African Americans and the Prison System Essay Example for Free

African Americans and the Prison System Essay I. The History of Oppression and African Americans? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K.. III. The lasting effects of slavery: continuous oppression? K? K? K? K? K? K? K a. The lost sense of culture and cultural pride: Feeling of inferiority b. No economic foundation c. Unleveled playing field IV. Maintaining oppression? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K. PART 2 : THE NEW AGE SLAVERY: The Prison System I. The Prison Institution? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K II. Race and the Prison System? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K.. III. The lasting oppression? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K.. IV. The effects of oppression? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K a. Demise of the Black family b. Lost political voice V. Solutions? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K. VI. Closing? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K? K I. Introduction In the book the Mugging of Black America, Earl Ofari Hutchinson relays an interesting experience by a reporter. The reporter, who spent two and a half hours watching suspects march before Washington, D. C. Superior Court Judge Morton Berg, noted that all but one of these subjects was Black. He stated, ?  §There is an odd air about the swift afternoon? Xan atmosphere like that of British Africa in colonial times? Xas the procession of tattered, troubled, scowling, poor blacks plead guilty or not guilty to charges of drug possession, drug distribution, assault, armed robbery, theft, breaking in, fraud and arson. According to Hutchinson, the reporter witnessed more than a courtroom scene; he witnessed the legacy of slavery. This paper will attempt expand on Hutchinson?  ¦s theory. It will do so by first describing slavery and its lasting impact then it will attempt to show how the current criminal justice system mirrors slavery. PART 1: Slavery I. The History of Oppression and African Americans The history of the oppression as it relates to African Americans began in 1619. It was this year in which a Dutch ship brought the first slaves from Africa to North America. Following this arrival of twenty Africans in Virginia, white European-Americans created the institution of slavery. Slavery spread so quickly that by 1860 the original twenty slaves turned into nearly four million. In the beginning the legal status of these Africans was undefined. This absent definition created a lack of certainty which allowed for some slaves to become free after years of service. This only lasted briefly. In the 1660s, however, the colonies began enacting laws that defined and regulated slaves and the institution of slavery. One of the most important of these was the provision that black slaves, and the children of slave women, would serve for life. These ?  §breeding laws were just the beginning. Soon, slavery in the United States was governed by a body of laws developed from the 1660s to the 1860s. Even though every slave state had its own slave code and case law, it became universal that slavery was a permanent condition. In addition to slavery being a permanent condition, slaves were also, under these laws, considered property. Slaves, being property, could not own property or be a party to a contract. Since marriage is a form of a contract, slave marriages had no legal standing. Most codes also had sections regulating free blacks. Under these codes blacks who were not slaves were still subject to controls on their movements and employment. These laws served not only as a physical limitation, but an ideological one also. In addition to granting slave owners and white people power over slaves and in some cases free blacks, the laws also granted slaveholders and white-Europeans an intangible source of power. Socially, the institution of slavery allowed white slave owners to believe they had not only physical control, but physical and mental superiority over the slaves. With only a few exceptions, all slaves were Africans. This fact placed the label of inferiority on black skin. The actual institution of slavery as it relates to master and slave lasted up in till the Civil war. The American Civil War was fought, in part, over slavery. During the war, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ?  §freed all slaves. This seemingly, brought the end of slavery throughout the United States, but unfortunately left a lasting impression. From this point on slavery took on a new form as former slaves being associated with the label of inferiority. II. The lasting effects of slavery: continuous oppression Slavery is defined by Webster?  ¦s dictionary as ?  §The state of being under the control of another person . Aalthough the actual physical control and violence supposedly ended after the emancipation proclamation, The intangible theory of supremacy derived from the institution of slavery resulted in many lasting effects. These effects in and of themselves are a form of force, a form slavery. a. The lost sense of culture and cultural pride: Feeling of inferiority Slave drivers made great efforts to eliminate African culture. For instance Africans were beaten if they were caught speaking their native languages or carrying out native rituals . Therefore, they were not able to effectively pass the languages, stories and traditions on to their children. This forced suppression resulted in the loss of verbal records and a rich legacy of history. It is no secret that there is pride in culture. Taking away the culture takes away the pride and the motivation and results in feelings of worthlessness. b. no economic foundation Slave drivers not only attempted to deprive the Africans of there culture and pride, but they successfully robbed them economically. Slaves were forced to work without pay for years while padding the pockets of the slave owners. This deficit of economics resulted in an inability to establish an economic foundation in the United States. c. Unleveled playing field Along with the deprivation of financial resources, another significant factor concerning the state of African Americans is arrested development. Slaves were deprived of opportunities to learn and become more competitive in many areas of society. Black people were not allowed to read or learn to read, so they could not take advantage of written text. All these lasting effects placed blacks in a severely disadvantaged state when slavery was abolished, led a socioeconomic structure in which white people generally held the highest ranks and Black people generally held the lowest ranks. III. Maintaining oppression In order to maintain this socioeconomic structure, there always seems to be a new form of oppression set in place to maintain ?  §slavery. As if the above detrimental effects of slavery were not enough, the White southerners were anxious to maintain more direct power and control over people with black skin, despite there classification as ?  §free. The White southerners decided to, again, use the law in order crystallize there theory of inferiority and keep black people at the lowest ranks. In 1865, southerners created Black Codes, which served as a way to control and inhibit the freedom of ex-slaves. These historic Codes controlled almost all aspects of life, and prohibited African Americans from almost all the freedoms that had been won during the Civil War. The codes, which were blatantly racist and oppressive, were eventually suspended in June 1866, during the ? §reconstruction era. During this time period in America and despite resistance, African-Americans were slowly becoming part of this nations inclusion. By 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution confirmed the long awaited citizenship for Blacks in America. By 1870, the 15th Amendment was added to the Constitution which made it illegal to deny the right to vote based on race. The Reconstruction era, although short-lived, showed the first real attempts of inclusive freedom for African-Americans since the abolition of slavery. Gains were taking place: Citizenship, Voting, Education, and Politics. But, the underlying desire to have power over those in black skin never subsided. Just like the black Codes, this desire to dominate again manifested itself in another form, Jim Crow Laws. These laws promoted discrimination and the denial of equal protection by law. Just like the codes, they too were eventually abolished. Just like the Codes, Jim Crow laws, the desire of our society to suppress those in black skin will soon take another form. Today that form is the Criminal Justice System. PART 2 The New Age Slavery: The Prison System I. The Prison Institution Prisons are big in the United States. During the past 20 years, the United States experienced a massive increase in incarceration. The prison population increased fourfold, from 330,000 in 1980 to nearly 1. 