Personal And Professional Development | Social Work

Personal And Professional Development | Social Work The aim of this essay is to critically evaluate my readiness to start counselling employment. There will be a number of key issues integrated into this essay that will explore my learning needs in the context of my professional counselling. These will include personal reflexive and reflective practice where I will introduce Argyris Schons ( 1974) Increasing Professional Effectiveness Model, self awareness, issues of difference, placements and supervision. I will discuss the values and moral qualities of the BACP ethical framework in relation to experiences of my placement. I shall discuss and explore the importance of professional boundaries along with contracts within the counselling setting. I will introduce Kolbs experiential learning inventory and apply its elements to how it has influenced my learning since starting my counselling degree and how it has become a part of who I am. In relation to placement and supervision I hope to discuss some of my experiences with clients in therapy, the organisation in terms of policies and procedures, as well as how I found the experience of supervision to be. In relation to this I will also discuss beginnings and endings, my feelings around both and how I manage these. I will discuss the topic of stress and burn out and strategies for preventing the risk of this as I prepare myself for a career in the field of counselling. The end is near, my counselling journey I mean and although I am full of mixed emotions revolving around the end, I am at a stage of this journey where I feel comfortable in relation to who I am and where I am going in terms of a career in counselling. All endings bring mixed emotions, for some it is change, rebirth and goodbyes, for me it is the question of what is expected of me next and will I meet these expectations. Schon (2001) states that change is a fundamental feature of modern life. I never had many negative experiences around beginnings and I think one of the reasons for this is because of my top character strength which is social intelligence. I always seem to be aware of the motives and feelings of others and know what to do to put people at ease along with knowing what to do to fit in to various social situations. Although in saying this I found making the contracts with my clients a difficult task. It wasnt that my clients didnt want to make the contract, the difficult part was collaboratively working together on a contract that best fitted each client, bearing in mind two of them were under eight years of age. I successfully managed to make a contract with each of my clients and it was a great experience, for two of them were pieces of clay. According to Molteni and Garske (1983) contracts may increase compliance with the processes of the therapeutic process. Endings on the other hand are not as easy for me, I understand they are part of life and sometimes we need to end so we can grow and develop as individuals. This course and especially this module has helped me to bring these fears and emotions into awareness and reflect on them so I can understand what lies behind them. It is important for individuals to let go and move on as this is like the child leaving home for the very first time. The child needs to leave to gain independence and knowledge about the world. I seem to be experiencing quite a lot of endings this year in particular. I have just recently finished a placement where I was working as a trainee counsellor with children. I have been working with three clients close to a year and was quite worried at how these endings would go. Along with the ending work with my clients I was also ending with my supervisor who has been very supportive of me during my time there, I never once felt isolated or alone. I am quite pleased to say that these endings went extremely well as I have been working hard for a number of months with my clients on them. During these months I would make small endings at the end of each session as it was like a countdown for my clients so when we got to the final session it wasnt a big dramatic ending, they were well aware and ready for it. I feel extremely proud of the therapeutic work I have done with each of my clients. It was not easy at times but I persevered and learned a lot from my struggles. It is not easy to hear a child introduce erotic material but I coped well. On reflection of these endings in particular, I was surprised at how well I managed my own, I have come to the understanding that I managed mine so well because I knew my clients where ready to end and move on. This allowed me the incentive to then manage mine so well. I love the metaphor that Dallas and Stedman (2009) use to describe reflection. They describe it as a mirror reflecting our own image back to us (Dallas and Stedman 2009). Dallos and Stedman (2009) suggest that reflective practice is best seen as a process of analysing and reanalysing important episodes of activity. The term reflection in action is used to refer to the spontaneous act of reflecting in the moment (Dallas and Stedman 2009). I have had a lot of these spontaneous acts and found myself at times getting lost in them. When working with children, metaphor and symbols act for a lot of the communication. I have often found myself questioning something in my head while I am reflecting in action and at times had to snap myself out of it as I was aware my focus was coming away from the client. Reflecting on action which Dallas and Stedman (2009) call reflexivity is a great way to question what was going on for me at that time and what was it about that particular episode that I lost my focus. I find reflection is a great strategy for promoting self care. For me this means quiet time for myself to reflect and get lost