Fund raising research assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fund raising research assignment - Essay Example no volunteer system despite being known for its charitable and volunteer work while the University of Cincinnati does not list volunteers as directly assisting in fund raising on their websites, but they were highlighted in foundation advertisement on other sites like Facebook and Youtube. The University of Oregon does not offer member benefits online like the University of Cincinnati does, where donors get free parking, library privileges discounts on university bookstore, recognition at annual Honor Roll of Donors, complimentary classes, and special invitation to special events. The Michigan State University is so different from both the University of Oregon and Cincinnati though the former has a gift level system, too. The annual gifts of Michigan State University are presidents club, Beaumont Tower Society, John A. Hannah Society, Jonathan L. Snyder society and Theophilus C. Abbot Society. Michigan state university is different from the other two universities since volunteers are the main contributors to their fund-raising, and the institution has a calling program run by volunteers. This program is important since it is a student led voice, and it is used to build strong relationships with alumni. On top of that, Michigan State University organizes events which supplement their annual fund-raising: Broad Art Museum event, Secchia Center event and Corporate Alumni event. There is a big gap between a university and a high school in terms of resources. In that regard, there was a big difference between the high school I researched and the research on the three universities. I believe that the high school could largely benefit from implementing some of the procedures that these universities have. Some of the programs this high school will have to implement include building a school website. The website will enable the alumni to get more information about what the schooling is aiming to achieve, reminisce and stay connected to the community and the high school.

Comparison of Venus of Willendorf and the Lady of Auxerre Term Paper

Comparison of Venus of Willendorf and the Lady of Auxerre - Term Paper Example Artwork traces its origin back from the ancient days. The use of symbols by man has been in existence since time immemorial. Signs and symbols were used as a form of communication as they represented different objects, ideas, and even events. For example, the dove was used as a symbol of peace while the anchor represented hope. Symbols have also been used for confidentiality purposes; there are cases where some communities used symbols to preserve their secrets so that only members of the particular community would understand the message being conveyed and have any outsiders excluded from understanding. It has been argued that these symbols are not just mere fantasies and imaginations by man but contain some fragments of truth in them. The use of symbols has also received appreciation among Christians. This is evident from the writings of a Catholic scholar one Father Martin C. Darcy. From one of his books â€Å"The meaning and matter of history,† he appreciates the existence of poetic insight and myth and insists that they should not be written off. He goes ahead to note that myths and symbols created a link between the old age dry facts and the present day civilization. This, therefore, indicates that the signs and symbols that have always existed from time immemorial are of great significance to mankind and need to be studied in the depth to get to understand what they actually stand for. These sign and symbols convey important messages and lessons from the ancient times and should therefore not be ignored.   The Venus of Willendorf is artwork in the form of sculpture. This artwork is a statuette of an obese female figure approximately 11 cm high that is about 4.3 inches. Conspicuously, the feet supporting the obese figure are quite small and the ankles are not easily visible. The artwork behind the sculpture portrays vast knowledge in the field of anatomy.  

