Operations Management and Supply Chains

Supply Chain Management is the conscious and active control of the activities of supply chain in order to gain a competitive advantage as well as capitalize on customer satisfaction (Jespersen Larsen 2005, p. 40). It is a strategic concept that maximizes on coordinated decisions about where and how to store inventory, where to buy the material and the mode of distributions (Advameg 2010, par. 1-3 ).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Operations Management and Supply Chains specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The move aims at making the business operate in a cost effective and satisfy the customers on time. The concept also aims at representing the collective effort of all the businesses that produce the products and services to the consumer (The Aspen institute 2008, par. 1-3). The supply chain businesses consciously work towards developing and sustaining the chains in efficient and cost effective ways. Supply chain a ctivities involve product development, production, the sourcing of materials and managing logistics. Physical flows that connect the supply chains include the movement, transformation of the goods and materials and their storage (Caspari Caspari 2004, p. 262). Hand in hand with this are the information flows that enable the businesses to control every day’s flow of materials and goods, and coordinate long-term plans. There is also a constant flow of money among the suppliers, manufacturers then wholesalers, and to retailers as well as to end users Dean says supply chain management is becoming a major concern to both medium and large companies (1). This is due to the need of satisfying customers and offer best quality in market. With the connection, the supply chain management becomes a supply network or web for the businesses because of the existing interaction among the companies (Li et al. 2004, pp. 107-113). More so is the improvement of relation between distributors and suppliers. Instead of operating as adversaries, they operate in cohesion in order to perform effectively (Dean 2002, pp. 1-4). A research conducted by management consulting company of A.T Kearney indicates that supply chain management reduces the costs of operation and production. The study established that the profits generated in chain supply can multiply into billions if slight improvements on operation of the supply are made (Mentzer 2001, pp. 61-70 ).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When divided among the connected companies, the research shows that the chains save more than 80% of expenses incurred in a typical manufacturing company. More so, the research shows that leading companies in supply chain gain up to 3-7% of total revenues compared to the medium businesses in the same industries (Dean 2002, pp. 1-4). According to John Gossman, competition must not be between companies but among chains. Dean says that success does not spring from one transaction, rather the competition between the companies determines the profits that the business gains. The broadened management focuses on controlling production and logistics (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas 2005, par. 3-5). For a company to be a leading supply chain, Mckinsey and Company says that it must strive towards aligning their supply chain concepts with the strategy of the corporate. A case study on the supply chain management of Wal- Mart, a leading world’s retail operator, indicates that all the colleagues, from the casual employees to managers in the supply chain understand the strategies and aspirations of the supply chain. The study also shows that the company actively controls the complexity of the product and service. The company has created multiple supply chains in order to gain a competitive advantage within the network (McKinsey n.d., pp. 7- 10) The company has a top- down visio n that checks on their main supply network. They ensure that there exists a balance between productivity, flexibility and initiatives to deliver the most demanded services without additional risks and costs. The company also utilizes excellent strategies such as using the most robust techniques and other technological advancements to ensure execution of supply chain plans. Wal- Mart focuses on reducing costs by minimizing labor among all its distribution outlets. The company’s strategy is to maximize on a sizeable and scaled that compels suppliers to streamline operations as much as possible through unit packaging (McKinsey n.d., pp. 7- 10). Amazon is the other leading company that capitalizes on having every warehouse is flexible in order to accommodate products of different shapes and sizes hence meeting diverse customers need. This strategy also works towards elimination of additional costs. The company also utilizes on new skills and talents to the fullest (Kale 2004, pp. 503- 504).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Operations Management and Supply Chains specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Advameg 2010, Reference for business. Web. Caspari, P. Caspari, J. 2004, Management dynamics, John Wiley and sons, New York. Dean, E. 2002, The perceived impact of supply chain management on organizational effectiveness. Web. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas 2005, Supply chain management: the science of better, faster, cheaper. Web. Jespersen, B. Larsen, T. 2005, Supply chain management-in theory and practice, 1st edn, Copenhagen business school press DK, Copenhagen. Kale, S. 2004, Global competitiveness: Role of supply chain management.  Web. Li, S., Nathan, B., Nathan, Ragu T. Rao S. 2004, ‘The impact of supply chain management practices on competitive advantage and organizational performance,’ Omega vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 107-124.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More McKinsey Company, The race for supply chain advantage: six practices that drive supply chain performance. Web. Mentzer, J. 2001, Supply chain management, 2nd edn, SAGE, California. The Aspen institute 2008, Supply chain management. Web. This essay on Operations Management and Supply Chains was written and submitted by user Paloma Y. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Operations Management and Supply Chains

