Understanding the Value of Creativity in Advertising

Understanding the value of Creativity in Advertising Creativity is thinking new things. Innovation is doing new things. † (Theodore Levitt) In today’s media landscape where it’s very difficult to shape consumers attitude and intentions and move them to next level of buying process, advertisers find it even more difficult and challenging to break through the clutter of competing advertisement. The advertising industry has experienced dynamic changes over the last several decades.The changes have been good in terms of Technology advancement, Medium and more methods to attract consumers and on Creativity. This study represents how creativity impacted advertising and understanding the value of creativity in advertising through the Review of various literatures. The importance of creativity factor in advertising has got wide recognition by many researchers, practitioner, but there is a miss of true & systematic research to define advertising creativity and how it relat es to ad effectiveness.The review study discusses some campaigns that have left their strong impression on consumers. The presented review study tries to come up with some evidence of creativity by reviewing expert views, past literature in advertising and marketing. The study discusses different forum on how creativity works, and what makes an ad to travel good or poorly. It summarized the value of creativity in advertising through Expert interviews, published material and related secondary data to understand the logic. Methodology: This study used a review study method to analyze the secondary data & observations.David Ogilvy once quoted that â€Å"If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative. † In this review study researcher  has analyzed secondary data through the series of interview, expert comments, and live cases of various literatures and through live observations to understand the value of creativity in advertising. The review paper includes a various article, discussion and market insight from the leading marketers, creative director insights about how this promising form of advertising is constantly evolving. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: Creativity is seeing something new when you look at something old; it is all heart of civilization and is the driving force of revolution†-David Ogilvy It is an accepted fact that there should be an element of creativity in an advertisement. This creativity is something new, unique, extreme attractive and appealing to the consumers. In fact, advertising itself is a creative process. It is the outcome of long term planning and hard work on the part of the copy writer & creative director who prepares & shapes the final copy of advertisement. http://www. baclubindia. com /forum/files/37_37_creativity_in_advertising_project_report. doc In today’s media landscape advertisers find it even more challenging to break through the clutter of competing ads in order to shape consumers attitudes and intentions. A good alternative strategy to greater advertising spending may be more creative advertising. Understanding the fact that creative ideas do not come over night they are required to be developed through systematic thinking. Breakthrough ideas might appear to be instant or impulsive, but they are not.They are based on sound strategy, outstanding visuals and copy, and the correct application of timing and media. The art is in ensuring that all elements of communication work together so that the end result is more powerful and effective. http://crackminds. com/? p=221 There are much bold evidences that significant changes faced by this industry. Some of these changes are good: big ideas, innovative partnerships, & interesting new work, that show what advertising can do for brands.Advertising allows you to communicate a salient message to a large group of consumers faster than any other form of communication. It allows you to truly connect with your consumer; it gives you an opportunity to develop an ongoing relationship between the consumer and a brand. At its best, advertising will create a sense of urgency for the consumer, honest awareness and accurate that there are products, places, styles or sensibilities that cry out for attention or action.To do that there are various styles of advertising, a soft sell or a hard sell, a subtle approach or a blatant approach, an informative style, humor or a modern and edgy one. Style will always change: with the product or service you are selling; with the timing of the message and with the medium you are using. But important aspect is how you can engage your consumers to watch that Creative challenge you took with the blend of style.The important thing is finding the right balance between defining a good creative message and execution. The true craft is in identifying ways to interest consumers in what is being offered at the same time justifiable creativity. A creative strategy can put you on the right course, but in a wor ld filled with distractions and clutter you must develop communications that capture consumer attention and interest. The key is delivering the selling point in an interesting, single-minded, non-contrived manner.Some advertising sells brands. Great advertising also builds them. Advertising might, at times, trod on the fine line between creativity and ethical considerations. Creativity makes advertisement popular among the consumers and motivates them to purchase advertisement specific product. The advertising message is received well by the target audience for follow-up action. LEARNING FROM PAST: SOME HERITAGE BRANDS AND RECALL VALUE In India there are some brands who have acquired distinct space in consumer mindset.These brands played very important role in initial marketing era, and managed to become an unforgettable brand for Indian households. These brands have endured the test of time. Colgate Toothpaste, Vimal, Pear's soap, Mysore Sandal Soap, Woodward's Gripe Water, Dabur, Amrutanjan balm, Vicco, Pond’s, Surf, Amul and Prestige Pressure Cooker are symbols of heritage brands of India. Some of these brands are represent the Indian culture. Sometimes the brand relies heavily on product and price features, rather