Comparison and Contrast between the UN and the WTO Essay Example for Free

Comparison and Contrast between the UN and the WTO Essay The United Nations is an international organization that acts as a pool between 191 member countries in the world. The UN was founded in 1945 with the objective of preventing the conflict between member countries. However, in the past 60 years, its responsibilities have increased manifold and now it has become the most important organization in the world that has authority over almost all countries in the world. The world Trade Organization is a multilateral organization that sets the rules and regulation for the global trading system. It also resolves disputes between the member countries. It is the most powerful organization in global business and trade. The WTO was founded in 1995 after several rounds of negotiations that lasted for decades. Although both the United Nations and WTO work for the benefit of their member countries, their functions and operations are quite different. Structure of the UN and the WTO The United Nations is divided into several administrative bodies including the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council and the UN Economic and Social Council. There are also several other organs of the UN that work for the benefit of people across the globe. â€Å"The UN Secretary General is the head of the Secretariat, which is one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The UN Security Council is the most powerful body within the UN. It has five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members† . Representatives from all member countries of the UN meet in the UN General Assembly and discuss important issues. The structure of the WTO is completely different from that of the United Nations. â€Å"Currently, there are 150 member countries in the WTO. There are different levels in the WTO structure. Ministerial Conference is the highest decision making body within the WTO. It can make decisions on all trade-related matters. The General Council is another level organ of the WTO, which carries out the functions of the WTO on a regular basis† . Missions and Objectives The main objective of the UN is to ensure peace in the world. It also keeps a tab on issues such as health, economy, security, population growth, unemployment, disarmament, human rights and social development. â€Å"The UN General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and other important bodies of the UN cooperate with each other to provide assistance to the member countries on the issues that need special attention† . When an issue is considered very important, the General Assembly has the power to convene an international conference to draw global attention to it. The UN also works for sustainable development and invests in basic education, health care and economic opportunities for all. The WTO aims to increase international trade by promoting lower trade barriers. It also provides a platform for the negotiation of trade and business development. The WTO sincerely works to resolve disputes between member countries. â€Å"The main objective of the WTO is to help producers of goods and services, exporters and importers. It also ensures a competitive trading system that accommodates more developing countries and gives them more time to adjust with others† . Financial Resources The United Nations is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from member states. The UN General Assembly approves the regular budget and determines the assessment for each member country. The United States is the largest contributor to the UN. The WTO is also financed by its member countries. Besides the member countries, many non-government organizations are also involved in generating funds for the WTO. Transparency The United Nations is not a mere governing institution. It is a forum where sovereign nations gather to discuss their differences and resolve them amicably. In the recent years, several reform initiatives have been taken in order to make the UN more transparent and accountable. The governing power of the United Nations has been expanded by squeezing out most of its inefficiency. The WTO allows all member nations to hold discussion on all concerns related to trade and business. It also focuses on non-trade concerns such as gender issues, employment, health, food security, ecology and animal welfare. â€Å"The WTO maintains open principles and cooperates with other international organizations. It also takes the accountability for protecting vulnerable economies of developing countries against powerful countries in the world† . It serves the welfare of all people who intend to have economic benefits. Conflicts between the two Organizations The Global presence of both the organizations and their operations for the growth and development of countries often result in bigger conflicts. The power invested in the WTO overshadows some of the global institutions of the United Nations. Sometimes, the decisions made by the WTO also over-ride the jurisdiction and mandates of the UN bodies. â€Å"Ecology and biodiversity are two major areas where both the organizations contradict each other. While the WTO allows free trade and business irrespective of ecological consequences, the United Nations emphasizes on environment, biodiversity and climate change by putting certain restrictions on trade and agriculture† . Difference on Development Issue There are several differences in the approaches of the United Nations and the WTO. That undermined the global progress on development. â€Å"The standards set by the United Nations in human rights, labor rights and social policies have drawn criticism from the WTO. On the other hand, the UN wants the WTO to concentrate on trade, not on health and other services. The strained relationship between the UN and the WTO has become a major obstacle for economic growth and development† . The actions of most countries in the WTO are not consistent with their commitment to the United Nations. Most of the members of the International Labor Organization (ILO), a UN body, are also members of the WTO. They have differences on several issues including the market policy and labors’ rights. Conclusion Both the UN and the WTO are the most powerful organizations in the world. Their main objective is to work for the development of the countries in the world. Although their individual roles are different, they share the same vision. The United Nations is the largest organization in the world and plays much broader role in various fields whereas the WTOs role is limited to trade and business. Both the organizations hold negotiations and discussions between the member countries for the implementation of policies.These organizations provide opportunities to all countries to resolve their disputes and conflicts. Bibliography Hoekman, Bernard M. Michel M. Kostecki. The Political Economy of the World Trading System: From GATT to WTO. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. Murphy, Craig N. Global Institutions, Marginalization and Development. London: Routledge, 2005. Condon, Bradly J. NAFTA, WTO, and Global Business Strategy: How Aids, Trade, and Terrorism Affect Our Economic. Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 2002.

