Leadership Styles and Traits Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership Styles and Traits - Term Paper Example This term paper discusses the various leadership qualities and styles of leaders that not only enhance the organizational performance but also create a motivated workforce. The four major styles of leadership were discussed in the term paper: situational leadership; transformational leadership; participative leadership; and charismatic leadership. The researcher states that these leadership styles not only judiciously exploit the competencies of the followers but also ensure that they are equipped with necessary knowledge to meet the challenges of time. Kouzes and Posner have asserted that four major traits of leaders vis-Ã  -vis honesty; forward looking; inspiring; and competency are critical paradigms of leaders that cut across gender, race, culture and nationality. These qualities hugely help the leaders to gain the trust of the followers who willingly follow them. The researcher concludes that effective leadership is highly stimulating and encourages an ongoing learning process within and outside the precincts of organization goals and objectives. Good leaders use self example to promote trust and mutual respect which has become a crucial issue today. The leaders promote cross cultural understanding and are able to exploit their competencies for the welfare of the organization. The leadership that learns through experience becomes the enabling factor of organization and provides it with competitive advantage. Hence, leadership initiatives have become extremely relevant part of organizational success.

How Did the Rise of the State Affect the Power of the Monarch Essay

How Did the Rise of the State Affect the Power of the Monarch - Essay Example A great link existed between religion and the monarch; as messengers of God, monarchs had the divine right to rule hence everything they said was the law. The monarchy was held until death or abdication and was hereditary in nature in that it was passed on to the eldest child of the monarch. Later elective monarchs emerged as well as those who usurped power and declared themselves monarchs like the Napoleon of France (Parker, 1999). Absolute monarchy is whereby the monarch wields all the power; he is head of government as well as the state and he is the rule. Moreover, his decisions are viewed as being from God hence should not be contravened. An elective monarch is elected by an elective body for a period of time or for life such as the pope of Vatican City is elected by a college of cardinals. A constitutional monarch on the other hand is bound by the constitution hence he /she is just ceremonial. For example, Queen Elizabeth of England is a constitutional monarch and a head of sta te of several commonwealth monarchy states (Fandel, 2008). The two European countries that contributed much to the rise of the state are England and France. The revolutions in the two countries saw the decline in the power of the monarch and in some states its natural death. The paper will discuss how the ‘rise of the state’ affected the power of the monarch. European Absolute Monarchy Most of European countries such as France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Spain and others were ruled by an absolute monarch. According to Fandel (2008); Schiel (2005), the early monarchs arose as a result of wealth and power gained through hunting and later from agricultural activities. The wealthy people were respected and seen as closer to God than other members as they well endowed with resources. The monarchy was inherited through primogeniture whereby the eldest son ascended the throne after the monarch’s demise. However, Primogeniture was criticized by some nobles’ more so as it discriminated against women. As a result, some states started exercising equality by allowing females to inherit the throne. The monarchs had immense power which they derived from religion. Most of Europe was under Roman Catholic Church hence kings and queens were coronated by the church. Stefoff (2008) argues that the divine right was used to justify the unlimited power of the monarch. For example in France, king Louis XIV had absolute power which he shared with trusted ministers and lived in a palace in Versailles which symbolised wealth and power (Mason, 2011). However, Beik (2005) argues that there was no absolutism due to the fact that the king collaborated with powerful elites so as to gain their support. To assert his power king Louis XV made a proclamation in 1766: â€Å"sovereign power resides in my person alone†¦its to me alone that legislative power belongs without dependence or division, all public order emanates from me. â€Å" Louis XIV had also made a pro clamation during his rule: ‘’I am the state.† (Mason 2011 p. 15). This indicates the immense power the monarchs had; they were above the state. The monarch performed various roles such as making, enforcing, and interpreting laws. There was no separation of power between state organs such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. The monarch was not

Do Socially-Responsible Mutual Funds Perform Better Than Conventional Research Paper

Do Socially-Responsible Mutual Funds Perform Better Than Conventional Mutual Funds - Research Paper Example Center of discussion in this paper mutual fund as a business which puts in funds in a branched out assortment of securities. The individuals purchasing a share or portion of the fund are considered to be the shareholders or owners. The investments made by these numerous individuals help the mutual fund company to acquire securities like bonds as well as stocks. The means of making money by a particular mutual fund from the securities that it invested in could be in two dissimilar approaches. Firstly, the mutual fund company could collect the interest or dividends paid on the security or secondly, the particular security could also increase in value. There also exist probabilities of losing money or experience a dip in value by a fund. Mutual funds could be classified into three usual kinds and they are the stock or equity, money and bond market. The stock funds refer to those which put in its funds principally in stocks that are issued by foreign or U.S. companies. The bond funds ref er to those funds which principally invest in bonds. And the money market funds are the ones that chiefly make their investments in securities for the short-term. These securities are those that are made available in the market by the government and even its own agencies in the US, local as well as state governments and US corporations. It needs to be mentioned in this context that there exists two different kinds of mutual funds and they are the socially-responsible ones and the other is the conventional or the traditional one. The socially-responsible funds involve certain decisive factors while making investments in companies. However, the traditional ones just take into concern the prospects and financial performance of the companies along with other relevant factors while investing (Statman, 2000). The process of selecting the right kind of investments takes a lot of expertise even in perfect market conditions. Along with choosing the appropriate investment there comes the nece ssity of keeping an eye on those investments made. Mutual funds