than advertising creativity.The recalled values of some of these heritage brands are higher than today’s brands, the Colgate’s Surkasha chakra, Vicco’s jingle â€Å"Vicco turmeric nahi cosmetic† Advice of lalita ji for Surf,† Surf ki khariddari mai hi samjhdari hai†, Bajaj with it all time hit tagline ‘Hamara Bajaj’, or it be Lux with tagline â€Å"filmi sitaron ka saundarya sabun†, & Dalda-vanaspati was a impressive success and ruled the perch during its time, the unforgettable Liril campaign, the ad was all about waterfalls, abundant water and the girl splashing about in total abandon singing â€Å"la la la la laaa†.The ad was major success & very much appreciated, at the same time it became the highest selling premium toilet soap in a period of two years. Basically Most of the Heritage brands appeal to many age groups, probably the product /brands is what used by one generation, had been used by the previous generation and is used presently by the current generation. Understanding the success mantra behind these heritage brands can be tough but there are strong evidence stating towards their advertising appeal.The uniqueness of the campaign leads towards the high recalling. The frequency of television commercial was less and during that era there wasn’t much competition and managed with only National TV channel, â€Å"Doordarshan† these brands made their presence heavily on consumers, whereas Today’s as a competitive market emerged in various categories i. e. soaps, shampoos, TV’s fridge, Air conditioner and computers so did the media options to reach more people. THE CAMPAIGNS: HOW CREATIVITY WORKS?The current scenarios focuses that advertising has altered in many ways, now advertising become more and more creative, and getting real. Creativity increases the brand value. There is enough evidence that value for a brand will be formed through creativity. With Pointing on India’s phenomenal growth, it has become even more important for ad agencies and their clients to gear up together to meet challenges that come with such expansion. Creative ideas have no boundaries, Ideas can strike anytime.A successful & great creative idea can give brands the required thrust to explore new heights. It is very important that with creativity involved in advertising it should not forget its basic agenda –of informing, convincing, and selling. Creative advertising needs to intelligent, sharp, imaginative to the point and extremely catchy. It must motive people to purchase advertisement product. The message and appeal made should be able to make positive impact on the consumers. The creativity develops n ew useful ideas which further fulfill the desired requirement.Creativity should focus the attention of the customer on the product and he must feel the urge to have that product for same benefit. This suggests that creative advertising should be able to create demand for the product when it is introduced for the first time. Some of the distinct creative ads impacted hard. VODAFONE’S Creation â€Å"The Zoozoo†: After successfully rebranding â€Å"Hutch to Vodafone† Vodafone Essar Limited, the India-based subsidiary of the global mobile network operator, Vodafone started expanding its presence in pan India.The new avatar of Vodafone is â€Å"Zoozoo† has created a new dimension of creativity. The Zoozoos advertising campaign highlighted the different value added service (VAS) offered by the company. This creative aspect got huge appreciation from the customer and they say you simply Love them and you just can’t ignore them. The Zoozoos were everywhere . The creative ad series of 30 TVCs, were Created by Ogilvy & Mather for IPL Season 2. The Zoozoos Coffee Mugs and T-shirts became instant hit in the market.Prior to this what Vodafone did to show the transition from Hutch to Vodafone, ad agency O&M launched a rather direct, thematic ad showing the trademark pug in a garden, moving out of a pink colored kennel symbolizing Hutch, and making his way into a red one (the Vodafone color). A more energetic, chirpier version of the ‘You and I’ tune associated with Hutch, plays towards the end, as the super concludes, ‘Change is good. Hutch is now Vodafone’. Public Awareness: A simple public awareness TVC shows a man manipulating a remote control toy car in an office set up.He receives a call and tries to answer it with continuing to manipulate the controls of the car. The car crashes. The message is clear and gets across with no extra layers. Driving while talking on a mobile can cause accidents. ‘IDEAâ€⠄¢ Cellular: The ideas of Idea cellular campaign were worked really well. It has been an interesting and almost ‘off the track’ ride for the brand belonging to the Aditya Birla Group. This cellular service used its brand name â€Å"idea† and real social issues to successfully showcasing its message in the consumer’s mind.The campaign shows ugly reality in the social and political arena in India, it’s very unique and different combination of creative aspect, â€Å"What an Idea sir ji† campaigns raised issues related to Caste wars, Education for all, Democracy, health Campaign, ‘walk and talk’. The creativity of ideas worked well, while the team is well aware that most of the solutions it propagates in its ads may seem improbable, but at least it makes people think. The job is done if consumer also starts saying â€Å"what an Idea, Sirji!! There are many creative ads which made a direct entry into customer mind.Camlin’s Per manent Marker made a distinct effect on the consumer it leaves Lowe Lintas, devised a cool concept for the brand to advertise the product. This time this is OOH advertising, the simple but eye-catching hoarding, with the three cut-out men having mechanically-backed moving limbs, trying to wipe off the words written in bright red, also displays the product – the permanent marker. The category of permanent markers are a very low involvement, in such scenario also ad agency had done clutter breaking, and at the same time, something that brings out the essage clearly – here the message being ‘permanent'. † WHAT MAKES ADS TRAVEL GOOD OR BAD; A REALITY CHECK There are numerous factors play roles in determining whether advertisement travel well or poorly. Marketers need to test multiple markets to