4 million in 1999, and the incarceration rate increased from about 140 to about 476 per 100,000 resident populations. Today there are more than two million Americans behind bars. But even more startling is the fact that more than one-half of these incarcerated Americans have black skin. Although black Americans only make up about 12% of the US population, they account for more then 30% of all arrests, 44% of all prisoners and 40% of prisoners on death row. II. Race and the Prison System These obvious disparities in the criminal justice system can be attributed to many different things ranging from racial profiling to the lack of opportunity and poor education, but most criminal justice observers believe that these disparities have emerged from the underlying assumptions rooted in slavery. The assumption that slaves were inferior has carried over to today. Currently this theory of inferiority and desire to maintain oppression influences one of the major policies in place attacking African Americans today, the ?  §war on drugs. Most of the shocking disparities in the criminal Justice System as it relates to African Americans in prison can be attributed to the ?  §war on drugs. According to a study by Human Rights Watch, African-Americans comprise 62 percent of the drug offenders admitted to state prisons. In seven states, blacks constitute between 80 and 90 percent of all people sent to prison on drug charges. According to studies of the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, African-Americans constitute 15 percent of the national drug users, but comprise an amazing one-third of all those arrested on drug charges and 57 percent of those convicted on drug charges. The criminal justice system generally, and contemporary crime and drug policies in particular, serve as a means for White America to control the African Americans like they did in the 1600 . III. The lasting oppression Similarly to the black codes and segregation implemented after the abolition of slavery; restrictions are placed on prisoners after they are released. Once a prisoner is released from prison, parole and the bans on public assistance, public housing restrictions, etc. create barriers and a seemingly doomed cycle of dominance. Since half of the prisoners in prison are African American, these barriers, like the lasting effects of slavery, have a disproportionate effect on our black communities. III. The effects of oppression According to the Department of Justice?  ¦s Bureau of Justice statistics, the number of adults in prison, jail, or on probation or parole reached almost 7 million during 2004. Since Blacks comprise 30 percent of probationers and 41 percent of prisoners. That means around 4,500,000 African Americans are affected directly by the criminal justice system. Unfortunately those African Americans sent to prison or under parole are not the only people affected. The impact on the black community does not stop at the prison door, conversely it goes far beyond. Even after a prisoner is released there are lasting effects to the prisoner, his or her family and the community as a whole. a. Demise of the Black family One effect of the high rate of incarceration of African American males in particular has been the decreasing number of marriageable men in the African American community. Along with high rates of homicide, AIDS-related deaths and other factors, this has created a substantial imbalance in the male-female ratio among adult African Americans. Whereas gender ratios for African Americans at birth are about 102-103 males for every 100 females, by the age range 40-44, this declines to 86 males per 100 females, whereas white rates are 100:100 for this group. b. Lost political voice The impact of the criminal justice system on the black community goes beyond the declining family structure to issues of political influence as well. As a result of laws that disenfranchise felons and ex-felons in various states, an estimated 1. 4 million African American males, or 13% of the black male adult population, is either currently or permanently disenfranchised as a result of a felony conviction. In fourteen states, a felony conviction can result in lifetime disenfranchisement, and in seven of these states, an estimated one in four black males is permanently disenfranchised. Thus, not only are criminal justice policies contributing to the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans, but imprisonment itself then reduces the collective political ability of African Americans to influence these policies. V. Solutions The constant demise in the structure of the black family, lost political influence and seemingly arrested development are all very familiar results of a history of oppression. Since these effects of slavery and disparities in the criminal justice system seemingly steam from hundreds of years ago there is no quick fix. Ideally the answer would lie in the destruction of all prejudice. But, it is impossible to erase the deep seated legacy and resurfacing effects of slavery. Therefore this problem must be attacked from a variety of different angles. Recommendations for change can be considered in the areas of awareness, legislative change, criminal justice officials?  ¦ initiatives, and criminal justice/community partnerships. The following are some suggested that will allow for a beginning to a seemingly circular and endless problem. 1. Legislative Actions Legislation should be pushed to Reconsider Mandatory Sentencing Policies and Equalize Penalties for Crack and Powder Cocaine . 2. Criminal Justice Officials?  ¦ Initiatives ?n Criminal Justice Officials should Expand Drug Policy Options And Expand the Use of Alternative Sentencing 3. Criminal Justice/Community Partnerships. The criminal Justice system and the community should attempt to Increase Community-based Diversion from the Criminal Justice System And Strengthen the Link between Communities and the Justice System VI. Closing Oppression in the form of institutionalization is nothing new to those dressed in black skin; it has been present since 1619. In this year Africans were brought to the United States and forced into the institution of slavery. Even after the abolition of slavery, a series of codes and segregation laws were set in place to maintain the suppression of black people because black skin was stigmatized as inferior. Even though the prejudice and biased codes and laws were eventually abolished themselves, this stigma remains. Because this theory of black inferiority was embedded in the American culture due to slavery, various means of oppression are able to continually resurface in different forms. Today that form is Criminal Justice System, more specifically the drug policies. Practically mirroring the institution of slavery, African Americans are being controlled and dominated by this system. Control by the USCJS includes the probation, parole, imprisonment, lost economic power, struggling communities and lost political voice. In order to end this vicious cycle of oppression, action must be taken. First people must be made aware of the disparities. Next those who are made aware must press for legislative change, criminal justice officials?  ¦ initiatives, and criminal justice/community partnerships. The challenge for the community at large is to engage in broad discussion of the mix of family, community, and government initiatives that can begin to reverse the cycle that has been set in motion in recent years. Let?  ¦s do what Abraham attempted o do in 1877, let?  ¦s end this legacy of slavery.

