Clients Description And Functioning Social Work Essay

nodes Description And Functioning amicable Work EssayThe customer is a sixteen-year- oldish Afri crumb Ameri groundwork female who is heavy(predicate) with her imprimatur child. The knob attends junior high shallow. The invitee lives with her mother, age unknown, who is unemployed.B. SettingPeak View behavioural Health is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Peak View behavioural Health is a psychiatric hospital dedicated to providing quality c ar to promote growth and structure for guests and families (Peak View Behavioral Health, 2012). Peak View Behavioral Health treats adults ages eighteen and older and, in January 2013, result begin to serve children ages four to seventeen. The hospitals services include acute psychiatric care, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient services, burden misuse, twenty-four hour assessment and Electroconvulsive Therapy.C. Reason for ReferralThe guest was referred to Each One Teach One, an alternative school, by her prior public sc hool principal. The node is gravid with her second child and has been suspended from the public school. Adolescent maternal quality, intended or non, suffer have nix consequences. Common consequences of adolescent pregnancy include dropping out of high school, living in poorness, relying on public welfare, and experiencing higher levels of psychological distress, as compared to their same age peers (Stoiber, 2005). The consequences of the clients pregnancies are reflected by her situation. She has been referred to an alternative school and experiences psychological stress which impacts her races. The principal was certain of the clients beginning(a) pregnancy, although no previous interventions were attempted. The principal suspects the client is having difficulty in her nursing home life, although she will non damp to the principal how she became pregnant twice. leaf node is not happy about the suspension from public school. lymph node does not understand why she is be ing suspended because she touchs as though she has not done whateverthing wrong. Although she is upset about the suspension from her public school, she does seem interested in the referral to the alternative school as evidence by her accepting the referral and attending Each One Teach One. One of the highlighted strengths in the lives of Afri cease Americans is their strong educational or achievement orientation (Boyd-Franklin, 2006). Although the client is experiencing a negative companionable and economic purlieu, she appears to be motivated to better herself. The clients mother does not fight back the referral for client to attend the alternative school. The clients mother encourages the client not to attend school and get on the Welfare.D. Clients Description and FunctioningClient is of average height and pregnant. Client attends school well groomed, e.g, hair brushed, teeth brushed, showered, and wears clothing that are clean and well-fitted. Although the client is pregn ant, she is able to walk to school and walk up and down the stairs to her apartment without difficulty. Client took necessary testing precautions to be tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) after learning her father passed away from Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Consequently, client tested positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).Client does not declaim grammatically correct English as evidenced by client stating sentences such as I is learning, I does my work, and what this one is? Although client reports she sits in the bear out of the classroom, does not open a book and does not participate, clients math teacher reports client does well in math. Client has difficulty reading. The clients mother reports client as stupid and not ever amounting to anything. Client identifies one of her strengths as cooking. Client reports auditory and visual hallucinations in the form of vampires telling her you are one of us. Client fantasizes about being white, living rich and famous, and being saved from her current situation.E. Physical and Economic EnvironmentThe clients mother is unemployed and receives welfare of an unknown periodic amount. Clients mother has custody of clients first child in order to receive aide on that child. Client attended public school until suspended and will be attending Each One Teach One. In the evenings, client cooks and cleans for the household. Client describes her mothers day as a beached whale lying on the couch. Client states her mother eats, watch T.V., eats, watch T.V.The client and mother live in a two bedroom apartment, rent unknown, in Harlem. Client describes the part as the ghetto and consumed with crack heads. The clients apartment building is sprayed with graffiti. Americans visualize the ghetto as w here the black people live re positioning a deplorable, susceptible to crime, drug-infected and violent part of the city (Anderson, 2012). The client defines her neighborhood as the ghetto receivabl e to drug activity and crime.F. Current Social Functioning1. Family Situation. The client and mother live in apartment together. The clients mother has custody of the clients first born child and claims that child for welfare purposes, although the child actually lives with clients grandmother. The clients father previously lived in the home with client and mother prior to moving out. Clients relationship with her mother is volatile. The clients mother reported she should have aborted her. Client cooks for her mother, cleans the home, and runs errands for her mother when needed. Client fantasizes of wanting to be on the cover of a magazine or in a music video.Client has current and past archives of sexual and material abuse. Client was raped by her father. The clients first child, and the second child she is pregnant with, are products of rape by the clients father. The clients mother is aware of the rape of the client by her father simply blames the client for taking my man. The clients mother overly blames the client for clients father moving out of the house. The clients mother in like manner admitted to sexually abusing client, stating who was going to please me. Client has also experienced physical abuse at the pass of her mother. The clients mother has slapped her and thrown a frying pan towards her head. The clients mother is verbally abusive calling client names such as bitch, whore, good for cypher and stupid.2. Current Sexual/Emotional Relationship. Client reports never having a boyfriend but wishes she had a light skin boyfriend with nice hair.3. Occupational/ school day Situation. Client has been suspended from public school and referred to Each One