suits or otherwise â€Å"challenge favorable treatment of individuals with disabilities† (Colker, date, p. 98). This narrow concept of who is covered by the ADA also has the potential to create a type of affirmative action program for individuals with disabilities (Colker, date, p. 98). Previous incarnations of affirmati ve action programs have not been effective for those individuals they allegedly protected.Rather, there has been some argument that affirmative action programs that emphasize the â€Å"needs† rather than the â€Å"rights† of certain groups actually â€Å"infantilize† those individuals (Burke, 1997, p. 271). Who is Involved in the Debate? The debate on the ADA is widespread and covers many areas of society. On the one hand, the National Organization on Disability and other similar groups stand in advocacy of individuals with disabilities. Educators at all levels have also taken up the banner of accessibility and inclusion.Economists, on the other hand, appear to be arguing that the ADA is not as beneficial as it was once thought it could be. Regardless of these positions, however, the influence of the ADA continues to be debated. One source of current debate comes from the technology sector. Because the ADA grants equal access to individuals with disabilities, on e question that currently exists is whether or not this guarantee of access extends to commercial and private websites (National Council on Disability, 2003, par. 1). This debate extends from Title 3 of the ADA and the definition of the word â€Å"place† as used in that title.If individuals with disabilities are unable to access these site through electronic aids such as synthetic speech or Braille outputs, are the parties who run these sites liable to provide them access (National Council on Disability, 2003, par. 12). Although a great deal of the access issue can be resolved with a small amount of additional programming effort, how far is it necessary to go to be in compliance with the ADA–or does it extend at all to the Internet? Although the answer to this question has been ruled as â€Å"no† in the past, advocacy groups continue to argue that the provisions of the ADA cover more than just physical spaces.One perception of the ADA is that the law â€Å"forc es† equality by requiring employers to treat individuals with disabilities differently to permit them to function as other employees’ equals. However, as Schwochau and Blanck (2000) points out, companies are already in the position of purchasing equipment by which employees can perform their jobs in an equitable fashion. Purchasing a piece of equipment that enables an individual with a disability to do his or her job should be considered â€Å"no more than standard practice† (p. 312).However, the cost of the accommodations that required by the ADA may outweigh the benefits to the employer, â€Å"resulting in market inefficiencies and welfare losses† (Schwochau, Blanck, 2000, p. 308). The primary assumption of the ADA appears to be that a person with a disability is as capable as any other worker might be, given the chance. The National Organization on Disability (NOD) paints a rosy picture of this assumption, reminding employers that among other things: o Hiring individuals with disabilities eases concern over the labor supplyo Job performance ratings and retention rates for individuals with disabilities are equal to or higher than for other workers, while at the same time exhibiting lower absenteeism rates o Tax benefits are available to companies that hire individuals with disabilities (National Organization on Disability Website) However, these assumptions may not be as widespread in practice as they are in discussion. According to Maheady and Fleming (2005) it is common for nurse educators and facility administrators to â€Å"voice concerns and hold preconceived notions of success or failure before the student [with a disability] even steps on their floor† (p.52). These concerns and notions include the accommodations that will need to be made and the issue of patient safety (Maheady & Fleming, 2005, p. 52). Recommendations and Rationale for Change One potentially helpful change would be to change the language of the ADA, p articularly the language concerning the terms â€Å"reasonable accommodation† and â€Å"undue hardship,† as well as the language that defines disabilities. The language currently in use in these areas of the ADA is both vague and broad in its application.As shown by the exaggerated situations used to comedic effect by the television programs described above, the vague definitions of these terms are open to abuse. If it is reasonable for a person to provide assistance for a person with a hearing impairment to use the telephone, why would it be unreasonable to provide the addict depicted in the King of the Hill episode with lowered lights and a quiet environment? At what point does â€Å"undue hardship† begin if there is no financial cost to the business?When does the â€Å"reasonable accommodation† for one worker begin to impose on another if that imposition is not defined by physical space? In many cases, however, this episode demonstrates the opposite of how individuals with disabilities are treated. Rather than making an extra effort to comply with the reasonable accommodation aspect of the ADA, employers seek to avoid making changes in the workplace. However, individuals with disabilities would often stay in the workforce longer if they would get accommodation.Ultimately, changing the language of the ADA to reflect making these accommodations would save the government money in the long run, by removing people from the welfare rolls, which, ultimately, would serve the public good–and would serve business–by avoiding higher taxes. Another limitation of the ADA is its lack of precision in matters of Internet access. The ADA is legislation of the 1990s; new concerns now exist in terms of online communication that might be addressed by a modified ADA. Although computers were online to a certain extent when the ADA was compiled, the Internet has become far more pervasive since that time.Technology does exist that enables individuals with hearing or visual impairments to use the Internet; however, what is the obligation to the employer to provide this costly equipment to a single employee? Would a refusal to provide this equipment be covered by the â€Å"undue hardship† area of the ADA, or would it constitute discrimination. Without an update to the language of the ADA, situations created by current and future technology will remain unaddressed. Rather than rely on the input of a small selection of interest groups, it would seem wise to widen the scope of information gathering for these proposed modifications.Community seminars could be used to form local focus groups, which in turn could produce reports to be compiled into a block of regional or nationwide research. These seminars would have the beneficial side effects of informing the public and enabling them to feel empowered as they provide their input on something that has an effect on their working lives. At the same time, these focus gr oups could serve to change the opinion of the public about individuals with disabilities, as some people in the general public have the impression that members of the disabled population do not want to work.In addition to these focus groups, councils formed by those individuals who work with the disabled community and members of the business community might be established to discuss and define an alternative to the terms â€Å"undue hardship† and â€Å"reasonable accommodation. † These and other questions should be addressed to improve both public perception of the ADA and its application in the business world Finally, changes could also be made to the ADA in terms of defining disability. Public perception of a person with a disability is that of a person in a wheelchair.This stereotyped perception leads to wheelchair ramps being installed outside of public buildings, such as schools, or even outside of some privately owned business and retail stores. However, not all disabilities are visible. Some individuals have disabilities related to heart disease or immunodeficiency diseases. These individuals often have difficulty breathing or lack energy and lack the ability to climb stairs. Their only alternative in these situations is that of walking long distances through these ramps, which may actually aggravate the conditions that they possess.By creating a more inclusive list of disabilities and their definitions that is reflective of these hidden and unfamiliar conditions, more appropriate accommodations might become more available to a greater portion of the disabled community. Conclusion Throughout the history of the profession, social workers have been involved in seeking social equality and social justice for people caught in an unequal and often unfair system. Within this role, social workers have often actively participated in the political process.Therefore, social workers have an obligation to lobby local, state, and even federal legislatur es to pass laws that grant businesses money to make the specific accommodations required by people with disabilities. Some funding already exists; however, it does not meet the needs of either individuals with disabilities or of the businesses seeking to accommodate them. The ADA created a new realm of opportunity for individuals with disabilities. However, while well intentioned, some of the aspects of the ADA are problematic. Economic results do not reflect the predictions made by the supporters of the bill before it passed into law.In addition, some areas of the ADA are in need of modification to reflect today’s concerns. Although the ADA is a stride in the right direction for individuals with disabilities, the journey toward equal rights and access for these individuals remains a long one. In truth, the ADA should not be considered a finished product, neither now or in the future. As society changes and the use of technology grows, the ADA will need to be redesigned and r edefined to take these changes into consideration. The future of the United States is formed by the future of its people, no matter who they are or what their abilities might be.For that reason, the ADA as it exists now should be considered the starting point, not the ending point, for this piece of legislation. References Boyd, S. (2002). Americans with Disabilities Act: How this act affects you and your business. Heritage, 6(3). http://bus. cba. utulsa. edu/buslaw/Articles/Americans%20With%20Disabilities%20Act. pdf Burke, T. F. (1997). On the rights track: The Americans with disabilities act. Comparative Disadvantages? Social Regulations and the Global Economy, Pietro S. Nivlola, Ed. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. 242-318. http://bus.cba. utulsa. edu/buslaw/Articles/Americans%20With%20Disabilities%20Act. pdf Colker, R. (2005). The disability pendulum: The first decade of the Americans with Disabilities Act. New York: New York University. Eckert, J. M. (2003). People with disabilities, employment, & the workplace: A ready-reference guide for Illinois Businesses. Chicago: Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois. Krieger, L. (2000). Backlash against the Americans with Disabilities Act: Interdisciplinary perspectives and implications for social justice strategies. Boalt Working Papers in Public Law.Retrieved 13 May 2007 from http://repositories. cdlib. org/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1089&context=boaltwp Maheady, D. C. , & Fleming, S. E. (2005, Summer). Nursing with the hand you are given. Minority Nurse. 50-54. National Council on Disability (2003). When the Americans with Disabilities Act goes online: Application of the ADA to the Internet and the Worldwide Web. http://www. ncd. gov/newsroom/publications/2003/adainternet. htm National Organization on Disability. (2001). The top 10 reasons to hire People with disabilities. http://www. nod. org/index. cfm?fuseaction=page. viewPage&pageID=1430&nodeID=1&FeatureID=253&redirected=1&CFID=1307 6268&CFTOKEN=7389169 Power, P. W. (2000). A guide to vocational assessment. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Rubin, S. E. , & Roessler, R. T. (2001). Foundations of the vocational rehabilitation process. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Schwochau, S. , & Blanck, P. D. (2000). The economics of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Part III: Does the ADA disable the disabled? Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law, 21: 271-313. Retrieved 10 May 2007 from http://www. boalt. org/BJELL/21-1/21-1-271. pdf

