Different models of childhood Essay Example

Different models of childhood Paper While Newbury’s books did not have direct instruction, didactic undertones could be traced through his stories which aimed to both entertain and teach. The popularity of Newbery’s books reflected the changing attitudes towards children and childhood in 18th century England. Childhood came to be seen as a distinct phase from adulthood, with children as a separate readership that could learn through play, reading and gentle instruction and discipline. This change in attitudes was supplemented by middle-class social reformers of the time who were influenced by the mid-18th century Romantic Movement, based on the theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who set out in his ideas in his book Emile, ou de l’education (1762). He believed childhood was a time of ‘original innocence’ as opposed to the Puritanical concept of ‘original sin’, where the purity of the children should be protected from the harsh realities of life and nurtured in a loving environment with play centred-learning, in a natural outdoor environment. While Rousseau himself did not advocate children’s reading or literature, recommending only Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, his theories influenced many prominent British poets and authors of the time, including Blake, Wordsworth and Kingsley, whose writings promoted the romantic ideal and helped to change popular public opinion, bringing children and childhood to the forefront of social debate and consciousness . The idealistic romantic concepts of childhood strongly affected the middle classes, who were shocked by the plight of child labourers in England whose struggles became apparent during this time period. We will write a custom essay sample on Different models of childhood specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Different models of childhood specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Different models of childhood specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The harsh reality for the majority of working-class children in England was a short-lived childhood, limited educational opportunities and manual labour from a young age. The struggle to reduce child labour and increase educational options was complex and protracted process, spanning the 19th and 20th century, and can be traced in children’s literature of the time. Charles Kingsley’s The Water Babies (1863) presented the shocking and unfair contrast between real working class childhoods and the Romantic ideal through the story of orphaned chimney sweep Tom. Tom suffers cruel treatment and harsh working conditions all without the love or care of a family. Hope comes when Tom is transformed into a water baby and finally gets the shelter and affection he needs from the magical Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby. Books such as The Water Babies clearly highlighted the need for social reform in the lives and childhoods of such children and gradually the romantic discourse gained popularity and momentum during the end of 19th century which continued into the 20th century. The influence of the romantic model can also be seen in children’s literature of the 20th century with the rise in popularity of rural adventure stories. These were directed at all age groups from, Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) by A. A. Milne for younger children to Anne of Green Gables (1908) by L. Montgomery, and the Secret Seven, by Enid Blyton (1949-1963) with older children as lead characters. In The Secret Garden, 1911, by Frances H. Burnett and Tom’s Midnight Garden, 1958, by Philippa Pearce, the garden is a metaphoric symbol of a sheltered natural environment to nurture the innocence and growth of the children. Romantic ideals can clearly be seen in the innocence and natural goodness of the lead characters set against the idyllic country settings which aimed to engage and entertain children while demonstrating subtle moralistic values in line with the Romantic model. Alternative literature was also still available during this time, particularly among religious groups, who felt the focus of literature should remain didactic, primarily for teaching and correcting sinful children. For example, the bestselling History of the Fairchild Family, told the story of a little girl ‘brought up without the fear of God’ who dies in an accidental fire, the consequence of her unrestrained and unreligious upbringing. First printed in 1818, it stayed in print until the early 20th century, reflecting how some sections of society remained firm upon the Puritanical model of childhood. Technological advances and economic potential of books in the late 20th century, coupled with promotion of reading by educationalists saw a massive increase in books published for children. The didactic purpose of books, in particular issues of racism, sexism, religious and sexual orientation were hotly debated during this time period. These debates notably affected children’s literature as recent authors have attempted to challenge traditional values and themes in children’s books, for example, having protagonists from a wider variety of backgrounds, or exploring children’s anger and emotions as in Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak (1963) or in the case of Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole (1988) challenging stereotypical and gendered female roles. Such literature attempts to depict and promote a childhood based on equality and tolerance, questioning social or cultural norms or restrictions. While fantasy and magic have long been disapproved of by strict religious groups, recent children’s literature has also included highly controversial and challenging themes such as teenage drug use in Junk (1996) and teenage sex in Lady: My Life as a Bitch (2001), both by Melvin Burgess. Such books would have been unthinkable during the Puritanical dominated 16th century for being unreligious and explicit and even during the romantically focused 17th and 18th centuries for exposing young readers to adult issues and themes, from which they should be protected. However they attract attention today as they aim to reflect of the uncomfortable truths and realities of modern-day