get a full understanding of an ad’s likely effectiveness, but it becomes equally imperative to understand what it takes to beat the odds and create a truly Creati ve Advertising. The combination of creativity and the characteristics of ads that travelled well are, Children, Celebrities, Music, Humor and Emotions.In India presence of Celebrities makes a big difference and this can work across markets. True to the phenomena that the famous celebrity can contribute to an ad travelling well but the ultimately success comes down to the power of good copy. Humor, this word will now be associated with advertising for a long time to come. Humor can work greatly well, probably because it was cracked not long ago by the advertising fraternity, Or probably because the otherwise fretting Indian audience feels largely pepped up with humor in ads, and therefore, there are more chances of an ad acquiring mind space.Whatever be it, it's a formula which now everybody is trying hands on. Some ads are surely worth the effort. Particularly when it comes from visual and music, the examples can be ‘Happydent white’, and the great ‘Amul butterâ⠂¬â„¢ print series with â€Å"Amul girl† , ‘Fevicol’ ads, ‘Mentos’ , Vodafone ad Children in the ads can certainly help to travel well it is not simply the cuteness that adds to creative portability, but rather the child’s unique perspective and reaction to an event within the ads.An excellent example is â€Å"Dirt is Good or ‘Daag Achche Hai'† ad for Surf Excel, in which a brother â€Å"fights† the mud his sister fell into. And the recent on which shows a little boy pretending to be a dog in order to make his teacher, who has just lost her dog, smile. Of course, in the process his white uniform gets mud spattered and totally worthy of a Surf Excel wash. This one from Lowe Lintas tugs the heart strings. This campaign sticks to its ‘Daag Achche Hai' premise.Bank of India showing kid with piggy bank is yet another creative scoop. At the same time advertising that generates an emotional response also has its own benefit, like it can help generate engagement and memorability and it can help the emotions transfer to the brand shaping the brand perception. Dove’s real beauty campaign is perfect example. CREATIVE ADVERTISING: IS THERE A STRONG NEED: Most brands in the same category deliver more or less the same functional benefits and answer the same needs of the consumers.With so many products on the market having the same function, the only way to position a product, service, or company differently from anything else in the same category is through creative development in advertising. Today traditional advertising is losing its sheen. The biggest problem with traditional media is that consumers today have lots of choice for ad avoidance. The fragmentation is very high and there is very less scope of customized message for all. The Indian consumer has changed if we focus on this issue there is a lot more on the menu to choose from.Now the message unlike the past is no longer a one way process. But public opinion is far more mobilized, they have immediate platform for expression. The expert believes that the creativity in advertising could never exist in isolation without a context. The success of final product completely depends on empathy and the relevance of message it intends to deliver. The trigger for ideas and insights must necessarily come from the environment. The new millennium is just decade old, advertising, which is about creating demand, also has undergone a complete transformation.Many things have changed and many things have stayed exactly the same in this industry. The media agencies have witnessed the tremendous growth in skills set. If one critically analyze, â€Å"advertising reflects the mood of the times. The simplistic inform-persuade-sell mode worked beautifully for a long time but once communication became sophisticated, technology entered, there was a paradigm shift. Multi-tasking became the order the day. It is not uncommon to see today’s kids on the mobile while hitting the net, right?So in this age of Youtube, Twitter and Facebook, advertising content has to keep pace. It can’t be as direct, naive and simplistic as it once was. The new-age consumer would dismiss it, straightaway. † For hard-core information and details about products and services that are in the hi-ticket category, the internet provides it all; one doesn’t have to completely depend on advertising. So the job of advertising today is to primarily push the brand in an endearing fashion that triggers the recall factor, and examples discussed indicates that ‘creativity’ stored better recall value.Unlike other businesses, advertising is ultimately a people's business. Thus creative advertising that sells is the results of three ingredients: people, information, and environment. If you create the appropriate environment for creative people with right information, they can create great advertising. To make the right enviro nment, Ad people must bond together as a ‘team' not as individual. Therefore, creative advertising that actually sells is the result of ‘team work. ‘ This is one single most important characteristic of creativity in advertising business.Creativity resulting from ‘team work', effectiveness and communication, these are the key factors in successful advertising campaigns. The Ad agencies must strive for balance between them. How many TVCs of toothpastes, soaps, creams, shampoos, of different companies could were differentiated from one another? Examples are many, all toothpastes promises white teeth & fresh breath some shampoos promise Zero Hair Fall, another one promises Zero Dandruff and remaining guarantee strong, shine and strength.With creative ads they can certainly communicate it differently so as to create a distinct brand image in the minds of the consumer,† Consumers often remember and memorize the creative ads than the product; rarely any advert isement makes the product memorable. So understanding the various dimension of advertising creativity is important. To fully understand creativity, one would need to expose what factors are generally held to comprise it. Some dimensions are Novelty, Meaningfulness, Well Craftiness, Positivity, and Humor.