Notes from the underground essays

Notes from the underground essays The UM starts out talking about the office he worked in when he was twenty-four: apparently he hated everyone there and likewise, they hated him. The narrative then derails while the UM describes the Russian national character, which he believes eliminates fools and elevates Romantics who appreciate the "sublime and beautiful." Returning to his description of his life, he notes that he had no friends and was always alone, spending most of his time reading. He admits to satisfying his private desires in various "dens of vice." The UM then describes an incident in a bar one night in which an army officer moved him away from a billiard table as though he were a piece of furniture. He said nothing to the man, but fostered deep seething resentment for this insult. He would run in to this same officer in the street, and try to stare him down, but would always end up stepping out of the way for him (the officer never recognized him). He writes the officer a long letter listing his grievances, but does not send it. Instead he decid es to meet the officer in the street and bump against him instead of stepping aside. The event, when it happens, is anticlimactic: he and the officer bump shoulders, and the officer continues on his way, seeming not to have noticed. The officer is late r transferred, and the UM never sees him again. The UM then describes how he would spend most of his time either depressed or dreaming of grand lives for himself, all of which involve becoming an important charitable man, beloved by all. He remains caught between two extremesa hero or a hermitwith no middle ground between the two. Sometimes, the UM immersed himself so deeply in the "sublime and beautiful" that he would be filled with a great love for mankind, and a deep desire to see others. On these days, he would generally go to visit his supervisor, with whom he was friendly, a lthough the visits were always disastroushe would feel nervous and un...

LSEP(legal, social, ethical and professional) issues associated with Essay

LSEP(legal, social, ethical and professional) issues associated with the introduction or increased use of cloud computing services - Essay Example Systems in the company are predominantly legacy-based and operate in silos. Each of the legacy systems is responsible for various parts of the business’s operations. Some of them take care of the inventory, while others focus on shipping. Alternatively, other systems handle terminals while, others work on sales data. A lot of this data is not transformed into useful information, and most times, employees feel overwhelmed by the speed, volume and even variability of the data as it is always changing. The company feels that it currently has too many servers in each of its stores, as most of them are not run in remote server farms. Cloud computing is only used for periphery services at this fashion retailer because employees have a relatively good understanding of browser-based software, but the infrastructure required to make the transition has not been installed. Sometimes, employees will use Dropbox to manage and send files, but this is often not powered by the organisation. The company also thinks of cloud computing as a means of storing its information rather than an opportunity to expand its possibilities. Whenever there is a power blackout or some form of data disaster, the company is assured of accessing its data safely through any internet connection. This acts as a form of disaster relief for the company as it makes it immune from physical attacks on its information (Balagopalan, 2010). There are a number of reasons and limitations that have presented Magneta from fully utilising cloud computing to manage its information. First, the company is concerned about the issue of security and compliance with information security standards. The retailer has a lot of sensitive information including client credit card information or their payment history. If a cloud provider does not comply with the same standards as the retailer, then it is difficult to secure transactions. Magneta is afraid of putting all their trust in an application that they have minimal

Law of Tort Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Law of Tort - Assignment Example Under the legal contour, foresee connotes the magnitude upon which something can be known well in advance. One cannot be held accountable for an injury happened due to one’s demeanour under the negligence in tort unless the risk of that harm was perceptible or foreseeable. In tort, under negligence, the foreseeability is established by a looking into whether the risk of harm is known to the perpetrator through constructive knowledge well in advance. Foreseeability is looked into on what the perpetrator knew or by reasonable assessment of the scenario. In determining what the standard of care owes by the perpetrator, foreseeability plays a significant role. A person will be held accountable for negligence under tort only if he is able to foresee on happening of an event well before . The origin of duty of care can be said to be derived from the case law Donoghue v Stevenson where the claimant was ill after drinking some of the ginger beer where the remains of a dead snail were noticed .In this land mark case, the manufacture was held liable as he owed a duty of care to the claimants by the House of Lords. In this case, Lord Atkin advanced the â€Å"neighbour principle† that one should take adequate care to prevent omissions or acts which one can rationally foresee would likely to injure his neighbour . 