Case Study Bribery Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study Bribery - Coursework Example h companies are liable if its authorized officials commit a bribery act unlike FCPA that does not outline a strict liability offence for corporations. Under the FCPA, there must be a proof of corrupt intention, but the bribery Act is stringent since there is no requirement for improper intent as such situations constitute general bribery offence. The FCPA creates certain loopholes that make companies engage in corruption since companies are allowed to incur promotional expenses that may either be in the form of gifts, entertainment or incentives in order to secure contracts. However, the UK bribery act does not make an exemption for promotional expenses. There are various reasons why companies have continued to violate the FCPA in the recent past such as the poor prosecution abilities, the loopholes inherent in the Act and unethical corporate governance practices in the US. Some of the companies that have been charged by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) in the recent past for engaging in bribery include BHP Billiton, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Avon Products Inc, Bruker Corporation and Hewlett-Packard. The companies have exploited the weak foreign legislation on bribery and the exemption on promotional expenses that is created by the FCPA to engage in acts of bribery. The FCPA has limited territorial reach and may fail to apply in some cases when the bribery act takes place outside the US borders. Another reason for this bribery trend is the less severe criminal penalties for bribery since prosecutors have imposed small company fines for violation and up to five years imprisonment. There are difficulties experienced in determining when a minor gift, entertainment or incentive constitutes a bribe since the anti-bribery law allows for companies to incur promotional expenses which are reasonable and bona fide expenditures related to a contract. The provision for making small gifts or incentives constitutes an important aspect of cultivating

Observational Essay Essay Example for Free

Observational Essay Essay Observations are a type of primary research that involves spending time watching people or other creatures interact with each other and the world around them. Observations are used in nearly every field and can be incredibly useful in gathering information. Types of Participation Before observing, consider how you as an observer may alter the event being observed.  ·How fully will you participate in the event?  ·Will you simply sit, watch, and take notes with no interaction?  ·Will you interact with the participants?  ·Will you become a participant yourself? These different choices can radically change what you end up observing. The mere presence of an observer may alter the eventsand if you interact with participants, you further risk changing what takes place. The other side to this is that by not participating in an event, you may not gain a complete understanding of that event. How to Observe When observing, it is especially important to separate observations from your feelings or reactions to observations. A good way to do this is to take your observations in a double-entry notebook. A double-entry notebook has two columns, one for what is directly observed and one is for what the observer interprets from the events. Here is an example: Observation: The teacher walks around the circle and speaks to each student individually. Interpretation: The teacher seems to want to make sure that each student understands the assignment. If you are observing a group that is not found in public (such as a group of card players, a sports team, or a special-interest group), it may be wise to plan to spend multiple sittings with the group. This will allow the group some time to adjust to your presence (and hence, for you to get more accurate observations). Recordings vs. Note-taking How will you be observing? Will you be taking notes in a notebook? With a laptop? Will you be recording your observations in some way (with a digital camera, video camera, digital recorder, etc? How you choose to observe is  another important consideration that can affect the quality and results of your observations. Remember that you cannot capture everything that takes place with a recording or by even by taking detailed notes. What to Observe Observational skills require some practice! The key to being a good observer is to pay attention to the details of a situation, write as much as you can, and write it as detailed as possible. Before you observe, you should consider how you will focus your observationsbecause you cant focus on everything! Research is required for this essay. Read the sample observational essays and note how the students integrated research into their work. source: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/07/ Write an observational essay about an intriguing place, person, or activity in your community. Your essay may be a brief profile of an individual based on one or two interviews: a description of a place or activity observed once or twice; or a longer, more fully developed profile of a person, place, or activity based on observational visits and interviews conducted over several days. Observe your subject closely, and then present what you have learnedin a way that both informs and engages readers. Use lots of description. Possible topicideas for observation (see your text for more ideas): -a church or temple (interview the minister/members) -a classroom (interview teacher/students) -a popular hangout -a hospital -any place that’s different or gets you outside of your comfort zone -a ride along with an officer -an AA meeting -a protest -a jail -hospice -homeless shelter -shelter for abused women with children

Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay

Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay This short study concerns my experiences in dealing with an adopted service user who wishes to establish contact with her birth mother. The essay takes up the case of J, a 46 year old divorced lady who finds out about her history of adoption after the death of her adopted parents. J tries to directly establish contact with her biological mother, who refuses to meet her, leaving J traumatised and emotionally devastated. The case scenario is provided in the appendix to this essay and is considered as read. This reflective and analytical account concerns (a) my experiences in dealing with Js problems and needs, (b) my thoughts and theoretical knowledge of social work theory and practice with regard to children who are put up for adoption at birth, (c) their various emotional and physical challenges, and (d) the desire that is sometimes manifested by them during various stages of their lives to establish contact with their biological parents. It makes use of established social work theories like the attachment theory and the separation anxiety theory. I also take up the growing prevalence of the use of social networking sites by adopted children to establish contact with their long separated birth parents, and the social work mechanisms available in the UK to facilitate meetings between adopted children and their birth parents. The Challenges of Adoption J was put up for adoption at birth and was adopted by foster parents. She grew up in her foster home in the company of her siblings, who were the birth children of her adoptive parents. The fact of her adoption was however concealed from her by her adopters. J grew up with some feelings of unease between her and her siblings and adoptive parents and suffered from low self esteem when she was young. She also displayed some behavioural problems and found it difficult to establish friendships with other children. Adoption is undoubtedly an important and beneficial social process. It serves the critical needs of different individuals (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). It relieves natural parents of the onerous responsibilities of bringing up children when their circumstances make it impossible for them to do so, on account of social and economic reasons. It ensures safety, security, physical and emotional nourishment, education and improved life chances for unwanted, orphaned or abandoned children (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). It also fulfils the needs of childless couples, single people, and families for a child. Whilst adoption is undoubtedly an important social process, it brings along with it different types of social, economic and emotional challenges for all involved people, the child placed for adoption, the birth parents and the adopters (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). Adopted children, numerous studies have revealed, are prone to the adverse consequences of attachment disorders and separation anxiety (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). John Bowlby, well known for his advancement of the attachment theory, explains the critical importance for infants to develop secure attachments to their primary care givers. Bowlby states that attachment processes between infants and caregivers are biologically based, chosen by evolution to maximise survival chances, and aim to provide infants with feelings of security (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). Such security provides infants with the foundations required to explore their environments, with the full knowledge that their caregivers will be able and available to provide them with protection in the face of adversity or stress (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). The separation of children from their primary caregivers often results in feelings of separation anxiety and the development of attachment disorders if their attachment needs are not met or resolved effectively (Blum, 2004, p 538). Studies on adopted children show that positively formed attachments between children and caregivers improve chances of well adjusted lives, irrespective of the biological relationships of attachment figures with children (Blum, 2004, p 538). Whilst it is known that J was put up for adoption at birth, the exact age at which she was adopted is not clear. Research shows that that children adopted after 6 months of age are at greater risk for development of attachment disorders (Blum, 2004, p 538). Such attachment disorders can lead to emotional disturbance, eating disorders, bedwetting, lack of performance at school, difficulty in development of positive relationships, withdrawal from society and poor life outcomes (Blum, 2004, p 538). The adoptive parents need to take special care to ensure good adjustment of their adopted children. It is important for them parents to meet the needs of infants for love and nurturing on a consistent basis (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Adoption requires an active role from adoptive parents who assume the role of caregivers. As adopted infants explore their new and alien environment, adoptive parents must provide the required guidance, supervision and structure to ensure their safety (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Caregivers must also have the capacity and ability to provide levels of stimulation that do not overwhelm or stifle the infants developmental level. They must be attentive to the internal world of infants by being emotionally available to help them during periods of frustration, rejoice in their achievements and share their joy of exploration (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Secure attachments create positive