society, which some parents will feel are appropriate themes for teenagers. As more books containing controversial themes gain popularity and attention, current children’s literature can be seen to reflect a more liberal and modernistic attitude to childhood apparent within society. In conclusion children’s literature is a good reflection of popular attitudes towards childhood at the time of print. As new theories and ideas about childhood emerged, children’s literature also changed to accommodate and promote these ideals. Notably, all literature conveys a message or moral undertone, weather subtle or direct. The earliest books for children reflected the puritanical model of childhood dominant in the 17th century. A significant change can be seen in the 18th century books of John Newbery who was influenced by the concept of childhood as a ‘blank slate’, as theorised by John Locke. His books promoted a kind and loving upbringing for children who were nurtured through enjoyment and encouragement. The mid-18th century Romantic Movement had a highly significant impact and Romantic ideals of a pure and innocent childhood, free from dangers and harsh realities of life have been traceable in children’s literature since the 18th century and are still dominant today. Contemporary literature has attempted to promote equality and tolerance in childhood and has also pushed the boundaries of traditional fiction. Like the social reformers of the 18th and 19th century, modern writers such as Melvin Burgess have shown how children’s literature plays an important part not only in portraying and promoting ideals, but also in questioning and debating social attitudes and ideas about children and childhood. Word count – 1714 References 1. Hall, C. (2003) ‘Children’s literature’, in Kehily, M.J. and Swann, J. (eds. ) Children’s Cultural Worlds, Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. in association with the Open University, pp. 133-182 2. The Open University (2003) U212, Childhood, Video 3, Band 5, ‘Children reading’, Milton Keynes: The Open University 3. The Open University (2003) U212, Childhood, Video 3, Band 6, ‘Storytelling’, Milton Keynes: The Open University 4. The Open University (2003) U212, Childhood, Audio 5, Band 5, ‘Writing for children’, Milton Keynes: The Open University.

Free Essays on Fashion And Social Stratification

Fashion. I’ll admit†¦ it’s a subject that both frightens me and intrigues me. Probably because I’ve worn the same clothing for the last 6 years of my life with very little update on my wardrobe, and it shows. It amazes me how seriously people can take the subject of fashion while I’m just satisfied with what I have. Not that I don’t seek possessions, but I tend to seek possessions with a little more utility than high heels have for catching a bus. In this paper I’ll be discussing a few aspects of fashion that pertain to society and how they interact with the social class structure. Of these, I will try to focus on fashion and how society views the individual. We’ll begin with fashion. Fashion is the desire of self-identification and has been an important part of Human nature since we were Hunter-Gatherers. Teeth, bones, hair etc... were all displayed as trophies from the victory over foes. â€Å"An evidence of the wearer's prowess, and not of the prowess of another.† (Edward Ross, pg. 96) However, in societies with little social class movement or strict caste systems, we see little change in fashion. In ancient Japan, fashion was restricted to those who were believed to be inferior. Every detail of a farmer’s existence was given in length by law, including fashion. A farmer who produced an inadequate amount of rice per calendar year (less than 20 koku of rice) was unable to wear stockings and his sandals were to be made of bamboo. Other family members were affected as well. His wife was not to wear silk or tortoise ornaments in her hair nor was she able to wear anything but sandals made of wood or straw w ith thongs fashioned of cotton. Neither of them were allowed the use of sunshades or paper parasols to shield the sun during the hot days spent in the rice fields. In Izumo there were laws in place defining not only the material of the dresses to be worn by the women of various classes, but c... Free Essays on Fashion And Social Stratification Free Essays on Fashion And Social Stratification Fashion. I’ll admit†¦ it’s a subject that both frightens me and intrigues me. Probably because I’ve worn the same clothing for the last 6 years of my life with very little update on my wardrobe, and it shows. It amazes me how seriously people can take the subject of fashion while I’m just satisfied with what I have. Not that I don’t seek possessions, but I tend to seek possessions with a little more utility than high heels have for catching a bus. In this paper I’ll be discussing a few aspects of fashion that pertain to society and how they interact with the social class structure. Of these, I will try to focus on fashion and how society views the individual. We’ll begin with fashion. Fashion is the desire of self-identification and has been an important part of Human nature since we were Hunter-Gatherers. Teeth, bones, hair etc... were all displayed as trophies from the victory over foes. â€Å"An evidence of the wearer's prowess, and not of the prowess of another.† (Edward Ross, pg. 96) However, in societies with little social class movement or strict caste systems, we see little change in fashion. In ancient Japan, fashion was restricted to those who were believed to be inferior. Every detail of a farmer’s existence was given in length by law, including fashion. A farmer who produced an inadequate amount of rice per calendar year (less than 20 koku of rice) was unable to wear stockings and his sandals were to be made of bamboo. Other family members were affected as well. His wife was not to wear silk or tortoise ornaments in her hair nor was she able to wear anything but sandals made of wood or straw w ith thongs fashioned of cotton. Neither of them were allowed the use of sunshades or paper parasols to shield the sun during the hot days spent in the rice fields. In Izumo there were laws in place defining not only the material of the dresses to be worn by the women of various classes, but c...