2. In Macpherson v Buick Motor Co3, a duty of reasonable care is reposed on all foreseeable consumers of a product and not limited to those in privity of contract whenever it can be foreseeable that damage will result if the product is faulty. For instance, if a washing machine manufacturer supplies a defective product and if A buys the same and sustains harm, then A is definitely a foreseeable consumer for defective washing machine manufacturer. Hence, unde r Macpherson, the manufacturer owes a duty of reasonable care to A under tort law4. It is to be noted that in Smith New Court Securities v Citibank5 , for the recoverable damage, the test for foreseeability was extended whereas it was not extended in an action in deceit, which is another tort of negligence6. In a negligent action, to establish the element of duty, it is essential to prove that the defendant owed an obligation to the plaintiff who suffered harm. Thus, the duty of care by the defendant should be owed not only to the plaintiff but also will include the others within a certain magnitude along with the plaintiff due to the actions of the plaintiff. Under the zone of danger concept, there is a duty on the defendant that he should reasonably foresee or expect his actions to impact. Thus, if an injury has happened beyond the zone of danger and no negligence can be shown, then the defendant owes no duty to others. For the weird chain-reaction or remote incidents, there can b e no recovery for injuries from the defendant7. If the defendant demeanour proximately created harm to the plaintiff, then the occurrence shall be held to be non-remote, and if it is not, then, it is said to be happened remote. Under the world-at-large concept, defendant is needed to foresee more remote chances of harm to individuals not in the adjacent area and of harms not as willingly predictable to happen from his demeanour. Under this concept, the defendant is anticipated to recognise all individuals in the adjacent a

Art Appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Art Appreciation - Essay Example This will also include regard granted to prominent artists and illustrate their contribution in the field (Beigel 3). Self portrait as part of art work bears a perfectly self-explanatory title by just looking at the structure which depicts its name (Beigel 3). The portrait on discussion and which will be appreciated is an excellent art work with a picture of Piper (Beigel 3). In the portrait, Piper is drawn with the artist revealing her noise being broader, lips fuller than they are in reality (Beigel 3). The portrait of Piper also demonstrates a voluminous luxuriant afro hair similar to the actual hair cover of Piper (Beigel 3). On the same portrait, there is minimal showoff attack on the racial stereotyping (Beigel 5). This is to despite the ironic theme of the drawing. The portrait cannot be treated as just a mere plain work of art but as a tool for searching responses to racism (Beigel 5). In appreciation, the portrait also reveals the sense of emotional works which is directly revealed on the female face. To begin with, the title of the art is self explanatory relating to what the name exactly says. The facial presentation of the drawing shows a direct gazing which seems to be symbolic of how her art confronts society in everyday life (Beigel 5). Piper is the only figure the artwork. The entire portrait only reveals the face, hair up to the shoulders. The portrait posture faces the viewer as the body is grounded at the surface of the portrait (Beigel 8). With her face rough and massive, there is no addition distinct expression on the face of the drawing (Beigel 8). In addition to this, the use of the lines on the drawing is exposed of being heavy, dark and thick. The contours are designed to openly reveal the face to be a woman due to its shape and features added (Beigel 8). Moreover, the texture displayed in the portrait by the artist is totally uneven

Health Policy And The Social Determinants

Health Policy And The Social Determinants INEQUALITIES IN MENTAL HEALTH Introduction and definitions: Mental health is described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as: a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community (WHO 2001a, p.1). According to NHS website every year in the UK, more than 250,000 people are admitted to psychiatric hospitals and over 4,000 people commit suicide (http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mental-health/Pages/Introduction.aspx , accessed 20-4-2010) Mental health inequality is a long standing problem that has been tackled for decades by epidemiologists, sociologists and health professionals. And because this problem has both strong social and health aspect there is no unified approach to identification and resolution. From Sociologists viewpoint inequality with mental health is a problem that has two main explanations: people are poor because they have mentally illness that makes them unable to keep work probably (social selection), or they become mentally ill under the stress of being poor (social causation). However, in modern psychiatry other factors are believed to involve in the etiology such as genetic factors, diet, and hormonal disturbance which interact with personality disorders or emotional state to produce mental illness. The problem of inequality is not only about serious mental illness but we can expand the definition of mental health inequality to include everyday feelings which is considered by United Kingdom Department of Health to be public health indicator: How people feel is not an elusive or abstract concept, but a significant public health indicator; as significant as rates of smoking, obesity and physical activity (Mental Well-being Impact Assessment ,2009) The table below gives examples of those factors that promote or reduce opportunities for good mental health (DOH 