Lack Of Group Cohesiveness Psychology Essay

Lack Of Group Cohesiveness Psychology Essay Teams and groups have a great impact on the behavior of employees. Good working and interactions with peers, subordinates, and superiors and crucial aspects of organizational life, helping employees achieve personal and organizational goals. When relationships are poor, they can become sources of stress. Moreover, incivility at work and elsewhere has become a major problem. Incivility implies rudeness and disregard of others. It includes the violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. A high level of political behavior or office politics also may create stress for managers and employees. The nature of relationships with others may influence how employees react to other stressors. In other words, interpersonal relationships can be either a source of stress or the social support that helps employees cope with stressors. The group can also be a potential source of stress. The group stressors can be categorized into following areas: Lack of group cohesiveness Starting with the historically famous hawthrone studies, it has become very clear that cohesiveness or togetherness is very important to employees, especially at the lower levels of organizations. If an employee is denied the opportunity for this cohesiveness because the other member of the group shut the person out, the resulting lack of cohesiveness can be very stress-producing. Lack of social support Employees are greatly affected by the support of one or more members of a cohesive group. By sharing their problems and joys with others, they are much better off. If this type of social support is lacking for an individual, the situation can be very stressful. There is even research indicating that the lack of social support is so stressful that it accounts for some health care costs. Intraindividual, interpersonal and intergroup conflict. Conflict is conceptually very closely linked to stress. Conflict is normally associated with incompatible or hostile acts between intraindividual dimensions such as personal goals or motivational needs/values, between individuals with in a group, and between groups. Conflict can hence lead to considerable stress for individuals. In addition to the group per se, group-level dynamics may become stressors, for example a recent study found that organizational politics was a potential source of stress in the work environment. Aggressive behavior : A frightening category of work stressors is overly aggressive behavior in the workplace, often taking the form of violence or sexual harassment. Aggressive behavior that intentionally threatens or causes physical harm to an employee is classified as workplace violence. Work place violence tops the security threats employee face at their organization. Homicide is second only to transportation accidents as the most common cause of workplace fatalities. A second form of overly aggressive behavior in the workplace is sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is unwanted contact or communication of a sexual nature. Many female employees have been object of unwanted sexual advances, propositions or discussions at work. As with workplace violence, sexual harassment is a serious problem. Management clearly has a strong responsibility to do everything in its power to prevent sexual harassment from occurring. When it does occur, it needs to be dealt with quickly and firmly. INDIVIDUAL STRESSORS: In a sense, the stressors discussed so far eventually get down to the individual level. There is also more research and agreement on possible situational dimensions and individual dispositions that may affect stress outcomes. For example, individual dispositions such as type a personality patterns, personal control. Learned helplessness, self efficacy and psychological hardiness may all affect the level of stress someone experiences. Conflict between work and other roles : A person has many roles in life (e.g., breadwinner, family member, little league coach, and/or social workers, to name a few), only one of which is typically associated with work (although some individuals may hold more than one job at a time) these roles may present conflicting demands that become sources of stress. Furthermore, work typically meets only some of persons goals and needs. Other goals and needs may conflict with career goals, presenting an additional source of stress. For example, employees personal desires to spend time with their families may conflict with the extra hours they must work to advance their careers. Current demographic trends, such as the increasingly large number of dual-career couples, have brought work and family role conflicts into sharp focus. Career development: Major stressors related to career planning and development involves job security, promotions, transfers, and developmental opportunities. An employee can feel stress by under promotion (failure to advance as rapidly as desired0 or over promotion (promotion to a job that exceeds the individuals competencies). The current wave of reorganization and downsizing may seriously threaten careers and cause stress. When jobs, teams, departments, or entire organizations are restructured, employees often have numerous career-related concerns: can I perform competently in the new situation? Is my new job secure? Typically, employees find these concerns stressful. Differences between company and employee values A further cause of stress lies in differences between company values and ethical practices, as often reflected in the organizations culture, and employee ethics and values. Substantial differences can lead to significant mental stress as an effort is made to balance the requirements of both sets of values. Personality characteristics The personality characteristics points out the complexity of, and individual differences in, personality dispositions and traits. Personality traits such as authoritarianism, rigidity, masculinity, femininity, extroversion, supportiveness, spontaneity, emotionality, tolerance for ambiguity, anxiety, and the need for achievement have been uncovered by research as being particularly relevant to individual stress. Most attention has centered on the type A personality. Friedman and rosenman define the type a personality as an action-emotion complex that can be observed in any person who is aggressively involved in a chronic, increscent struggle to achieve more and more in less and less time, and if required to do so, against the opposing efforts of other things or other persons. Type A 00employees experience considerable stress. They are the ones who: Work long, hard hours under constant deadline pressures and conditions for overload. Often take work home at night or on weekends and are unable to relax. Constantly compete with them, setting high standards of productivity that they seem driven to maintain. Tend to become frustrated by the work situation, to be irritated with the work efforts of others, and to be misunderstood by supervisors. Type B people appear more relaxed and easygoing. They accept situations and work with them rather than fight them competitively. Type B people are especially relaxed regarding time pressures, so they are less prone to have problems associated with stress. Still, type B individuals can be highly productive workers who meet schedule expectations; they simply obtain results in a different manner. The research on type A and type B people is still accumulating. For example, some of the type A behavior patterns, such as competitiveness and a drive for career success, appear to be consistent with societys values. At the same time, the hostility and aggression these people exhibit may make it difficult for many employees to work with them. Some studies also suggest that there may be different forms of type a personalities. As a result, the type As who are more expressive and less hostile may be less prone to heat disease. Other type As apparently enjoy their success so much that they disregard the surrounding stress and do not suffer from heart attacks or other physical consequences. Besides the debate surrounding the impact of type a personality on health is the question of the success of type As versus type Bs. It is pretty clear that type As are typically on a fast track to the top. They are more successful than type Ba. however, at the very top they do not tend to be as successful as type Bs, who are not very ambitious, are more patient, and take a broader view of things. The key may be to shift form type A to type B behavior, but, of course, most type As are unable and unwilling to make the shift and/or to cope with their type A characteristics. Personal control The second internal factor affecting employee stress is the amount of perceived control they have over their work and working conditions. Employees who have a substantial degree of independence, autonomy, and freedom to make decision seem to handle work pressures better. Since two employees may have the same actual control and flexibility, it is clearly their relative perception of that freedom that counts. Managers can respond to this need for control through a variety of measures such as allowing flexible work schedules, enriching jobs, placing individuals on self-managing teams, or empowering employees by using participative leadership styles. Peoples feelings about their ability to control the situation are important in determining their level of stress. In particular, if employees feel that they have little control over the work environment and over their own job, they will experience stress. Studies have shown that if