Internet of Things-Smart Home Literature review

Internet of Things-Smart Home - Literature review Example uniqueness in home appliances such as security cameras, utility meters, thermostats, Blu-ray players and TVs, rather than a feature for the mass-market. As the world moves into a future where connectivity is pervasive and embedded in virtually every household device, this view will become out-dated. According to many analysts, the future smart home is likely to hold between 15 and 30 connected devices and sensors, all linked through a home network and related to service providers’ systems as well as the internet. The array of connected devices will range from usual household appliances through electric vehicle charging infrastructure and solar panels that consume as well as generate electricity. It is expected that the combined revenues from the home energy management (HEM), home automation and smart metering segments will be worth over $44 billion as at 2016. However, the overall potential of the smart home is expected to be considerably greater as devices from the health, ho me security, and entertainment sectors also become connected (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association [GSMA], 2011). This paper aims to undertake a critical review on the smart home. Precisely, this paper shall undertake a review of the smart home techniques that are currently in use, the communication techniques, and the boards used. This paper shall further review the currently used boards against the Teensy board, Adafruit CC3000 board, and an Arduino board with yun processor. Smart Home is a term used to refer to a residence that utilizes a home controller to integrate the different household automation systems within the residence (Robles & Kim, 2010). According to Levy, Taga, Saadoun & Riegel (2012), the Smart Home market consists of four main segments that include home automation/security, home assistance, home cloud, and e-Health. Levy et al (2012) point out that home automation is the centralization on a unique user interface of five major home systems. These include home utility and

See the upload Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

See the upload - Essay Example In case these aspects are lacking, management education and management will have a very thin chance of surviving in society. When someone thinks of management, he or she should view it as both public and private work that is necessary for the sustenance of society thus considered as public matter. Management is related to the public and private works, which motivates students to work hard to become future managers and incorporate these ideas in their organizational life. This kind of thinking will influence students to understand the real meaning of corporate citizenship. Corporate citizenship is the situation whereby the organization is applying management to public work. Global corporate citizenship is governed by the idea of public work and practically applicable to managers and educators. When globalization and information technology integrate, leads to success of the business. The idea of global corporate citizenship in management brings unity among people with problems in society and organizations come up with solutions through application of contemporary management skills and knowledge. The distinction of private work from public is dangerous and disastrous since it deprives people from sharing ideas thus undermining social fabric. It is important to understand the con nection between public and private works. Life and work are part of human daily activities but when viewed from an organizational perspective, organizations seem to distinguish work from life. In some situations when life is used incorporate families and community, separation and specialization facilitate effectiveness at high social costs. Public work are the main foundation of the community’s’ capital since it starts where people are working together in every day environment. In addition, this public work brings the importance of civic purposes among people thus enabling

A Model For Recovery The Tidal Model Social Work Essay

A Model For Recovery The Tidal Model Social Work Essay My family have used mental health services for three generations. I experienced my first hypo-manic episode in 1981 when I was writing up my doctoral thesis. During the past twenty-four years I have had sixteen episodes that have led to hospitalisation. I first met Professor Phil Barker in 1983 when he had just taken up the Chair of Psychiatric Nursing Practice at Newcastle University and I had just launched myself as a User Consultant under the name of Section 36. During his ten years in Newcastle we worked on several projects and spent many hours sharing our views on user empowerment, self-management and recovery. I felt privileged when he asked me to comment on the Tidal Model in its early stages. I feel equally privileged and delighted to speak about the Model today. Phil and Poppy Buchanan-Barker co-wrote this Guide on the Tidal Model for Mental Health Professionals. They have asked me to consider whether or not the Tidal Model