A Mir Case Essay

In the Case, â€Å"A Mir Case† there are many Organizational Behavioural issues involved. There was no team cohesion amongst the researchers and this was in a large part due to the composition of the team. This composition in itself created many cross cultural, gender and communication issues, which resulted in the conflict amongst the individuals. One factor that influences team cohesion is the members’ similarities and in this case we see the Russians forming their own group (due to their similarities and cultural beliefs and views) and the new international researches forming another group amongst themselves. Another division amongst the group was due to the language barriers. . Language differences are a huge source of communication noise as it lessens effective communication as words and meanings can be easily misunderstood. Along with the language barrier, there was also cross cultural and cross gender communication issues. The Japanese and Austrian saw the inclusion of the female participant to be positive and treated her with respect, the Russians felt she had to be endured and looked at her as a sex-symbol and not a team member. There were also cultural differences as the Russian were seen to be more aggressive and dominating and while the Austrian, the Japanese and the French researcher saw the kiss as a form of sexual harassment, the Russians saw nothing wrong in this â€Å"stolen kiss. † These actions by the Russians (which were due in part to the cultural differences) now has serious repercussions as the other researchers now felt as though they were in a hostile environment which in turn leads to high levels of stress. To make matters worse, there was no intervention by a mediatory or leader from IBMP to help resolve the conflict which only further escalated the problems. Within the individuals there was no emergence of a leader and no one to take charge of the situation and work towards resolving the conflict. In essence, the lack of team dynamic and cohesion and the cross cultural differentiation all escalated to a conflict that was never resolved or addressed rather it was avoided by Moscow’s Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP), who classes the conflict as all a part of the experiment. As mentioned in the case, the purpose of the experiment was to learn about the dynamics of isolation, as they would apply this knowledge to the International Space Station, who would be sending people into space for long periods of time. For this to work, the group would really need to learn how to work effectively as a team and how to overcome conflicts that would naturally arise. In this situation, the individuals really need someone to step up as a leader and take charge of the situation. This would be a positive step, as the leader can work with the individuals to form a cohesive team and initiate some conflict resolution. However this solution will be challenging as the Russians will probably not want to listen to someone who is not Russian and due to their aggressive nature, the other researchers may not want a Russian as their team leader either. As a result it would really take an understanding, open, motivated and influential person to take charge of this team. The individuals also needed conflict resolution. The company should have looked at third party conflict resolution as a means of working through this issue. This would be best as it would be an outside person who is able to be neutral and help the conflicting parties resolve their differences. However this mediator would interfere with the experiment, because if this incident did take place in space, there would be no mediator to send. Due to the fight and the kiss, this conflict escalated to a very high level as one individual felt violated. As a result conflict management is definitely needed. Though IBMP did not want to intervene, sexual harassment is a serious claim and needed to be addressed. A mediator needed to get involved to work through this crisis. A mediator will not only help to diffuse the issue but will show the researchers who were upset with the incident that the company is not avoiding the issue but is taking it seriously. That mediator would first off have to look at ways to reduce differentiation by creating common experiences. The mediator would have to find a way to show the cross cultural differences and show the Russians that what is acceptable in their culture is not in others and vice versa. The researchers need to find the commonalities within each other in order to live and work more effectively. After differentiation has been reduced the mediator would also have to look at ways to improve communication and understanding. Through this experiment IBMP would be able to tell the International Space Station (and implement in future experiments) that you cannot isolate people with different genders, cultures, languages together without first giving them a chance to get to know one another. The group should be asked to choose a team leader first and given some time to form their team dynamics. The group should be able to socialize together, learn about each other’s’ ultures and lifestyles and go through the team processes of storming and norming before being isolated in space. The group should also be given some regulations to follow, as ambiguous rules tend to lead to conflict. Certain common norms, for example, that sexual harassment and violence will not be tolerated should be instituted. Of course due to the different cultures, it will have to be clarified what is meant by sexual harassment and violence. With a good group dynamic, with a clear team leader and some rules in place the group should be able to reduce conflict and function more effectively.