Expanding an MNC Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Expanding an MNC - Assignment Example Finally this study will focus on future business strategy for ford to expand their business in China. Table of Contents The Ford Motor Company 4 Organizational Culture of Ford Motor 4 Environmental Scanning 5 Political 5 Economical 5 Social 5 Technological 6 Environmental 6 Legal 6 Entry Strategy 6 Political Risk 7 Implementation Strategy 7 References 9 The Ford Motor Company Ford motor company (FMC) is an iconic automobile manufacturer in the world. The company is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. It was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford, Horace E. Dodge and John F. Dodge. FMC was the most sold automobile brand across the world before World War II. Large scale car manufacturing concept was introduced by Ford motors in the year of 1914. Organizational Culture of Ford Motor Proper understanding of leadership skill and management is required to build a successful organization. Top management of the company believes in creating a sustainable environment for all. Ford has set a targe t to reduce 30 % CO2 emission from car within next eight years. The company tries to operate with a small but efficient workforce. They discontinued more than seven thousand underperforming employees in 2008. This is an example of strong leadership quality in terms of ability to take hard decisions. FMC has always tried to design product in a unique way. They use state of art technology to manufacture automobiles. Organizational culture of Ford can be described in three words- practical, innovative and one that believes in sustainable development (Seligman, n.d.) Environmental Scanning FMC is trying to enter Chinese automobile market. They need to analyze macro environment (considering political, economical, social, technological, legal, environmental condition of a particular country) before planning an entry strategy. Political Communist party is the ruling party in the country. Government has strong control over print media and electronic media. Political condition of the country is stable due to absence of any major opposition party. China has joined world trade organization (WTO) in 2001. The country has become more open in terms foreign investment after Joining WTO. It takes only thirty seven days to start a new business in china. This type of political condition will help FMC to grow their business in the country. Economical Chinese government has direct control over the financial institutes of the country. Government regulates Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy. Chinese government has cut down corporate tax rate last year. Ford has the opportunity to save huge amount of money due to low corporate tax policy of Chinese government (Viswanadham, & Balaji, n.d.). Social Literacy rate in china is more than 90% and most of the educated people are aware of international brands. Many international organizations have entered China in recent years. They have created employment opportunities for Chinese people. Disposable income of a customer has increased du e to rapid industrialization. Technological China is global leader in terms of technological development. Major achievements in the field of science and technology are, building the first atomic reactor, and hydrogen bombs, discovery of the Daqing Oilfield, synthesis of crystalline insulin, electronic collider, nuclear power stations etc. Government is trying to develop automobile industry with the help of foreign companies. This condition also supports the market entry

Bsiness statistic assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bsiness statistic - Assignment Example For example, when the factors that are contributing most to the overhead costs are known, it becomes easy to control such costs. This report will involve analysis of different variables that are believed to affect overhead costs, including number of setups, machines hours and labour hours. Some of the methods of analysis that will be used include descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and use of histograms and graphs. Section A - characteristics of all the variables Calculating measures of location (averages) and dispersion (variation) N Mean Std. Deviation Variance Overhead costs 24 172.79 17.939 321.824 Direct Labour hours 24 1134.67 64.629 4176.928 Machine hours 24 1402.58 213.135 45426.514 No. of setups 24 201.42 13.990 195.732 Valid N (listwise) 24 Table 2: descriptive statistics (averages and variation) Using all 24 months’ data to construct a frequency distribution and histogram for the machine hours Machine Hours Frequency 1000 0 1100 5 1100 0 1200 1 1200 0 1300 2 1300 0 1400 4 1500 3 1600 6 1700 2 1800 1 Table 2: Frequency Distribution Table Figure 1: Histogram for the machine hours Estimating the median and other descriptive statistics for the machine hours Column1 Mean 1402.583 Standard Error 43.50599 Median 1428 Mode 1300 Standard Deviation 213.135 Sample Variance 45426.51 Kurtosis -0.97697 Skewness -0.22011 Range 710 Minimum 1060 Maximum 1770 Sum 33662 Count 24 Table 3: Median and Other Descriptive Statistics for machine hrs A brief Report Determination of descriptive statistics is very essential in decision-making regarding cost. Among the four variables, the highest level of dispersion was reported in machine hours, as shown by the standard deviation and variance, implying that use of machines is likely to significantly affect variations in overhead cost. Number of set ups have the least dispersion, possibly meaning that this variable may not significantly cause cost variation (Table 2). Table 2 shows the grouped frequency histogram for the machine hours, where it is evident that most of the hours lie between 1001 to 1100 and 1501 to1600. The shape of the histogram exhibits a bimodal distribution or rather it has two peaks. This is a problem that results from stratification and it means that the data could have originated from two different sources. It is, therefore, important to identify these sources and analyse the data separately if appropriate. Figure 3 shows the descriptive statistics for the machine hours. The minimum and the maximum values are very useful in quickly identifying the range between which hours fall, which in this case is 1060(min) and 1770(max). The standard error gives the extent to which the distribution is exposed to sample error, which in this case amounts to 43.5 (Mann, 1995). Section B Graphs and analysis of the linear relationships in the variables related to the overhead costs. Figure 2: OH costs vs. direct labour hours Figure 2: Overheads costs are directly related to the direct l abour hours, which means that an increase in direct labour hours leads to an increase in overhead costs. The equation y=2.5352x +

Erickson's theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Erickson's theory - Essay Example However, the third hypothesis was relevant to the nature of the impact that parental involvement has on young children. The study was conducted with 25 families of children that were in kindergarten and first grade. Both parents worked outside the home and according to Culp et al. (2000) contributed to the fathers, "[...] taking a greater responsibility in their parent-child interactions during weekdays than single-earner family fathers" (p. 28). Based on this increased involvement by the fathers, Culp et al. (2000) confirmed their hypothesis when they concluded that greater father interaction was "associated with children's perceptions of self-competence and social acceptance" (p. 36). The Culp et al. (2000) study found that while increased father involvement elevated the child's sense of parental acceptance, it did not improve their cognitive or physical abilities (p. 36). Though Culp et al. (2000) found that more involvement by the male parent resulted in a perception by the father of better physical behavior, the study pointed out that this might only be the father's perception of the child's behavior (pp. 35-36). The increased time spent with the child, and the added responsibility of caring for them, may alter the father's perception but not the behavior of the child. Erikson's model would tell us that increased father involvement during stage 2 and

The Electoral College System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Electoral College System - Essay Example The existence of Electoral College Vote system has ensured that only candidates who win the majority Electoral College votes ascend to power. The Electoral College vote system comprises of 538 electors who determine the occupant of the white house. The presidency of the USA is won by whoever gets 270 of the electors’ votes. Electoral College votes vary in different states and the winner of a state’s majority votes wins all the college electoral votes of that particular state. In Bush vs Al Gore case, Al Gore had won in the popular votes, but there was a fierce disagreement over who won the Florida state. Florida State was to decide the winning candidate in terms of electoral votes. Bush won the majority votes in Florida by being declared popular vote winner in that state. This case was later taken to the Florida court, which ordered a recount, but there was a problem on the method to be used in recounting. However, the case was later taken to the US Supreme Court, which nullified the recount process and later made unsatisfactory decision the ultimate winner was George W. Bush. Considering that even the US Supreme Court justices were divided on this matter, it is unclear whether the decision made was political or was strictly based on judicial grounds. Thanks to Al Gore who conceded defeat having realized that based on the supreme court decision, he only managed 266 electoral votes against Bush’s 271 (Baker 1-3).The Electoral College system is believed to be catering for the minority and special group interests. A candidate must consider these groups since their votes may be a determinant in winning a particular state’s popular votes hence college electoral votes. In addition, the college electoral votes promote political stability by allowing only two major parties to exist.