Teach One, an alternative school, due to her second pregnancy. Client enjoys math and does well in math, as reported by her math teacher. Client has difficulty reading and tested at a second grade reading level. Client has difficulty with her peers as evidenced by clients physical aggression tow ards peers, i.e., slapping, punching, and cursing at her peers. Client has obedient relationships towards teachers and principal as evidenced by hobby directions without defiance.4. Other Social Relationships and Social Roles and Satisfaction. Client reports never having a boyfriend and does not have any friends. Client takes pride in being a mother but is not able to be a mother to her first child due to her own mother not allowing her child to live in their home because of the childs developmental disability. Client has expressed wanting to get her child back. Client does not soon attend a church but fantasizes of participating in the church choir. For generations, African Americans have used spirituality and religion as a crucial instrument for survival (Boyd-Franklin, 2006). One role of the African American church is to act as a refuge, as a sanctuary in an often times unfriendly world (Boyd-Franklin, 2010). Although client does not currently attend church, in her fantasies, s he finds the church as a safe place from her negative and hostile environment.5. Medical/Psychological. Client is pregnant with her second child. Clients first pregnancy resulted in a female with developmental disabilities. At time of clients referral to Each One Teach One, client had not yet seen a doctor for her second pregnancy. Client found out from her mother her father passed away from AIDS and client tested positive for HIV. Clients mother refuses to be tested for HIV because she believes she has not contracted the disease because she and clients father did not engage in anal sex.6. Legal Issues. Client does not have any legal issues at this time.G. ad hominem and Family History relevant to current focusClient was born in November 1971 in Harlem. Mother reported client would sleep in the bed with her and the clients father. Client was bottle fed as a baby, as clients father would drink the breast milk from clients mothers breast. The clients mother reported client was three years old at the time of her first sexual abuse by her father. Client has experienced sexual abuse by her father and mother, and physical and verbal abuse from her mother. Individuals who are of trim back economic status are more likely to experience combat injurytic events, and African Americans are more likely to be of lower socioeconomic status (Gapen et al., 2011). Clients mother reports there is no alcohol or center of attention use in the home.II. AssessmentPsychological FunctioningThe clients intellectual run is at a moderate level as evidenced by grammatically incorrect language and a second grade reading level. In term of the clients psychological drawing, her ego functions are moderately compromised. The egos ability to unify and combine mental processes is called ego functions (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011). Reality testing is the egos ability to recognize and arrest with physical and brotherly reality. The most serious aspect of this function is the ability t o tell the difference between internal reality and external reality (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011). The clients function of reality testing is compromised at times, as evidenced by auditory and visual hallucinations and retreats to her fantasy world. The clients ego function of controlling impulses is also compromised, as evidenced by aggressiveness towards peers.The egos attempt to maintain an accurate level of positive self-worth in the face of stressful or aggravating circumstances is self-esteem linguistic rule (Berzoff, Flanagan, Herzt, 2011). The clients self-esteem could be defined as low due to physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. The clients low self-esteem can be seen through her fantasies of wanting to be someone else, e.g White, famous. Defense mechanisms guard the self from danger, actual or perceived (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011). In terms of defense team mechanisms, the clients defense mechanisms could be classified as immature. The clients immature defense o f dissociation, where a painful memory is detached from the feeling, is evidenced by the clients fantasies of herself stellar(a) a different life (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011).B. Emotional FunctioningBetween nine and dozen months of age children begin to develop Internal Working Models to characterize emotions and expectations resulting from interactions and communication between infant and caregiver (Riggs, 2010). Consistent with the notion frantic abuse negatively impacts Internal Working Models and the ability to regulate affect, re face suggests emotional abuse places children at risk for poor self-concept and disorders of emotional law and impulse control (Riggs, 2010). In regards to the clients emotional functioning, her restrict range of emotional expression and poor impulse control are demonstrated by her use of aggression and anger towards peers. The clients negative coping responses can be seen through her fantasies, as she cannot verbally express how she is feeli ng.According to hamper theory, insecure attachment styles are used because they are accommodative in relation to the behavioral responses of their attachment figure (Riggs, 2010). One type of insecure attachment pattern is disorganized attachment. Disorganized attachment can be connected to child abuse, lack of resolution to trauma or loss by parent, and maternal frightening behavior and psychopathology (Riggs, 2010). The clients attachment pattern can be classified as disorganized due to her experience of sexual abuse, by her mother and father, and physical abuse, by her mother. The clients disorganized attachment can also be attributed to her mothers lack of support in regards to her sexual abuse by her father, i.e., blaming the client for the abuse. Evidence of clients insecure attachment in early childhood can also be seen, currently, through clients dismissiveness, i.e., that she takes care of her mother despite the abuse, low self-concept (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011).C. Social/Behavioral FunctioningAttachment insecurity, due to emotionally abusive parenting, adds to poor social functioning. In early attachment relationships, children begin to develop the skills needed to build future social relationships, such as self-awareness, empathy, negotiation, and conflict resolution. The security of attachment influences