employees are given a sense of control over their work environment, such as being given a chance to be involved in the decision-making process that affects them; this will reduce their work stress. A large study by Cornell university medical researchers found that those workers who experience loss of control, especially in relatively how-level jobs, have tripled the risk of developing high blood pressure. The researchers concluded that lack of control turns stress into physical problems. They also found that employee perceptions of the amount of control they experience at work relate to stress, which in turn affects physiological outcomes such as blood pressure as well as psychological outcomes such as job satisfaction. Learned helplessness: The feeling of loss of control goes back to come of the classic research on learned helplessness conducted by Seligman. In conducting experiments on dogs who could not escape shock, he found that they eventually accepted it and did not they have learned to be helpless. Other studies found that people, too, can learn to be helpless, which helps explain why some employees just seem to have given up and seem to accept stressors in their work environment, even when a change for the better is possible. Most recently, Seligman and his colleagues have concentrated on peoples explanations for their lack of control. Specifically, they suggest that people are most apt to experience helplessness when they perceive the cause of the lack of control: To be related to something about their own personal characteristics (as opposed to outside, environmental forces) As stable and enduring (rather than just temporary) To be global and universal (cutting across many situations, rather than in joint one sphere of life) Further study and research on the sense of control in general and learned helplessness in particular will provide much insight into stress and how to cope with it. Perception: Perception is a process whereby a person selects and organizes environmental information into a concept of reality. Employee perceptions of a situation can influence how (or whether) they experience stress. For example, two employees have their hob duties substantially changed-a situation likely to be stressful for many people. The first employee view the new duties as an opportunity to learn new competencies and thinks that the change is a vote of confidence from management in her ability to be flexible and take on new challenges. In contrast, the second employee perceives the same situation to be extremely threatening and concludes that management is unhappy with his performance. Past experience: A person may perceive a situation as more or less stressful. Depending on how familiar that person is with the situation and his prior experience with the particular stressors involved. Past practice or training may allow some employees to deal calmly and competently with stressors that would greatly intimidate less experienced or inadequately trained employees. The relationship between experience and stress is based on reinforcement. Positive reinforcement or previous success in a similar situation can reduce the level of stress that a person experiences under certain circumstances; punishment or past failure under similar conditions can increase stress under the same circumstances. The evidence indicates that experience on the job tends to be negatively related to work stress. The two explanations have been offered. First is the idea of selective withdrawal. Voluntary turnover is more probably among people who experience more stress. Therefore, people who remain with the organization longer are those with more stress-resistant traits or those who are more resistant to the stress characteristics of their organization. Second, people eventually develop coping mechanisms to deal with stress. Social support: The presence or absence of other people influences how individuals in the workplace experience stress and respond to stressors. The presence of coworker may increase an individuals confidence, allowing that person to cope more effectively with stress. For example, working alongside someone who performs confidently competently in a stressful situation may help an employee behave similarly. Conversely, the presence of fellow workers may irritate some people or make them anxious, reducing their ability to cope with stress. Locus of control: Those with internal locus of control believe they control their own destiny. Those with external locus believe their lives are controlled by outside forces. Evidence indicates that internals perceive their jobs are less stressful than do externals. When internals and externals confront a similar stressful situation, the internals are likely to believe that they can have a significant effect on the results. They, therefore, act to take control of events. In contrast, externals are more likely to be passive Self efficacy: Self efficacy has also been found to influence stress outcomes. Self efficacy refers to an individuals belief that he or she is capable of performing a task. Evidence indicates that individuals with strong self efficacy reacted less negatively to the strain created by long work hours and work overload that did those with low levels of self efficacy. That is, confidence in ones own abilities appears to decrease stress. As with an internal locus of control strong efficacy confirms the power of self beliefs in moderating the effect of high strain situation. There is increasing evidence that peoples self-perception of their capacity to be effective and bring about change may be an important disposition in the ability to withstand stress. For example, those with high self-efficacy have a relatively low level of physiological arousal (for example, they have less adrenaline in the bloodstream). Yet those under stress tend to have high physiological arousal. Thus, those with high self-efficacy tend to remain clamer when faced with a stressful situation. Over arousal can impair our ability to solve compels stress-related problems by elevating out motivation well beyond optimal levels and distracting us from task at hand. So people with higher self-efficacy expectations have biological as well as psychological reasons for remaining calmer. Personality: Some peoples personality includes a high degree of hostility and anger. These people are chronically suspicious and mistrustful of others. Evidence indicates that this hostility significantly increases a persons stress and risk for heart diseases. More specifically, people who are quick to anger maintain a persistently hostile outlook, and project a cynical mistrust of others are more likely to experience stress in situation. Psychological hardiness: Everyone has observed individual differences of people faced with stressors. Some people seem to go to pieces at the slightest provocations, while others seem unflappable in the face of extremely stressful situations. Those able to cope stressfully with extreme stressors seem to have a hardiness disposition. Personality traits that seem to counter the effects of stress are known collectively as hardy personality. As a personality type, hardiness is defined as a cluster of characteristics that includes feeling a sense of commitment, responding to each diffulty as representing a challenge and an opportunity, and perceiving that one has control over ones own life. The hardy personality is characterized by: A sense of positive involvement with others in social situation; A tendency to attribute ones own behavior to internal causes A tendency to perceive or welcome significant changes in life with interest, curiosity, and optimism. A high degree of hardiness reduces the negative effects of stressful events. Hardiness seems to reduce stress by altering the way people perceive stressors. The concept of the hardy personality provides a useful insight into the role of individual differences in reaction to environmental stressors. An individual having a low level of hardiness perceives many events as stressful; an individual having a high level of hardiness perceives fewer events as stressful. A person with high level of hardiness isnt overwhelmed by challenging or difficult situation. Rather, faced with a stressor, the hardy personality copes or responds constructively by trying to find a solution-to control or influence events. This behavioral response typically reduces stress reactions, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the probability of illness. Frustration: Another cause of stress is frustration. It is a result of motivation (drive0 being blocked to prevent one from reaching a desired goal. It is a felling of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unsatisfied needs and wants. The mind, either consciously or subconsciously, generally attempts to cause behavior designed to help the frustrated person adjust to an unresolved situation, a type of behavior termed an adjustive reaction of defense mechanism. Some adjustive reactions are positively directed while others may be negative. Some frustrations may result in mild adjustive ` reactions; other reactions may be extreme and emotional. The intensity of a particular adjustment generally depends on two factors: the type of frustration activity and the previous experience of the frustrated person. Psychologists have developed a variety of terms to describe the numerous types of adjustive reactions to frustration. Symptoms of stress:Â   Stress affects different people in different ways, and everyone has a different method of dealing with it. Psychological symptoms Anger, Depression, Anxiety, Changes in behavior, Food