helps service users on their recovery journey. I will do this largely by reading quotations taken directly from the book. Before we can do this I feel it necessary to look at the meanings of recovery. Elements of Recovery The Chambers 20th Century Dictionary definition of recover is to cure. In the context of mental health recovery is generally not accepted as being synonymous with cure. From her work with service users Repper observed that: Recovery does not mean that all suffering has disappeared, or that all symptoms have been removed, or that functioning has been restored. Pat Deegan, a clinical psychologist with a late childhood-diagnosis of schizophrenia recognized recovery is not a cure but sees no reason for despair. Being in recovery means I know I have certain limitations and things I cant do. But rather than letting these limitations be an occasion for despair and giving up, I have learned that in knowing what I cant do, I also open up all the possibilities of all I can do. Acceptance is a key factor in the recovery process. Again, Pat Deegan notes: †¦ an ever-deepening acceptance of our limitations. But now, rather than being an occasion for despair, we find our personal limitations are the ground from which spring our own unique possibilities. This is the paradox of recovery†¦that in accepting what we cannot do or be we discover what we can be and what we can do †¦ recovery is a process. It is a way of life. It is an attitude and a way of approaching the days challenges. Simon Champ, a prominent Australian mental health activist, also views recovery as a lifelong process which requires important changes in self : I have come to see that you do not simply patch up the self you were before developing schizophrenia, but that you have to actually recreate a concept of who you are that integrates the experience of schizophrenia. Real recovery is far from a simple matter of accepting diagnosis and learning facts about the illness and medication. Instead, it is a deep searching and questioning. A journey through unfamiliar feelings, to embrace new concepts and a wider view of self. It is not an event but a process. For many, I believe it is a lifelong journey. Despite painful times Anthony believes that we should always be hopeful as the recovery period brings with it periods of personal growth. Recovery is described as a deeply personal, unique process of changing ones attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills, and/or roles. It is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life, even with limitations caused by the illness. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose in ones life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of mental illness. The Tidal Model In my view, hospitalisation is a form of containment rather than a therapeutic process. Service users are expected to entertain themselves by talking amongst themselves, watching television, sitting in the smoking room, playing pool or attending occupational therapy. Mental health nurses need to break out of the mechanistic routine, which restricts their dialogue with service users. When the Tidal Model is in use, each service user undergoes a holistic assessment with a specially trained mental health nurse. All experiences are accepted as true and not dismissed as hallucinations (for example). The mental health nurse discusses with the service user what the person feels may have caused their admission and what they feel they need to do to address these problems. Every service user receives a copy of their assessment, which is recorded in their own words. This process helps to build up trust between the service user and the mental health nurse. They form a partnership whereby the nurse supports the service user through the recovery process. The emphasis is on caring with rather than caring for. The attitudes, beliefs and expressed needs of the service user are accepted at each stage of the recovery process. The user knows that the advice of the nurse may not necessarily be accepted. The persons story lies at the heart of the Tidal Model†¦..The Tidal Model is a philosophical approach to the recovery or discovery of mental health. It is not a treatment model, which implies that something needs to be done to change the person. Instead the Tidal Model assumes that the person is already changing, albeit in small and subtle ways†¦.In the Tidal Model water is used as the core metaphor. Following the Holistic Assessment the service user enters into a period of Individual Care and Group Care. One to one Individual Care sessions are arranged on a daily basis. , The process of Individual Care involves developing a collaborative relationship within which the person can begin to develop awareness of the resources that (s)he currently possesses, which might be used to address the problem of living; what additional resources (support) might be needed; and what needs to happen next, to begin to move off on the recovery journey. Three forms of group work provide a supportive social structure for the Individual Care: The Discovery Group The Information Group The Solutions Group The