many areas of interpersonal relationships, including effectiveness in peer ag roots, reciprocity in relationships, empathy, problem solving, conflict resolution, and establishing close and intimate relationships with peers (Riggs, 2010). The clients social closing off, as evidenced by her lack of peer class, demonstrates the clients insecure attachment with caregivers. The clients lack of distrust in peers and adults is displayed through clients aggressive behaviors.D. Environmental Issues and Constraints Affecting the SituationThe client lives in a neighborhood in which she would consider the ghetto. Client lives with her mother, althou gh the relationship is unstable. Children with a very insecure attachment to their mothers are more likely than other children to live in high-risk families and environments (Kwako, Knoll, Putnam, Trickett, 2010). The client has experienced sexual, physical, and verbal abuse from her caregivers. African American families experience higher rates of poverty than families of other races. Living in poverty increases the risk of exposure to trauma and trauma is found more often in African American populations (Graves, Kaslow, Frabutt, 2010). The clients turbulent home environment, unsafe neighborhood, and lack of social supports and resources exacerbates clients distrust in others, social isolation, and negative self-concept.E. Motivation and Commitment to ServicesThe clients mother does not support client attending school and would rather client take welfare services. Despite the clients mothers lack of support, the client is motivated to attend school to continue her education and be a positive mother for her children.F. Workers arrest of Clients Presenting Situation/ProblemThe client is a sixteen year old, African-American teenage mother of two. The client has experienced severe childhood sexual trauma by her mother and father. The clients two pregnancies are results of sexual abuse from the clients father. The client lacks emotional support from her mother and is often ridiculed by her mother in terms of her appearance, intellectual functioning and overall being. Emotional abuse in the attachment relationship significantly increases the likelihood of developing insecure attachment, which is proven to be link to low empathy and reciprocity, hostility or aggression and impulsivity, exploitation or ridicule by peers, social withdrawal or exclusion from group activities, and general patterns of un-relatedness and isolation (Riggs, 2010).The client lacks any type of social support from peers and, often times, interactions with peers result in aggressive confront ation. Clients distrust in peers and adults is evidenced by lack of nurturing relationships. Up to this point, client has not accessed companionship resources. Previous experience with racism publicly prevents African Americans from accessing aidance and/or services from organizations which historically have safeguarded Caucasians (Graves, Kaslow, Frabutt, 2010). Clients mother is distrusting of community institutions which may lead to clients inability to access support.According to attachment theory, a child forms representational models, i.e., internal working models, of attachment figures, of the self, and of self-in-relation to others based on their relationship with primary caregivers. When a childs caregiver responds in a sensitive, loving, and consistent manner, a working model of other as loving, reliable, and supportive is internalized. On the other hand, experiencing emotional abuse and neglect may instill damaging beliefs about the self, e.g., I am stupid, I am not w orthy of attention, which may result in maladaptive models of self, other, and self in-relation to others. Instead of developing a working model of the self as worthy of jazz and attention, negative models of the self as worthless, incompetent, or powerless may result (Wright, Crawford, Castillo, 2009). Due to the clients mothers unstable and inconsistent caregiving patterns, client has real a low concept of self, as evidenced by the clients feelings of wrongness to have or accept any type of relationships.Although the client has experienced severe childhood trauma, insecure attachments with caregivers, and family and community instability, the client appears to be moderately resilient. resiliency refers to patterns of positive adaptation during or following major adversity or risk (Lopez Snyder, 2011). Faced with two pregnancies, unsupportive and abusive caregivers, and lack of social support, the client continues to be motivated to pursue her education, regain custody of her first child, and become a caring and loving mother to her children.III. Evidenced Based Practice countThis write began the search using the Google Scholar search engine with the term psychodynamic treatment for female African American adolescents of sexual abuse. This search yielded articles related to interventions for substance abuse. The same search term was used again but the term intervention was exchanged for the term treatment. This search yielded articles on cognitive behavioral interventions. This motive thusly moved to using the search engine PsyhInfo. Terms including psychodynamic treatment, psychodynamic intervention, African American, adolescent and sexual abuse were again interchanged to aide in the search. This cause then(prenominal) added the term sexual abuse survivor to the search. This search began to yield interventions related to psychodynamic interventions. This reason began finding articles related to psychodynamic groups as a psychodynamic interventio n.Continuing to use the PsychInfo search engine, this author then used search terms psychodynamic groups, adolescents, sexual abuse survivor and African American. This author was able to yield articles related to psychodynamic groups. This author then moved to using the University of Southern California Library to continue the search. This author again used the terms psychodynamic groups, adolescents, sexual abuse survivor and African American to yield further articles in regards to psychodynamic groups. This author was able to accumulate six articles in regards to psychodynamic group intervention. Overall, this author found it extremely difficult to find, in the literature, psychodynamic interventions special to African American adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse.IV. Intervention PlanIn the first years of childhood, the family is responsible for the care and development of the child. In brawny families, children learn they can depend of their environment to provide emo tional security and physical safety. Children then gain behaviors which allow them to nurture their own emotional and physical health