The Influence Of Media Violence On The Youth Media Essay

The Influence Of Media Violence On The Youth Media Essay Aggression in the media has been under a lot of scrutiny in recent times. It has resurfaced as the pinnacle of countless debates among politicians, parents and educators despite the fact that it is a current trend. The youth are increasingly becoming more hostile. This is in directly mirrored to violence becoming further prominent amid adults. Parents and educators continue to stress that the damage violent media inflicts on children will carry on into adulthood. Various studies have confirmed that violent media moulds the youth into violent adults. The issue is not as simple as just putting a stop to violence. The media distributors should end mass producing and distributing violence to children in the name of entertainment. Unless executives at television, music, and video game companies discontinue this mass production of violence, this appalling tendency of violent children resolves to carry on. Research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unambiguous evidence that media violence elevates the possibility of aggressive and violent conduct in both immediate and long-term contexts. The sound effects emerge larger for milder than for more severe forms of aggression, but the effects on severe forms of violence are also imperative when compared other violence risk factors effects.Young people have a tendency to be without doubt influenced by media for a diversity of reasons. Children discover what is tolerable or intolerable through what the media portrays as opposed to what parents teach them.    Parents have seized to be the powerful prominent associate in a childs life. Children utilize the media personalities to model acceptable or rather offensive manners. Movies, music and video games display that it is acceptable to massacre or hurt others. Small children in fact, have difficulty differentiating between reality and fantasy. Putting that into consideration, we realise that the mass media fails to consider that a small child cannot figure out the ramifications of being wounded during a violent act; it actually hurts and one may not survive. Children brought into emergency amenities for treatment from these media propelled accidents are inclined to articulate with astonishment that their injuries truly hurt. Dramatic Television and Movies have exposure to violent behavior. On film or television tends to amplify aggressive behavior in the short term. Youths who look at violent scenes afterward demonstrate more aggressive conduct, mind-set, and emotions than those who do not. In the distinctive investigational model, researchers indiscriminately allocate youths to see either a short violent or a short nonviolent film, and then observe how they interact with other people after viewing the film. Both physical and verbal aggression toward others may be assessed. The time period for testing the effects is short-from a few minutes to a few days after seeing the film-and normally there is no effort to test for permanent effects of the single revelation. With older teenagers and university students, physical aggression has often been considered by the enthusiasm of participants to impose an electric shock or a loud aversive noise on a peer. The participants are usually given a frail justification for harming the other person. Studies have shown that the introduction of the television which happened at different times in all communities has taken advantage of this disparity in timing to study TVs effects on aggression within a society. Time-series analysis done using aggregated data on offense and media viewing to examine the effect of the introduction of TV on violence in the United States, Canada, and South Africa (where television came on the scene only recently), comparing crime rates prior to and subsequent to the introduction of television. He concluded that the introduction of television, joint with recurrent depiction of violent acts, increases interpersonal violence in a society. However, this study ought to be viewed with vigilance as there exists additional factors that may have influenced national crime rates simultaneously. Studies have confirmed that witnessing violence in news reporting promotes imitative, or impersonator, manners. There are countless sketchy reports of people imitating illusory violence. Regardless of the regularity of these alleged instances of a pollution of violence, however, there has been comparatively little research examining how news stories of aggressive events affect behavior. Studies prop up the perception of a corrupt effect, with some of the best evidence indicating that stories of a renowned persons suicide enhance the chances that other people will also take their own lives. Studies of music videos and music lyrics have shown that Music videos are also of concern because these videos are sometimes replete with violence. Those without open aggressive content often have rebellious overtones and music videos are extensively watched by adolescents. Violent video games have recently surpassed violent music videos and even violent TV as a matter of concern to parents and pol icymakers. There are several reasons for this. First, children are spending most of their time playing video games. Second, a greater part of these games hold violence. Third, children involved in these games are dynamic participants not observers; they are at better risk of becoming antagonistic themselves. The impact of publicity to violent video games has not been premeditated as expansively as the impact of exposure to TV or movie violence; nevertheless, generally speaking, the