in my own cognitions without being disturbed. I feel it is important to look after ones self as this can prevent the cause of stress and burnout. Also by having quiet time to yourself to mull over the day or week that has passed is an excellent way to manage ones stress. The feedback from supervision has been outstanding with reference to how quickly I built trusting relationships with my clients and the depth I was able to work at despite this being my first year of any placement. The experience around ending with my supervisor was another healthy ending. I think the biggest reason for this is after all of the positive feedback I received from her I knew I was then ready to end. This brings me to the conclusion that it isnt really the endings I have trouble with, it has more to do with how I end. What I mean is that I may not deal with a spontaneous ending as well as one I know is coming, which makes sense. Although saying this I know I would handle it better than I think I would. My counselling endings remind me of personal endings I have experienced in the past. The ending that comes to mind is when I left my family home in Ireland for the first time. I remember how lonesome I felt after moving away as myself and my family are very close. It was like the end of an era and even though I visit them quite often, every time I leave them to come back to London, its another ending in itself. In relation to ending with my clients, if I ended and seen that they werent ready to end, or that I knew I hadnt been doing all I could to apply emotional support to my them, then I am sure the endings would not have went so smooth for me. I have learned a valuable lesson from these ending experiences, although they went well, its ok that I feel sad, it shows that I care. The feelings I have are quite calm and peaceful , of course I wont forget my first clients and I will think about them from time to time but the important thing for me is that I dont have any emotional ties with them so It is ok for me to think about them and move on. I really dont think these endings would have gone as well if it hadnt been for all of the support I received from supervision. My supervisor and I jelled straight away and because of my honesty and openness in supervision it allowed us to examine my work in depth and maximise my learning. I feel the greatest compliment I have received from supervision is being told that I have begun to develop my own internal supervisor. Ongoing supervision is a requirement of the BACP (2010). The BACP (2010) believes that supervision can positively contribute to the maintenance and development of ethical professional practice. In my opinion it is a necessity for all counsellors to have ongoing supervision to support counsellors, to enhance effective practice and a supervisor can act as a safety net for the counsellor. According to Feltham (2010) supervision is mandatory for all counsellors regardless of their experience even if it is difficult to find a suitable supervisor. The atmosphere always seemed quite calm and relaxed which I enjoyed. I like to avoid confrontation at all costs, a negative atmosphere in the work place doesnt just effect who is involved in it but affects everyone. This can have quite a negative effect on the job that one is doing and the clients whom we are working with. It can also lead to stress and burn out as research has shown that people who dont feel supported and are not happy in the work place are more prone to stress (Salami 2011). I am quite lucky as I have very rarely experienced confrontation in the work place. On the rare occasion that I have, I dealt with it by discussing the problem and having it out in the open. We were then able to keep our professional heads, get past it and focus on the job at hand. Money could not by the experiences I have had on my placement. I followed all the rigorous procedures for dealing with a child protection matter which I dealt with very well and in context to the BACP (2010) ethical framework. When placing myself in the context of values, moral qualities and personal boundaries of the BACP (2010) Ethical Framework I feel that I am ethically mindful when delivering these services required by the BACP(2010). My moral qualities include empathy, resilience, respect, Integrity and courage. I believe one of the reasons I am so mindful comes from my therapeutic core model which is person centred (Rogers 1961). The emphasis is on creating a safe environment to discuss issues in a warm and non judgemental way. By using the core conditions effectively I feel there is little chance of harming my clients. I followed all of the Place 2 be policies and procedures from the no touch policy to holding the boundaries firmly. It was quite difficult at times to avoid my clients trying to hug me but after a while I was able to use my body to my advantage of avoiding my client hugging me as I would intuitively know when it was going to happen and was able to move my body to the side so it would be avoided, keeping in mind that I didnt want it to come across as rejection. I understand that life in general can be suffering and we dont have all the answers to our issues but it is about managing that suffering so it doesnt take over our lives. Becoming a counsellor may have different meanings for many individuals. It can be the lust for power to sit in the power chair, for others it may be the need to feel needed, for me it comes down to supporting clients emotionally so they can end as much of their suffering as possible. I believe self awareness to be one of the most significant skills I have learned during this degree. Over the duration, my self awareness has developed and I have a greater understanding of my inner and outer self. I think self awareness is crucial for understanding my own feelings as well as the