free from parents or caregivers. Poor health also can develop early in life. Children who live in families with characteristics such as family conflict, i.e., frequent episodes of anger or aggression, and lack of nurturing, i.e., relationships which are cold, unsupportive, and neglectful, can have negative consequences on mental and physical health (Repetti, Taylor, Seeman, 2002). Unfortunately, due to clients exposure to an abusive and un-nurturing environment, she has developed poor mental health, as seen by her moderate level of defense mechanisms, poor self-concept and lack of support.Due to the clients insecure attachment with caregivers, which has led to lack of support and untrusting nature to others, the intervention employed will be psychodynamic group psycho cures. Because of clients young age, client will be more suitable for time limited psychodynamic group psychotherapy, which occurs between twelve and thirty sessions (Wise, 2009). The format used for psychodynamic group psychotherapy is verbal. The basis of the group should be to feel and talk, rather than act. Because it is a psychodynamic therapy, the healer should wait for the group interactions to occur freely and then comment when appropriate (Wise, 2009). During the process of psychodynamic group psychotherapy, the therapist will attempt not to set agendas but follow the suggestions of the group. The belief is the group process will eventually lead to the most emotionally charged subjects if allowed to proceed without interruption. The therapist in the psychodynamic group psychotherapy session will attend to the group and individual members based on how the session begins (Rutan, 1992).The implementation of the psychodynamic group psychotherapy intervention is community based, therefore the client will need to access community organizations to utilize the treatment intervention. As previously noted, the client has not accessed community resources thus far. Another hurdle the client will have to overcome in order to maximize optimum results from the psychodynamic group psychotherapy intervention is a proper match to therapist leading the group and participation. Because client is untrusting of other others it may be difficult to engage client in group psychotherapy process. A therapist who creates an environment of acceptance, understanding and trust, and provides empathy and responsiveness will have a better chance of keeping and engaging challenging members (Gans Counselman, 2010).The remainder of psychodynamic group psychotherapy is to make aware parts of the unconscious which result in negative distortions in present day perceptions (Rutan, 1992). Furthermore, goals of treatment are to assist in overcoming resistance to experiencing, expressing and understanding emotion. The psychodynamic group psychotherapy model allows for res olving the tension between suppression of emotions and explosiveness. The group format also allows for members to work together to manage and contain feelings (Wise, 2009). This aspect of psychodynamic group psychotherapy will be beneficial to client, as she has difficulty expressing her emotions, as evidenced by aggression towards peers. Although the client will gain emotional regulation skills through the psychodynamic group psychotherapy intervention, this will not be her main treatment goal.Psychodynamic group psychotherapy is also another way for individuals to interact deep down a system of relationships. This is beneficial due to most presenting problems having a relational context. Allowing individuals to interact and then reflect gives the individual the opportunity to use the group as a place to observe and change patterns (Wise, 2009). The client has expressed a desire to have safe, nurturing and loving relationships with others, but due to low self-concept does not feel worthy of such relationships. The clients goal for psychodynamic group psychotherapy will be to increase number of quality relationships from zero to at least two by the conclusion of the group sessions. The clients relationships will be measured by her own self-report, as well as therapist observations of her interactions and relationships with fellow members of the group and development of social skills.The catalyst for change in psychodynamic group psychotherapy includes change by imitation, i.e, learning by observing others, identification, i.e., unconsciously taking on traits or characteristics of others, and internalization. The therapeutic process develops using confrontation, explanation, interpretation and working through (Wise, 2009). Additionally, other therapeutic aspects which are addressed include support, self-revelation, learning, and self-understanding, with interpersonal learning as the utmost important (Wise, 2009). Because the client has developed negative inter nal working models, due to insecure attachment with caregivers, i.e. mother and father, the interactions with others in the group setting may begin to assist client in developing higher self-concept and more nurturing relationships.V. Discussion, Analysis and Rationale for Interventions ChosenPsychodynamic group psychotherapy was chosen as the intervention for the client due to her experience of sexual abuse by caregivers. Time limited, as well as ongoing psychodynamic group psychotherapy has been effective in treating women with a history of sexual abuse, due to the opportunity for the individual to reduce the feelings of isolation, guilt, and shame. An individual is able to effectively work through feelings when the individual is able to component their experience in a therapeutic environment comprised of compassion and acceptance. The psychodynamic group psychotherapy process provides an individual with the ability to incorporate a new mark experience without devaluation or rid icule, while at the same time abandoning previous attachments which were associated with the original event and emotion (Nusbaum, 2000).When an individual is abused, the person tends to identify with the unloving, aggressive, and immoral characteristics of the superego rather than the gentle, loving and overprotective characteristics. The individual may interpret the caregivers failure to nurture and protect adequately as a sign they are unworthy and unlovable (Nusbaum, 2010). Evidence of these characteristics can be seen in the clients low self-concept and feelings of unworthiness to have any type of relationship. Within the psychodynamic group psychotherapy process, the group can demonstrate appropriate levels of protectiveness, love and concern to its members. Negative feelings often experienced by individuals with sexual abuse can often be eased through disclosure of the traumatic experience. The