cravings, Lack of appetite, Frequent crying, Difficulty sleeping (mental), Feeling tired, and Difficulty concentrating. Physical symptoms Chest pains, Constipation or diarrhea, Cramps or muscle spasms, Dizziness, Fainting spells, Nail biting, Nervous twitches, Pins and needles, Feeling restless, A tendency to sweat, Sexual difficulties such as erectile dysfunction or a loss of sexual desire, Breathlessness, Muscular aches, and Difficulty sleeping (physical). Data Analysis and Interpretation The research for the project is objected at identifying the stressors existing in the banking sector. This purpose is extended to identifying the different stressors faced by the employees of public sector banks and private sector banks. The focus was basically on the employees of state bank of India (a leading public sector bank) and ICICI (one of the leading private sector bank). Various stressors are identified and comparison between the stress levels existing in the employees of these banks is done on various significant grounds. A sample size of 46 respondents is selected that includes 23 respondents of both the banks. The questionnaires projected various questions concerning the individual, group, and organizational stressors. The respondents were asked to tick the appropriate option (yes, no or not applicable for all except 2 questions). The responses, expressed in terms of yes, no or not applicable are analyzed in terms of their repercussion on stress generating capacity. A yes answer to a statement could not necessarily mean positive answer. The statements were so formed that a yes could indicate a negative answer as well. Same is the case for no. Each no does not mean something negative. Considering this and since the purpose is to understand the level of stress each question is marked 1 (one) on the negative answer give and 0 (zero) on every positive reply, irrespective of whether it is yes or no. the interpretation of the scores is done on the following basis: Questions are divided on the basis of three stressors: Individual level: there are 18 questions to understand the impact of this stressor. Negatively answering one statement can give 1 point and in all these statement can yield a maximum score of 18 points. Group level: there are 6 questions to understand the impact of this stressor. Negatively answering one statement can give 3 and in all these statement can yield a maximum score of 18 points. Organizational level: there are 18 questions to understand the impact of this stressor. Negatively answering one statement can give 1 point and in all these statements can yield a maximum score of 18 points. Analyzing these stressors independently, the following is base: Less than 4: This score presents that the respondents are not prone to stress and are not likely to have and suffer from a stress related illness. 4 to 8: This score presents that the respondents are prone to stress and likely to suffer from the negative effects of stress. They may possibly be open to stress related illnesses. More than 8: This score presents that the respondents are very prone to the negative effects of stress and may be open to stress related illness. They must not delay in doing something about it and seek professional stress management counseling and consult medical doctor. After analyzing these stressors independently, they are summed up to find the total stress faced by an employee. The following base is taken: Less than 10: This score presents that the respondents are not prone to stress and are not likely to have and suffer from a stress- related illness. 10 to 20: This score presents that the respondent are prone to stress and are likely to suffer from the negative effects of stress. They may possibly be open to stress related illnesses. More than 20: This score presents that the respondents are very prone to the negative effects of stress and may be open to stress related illness. They must not delay in doing something about it and seek professional stress management counseling and consult medical doctor. The comparative study of the stressors affecting the employees of both the banks- SBI and ICICI is done keeping the above base in focus. The comparison is presented through pie charts. Various dimensions affecting the stress level and the personal characteristics of the respondents are presented and compared to understand to organizational environment and culture. FINDING From the data presentation and interpretation of various level of stressors presented above, as analyzed from the information collected from various respondents, the following findings can be chalked out: Comparative analysis: While comparing the stress level of female employees of both the banks, it is clear that female respondents of icici feel extreme stress, while female respondents of SBI are easy going and feel stressed. Of all the stressors, 26% of the female employees of ICICI feel extremely stressed by the organizational stressors. One of the reasons for this lies in the fact that the female employees of SBI have been with the bank for many years; hence they have developed the coping mechanisms to deal with the organizational stressors. While comparing the stress levels of the employees of SBI with the stress levels of the male employees of ICICI, it is found that 44% of the male employees of SBI face extreme stress and 16% of male employees of ICICI face extreme stress. While comparing the male versus female employee stress levels of ICICI, it is Evident, that female employee suffers more stress as compared to male employees. 26% of female employees suffer from extreme stress. While comparing the male versus female stress levels at SBI, it is found that male employees (approximately 44% of male employees feel extreme stress) of SBI feel more stress as compared to female employees (only 29% of female employees feel extreme stress). One of the reasons worth mentioning is that in SBI; most of the key positions are occupied by male employees. Hence female employees are in charge of such positions that do not cause much stress. Stress level of SBI is high as compared to icici, since 39% of total respondents of SBI face extreme stress and only 17% of the total respondents of ICICI face extreme stress. The analysis presented a surprising result. The stress level of the employees working in public sector bank i.e., SBI is higher than the stress level of employees working in the private sector bank i.e., ICICI. I would now like to present the findings that indicate this difference. First, I am presenting the reasons that are responsible for high stress among employees of SBI: First of all, irrespective of their hierarchical positions, there is little autonomy provided to the employees. All employees are required to consult their concerned manager for taking decisions. Moreover, the managers themselves do not have ultimate authority. They are also required to consult regional managers to take certain decision. Secondly, there exists bureaucracy in public sector banks. There are very long procedures framed for conduct of any activity. Any task that can be otherwise conducted easily requires long procedures to be followed for accomplishing it. This leads to wastage of time and resources. Much of employees energy is diverted towards these activities that actually require less attention. The decision making process of the bank is very long. It takes much time to take decisions. The permissions of top management are required to be taken before finalizing a decision and implementing it. These certainly prove to restrict quick decision making, and hence leads to delay in activities and stress. The restrictions posed by the rules and regulations of the banks are also one of the essential factors causing stress. Employees feel suppressed and pressurized owning to these. Many employees of SBI are currently finding themselves fixed amidst banks rules and regulations and their desire of freedom of working. Most of the employees working in SBI have reached the maintenance stage of their career development. Owing to this, they face much mid-career crises. These employees are currently suffering the Mid Career Crises. To add to this, of late, there were many technological changes implemented in bank. No doubt, the employees were provided adequate training regarding the use of the technology and software, there still exists some level of dissatisfaction among employees concerning the technological area. The employees of SBI feel that there is partiality existing in the treatment of employees in the bank. They perceive that the managers do have hard corner for few employees. This perception of employees affects their ability to accept any decision taken by manager. There is lack of motivation among the employees of SBI. There are no incentives provided to improve their performance. There is only one incentive given (in terms of bonus) at the time of Diwali. Lack of incentives proves to be a demotivating factor. As it is, the income received by the employees of SBI or for that matter any public sector bank is lower than what is earned by employees in private sector. The manager of icici, despite of less experience as compared to manager of SBI, enjoys a pay package of rs.8,00,000 to rs.9,00,000 On other hand, manager of SBI, with more experience receives a pay package of around rs.4,00,000 to rs.5,00,000. Many respondents (especially branch managers) feel that there is no proper grievance handling system. Though all employees of bank (working under the branch managers) are satisfied with assistance and support of manager for addressing and solving their grievance, there is