feelings in children that relationships can be helpful, fulfilling, and valuable and provide adequate protection in an occasionally overwhelming world (Blum, 2004, p 545). Whilst secure attachments do not secure immunity from subsequent psychopathology, childhood security is certainly related to (a) increased capacities for stress management and ability to rebound after periods of psychological disturbance, (b) capacity to manage family stressors, (c) increased self-esteem, (d) good peer relationships, and (e) good psychological adjustment (Blum, 2004, p 545). Contemporary psychiatric theory states that adopted children often need therapeutic parenting, rather than normal domestic environments. Such parenting should be based on principles like sensitivity, responsiveness, following the lead of the child, the sharing of congruent and inter-subjective experiences and the creation of an environment of safety and security (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 2). Parents, in order to engage in such therapeutic parenting, require to be committed to adopted children, have reflective abilities, good insightfulness and secured mental states with respect to attachment (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 2). With J showing evidence of emotional disturbance and behavioural problems during her childhood, it is possible that her parents, whilst providing her with a normal and secure domestic environment, did not place great emphasis in responding to her specific emotional needs. Their concealment of her adopted status is possibly an indicator of their concern for the child and their desire to protect her emotions and feelings. Contemporary psychological and social theories however recommend that children be informed of their adopted status (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). Such information, when provided with sensitivity and in appropriate circumstances and environmental surroundings, prevents adopted children from experiencing emotional traumatisation when they otherwise inevitably come to know of their history of adoption and helps them in adjusting to their new homes (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). Knowledge of birth parents is also important, both for the adoptive parents and the adopted chil dren, in order to effectively cope with possible medical problems (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). J came to know about her adopted status by accident when she was 42, after the death of her adoptive parents. The knowledge left her emotionally traumatised and brought back memories of her childhood and of feelings of strain in her relationships with her adoptive parents and their birth children. It is however but fair to realise that Js parents very possibly had her best interests at heart and were also unaware of the future impact of not informing her of her adopted status. Reunion of Adopted Children with Birth Parents J, on knowing of her adopted status and the name of her birth mother, became emotionally disturbed because was not informed of the facts of her adoption, or about her birth parents. Adopted children, as they grow older, often become curious about their birth parents, especially so in situations of little or no contact (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). Studies by Adoption UK, a national charity operated by adopters, reveals that all adopted children do not wish to know or contact their birth parents. Such desires are essentially personal, with some adoptees wishing to know more and others having little interest (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). It is however also true that people who are not interested in contacting their birth parents when they are young, change when they become older, especially after they become parents and experience desires of knowing, contacting and establishing relationships with their own birth parents (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). The emergence of social networking sites like Facebook and My Space have made it far easier for adopted children, who wish to know more about their parents, to establish contact with their birth families (Fursland, 2010, p 1). Such accessibility has introduced significant complexities in the social relationships of adopted children with their adopted and birth parents and is creating difficult challenges for social workers when they are asked for assistance by individuals in need (Fursland, 2010, p 1). Establishment of contact between adopted children and birth parents is an extremely sensitive issue and needs to be handled with care and sensitivity (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Adoption reunion can be a truly enriching and joyful experience, full of anticipation, twists and turns, joy, confusion, excitement, and fear. However reunion, like adoption, is not simple and can turn out to be a difficult, complex and sometimes saddening event (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Reconnecting with birth parents and children is rarely seamless and easy. It requires dedication, motivation, and a leap of faith (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Adoption reunions often give rise to complicated issues that have been dormant for decades and have to now be dealt with and resolved. Many birth parents may have never have shared their childs adoption with anybody else (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 57). Some birth mothers protect their secret because they are afraid of how others might or will react. For some mothers it is a matter of shame and they are instructed not to reveal their secrets to others (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 57). The National Adoption Standards for England, (Department of Health, 2001), along with the Adoption and