Discovery Group brings together service users to discuss a set of pre-prepared questions that aim to generate simple reflection and light-hearted as well as meaningful conversation. Two members of the professional team normally lead the Discovery Group, but over time group participants may take turns in leading the session. The Discovery Group therefore aims to provide a setting within which people might experience a boost to their self-esteem, reclaiming in the process some of the personhood that has been lost, either as a function of the experience of mental ill-health, or of the experience of psychiatric care and treatment, or both. The Discovery Group provides an opportunity within which members may reclaim and develop further their ability to share with others, on a simple yet mutually rewarding basis, through simple question and answer sessions. The Information Group aims to provide practical advice to people about services they are presently using, or services that they might consider using. This advice is delivered in plain language, preferably in an entertaining, interesting or otherwise accessible way. Francis Bacons dictum that knowledge itself is power is the primary motivation behind the Information Group. Without knowledge we are not only ignorant, but also powerless. The people who lead the Information Group should have in-depth knowledge of specific topic areas who can comfortably answer intelligent and searching questions from people in care and perhaps also staff members. There are an infinite number of possible topics for the Information Group, but experience of the Tidal Model projects around the world suggests that the following are most popular: Medication Current care and treatment Psychotherapy and counselling Nutrition and well-being Social security benefits Community supports Specialist mutual support groups Housing and supported accommodation. The potential contribution to Information Groups that might be made by user/consumer-advocates, psychiatric survivors, or others who have navigated the recovery journey, is inestimable. Apart from special knowledge of the recovery journey, such people come carrying a huge beacon of hope. Their very presence signals the possibility of recovery, but also frames this within a realistic storyline. The Tidal Model emphasises the necessary search for solutions. Given that the problems of living which people experience determines the need for help, both lay and professional, it follows that we should be focused on solutions to these problems. However, unlike some other therapy models or treatment systems, we do not believe that the professionals have the answers to the persons problems†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the Tidal Model needs to be tailored to suit every person in the programme. Everyone needs a theory of their own to explain how they got there, and how they might move off again, back onto the ocean of experience. So the pragmatic focus on finding solutions is carried over into the work of the Solutions Group. The Solutions Group is part of the heavy work of care-helping people to learn more about themselves and their problems and instilling hope in the recovery process. The Solutions Group is highly practical and focuses on conversations about change that is already taking place within individual members. What subtle examples of change is the person already becoming aware of? Alternatively the group will focus on conversations about what change might be like; how participants will know change when they encounter it. The Tidal Model focuses upon the unison between the service user and the professional helper. However †¦..the Tidal Model is an anti-professional approach to mental health care . It does not believe that there is special knowledge concerning mental health, known only to the professional, that can bring about the resolution of serious problems of human living, or speed the persons recovery. The Tidal Model proposes that only the person can ever own such knowledge†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..However, the person needs the sophisticated support to plan and execute the process of recovery. Finally the book offers us Ten Commitments which distil the essence of the practice of the Tidal Model. Value the voice: the persons story is the beginning and endpoint of the whole helping encounter. The persons story embraces not only the account of the persons distress, but also the hope for its resolution. This is the voice of experience. We need to guard it well, as the voice begins to help the person to make her or himself anew. There is no doubt in my mind that the Tidal Model promotes the process of recovery. The key features that set it aside from other models are: It is based on the personal stories of service users. It is based on caring with rather than caring for. It is a holistic model of care. It recognises that knowledge is power. It focuses upon solutions rather than problems. It promotes self-management and empowerment. It promotes the concept of therapeutic experience rather than containment. In this sense, the Tidal Model is truly groundbreaking.