2001): MENTAL HEALTH PROTECTIVE FACTORS INTERNAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE physical health self esteem/positive sense of self ability to manage conflict ability to learn CITIZENSHIP a positive experience of early bonding positive experience of attachment ability to make, maintain and break relationships communication skills feeling of acceptance EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE basic needs met food, warmth, shelter CITIZENSHIP societal or community validation supportive social network positive role models employment HEALTHY STRUCTURES positive educational experiences safe and secure environment in which to live supportive political infrastructure live within time of peace (absence of conflict) MENTAL HEALTH DEMOTING/VULNERABILITY FACTORS INTERNAL VULNERABLE FACTORS EXTERNAL VULNERABLE FACTORS EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE congenital illness, infirmity or disability lack of self esteem and social status feeling of helplessness problems with sexuality or sexual orientation CITIZENSHIP poor quality of relationships feeling of isolation feeling of institutionalisation experience of dissonance, conflict, or alienation EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE needs not being met hunger, cold, homelessness/poor housing conditions etc. experience separation and loss experience of abuse or violence substance misuse family history of psychiatric disorder CITIZENSHIP cultural conflict experience of alienation discrimination the negative experience of being stigmatised lack of autonomy the negative experience of peer pressure unemployment HEALTHY STRUCTURES value systems effects of poverty negative physical environment Table 1: factors that promote or reduce opportunities for good mental health What is the evidence on mental health inequalities? Socio-economic status: Community-based epidemiological studies across countries and over time have consistently identified an inverse relationship between Socio-economic status and prevalence rates of schizophrenia .The ratio between the current prevalence (defined as period prevalence up to one-year prevalence) of the disorder among low-SES and high-SES people was 3.4, whereas the ratio for lifetime prevalence was 2.4 (Saraceno et al,2005), and in Britain, twice as many suicides occur among people from the most lower SES (Blamey A et al ,2002). There are five hypotheses to explain this relation (Hudson 2005): Hypothesis 1: Economic stress. The inverse SES-mental illness correlation is a speci ¬Ã‚ c outcome of stressful economic conditions, such as poverty, unemployment, and housing unaffordability. Hypothesis 2: Family fragmentation. The inverse SES-mental illness correlation is a function of the fragmentation of family structure and lack of family supports. Hypothesis 3: Geographic drift. The inverse SES-mental illness correlation results from the movement of individuals from higher to lower SES communities subsequent to their initial hospitalization. Hypothesis 4: Socioeconomic drift. The inverse SES-mental illness correlation results from declining employment subsequent to initial hospitalization. Hypothesis 5: Intergenerational drift. The inverse SES-mental illness correlation is a function of declines in community SES levels of hospitalized adolescents between their  ¬Ã‚ rst hospitalization and their most recent hospitalization after turning 18 Age: In elderly: National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) has reported the following point regarding mental health problems in elderly : 3million older people in the UK experience symptoms of mental health problems the annual economic burden of late onset dementia is  £4.3 billion which is greater than that for stroke, cancer and heart disease combined dementia affects 5% of those aged over 65 and 20% over 80 10-15% of all older people meet the clinical criteria for a diagnosis of depression these numbers are set to increase by a third over the next 15 years (NIMHE, 2009). Mental health problems in elderly often go unrecognised. Even where they are acknowledged, they are often inadequately or inappropriately managed (DH 2005c). The UK inquiry into mental health and well-being in later life (2006) identified five factors that influence the mental health of older people: discrimination (for example, by age or culture); participation in meaningful activity; relationships; physical health (including physical capability to undertake everyday tasks); and poverty. in children : WHO states, that the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾development of a child and adolescent mental health policy requires an understanding of well-being and the prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents(child and adolescent mental health policy, 2006) However, there is an evidence that levels of distress and dysfunction during childhood are considerably high between 11 per cent and 26 per cent, while the severe cases that require interventions are around 3-6 per cent of people under 16 years of age (Bird et al.1988; Costello et al. 1988). Emotionally disturbed children are exposed to abuse or neglect in their family of origin, with estimates up to 65 per cent (Zeigler-Dendy,1989). Gender: Women and Mental Health Mental health problems are more common among women than men with higher incidence rates of depressive disorder than men (Palmer, 2003). There are many factors to explain this, first: Socio-economic factors such as poverty and poor housing conditions cause greater stress and fear of future amongst women. lack of confidence and self-esteem may be the results of educational factors such negative school experiences , Living in unsafe neighbourhoods cause stress and anxiety amongst women , dependency on prescription drugs (for depressive and sleeping disorders) often leads to anxiety. Men and Mental Health Men tend to be more vulnerable to mental health problems and suicide