clients feelings in the therapy room. I believe it is extremely important to be mindful of the diversity in the counselling profession. I am well aware of my biases towards other individuals but I will leave them outside of the therapy room. My mentality is that I am here to provide a service and why should I let my own values and beliefs get in the way of applying emotional support to an individual. I also feel that a lot of my biases come from being uneducated around a certain culture or race. I feel it is my professional duty to educate myself around these different culture so I am not creating unnecessary boundaries. Lago (2006) states that counsellors should educate themselves about the specificities of different cultures in order to develop competence for working with what has been classed as the culturally different. I have found reflection to be very useful in relation to areas of the Johari window (Evans 2007). The area in which I seem to struggle with the most is giving constructive feedback. The reason for this is the individual may misinterpret what I am saying if they feel the feedback is negative. I have enjoyed learning about the johari window (Evans 2007) and have used it in a number of different areas of my life. I found supervision to be an excellent way of acquiring my blind spots. I think personal therapy would be fundamental in relation to the johari window (Evans 2007), not only would it help to discover areas within myself but I feel talking around them may to become more aware of them. I believe this is sufficient for all trainee counsellors before they start to practice. I dont believe it is fair to start counselling without having experienced what it is like to sit in the clients chair. My plan to access a counsellor will be through a professional body such as the BACP (2010) because anyone can advertise themselves as counsellors. I believe this is the safest way as the counsellor will be an accredited member of a professional body. Personal therapy enhances professional development and relational capacities aswel as increasing personal development capacities and well being of the counsellor (Orlinsky, Schofield, Schroder and Kazantzis 2011). In conclusion of this essay I am very pleased with my development thus far, both personally as well as professionally. I feel I am shifting every time I learn something new. I am so enthusiastic about the work with clients and I feel I would benefit from fully recognising my strengths and letting my confidence grow still further. I would also benefit from further reading of a variety of different theoretical approaches which I plan to do as should every counsellor regardless of experience. I am proud of the feedback I received from my supervisor, this has influenced my competence levels as a counsellor. For further training and professional development needs I would like to work with adults using symbols and metaphor. My greatest influence has come from the work of Carl Jungs Archetypes (Jung 1961) and the magic of metaphor through working at the Place 2 be. I would also be interested in more work with children as I would like to gain more experience in this field. According to my supervisor I seem to have a natural style of being with children. I have really enjoyed working with them, it has been very experiential and exciting. I go from here in search of a new placement where I hope to get a similar experience although knowing if I dont I will learn something knew.

Impact of House Prices on the UK Economy

Impact of House Prices on the UK Economy What happens to house prices is perceived as being very important for the wider UK economy (at the moment the concern is that they may fall sharply). Consider to what extent house prices are important for the UK economy and how the government (or Bank of England) should respond to a sharp fall in house prices. Introduction The health of the residential property market is seen as a very important factor in the UK economy, and house prices have risen dramatically (though unevenly around the country) between 1996 and 2005. Some analysts argued that this was the result of a ‘bubble’ in the housing market, rather than due to purely economic reasons, while others argued that the rise in prices was a rational reaction to high employment, economic stability and low interest rates. The price rises slowed in 2005 and that led some analysts to predict a sharp fall in prices. These fears proved unfounded, as renewed growth since late 2005 has led most analysts to predict modest price rises in the medium term. However, many analysts remain concerned that housing prices may fall sharply in the near future. This essay will first consider the different ways in which house prices in an economy relate to (and impact on) the performance of that economy more broadly, outlining in particular the specificities of the UK housing market that make its prices especially important to the UK economy. It will then examine the policies the government (or Bank of England) could adopt in response to a sharp fall in house prices, assessing which of these would be the most appropriate. Finally, it will also consider some longer term policies which could reduce house price volatility and the impact of house prices on the wider UK economy. The relationship between house prices and the wider economy The most obvious way in which house prices affect the wider economy is through their impact on household consumption (Cameron 2005:4) – a fall in house prices, for example, makes homeowners feel less wealthy so they tend to reduce consumption. Furthermore, a fall in house prices also reduces consumption indirectly by making it harder for people to borrow. Credit constraints are increased through two key channels: (1) reduced house prices means homeowners have reduced collateral against which they can borrow, further reducing consumption; and (2) lending institutions make losses when housing prices fall, and so they reduce their lending or tighten their lending policies. According to Oswald (1999:2), ‘an economys natural rate of unemployment depends on the ease with which its citizens can move around to find jobs. Fluid societies have efficient economies.’ High house prices and a relatively small private rental market make it more difficult for people to move around to find jobs, and thus can contribute to unemployment. House prices can also have an indirect effect on the exchange rate, which is a particular concern because it may lead to a crash in house prices. High house prices contribute to high levels of household indebtedness which can be associated with increasing the current account deficit. This, in turn, may suddenly trigger a correction in the exchange rate. If the exchange rate is weakened, a sharp rise in inflation and interest rates may follow, leading to a sharp fall in house prices. House prices and the UK economy According to Cameron (2005:3), the high level of house ownership in the UK means that households are ‘exposed to a considerable amount of risk (almost half a million households had their homes repossessed in the 1990s).’ Not only are house prices more volatile in the UK than elsewhere in the developed world, the impact of house prices on consumer spending is also particularly heavy in the UK – according to the OECD, a 1% fall in UK housing wealth correlates with a 0.07% fall in consumer spending. The nature of the UK housing market (typically high loan to value ratios, few long-term fixed rate mortgages, and easy to re-mortgage) makes house prices particularly volatile and responsive to interest rates. Cameron (2005:3) explains that ‘a one percentage point rise in the short-term real interest rate would reduce house prices over a five year period by 2.6% in the UK, 1.8% in the US, and 1.3% in Germany.’ The UK housing market is characterized not only by a high level of home ownership and typically high loan to value mortgage ratios, but also by an insufficient housing supply. Demand consistently outstrips supply and the market is not sufficiently responsive, primarily due to the limited land available for construction and the difficulties in obtaining planning permission for new buildings. ‘Constrained housing supply leads to increasingly unaffordable housing, frustrating the home ownership aspirations of many individuals and families. It also leads to wealth redistribution from those outside the housing market to those inside it. Low housing supply reduces labour mobility, damaging the flexibility and performance of the UK economy and key public services, and can also translate into wider macroeconomic instability.’ (HM Treasury 2005:9) Barker (2004:3) explains her view of the importance of the housing market to the UK economy more broadly: ‘Volatility in the housing market, in the UK, combined with the strong association between house prices and private consumption (reflecting in part high levels of owner occupation) is striking. Consequently, the housing market has contributed to macroeconomic volatility, creating a more difficult environment for businesses and for economic policy makers.’ Responding to a sharp fall in house prices In order to respond to a sharp fall in house prices, the main tool which the government or central bank has at its disposition is monetary policy. If there is a sharp fall in house prices, consumption can be expected to drop (as per the relationship between house prices and consumption outlined in the first section of this essay) and there is a danger that a recession with ensue. In order to prevent this, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England should respond to any such fall by reducing interest rates, even though this may not be compatible with meeting their inflation target. This should help house prices to grow again, thus building up wealth and promoting consumption. Further, it will make credit more accessible which will also encourage consumption. Longer term policies Rather than being forced to respond to a sharp fall in house prices, the British government, or the Bank of England, would be better off developing longer-term strategies to prevent such a sharp fall in the first place – that is to say, they should be proactive rather than reactive. Cameron (2005:4) argues that it may be possible to make the UK housing market behave more like the US housing market (i.e. to make prices less responsive to interest rates and less volatile) ‘if the share of long-term fixed-rate mortgages could be increased (even when UK borrowers do take out fixed-rate mortgages, they tend to only fix the rate for three to five years).’ According to the OECD (2005:3), the risk of a sharp fall in house prices has been significantly reduced, and this has been achieved by longer term monetary strategies. ‘If a relatively â€Å"soft landing† in the housing market has indeed been achieved it owes much to the strategy of gradual preemptive monetary tightening, in marked contrast to previous episodes when an abrupt correction in house prices was triggered by sharp interest rate rises. Nevertheless, reforms are needed to make housing supply more elastic to damp future housing market cycles.’ Furthermore, Miles (2004:97) argues that in order for monetary policy to be most effective in stabilizing the currently volatile housing market, the UK mortgage facilities also need to be improved, and borrowers should be better informed. Conclusion Because house ownership levels are high in the UK, and because houses represent most households’ biggest asset, house prices are particularly important to the UK economy. As it currently functions, the UK housing market is insufficiently flexible to respond to, and reflect, the needs of the economy as a whole. Fortunately a drastic fall in house prices is unlikely in the near future. To prevent one in the medium to long term, the government should consider increasing the flexibility of the housing market. This could be achieved through relaxing planning regulations and adapting the mortgage market. References Barker, K. (2004) ‘Review of Housing Supply: Delivering Stability: Securing our Future Housing Needs’, Final Report – Recommendations (downloaded from http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/053/C7/barker_review_execsum_91.pdf on 26 February 2007) Cameron, G. (2005) ‘The UK Housing Market: Economic Review’ (downloaded from http://hicks.nuff.ox.ac.uk/users/cameron/papers/ukhousingmarket.pdf on 22 February 2007) HM Treasury (2005) ‘Housing Policy: An Overview’ (downloaded from http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/296/69/housing_policy190705.pdf on 26 February 2007) Miles, D. (2004) ‘The UK Mortgage Market: Taking a Longer-Term View’, HMSO (downloaded from http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/80DDF/miles04_470.pdf on 22 February 2007) Muellbauer, J. Murphy, A. (1997) ‘Booms and Busts in the UK Housing Market’, The Economic Journal, Vol. 107, No. 445. (Nov., 1997), pp. 1701-1727 OECD (2005) ‘Economic Survey of the United Kingdom, 2005 (downloaded from http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/18/34/35473312.pdf on 24 February 2007) Oswald, A. (1999) ‘The Housing Market and Europes Unemployment: A Non-Technical Paper’, Warwick University (downloaded from www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/faculty/oswald/homesnt.pdf on 27 February 2007) Wadhwani, S. (2002) ‘Household Indebtedness, the Exchange Rate and Risks to the UK Economy’, Bank of England speech delivered to the Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce on Monday, 25 March 2002 (downloaded from https://164.109.43.50/publications/speeches/2002/speech166.pdf on 22 February 2007)

Humor in Chaucers The Millers Tale Essay examples -- Comic Effect in

Chaucer's "The Miller's Tale" should be tragic, because a lot of horrible things happen to the characters. The carpenter's wife is disloyal to him, sleeping with others and making fun of him with Nicholas. Also, he is depicted as a fool. However, readers get a humorous feeling from the story, rather than feeling sorry for the carpenter's unfair life. Chaucer makes the whole story come across as comic rather than tragic. This humor is created by the Miller's narration, the use of irony, the cartoon-like characters, and the twists of plot. These elements combine to produce an emotional distance which enhances the comic effect. The narrator is the first element of humor Chaucer uses in his story. The Miller is rude and drunk but generally a jolly fellow. This sets the tone of story as being fun and even a bit coarse, just like the Miller himself. He tells a few jokes before he tells his story: "One shouldn't be two inquisitive in life? / Either about God's secrets or one's wife. / You'll find God's plenty all you could desire"(53). As well, the Miller wants to punish the Reeve, a ...

Essay --

Scotland is a country famous all over the world for its culture and warmth, In political terms Scotland isn't really on the map, however next year marks a huge event for Scotland as the people of Scotland are going to be put to the polls to decide if Scotland will become an independent country or stay within the UK. Scottish independence has been a topic for many years however now it may be a reality which would appease many people but also anger others. Scotland joined in a Union with England in 1707 after it essentially went bankrupt by attempting to colonize a part of Panama and name it 'Caledonia', it was unsuccessful due to poor planning and also weak leadership, this was a huge contributing factor towards Scotlands financial mess. Scotlands export was nothing compared to Englands at the time and was generally over shadowed by its powerful neighbour (Baynes, Thomas Spencer 1888). The two countries prior shared a monarch for over 100 years when King James VI of Scotland also became the King of England. They were numerous attempts prior to 1707 to join Scotland and England together, however in 1707 both countries appointed 31 commisioners to conduct the negotiations. Most of the Scottish commisioners favoured the union and similar with the English commisioners, however it is important to note that the tories were against it. Many people in Scotland felt betrayed at the time, and many also do today, they think that our dignity and nationality was wiped off us in exchange for money. Famous poet Robbie Burns was quoted saying 'We're bought and sold for English Gold, Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation'. With contrast to the above the English wanted a union with Scotland to ensure that Scotland would not choose a monarch differen... ... religion, however Marxists defend the right of 'oppressed' nations to self-determination, up to and including independence. On the question of Scottish independence, the Left in Scotland is similarly caught on two minds. There are those in the Labour Party and the Communist Party of Britain (CPB) who maintain that independence would disunite the British working class and only go to serve the interests of the bourgeoisie. However, others on the Left, most notably in the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and the Communist Party of Scotland (CPS), believe that the breakup of the British state is a precondition for securing progressive, socialist change for the peoples these islands since it would open up opportunities for the Left, both in Scotland and south of the Border, to promote a radical political agenda that otherwise would remain excluded from mainstream politics.