Innovation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Innovation - Assignment Example Consequently, innovation was a prerogative of commercial organizations that used their employee talent to bring out new products and ideas that they could market for profit (Pearce, 2012). In this document, a review of the literature on open innovation is presented followed by experience of the author of this paper, who participated in a project at openIDEO, an open innovation platform. The term Open Innovation was first introduced by Chesbrough who indicated that open innovation "is a paradigm shift in approach of organizations that need to consider external and internal ideas along with external and internal path to develop a collaborative approach and advance knowledge in the field by introducing practical and innovative approaches to problem solving" (Chesbrough, 2003, p. 17). Open innovation creates a mutually beneficial relationship since both the firm that sponsors open innovation projects and individuals or smaller firms that participate, gain through generation of designs, and present ideas that meet the requirements (Chesbrough, and Eichenholz, 2013). Open innovation is different from outsourcing where existing products are given out on contractual manufacturing and vendors must produce the components as per specifications (Terwiesch, 2008). In open innovation forum, the administrator presents a problem and participants must offer their answers. A diversi ty of opinions is needed and the firm may examine several alternatives from among the solutions offered, pick up an idea that appears most suitable, and place the selected idea for refinement (Levine and Prietula, 2013). While open innovation is a good concept, certain problems are apparent. Some of the main problems are legal issues and the lack of privacy and confidentiality in the forum. Another problem is that requirements for the project and details of the selected design are available for even rival firms.

Critically discuss whether it is important for children to feel that Essay

Critically discuss whether it is important for children to feel that they 'fit in'. How can practitioners support the development of a sense of belonging - Essay Example Fitting in has come to take on a negative tone where it is believed that children are forced to adopt the mannerisms of the group that they wish to join in order to feel accepted. Not only does it create a situation where children end up losing themselves, but it makes these individuals live a lie, where they pretend to behave in a certain manner so that they can be able to achieve popularity in their environment, especially in school. This paper seeks to show that despite fitting in being considered important, it is detrimental to the development of children because it ends up not giving them an opportunity to belong. In most cases, children seek to fit in so that they can be considered by their peers to be popular and this is especially the case in schools. Schools tend to bring large groups of children together in a manner that creates a situation where there develop a diverse number of social networks among them (Faircloth and Hamm, 2011). These social networks are vital for children within these institutions because they assume the role of socialising them as well as ensuring that they are able to have a circle of friends on which they can rely. However, these social networks tend to be extremely hierarchical and this in such a manner that the most popular children end up being considered to be at the top of the hierarchy while the least popular end up at the bottom. This creates a situation where there is constant competition among children from an early age to ensure that they are able to join the popular children and through them to also gain popularity. While it may seem to be a commendab le system because it gives children the opportunity to learn the means through which they can be able to survive in a competitive world as adults, it also brings about problems for these children (Cialdini and Goldstein, 2004). This is especially the case where children end up having to reject their own personalities and adopt the behaviours of the group that

Telling the Truth - Atonement + Poems Essay Example for Free

Telling the Truth Atonement + Poems Essay The concept of telling the truth is a complex idea. The truth can vary based on an individual’s perspective and may be distorted by experience and misunderstanding. It is a creeping assumption of the modern world that there are things more important that the truth. The truth may also be covered up because it is difficult for people to cope with. These ideas are explored in Joe Wright’s film Atonement and the Poems ‘Homecoming’ by Bruce Dawe and ‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath. All texts are post modernism texts. In Joe Wright’s film Atonement the idea of the truth depends on an individual’s perspective is explored. The truth is many-sided and everyone’s perception of what they believe to be the truth may be different. In the fountain scene it expresses how Briony and Cecilia’s perspective are completely opposite yet they both saw the series of events that took place. The window acts as a barrier to Briony understanding of the truth. Robbie’s stance and the way Cecilia is standing after she jumps out of the fountain makes Cecilia look vulnerable. It makes it seems as though Robbie is forcing her to do what he wants. Briony thinks that Robbie has some sort of power of her sister, this is where she starts to think badly of Robbie. This is especially evident when he yells stop and hold out his arm to prevent her from stepping on the bits of vase, but to Briony it just looks forceful. This scene clearly demonstrates how Briony creates a whole different perspective on what was happening down at the fountain in relation to the reality of the situation. Due to Cecilia’s frustration and anger it makes it appear as though she was being forced. The non-diegetic sounds during this scene are effective as they help to create an suspenseful and tense atmosphere. In Briony’s shot there is faint music playing in the background as well as the constant buzz of the bee. In doing this the director has created a sense of suspense to the lead up of Briony seeing too much and having to turn around. Cecilia’s shot on the other hand has no music playing, the director has made it silent except for sound effects such as the splash of the water as she jumps in but there is very little dialogue, the dialogue said has a tone of anger and frustration. The fountain scene it validates that the truth depends on an individual’s perspective and that the truth can be many-faceted. Similarly in, ‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath also advocates that there is no right truth as everyone considered the truth to be different to another based on perspective. Sylvia Plath was constrained by societal expectations of gender roles, causing her to lose her identity and youth this influenced the writing of this poem. This poem is from the viewpoint of the mirror with the use of personification. This is evident especially in the use of the mirror â€Å"meditates on† this implies that the mirror which is an inanimate object has the ability to think. The mirror has no preconceptions and doesn’t change what It shows based on its understanding of who you are or what you have done, it just shows the complete truth. When the mirror transforms to a lake which is able to still show reflections like a mirror. Because the woman is looking into a lake and not the mirror, the woman must bend over to see the reflection of her face. Hoping to see something deeper by searching the depths of the lake into the waters below. She also turns to the moonlight and candles to try and see a new reflection. The lake seems upset that the woman is rewarding it for its faithful reflection by becoming more distressed. She shows her distress by physically disturbing the lake similar to Cecilia at the fountain. The woman is unhappy of how she has grown old this is similar to how