Court Organization Essay Example for Free

Court Organization Essay The paper focuses on the various court organizations and the corresponding function of every court organization as a whole as well as the various functions of its internal elements. Among the court organizations that the paper aims to analyze are appellate courts and trial courts. By looking into the corresponding jurisdiction of each court organization, the paper further completes the analysis by juxtaposing the jurisdiction of one against the other. With the idea of jurisdiction, the paper also elucidates on the types of cases that each court organization handles and the legal manners in which such cases are decided. Court Organization The system of courts that comprise the totality of the American federal courts are organized essentially by the U. S. Constitution and the laws legislated by the American federal government. Among these courts that function in the American judicial branch are trial courts and appellate courts. For the most part, federal trial courts are referred to as Federal District Courts which has the authority to hear appeals from lower bodies such as the administrative law judges. On the other hand, the intermediate appellate courts are referred to as the Federal Court of Appeals which functions under a mandatory review process that amounts to the task of hearing all appeals from the lower court bodies. The organization of these two judicial bodies, generally speaking, is more parallel in contrast to being different. In essence, the differences between the federal trial courts and the appellate courts can be observed from their respective internal organizational composition. While much of the similarities between the two courts can be obtained from their general task of deciding on legal cases, their distinctive features on how they are to specifically function substantiates their individual characteristics and separates their roles despite their apparent overlapping similarities as we shall see later. What is important to note at this point is to bear in mind that appellate courts and trial courts, specifically in a federal government, have separate functions amidst the parallel characteristics that one may observe from the two. The conception of these two distinct but seemingly parallel courts can be traced from the evolution of the judicial system of the United States. Much of the written historical basis for establishing a judicial system can be extracted from the Constitution of the United States of America. The history of the American judiciary includes the Judiciary Act of 1789 which created a Supreme Court composed of one chief justice as well as five associate justices. In essence, the Act established the judiciary arm of the American government which also defined the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction. Among these jurisdictions include, but is not limited to, the appellate jurisdiction over larger civil cases as well as cases wherein state courts ruled over federal statutes. The Act also provided the composition of the lower district courts, which amounted to thirteen back then, as well as the proposition that the Supreme Court can resolve conflicts between states and that the judgment of the Supreme Court is final (â€Å"The Judiciary Act of 1789,† 1999). From the Judiciary Act of 1789, District Courts were established which had judicial responsibility over their respective districts. As these district courts were divided into circuits, the jurisdictions of these courts were divided as well according to the circuits they belong. Federal District Courts Being the general courts of the court system of America, federal district courts are the courts where both criminal and civil cases are filed. This can also be taken from the fact that federal district courts were conceived as a court both of equity and of law. Each of these courts spread across the various judicial districts unique for every state are formally named after the district where the court has jurisdiction such as the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for instance. United States district judges are judges of the district courts of the federal government where their total numbers for every district court are defined by Congress in connection with the Judicial Code. Under Article 3, federal district judges are appointed throughout their life in their position where they can be removed involuntarily from their position in factual instances where they breach the standard of ‘good behavior’. This involuntary removal from office can be obtained through an impeachment process initiated by the House of Representatives proceeded by a trial in the Senate. After a two-thirds vote to convict is established in the Senate, only then is the federal district judge removed from his or her office. Moreover, in order for an individual to file a case in the federal district court, the individual must be able to provide a substantial justification as to why a federal court instead of a state court should decide on the case. This in turn leads to the observation that not all cases can be admitted by the federal district courts under its adjudicatory powers. Since not all legal cases can be litigated in federal courts, it is an imperative for the individual to be able to make certain that the case being filed is a federal case if the individual is after a federal case against an individual for instance. State laws are oftentimes the basis