Business, Government and Society

Odwalla, Inc. , the largest producer of fresh fruit and vegetable-based juices in the Western parts of United States, was founded in 1980 by three people Steltenpohl, his wife and a friend. Initially the business was started by a $200 worth of used juicer in the backyard of California from which it moved a step forward by transporting the juices to restaurants in the local vicinity. Gradually the business started expanding its distribution and production facilities by increasing its product lines as well as by acquiring other juice manufacturing companies. Growth of the company was financially backed by bank loans and private stock offerings.The strong marketing and product line helped in grasping consumer attention which further enhanced the company’s image. With intensive marketing, pricing, product innovativeness and creativeness of the value driven product line of the company it succeeded in completed its best-ever fiscal year in 1996 when sales reached about $59 million w hich were about 40 percent higher than the last year. Situation The company Odwalla Inc. has just celebrated its best fiscal year but is facing a health related issue with its products because of a virulent bacterium called E. coli 0157:H7 which causes food poisoning and other such stomach problems.This problem is especially very serious in infants and older people whose immune systems aren’t very strong. Although the overall class of this bacterium is present in the human intestinal tract and plays a helpful role in synthesizing vitamins and to suppress harmful bacteria. However some, especially E. coli 0157:h7, cause a lot of harm for a person producing a toxin which affects the inner lining of the gut. This type of bacteria lives in the intestine of animals like cows, sheep, deer etc. and thus infects the meat of the animal thus rendering it unhealthy for human consumption.This bacteria however also travels through fecal contamination of the food e. g. if a fruit falls fro m the tree and comes into physical contact with the manure of the infected animal the fruit then also carries the germs of this bacteria. This bacterium is also infected when a person doesn’t wash his hands after using the toilet and touches the food, which has to be later on consumed, by his unclean hands. It was initially believed that the bacterium cannot exist in acidic environment and so all the drinks especially those containing citrus acid were protected from this virus as their pH level is 4.3. These acidic drinks included apple and other such juices. However recently this concept went under a change when it was found that it can and does exist under a pH of 4. 0. This was known when some of the bacterium was found in acidic drinks which shouldn’t have been possible. After extensive research it was concluded that the bacteria must have undergone a mutation process because of which they can now exist even in acidic environment. The company Odwalla is very cautio us health and nutrition wise because of which the fruits are selected after careful analysis.The company recognized its values, vision and mission because of which a carefully designed plan is implemented to ensure that no unclean product goes into the manufacturing line. The fruits are carefully picked from the tree and no fallen fruit is accepted. Similarly the bin is checked and rechecked to see if any contact with the ground has been made. If there were any dirt or debris found the whole bin is rejected. Even after this careful handpicked selection the fruits are washed with a sanitizing solution of phosphoric acid and then scrubbed with whirling brushes.Later on all the juices are manufactured under strict hygienic conditions which aren’t to be compromised ever. Even after such careful analysis a few bacteria were found in some drinks which caused a huge amount of responsibility and tension for the company. Issue The company follows a strict code of conduct which ensures that the highest amount of product quality is delivered to the customers while maintaining the natural taste of the fruits. To deliver the promised quality and taste the company doesn’t pasteurizes its juices because of which the bacteria, if were present in the drink, couldn’t be finished.After the bacterium were found in the juices the company faced a serious problem dilemma as to what their course of action should be because they obviously didn’t wanted to lost their customers along with their profits but they did not want to risk the health of their customers as well. Even one health issue case was very big for them as they were socially and ethically a very responsible company. So now the company had to decide what to do. After a serious of meetings it was decided that the products affected by this bacteria would be called back.So in a record breaking speed the products were pulled back from the shelves until the company can find a way to kill the bacteria . This was a major decision which costed the company almost $5 million. Despite the financial loss the company’s main focus was on finding a way to eliminate this threat so that it wouldn’t harm the consumers. For this purpose investigations were conducted by the company and federal and state health authorities. The company after recalling the apple juice product also recalled back those products in which apple juice was used to further reduce risking consumer health.The company then sought to devise a plan which would reduce the risk as well as increase its sales and would help in the reintroduction of these products in the market. On a short term level the company thought it would be best if it only sold those products in which apple juice wasn’t an ingredient. For this the products in which apple juice was used were manufactured again without apple juice in them and were then sold in the market. But this procedure was only best for a short term purpose so as to reduce or minimize the effect of the losses however they couldn’t cut out apple juice as it was a major selling product of the company.Because of this the company decided to opt for flash pasteurization which is a modified form of pasteurization in which the juice is quickly heated to almost 160 degrees and then maintaining the temperature for a very short span of time so that the bacteria is killed. This reduces the actual taste somewhat but is still better than the pasteurized juice. This decision was made after careful analysis of the demands and wants of the consumer. Option Every dilemma has more than one option; similarly this issue had more than one option which the company could have selected.Regarding this case the company also had a series of actions from which it chose the best. The other options are as follows †¢ Discontinuing all apple juice products so that safety of the consumer is fully assured. This means that apple juice would have to be cancelled no t only as a product but as an ingredient from other products as well. This wasn’t a very feasible option as more than 80 percent of the revenue was generated because of the apple juice and cancelling it out from the product line would mean to cut or throw away the most profitable aspect of the business.