Briony is unhappy of how she had done as a younger girl. Plath has told the poem from the perspectives of the mirror and the lake instead of from the woman. This is due to the fact that people have different perspectives but the mirror and lake on the other hand has no preconceptions and shows the unchanged truth. In Joe Wright’s film Atonement it suggests that the truth can be difficult to reveal or face. In the bedside scene it expresses how telling the truth can appear to be unsettling and scary for one to face. Briony clearly demonstrates her regret for what she had done in her past and what the result of being sent to war can end up. Watching the soldier die in front of her makes her realise that this could be Robbie and she would have been the one responsible for not only Robbie’s health but the impact that it could have upon her sister and Robbie’s family. When Briony was a child she was raised in a high class family sheltered from the horrific truth of war as she has a sanitised perception. Once she becomes a nurse her eyes are opened to the full impact of what her lie that she had told when she was younger. Briony is told to talk to one of the patients that is in a serious condition, that is unable to speak English. The injured soldier seems to think that he knows Briony but she knows that he is just mistaken her for someone else. When he asks her to loosen the bandages around his head, she loosens them and is faced with the full extent of his wound and gets blood on her face which contributes to her realisation that her perception was completely off and she feels guilty for the mistake she had made in her past. When she walks down the hallway at the hospital and the lights turn on one by one this is a use of imagery symbolising that she is entering a new frame of mind. The director has used suspense building with the reoccurring typewriter non-diegetic track. As the lights come on there is a loud flickering sound this also adds to the effectiveness of the scene making it evident that she is thinking but the flickering is loud enough to disturb her thoughts. The poem â€Å"Homecoming† by Australian anti-war poet Bruce Dawe backs up the idea that the truth can be difficult to deal with by reflecting the concerns of war. In this poem it describes to the reader the tragedies of war, the return of the dead bodies of the soldiers from the Vietnam War and the lack of respect that they received. The title ‘Homecoming’ is ironic as usually a homecoming is heartfelt and joyful but in this the return is related to death, mourning and loss. References to bodies in â€Å"green plastic bags†, shows the lack of individuality that the soldiers received. Although these soldiers have made the crucial sacrifice by giving up their lives, the fact that they got little recognition for this emphasises how war is dehumanising. The lack of full stops express that the war was continuous and that there was no time to stop and relax. Dawe ultimately wants to expose the brutal truth in contrast to what people thought. With the use of imagery throughout, Dawe is able to establish the pointlessness of war and clarifying the misconceptions those may have had on the war. This relates to how Briony in Atonement has the false understanding or knowledge of war, not knowing what she has sent Robbie into. Dawe uses aural and visual poetic techniques and is able to provoke sympathy, by manipulating the audience to reflect upon his own views towards war. Similarly what Briony does in making up the end of the story of her sister and Robbie in how she believed the event of war was, this was until she became a nurse and the real truth of war was unveiled. The concept of telling the truth has been enhanced through the study of the film Atonement and the poems â€Å"Homecoming† and â€Å"Mirror†. Each individual has their own perception on what they believe the truth to be. In Atonement Briony has a different perspective than Cecilia which results in conflict and hiding the truth as she is too scared to face it. â€Å"Homecoming† reflects the idea that people prefer to deny or ignore the truth. ‘Mirror’ and ‘Homecoming’ show that the truth can be frightening or unbearable and therefore difficult to share. This then shows how the truth is dependent on the individual’s perspective.

Market Research Report Energy and Sports Drink Market Growth in Asia Essay Example for Free

Market Research Report Energy and Sports Drink Market Growth in Asia Essay The changing consumer preferences, demand for functional beverages, increasing awareness towards healthy lifestyles and growing urban population in Asia would be the major factors that would drive the market in coming years. An increasing awareness towards healthy lifestyles has led to a transition in the taste and preferences of people in Asia. The young urban population has been the target customer for energy and sports drink brands in this region. The energy and sports drinks are majorly consumed by professional sports people, gym goers and by working professionals and students that require a special beverage in order to boost their energy and stay active. â€Å"The increasing participation of the health conscious people in sports and fitness activities has greatly impacted the growth trend of sports and energy drink market in Asia. The young population aged 25-35 years represents a potential group of customers for the energy and sports drink manufacturers in the region. † – According to the research report ‘Asia Energy and Sports Drink Market Outlook to 2017’ by Ken Research. The increasing media exposure towards sporting events on television has captured the attention of people, which in turn has encouraged the youth to adopt sports as a profession or as a hobby. This has impelled the growth of sports drinks in Asian countries over the last few years. Sports drinks market in Asia is dominated by famous brands such as Gatorade, Powerade and Pocari Sweat. Red Bull majorly has dominated the energy drink market in the region. Red Bull has effectively maintained a strong distribution channel in various countries in Asia such as in India, China, Japan, Thailand and in South Korea. The energy and sports drink market is anticipated to be driven by the growing trend of health and fitness is expected to create significant demand in Asian countries. The consumer expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages is expected to surge in the region owing to the rise in disposable incomes of the people. The rising awareness about fitness and health benefits among the people in the region will encourage more people to join fitness and sports clubs which will drive the demand and consumption of energy and sports drink in the coming years. The report provides detailed overview on the energy and sports drink market in Asia and help reader to identify the ongoing trends in the key segments of the industry and anticipated growth in future depending upon changing industry dynamics in coming years. The report will aid industry consultants, food and beverage service companies and marketing companies and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to ongoing and expected trends in future. For More Details Please Click On Following Link: http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/asia-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/429-104. html http://www. kenresearch. com/press/news-asia-energy-and-sports-drink-market/211. html Related Links: http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/japan-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/432-104.html http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/south-korea-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/433-104. Html http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/india-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/431-104. html http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/thailand-energy-and-sports-market-research-report/434-104. html http://www. kenresearch. com/agriculture-food-beverages/beverages/china-energy-and-sports-drink-market-research-report/430-104. html.