for the claims for federal district courts as in most cases the claims under state laws were pleaded and that the sole and primary source for federal jurisdiction is the variety of citizenship. There are also instances wherein the plaintiff has pleaded claims under the state law even if the case is under a federal question. In such cases, the federal district courts must decide state law claims through the application of the substantial or relevant state law in which they preside even if federal court judges apparently employ federal law for the corresponding procedure. Ironically, the opinions set forth by the state courts supersede the opinions given by federal courts and that, further, a federal court must give way to a state supreme court in matters that involve the interpretation of state laws. In essence, a final court ruling by any district court in criminal or civil cases can be appealed towards the Court of Appeals of the United States with respect to the corresponding federal judicial circuit under which the district court is situated. One exception to this is that some rulings from federal district courts which involves patents and several other matters that are specialized must be appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In several rare occasions, the cases may be directly forwarded and appealed immediately to the Supreme Court of the United States. Federal Court of Appeals The Federal Courts of Appeals of America are considered as the mid-level appellate courts under the system of federal courts of America. It is the court that adjudicates the appeals for cases previously decided by the federal district courts of the United States which is under the corresponding federal judicial circuit. In essence, the total number of thirteen Courts of Appeals in the United States is positioned between the Supreme Court and the District Courts of the United States although there are cases where a case can be appealed directly to the Supreme Court. As every particular state in the United States has its own structure of appellate courts, it leads to the variations on how cases are to be handled. For instance, the Court of Appeals in the state of New York is considered as the highest court within the state inasmuch as it is the court of ultimate resort within the legal confines and jurisdiction of the state. One exception, however, are cases that pose questions concerning the federal law where they can be appealed from the respective court of appeals to the Supreme Court. What differentiates a federal district court from a federal court of appeals? The answer to this question rests on the legal presumption that the court of appeals can reevaluate and overturn any previous decision from federal district courts. This is essentially initiated by the instance when the accused who was previously given a ‘guilty’ verdict files an appeal to the federal court of appeals. This can be observed from what has been termed under the ‘due process of the law. ’ The term itself implies the administration of equal laws according to established rules, not violating the fundamental principles of private right, by a competent tribunal having jurisdiction of the case and proceeding upon notice and hearing. Nevertheless, one must not fail to recognize that certain lower court decisions can be overturned which then presents the idea that these lower court decisions are not yet final. For one, the decisions upheld by federal district court justices can be overturned by a higher court. However, the higher courts cannot instantaneously initiate a thorough reconsideration and cannot simply arrive at a decision—either the court will uphold the decision of the lower court or overturn the judgment—without a ‘formal’ appeal from the accused. For instance, the case of Pell v. E. I. DuPont de Nemours Co. Inc. gives us a brief sketch on how accused parties can resort to a reconsideration of a previous district court decision. In the case, the district court of Delaware earlier denied the request of the plaintiff for restitution for unduly payments for pension that are deemed low. In consequence the plaintiff resorted to a motion for reconsideration for the district court which, in the end, the court denied for the reason that the plaintiff failed to discharge the high burden necessary to prevail on the motion filed by the plaintiff. In essence, the case and the plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration emphasize the ideas: that the district court can look into a motion for reconsideration from the plaintiff once filed and, conversely, that the district court can either deny or grant the motion. In contrast to the function of federal district courts to hold trial and determine the punishment for criminal cases or damages which will be awarded, the appellate courts of the federal government do not essentially hold trials as part of their innate legal function. On the other hand, these courts merely serve the legal function of reviewing the decisions of federal trial courts for the existence of any errors of law. This conversely relates the idea that these courts merely have appellate jurisdiction. Moreover, federal appellate courts do not accept anything else other than the records from the federal trial courts such as the papers that both legal parties have filed as well as the exhibits and transcripts relating to the trial. The federal appellate courts also consider the legal arguments of the involved parties in the case. With these ideas in hand, one can note the essential differences which separate one court from the other. More importantly, the scheme in which court hearings and legal cases flow signify that there is a formal system being strictly followed. That is, an individual cannot originally file a legal complaint against another individual or entity in the appellate courts for such an instance is not the definitive function of federal appellate courts. Moreover, a plaintiff can still resort to an appeal to the federal court of appeals once the verdict of the lower courts, or the federal district courts for instance, do not favor their side. All of this information leads us towards the larger understanding that there is indeed what we call a ‘court organization’ which gives a formal and rigid structure to the entire legal system especially in a federal government. The hierarchy in courts or the court organization in general limits certain