The Ethics of Prison Privatization Essay -- legal issues, penal system

How true is Christie’s warning that an increasingly privatized penal service threatens the ethics and effectiveness of the criminal justice system? More aspects of the penal system are now privatized, and are set to increase. This includes the privatization of such services as prisons, electronic tags, catering companies, probation work or prison escort services. David Taylor-Smith, head of the world’s biggest security firm, G4S says he expects private companies will be running large parts of the UK’s police service within five years (Taylor and Travis, 2012). Nils Christie’s text (2000) â€Å"Crime Control as Industry† draws upon increasing prison populations in the US. However reflecting upon that the prison population in England and Wales has increased from 41,800 prisoners to over 86,000 in 14 years (Ministry of Justice, 2013, 1) Christie also looks upon other countries that face similar problems and how this and modern crime control represents a move 'towards gulags, western type’ (Christie, 2000, 15). He describes the criminal justice system today as a â€Å"Pain Delivery† service (Christie, 2000, 143) and argues that it is regulated by the amount of pain they choose to inflict on society and not by the actual number of crimes committed. Christie also identifies changes in capitalist societies and their social organisation, this he says is due to factors such as a larger readiness to report incidents to the police and social controls have declined producing a greater ‘supply’ of criminal acts (Jones & Newburn, 2002, 175) However the main force behind this is crime control becoming a commodity, as represented by the expanding privatization market. Christie argues that crime control is now a product and privatization of the penal ... ....org.uk/PressPolicy/News/vw/1/ItemID/179 (Accessed 29th November 2013) Prison Reform Trust (2012) Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/FactfileJune2012.pdf FINISH Pudelek, Jenna (2013), HM Prison Peterborough social impact bond has led to a fall in reconvictions, official figures show. http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/1186265/ (Accessed 16th December 2013.) Tanner, Will (2013) Reform Ideas No 1 the case for private prisons. London: Reform Taylor, Matthew and Travis, Alan (2012), G4S chief predicts mass police privatisation. http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/20/g4s-chief-mass-police-privatisation (Accessed 29th November 2013) Urbina, Ian (2007), Despite Red Flags About Judges, a Kickback Scheme Flourished, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/us/28judges.html?_r=2& (Accessed 15th December 2013) The Ethics of Prison Privatization Essay -- legal issues, penal system How true is Christie’s warning that an increasingly privatized penal service threatens the ethics and effectiveness of the criminal justice system? More aspects of the penal system are now privatized, and are set to increase. This includes the privatization of such services as prisons, electronic tags, catering companies, probation work or prison escort services. David Taylor-Smith, head of the world’s biggest security firm, G4S says he expects private companies will be running large parts of the UK’s police service within five years (Taylor and Travis, 2012). Nils Christie’s text (2000) â€Å"Crime Control as Industry† draws upon increasing prison populations in the US. However reflecting upon that the prison population in England and Wales has increased from 41,800 prisoners to over 86,000 in 14 years (Ministry of Justice, 2013, 1) Christie also looks upon other countries that face similar problems and how this and modern crime control represents a move 'towards gulags, western type’ (Christie, 2000, 15). He describes the criminal justice system today as a â€Å"Pain Delivery† service (Christie, 2000, 143) and argues that it is regulated by the amount of pain they choose to inflict on society and not by the actual number of crimes committed. Christie also identifies changes in capitalist societies and their social organisation, this he says is due to factors such as a larger readiness to report incidents to the police and social controls have declined producing a greater ‘supply’ of criminal acts (Jones & Newburn, 2002, 175) However the main force behind this is crime control becoming a commodity, as represented by the expanding privatization market. Christie argues that crime control is now a product and privatization of the penal ... ....org.uk/PressPolicy/News/vw/1/ItemID/179 (Accessed 29th November 2013) Prison Reform Trust (2012) Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/FactfileJune2012.pdf FINISH Pudelek, Jenna (2013), HM Prison Peterborough social impact bond has led to a fall in reconvictions, official figures show. http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/1186265/ (Accessed 16th December 2013.) Tanner, Will (2013) Reform Ideas No 1 the case for private prisons. London: Reform Taylor, Matthew and Travis, Alan (2012), G4S chief predicts mass police privatisation. http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/20/g4s-chief-mass-police-privatisation (Accessed 29th November 2013) Urbina, Ian (2007), Despite Red Flags About Judges, a Kickback Scheme Flourished, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/us/28judges.html?_r=2& (Accessed 15th December 2013)