Spice Crops

Accessibility to good roads, transportation facilities, and market A good farm-to-market road is practically essential. Bad roads limit the size of loads, increase wear and tear, and cause crops to be bruise. 2. ) Well-drained areas A gently sloping land is a good site because it allows for efficient water drainage. The site should not have any depression where water may accumulate. 3. ) Soil fertility Spice crops can be grown in almost all types of soil. However, they thrive best in loose, friable, sandy loam soil rich in organic matter. 4. ) Climatic conditionsMost spice crops grow best under warm humid climates but some grow in dry environments. Determining what kind of spice crop to grow in a particular area should be done beforehand. 5. ) Rainfall The amount of rainfall is important because spice crops do not grow well in areas with excessive rainfall. Instead, they grow faster in places with direct exposure to sunlight. Preparing the Onions There are several varieties of onion grow here in the Philippines. Among them are Red Globe, Excel, Granex, Red Creoles, Crystal Wax, Japanese Bunching, Baguio green,and Beltsville Bunching. The onion plot should be plowed, harrowed, and left in good tilth.The surface should be well worked and smooth. For every kilogram, prepare a 1Ãâ€"10 meter plot. Prepare five plots and five kilograms of seeds for every hectare of planting area. Sow the seeds thinly and evenly then water the plot. Cover them with a thin layer of pulverized soil to avoid exposure to sunlight. Keep the soil moist by watering it every week with ammonium sulfate. Seedlings are grown for 30-40days. As the onion matures, gradually decrease water supply to promote proper bulb ripening. Stop watering when the tops of onion start falling over as they are almost ready for harvesting.Onion’s keeping quality is longer when it is fully ripe when harvested. PLANTING AND CARING FOR ONIONS: Planting and Transplanting Onions can be planted either by clean cu lture or mulch culture method. If clean culture is used, the field should be plowed and harrowed to remove the weeds and pulverized the soil. One or double rows are then made, and complete fertilizer and processed fertilizer at the rate of 4-6 kg. per 100sq. m of land are thoroughly mixed and applied. The plots should be sufficiently irrigated to wet the soil. In the mulch method, the field is not plowed. Instead, the remaining stalks are cut nearest to the ground.Then, the field is allowed to dry while the weeds are removed. The field should be irrigated three days before transplanting. Fertilizer should be applied a week before transplanting. The amount of fertilizer to apply may depend on the native soil fertility, thus soil analysis is necessary. After 30-40 days, irrigate the field to loosen the soil. Uproot the seedlings carefully, and plant them in the plot in columns with a distance of 8-10cm. Make sure that the soil has enough moisture while the plants are growing. Irrigati on In the plot method, the first watering is done after one week from the date of planting.Irrigate the field just enough to water the soil. Apply the fertilizer consisting of five bags of ammonium sulfate and five bags of urea per hectare are then applied. The field is then irrigated every 10days. On the third irrigation, a combination of five bags of urea and five bags of muriate of potash are applied. On the fourth irrigation, 20 bags of complete fertilizer per hectare are then applied In the mulched method, less irrigation is done because the rice straws can retain the moisture of the soil longer. In both methods of planting, irrigation is no longer done one month before harvesting the crops.Pest and Diseases The common Pest that attack onions are thrips and nocturnal leaf-eating worms. You have learned that thrips are winged insects that eat parts of onion’s leaves, which then become yellow and dried from tip to base. To control these pests, spray the infested plant with Malathion or any appropriate insecticide. Purple blotch and onion pink rot are the common diseases caused by fungi that usually attack onions. Practicing crop rotation, planting of resistant varieties, and applying appropriate pesticides are some of the measures that farmers may use to control these diseases. HARVEST AND POST-HARVEST OF ONIONSHarvesting and Post-harvesting Operations The bending of the onion leaves is a sign that the onions are ready for harvesting. The maturity period of the crop differs according to the variety, just make sure that only the fully ripe ones are harvested to enhance their keeping quality. Red Globe, for example, matures in 100 days or more; Excel matures in 90-100 days; Red Creole matures in 110-120 days; and Granex matures in 130-135 days. Onions are harvested by uprooting the plants carefully. The bulbs should be properly sorted from the thick necks (will not store so long); injured or damaged bulbs should be cleaned.The plants are then placed in nylon sacks, bamboo crates or baskets. Onions should be carefully handled and properly cured, so that they will retain their freshness and quality. Onions should be placed in cold storage room with a dry atmosphere and adequate ventilation Marketing of Onions Fresh market onions are distributed through broker-shippers, grower-shippers, and chain store buyers. Many growers disposed of their crops soon after harvest. Dealers, shoppers, supermarket buyers, and others are usually on hand at harvest time to buy the products on cash basis, some on consignment basis.In some areas, onions are commonly sold under marketing contracts between growers and shippers. Profit Crops Production Cost Gross income Net income (Pesos)(Pesos) (Pesos) Onions P50. 00 P100. 00 P50. 00 The remaining P50. 00 profit will be the total profit for my plant production of onions.FIAT LUX ACADEME Cavite In partial fulfillment of the requirement in T. L. E. II â€Å"A Project Plant for my Plant Production† Sub mitted by: Rotsen R. Manaois II – Germanium Submitted to: Miss Hirlen E. Pico T. L. E. Teacher