legal actions while sustaining the due process of law. While the organization of courts gives certain limitations, it can be seen as a legal tool for securing the systematic approach for meticulously arriving at crucial decisions. Let us now look into the advantages and disadvantages that come along with the very nature and structure of the organization of courts, specifically between federal district courts and federal appellate courts, in a federal system of government. Advantages and disadvantages It is an established fact that appellate courts cannot simply address a legal appeal without the parties requesting for one. Moreover, appellate courts do not have the legal jurisdiction of hearing trials and providing punishments and damages to individuals and other entities. Conversely, these things suggest the ideas that there must first be an appeal and that, second, there must be previous court decisions on which the appellate courts will derive their corresponding decision. Hence, an appealing party has the advantage of going through a rigorous examination of their case which ensures that the decisions made until it reaches the Supreme Court are carefully brought into proper attention. On the other hand, the very organization of the court makes it a disadvantage for the appealing party at least in terms of resources. Specifically, financial resources must be present o as to sustain a continuous appeal for the appealing parties as the case ascends higher into the hierarchy of courts. Financial resources, for the most part, applies very well for the funding of legal battles which come in the form of payments for legal services rendered and other related expenses. In essence, appellate courts, being the courts between the trial courts and the Supreme Court, stand in the way for appellants to go directly to the Supreme Court for a final appeal. Nevertheless, these appellate courts were not essentially established to hinder individuals from going directly to the higher court but to see to it that lower court rulings are kept in accordance to the law while giving the Supreme Court a lesser task to attend to so that the Court can focus on larger issues that need large amounts of careful analysis. On the other hand, it appears that federal district courts can also legally entertain motions for reconsideration which barely amounts to an appeal to the appellate courts. Hence, plaintiffs, for instance, have the option to file a motion for reconsideration in federal district courts before filing an appeal to the appellate court once the motion for reconsideration is denied by the district court. One disadvantage to this scheme is that it takes a considerable length of time assuming that the plaintiff is willing to take all legal paths so as to attain the desired court decision. The value that must be noted here is that a seemingly justified and rightful decision comes as several expenses. These expenses, for the most part, come in the form of time and financial resources. These two elements are exhaustible which presents the idea that either an individual can spend a considerable fraction of his or her life fighting a legal case for the rightful decision or a certain court, the appellate court for instance, can hinder the individual’s attempt inasmuch as the court sees fit. On a deeper analysis, one can observe that if a certain federal district court grants the motion for reconsideration filed by a plaintiff, it translates into the acceptance that, at some point in time, the court has failed to see all the angles in the case and provide the necessary, justified, and rightful decision. For instance, a federal district court can decide to grant the motion for reconsideration filed. However doing so leaves us the assumption that the trial court accepts its failure to formally account and resolve the legal case. While the courts are essentially expected o arrive at firm decisions bounded within the confines of the law, these courts are not essentially assumed to commit to error either deliberately or unintentionally. In any case, federal district courts are at the helm or core of the case since these are the courts that primarily decide on verdicts and that the role of the higher courts, in essence, can be seen as something more of a reviewing body that realigns the decisions of the lower courts in accordance to the law. The need for court organization Is it possible to arrive at a substantial decision from among courts if they re not linked in one way or another? For instance, if the federal district courts and federal appellate courts function entirely separate without having a schematic purpose or correlation, would it lead to a substantial advantage to the people they serve? Interestingly, it can be seen that one of the primary reasons why court organization has been established is to give an ample room for reviewing and realigning previous court decisions in a lawful manner. Although federal trial courts are the primary courts where legal cases are filed and decided, it can be noted, however, that federal district courts are not the penultimate courts where no appeal can be filed. Quite on the contrary, the fact that these courts allow individuals to file a motion for reconsideration of court rulings brings us towards the perception that these courts may not be entirely devoid of committing to either partially or totally erroneous court decisions. Since federal courts, and perhaps any other courts, are still open to unintentionally committing errors in judgment, there must be at least a scheme that addresses such a situation. Otherwise, any court would hardly be able to correct its own misjudgments or the misjudgments of other lower courts. Given this observation, court organization—specifically the manners in which federal district courts are lower than appellate courts at least in terms of the scope of jurisdiction—can help resolve the underlying problems that may substantially arise over the course of time. How can court organization be able to help resolve the underlying problems in erroneous court rulings? The answer to this question rests on the premise that, by placing a certain hierarchy among courts and by limiting and specifying the jurisdiction for every court, certain decision can be reviewed and be realigned in accordance to the proper dictates of the law. By having a form of checking the decisions of the lower courts—for instance, the