†¢ The second option the company had was to improve its manufacturing processes and tighten all the rules and regulations to further ensure that no unsafe or unhygienic product goes through the production cycle and ends up as a juice product. This would mean more inspection and washes of the fruits. †¢ The third option is modifying label in a way which ensures that the consumer knows that the juices isn’t for infants or for older people. This way the infants and elder people would be safe because they are the most likely to get effected by the bacteria quiclkly.†¢ The fourth option the company can consider is to use standard pasteurization in which the jui ce is slowly heated to a certain temperature which is maintained for some time so that the bacteria are killed by the heat. This also increases the product life of the juice i. e. it will take longer for the product to be expired. But this type of method is not feasible as the company is highly focused on maintaining the quality and taste which is almost destroyed by this method. †¢ Using other alternatives technologies to remove the pathogens.These methods include a high pressure process which exerts a lot of pressure to cause the walls of the bacteria to explode. Other such methods include using electricity to kill bacteria and herbal antiseptic products etc. Recommendations The company showed a vast amount of ethical and social responsibility towards its customers throughout the dilemma. The company showed the problem in a very professional and morally upright way and according to my perception using flash pasteurization is a very good way to kill the bacteria because by thi s the actual taste of the product and quality is not lost.My recommendations for the company is that rather than just focusing on flash pasteurization the company should incorporate other options as well to make a perfect blend. The company should tighten and improve its production process so that no harmful substance is left. Overall I agree with the decisions of the organization and the way it solved the problem. Conclusion This case study is about a company Odwalla Inc. in which it faced serious problem in its product line despite having a very rigid and vigilant checking of the raw materials. Due to this bacterium some people fell critically ill and a girl even died.But nobody blamed the company because the company was doing its best to eradicate the bacteria and was helping the effected people in any way they can. The company even called back its products and then carried out a research as to what the customers wanted and finally thorough flash pasteurization they were able to solve out the problem. Overall the company showed immense amount of ethical and corporate standards while dealing with the problem. ? Bibliography Nestle. M. , 2003 Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism. Marion Nestle University of California Press

Amity Centre for eLearning Essay

Mr. Sreenivas (55) working as manager in Alfa Chemicals, a large scale industrial establishment engaged in the production of Phosphate and Sulphur. He has 30 years of experience in Alfa Chemicals. He has an excellent track record as Manager Human Resources within the organization. Many times he got ‘best  employer award’ to performance excellence. His area of expertise in recruitment and selection process, and performance appraisal has been widely acknowledged. The Information Technology division of Alfa Chemicals industry once faced acute shortage of manpower. Mr. Raj, Manager IT division put forward an immediate requirement of 10 employees in the IT division, to HR department, starting from junior level to senior level. As and when Mr. Sreenivas got the letter from Mr. Raj, in his department, he started processing of it. To get it done, he approached many sources. He had gone through the data bank of company and considered 100 resumes for recruitment from it. He also informed the employees and employers of the organization, in their respective departmental notice board, showing the immediate requirement of 10 employees to facilitate the internal recruitment procedures. From the employees and employers of Alfa Chemicals he got around 150 applications with resumes. In addition to that in order to give an opportunity to candidates’ external to the organization he floated an advertisement in several daily news papers viz., Times of India, Sakal, and Indian Express. From external sources he got around 350 applications. Almost 600 candidates, including internal and external applicants, applied for 10 vacant posts. To ensure the reliability and dependability of the process, Sreenivas made his personal scrutiny at all levels, in the recruitment and selection process. Since the entire department function as a team in HR, all the members trust each other and extended their valuable contribution in the recruitment and selection. The department conducted a preliminary interview in order to made first  screening process and filter the number of applicants. After the first screening process the HR department reduced the number of applicant list from 600 to 500 applicants. He conducted a written test and group discussion and there by further reduces the number of applicants to 300. These 300 candidates then exposed to one hour psychometric test and out of which 50 candidates selected for the final interview. From the final interview, 10 candidates finally selected. The entire process of recruitment and selection took almost 3 months. The selected candidates list then forwarded to the top management for