than ever before due for a number of reasons including: Men in general are less likely to talk about their problems or feelings or to admit that they have depression. Men are less likely to seek help for mental and emotional health problems. Unemployment has a greater impact on men in general. Some mental disorders are more serious in men for example suicide is the leading cause of death among young men. The rate for young men aged 10-24 years is higher among those from deprived communities compared with those from affluent communities. Men also experience earlier onset of schizophrenia with poorer clinical outcomes (Piccinelli, 1997) Risk groups for mental illness in men include (DHSSPS,2004): Older men: they are less willing to use health services because of the perception that these services are for older women. Divorced men because they have less support available from family , and services designed to meet the needs of this group is particularly. Male victims of domestic abuse -especially boys in rural areas. Gay and bisexual men few services are available to help men deal with problems such as homophobic bullying and harassment. Male survivors of sexual abuse lack of co-ordinated support for adult survivors of abuse Fathers despite examples of good practice, men have comparatively less access to support services than women, to enable them to cope with the stresses of parenthood. Bereaved men lack of appropriate services specifically targeted at men who have experienced bereavement. Men in rural areas particularly isolated in terms of service access. Young offenders inadequate psychological services in juvenile justice centres despite the high proportion of young people entering the juvenile system with a range of mental health problems. Ethnic group: A review by Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection,( Count me in, 2009) noted that Rates of admission were lower than the national average among the White British, Indian and Chinese groups, and were average for the Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups. They were higher than average among other minority ethnic groups particularly in the Black Caribbean, Black African, Other Black, White/Black Caribbean Mixed and White/Black African Mixed groups with rates over three times higher than average, and nine times higher in the Other Black group. Employment Status and Mental Health Having a job helps to maintain better mental health than not having one, but this is not always true as many factors involve For example, jobs which are unsatisfactory or insecure can be as harmful to health as unemployment (Wilkinson et al , 2003). Anxiety about job security, lack of job control, perceived effort-reward imbalance, negative relationships in the workplace, including bullying and harassment can have negative mental health consequences. According to OSC Health Inequalities Review (2006) people with a common mental disorder are five times more likely to be unemployed, and if they have work they are more likely to be excluded, people with an identified mental health problem are twice as likely to be on income support and four to five times more likely to be getting invalidity benefits. A person with a diagnosis of a psychotic illness leaves him with only a one in four chance of being in employment. Geographic variation: Studies result on geographic variation of mental illness are inconsistent , for example Hollie has concluded that In mental health problems there is substantial variation at the household level but with no evidence of postcode unit variation and no association with residential environmental quality or geographical accessibility. It is believed that in common mental disorder the psychosocial environment is more important than the physical environment (Hollie et al, 2007) On the other hand, a recent Swedish study of 4.4 million adults found that the incidence rates of psychosis and depression rose with increasing levels of urbanisation (Sundquist K.et al.,2004). Another study by Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution shows that people from densely populated areas had a 68-77% and 12-20% higher risk of developing any psychotic illness and depression respectively when compared to a control group in rural areas. Within urban areas the rates for psychoses map closely those for deprivation and the size of a city also matters; in London schizophrenia rates are about twice those in Bristol or Nottingham (Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, 2007a, 2007b). Disability and Mental Health: Definition: According to Disability Discrimination Act (1995) (DDA) A person has a disability if he has a physical or mental impairment which has substantial and long-term adverse affect on his ability to carry out normal day to day activities In the light of this definition we can focus on mental health inequality of three groups of people: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People suffer socio-economic disadvantage caused by stigma and discrimination associated with their mental health problems. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People with both mental health problems and physical disabilities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People with physical disabilities, whose experience discrimination and stigma because of their physical impairment and become mentally ill because of this experience. Disabled people are more likely to experience stress and emotional instability than those who are not disabled. a report by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (2003) has found that whilst 34% of those who were not disabled had experienced quite a lot or a great deal of stress in the last 12 months prior to the survey, the percentage rose to 52% for disabled people. Experiences of depression within the last 12 months were higher among women who were disabled (44%) than men (34%). Conclusion: Inequality in mental health is as important as any other form of health inequality, however the interaction between social and personal level in mental illness makes it more difficult to address different kinds of mental health Inequalities associated with it. Question 2 : word count (2000) Tackling inequalities in mental health Introduction: Mental illness, among other disorders, is widely considered as a significant determinant of both health and social outcomes and many studies have spotted mental health disorders as both consequence and cause of inequalities and social exclusion. Mental health diseases have two distinct characteristics as a public health problem: first very high rates of prevalence; secondly : onset is usually at a much younger age than for other health problem , Mental health diseases effects all areas of peoples lives : personal relationships, employment, income and educational performance. (Friedli and Parsonage , 2007; McDaid , 2007) Who is at risk for mental health problems? Defining risk groups enables policies makers to determine how to manage available resources to achieve better health equality. Furthermore, these groups are the main targets for health equality promotional programs. A review of recent evidences on mental health inequalities can help to define the large groups at risk: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People living in institutional settings: such as care homes or those in secure care or subject to detention. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People living in unhealthy settings and who may not be reached by traditional health care such as veterans or the homeless. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People with physical and/or mental illness, people misusing drugs, people with alcohol problems, people who are victims of violence and abuse. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢children whose parents have problems with alcohol or with drugs, children whose parents have a mental illness and looked after and accommodated children, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People from groups who experience discrimination. Key policies: These policies can be long term policies focusing on deep change over long period or short term seeking fast results such as health promotion. Long term aims: Inequalities in mental health are not only about equality of access, but also about quality of access. In the year 2009 Mental Health Foundation has published a report on resilience and inequalities in mental health (Mental Health, Resilience and Inequalities ,2009) This report mentioned four priorities for action: 1-Social, cultural and economic conditions that support family life: This can be done by reduce child poverty , parenting skills training and high quality preschool education , increasing access to safe places for children to play, especially outdoors, inter-agency partnerships to reduce violence and sexual abuse. 2- Education that helps children both economically and emotionally by: schools health promoting programs, involving teachers, pupils, parents and supporting parents to improve the home learning environment (HLE) support social, sports and creative achievements, as well as academic performance 3- Reduce unemployment and poverty levels and promote and protect mental health by: Supporting efforts to improve pay, work conditions and job security. Facilitate early referral to workplace based support for employees with psychiatric symptoms or personal crises to prevent employment breakdown. 4- Tackle economic and social problems, which cause the psychological distress. Such as housing/transport problems, isolation, debt, beside that art and leisure centres can help to reduce stress too. However, these strategies take long time to be effective, that means the need for more rapid actions or short term aims. Short term aims: Mental health promotion: To build an effective strategy to promotion for health equality the following points should be achieved: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Comprehensive: Mental Health promotion is not only the responsibility of health services alone; other sectors of society should join that effort. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Based on evidence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Based on the needs of the local communities, and with the agreement of these communities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Subject to evaluation: The strategy should be subject to critical evaluation and can be changed when necessary. A good example of such strategy is the Mental health national evidence based standards which have been issued by The National Service Framework for Mental Health (DOH 1999). The purpose of these standards is to deal with mental health discrimination and social exclusion associated with mental health problems. And that can be achieved by promotion: promote mental health for the whole society, working with individuals and communities Stop discrimination against individuals and groups with mental health problems, and take steps towards better promotion for their social inclusion. Tackling inequalities for special risk groups: The Suicide prevention strategy: One of the best example is the strategy based on work by (DOH 2002) and The NSPSE (National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England), the report was the result of literature review of suicide prevention programs around the world and has reached the following goals: 1. To reduce the risk in key high-risk group. 2. To promote mental well-being in the wider population. 3. To reduce the availability and lethality of suicide methods. 4. To improve the reporting of suicide behavior in the media. 5. To promote research on suicide and suicide prevention. 