case between federal district courts and federal appellate courts—higher courts such as appellate courts can see or reiterate that the decision of the lower courts is fitting. On the other hand, appellate courts can also reverse the previous decision of the lower courts. What is important to note here is that the organization of courts, specifically the jurisdiction under which they operate, allows for a ‘refining’ of previous court decisions given the instances where there is an appeal from the concerned party. Although federal district courts can entertain motions for reconsideration from the concerned party, it does not necessarily translate to the idea that the party can resort to an infinite number of motions for reconsideration until the court has decided favorably to the side of the party. The very idea of court organization gives due importance of an appeal from individuals. This it does by allowing the individual to file for a motion or an appeal yet in a planned scheme. By ‘planned scheme’, what is being contended is that, from the lower courts to the Supreme Court, the right of the party to file for an appeal or a motion is met by dispersing the jurisdiction of courts to hear the appeal or motion sequentially. That is, the party must follow the sequences or procedures established by the law when appealing. For the most part and in most cases, an ordinary individual cannot go directly straight to the Supreme Court to file for an appeal without having first to pass through the lower appellate courts. Like in most organizational scheme, a hierarchy of the divisions of the organization permits a systematic approach in handling the tasks innate to the function of the organization. Since the court system of a federal government is an essential and significant portion of the government’s functioning, it is an imperative that the court system must be given due attention. One way to achieve this end is to provide a scheme in which the entire court system will be able to effectively handle its multifarious tasks from the bottom level to the larger degree. This ‘scheme’ is parallel to a court organization whereby there is a level of court divisions handling specific functions. As we have seen, federal district courts are the courts which receive the cases filed by individuals. On the other hand, federal appellate courts are the courts which receive appeals from individuals seeking a decision that legally favors them. Conclusion The system of courts that comprise the totality of the American federal courts are organized essentially by the U. S. Constitution and the laws legislated by the American federal government. Federal District Courts and Appellate Courts are two of the courts in the federal government that serve the identical functions of bringing justified and lawful decisions to legal cases. On the other hand, these two court systems also have varying functions. In essence, the differences they have rest on their respective jurisdictions. References Courts. Appellate Jurisdiction of Supreme Court. Suit against United States. (1919). The Yale Law Journal, 28(5), 513. Appellate Practice: Power to Amend Judgments. (1927). Michigan Law Review, 25(7), 789. Constitutional Law. Construction, Operation, and Enforcement of Constitutions. Constitutionality of an Appellate Court with Final Jurisdiction. (1931). Harvard Law Review 25(2), 187. Federal Courts. State Rule Holding Payment of Federal Judgment Attached in State Court a Valid Satisfaction of the Judgment Not Controlling on Federal Court. (1940). Virginia Law Review, 27(2), 231. Constitutional Law. Judicial Powers. Statute Authorizing Appellate Court to Pass on Motion for New Trial Undisposed of by Trial Court Held Unconstitutional. (1941). Harvard Law Review, 54(8), 1391. Federal Courts. Relations of Federal and State Courts. Federal Interpretation of State Legislation. (1954). Harvard Law Review, 37(8), 1140. Collins, M. G. (2005). The Federal Courts, the First Congress, and the Non-Settlement of 1789. Virginia Law Review, 91(7), 1515. Fair, D. R. (1971). State Intermediate Appellate Courts: An Introduction. The Western Political Quarterly, 24(3), 415. Grunbaum, W. F. , Wenner, L. M. (1980). Comparing Environmental Litigation in State and Federal Courts. Publius, 10(3), 129. Haas, K. C. (1982). The Comparative Study of State and Federal Judicial Behavior Revisited. The Journal of Politics, 44(3), 721. J. , G. (1929). Courts: Appellate Courts: Review of Findings. California Law Review, 18(1), 84. Newman, J. O. (1989). Restructuring Federal Jurisdiction: Proposals to Preserve the Federal Judicial System. The University of Chicago Law Review, 56(2), 761. ONeill, M. E. (1990). A Two-Pronged Standard of Appellate Review for Pretrial Bail Determinations. The Yale Law Journal, 99(4), 885. Richardson, R. J. , Vines, K. N. (1967). Review, Dissent and the Appellate Process: A Political Interpretation. The Journal of Politics, 2(3), 597. The Judiciary Act of 1789. (1999). Retrieved September 5, 2007, from http://usinfo. state. gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/8. htm Yuhas, G. (1976). Statewide Public Defender Organizations: An Appealing Alternative. Stanford Law Review, 29(1), 157. Outline Introduction The paper will initially provide the substantial facts and accounts to court organizations as a whole, including a brief sketch of its history and evolution as well as its current state. The introductory part will conclude with a brief overview of the trial courts and appellate courts. Body The paper will further substantiate on the essential attributes for the trial courts and appellate courts correspondingly which will then be used as a basis for the varying approaches trial and appellate courts handle and decide cases as well as the jurisdictions of every court organization. By introducing these various factors, the paper will then attempt to establish an account of the jurisdiction, including the possibility of overlap in jurisdiction as well as restrictions thereof, for every court organization. The body of the paper will conclude with a paragraph restating the differences and similarities between the two court organizations. Conclusion In conclusion, the paper shall provide a brief rerun of what has previously been discussed to be followed by an account of each court’s jurisdiction as well as the unique roles of every internal element of trial and appellate courts.