Children Act 2002, provided birth parents in England and Wales entitlement to a support worker, apart from the childs social worker, from the point of identification of the adoption plan for the child (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). The Standards state that birth parents (a) should be able to access different types of support services, including counselling, advice and information before and after adoption, which recognise the long term implications of adoption, and (b) should be treated with transparency, fairness and regard during the adoption process (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). Most adopted children now have plans for direct or indirect post-adoption contact with birth relatives. Agencies are required to identify contact arrangements in adoption plans and consider post-adoption support requirements of all concerned (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). Existing regulations like The Adoption Support Services Regulations entitle adopted children, adoptive parents, and birth relatives for need assessment regarding contact arrangements and mandate agencies to maintain services to help such contact arrangements (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Helping J J contacted us for support on making contact with her birth parents. The Adoption and Children Act of 2002 has established a framework that provides adopted people, who are more than 18 years old and their birth relatives, rights to request for intermediary services if they wish to make such contacts. Such intermediaries are provided by registered adoption agencies, (either voluntary or local authority), or registered adoption support agencies and act as mediators between adopted people and their birth relatives. It is recommended that people wishing to make contact with birth relatives do so through intermediaries. J was informed about the intermediary process and services that could be provided by me in mediating with her birth mother but decided to contact her directly. When J contacted our agency and the case was assigned to me to help her with her emotional challenges and her desire to establish her birth mother, I engaged her in a long discussion in order to assess her emotional status, her views about her adopted childhood and her desire to meet her birth mother. I met her at her home on two occasions after taking prior appointments in order to ensure that she was prepared for the meeting and would be able to convey her thoughts better in familiar surroundings. I took care to adopt the person centred approach and deliberately avoided all judgemental feelings about her background as a relinquished and adopted child. The adoption of a person centred approach is necessary for the true implementation of anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory approaches and I was able to understand Js emotional and mental condition with greater clarity and empathy (Mearns and Thorne, 2007, p 9). Whilst my choice of open and close ended questions did help her in opening up and in shedding her inhibitions and reservations, I found her to be disturbed about her adopted status. She appeared to be disturbed with her adoptive parents for their concealment of information about her birth, her birth parents and her adoption, and kept talking of small incidents of her childhood about her parents and siblings. She also spoke about her behavioural problems, her disturbed sleep and her difficulties in making friends at school. J was however determined to establish contact with her mother and decided to contact her as soon as she found out her contact details. I offered to act as intermediary and contact her mother in order to assess (a) her views on the relinquishment of her birth child, (b) her current emotional status and (c) her attitude towards establishing contact with J. The lady (J) was however unwilling to wait even for a few days and was convinced that her mother would like to meet her as much as she did. I did mildly explain to her that her mother could have different opinions on the issue and even offered to expedite the process. Whilst J did provide some indication of being ready for my help at the closure of our second meeting, she subsequently changed her mind and established direct contact with her birth mother. Her birth mother, from what J told me later, was absolutely surprised at receiving the call and was taken aback by the development. She responded to Js introductory communication wit h brusqueness and asperity, informing her that she did not wish to respond to her overture or to establish contact. I do feel that J acted with great haste and the result of the initiative could well have been very different with the use of an intermediary. I would have telephoned Js mother and asked for a personal meeting. I would have again adopted a person centred approach, refrained from being judgemental, and would have engaged her in discussions about her reasons for relinquishing her birth child. I would have then gently brought up the matter of J, her adopted childhood, the concealment of information about her adopted status, and her current emotionally disturbed condition. I do feel that such an approach would have yielded a better response from her mother than Js arbitrary method of establishing contact. Conclusions This reflective account details my experiences of dealing with an adopted service user, who tried to unsuccessfully establish contact with her birth mother. Modern day theory on social work and psychology stresses upon the complexity of adoption and the various challenges that the process brings up for the adopted children, the adopters and the birth relatives. Adopters have particularly significant responsibilities in ensuring, possibly through the use of therapeutic parenting methods, that