the final approval. HR department informed the candidates that the appointment letters will be sent to those who are selected for the post. Sreenivas approached several time to the top management about to get final approval of list of candidates for the IT department. Sreenivas informed the IT department also that the delay in the final list announcement as the top  management take some more time. He waited almost 4 weeks. But, no reply at all. Mr. Raj, the IT manager every day enquired about the latest information about the final list of the candidates and tentative date of induction. Sreenivas faced the difficulty to make any comment on the subject as there was no information from the top management. HR department had to answer many phone calls from out side and inside the organization, as recruitment involved candidates from inside and outside. The employers and employees of the industry, whose relatives got into the final selection process, became regular visitors of the HR department, asking for the finalist. Sreenivas called a meeting of HR team members and once again made a close verification of the entire process. But he couldn’t find any fault in any of the recruitment and selection process. As the time went on he became more suspicious about the delay in the announcement of the result. When the problem becomes so crucial Sreenivas got direction from the top management to meet Mr. Kartik, General Manager, one of the top officials in the organization. Mr.Kartik asked the entire process of recruitment and selection that made on IT professionals. Sreenivas furnished the entire details of the process in a precise report. Mr. Kartik read the entire  report and soon after made a direct comment that the recruitment and selection process that for IT professionals need to be cancelled as he observed some discrepancies in the process made by his department. He further directed Sreenivas that the vacancies have to be filled through contract basis and no permanent vacancies to be made in these positions, for one year. Further he informed Sreenivas that another recruitment process to be done from external candidates applied and no internal application to be entertained. Sreenivas couldn’t agree with the Mr. Kiran comment on his department’s inefficiency in the recruitment and selection process. For a while he thought about quitting the organization, as he faced a baseless allegation from the top management. Till date there is no black mark in his functional dissemination. On many occasion he helped the industry to find out best possible solutions in order to tackle the many manpower crisis. Sreenivas became so depressed and felt quiet unhappy about the decision taken by the management. Mr. Sreenivas called an urgent meeting of his subordinates and communicated the management decision and directives. He shared with the team members that the management had greater dissatisfaction on the recruitment and selection process done by the department. He enquired that any one made any mistake in the  process. All members denied the probability of any mistake. As there were clear norms and regulations related to each step and there was no dual command, they found no possibility of creeping errors in the selection process. In the meeting he informed his subordinates that the management freezes the appointment process for IT professionals and asked for external recruitment on contract basis. It was shocking news to members. They asked several questions to get a proper clarification from Sreenivas. As Mr. Sreenivas himself unaware of the reasons behind management decision, he informed his subordinate his inability to give a proper reply in this regard. Sreenivas also informed this matter to Mr. Raj. During the evening hours, in the same day, Sreenivas got a call from Mr. George, one of his senior-level Managers, with whom he had friendly and informal relationship. Mr. George asked Srinivas to come to his cabin. As per the call Mr.  Sreenivas met George in his cabin. George enquired about his family and many unofficial matters in the informal interaction. Half an hour later, Mr. George enquired about the recruitment and selection process of IT professionals. He shared with George all those things happened with top management. Leaving aside the informal interaction, George initiated formal discussion with Sreenivas. He told Sreenivas that the selected list of IT professionals consisted two names, Mr. Avdesh and Mr. Praveen, they are the relatives of two trade union leaders of the organization. The management felt that being the relatives of two trade union leaders, in the long run, they could be a threat to organization. It may create an image that the trade unions still have a control over the decision making process in organization. Further, the hold of trade union may expand if this selection process materializes. Mr. Geroge informed Sreenivas that management didn’t have any doubt about the dependability and exactness of the recruitment processes that HR departmentr did. George further informed Sreenivas that as per the intimation from top management he called Mr. Sreenivas and briefed about the undercurrents of this episode. The entire news was shocking to Mr. Sreenivas. He didn’t know that the management decision had this much of undercurrents. After hearing entire story Sreenivas become so silent and returned to his cabin. While sitting inside his cabin, he made a silent comment that, â€Å"what a useless effort. Questions 1. What are the undercurrents of selection process in Alfa Chemicals? 2. How management decision justifies management effort in the maintenance of harmonious industrial relation? 3. Do you believe that as HR Manager, Mr. Sreenivas failed to gather direct and indirect information about the candidates? 4. How ‘cancellation of appointment’ decision that affect the moral of organizational members? 5. How you interpret the dilemma of HR managers have to face in such kind of situations. 6. What would be your decision if you have to face such situation? 7. Do you believe that trade unions have ‘quota’ in appointments? 8. How the decision affect the reduction of wastages and improvement of resources. 9. Is the decision reflecting management fear towards trade union or inability to develop a congenial industrial relationship within the organization? 10. How you interpret the silence of Mr. Sreenivas?