Tackling Health Inequalities A Challenge Health And Social Care Essay

Tackling Health Inequalities A Challenge Health And Social Care Essay Tackling health inequalities is a challenge faced by policy makers and health practitioners This assignment will critically discuss how Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) may be tackled, drawing on the current evidence based thinking and social policies on tackling health inequalities. Over the past 30 years, there have been a number of strategies proposed to tackle health inequalities. They have all largely focused on improving the health of the most disadvantaged groups, reducing the gap between the best and worst off and improving health across the whole gradient. (Graham, 2004) The above will also be discussed below. The World health Organisation (WHO) 1999 global strategy of achieving health for all is fundamentally directed towards achieving greater equity in health between and within populations. This implies that all people have an equal opportunity to develop and maintain their health, through fair and equal access to resources for health. Targets in England also aim to improve the health of the disadvantaged groups and that of the population as a whole and also closing the health gap (Secretary of State for Health, 1999). Similar targets have been set up in Wales, Scotland and Ireland with the aim of tackling health inequalities (Graham, 2004). A health gradient approach in tackling health inequalities directs attention to the systematic differences in life expectancy and living standard associated with peoples position in the socio economic hierarchy (Graham, 2004). Tackling health inequalities needs to focus on the causes of health inequality and health damaging behaviours associated with peoples unequal position in the socio- economic hierarchy (Graham, 2004). Improving the health of the poor groups and improving their position relative to other groups is an important strategy in reducing the socio-economic gradient. However, the Department of Health (DOH) (2002a) emphasises that to meet national targets and make progress on tackling health inequalities interventions must reach more than the most disadvantaged. Marmot (2010) also points out focusing solely on the most disadvantaged will not reduce health inequalities Graham (2004) adds that, to improve the social gradient, policies need to be associated with absolute imp rovements in health for all socio-economic groups with a rate of improvement which increases at each step down the socio-economic ladder. The White Paper: Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation, published in July 1999, aimed to improve the health of the population as a whole, improve the health of the worst off in society and narrow the health gap (DOH, 1999a). Narrowing the gap between the worse and better off, requires absolute improvement, raising the health of lower socio- economic groups faster than the higher socio economic groups (Graham, 2004). However, Graham (2004) points out that in a society where overall rates of health are improving absolute improvement in their health may be insufficient to narrow the gap between the worse and better off. Wagstaff ,Paci and Van Doorslaer,(1991) also add that focusing on the worst off can obscure what is happening to intermediate groups, experiencing poor health consequently compromising health across the socio-economic hierarchy. The White Paper set targets to be achieved by 2010, of which included reducing the death rate in people aged 75 years from CHD by at least two fir ths (DOH, 1999). A budget of  £96m was allocated to these programmes, however the White Paper aimed at the population as a whole and didnt set any specific national targets for reducing health inequalities (Shaw et al, 1999).Consequently there was no significant improvement in health inequalities. Public health policy has been redefined to give more emphasis to tackling systematic health differences of advantaged and disadvantaged groups (Graham, 2004). Improving the health of the worst off and reducing poverty is the governments main target in tackling health inequalities. However, targeted policies may have negative effects on the health of other groups, either in absolute or relative terms (Graham, 2004). The Black Report (1980) and the Acheson Report (1999) recommended prioritising the health of families with children, reducing income inequalities and improving standards of poor households (Acheson, 1998). Reducing child poverty and improving circumstances of children would have long term effects on reducing health inequalities (Acheson, 1999). The government set targets to reduce Child poverty by half, by 2010 and eradicate child poverty by 2020 (DOH, 1999). The elderly people are more likely to be diagnosed with CHD, and if in poverty this can worsen the condition. The S tate Retirement Pension needs to high enough to provide a financial security in old age, however the current government have increased the retirement age to 67 years, which may increase income inequalities in the elderly people. The older one gets the less hours they work earning less income. Furthermore, getting the unemployed into jobs across the gradient is another way of tackling poverty. Marmot (2010) argues that jobs need to offer a minimum level of quality; a decent wage and flexible hours to enable people balance work and family life. Good working conditions can reduce the risk of developing CHD. However, getting people into low paid, insecure and health damaging work will increase the exposure to poor health therefore increasing health inequalities. For individuals such as the permanently sick or house bound, employment may not be the solution out of poverty. Furthermore, it would be impossible to reduce unemployment if there are no jobs available (WHO, 2008). In April 1999, the government also introduced the National minimal wage, this policy was aiming at reducing in work poverty and decrease the number of individuals dependant on social security (DOH, 1999). Deprivation during utero and childhood has lifelong consequences in adulthood life. It is important that all pregnant women are able to afford an adequate diet and have a continuum of care from pre- pregnancy and through pregnancy (WHO, 2005b). Shaw et al (1999) suggested that maternity allowances should be increased, especially for women dependent on income support or low paid jobs. Also to increase benefits to support families with children. However with the current government and its initiatives to cut cost, this may not be achievable. Furthermore, physical, social