their adopted children do not suffer from separation anxieties and do not develop attachment disorders. It is important for social workers to understand the emotional implications of these complexities and consider the emotional needs of all involved people with empathy and understanding. It is also important, as my experience with J reveals, for adoption reunion processes between adopted individuals and their birth relatives to be handled with great care and thought. I do feel that I should have been more persuasive and possibly more forthright, without being judgemental, with J on (a) the possibly very different perceptions of her birth mother towards the meeting, (b) the compulsions that forced her to relinquish her birth child for adoption and (c) her current emotional condition and social environment. Such an action would have possibly produced better results at the end. My knowledge of social work theory and practice has been significantly enhanced by my experience with J and will help me to deal with such situations much better in future. Word Count: 2625, without citations and bibliography Bibliography Adoption UK, 2010, Wanting to know more or not, Available at: www.adoptionuk.org/information/217131/wanting_to_know_more/ (accessed January 30, 2011). Blum, H. P., 2004, Separation-Individuation Theory and Attachment Theory, Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association,  (52): 535-553. Bowlby, J., Parkes, C. M., 1970, Separation and loss within the family, In E. J. Anthony C. Koupernik (Eds.), The child in his family: International Yearbook of Child Psychiatry and Allied Professions, pp. 197-216, New York: Wiley. Bowlby, J., 1973, Attachment and loss, Vol. 2: Separation, New York: Basic Books. Brisch, K. H., 1999, Treating attachment disorders, New York: Guilford Press. Cassidy, J., Shaver, P. R., 1999, Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: Guilford. Feast, J., Howe, D., 1997, Adopted adults who search for background information and contact with birth relatives, Adoption Fostering 21:2, pp 8-15. Fursland, E., 2010, Facebook has changed adoption forever, www.guardian.co.uk, Available at: www.guardian.co.uk//19/facebook-adoption-tracing-birth-mother (accessed January 30, 2011). Goldsmith, F. D., Oppenheim, D., Wanlass, J., 2004, Separation and Reunification: Using Attachment Theory and Research to Inform Decisions Affecting the Placements of Children in Foster Care, Juvenile and Family Court Journal, pp. 1-12. Hollingsworth, L., 1998, Adoptee dissimilarity from the adoptive family: clinical practice and research implications, Child Adolescent Social Work Journal 15, (4): pp 303-19. Howe, D., Feast, J., 2000, Adoption, Search and Reunion: The long-term experience of adopted adults, London: The Childrens Society. Mearns, D., Thorne, B., 2007, Person-Centred Counselling in Action, 3rd edition, London: Sage Publications. Levant, F. R., Shlien, M. J., 1987, Client-Centered Therapy and the Person-Centered Approach: New Directions in Theory, Research, and Practice, USA: Praeger Paperback. Appendices

Bleikasten’s Literary Analysis of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury Ess

Bleikasten’s Literary Analysis of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury By focusing on the figure of Caddy, Bleikasten’s essay works to understand the ambiguous nature of modern literature, Faulkner’s personal interest in Caddy, and the role she plays as a fictional character in relation to both her fictional brothers and her actual readers. To Bleikasten, Caddy seems to function on multiple levels: as a desired creation; as a fulfillment of what was lacking in Faulkner’s life; and/or as a thematic, dichotomous absence/presence. The first section of the essay, â€Å"The Most Splendid Failure,† examines The Sound and the Fury as a(n) (ironic) modern recognition of the novel as a failed art form – if not language as a failed communicator. Bleikasten recognizes the novel as a reversal of reading, a realization of experience, adventure, and life. Because Faulkner was (apparently) not writing for the public, The Sound and the Fury acted as an â€Å"intranarcissistic† object, a â€Å"self-gratification,† which honestly makes me imagine the novel as a form of grandiose masturbation. And Bleikasten would have to admit that I am not too far off. He writes, â€Å" †¦ the aesthetic is made one with the erotic† (415). But then the essay takes an odd turn. This self-gratifying fulfillment becomes a replacement of either a missing sister or a dead daughter (the latter of which I don’t understand because Faulkner’s daughter did not die - was she perhaps very sick as an infant?) It seems that Bleikasten is now associating the erotic with the familial - not that incest is an inappropriate topic of conversation. However, Bleikasten does not acknowledge this connection and I cannot understand how Faulkner was implying an incestuous desire in his somewhat romanticized... ...age of the novel (neglecting to mention the same one at the end) that confuses and upsets Benjy: â€Å"caddie† versus â€Å"Caddy,† calling on the ambiguities and failing qualities of language, and seeming to draw his essay into a neat circular argument. But he then continues in a somewhat random discussion of Caddy as simultaneously nowhere and everywhere and as a symbol of/for water. He briefly looks at the role of memory in response to a disappeared, yet obsessed-upon figure, although the purpose of this discussion eludes me. Bleikasten ends by accepting Caddy’s elusiveness as necessary given her role in a modern novel and as a woman who cannot be grasped both by male characters and a male author – but what about us female readers? Can we grasp her by reading into Faulkner’s language, or has his failed storytelling blocked her off from any potential female understanding?