outcome reported for video games to date are related to those obtained in the investigations of TV and movie violence (Anderson Bushman, 2001). Studies of Internet participation assert that the fundamental hypothetical ideology pertaining to the effects of exposure to media violence should be relevant to Internet media. Up till now, there are no available studies that address how exposure to Web-based media violence affects aggressive and violent behavior, attitudes, values, and feelings. Nonetheless, because of the image and interactive nature of Web material, we anticipate the effects to be very parallel to those of other visual and interactive media. The Web materials with violence tend to be video games, film clips, and music videos, and there is no reason to believe that delivering these materials into the home via the Internet, rather than through other media, would reduce their effects. Neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists have discovered that the human mind often acts as an associative system in which ideas are to a degree activated (primed) by linked stimuli in the surroundings (Fiske Taylor, 1984). An encounter with some occurrence or stimulus can major, or trigger, correlated concepts and ideas in a persons memory even without the person being aware of this control. For example, exposure to violent scenes may activate a complex set of associations that are related to aggressive ideas or emotions, thereby momentarily escalating the convenience of aggressive opinions, approach, and scripts (including aggressive action tendencies). In other words, aggressive primes or cues make aggressive schemas more easily available for use in processing other incoming information, creating a temporary interpretational filter that biases subsequent perceptions. If these aggressive schemas are primed while certain events-such as ambiguous provocation-occur, the new events are more likely to be interpreted as involving aggression, thereby increasing the likelihood of an aggressive response. Priming effects related to aggression have been empirically established both for cues usually associated wi th violence, such as weapons (Anderson,Benjamin, Bartholow, 1998). For example, the  mere presence of a weapon within a persons visual field can increase aggressive thoughts and aggressive behavior. Priming effects are often seen as solely short-term influences. Except that research by cognitive and social-cognitive scientists has shown that recurring priming and use of a set of concepts or schemas in due course makes them persistently available. In essence, commonly primed aggression-related judgment, emotions, and behavioral scripts become routinely and continually accessible. That is, they become part of the ordinary interior state of the character, thereby escalating the possibility that any societal encounter will be interpreted in an aggression-biased technique, and hence increasing the likelihood of aggressive encounters all through the individuals life (e.g., Anderson Huesmann, 2003). In addition to that, media propagates arousal and excitement in youth. Media violence is exciting (arousing) for most youth. That is, it increases heart rate, the skins conductance of electricity, and other physiological indicators of arousal. There is verification that this arousal can inc rease aggression in two different ways. First, arousal, regardless of the reason for it, can rejuvenate or reinforce everything an individuals principal action propensity happens to be at the time. Thus, if a person is irritated or else instigated to aggress at the time increased arousal occurs, heightened aggression can result. For instance, if a person who is aroused misattributes his or her arousal to a provocation by someone else, the tendency to act uncompromisingly in reaction to that infuriation is amplified. This is because people tend to react more violently to provocations immediately after watching exciting movies than they do at other times. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine reported in 2006 reported that brain scans of kids who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal, and a consequent decline of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, reticence and concentration. To date, however, there have been no conclusive studies linking video-game violence to aggressive behaviour in youths. Emotional desensitization is another effect of media on the youth. Emotional desensitization refers to a drop in distress-related physiological reactivity to observations or thoughts of violence. When people who watch a lot of media violence no longer respond with as much offensive physiological arousal as they did primarily. Because the unpleasant physiological arousal (or negative emotional reactions) usually related with violence has an inhibitory influence on thinking about violence, condoning violence, or behaving violently, emotional desensitization (that is., the decrease of th e unpleasant arousal) can result in a heightened probability of violent thoughts and behaviors (Huesmann et al., 2003). However not all youth are affected adversely by media. As a matter of fact, media has minimum effects on some youth. It all depends on several factors such as age, gender, characteristics of the aggressive performer, portrayed justification and penalty of the aggression, social environment like influence of culture, childrens access to media in the home, influence of neighborhood, influence of parents, and the persons moral principles. Theories put forward have shown that the media-violence effect is largest in the youngest age group (less than 5 years old). Even concise exposure to media violence