not much support provided by top management to branch managers to consider and solve their grievances. Many branch managers have agreed to the fact that their personal goals are not in line with organizational goals. This demotivates the employees to work willingly and productively. It imposes a compulsion on employees to accept, a Learned Helplessness, (a feeling that they cannot do much) which leads to stress. Recently, various sister concern banks of SBI were merged with SBI (SBS merged with SBI). Many employees of SBS who now work as employees of SBI feel that they are step children of SBI. There is lack of a feeling of belongingness and togetherness. They feel insecure and restricted in the new working environment. Few of the respondents felt stressful because of over-direction provided to them by their branch managers. They felt that their work is constantly watched and scrutinized more that necessary. They feel interfered and mistrusted. This is the cause of their stress. There exists a constant fear of punitive action among the employees of SBI. They are criticized severely for their mistakes. This makes them feel over cautious in performing any task and restricts their creativity and learning. Many branch managers feel that their branch members i.e., employees of his or her branch are not adequately trained to deal with customers. They feel that they require training of professional etiquettes, and for managing customers. Due to lack of patience and empathy shown by the employees to the customers, managers are required to interfere in small matters that at the end can result in havoc if not addressed properly. When managers spend more time in clearing these petty issues, they are unable to give required time to their actual work. Sometimes, this, also leads to work overlapping since managers are required to multi-task for sometimes

Medicine Manufacturing: Steps Involved and Types

Medicine Manufacturing: Steps Involved and Types Introduction: There are various types of medicines ranging from veterinary to medicines for human usage. Over the course of time, conscientious and diligent research has been put into improving the quality and effectiveness of medicines. There are hundreds of thousands of medicines available today meant for different ailments but this galore of medicines can be divided into three basic categories Tablets Syrups Gel Every medicine available comprises of two main constituents: Active ingredient and Additives/Excipients. The main remedy is the active ingredient. Whereas, the additives are added to inculcate rigidity, to increase the quantity so that the raw materials can be easily processed and to dissolve certain active ingredients. All human medicines that are produced on industrial scale must go through extensive testing and if its deemed fit for human usage it is produced commercially. There are various standards that are set to test the quality of medicines such as: European directorate for the quality of medicine (EDQM) and U.S pharmacopeial convention (USP). Tablet Manufacturing: In order to make the process more intuitive a specific product (Aspirin) will be discussed. 1. Raw materials: Phenol Sodium hydroxide Carbon dioxide Acetic anhydride Hydrogen Corn starch Water 2. Weighing: The corn starch, the active ingredient, and the lubricant are weighed separately in sterile canisters to determine if the ingredients meet pre-determined specifications for the batch size and dosage amount. 3. Mixing: The corn starch is dispensed into cold purified water, then heated and stirred until a translucent paste forms. The corn starch, the active ingredient, and part of the lubricant are next poured into one sterile canister, and the canister is wheeled to a mixing machine called a Glen Mixer. Mixing blends the ingredients as well as expels air from the mixture. The mixture is then mechanically separated into units, which are generally from 7/8 to 1 inches (2.22 to 2.54 centimeters) in size. These units are called slugs. 4. Dry Screening: Next, small batches of slugs are forced through a mesh screen by a hand-held stainless steel spatula. Large batches in sizable manufacturing outlets are filtered through a machine called a Fitzpatrick mill. The remaining lubricant is added to the mixture, which is blended gently in a rotary granulator and sifter. The lubricant keeps the mixture from sticking to the tablet machine during the compression process. 5. Compression: The mixture is compressed into tablets by a punch machine. On single-punch machines, the mixture is fed into one tablet mold known as dye cavity by a feed shoe, as follows: The feed shoe passes over the dye cavity and releases the mixture. The feed shoe then retracts and scrapes all excess mixture away from the dye cavity. A punch of the size of the dye cavity descends into the dye, compressing the mixture into a tablet. The punch then retracts, while a punch below the dye cavity rises into the cavity and ejects the tablet. The feed shoe returns to fill the dye cavity again, it pushes the compressed tablet from the dye platform. 6. Coating: Tablets may be coated to reduce swallow difficulties or target specific part of the body where the coating will dissolve and take effect. Coating is done by adding desired coating solution to the drum along with the tablets. Blowers are used to rapidly dry the coated tablets and prevent sticking. 7. Testing: The compressed tablets are subjected to a tablet hardness and friability test, as well as a tablet disintegration test. 8. Packaging: The tablets are transferred to an automated bottling assembly line where they are dispensed into clear or color-coated polyethylene or polypropylene plastic bottles or glass bottles. The bottles are topped with cotton packing, sealed with a sheer aluminum top, and then sealed with a plastic and rubber child-proof lid. A sheer, round plastic band is then affixed to the circular edge of the lid. It serves as an additional seal to discourage and detect product tampering. Syrup Manufacturing: 1. General manufacturing procedure: Syrups should be carefully prepared in clean equipment to prevent contamination. Three methods may be used to prepare syrups. Solution with heat Agitation without heat Percolation Although the hot method is quickest, it is not applicable to syrups of volatile ingredients. When using heat, temperature must be carefully controlled to avoid decomposing and darkening the syrup. Syrups may be prepared from sugars other than sucrose (glucose, fructose), non-sugar polyols (sorbitol, glycerin, propylene glycol), or other non-nutritive artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin) when a reduction in calories properties is desired, as with the diabetic patient. The non-nutritive sweeteners do not impart the characteristic viscosity of syrups and require the addition of viscosity adjusters, such as methylcellulose. The polyols, though less sweet than sucrose, have the advantage of providing favorable viscosity, reducing cap-locking (which occurs when sucrose crystallizes), and in some cases acting as co-solvents and preservatives. 2. Cough syrup manufacturing process: Traditional cough mixtures are formulated around a syrup at 60-75% concentration which is made from sucrose, malt dextrin, glucose, invert syrup etc. The remainder is made up of thickening agents, stabilizers and active ingredients. Manufacturers of cough mixtures generally produce their own syrups as this offers greater control of product quality. The manufacturing process must achieve several functions: Dissolving of the sugars to form a syrup Hydration of powdered ingredients Blending ingredients of widely different viscosity Suspension or dissolving of active ingredients The end product must be smooth, agglomerate-free and homogeneous. High Shear mixer is used for mixing. Gel manufacturing Process: 1. Raw materials: Aluminium Acetate, Povidone Iodine, Propylene glycolCremophor RH 40, Lutrol F 127, Cetylstearyl alcohol, Cremophor A 6, Liquid paraffin, Parabene(s), Alpha-Bisabolol, Triethanolamine, Kollidon 30, Benzoyl peroxide, Betamethasone valerate etc. 2. Heating: The temperature should be high enough to ensure the intimate mixing of liquid phase and to prevent the premature crystallization and congealing of its components. Ointments preparation involves separate oil and water phases containing the required ingredients, heating each phase to between 60-70Â °C. 3. Mixing: Mechanical mixers, such as a steel jacketed kettle with agitator are commonly used to prepare semisolid preparations in pharmaceutical industry. The use of mechanical shear or a combination of fusion processes and mixing can be used to facilitate the dispersion or dissolution of the ingredients in the base to form a single-phase ointment. Time, temperature, and mechanical energy input are the three major variables in the manufacturing of semisolid preparations. 4. Emulsification: After the mixing process, the mixer is send to the emulsifier where the immiscible layers are forced to form an emulsion. 5. Cooling: Cooling rate can influence the final product quality. Different cooling rates after melting, mixing, and emulsification steps should be investigated as a process variable. The most important aspect of manufacture is to ensure all ingredients are fully dissolved and well mixed before packing and that the formulations contain suitable effective preservatives. Mixing is continued with cooling until the cream/gel is formed. 6. Packaging: After cooling, the gel is packed. In suspension, mixing of the bulk must be continued during packing to ensure even dispersion of the active ingredients at all times.