London Bombings: Aftermath and Effects

London Bombings: Aftermath and Effects Managing the Aftermath of the London Bombings Introduction The Aftermath European Union Governmental Agencies in the United Kingdom Conclusion Bibliography Introduction The 7th of July 2005 will always be remembered as an infamous date representing the day when a coordinated attack was conducted by terrorists on the public transport system of the city of London during the heavily trafficked morning rush hour period (CNN.com, 2006). The series of attacks occurred aboard three underground trains all within a minute of each other starting at 8:50 a.m., with a fourth occurring on a bus that was traveling in Travistock Square at 9:47 a.m. (CNN.com, 2006). That day saw a death toll of fifty-two civilians, along with the four suicide bombers, and approximately seven hundred and seventy individuals injured (BBC.co.uk, 2006). The incident was reportedly motivated by the United Kingdom’s inclusion in the United States backed invasion and occupation of Iraq (Altermedia.info, 2005). The attack was highly reminiscent of the train bombings in Madrid, with both coming after Spain and the United Kingdom had reduced their troops stationed in Iraq (Dhimmi Watc h, 2005). The events preceding the attacks in London strongly suggested that a similar occurrence might happen in the United Kingdom. With the attacks taking place as the G8 Summit was being held in Scotland, the probability of an attack should have been higher on the British threat assessment scale than it was (World Socialist Web Site, 2005). In addition, London was also in the middle of celebrating the fact that it had made a successful bid for the hosting of the Olympics in 2012, thus the attacks were targeted to achieve maximum effect and exposure (Rasmussen, 2005). But, that view is open to conjecture as the target, timing and nature of the attack could have occurred in any number of possible ways, thus making the potential to suggest its prevention as a rather moot point. The nature of terrorist attacks is their surprise and use of individuals who purportedly can fly beneath the surveillance radar of the authorities seeking to uncover them. Subsequent information and reports have linked the bombings to Al-Qaeda (Philpott, 2005). The developments resulting from the occupation of Iraq, Al-Qaeda and global terrorism have changed the manner in which governments view, react and prepare for potential occurances. What happened on that fateful day could have occurred in any country at any time, and that propensity is still open. This examination will look at the aftermath of the London bombings and the events that transpired as well as the larger implications and actions that it triggered. And while various plans where in place as a result of the events of 9-11, action after such an event can be subject to variables that even the most prepared plan could not make contingencies for. The following will chronicle those events as well as investigations, inquiries, changes, legislation and findings made in the aftermath from varied quarters. The initial reports indicated that there were six explosions which was reported as a result of them occurring between stations, thus causing passengers to exit at points located to the front as well as rear of the train streaming them into two opposite directions thereby creating confusion as to the initial damage and explosion count. That development caused additional confusion for the various agencies responding to the attacks until the situation entailing three train attacks was revealed. After the initial confusion cleared it was determined that (CNN.com, 2006): The first explosion took place on the eastbound Circle Line train traveling from Liverpool Street to Aldgate. Explosion number two occurred on the westbound Circle Line train between Edgware Road and Paddington approximately. The third explosion took place on the southbound Piccadilly Line between King’s Cross Street Pancras and Russell Square The London Underground suspended service throughout the entire network after all trains were brought into the nearest stations thus causing massive displacement for individuals throughout the city. The Tavistock Square double decker bus explosion represented the final of the explosions, where it first passed by Euston as evacuees where exiting from the underground station. It had to divert its route and the final incident occurred (Rasmussen, 2005). The investigation into the bombings uncovered that the bombs went off as another train was passing in the opposite direction, thus leading to the conclusion that the attacks were timed for maximum effect, however for some reason the bombers did not escape (Sky News, 2005). The investigation uncovered that there were possessions found on the bombers that aided in the identification of the attackers as they where carrying identification as well as other information that subsequently led to the discovery of their factory in Leeds where the explosive devices were made (Edwards, 2005). All of the attackers carried â€Å"†¦ return rail tickets †¦ and display car park tickets †¦Ã¢â‚¬  prior to their boarding the trains (Edwards, 2005). Further evidence to supported Edwards (2005) contention, which aligns with of the statements made by Tony Blair (2005) is illustrated by the fact that the explosive devices where contained in large sized rucksacks that could have easily been dumped, and personal effects such as drivers licences, banking cards and other items were found on their remains further supporting his theory that they were deceived by their superiors and the bombs were set to explode in advance as suicide bombers customarily remove all forms of identification and links. The importance of the discovery of the manner in which the events unfolded as well as the origin of the attackers was an outgrowth of the investigation into the affiliations of the attackers. The individuals involved were unknown to authorities by name, however they were caught by surveillance techniques that included a large sweep of activities thus relegating them to lesser status. Through re-tracing their steps based upon the receipts found on their remains it was clear that they traveled to Luton via vehicle, and then onto London by train (Campbell and Laville, 2005). They were captured on the King’s Cross CCTV system at 8:30 a.m.. The Aftermath In a statement released by the Rt. Hon. Paul Murphy, the MP Chairman of the United Kingdom’s Intelligence and Security Committee, he commented as to whether there was any intelligence information that could have aided in the prevention of the attacks (Community Central, 2005). The official statement and position was if there had been prior suspicions or information, then the authorities would have intervened. In all probability the audacity of the attack, even after the events if September 11th in the United States and Madrid, caught authorities by surprise even though planning for the potential of such an occurrence had been undertaken. There were and are scores of reports commenting on the probability of advance knowledge as well as one of the bombers being spotted a full year prior to the event (officialconfusion.com, 2006a). In addition to the preceding, the government is purported to have had advance knowledge that such an attack would be carried out on London’s un derground through information gathered by intelligence services (occificalconfusion.com 2006b). In hindsight it is easy to shift through mountains of information that had been gathered and or observed and put the pieces together after the fact, but the vagueness of data, the many sources and potential endings they suggest makes foresight more difficult. In one report, the London Metropolitan Police had contracted the private company of Visor Consultants to look into planning a simulated drill concerning the potential of multiple explosive attacks being made upon the London underground system (Chossudovsky, 2005). Interestingly enough a drill simulating such an attack was being conducted at 9:30 that very morning with the participants having to switch in mid drill to an active status. These drills represented crisis management on the part of the London Metropolitan Police (Chossudovsky, 2005). The preceding indicates that the varied reports as documented by Officalconfusion.com (2006ab) and other web sites in the aftermath had some validity. As the inquiry into this aspect of the London bombings represents as important an area in crisis management procedures either planned or in place prior to the attacks and hence, further investigation is warranted. A Report to Parliament by Prime Minister Blair concerning the â€Å"Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s Report into the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005† was presented on May 2006 (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). The Report stated that the existence of Siddeque Khan was known to authorities, however his identity was not. It, the Report, also stated that Shazad Tanweer was also unknown by name, and that surveillance did pick him up through routine activity, however, since the activity was routine, no special significance was made. Said Report did indicate that the outcome of the 7 July attacks might have been prevented if the Security Service had come to different conclusions concerning the intelligence it gathered before the event. Blair’s Report also covered the subject of the reduction of the threat level and alert systems which was reduced from severe general to substantial (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). The Report stated that the intelligence gathered prior to and up to the event did not indicate the likelihood of such an occurrence, and that a high alert level reflects a substantial indicator which did not affect the security aspects being lowered concerning transport systems. With regard to police systems the Report recommended their merging information and operative systems to provide increased communication regarding strategic and national issues as represented by terrorism, with more information passed down to lower levels (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). The foregoing also indicated an increase in police community support officers from 6,300 to 16,000, with further increases through 2008 to heighten the ability to cover more intelligence areas and retrieve information. In conjun ction with the preceding, the Security Service along with Special Forces units have embarked on expansion putting more regional offices in place along with increased fiscal and resource support (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). Resources from the Home Office were increased by  £30 million, with the level of increase rising to  £60 million for the budget period 2007 through 2008 (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). European Union On a broader plane, the European Union implemented measures representing key priorities as a response to the bombings in London via the Council of the European Union’s Counter Terrorism Coordinator issued a special report concerning the â€Å"Implementation of the Action Plan to Combat Terrorism† (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). While the Report was one of a regular series issued every six months as the result of an adoption by the Council of the European Union, it made special reference to the London Bombings and that this Report contained a response to that event. The European Union, as the governing body for its member states and the center resource in implementing plans and planning of their behalf that takes into