and aggressive behavior on TV and in film caused temporary aggressive behaviour in youths. It should be noted that the principal effect was certainly aggression, and not violence. Fascinatingly enough, a study on New York youths found that exposure to media violence commencing at age 8 had a direct correspondence to aggressive performance a decade later in boys, but not in girls. Early studies in the United States and some studies in other countries found stronger relations between media-violence viewing and aggression for boys than for girls. Assertiveness and intelligence of the viewer also affect the extend of media influence. An aggressive youth will turn out to be more aggressive after watching a violent movie; also children of lower intellectual aptitude watch more television and see more television violence. Children and youth spend more time consuming entertainment media than engaging in any other activity besides school and sleeping. There have been recent efforts to reduce the harmful effects of media violence on youth have taken various forms, including attempting to reduce the amount of media violence and its convenience to the youth and children. Encouraging and facilitating parental monitoring of childrens media access, educating parents and children about the potential dangers of media violence and changing youths mode of thinking to reduce the chance that they will impersonate the violence they see. However, it is not clear that reducing exposure to media violence will reduce aggression and violence, it is less clear what sorts of interventions will produce a reduction in exposure. Some suggestions that counter attitudinal and parental-mediation interventions are likely to yield beneficial effects, but media literacy interventions by themselves are fruitless. In that case, meeting the larger societal challenge of providing children and youth with a much healthier media diet may prove to be more complicated and expensive, especially if the scientific, news, public policy, and entertainment communities fail to educate the general public about the real risks of media-violence exposure to children and youth. It should be renowned that real-world influences might diminish or abolish the aggression noted under experimental conditions. It is possible and even likely that study participants might react differently in the laboratory when they realize their aggression will not have any ne gative consequences or retribution. This has been a controversial issue whereby people have presented different views on whether media affects ones level of aggression and violence. Some claim that exposure to media violence causes children and youth to behave more aggressively and affects them as adults years later, while others argue that the scientific evidence simply does not show that watching violence either produces violence in people, or desensitizes them to it. Although media violence is particularly tough to characterize and evaluate, family attitudes and social category are stronger determinants of attitudes toward aggression than is the amount of disclosure to TV, which is all the same a significant but weaker predictor.

The Romantic Sonnet :: Sonnet essays

The Romantic Sonnet The Romantic sonnet holds in its topics the ideals of the time period, concentrating on emotion, nature, and the expression of "nothing." The Romantic era was one that focused on the commonality of humankind and, while using emotion and nature, the poets and their works shed light on people's universal natures. In Charlotte Smith's "Sonnet XII - Written on the Sea Shore," the speaker of the poem embodies two important aspects of Romantic work in relating his or her personal feelings and emotions and also in having a focused and detailed natural setting. The speaker takes his or her "solitary seat" near the shore of a stormy sea and reflects upon life and the "wild gloomy scene" that suits the "mournful temper" of his or her soul (ll.4, 7,8). While much Romantic writing dealt with love and the struggles endured due to love, there was also emphasis placed on isolation, as seen in the emotions of Smith's speaker and also in the setting on the work. Nature, in many Romantic sonnets, is in direct parallel with the emotions being conveyed. Smith, for example, uses the water to aid the reader's comprehension of the speaker's state of mind. Included in this traditional natural setting is the use of the sea as stormy, deep, extensive, and dark which ties the speaker in with the setting as the scene applies to the tone of the poem as well. Also characteristic of the Romantic sonnet is the retreat from the neo-classical age and its significant historical references into a new age where it becomes common to speak of "nothing." In William Wordsworth's "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge," there is no deeper meaning to be grasped other than the beauty of the day's dawning. The speaker's view of the morning and its "majesty" and the "calm" that comes over the speaker are central ideas in the poem (ll. 3, 11). In this sonnet, it is again apparent how influential and prevalent nature is. The reflection upon simplicity runs through many works and is seen quite evidently in William Blake's Songs of Innocence. In these poems, there is much mention of children, whose lives, ideally, should be the most simple. Also included in this simplicity are the innocence of the children and the simplicity of the tone, metaphors, and images in the works. In Blake's "The School Boy," the character of the poem is a young boy whose joy in life should be rising on a summer morning when the birds are singing and when he, in his happiness, can sing with them.