A role for transportin in the nuclear import of Adenovirus core proteins and dna

The research paper of Hindley and colleagues (2007) describes the function of the protein transportin in the entry of adenovirus-associated proteins in a cell.   Adenoviruses are microbial organisms that contain genetic material that has been highly compacted by the help of adenoviral core proteins.The DNA packaging facilitators have been known as terminal proteins and three types have been characterized by previous studies (Robinson et al., 1979).   It has been determined that these terminal proteins exist as two units, each one associates with the 5’ end of the DNA strand.   One of the terminal proteins, called protein VII, is created by the deletion of the terminal 24 resides of the precursor polypeptide preVII.The precursor protein, composed of 197 amino acid residues, is produced by the protease enzyme of the adenovirus right after the generation of new viral microorganisms.   It has been determined that the processed protein VII makes up most of the core protein content of an adenovirus and it situated in close proximity to the DNA strand of an adenovirus.   Another core protein that is present in significant amounts in an adenovirus is protein V.This 369-residue polypeptide has been postulated to link the core to the adenoviral coat.   The third core protein, termed Mu, also shows the ability of package viral DNA.Previous research has shown that the core proteins V and VII have the capacity to send signals that would dictate importation of material into the nucleus as well as compaction of nucleolar material (Wodrich et al., 2006).   However, the authors of the research article were aware that there has been no research effort conducted in order to determine the relation of these two terminal coreproteins and the process of importation of materials into the nucleus.The proponents of this research paper then set off to investigate the specific associations that between the import signals and the terminal core proteins.   In order to examine this relationship, the proponents of the research extracted the import receptors that were involved in the viral import process.   Isolated terminal core proteins were also prepared.A cell import experimental setup was developed in order to test each import receptor against each of the terminal core proteins.   The receptors were introduced to an established cancer cell line (HeLa) in order to determine whether any association will take place.   Simple import routes were also tested using the protein importin, which has the ability to associated core proteins.Both precursor and mature core proteins were tested in order to determine the temporal interactions that occur within an adenovirus.   In order to compare the action of other binding proteins with the core proteins, the protein transportin was also employed in the binding assay.   Pull-down assays were also conducted in order to catch a glimpse of the actual protein-protein associations within particular stag es of the adenoviral cycle.The assays showed that the binding protein transportin was necessary for the success of core protein V to attach to the nucleolar material of the adenovirus.   This result suggested that the packaging of nucleolar material can not be triggered by any type of binding protein but by a specific one such as transportin.The pull-down assays also showed that precursor and mature core proteins behaved differently within an adenoviral organism.   This observation provides an explanation why a significant number of amino acid residues have to be deleted from the precursor protein preVII.   The truncation actually does not only make the polypeptide shorter but specifically helps in the identification of particular signal motifs that would trigger further packaging of genetic material within an adenovirus.

And Your Name Is Jonah Essays

And Your Name Is Jonah Essays And Your Name Is Jonah Paper And Your Name Is Jonah Paper In the movie, And Your Name Is Jonah (1979), there is a family that is going through some tough times. Jenny and Danny Corelli (Jonah’s parents) are seen walking into an institution to pick up their son, Jonah. There had been some confusion on the diagnosis; it appears that Jonah was diagnosed as mentally retarded. Jenny kept questioning and questioning if the new diagnosis was in fact correct, and was just dumbfounded. They could not believe that Jonah had been in the institution for three years for being mentally retarded. They arrived at home where the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were throwing a welcome home party. They were just having cake and music was playing in the background and Jonah saw his grandpa dancing and he joined in. It was pretty apparent when the music went off that he was deaf because he just kept dancing and dancing until they tapped him on the shoulder. After the party, Jenny and Danny were trying to get the family back on track and living normal lives, but little did they know it would be disruptive to the family. The parents set up an appointment with an audiologist to determine if he was deaf. The audiologist informs the parents that she is not sure if Jonah would benefit from wearing hearing aids, just that the sounds would be amplified but not hearing clear sounds that he never heard before, so he gets hearing aids. The audiologist also recommended speech therapy. Jenny enrolls Jonah into a school but was informed by the supervisor there that they only teach the oral method at this school. Jenny goes along with this and Jonah is now attending the school. After a while, there seems to be some dysfunction in the family dynamics as the parents are struggling to figure out what to do with Jonah. There was a birthday party for Jonah and Danny; Jonah’s father bought him a bike. As Jonah is riding the bike out in the street, someone is honking at him to move, but Jonah is oblivious to what is going on around him. His parents are frantic and yelling at him to move, and the driver of the car hits Jonah, the accident was not fatal but did scare everyone. Danny and Jenny get into an argument because they do not know how to deal with Jonah’s deafness. His father is clueless, not sure what he believes or understands what is going on and during the argument he leaves the house. It is now up to Jenny to figure out how to deal with Jonah and living life as a single parent with his younger brother and has applied for welfare. As time progresses, Jenny is trying to help Jonah speak and is having a difficult time with this. And Jonah continues going to school and is struggling during this time. During the movie, you can see that Jonah is attached to grandpa, as he visits him