Geomorphology Lab 2 Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Geomorphology 2 - Lab Report Example Even though there was not difference observed, the ages given by radiocarbon dating were a bit unrealistic. The radiocarbon age-based sedimentation rate is considered unrealistic and cannot relied upon because of the fluctuations witnessed in the rate of production of carbon 14 at the top of the atmosphere. This carbon 14, older and young changes the apparent age of the samples. It is this time range because it gives an â€Å"age plateau† whereby a wide span of real time is covered. The significant effect occurs at this point because of the combination of large influx of 14C-depleted, carbon from the oceans, and decrease in the rate of 14C production from the atmosphere causes the â€Å"age plateau† 3. What is the percentage change in the sedimentation rate from radio-carbon age based sedimentation and calibrated age-based sedimentation? Why is the radiocarbon age-based sedimentation rate not realistic? However, the radiocarbon age-based sedimentation rate is considered unrealistic and cannot relied upon because of the fluctuations witnessed in the rate of production of carbon 14 at the top of the atmosphere. This carbon 14, older and young, changes the apparent age of the samples. 4. Note that the sedimentation rate declined 10000 to 8000 years ago. Can you provide an environmental factor (e.g climate, vegetation uplift, etc) and process-based source-to-sink explanation as this why occurred? Climate is a major environmental factor, which may have contributed to the sedimentation decline. As the result of aridity witnessed during this period, the amount of sediment transported and deposited decline. Rain is an important factor, given water is used in the transportation of the

Enjoying the Hobby of Collecting Machineguns Essay

Enjoying the Hobby of Collecting Machineguns - Essay Example The machine gun has had a checkered history and was invented in the mid nineteenth century by Dr. Richard Jordon Gatling, whose weapon came to be known as the Gatling gun. He patented his invention in 1861. The Gatling gun was the first rapid firing gun and can be rightly called the ancestor of the modern machine gun. Dr Gatling said â€Å" it occurred to me that if I could invent a machine-a gun- which could by its rapidity of fire, enable , one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would to a large extent supersede the necessity of large armies and consequently , exposure to battle and disease would be greatly decreased.†2 People have been collecting guns all over the world for decades. It is akin to people collecting swords. But now a new hobby has emerged of collecting machine guns. In most countries in the world, owning a machine gun is illegal, but in the United States 34 states of the union, it is legal for citizens to own and shoot with machine guns. In case you wish to start a hobby as a machine gun collector than please insure that the state you reside allows you to own a machine gun as many states like Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington State and the district of Columbia, have a total ban on privately owned machine guns. However despite the above a quarter of a million Americans own machine guns. The National Firearms Act 1934 is the nodal act that governs collection of Machine Guns for any purpose or as a hobby. Before 1934, there was no bar on owning machine guns, but the NFA passed in 1934 made it mandatory to register the weapon with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire arms (BATF)3.. Machine guns by and large have never been used in a crime as the procedure for owning a machine gun is very stringent. It must be noted that machine guns cannot be purchased across the counter and a lengthy period from 60to180