cloning :: essays research papers

Cloning Imagine being a first year medical surgeon just out of the highest-ranking university in the nation. You are placed in the ER, in the Methodist Hospital building, as your days are spent saving people from the cruel realities that they are forced to live among. Day after day, you see handfuls of people coming in with a variety of gunshot, knife, and domestic violence wounds. Your troubles are easily compensated, however, by receiving over $200,000 a year, a brand new Mercedes, and a house upon the palisade shores. Suppose for a moment that one evening while you are on duty, an ambulance radios in and informs the hospital staff that they are bringing in a multiple gunshot wound victim and to prepare the ER for an immediate operation. You begin to order people around and dictate what needs to be prepared before the ambulance arrives. Finally the victim is present, only to show that he is not the average gangster or policeman, instead it is the near lifeless body of your own son. Your bl ood freezes; your brain shuts down, as you see every precious second slip away through the lifeless gaze of your child's eyes. His life and future all depend on you saving his life. He has been shot twice in the chest and his little heart is working ten fold to keep him alive. You realize that the only way to save him is an immediate heart transplant and you have not a second to lose. You yell at the assistant to find the nearest heart donor in hopes that your young son will make it through the night. Unfortunately your hopes are destroyed as the medical assistant informs you that the nearest heart donor is in Spokane, Washington 3,000+ miles away. You slowly turn to see the dying face of your son, and only wish to take the entire burden from his shoulders and hoist it upon yours. Your son gives you an unforgettable look of fear as he slips away into the gates of heaven far from his warm and safe family. You drop to your knees in tears, and you swear you could hear the voice of your deceased son say, "Why? Why didn't you save me mommy?" Similar instances are faced daily in hospitals all over the world. Children, adults, grandparents, and loved ones all come in one at a time with the hopes of survival in their heads, but with the taste of death in their mouths.

Family Assessment using Calgary Family Assessment Model Essay

The family involved has two children and both parents who have been married for close to fifteen years. The grandparents to the children are alive with the exception of the paternal grandmother who died of a heart condition. The family visits hospital to seek medical attentions for their adolescent son who presents conditions close to what is seen in asthma cases. The child is accompanied by both parents and a closer look shows his fondness for both parents. The interview starts with the nurse inquiring when the symptoms were first experienced by the sick child. The mother seems ready with the answers though as the interview progresses, the father chips in a statement or two, of course the sick child too has his own bit of the story which he does not shy from revealing. After a duration of half an hour, the nurse wraps up the interviews while observing that the family has special concern for their seek child and the problem is shared by both parents. Though they have taken long to disassociate the symptoms with any other condition for example a chronic cough, they readily agree that their family has previously suffered cases of asthma. Interestingly the cases are common in both extended families. The nurse also recognises the willingness of the family as represented in the couple to support their child in the process of medication and healing. The family is also willing to invest time and other resources to ensure that similar health problems do not face the family in future. Family Assessment During subsequent visits, the nurse engages the family in a more vigorous assessment advised and based on the Calgary Family assessment model. For the assessment to take palace as espoused by this model the nurse created a sense of importance to the family attending the session. He built communication link and opened rapport between him and the clients. He encouraged the client to consider themselves as a single unit rather than individuals in the system of family. This was done in education and information sessions which the clients were encouraged to attend either uniquely or a group of clients. The nurse took the earliest moment to explain to the said family about the assessment model he intended to use. When information is given to the client prior to their inquiry on the same, confidence about the system is built and rapid and free information exchange follows. The nurse therefore saw this as opportune. Highlight of the model were given subject to the expressions in Wright, and Leahey, (2002) as categories of family life owing from its structural, developmental and functionality dimensions. Each of these dimensions in respect to this family is discussed below: The structural assessment is meant to identify the composition and connectivity of the family within and without. In other words it explains the internal structure of the family, the external structure and the context which the family finds itself. The family was composed of two married adults in their late thirties and two children all from this marriage. One aged 14 years and the other 8 years, the latter is male and the former female. The father was observed as the head and the bread winner while the mother played a major role of taking care of the children. She also did part time work amounting to twenty hours a week, which means that she was available for the kids most of the time. The sexual orientation among the couple is heterosexual. Any other orientation would be frowned at since the family is catholic. When the father is not at