consideration past, present and future considerations, the Declaration of March 2004 to combat terrorism was set forth to be a priority for the European Union. As a direct outgrowth of the London bombing the ‘Money Laundering Dir ective’ was issued and put into action, along with the ‘Directive on Enhancing Port Security’ † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). Additionally, Europol, Frontex and Eurotrust increased their support to the national law enforcement authorities of member nations as well as increased cooperation with national governmental agencies of other non-member nations. Specifically, the Report gave priority and urgency to the London bombings and various measures as a result of it. The vulnerability exposed by the successful terrorist attacks in London heightened the Council’s sense of urgency to identify, arrest and prevent such occurances. The use of the Internet as a communications medium by terrorists was highlighted, along with their ability to obtain weapons and employ non-conventional explosive devices† (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). Such developments indicated that additional measures, techniques and strategies were needed in the face of the preceding. New directives included the information exchange program to provide criminal record data to appropriate agencies as well as the improvement of mechanisms in consort with the preceding. The directive made it mandatory that information and cooperation be exchanged between member states along with Europol and Eurojust for all pending investigations as well as prosecutions † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). Important to the preceding is the access to databases under the Schengen Information System which is to be made fully operational by 2007. Present implementations included the Visa Information System and its consolidation to permit faster detection, information, investigation and prevention by virtue of cross data access and matching † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). A direct implementation coming out of the London bombings was the adoption of biometric identifiers for residence permits along with national identity cards. The implementation of enhanced measures for security regarding explosives, equipment to make bombs and firearms was also put into place (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). Heightened training for police departments in terrorism, and Customs protocols were also adopted. The areas of Port security along with Airport security were increased through the adding of additional screening measures, new technologies in equipment a s well as increased personnel and surveillance systems. Risk management measures were also upgraded through enhanced Civil Protection Mechanisms, along with crisis management techniques to provide guidance in pre attack, in the event of their occurrence, preparedness and post attack response † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). The London bombings resulted in the Council putting forth a plan to devise crisis coordination as a result of a special adoption of the Council made on 13 July 2005. The foregoing entailed increased information sharing in emergencies and in particular, terrorist attacks when such involves more than one member state, with such measures to be in place by June 2006 † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). The importance of the foregoing is the increased funding, inter agency cooperation and information sharing for all European Union member states as well as national governments not a part of the EU. Governmental Agencies in the United Kingdom The events of 7 July 2005 involved the following agencies and departments, the Metropolitan Police Service, London Fire Brigade, City of London Police, London Underground, London Ambulance Service and the Gold Coordinating Group, MI5 as well as outside intelligence reports. MI5 represents one of the more important agencies in the preceding list and maintains a web site for reference by the general public. It provides information on response levels and threats, however no update on measures either directly taken or in progress as a result of the 7 July bombings is available on their web site (MI5, 2006). Equally important is the Ministry of Defence which maintains a web site as well. It as well did not and does not contain any relevant information concerning departmental updates in the aftermath of the bombings (UK Ministry of Defence, 2006). The same search was conducted for The Secret Intelligence Service (2006) that yielded the like results. The preceding is understandable in that disseminating internal information regarding the conduct of affairs in relationship to measures in place or being put into place, does not represent an intelligent option. Internal measures and developments on the part of governmental agencies are secretive areas, thus new plans and activities represent aspects that are unavailable to the public. Public sentiment and anxiety in the United Kingdom over the 7 July bombings represent an area of intense concern within the country for all of its citizens. The aftermath of this event resulted in the country developing â€Å"†¦ stronger counter terrorism measures †¦ as represented by legislation (Lawson, 2005). As the attacks were carried out by homegrown terrorists, the difficulty in preventive measures has increased dramatically as the identification means take in individuals already inside the country’s borders. The response by the Emergency Medical Service represents a major component plan that worked from the standpoint of crisis management. With a wounded total in excess of 700 people, the importance of getting medical personnel to the sites, performing emergency services and transporting them to hospitals, coordinating which location was a major undertaking. The London Ambulance Service deployed vehicles throughout the four sites and had to respond accordingly to the level of the incident as developments became known (Heightman, 2005). A situation of this type calls for on the spot reactions, decision making and judgment. As part of emergency preparedness, the London Ambulance Service had researched various plans scenarios to respond to such incidents as a result of the events of September 11th in the United States, briefings with government officials and the threat of such a disaster occurring in London as a result of the country’s participation in Iraq and the train attack in Madrid some sixteen months prior. The personnel total exceeded 250 emergency staff, supplemented by a contingency of volunteers who responded to the situation, with approximately 100 ambulances used to transfer injured individuals to various medical facilities (Heightman, 2005). The total or injured exceeded the London Ambulance Service capacity, so under the contingency plans developed, it called in aid from Bedfordshire, Kent, Essex, Herefordshire and Surrey as well as St. John Ambulance and the British Red Cross (Heightman, 2005). Per the crisis management operational plan the vehicles were staged at locations that had been planned in advance where a large contingent of vehicles could have easy access and departure. Local managers arrived at these locations to coordinated activities and schedule departures as well as points to ferry the injured to as well as aiding in making determinations of whom to carry out first and whom to treat on the scene (Heightman, 2005). In total, the London Ambulance Service oversaw the treatment of 645 individuals, of which 45 represented critical and serious injuries such as burns, amputations, fractured limbs and blast burns, with an additional 300 treated on scene and 300 ferried to various hospitals (Heightman, 2005). Working in conjunction with the London Metropolitan Police the entire operation was seamless and one of the bright spots in a day of disaster. In the immediate aftermath of the bombings the government’s COBRA crisis management team, along with the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center swung into action which combines MI5 and MI6, domestic and foreign intelligence, Government Communications Headquarters and the police together to coordinate response, investigation and management of the situation (Philpott, 2005). The entire operation went global in hours, pulling in intelligence and research from the United States, United Nations, The European Union, and other countries to review briefings, documents, surveillance and other materials. The inter-agency team London Resilience that was put into operation after September 11th, coordinated emergency services, health, fire, transport, utilities and business under its umbrella (London Resilience, 2006). London Resilience ‘Strategic Emergency Plan’ represents a blueprint designed for the effective handling of crisis situations in London as a collaborative effort. The London Metropolitan Police were also prepared for the situation, as stated by Ian Blair, Commissioner, â€Å"This is the biggest crime scene in England’s history †¦ a situation for which we have planned and prepared †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Philpott, 2005). Critical in the immediate investigation of the incident where the 400,000 CCTV cameras throughout London that helped to identify the bombers at King’s Cross when they arrived. (Wikipedia, 2006). It recorded them splitting up and talking, and the investigation team spotted the four bombers on Monday through matching their images with documents found at the explosions (Philpott, 2005). The CCTV system was designed and developed as a result of the 1985 IRA bombings, and the trial program was so successful that it was expanded (Wikipedia, 2006). As one of the most sophisticated CCTV systems in the world, the United Kingdom has one camera for every 14 individuals when home, business, and governmental systems are added to gether (Wikipedia, 2006). The events of 7 July has resulted in all major cities increasing their security efforts with respect to subway bombings, however, the measure of scanning all backpacks, pocketbooks, suitcases and other carry one items is not only impractical, but impossible. Thus, in the aftermath the underground system in the United Kingdom is safer, but still vulnerable, much less so than prior to the incident, but vulnerable nevertheless. In London a major impediment to more security measures on top of the additional personnel which has been put into place is fiscal. The present budget does not allow for security officer patrolling enough trains, as well as having at least one officer per station to eye scan passengers (Philpott, 2005). Funds to provide added cameras, hardening of tunnels, fences, radiation detection and intrusion systems, control and command tools for security and track monitoring along with rolling stock have been estimated at  £1 billion (Philpott, 2005). All in all, the emergency services, police, MI5, intelligence arms and government responded favorably to the largest incident in the country’s history, save for World War II. The planning, preparations, and coordination that the government put into place after September 11th helped to quickly identify the bombers, although the evidence strongly suggests that they were sacrificed in the process by devices that were timed to go off quicker than they were led to believe thus capturing them in the explosions as well (BBC News, 2005). The fact they were carrying their personal identification, bank cards, and the parking ticket points to their belief that they were deceived by their superiors (Edwards, 2005). Conclusion The surprise nature of the bombings could not have