Motivation Methods Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Motivation Methods Paper - Essay Example This can be done through a needs analysis or even qualitative research such as interviews or questionnaires to determine the real-life attitudes of employees. Motivating employees requires a blend of transformational leadership development, experiential learning, negotiation strategies, and making appeals to psychological needs. Many organizations that operate in dynamic and ever-changing environments must be flexible and adaptable in order to maintain its competitive edge and advantages over other businesses operating in the same industry. For some businesses, marketing and promotion are critical dimensions that differentiate the brand or the product from other companies selling similar products in multiple domestic and international markets. In order to be adaptable, change management becomes critical. According to Grieves (2010, p.8), â€Å"change is a negotiated order†, where internal stakeholders of all varieties attempt to exert persuasive influence on others in order to achieve goals and objectives established by the organization. In order to motivate employees in an environment where there is considerable resistance to change, the manager must consider bargaining tactics in order to negotiate these changes. Employees who often resist change can reduce productivity and complicate the development of special projects that are critical to achieving corporate goals and gaining competitive edge. In many scenarios, such resistance is caused by negative sentiment or attitude about the change and its potential impact on job role and responsibilities. Employees are more willing to accept change activities and principles when they feel they have been given an opportunity to express their concerns about the activities and the potential risks employees feel the change imposes. If employees do not feel they have been given adequate decision-making authority and are being heard by management, they will not feel appreciated within the organizational context. Thu s, the manager should attempt to create a sense of social belonging and also build self-esteem in employees associated with the change. According to Morris & Maisto (2005), these are fundamental human behavioral needs that are critical to achieving a self-actualized, motivated attitude about job role achievement. The most effective methods of establishing motivation in a changing environment are to bargain the change imperatives and ensure that consensus becomes part of the management model. Another method of improving motivation in the organization is the development of the transformational leadership style. According to Fairholm (2009), transformational leadership is a human resources-based management system whereby the manager works as a teacher, mentor and coach to others in order to build their competencies and individual skill-sets. A transformational leader also imparts vision and mission on others in the business, role modeling ethical behaviors to build trust between subord inate and manager. In organizational environments where there are traditional management models that have rigid control systems and reward systems that are contingent on performance in job role, employees are not given opportunities to express their creativity or achieve autonomy in job role. Transactional leadership, as one example, is a management philosophy where goals are

Motivating Learners from Low-Income Households Case Study - 1

Motivating Learners from Low-Income Households - Case Study Example An empirical approach has been suggested by the research cited on attribution, self-concept, and praise and questioning. At the close of our session, I would give a prescription for the thing to do so as to improve the condition in the classroom. I would recommend for the teacher always developing an anticipatory set so as to cause the students to keep focused. Telling the students the objectives and the purpose of the lesson too would be a recommendable thing to do. The teacher ought to input knowledge, whatsoever, into the pupils. It is also advisable for the teacher to be a role model for the learners and show them what is supposed to be mastered. Another strategy that would work for the teacher is seeking to understand the learner’s side. Providing a guided practice of skill is a motivating activity to integrate with the classroom situation (Wiles & Bondi, 2004). The teacher should as well allow for independent practice by the learners. When dealing with the teacher situat ion, I would research widely on the ability of a teacher to demonstrate to utilize appropriate classroom management with a focus on discipline. The research reveals that there is a direct and negative association between poverty and academic performance. Poverty is a chief factor underwriting poor academic performance by learners. Revelation from studies shows that most students from low socioeconomic background fare poorly in academics at school. This is caused by substantially little parental involvement especially that of mothers. Consequently, there is insufficient nurturing, time spent with children is less, and warm emotions are very rare. These factors cause depression, low self-esteem, sense of powerlessness, and an inability to cope up with various situations that are the behavior and personalities that a teacher ought to shape for the better. Exceptions to these appalling conditions are, however, existent.