work, he spends his time with the children though the boy has complained to the mother that the dad seems fond of the sister. Except for this, the family can be described as close knit. Externally, the family is related to the grandparents mentioned above. A thanks giving dinner is served at the paternal grandparents home which must be attended by all their children and grandchildren. This home has three siblings. One of them has since moved to Asia for a job with a development agency. He rarely comes to the US and after suffering divorce with his wife, he seems to have cut communications with the family. The old folks are very fond of their grand children. The grand mum even made a point of visiting the sick boy. The family also has family friends most of whom comprise of women who attend the same church. The father does not talk much about friends. He says his nature of work does not allow him much socialisation though he is glad enough to welcome those who appear courtesy of the wife. The children are fond of their classmates. The boy confided to the mother the other night that she was eyeing some girl at school. One of the family’s friends has a daughter with a similar condition which was diagnosed two years ago. The mother has been very helpful in encouraging and sharing her experiences with this family. The context of this family can be summarised as follows: their race is Caucasian, their great grand parents are said to have migrated from England in the early sixteenth century. The father is employed in white collar employment working as an accountant in a securities firm. This leaves his family enjoying a middle class income level. The family lives in a relatively safe neighbourhood free from cases of drug abuse, gangs and other types of lawlessness and children attend public school. As mentioned earlier the family is catholic. At least the mother accompanied by her children go to church every Sunday. Both parents have expressed deep feelings in prayer and hope that God will heal their sick child. During her spare time the mother is occupied in tending a flower garden in the backyard. An inquiry on whether any of the flowers and bushes would be precipitating her child condition leaves her distraught. She does not believe that she would do anything to hurt her children. In so far the developmental dimension is concerned, this family has gone through the typical stages. Sally remembers fondly the first meeting with her in-laws and the kind words she received from Joe’s father. Their wedding was a small church wedding at Sally’s home well attended by their families and friends. During the second year of their marriage, Ralph was born to them. The second child so them wait longer. The gynaecologist they were seeing talked of secondary infertility attributed to Sally but after investigations, Joe sperm count was found low. After treatment and support from Sally, the second child was finally conceived and born through caesarean section. The family is comfortable with these two children. Their aim is to give them the best care and education. There is something else worrying Sally about Ralph other than his ailment. He seems so robust and athletic. In fact he is involved in most athletic competitions in his class and even plays football for the school team. Sally believes that these activities will only worsen his condition. Joe has tried to convince Sally otherwise without success. During our last meeting, which Joe did not attend because of work commitments, Sally explained her dilemma. On my part, I showed her the positive part of her son’s behavior and the fact that exercises would help the healing process. I also explained to her that as an adolescent mother, she ought to provide more space to her children so that they may seek their own identity. Marie is keen to learn music and is taking ballet classes. The children do not come home early any more from school as they used to. May be its time Sally considered a more occupying job as part of her mid life career adjustment. On the other hand, Joe has just been promoted to the position of the chief finance officer. The only time that he seems to have time for the family is only on Sunday. In terms of functional assessment, the family has been rated as highly functional in achieving the routine duties. Children go to school, meals are shared, economics needs are well taken care of, parents report to work on time and they turn up for routine or arranged meeting with friends and medical personnel. Emotional communication is fairly good. The couple look up to each other for emotional support. Joe gave up his drinking so that he could come home early and be with the wife. Sally confided to me that their sex life is fairly active. The children look up to their parents for comfort and support. Sometimes the same comfort can also be sought from grand parent. Verbal communication is quite good. The couple however said it is something they had to work on. They remember during early in their marriage Joe was fond of complaining that Sally was doing all the talking. Frequent phone calls are made to each other during the day. Their children are quite articulate in expressing themselves, a quality they may have taken up from their parents, though uniquely, Marie has been noted to throw tantrums very often until it was discovered that she was having problems with her fourth grade mathematics teacher. Sally is the primary house keeper and it follows that problems of the home appear to her first hand. She has learnt to solve them and consult Joe latter. Sometimes there are differences on how each supposes the problems would be solved. Joe has sometimes complained though tongue in the cheek that Sally may be usurping his powers. Sally is not worried by these remarks. She believes that if every thing else is to run smoothly, then she must try and be in charge which she has fairly succeeded in