and emotional health is important in child development and these have an influence on education, occupational opportunities and life chances (Marmot, 2010). Marmot (2010) suggests that giving every child the best start in life is crucial in tackling health inequalities across the gradient. He recommended increasing the proportion of overall expenditure to the early years and ensuring that the expenditure is focused progressively across the social gradient. This includes providing good quality in early years education and childcare proportionately across the gradient. However, educational and other individual-based approaches tend to be taken up disproportionately by the more affluent, which tend to widen health gap (Bambra et al, 2010) Quality housing free of cold and damp is a basic need for healthy living. Shaw et al (1999) point out that poverty can be reduced by raising the incomes and standard of living of poor families with children, disabled and elderly people. The Central and Local government should increase the value of welfare benefits and pensions and improve social infrastructures including social housing and public services (Shaw et al, 1999). Marmot (2010) also recommended creating and developing healthy and sustainable places, which will improve social capital thus removing barriers to community participation and action across the social gradient. Authorities should ensure urban planning such as increasing street lights and safe pedestrian walkways in order to improve physical activity. This promotes good physical and psychological well-being and safe behaviours, which are essential for health equality. Furthermore, access to big supermarkets through investment in active transport can improve access to healthier food choices among low income groups. However, improving access to supermarkets and advising people on healthy food will not be effective solutions if the price of fresh fruit and vegetables is high. Having a balanced healthy diet that has low and fat will reduce the risk of CHD (Lindsay and Gaw, 2004). Central government could restrict the food industry on the amount of fat and salt levels put in foods (Shaw et al 1999). Maintaining physical activity for at least 30mins at a time can reduce risks to CHD. Investing in public services for example leisure centres, play areas for children, physical activity can be promoted. However some of these public services come with a cost. Worrral et al, (1997) points out that there is unequal distribution of health resources as the more health resources go out to the richer households than to the poorer households. To improve access to health resources authorities need to conduct regular audits to enable the redirection of resources to the disadvantaged communities. The government published the New White Paper, Choosing health: Making healthier choices in 2004, which aims to support individuals and promote informed healthier choices especially those in disadvantaged groups (DOH, 2004). However, making choice is difficult to exercise if lacking the resources necessary, particularly the disadvantaged. Tackling smoking is a key intervention that can rapidly reduce the number of early deaths among CHD incidences. There have been a lot of campaigns and educational programmes encouraging individuals to make healthier choices. These have included preventing people from starting to smoke; smoking cessation especially disadvantaged adults and pregnant smoking women, and protecting non-smokers from tobacco smoke through introducing Smoke free zones (DOH, 2010). And a regulatory control of alcohol consumption such public houses and bars closing early and minimal age limit on alcohol consumption. However, enforcing smoke bans and alcohol regulations are viewed to be effective methods but asking poor people to change risky behaviour when they cannot afford a proper meal or warm clothing and yet use smoking as a means of escape from their plight might not be sufficient enough to reduce health inequalities. Individuals from worse social circumstances have considerably high level of cardiovascular risk than those ones from better off circumstances (Bambra et al, 2010).Marmot (2010) recommended the need for early detection and prioritising prevention of chronic diseases related to health inequalities across the social gradient. Harkin et al (2010) estimated that an equal uptake of effective primary prevention across all socio economically disadvantage groups can reduce inequalities. However equality in health care services may not be sufficient enough to end health inequalities. The DOH (2000) proposed a national screening programme for all people aged 40-74 to assess their risk of developing heart diseases. The use of statins is another key intervention that can rapidly reduce the number of early deaths among CHD incidences The use of cholesterol lowering drugs is based on an individuals level of risk for future cardio vascular events. If everyone in the UK aged 45- 74 with clinical evid ence of CHD were treated with statins for five years, about 22,000 deaths and major clinical events would be avoided(Davey smith and Ebrahim, 1999;1097). Recently attention has been given to the role of the National Health Service (NHS) in promoting public health and reducing inequalities in health. The NHS aims to develop a systematic approach to treating people at risk from chronic diseases and encouraging more people to adopt a healthy life style (Macintyre, 2000). Part of NHS funding is spent on prevention; however most of the major influences on population health such as poor housing, unemployment and poverty lie outside the NHS. More so, health promotion strategies focusing on individual behaviours such as smoking, diet and exercise are more commonly taken up by those in the affluent societies (Macintyre, 2000). Therefore these intervention need to engage fully the deprived populations otherwise this may widen the health inequalities. While the health of the population may be improving, policy makers have a considerable duty to inform and develop strategies which can contribute to greater equality in health. Allocation of resources in tackling Coronary heart disease should consider cultural and behavioural lifestyles, material circumstances and, psychosocial pathways within social class and across the gradient. Focusing on the most disadvantaged will not reduce health inequalities dramatically. More so, to reduce the stepwise social gradient in health targets should aim at bringing levels of the lowest socio economic groups closer to the national average standard.