The Handmaids Tale Essay -- English Literature Essays

The Handmaid's Tale Serena Joy is the most powerful female presence in the hierarchy of Gileadean women; she is the central character in the dystopian novel, signifying the foundation for the Gileadean regime. Atwood uses Serena Joy as a symbol for the present dystopian society, justifying why the society of Gilead arose and how its oppression had infiltrated the lives of unsuspecting people. Atwood individualises the character of Serena Joy, as her high status in the society demands power and the domination over the inferior members of the Commander’s household, such as Offred – a handmaid. This shows that Serena Joy has a sense of control, using this privilege to become â€Å"a woman who might bend the rules†; this is similar to the Commander, as Serena Joy is able to associate herself with the black market, for example â€Å"exchanging trade† for relics of the past such as cigarettes. Through the black market, Atwood suggests that Serena Joy is a representation of a society based on a biblical view, thriving to become pure and perfect on the surface, yet the powerful figures that should exemplify obedience to the rules are constantly exploiting their authority. Additionally, the presentation of Serena Joy as a character it made interesting by her contradiction of accepting the new-found Gileadean society; it is plain that she resents the arrangement of having a handmaid in the house keenly as a violation of her marriage; â€Å"My husband. I want that to be clear. Till death do...

Wally :: essays research papers

Elmer, â€Å"Walt† was a friend I knew when I lived in California. Despite being a throwback from the 1960’s and a reject from society’s public eye, Walt still lived with a smile on his face and a story in his heart. Walt loved to tell stories and he loved the place where he told them. Walt also loved to drink and toward the end of an evening the bottle had met his lips way too many times. Old hippy ways faded to history for everyone else but Walt. Elmer didn’t like his real name. He liked being called by his middle name, Walter, because of the relentless teasing that went on in his childhood. Elmer shared the same name as the famous Warner Brothers cartoon character, Elmer Fudd. The small circle of friends which Wally and myself were a part of gave him several nicknames. Two stood out the most. Walt Walter Wally Wallester, all one nickname but kind of long and the other Sir Walter Wally. He liked to be called the latter of the two. I would call him Wallester, which he disliked vehemently, to get a reaction from him. When Walt entered a room, he’d get noticed. It wasn’t his stature. His normal five foot ten inch medium frame didn’t give him away. It was his demeanor and the clothes he wore that would make heads turn. His shoulder length kinked hair and long untrimmed beard surrounding leathery skin would be the focal point for his audience. Walt almost always wore a smile. His facial expression was one of comfort, not hatred. People did not fear him. He chose to wear clothes reminiscent of the late sixties. His brown fringed sued vest would wrap around layers of unmatched colored tee-shirts. His oversized Budweiser belt buckle would rest on his hips holding up striped bellbottom pants that partially coved white on black high top tennis shoes. He’d wear his belt buckle not in the center of his torso but way off to the side almost on his left hip. â€Å"Because I’m cool.† he’d reply when asked about his fashion choice. Sir Walter Wally lived about twenty miles south of Berkeley, California in the small town of Castro Valley. His tiny second story apartment was just outside the downtown area. The complex was old and out of code. The walls had been painted so many times before due to past tenants that it was hard to tell what was wall and what was trim, for the two had blended together creating a single texture.

Why Did Kristallnacht Take Place?

1. Both sources appear to contradict each other in terms of content. The first, and most important, question risen form these two sources are which is correct in context of who organised the riots. Source A clearly states that it was a â€Å"mass attack, which he [Goebbels] and the SA were going to launch†. However, there is a clear contravention in Source B: â€Å"The Fuhrer, at Goebbels suggestion†¦ not to be organised by the party†. However, in looking at what had happened, it seems that Goebbels encouraged a nationwide press campaign to help â€Å"stir† trouble. Also, at a dinner to commemorate the Munich Putsch, Goebbels called for von Rath's death to be avenged. These pieces of evidence do point towards riots conducted by Goebbels. It may have been, as stated in source A, that Goebbels was out of favour with Hitler and that he was trying to win back support from his Fuhrer. In source A however, whether Hitler did â€Å"squeal with delight† and slap his thigh with â€Å"enthusiasm† at the thought of riots against the Jewish minority is contestable. This is because Hitler was surprised by the extent of the pogrom, and may have been awaiting only sporadic bursts of violence from the population and not the SA. Source A, in terms of provenance, appears not to be as accurate as it seems. This is because it is only a summary by an historian nine years after the end of the First World War, and sixteen years after the events of Kristallnacht. Thus, many incidents may have been altered slightly to suit any other evidence this historian may have. Thus, a possible reason for Hitler â€Å"squealing with delight† and slapping his thigh with â€Å"enthusiasm†. However if nothing had been changed, then the very fact that the account was from a journalist, with insight to the â€Å"political behind the scenes† makes the source a significant one. On the other hand, Source B is by the Nazi Supreme Court. However the noteworthy element about this source is the fact that it is secret. Thus, meaning it is not intentionally prepared for use in the â€Å"political outside†. Therefore, there could be some element of truth in it, making it somewhat useful. However, there are some incorrect statements in the source. Consequently, I have come to the conclusion that Source A is the more useful out of the two sources for anybody studying Kristallnacht. This is because the source is a more reliable source in terms of its content. 2. The clear impression conveyed to the reader of source C is that Kristallnacht was calculated, precise attack on the Jews. Also, Mr. Buffman conveys Kristallnacht as a horrific act of terror. Mr. Buffman has written this as a first hand account, thus, many parts are down to opinion: â€Å"all of the local crowds were obviously horrified by the Nazis' acts†. Mr. Buffman 3. All three sources convey a general meaning about the events of Kristallnacht: an event disgustingly horrific both morally and physically. Source C and E particularly support each other. Both sources mention the fact that SA/SS men in no uniform had â€Å"been provided with hammers, axes and firebombs†, destroying Jewish synagogues, homes and shops. Source C also implies a calculated, organised riot; source E also conveys this as it states that a â€Å"list of names and addresses of all Jewish shops was provided†. Source E also backs up the statement Mr. Buffman made in Source C concerning the action taken by the German population: â€Å"Most German people have nothing to do with these riots†. Source E must be a reliable source to back up Source C as it is seemingly from a civil servant, working in a day-to-day job with political administrators. Source D also talks about the horrors leading up to Kristallnacht, although not in as much detail as in Sources C and E. The German Jew talks of â€Å"acts of terror†, the ‘decrees' passed on to force Jews to sell their belongings and â€Å"go away†, the ‘decree' passed on by Hitler to encourage emigration. Thus, source D does insinuate to the calculated and efficient riots that the government did organise. All of these sources are first hand accounts of the attacks on the Jews on Kristallnacht, thus they must be at least accurate, in terms of what they have interpreted to have witnessed. In looking at the chronology of events leading up to and after Kristallnacht, it seems that the ‘decrees' made were there to expel Jews from German society. Kristallnacht seemed to be a coincidence in between these events, with the Nazi's taking full advantage of this. Examples of which are 1) the Jewish minority being forced to pay compensation after the events of Kristallnacht 2) Jews forbidden to visit theatres, cinemas or concerts and 3) expulsion of all Jewish pupils from their schools. The purpose of sources C, D and E is a united one; a need to convey the horrific events, and the truth behind the smoke-screen of newspaper headlines: â€Å"a spontaneous wave of anger†¦ cowardly Jewish murder of Von Rath in Paris†