at work at the market. They always do things together, even though neither one of them know any signs or any form of communication. Grandpa loves him and Jonah loves grandpa. One day, grandpa has a heart attack and passes away. And Jonah is not sure what to make of this, as he does not understand what is going on. Shortly after the death of grandpa, Jonah steals money from mom’s purse and hops on a city bus to go visit grandpa but he is no longer there. After he discovers grandpa is not there, he wanders off and shortly after that the police get a hold of him. He is taken to a hospital and because he is unable to speak and was acting belligerent they strapped him down. As his mother finds out where he is, she walks into the hospital just in time to see him being strapped down and is devastated; she demands that they release him, as he is just deaf not retarded. But as time goes on, Jenny, Jonah’s mother, is taking him to speech therapy and sees a deaf couple with a deaf child. She goes chasing after them on the sidewalk to find out some information. They inform her that they have a deaf club and she is more than welcome to come and meet other deaf people. She goes to the deaf club with another parent that has a child that attends the oral school that Jonah goes to. While they are there, Jenny and her friend meet an interpreter that explains what is going on and Jenny stated that teaching the children sign language was a big controversy. But after sitting there with the deaf group, she realizes that sign language is an option for her family as she is learning it herself. After a few days, a deaf friend visits Jenny and her sons in the park, teaching Jonah different signs. Jonah did not understand at first but after a while he finally got the concept and wants to learn more and more. As they get near a pond, Jonah picks up an empty turtle shell and asks the friend what that was. The man said it was a turtle but it died and shows him the sign for that. Jonah had a flashback to his grandpa dying and now understands this. Jenny has decided to allow Jonah to enter a deaf school so he can learn sign language and be with other kids like him. The movie that provided examples of the materials that were learned in class was about a deaf child who has a hearing loss. Most likely a sensorineural earing loss but it was never explained how he became deaf in the movie. It really devastated the family to find out that their child was not disabled and had been institutionalized for three years. Jonah had no clue how to communicate with his family and vice versa. At that time, the social worker probably would have done the same thing as everyone else. I am not sure how things would have been handled; although, I believe that they probably were not big advocators in stressing that the parents have the right to choose what is best for their child or they were never assigned a social worker. I believe that in this day and age, there would be issues on how it was handled. I would ask the family what their understanding of the functioning of the human ear, what happened, what did the previous doctor/audiologist say. As a social worker, I would have advocated that the child needed a proper hearing test, and determine what kind of hearing loss it is or how it happened; for example, was it a disease like German measles or medications that could have caused the deafness in the child. I would ask the parents to tell me their life story, what they can remember or think of in terms of his deafness. I think also, it would have benefited the family to have counseling support, to help them with their child and themselves. It would have given them more of an idea of what to expect. I would schedule home visits with the family to see how they were interacting with the child and assist them in learning/teaching them sign language if they choose. I would also counsel them on the pros and cons of attending public schools and deaf school. Education wise, it would be better to attend public schools and have deaf education classes in the school. But attending a deaf school is better for the child socially because they would be around others that are the same; they can communicate and will not feel left out socially. Explain to the parents that the deaf child, Jonah, is just like a hearing child but unable to hear. I would encourage them to attend sign language classes to help them learn to communicate with their child and let him feel as he was part of the family. Allow Jonah to have the freedom to be who he wants to be within reason, if they have strict rules about things, and then they need to follow through with it. But otherwise, let him have freedom as the hearing child does. As a social worker, I would work closely with the audiologist to determine what type of hearing aid would be best for Jonah and then discuss with the parents, and how they feel about this. As well as the primary doctor, as to keep everyone informed of what was going on in the situation. I would also recommend that Jonah receives speech therapy/lip reading to help him with vocalizations; also discuss if they would consider cochlear implants and explain how it works. I would encourage the family to apply for Social Security Income (SSI); I can provide information for them if needed. I can explain the different devices they have for the deaf/hearing impaired people. They have closed captioning on televisions to help follow along with the conversations, have flashing lights for doorbells/telephones. They also have Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD/TTY maching), which helps deaf/hearing people communicate on the phone, and would explain how that works. They also have vibrating alarm clocks with or without flashing lights to help the deaf people wake up, would also explain how that works. I would also refer them to Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) to apply and receive proper devices, as well as hearing aids for Jonah. I can set up for the family to meet other parents who have a deaf child/children to help them feel better, and they can discuss among themselves how they feel or what they believe and share with each other. I would need to find out about the family’s health insurance coverage and explain that most insurance companies do not pay for hearing aids, batteries, etc. It would be all out-of-pocket expenses, would also explain that they can refer to DARS for any of these needs and that DARS would help them. If they have any questions or problems with this, they can come see me anytime. I would stress to the family, what they choose for Jonah would be their options, I am there to help them and provide information and to answer any questions they have.