group can then provide corrective superego functions by not allowing its members t o blame themselves for the experience, which may have been unavoidable and not their fault (Nusbaum, 2000).Psychodynamic group psychotherapy also deepens the alliance between group members and facilitates the development of relationships which can be observed and analyzed in the context of interpersonal fears and roadblocks. Furthermore, in psychodynamic group psychotherapy individuals can identify interpersonal conflicts and work through primary defense structures which are run by fears of trusting. Additionally, because abuse and neglect tend to occur in nonadaptive families, by successfully working through emotional conflict the psychodynamic group offers the opportunity for interpersonal learning and development of social skills, which are usually not modeled in dysfunctional homes (Nusbaum, 2000).This author is unable to implement the psychodynamic group psychotherapy intervention with the client but can visualize how the intervention would offer with the client. In the first sessions this author would attempt to create a trusting, nurturing and safe environment where client would feel she could engage in the group process and share personal experience. According to psychodynamic theory, personality is formed developmentally. In this model each stage of development builds on the previous stage and each stage affects the following one. It is important to note in the therapeutic process, defects in earlier developmental stages can be corrected if that stage can be recalled, relieved and be affectively re-experienced and corrected in the here and now (Rutan, 1992). It will be pivotal for the clients treatment for her to share feelings, emotions and past experiences in order facilitate positive transformation.This author would predict the client would be difficult to engage initially due to her mistrust in others and feelings of unworthiness. After consistent nurturing, accepting, trusting and safe experiences in the psychodynamic group, this author would se e the client begin to engage in the group process. Once the client begins to share personal experiences, feelings and emotions this author would utilize a specific intervention, the here and now. The here and now technique would allow this author to use the clients past experience to understand and explain occasions when she unconsciously repeats the past or misperceives the present based on what she has learned in the past (Rutan, 1992). This technique would allow self-learning and self-understanding in regards to how her past abuse and neglect as affected her current relationships.This author expects transference will likely surface in the therapeutic process with the client. Transference can be defined as the misrepresentation of present object relationships on the basis of early object relationships (Rutan, 1992). Transference will be beneficial in the therapeutic process with the client. It will allow for this author to fall in information and explore the nature of early relat ionships based on the characteristics the client transfers on to this author (Rutan, 1992).Through the psychodynamic group psychotherapy process the clients main goal will to be to form quality, nurturing and trusting relationships. Relationships are important in forming personality, causing psychopathology, and curing psychiatric symptoms. As individuals develop in the psychodynamic group they are forming important relationships and, while doing so, every part of their character is emerging. Individuals reveal their defense mechanisms and transferences while, in turn, receiving feedback from the therapist and other members. There may not be any other therapeutic process where so much data is available to an individual about themselves as in psychodynamic group psychotherapy (Rutan, 1992).

Barclays PEST Analysis and Strategy

Barclays PEST Analysis and StrategyJump to Barclays PEST AnalysisBarclays is a major spherical financial services provider engage in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, with an extensive international presence in Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia.With over three hundred years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs over 150,000 people.Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 42 million customers and clients worldwide (www.barclays.com).Barclays Group strategy overviewBarclays ambition is to become one of the handfuls of universal banks leading the global financial services industry. This means domiciliateing a full range of retail and sell services to customers and clients through discover the world. These services include retail, blood line and private banking, credit cards, investment banking, investment management and wealth ma nagement.The banks strategy follows a simple infix anticipate the compulsions of their customers and clients, then serve them by helping them achieve their goals (www.barclays.com).Introduction of the External Marketing EnvironmentNo business operates with out rules and regulations round(prenominal) business is surrounded by laws and liabilities, pressure groups and public bodies, customers and competitors. These are part of the foodstuffing environment that the system works within, and since marketing is the interface between the organisation and the foreign world, dealing with this environment is a major part of marketers work (Jim Blythe 2008)The external marketing environment analysis is the first stage of auditing cognitive process. It creates the information and analysis necessary for an organisation to begin to identify the key issues it go out need to address in order to develop successful strategy.As environment of business has never been the so complex as it is today you need a grasp of the big picture, the role of organisation and yourself within it. System theory makes conduct that every organisation operates within an industry setting that in turn interacts with a societal environment that is itself cultivated by a global marketplace. The global market environment appears very distant to marketers operating on a regional or even national scale, but with the information technologies shrinking distances, these multinational put to death are extending into every corner of the market place ( mike Oldroyd 2006, Graeme Drummond, John Ensor, Ruth Ashford 2008).Therefore the marketing environment is The external forces that directly or indirectly influence an organizations acquisition of inputs and generation of outputs, comprising six categories of forces political, legal, regulatory, societal/green, technological, and economic/competitive (Dibb et al, 2006 68). Within whatever society, all