6. To improve monitoring of progress towards the target for reducing suicide. Women and Mental Health: Preventing: The results of UK-based survey (Williams, 2002) shows that mental health services for women: Do not meet womens mental health needs. Can replicate inequalities. Can be unsafe for women. Can be insensitive to the effects of gender and other social inequalities, such as race, class and age However, in their response to a survey conducted in England and Wales, women said that they wanted services that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Keep them feel safe. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Promote empowerment, choice and self-determination. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Place importance on the underlying causes and context of their distress in addition to their symptoms. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Addressee important issues relating to their roles as mothers, the need for safe accommodation and access to education, training and work opportunities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Value their strengths, abilities and potential for recovery. (DH, 2002a) These points are important to build a need-based action plan for better equality in health services. Men and Mental Health: Preventing: The Equal Minds conference workshop which had special focus on men and mental health listed five service design features targeted at mens mental health and well-being (equal minds, 2005): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Accessibility and flexibility of services regarding time, location. For example, Select places familiar for men, Men Only sessions run by male staff, make use of some activities, such as sport and physical activity programmes. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Holistic approach, works on the person as a whole, not just on mental health. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Early intervention to prevent anxieties and concerns build up, especially in stress and anger management. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Trust and confidence are important to solve problems of identity and role that can underlay mens anxieties and self-perceptions or lack of self-esteem. Ethnicity and Mental Health: Preventing: The main problem in this field was the barriers to access services. Barriers include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Language. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Stereotyping. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of awareness or understandings of mental illness. The report Inside Outside (Sashidharan, 2003) which addresses mental health services for people from black and minority ethnic communities in England and Wales. Suggest that patients from all minority ethnic groups are more likely than white majority patients: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To follow aversive pathways into specialist mental health care. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To be admitted compulsorily (there are differences also between ethnic groups at all ages). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To be misdiagnosed. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To be prescribed drugs and Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), more than talking therapies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To have higher readmission rates and stay for longer periods in hospital. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To be admitted to secure care/forensic environments. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Their social care and psychological needs are less likely to be addressee within the care planning process. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To have worse outcomes. A strategic approach in Ethnicity and Mental Health: In England and Wales a framework have been developed for action for delivering race equality in mental health (DH, 2003b) The framework focuses on three building blocks which are essential to improved outcomes and experiences of people from black and minority ethnic communities: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Information of better quality and more intelligently used. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Services which are more appropriate and responsive. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increased community engagement In other words any approach should take in consider both quality of health services and the socio-economic disadvantages experienced by people from ethnic communities. Some suggested steps for this approach may include: Providing interpretation and translation services beside mental health service to insure highest possible quality. Adopting equalities practice in mental health services, that mean better understanding for cultural identity, the impact of racism, and culture differences in expression of mental distress. Developing assessment and diagnostic tools that can better assess patients from different backgrounds and ethnicities. Ensuring that services understand and respect spiritual requirements for different cultures. Ensuring access equality to culturally appropriate services including, counseling, psychotherapy and advocacy. Addressing common problem for people from black and minority communities, such as housing, employment, welfare benefits, and child-care. Disability and Mental Health: people with disabilities may experience high levels of socio-economic disadvantage due to discrimination and stigma , this group need a special interest regarding mental health services , they are liable for what Rogers and Pilgrim (2003) described :inequalities created by service provision. Mental health services for disable people should be customized to their needs, some recommendations for such services may include: Promotion for mental health, well-being and living with disability. Early intervention: for people who show symptoms for possible mental illness. Personalised care based on individuals needs and wishes Stigma: work for better social inclusion and tackling stigma and discrimination associated with some disabilities. Elderly and mental health: In order to achieve better equality for this group, policy makers should insure better access to mental health services on the first place. In the year 2005 the Department of Health published a report titled Securing Better Mental Health for Older Adults to launch a new programme to bring together mental health and older peoples policy in order to improve services for older people with mental health problems. The National Directors for older people and mental health promoted the dual principles of: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Delivering non-discriminatory mental health and care services available on the basis of need, not age and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Holistic, person-centred older peoples health and care services which address mental as well as physical health needs Here, it is essential to emphasis the importance of specialist mental health service for older adults. Sexual Orientation and Mental Health: In this group health promotion plays a great role to address the mental problems associated with sexual orientation. PACE organization has drawn up a set of practice guidelines for working with lesbian, gay and bisexual people in mental health services (PACE guideline.2006). The guidelines suggest promoting services and resources specifically for LGB people, including services such counselling and advocacy provided by LGB organisations. In response to these guidelines and studies about LGB such as (McNair et al, 2001). Mental health services for LGB people should: Reflect upon the homophobia and heterosexism that LGBT people may experience within mental health services. Enhance awareness of LGBT people problems, and the forms of discrimination and social exclusion they may face. Consider the nature of a culturally competent for LGBT people Preventing in Mental Health Problems: people with mental health problem are in need for resilience factors that enable them to recover from mental distress and to fight the effects of discrimination and stigma, we can name some of these factors such as confiding relationships, social networks, self-determination, financial security, however, support health services are essential for individual recovery and to achieve socially inclusive accepting communities (Dunn, 1999). Examples for these services can be found in report on Mental Health and Social Exclusion which has been published by Social Exclusion Unit. The report included a 27-point Action Plan aimed at tackling stigma and discrimination, focusing on the role of health and social care in addressing problems of social exclusion, unemployment, and supporting families and community participation through ensuring access to goods and services such as housing, financial advice and transport (SEU,2004). Beyond this report, it is important that policy makers be aware of connection between inequalities and mental health as a result and a cause, this will encourage more holistic approach that aim prevention on the long run. Conclusion: It is essential to put the different recommendations on mental health inequalities into everyday practice , for example a recent study by Glasgow Centre for Population Health found that policies are not driving practice for reducing inequalities in mental health within primary care, and the primary care organization studied is not conducive to addressing inequalities in mental health. (Craig, 2009). For that reason, it is the responsibility of government, health services and health professionals to put these strategies and plans into action to insure a better and healthier society.

Free Bluest Eye Essays - Learning to Hate :: Bluest Eye Essays

The Bluest Eye - Learning to Hate Many American's today are not satisfied with their physical appearance. They do not feel that they are as beautiful as the women on television or in magazines. The media is brainwashing American females that if they are not slim and have blonde hair and blue eyes, they are not beautiful. This causes women not only to hate the ideal females, but also hate themselves. In Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye two of her main characters, Claudia and Pecola show hatred toward others, and themselves because they are not as beautiful as the supreme females. Claudia's hatred starts at the beginning of the novel when she and her sister are staring at Rosemary Villanucci. Rosemary has what Claudia and Frieda want. They want the things that white people have. "We stare at her, wanting her bread, but more than that wanting to poke the arrogance out of her eyes and smash the pride of ownership that curls her chewing mouth."(Morrison, p.9) Claudia and Frieda hate Rosemary because she has all of the things that Claudia and Frieda will never have or be, particularly Rosemary's white skin. This forces a feeling of self-hatred for being black upon the girls. You can see Claudia's hatred again when she receives a white baby doll for Christmas. Instead of adoring and cradling the new gift, as most other children would have done, she mutilated and destroyed the doll. "Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window sign - all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured. `Here,' they said, 'this is beautiful, and if you are on this day `worthy' you may have it.'" (Morrison p. 20-21) She hated the doll's blonde hair and blue eyes staring back at her, reminding her of how different she looked from the doll. She knew that she was wrong for destroying the doll, but she could not refrain herself from doing it. The doll, symbolized the perfect girl, and she knew she was very far from looking like her. In Emily Prager's essay "Our Barbies, Ourselves", she "reveals the damaging effect of a doll that establishes such an impossible standard of physical perfection for little girls.