been forecast, even in the face of the advance knowledge of the Madrid train attack, as to location, date and timing. Pre terrorist planning by the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service, Fire Brigade and other governmental agencies has not been identified as being sub-standard or negligent. In a Report made to Parliament concerning the â€Å"Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s Report into the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005†, a full briefing of all of the salient facets were covered. The Security Service did pick up Shazad Tanweer and Siddeque Khan, but their name identities were unknown and they were not identified as significant participants at that time. Said Report made a number of important recommendations regarding the merging of police systems along with increasing police community support officers to heighten departmental capabilities in the future which were enacted. Additionally allocation increases for the police budget were immediately granted. The blasts also prompted the Council of the European Union to adopt a number of measures concerning intra country intelligence and cooperation protocols. The Declaration of March 2004 to combat terrorism was set forth to be a priority for the European Union. Money laundering,, enhanced Port and Airport security measures were increased and various agencies were provided with directives to devise increased security and cooperation methods and measures. The Council Report also increased Civil Protection Mechanisms, crisis management and pre attack preparedness. The London Ambulance Service performed admirably in response to the attack handling in excess of 600 patients and coordinating the activities of a number of regional ambulances services and volunteer units to effectively ferry the injured to hospitals. Their performance lessened the loss of live and was a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful historic day. Internal security measures and inter agency cooperation has been enhanced in the aftermath of the attacks to better coordinate activities in the pre terrorist phase through investigation, detainment and arrest. The system has prevented two such occurances and continues to seek ways to improve upon their operational standards. Thanks to the 400,000 police CCTV cameras in operation in the target area, visual identification was made in short order, resulting in arrests as well as the discovery of the factory where the devices were made. The lessons learned from the 7 July attacks represented severe and costly teachings that the country as well as European Union and the United states have taken to heart. It again provided evidence regarding the need to be ever vigilant in techniques, surveillance and preemptive action to prevent occurances of this type in the future. The loss of live by civilians represents an unacceptable price in a battle of idealism that encompasses the quest of a small group, Al-Qaeda, to impose its will on nations. Bibliography Altermedia.info (2005) Who benefits from the London Bombings? Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://us.altermedia.info/news-of-interest-to-white-people/who-benefits-from-the-london-bombings_1033.html BBC News (2005) Police hunt bomb team accomplices. 15 July 2005. Retrieved on 9 December 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4684869.stm BBC.co.uk (2006) What happened on 7 July? Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_5140000/newsid_5147000/5147004.stm Campbell, D., Laville, S. (2005) British suicide bombers carried out London attacks, say Police. 13 July 2005. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/story/0,16132,1527404,00.html Chossudovsky, M. (2005) Fictional 7/7 â€Å"scenario† of multiple bomb attacks on London’s subway. 11 August 2005. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.lonelantern.org/london_terror_drills.html Community Central (2005) Report into the London terrorist attacks on 7 July 2005 published. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.continuitycentral.com/news02553.htm CNN.com (2006) Minute-by-minute account. 11 May 2006. Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/07/london.timeline/index.html Dhimmi Watch (2005) UN effectively blames West for London bombings. Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/007156.php Edwards, J. (2005) Exclusive: Was It Suicide? 16 July 2005. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15742951method=fullsiteid=94762headline=was-it-suicidename_page.html European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator (2005) Implementation of the Action Plan to Combat Terrorism. 12 December 2005. Council of the European Union Heightman, A. (2005) Bombs Enter London: The EMS response plan that worked. Vol. 30, Issue 8. Jems Lawson, D. (2005) The London Bombing Fallout: Negotiating Public Anxiety and Political Gain. 28 October 2005.Centre for Social Change Research, Queensland University of Technology London Resilience (2006) London Prepared. Retrieved on 9 December 2006 from http://www.londonprepared.gov.uk/ MI5 (2006) This is the official website of the UK Security Service. Retrieved on 8 December 2006 from http://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/Page2.html Officalconfusion.com (2006a) Bomber Spotted a Year Before July 7. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.infowars.net/~officia/77/priorknow/surveillance/230106timesspottedyearbefore.html Officialconfusion.com (2006b) Spies Warned of Tube Attack. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.infowars.net/~officia/77/priorknow/surveillance/181205timesspieswarnedofattack.html Philpott, D. (2005) The London Bombings: New Evidence Points t Al-Qaeda and a New Terror Campaign. Homeland Defense Journal, Special Report Prime Minister’s Office (2006) Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s Report into the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005. May 2006. Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/11_05_06_isc_london_attacks_report_govt.pdf Rassmussen, M. (2005) Some Thoughts on the London Bombs. Vo. 4, Issue 9. Strategic Insights Secret Intelligence Service (2006) The Official Secret Intelligence Service Website. Retrieved on 8 December 2006 from http://www.sis.gov.uk/output/Page79.html Sky News (2005) Interview with Sir Ian Blair. 24 July 2005. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.skynewstranscripts.co.uk/transcript.asp?id=117 UK Ministry of Defence (2006) Home Web Page. Retrieved on 8 December 2006 from http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Home/ Wikipedia (2006) Closed Circuit television. Retrieved on Why is Disability Viewed as a Social Problem? Why is Disability Viewed as a Social Problem? TO WHAT EXTENT IS THE SOCIAL PROBLEM THAT IS DISABILITY A MATTER OF PRIVATE CONCERN FOR THE FAMILY? Disability excites interest because disability is seen as a social problem i.e. it is seen either in terms of personal tragedy or of blame. Social problems generate public concern and private misery and call for collective action to remedy this (Worsley, 1972). Disability has been theorised in a number of different ways, most of which locate the problem in the individual rather than the broader social, political, and economic influences. This has implications for the location of the blame for social problems, such that they become depoliticised. The rise in the idea of the politics of minority groups is well documented and implies that in the case of people with disabilities who are unable to work the Government should provide a whole range of services. Because most Governments are unwilling to commit themselves this far, disability is again defined as a social problem, and often the burden of care lies with the family (Moore, 2002). This paper will give an account of definitions of disability and the ways in which they impact on disabled people. There will be an exploration of the concept and history of the family and its contemporary diverse forms, and an examination of the ways in which the ideology of the family has problematised the concept of care. The paper will then assess how the family has been implicated in both solving and defining the problem of disability and to what extent the social problem that is disability is a matter of private concern for families. Models of Disability The medical model of health is the most powerful in western society, doctors introduced a curative model of health that concentrated on the body where the hospital became the space for such models were put into practice (Walsh et al, 2000). This model situates ill health in the individual and ignores the social circumstances that may give rise to ill health, furthermore it has impacted on government healthcare policy throughout the twentieth century. The situation is exacerbated by the medicalisation of many conditions making them into a problem that can only be addressed by experts, as Brisenden(1986) comments: The problem is that medical people tend to see all difficulties solely from the perspective of proposed treatments for a patient, without recognising that the individual has to weigh up whether this treatment fits into the overall economy of their life. In the past especially, doctors have been too willing to suggest medical treatment and hospitalisation, even when this would not necessarily improve the quality of life for the person concerned. Indeed, questions about the quality of life have sometimes been portrayed as something of an intrusion upon the purely medical equation. (Brisenden, 1986:176). The medical model leads to the treatment of people with disabilities as passive objects of medical attention. This is oppressive of disabled people and spreads to other social relationships, it sees disability as pathological i.e. rooted in a persons biology, and thus unchanging. Contained within this model is the perception of people with disabilities as problematic. Disability has also been theorized as a personal tragedy, resulting in individuals with a disability being seen as victims. This results in policy making whereby people with disabilities need compensating for their disability. This model also affects social relationships. The view of disability as personal tragedy individualises disability so that it becomes depoliticised and the disabled person must make his or her adjustments to that disability as best they can (Dalley, 1990). In locating disability within the individual society denies any responsibility to cater for the diversity of their needs (Oliver, 1990). The third way in which disability has been theorized is in the social model of disability. This model is becoming increasingly dominant in research on disability. Vassey (1992) has described it thus: redefining disability in terms of a disabling environment, repositioning disabled people as citizens with rights, and reconfiguring the responsibilities for creating, sustaining and overcoming disablism (Vassey, 1992:44).. Here the person is disabled because of the refusal of society to provide for example suitable access for the wheelchair user. This model stresses that a disabling society leads to the exclusion of people with disabilities. Oliver (1996) contends that this notion has been politically empowering for disabled people, and has allowed a previously contested notion to develop an agenda that has influenced policy making. Some people see disability as entirely a result of social structures and processes while others feel that society compounds the difficulties that disabled people encounter. Disability is not a universal category, people have different types and degrees