businesses face a common political, economic, so cial and technological environment, although any one element will often impact differently according to the size and situation of the firm (Mike Oldroyd 2006). Whether a market fluctuates rapidly or slowly, environmental forces are al styluss dynamic. Changing in the marketing environment jackpot create uncertainty, threats and opportunities for the marketers. Although the future is not very predictable, marketers can estimate what will happen, although some fail to do so, thus negatively affecting the performance of their businesses. It can be stated with certainty that marketers will continue to modify their marketing strategies in response to the dynamic environment. Furthermore, marketing managers who fail to recognise changes in environmental forces leave their firms unprepared to capitalize on marketing opportunities or to cope with the changes created in the marketing environment (Dibb et al, 2006 68)Research MethodologyUsing PEST analysis to understand your environmentPEST analysis is designed to provide a focus fashion model to assist you in establishing your objectives. It will take the result of your marketing audit and place them in a logical format to ensure that you take over passed all of the factors that could affect your market (Phil Stone 2001)Barclays PEST AnalysisPolitical EnvironmentIn every country on that point are rules and regulations that all businesses need to follow in order to operate legally.Government at both national and local levels can affect companies not only on a day-day basis through law, policies and authority but also a strategic level by creating opportunities and threats. Specifically, these arise because at competitive level the government can determine industry structure via monopoly and restrictive trade practices legislations further. Legislations will encourage competition so that customers can incur more options (Dale little and Dominic Wilson 1995).So there is a range of political organisations that ach e to be considered when looking at the influences in this area of the audit. The structure of a political system defines the centres of political influence. A state with a federal political structure will differ from a unitary political system. In the UK there is a parliament for Scotland and an fictionalization for Wales. However some of the responsibilities are still the responsibility of Westminster parliament. There is also string of decisions taking place both politically and legally within the framework of European Union. Political groups such Greenpeace can also effect the political agenda. Therefore when considering these area of the environment a much wider view has to be taken than just the domestic national government or legal process (reference). bank buildings are fighting for survival because the current situation in the world thriftiness the UK government is giving support to banks by intervening.The government has pledged to spend up to 37bn to buy stakes in three banks Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and HBOS. The Bank of England has lent further billions of pounds to the wider banking sector (bbc.co.uk).The UK Treasury has announced a financial lifeline, which could ultimately be worth up to 500bn, to try and stabilise the UK banking sector. Opposition parties in general backed the excogitates, which could see the government inject up to 50bn in capital essentially taxpayers money into leading banks and building societies. As fears of a prolonged global recession rise, the Bank of England, the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank each announced an emergency 0.5% cut in interest rates. only if this unprecedented move has had only a limited impact on the turbulent stock markets. Despite recovering slightly, the FTSE 100 was still down 2% in London by mid- afterwardsnoon while markets in Germany and France were down by more than 3%. But in the US, the Dow Jones rallied in early trading after the sharp falls of recent days. In another key development, the UK government moved to protect deposit holders in UK offshoots of Icelandic banks, threatening legal action against Iceland to recover money from one collapsed bank (bbc.co.uk)However Barclays did not seek help from the UK government in the current economic crisis instead they raised specie in from Middle Eastern investors (www.telegraph.co.uk). scotch EnvironmentThe economy is closely linked with political environment, it consists the current and future state of key economic variables used to pick up the wealth, purchasing power, savings and consumption together with the government economic policies deployed to effect those variable. These include the effect of inflation, interest rates and exchange rates and will have impact on the cost, prices, competitiveness and profitability of the business. In terms of strategic marketing tasks, of prime importance as part of the strategic planning process is the identification, monitoring and forecasting o f those economic variables to which the companys market effort is most sensitive. So understanding of the key economic indicators provides the necessary information for anticipating developments in the market place. Economic uncertainties impact negatively on business and consumer confidence so the key marketing task is to attempt to realize the relationships between movements in the economy and changes in the market place.Social EnvironmentThis is perhaps the most difficult for the marketer to identify evaluate and respond to it. It is a complex of demographics it includes changes in population characteristics educational standards, culture, lifestyle attitudes and beliefs. The way we think, we live and behave is the outcome of complex cultural conditioning by family, friends, schools, work and various media. It conditions who decides what we buy, where and when we buy it, and whether we credit or cash for example 45 percent of consumers agreed that they cause into temptation and buy things because they like them and not because they need them. This was up from 30 percent 20 years ago. So businesses need to consider the changing demographic trends in their business and the changing social climate in different parts of the world (Dale Littler and Dominic Wilson 1995, Phil Stone 2001 and Mike Oldroyd 2006).Peoples lifestyle are changing because in todays world expectations are higher as people have become more wealthy, they have come to expect more. In twenty first century Britain, few people would consider living with out a telephone, television, refrigerator, car, bank account or credit cards. In 1960s all these products were examples of things owned by only a minority of the population so