The Train Station ( Creative Writing )

It was the cold seemingly endless winter of 1947 in Paris , Latin Quarter. . Sheets of snow put the rest of the district in almost complete obscurity; all but steeples and tall spires were invisible, on such a bleak day as this. The railway station was a vast cavity made to look smaller by the hoards of hagglers, travellers, tourists, natives and locals. Beggar boys being whisked from sight and hidden by wardens with preying eyes and superstition written all over them. The wonderful smell of the patisserie on the opposite side of the benches wafted around.Although it was only a railway station it held a certain grandeur, however it was not so now, for that was it in its former glory. A truly different sight beholds me now,creepers and vines reach upward, like the boney fingers of a witch. Corridors with cracked flagstones out of which weeds protrude and moss lingers. Must hangs in the air. Rust continues to corrode the tracks, graffiti encapsulates and engulfs the far wall. Tattered posters show a glimpse of what used to be of the place. Old newspaper flutters in the wind, floating on a cushion of wind. Alcoves show the remains of where shops used to trade.Like a black and white movie no colour was really visible. Some were,vaguely, but most not. Something strange hung in the air: an almost haunted aura. Only smashed windows provided light. The old wooden sleepers lay decaying, riddled with termites and millipedes. Forty years of decline and decay, decisions made, money paid,much to be gained as restoration is to begin, windows replaced, rusty tracks turned shiny again, wood turned concrete as the sleepers were replaced, graffiti became mosaic tiles, must became fragrance and dull became vibrance, grit became shine, and disused became used and indeed much was regained.

Hero’s Journey Essay Essay

The hero’s journey is an aspect that’s found in many books and even movies. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a very famous book read by many English classes based on a hero’s journey. The characters in this book struggle to find out what their journey is, especially the main character Amir. Refusal of the call means the hero attempts to refuse the adventure because he is afraid. Amir holds back from doing a lot in the book because he is afraid of the outcome that comes along with it. Even though Amir refuses the call he later accepts and winds up doing good deeds; however, I still don’t believe he’s the hero because he doesn’t protect Hassan; he frames Hassan because he feels guilty about not protecting him when he should have, and he lets class and race get in the way of their friendship. Refusal of the call plays a big role in The Kite Runner because most of the characters refuse to do something. Baba refuses to get treatment for his c ancer; Amir at first refuses to go back to Kabul; and Hassan refuses to stay in Kabul. In hero’s journey tales, the hero feels unsure and afraid of the adventure ahead of them, which is why they refuse the call. Rahim Kahn is the one who tries to get Amir to accept the biggest call of his life by telling him â€Å"there’s a way to be good again†(192) if he goe back to Kabul. After awhile, Amir finally put his fear aside and heads back to Kabul. Even though Amir eventually accepts the call and has done some good deeds throughout the book, he is not a full on hero. The good deed that Amir has done was go back to Kabul to adopt Hassan’s son Sohrab because Hassan and his wife have been murdered. Amir goes to the Taliban who has Sohrab and tries to get them to give him Sohrab. The Taliban in the room was giving Amir a really hard time about getting to Sohrab and kept asking Amir questions. Amir finally figured out who the Taliban really was. Assef wouldn’t let Amir take Sohrab due to do â€Å"unfinished business†. Assef then turns the music up really loud and starts beating up Amir while Sohrab just stood and watched. Sohrab told Assef to stop hurting Amir but he didn’t. Sohrab then shot Assef in the eye with his slingshot and when Assef fell to the floor, Amir and Sohrab escaped to freedom (286-292). This is an example of a good deed because at first, Amir refused to go back to Kabul to save Sohrab but then finally realizes that Hassan would of done it for him, so he ended up leaving his family in America to save Sohrab for Hassan. The first  time Amir refuses the call is when Amir wins The Kite Runner tournament for the first time with Hassan’s help. After Amir cuts the other persons kite, Hassan goes to chase the blue kite