Low Birthweight :: Health, Newborn

Low Birth Weight At birth, the average newborn weighs approximately seven pounds; meanwhile, a low birth weight baby weighs less than five and a half pounds (March of Dimes Foundation, 2011). Today, low birth weight typically occurs in newborns born before thirty-seven weeks gestation or in full-term deliveries where the baby is under-weight, also known as intrauterine growth restriction (March of Dimes Foundation, 2011). Complications associated with a low birth weight may include vision, hearing, and learning disabilities. Poor health, drug and alcohol use, and tobacco exposure will increase the probability that a woman will give birth to an under-weight baby (Discovery Communications, 2011). A woman’s overall health and wellness, during pregnancy, is important to the development of her growing fetus. Chronic health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, increased stress levels, and insufficient rest can significantly reduce the baby’s weight (Discovery Communications, 2011, p.3). In addition, a balanced diet rich in nutrients is essential to a healthy weight gain in the mother and baby. According to the March of Dimes (2011), pregnant women should receive prenatal care and work closely with a health care provider to manage chronic health conditions. The use of illicit and prescription drugs has been associated with growth restriction, premature delivery, and multiple congenital anomalies (as cited in Berger, 2010, p.74). A pregnant woman should seek medical consent, before taking any medication, to assess the potential risks and benefits (as cited in Berger, 2010, p.74). Furthermore, healthcare professionals warn that all women should avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy limits fetal growth and may cause a cluster of birth defects known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) (Berger, 2010, p.73). Infants born with FAS may suffer from slow physical growth, delayed mental and behavioral development, and abnormal facial features (Berger, 2010, p.73). Women are encouraged to quit smoking cigarettes before and during pregnancy. The toxic substances found in tobacco may affect normal placental function in addition to exposing the fetus to harmful chemicals (Discovery Communications, 2011, p.4). By smoking, a woman increases her baby’s chance of developing a congenital heart defect as well as a low birth weight (Neighborhood Link, 2011). Smoking cessation, at any point, during pregnancy increases the probability of a normal birth weight (Discovery Communications, 2011, p. Low Birthweight :: Health, Newborn Low Birth Weight At birth, the average newborn weighs approximately seven pounds; meanwhile, a low birth weight baby weighs less than five and a half pounds (March of Dimes Foundation, 2011). Today, low birth weight typically occurs in newborns born before thirty-seven weeks gestation or in full-term deliveries where the baby is under-weight, also known as intrauterine growth restriction (March of Dimes Foundation, 2011). Complications associated with a low birth weight may include vision, hearing, and learning disabilities. Poor health, drug and alcohol use, and tobacco exposure will increase the probability that a woman will give birth to an under-weight baby (Discovery Communications, 2011). A woman’s overall health and wellness, during pregnancy, is important to the development of her growing fetus. Chronic health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, increased stress levels, and insufficient rest can significantly reduce the baby’s weight (Discovery Communications, 2011, p.3). In addition, a balanced diet rich in nutrients is essential to a healthy weight gain in the mother and baby. According to the March of Dimes (2011), pregnant women should receive prenatal care and work closely with a health care provider to manage chronic health conditions. The use of illicit and prescription drugs has been associated with growth restriction, premature delivery, and multiple congenital anomalies (as cited in Berger, 2010, p.74). A pregnant woman should seek medical consent, before taking any medication, to assess the potential risks and benefits (as cited in Berger, 2010, p.74). Furthermore, healthcare professionals warn that all women should avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy limits fetal growth and may cause a cluster of birth defects known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) (Berger, 2010, p.73). Infants born with FAS may suffer from slow physical growth, delayed mental and behavioral development, and abnormal facial features (Berger, 2010, p.73). Women are encouraged to quit smoking cigarettes before and during pregnancy. The toxic substances found in tobacco may affect normal placental function in addition to exposing the fetus to harmful chemicals (Discovery Communications, 2011, p.4). By smoking, a woman increases her baby’s chance of developing a congenital heart defect as well as a low birth weight (Neighborhood Link, 2011). Smoking cessation, at any point, during pregnancy increases the probability of a normal birth weight (Discovery Communications, 2011, p.

Deductive and Inductive Methods of Research Essay

In the quest for logical, supportable and verifiable scientific answers there are two basic methods of reasoning used to approach the subject matter to be studied. These are known as the deductive and the inductive approaches. The two approaches provide quite different lines of attack when attempting to prove or disprove social theories. The information that is gathered is used by social work researchers as supporting evidence to establish connections between theories and empirical data. Rafael Engel and Russell Schutt, The Practice of Research in Social Work, explain â€Å"Theories help us understand how social problems emerge; they guide us in the design of interventions to help individuals, groups or communities†(Rafael. Schutt. 2005. p. 39). In the case of deductive reasoning studies the research is begun from a theoretical basis, focused on a topic, and then narrowed to an; ‘If-Then’ hypotheses that can be tested. Research is conducted to gather data through observations, to confirm or disprove the hypotheses. Inductive reasoning is in a sense a reverse study, as it is through observations made that have initially picked up on certain trends, or established regularities that the hypotheses or theory is developed. In the field of Social work research it is not at all uncommon to utilize both methods of research, and Engel and Schutt refer to this as the â€Å"Research Circle† (2005. p. 45). Research often involves variables, and hypotheses often must stand up to multiple studies to arrive at a conclusive answer. The authors cite the Sherman and Berk’s, 1984, study of domestic violence â€Å"as an example of how the research circle works†(2005. p. 43). They said that first based on data regarding spousal abuse a hypothesis was developed regarding arrest rates. After data was researched that corresponded with the theory, the study was then followed up with inductive research based on the statistics of the data gathered. As noted often the researchers will go around the circle a number of time, as Sherman and Berk’s study did, adjusting variables and methods, to test a multitude of hypotheses. According to Engel and Schutt the â€Å"Inductive research process is more often the strategy used in qualitative methods† (2005. p. 38), and that deductive is â€Å"Most often used in quantitative methods† (2005. p. 38).