the marketer will be concern with all the influences affecting the customers choice (Jim Blythe 2008 and Mike Oldroyd 2006)Barclays Financial Planning has launched two new pensions products to rival stakeholder pensions. According to the bank, customers can choose either a raw material investment solution, comparable to a stakeholder product, or to diversify their pension assets, including the option of a select choice fund proposition. Barclays director of investment advice and products David Stuart says the new pensions offer everyday pensions investors something much more flexible than a stakeholder plan but without the more complicated structure or cost implications of a full Sipp. (www.moneymarketing.co.uk) technological EnvironmentTechnology has become one of the most important factors affecting businesses over the last decade. The development of information technology has impacted in the way business is conducted. For example the use of faxes and e-mail and opportunities created by the internet (Phil Stone 2001).For many businesses the use of internet as marketing tool is little silent and certainly not appreciated internet can be very efficient marketing tool creating world-wide opportunities for even smaller one employee businesses style. Barclays must consider the use of latest available technology (Phil Stone 2001) in order to stay competitive with other banks E.G. HSBC because few serious marketers would consider not having a corporate website. Yet only ten years ago such websites were rare, and were often merely presence sites which directed visitors to a telephone number or address (Jim Blythe 2008). New technologies create new markets and opportunities (Philip Kotler and Gary Armstrong2004)ConclusionA company will not have strategic marketing planning process with out taking into consideration in to the external marketing environment as this vital in the company ability to operate as business.Because any organisation is surrounded by laws and liabilities, pressures groups and public bodies, customers and competitors. These liabilities are part of the marketing environment that the organisation works within. And since marketing is at the interface between organisation and the outside world, dealing with this env ironment is a major part of marketers work (stone Phil 2001).Barclays external environment is undertaken in order to discover the opportunities and threats that are evolving and that need to be turn to by the company (Graeme Drummond, John Ensor, Ruth Ashford 2008).External environmental analysis will provide Barclays with a wider perspective on the future marketing objectives of the business. It concentrates on the future of the business. PEST analysis must be forward looking based on existing knowledge. It is in this way that you can establish objectives that will either counter the threats that you will face in the market or exploit the opportunities that you will find.Barclays need to act socially responsible because this can give them competitive advantage through good media feedback and this will reflect on the way customers see the Barclays so reputation is important.A successful marketing plan is all about gaining competitive advantage. It is therefore virtually important y ou do assess all of your options carefully (Stone Phil 2001)ReferencesStone, Phil. (2001) Develop a winning marketing plan, Oldroyd, Mike 2006 Marketing environment Drummond, G. Ensor, J. Ashford, R. 2008. Strategic Marketing planning and control. 3rd edition. Amsterdam London Butterworth-HeinemannBlythe, J. 2008 Essentials of Marketing 4th edition.Kotler, P. Armstrong, G. 2004 Principles of Marketing 10th edition. International edition.http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7747608.stmhttp//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7658518.stmhttp//www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/3539562/RBS-six-month-repossession-delay-pledge-will-have-limited-impact-say-analysts.htmlhttp//www.moneymarketing.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=177908d=340h=341f=342http//www.aboutbarclays.com/content/detail.asp?NewsAreaID=111http//www.aboutbarclays.com/

Bio-diesel Oil :: Renewable Energy Environment Fuel Driving

Bio-diesel OilVincent Lamaunt, our hypothetical character, is a five star oecumenical in the armed forces and has given his life to serve and protect in Iraq. Recently, bra very and courage on the battlefield, has given him the privilege to return infrastructure hes been told to report at headquarters at 0700 hours the next day. Transported in a truck by a fellow officer, he learns he is officially relieved of his duties in Iraq after his one last mission to bring, from Baghdad, a convoy of four hummers, two trucks, and two support helicopters into Kuwait. Days later he soon found himself traveling by train, boat, and plane to finally reach his final destination, New York City. Vincent was greeted with a halo of happiness as his family came to bring him home in their Ford F-150. Imagine now, all these vehicles, the cars, trucks, helicopters, trains, boats, planes are no longer kindleed by petroleum oil, but from bio-diesel oil. Amazingly, bio-diesel is no longer an imagination, b ut a close reality as this renewable fuel is vastly becoming the next best alternative source for replacing the old and diminishing fogey fuels. The soybean plant has been apart of US history for decades as an important product of American agriculture. Today, soybeans are Americas number one export crop, and for nearly 30 years beginning in the 50s, the US was producing about 75 percent of the worlds soybean crop (Soypower). The oil that is extracted from this simple bean has found its charge into some of our common household products, such as shortening and salad dressings. Weight-loss products, baby formulas, and sports drinks also contain soy proteins, which provide us all nine inwrought amino acids. Even with all the important and interesting capabilities the soybean has been able to bring to us, none may be as significant as biodiesel fuel that some have been raving about. Is it compatible with current technology? I believe an important and very relevant question to be answe red before ever so implementing an invention like bio-diesel oil into society is A computer becomes more dynamic every year, but it is still designed in such a way to be compatible with floppy disks, zip disks, CDs, and now, the Flash chips. The same must be true for bio-diesel oil or a very complicated issue would be at stake. Thankfully, for us, bio-diesel oil has been tweaked in such a way that petro-diesel oil and bio-diesel oil could be used simultaneously in practically every current diesel engine there is.