down for Amir. Amir exclaims that Hassan doesn’t need to do that for him and as Hassan is running for the kite, he shouts â€Å"for you a thousand times over† and proceeds to get the kite (67). Amir goes to look for Hassan and finds Hassan talking to the bully Assef and his friends but what Amir didn’t know was the worst was about to happen. Since Hassan refused to give Assef the blue kite because it was Amir’s, Assef said, â€Å"I’ve changed my mind, I’m letting you keep the kite, Hazara. I’ll let you keep it so it will always remind you of what I’m about to do†(73). Assef and his friends quickly raped Hassan and then run off. Amir had to watch the whole thing. This is an example of refusing the call because Amir refused to stand up for Hassan and say something because he was scared they’d do the same thing to him and that doesn’t make Amir a hero. The second time Amir refuses the call is when Amir did nothing to protect Hassan as he watched Assef and his friend’s rape him. Amir’s cowardliness also gets in the way, so he ends up framing Hassan. Amir feels so guilty and can’t take the guilt anymore to where he waits for Hassan and his dad Ali to leave the house and he frames Hassan by putting the watch that Baba gave him and the money he got for his birthday under Hassan mattress that way Baba would ask them to leave so Amir didn’t have to deal with the guilt anymore. What Amir was least expecting happened; Baba confronted Hassan and Ali about stealing the watch and money. Baba came right out and said, â€Å"Did you steal that money? Did you steal Amir’s watch, Hassan?†(105). Hassan replies saying, â€Å"yes†(105). Amir was not expecting Hassan to actually say yes so he was very shocked when Hassan said yes. Since Baba said the only sin was theft, Amir thought that Baba would surely dismiss them. Baba’s response shocks everyone. Baba says, â€Å"I forgive you†(105). Amir was so shocked because Baba said the worst sin to do was theft. Ali then said that him and Hassan are leaving and couldn’t stay here any longer because of what happened. Baba was crying hysterically begging them not to go. Amir refused the call of not stepping up and protecting Hassan and felt so guilty he framed him to get them to leave. In the end everything worked out in Amir’s favor and they left Kabul, which doesn’t make Amir a hero, it makes him a coward. Amir is not a full on hero because he refuses to call Hassan his  friend due to race, class issues and because Hassan was Amir’s servant. Amir at first didn’t even consider him and Hassan as â€Å"friends†. â€Å"I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either†(25). Later throughout the book Amir starts to realize that Hassan is more than just his servant. Hassan has always called Amir his friend and brother but Amir could never come out and say it back. Once Amir finally realized that Hassan was actually his best friend and even brother, Amir regrets everything once Hassan died because he couldn’t go back and change it. Amir was considered high class and Hassan was a Hazara, which was name for a lower class afghan, so their class differences made it hard for Amir to call Hassan his friend because he was scared of what others would think of him. Because others new Hassan as Amir’s servant, it also made it hard for Amir to tell people that Hassan and him were actually friends. This is an example of refusing the call because Amir had always wanted to call Hassan his friend, but was always scared of what others would think because Hassan was a Hazara and Amir’s servant. Because Amir was so scared of what others thought, that doesn’t make him a hero. In conclusion, I would like to say that through the hero’s journey aspect of refusal of the call, even though Amir has done some good deeds, like go back to Kabul to save and adopt Sohrab, he still wasn’t a true hero because he doesn’t protect Hassan from getting raped and after watching it happen, he frames Hassan because he feels so guilty about not doing anything to protect him when he should have, and he lets class and race issues get in the way of their friendship. Hosseini portrays Amir in The Kite Runner by making him go through a lot of tough obstacles throughout the book especially when he was younger and having to make life-changing decisions. Amir refused to face most of the obstacles he was given in the book, but as he grew up, he accepted the fact that he needed to overcome his fear and complete those obstacles. When we’re younger we get scared to do certain things, but as we get older we realize that we need to do the things that scare us in order to become the hero. Though one might refuse the call because of fear, as you grow older you end up accepting the fact that you need to face the call and go through with whatever obstacle is put in your pathway just like Amir did when he had to face going to save Sohrab. Whether you face your obstacles or not, that is what makes you a true hero. Citations Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.