doing. During one of the visit, Sally remarked that her husbands smoking behavior might have spurred their sons’ illness. I was surprised because their was nothing I had seen in Joe to point to the habit to which she clarified that he had quit smoking after an uncle of his was diagnosed with lung cancer secondary to smoking cigarette. This was when Ralph was three years old. Apparently, no respiratory conditions presented to the boy at that point in time. I also mentioned that Joe should attend a regular check up just to ensure that his health is good. Summary of assessment The assessment discussed above may be summarised as follows: The family operates as close knit system which finds harmony internally and externally even among its extended relatives and friends. This kind of set up is very ideal for promoting its health concerns. The family has adequate resources required to be invested in health management. The only constrained resource might be time since it is spent in acquiring the other resources. In terms of completing its family cycle, progression is seen though the mother of the family need to put more effort to adjusting to the sense that she now is a mother of teenagers and not toddlers. Given that the sick member is a teenager, who spends much time in school, interventions may be directed to the school setting and peers. Expressive functioning is fairly good though there are notable power struggle among the couple and overt attention seeking by the girl. The key weaknesses is that this family has enjoyed fairly good health spell and may not respond as adequately to the required intervention out of taking things for granted. There is also some element of shifting blame for the cause of the diseases afflicting them, therefore, rather than acceptance and problem solving, quality time may be spent in denial and bargaining which do not in anyway ease the disease condition. Facts are also ignored in part in favour of believes and prejudices. Exercises in most cases will aid the healing process rather than deter it. It may seem like common sense until you come face to face with prejudices. Finally, belief in God may help in appositive mind set. All the same the effect of this would have been much better in cases where the adult is suffering because there is greater resolve as opposed to a child or teenager. This summary will form the basis of health promotion strategies adopted in dealing with these case as suggested by Thomlison (2007) and Wright, and Leahey, (2002). Health Promotion Plan The health promotion plan will have the following goals: To incorporate every member of the family within the intervention, To consolidate the health effort into one unit, To meet the health concerns for the family as a unit and not for individual members, and to ensure that the family’s long-term health needs are addressed. According to Thomlison (2007), the health plan should be aimed at promoting, sustaining and improving the dimensions of family life identified above. These goals will be actualised through the following strategies: Organisational commitment This requires that the health institution that fosters the health promotion plan for families provide adequate accompanying resources to aid and facilitate the process. Documentation should be provided, scheduled meeting, locations, and general support from management required. Support should be seen to be given to nurses as well as clients attending the programs. Policies Time should be taken so that sound clear cut policies can be prepared. The promotion plan involves assessment which in itself is passing on information which is highly confidential. Policies should guide the users of this information and protect the giver from misuse and confidentiality breaches. Advocacy Advocacy means going a step further to ensure that the needs of the client and his family are met under the plan. Sometimes clients may need more than medical care, thus food, shelter and so on. Its therefore up to the nurse applying this strategy to ensure that he lobbies for these needs for his respective client. The nurse should also attempt to harness resource available in the family set up where they are currently unavailable in application. Educational resources Information and lack of it about diseases and adjustment to the fact of the disease is one of the greatest impediment. Information should therefore be sourced and disseminated to the families participating in the plan in timely interval. This information will guide decision making and action causing the health plan to succeed. These four strategies are adopted from Nursing Now (1997). Conclusion Of the four strategies highlighted above, the most applicable in building and implementing a health promotion plan for the family discussed above is educational resources since the family needs factual information to reinforce its believes and to spur action. Information will also assure them on how to prevent other health conditions from recurring. Advocacy will also play a part in ensuring that the resources available within the family setting are made available to the health care plan. May be its time Joe committed more resources in making his wife more fruitful career wise other wise the family may end up grappling with more serious and undefined health problems arising from depression. It is expected that the system and establishment will support the plan in terms of policy and infrastructure. Reference Nursing Now (1997). â€Å"Issues and Trend in Canadian Nursing: The Family Connection†. No. 003 September 1997, Canadian Nurses Association. Thomlison, Barbara (2007). Family assessment handbook: An introductory guide to family assessment and intervention (2nd ed. ). Thomson: Belmont, CA. Wright, L. M. , Leahey, M. (2002) Nurses and families: A guide to family assessment and intervention (4th edition). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.