Unit 208 Support Children and Young Persons Health and Safety

Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools Unit 208 Support children and young people’s health and safety Written Questions 1. 1 Give examples of how current health and safety legislation, policies and procedures are implemented in your school The Health & Safety Act 1974 – Under this act individuals in any organisation are required to ensure that they report any hazards, follow the schools safety policy, make sure their actions do not harm themselves or others and use any safety equipment that is provided. There are posters that explain the employers and employees responsibilities throughout Longford Park Primary School to remind everyone how to comply with the act. My school complies with the act by ensuring any hazards are reported to Mr Provaker, the caretaker. By having cleaners coming in daily to ensure all areas of the school are clean and tidy. All equipment is stored in a locked cupboard. Fire evacuation procedures are displayed throughout the school in each classroom. Safety equipment is used by staff, for example staf on playground duty wear high visability vests and carry first aid kits. Food Hygiene Legislation 2006 – Covers the safe preparation and storage of food. All of the cooks, kitchen and serving staff at Longford Park Primary School comply with this by holding an up to date food hygiene certificate and having annual re-tests. There are posters in the kitchen reminding staff of good practice – i. e which colour chopping board to use for which food and how to store food in the fridge correctly. Risk Assesment – This is to identify potential hazards to staff and children, the risks are evaluated and steps to minimize the possibility of the situation arising are set out, Theses are done for day to day activities in all areas of the school and for new activities such as school trips. My school complies with this by carrying out risk assessment for activites during lesson planning and recently when all the children at Longford Park Primary School went to the local theatre to watch a pantomime, a through risk assessment was done before hand. COSHH 2 Regulations 2002 – Longford Park Primary School complies with this by keeping all COSHH items in a locked cupboard by the staff toilets. Data Sheets for all the chemicals are displayed on the wall in the cupboard. Al items are stored out of reach of the children and in its original packaging. Protective clothing such as gloves, masks and goggles are provided when nessecary. The key for the cupboard is kept with the caretaker, Mr Provaker. Every Child Matters – This has 5 outcomes: 1 – Be Healthy 2 – Be Safe 3 – Enjoy 4- Postive 5 – Economic Longford Park Primary school promotes these outcomes by promoting healthy eating; the children had a piece of fruit during their morning break, by teaching children how to keep themselves safe from accidents and harm i. e – An assemble to inform about the dangers of fireworks, no running in corridors, how to safely carry scissors. They children do an exercise video called Activate first thing in the morning whilst the register is being taken and a cycling proficiency course is offered to all children in year five. Fire Procedures – Longford Park Primary School has procedures tor evacuationg all areas of the school during a fire, the escape route and assembly points is displayed on an Action Plan in all classrooms, corridors and other areas of the school. The schools fire alarm system is checked weekly and a fire drill is carried out every term, the fire drill is recorded and then evaluated to detertime if it could be done better. Emergency exits are clearly marked, in my classroom the fire exit is the door that leads directly out to the play ground. Health and Safety (First Aid) 1981 – Longford Park Primary School complies with this by keeping well stocked first aid boxes on the teachers desk in each classroom and are carried by playground supervisors. Designated first aiders are appointed and suitably trained with a list of all first aiders on display in the staff room so that all staff know who to refeer to if a child has an accident, all accidents are recorded in the accident book. 1. 1 continued ————————————————- 1. 2 How is health and safety monitored and maintained in your school? (Describe) The Health and Safety representative, Mrs Walker carries out regular checks by walking around the school and outside areas * Weekly staff meetings are used to address and health and safety concerns * Equipment, material and the environment are checked and any hazards are identified and removed * Lunchtime supervisors m onitor health and safety in the dining hall and in the playground looking out for risks and removing or minimising them or reporting them. * Hand washing facilities are available outside every classroom and children wash their hands after being outside. Boxes of tissues on each table help to the the spreading of germs when coughing and sneezing. * All electrical and fire extinguishers are checked annually by a qualified person and a label is stuck on the checked equipment with the date it was tested. Only equipment that has been checked and has a label should be used. * Food hygiene procedures are in place for cooks, kitchen and serving staff. 1. 3 How people in my school are made aware of risks & hazards and encouraged to work safely (Describe) ————————————————- 1. Identify the lines of responsibility and reporting for health and safety in your school. Head Teacher, Mandy Walker or Deputy Head Mina Provarker has ultimate responsibility for Health and Safety in school. The Health and safety officer at Longford Park Primary School is Mr Provarker and is responsible for monitoring Health and Safety by carrying out routine inspections or equipment and premisis and for ensuring everyone is aware of the procedures for reporting and recording hazards. The Caretaker; Mr Provarker is responsible to dealing with and removing any hazards. All staff and students are responsible for reporting health and safety issues such as hazards and accidents. Students would report issues to a suitable member of staff according to the nature of the issue. 3. 1 Outline the importance of taking a balanced approach to risk management Children should learn to be able to take some risks and most activities will carry some element of danger but they should be given the opportunity to assess risks for themselves by exploring and by challenging themselves and by discussing risks and safety. Childrens safety is important but we need to be careful not to be over protective or they may be prevented from assessing risks, exploring and learning, discovering the world around them or recognising their own limitations. If childrens experiences are limited due to an adults anxieties they are more likely to find it difficult to asses and manage risks as they develop and may not feel confident when trying new things. Think of 2 examples of activities in your placement where there is an element of measured risk. How does the risk involved balance with the learning experience? Example 1 Example 2