of impairment, some can function well with technical aids while still others are, to a greater or lesser degree, dependent on the care of other people (Dalley, 1988). The Concept and History of the Family Parsons (1955) argued that the family is the primary place of socialization and serves to introduce and instill the norms and values of society. Parsons model was what is commonly known as the nuclear family, i.e. parents and children living together to provide the mutual love and support that individuals need to be productive members of society (Giddens, 2001). Murdock (1949 cited in Giddens, 2001) maintains that traditional concepts of the family are a universal phenomenon. Others criticise the nuclear model for being too narrow and for neglecting the fact that not all family members experience life in the same way (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Whether the nuclear family is regarded as universal depends largely on how the family is defined, certainly it is no longer the norm in contemporary society. Gittins (1993) maintains that there are a wide variety of domestic relationships. Thus relationships may be universal but the forms they take can be infinitely variable. There are many single parent families, whether through death, divorce or choice, there are also second marriages that often result in reconstituted families. The nuclear model relates specifically to nineteenth and early twentieth century ideological views of the family (Giddens, 2001). The Family and Ideology Until the late seventeenth century there was little or no distinction between the public and the private sphere, families generally worked the land and they did this together. The rise of industrialization and the growth of the towns brought massive changes to what had constituted family life up until that time. Feminists argue that for centuries women have been the subordinate sex in society and this subordination is largely a result of the fact that they have been born women rather than men. This subordination increased with industrialisation and the separation between public and private spheres (Oakley 1982). The coming of the factory meant that the family was replaced as the unit of production. The growing dependence of children, Oakley (1982) states, led to womens increased dependence on men and their restriction to the private sphere. Throughout the nineteenth century there was a growing idealisation of the feminine. Women were regarded as both physically and emotionally weaker than men and unfit for the same roles. Victorian ideology said that women were created to help men and should thus remain at home. This primarily affected the middle classes but as the century progressed the working class were also influenced by this ideology, locking women into the housewife role (Oakley, 1982). Murdock (1949 in Giddens, 2001) argued that gender roles are the natural result of the biological differences between men and women. Mens superior strength and womens childbearing capabilities make the sexual division of labour the most sensible way of organising society. Delphy (1977) maintains that this results in sexual inequality. Gender differences are not innate but socially constructed to serve the interests of the socially dominant group. Delphy contends that women are a separate class because the categories of man and woman are political and economic, rather than eternal biological categories. Within the family particularly, women form a class who are exploited by men, as Delphy states: While the wage-labourer sells his labour power, the marrie woman gives hers away; exclusivity and non-payment are intimately connected. To supply unpaid labour within the framework of a universal and personal relationship (marriage) constructs primarily a relationship of slavery (Delpy, 1977:15). This relationship has been exploited by successive Governments and is implicit in many social policy initiatives. The Family and the Welfare State The post-war welfare state which promised universal welfare provision, was set up on the assumption of full employment and the notion that men would go out to work while women stayed home (Abbott and Wallace, 1997).. Moore (2002) maintains that this is an ideological view of the family and how it might function. In the late 1970s the Tories actively discouraged alternatives to the traditional family e.g. cohabitation and gay partnerships (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Since the Thatcher Government public and policy debates on family life, parenting and health have centered around the idea of responsibility (Such and Walker 2004) Moore (2002) maintains that in the thinking of the seventies and also in Labours Third Way, family members have a duty to help each other as it is not the job of the state to look after them. The state takes over when no-one else is around to share the burden. The fact that the State has had to intervene, it is argued, is one of the reasons why the traditional family is on the decline. In a good society members should help each other without regard to personal benefit. The State should be there to provide a safety net when there is no other help available. New Labour advocate a mixed economy of welfare where welfare is provided in part by the state and partly by private companies operating for profit. The shift from public to private has received much publicity and contributed to social problems and to social exclusion. Previously highly subsidized, or universal, services have either become part of the private sector, or have been subject to means testing, some welfare provision has been handed over to voluntary organizations. This has increased the likelihood that welfare and caring are now a private rather than a public responsibility (Giddens, 2001). This tends to stigmatise further those who are forced to rely on benefits, e.g. the disabled and their carers, usually women. The State and Womens Caring Role Marxist feminists e.g. Walby (1990) argue that the gender ideology that has filtered down to the working classes has affected their solidarity as a class and this makes them more easily controllable by the Capitalist system. While Marxism gives an explanation of exploitation by the capitalist system it does not explain the inequalities between women and men. Delphy (1977) maintains that gender and sexual inequality should be the fundamental categories of feminist analysis. Marxism alone does not explain for example why women are seen as responsible for household tasks. Capitalism could still profit if men stayed at home. The Community Care Act of 1990 has imposed further responsibilities on women in the role of informal carers. Dalley (1988) argues that much Governments policy making has been based on ideologies of caring with the assumptions behind the idea of community care being based on outmoded notions of the family. In practice this notion of caring disadvantages women carers and also many disabled or older dependent relatives. Within such an ideology, the caring that women do in the home is considered to be a natural part of womens role within the family. Thus, her caring role become invisible and shouldering the burden increases the likelihood that women will themselves be in need of care (Graham, 1993). This is borne out by the increasing number of women who suffer from disabilities and mental health problems. Womens caring role is further undermined by the idea that any health care that matters is given by professionals. When this is accompanied by Government discourses of self-help, self-reliance and the responsibility of the family this adds to the social stigma that disabled people face. It focuses on the disability, not the person themselves, inevitably this places an added strain on families. The prevalence of the medical model of health and the ways in which families are kept under-informed regarding the disability of a family member, particularly a child, affects family relationships. Gregory (1991) maintains that when a person is diagnosed as diabled this affects the ways in which society and the family respond to and deal with that person. Families themselves can tend to see the disabled family member as sick and different. Gregory (1991) found that having a disabled family member also affected the way in which mothers viewed themselves because ideological images of motherhood focus on having an able child. Thus a woman may feel that she is somehow not a mother because of the ways in which society defines motherhood. Press reports on disabled children and their families usually present them in terms of sacrifice and heroism (Gregory, 1991). This can affect family members response to the disabled person, their forced reliance on the medical model, and the view of disability as a tragedy becomes universalized. This misses the individuals personal needs and circumstances. It seems that increasingly the social problem of disability is becoming a matter of private concern for the family. The NHS appears to take this view. While doctors may diagnose a physical or learning disability families are often left to cope without ei ther sufficient information or professional help. In a number of cases families have reported that hospitals have refused to admit non-emergency cases unless a parent or carer remains on site to provide additional support (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). A shortage of nursing staff and the increasing tendency to perform surgery on a day care basis means that many families are left with extra caring responsibilities once they take the disabled child or adult home. (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). Conclusion Ideologies of the family and the medical model of disability exacerbate the social problems of disability. Discourses of family responsibility place a much greater burden on many people, particularly women who bear the burden of responsibility of care. Such discourses tend to make women who find it difficult to cope feel that they are a failure. This in turn reflects back on the disabled person who may feel that they are a burden. Clearly current policies and debates over partnership between the Government and families and family responsibility is moving closer to the view that disability is no longer a public concern but a private family one. Dalley (1988) argue that some form of institutional care e.g. supported living should replace care in the family. While there are support structures in place for people with disabilities, the extent to which informal carers have access to such facilities is very limited (Baldwin and Twigg, 1990).. Perhaps supported living arrangements along wit h family involvement in personal care would, arguably, take some strain off of the family and give more independence to the person with disabilities thus making the social problem of disability a shared public and private concern rather than simply a concern for the family. Bibliography Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. 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Heyman, B and Gilmour, M 1998 Public Research, private concerns: Ethical issues in the use of open-ended interviews with people who have learning disabilities in Disability and Society 13 (1) pp. 21-36 Thomas, C. eds 2004 Disabling Barriers, Enabling Environments London, Sage Vasey, S. (1992) A response to Liz Crow, Coalition, September, 42-44 Walby, S. 1990 cited in Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. Walsh, M. Stephens, P. and Moore, S. 2000 Social Policy and Welfare. Cheltenham Worsley, P and Chatterton, M 1972 Problems of Modern Society: A Sociological Perspective Harmondsworth, Penguin