Affirmative Action :: social issues

Affirmative ActionRobert K. Miller, author of The Informed Argument, describes approbatory action as, an active effort to function members of historically oppressed groups gain admission to American universities and entrance into a diverse range of jobs previously reserved for white males (145). Miller also states that this was the mentation of the 1970s complaisant rights movements (144). Things have changed throughout these past 30 years. Societys way of thinking has changed so much that logical protest has lift against affirmative action by both protesters and supporters of the action alike. Constance Horner, a quest scholar in the Brookings Governmental Scholars program and publisher of Reclaiming the Vision, which can be constitute in The Informed Argument, is an opponent of supporting affirmative action. Michael Tomasky, author of the excerpt, Reaffirming the Vision, which can be found in The Informed Argument, from his book, Left for Dead The Life, Death, and Possible Re surrection of liberal Politics in America, is a supporter of affirmative action. Proving that affirmative action needs to be abolished or improved is something to debate, which Horner and Tomasky do in their written opinions. Constantine Horner explains that affirmative action is causing the opposite result today from its intentions 30 years ago. The loss of jobs for white Americans has opened the floodgates of protest. The mere suggestion of a reformation of the civil rights result has caused a rising distrust in the black American community towards the politics involved. What black Americans dont touch, Horner believes, is the mis place of under subject participants in overwhelming situations. The need to fill race quotas has put under qualified applicants in positions at places of employment therefore, making it harder, if not impossible, for the employee to receive promotions. The placement of a person in a university based solely on the color of their skin has caused a colleg e dropout rate for blacks of almost two-thirds (Horner 150). The resolution Horner gives is to be persevering and to evolve and change, just as Americans have been doing, as long as we are moving forward with progress. Michael Tomasky gives the hint that maybe he is willing to see affirmative action changed, if even so slightly, but the feeling he gives in his excerpt, Reaffirming the Vision, was one not of a man to let his belief be easily swayed. Tomasky lets the reader know what side he is on by saying, from a pro-affirmative action point of view (153).

Orientalism :: essays papers

OrientalismTwo great themes dominate his remarks here and in what will follow companionship and power, the Baconian theme. As Blafour justifies thenecessity for British occupation of Egypt, supremacy in his mind isassociated with our knowledge of Egypt and not principally withmilitary or economic power.He describes the appetite for knowledge about the orient as being spawnedfrom the desire to colonialise effectively not to decipher the complexnature of a society which is inherently different, indeed bound to dothings a little differently. By comprehending the Orient, the Westjustified a position of ownership. The Orient became the subject, theseen, the observed, the studied Orientalist philosophers were theapprentices, the overseers, the observers. The Orient was quiescentthe West was dynamic.This is a preferably unfortunate position both for the West and theOrient. The students used their position of perceived understandingto further compel Oriental people into subservience wh ile at the same time justifying their actions. They protected theirconscience by convincing themselves that the Orient was incapable ofrunning itself, thus their territory must be administered for them.It dose not occur to Balfour to let the Egyptian speak for himself,since presumably any Egyptian who would speak out is more likely to bethe agitator who wishes to raise difficultiesSaid makes some vivid, passionate and smasher points however, he seemsto be lacking of a little objectivity. The general tone of his bookOrientalism depicts western Orientalists as persistently reinventingthe near and Middle East in self-serving, eurocentric terms as seen with Western eyes, the Orient emerges as a passive, backwardworld, monolithic in nature and exotic in its alienism, a realm ideallycreated to sustain the Wests daydream of supremacy. Said brutallycharges Western scholars for perpetuating the notion that the Orientshould not be taken seriously but rather be seen as a subject ofstudy.It is in this line that Said builds his argument. Totally oblivious tothe fact that the sheer passion in his discourse may be equated tofavouritism by readers. He makes many hard hitting and vivid points,but the repetitive hammering on the same point posses the power totransform a great piece of work into an opus which skates around adiluted form of reverse racism. As progress is made throughOrientalism several instances are depicted which provoke negativeattitudes from the readerThe European is a close reasoner his statements of fact are devoid ofany ambiguity he is a natural logician, albeit he may not have studiedlogic he is by nature very sceptical and requires establishment before he canaccept any proposition.

A Disappointing Golf Game :: Reflection Memoir Essays

A Disappointing Golf GameA smooth swing backed by power propelled my Titleist 230 yards down the fairway. An explosion of emotions ran through me as I started off the most important round of golf to date. The first hole of regionals proved to be as challenging as the rest period of the path would be that day.With temperatures in the lower forties, I teed off at approximately 1040 a.m. I had a thirty-foot putt to save par. I stagnant it, right in the center of the cup. I thought to myself, Now lets build off of that. The next tee shot was down the right side of the fairway and in perfect position to the pin. I was striking the ball very well, even though my swing felt like an unfolding lawn chair. I would convey to restrict this up for seventeen more holes.In the back of my mind, I knew that a 77 would get me to state for sure. At this same course, just two weeks prior, I shot 77 with a bogey and then a double bogey to finish my last two holes. I knew that if I could just imitate that round, I would be going to state. That 77 wasnt even a very good round for me. I made a lot of errors, mental and physical, that would have saved me a lot of strokes. A 73 won that tournament, so without those errors, I would have been right there. All I had to do was to play well. afterward carding a 39 on the front nine with five three-putts, I was on track to a 75. Things were looking up. Standing on the number cardinal tee was a very different experience than it was on the front nine. The cold, dark clouds moved overhead with a light turn over blowing right to left. The wind soon raised goose bumps on all of our skin. It had become quite cold, and everyone knew that this was going to turn ugly. A decent tee shot started off the imprimatur half of my round. As I was walking to my ball in the fairway, the wind picked up dramatically and sleet was stinging the back of my neck. My hands were soaked, along with the rest of my body. My clothes were drenched, making the temper ature seem much lower than it already was. I knew I would have to play through these elements well enough to post a good round.