The effects of illegal immigration in Britain and France Research Paper

The effects of illegal immigration in Britain and France - Research Paper Example There dozens of nations across the globe, which are known to have millions of people who have entered to them illegally.1 Most potential immigrants believe that the costs or risks of migrating to a different country are lower while compared to chances of migrating to them successfully. As a result, they regard the issue of immigration as being a better option to them. The benefits that immigrants take into account target improvements in living standards and income as well as to gain future permits to reside in the country legally. This is especially in cases where immigrants are offered with a path to citizenship or neutralization. However, there are certain costs that are associated with restrictions that are imposed to illegal immigrants in the host county. Some of these include abandoning their families, and abandoning their ways of life, as well as chances of being detained, an event which may result to sanctions.2 This paper will discuss the history of illegal migration to Britain and France, economic and social implications, as well as public policy changes that the two countries practice in orde r to curb the issue of illegal immigration. Since the beginning of 1945, the number of illegal immigrants to the UK has been rising at a substantial pace. This is especially with respect to the case of Ireland among other British Empire territories and colonies such as Bangladesh, India, the Caribbean, Pakistan, Kenya, South Africa, and Hong Kong. Other known immigrants into the country are those who come seeking for Asylum, especially those who act as refugees and other residents of European Union. Approximately half of the rise in population from 1991 to 2001 was as a result of foreign immigration.3 Today, it is not an easy task to identify the number of people who are living in Britain with appropriate authorization. In 2001, the Home Office undertook a census whereby it identified the

The Imaginative Insights of Pablo Picasso Research Paper

The Imaginative Insights of Pablo Picasso - Research Paper Example The paper "The Imaginative Insights of Pablo Picasso" gives a detailed information about the artist Pablo Picasso. Pablo Picasso grew up in Malaga, where he was born in eighteen eighty-one. Picasso's father was a painter and taught in an art school in Spain. Pablo’s canvas proficiency was apprehending in early years while still in school. Picasso's love for painting was seen when he dropped school to draw. Pablo also joined art school in Barcelona where he had relocated. Pablo later traveled to Paris to initiate profession in painting. In Paris Pablo struggled to thrive in art career, he lived in deplorable conditions. In Paris, Pablo decided to use Picasso as art signature name dropping his father’s name. While initiating art career, Picasso’s work was not as charismatic as it was in the end. The dissimilarity could be seen between the art he crafted in nineteen ninety-one which was a self-portrait and a self-portrait he generated before he died in nineteen seve nty-two. Pablo’s initial work in Paris was the Blue period which lasted from 1901 to 1904. While initiating his career in art, color was a momentous trait, and he branded it in art. During Picasso's art occupation, he went through a lot that was replicated in the mood. Picasso’s preliminary phase was named blue period as he employed blue to blue-green shades. The blue shade replicated the depressing mood that was brought about the low societal class. In drawings, Picasso illustrated representations of emaciated and disconsolate figures.

Examinations Essay Essay Example for Free

Examinations Essay Essay Certain forms of rhetoric may seem like they are set in concrete, but this is not true. The 75 Readings essays â€Å"The Plague,† â€Å"Once More to the Lake,† and â€Å"Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers† are labeled as a narrative, a description and an exposition respectively. The essays are much like human beings in that, labels are no more than mere words that help divide them into certain categories that they only kind of fit into. The lines that divide essays into their categories are fuzzy line a misty morning in that a narrative may also be an exposition. The essays from 75 Readings do not have to be labeled so strictly for they can be viewed as any other form of rhetoric. An example of a narrative that could also be an exposition would be â€Å"The Plague† written by Barbara Tuchman. Expositions contain a process, an example, and compare/contrast. â€Å"The Plague† shows a process with the succession of the black plague. Tuchman charts out how the plague spread across Europe. Examples are common in expositions, such as when Tuchman says, â€Å"In Siena, where more than half the inhabitants died of the plague, work was abandoned on the great cathedral, planned to be the largest in the world, and never resumed, owing to loss of workers and master masons and ‘the melancholy and grief’ of the survivors† (Tuchman 28). There is also a definite compare and contrast, in which Tuchman compares and contrasts the different ways the plague effected different parts of Europe. Like how in Paris, France the nuns of Hotel Dieu tended the sick without fear of dying themselves while in Piazza, Sicily priests did not attend church to hear their flocks confessions because of their fear of death. As with â€Å"The Plague†, the essay â€Å"Once More to the Lake† can be labeled as another form of rhetoric. â€Å"Once More to the Lake† written by E. B. White is labeled as a descriptive; however, it could also be labeled as a narrative. A narrative must have, at least, a point of view, characters and a logical arrangement. The point of view is in the first person, the story is told from the narrators’ point of view, â€Å"On the journey over to the lake I began to wonder what it would be like† (White 42). White also uses characters, mainly the narrator, his son, and the narrators’ father. Another aspect of a narrative is a logical arrangement; White’s logical arrangement follows the narrators thinking process. As the narrator switches between real time nd memories, we the readers follow his thinking process just as we would with the logical arrangement of any other narrative. Sure this form of logical arrangement is slightly confusing and difficult to recognize memory from reality and possibly suggests that the narrator has the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s or perhaps simply a few too many hits to the head. Finally, the essay labeled as an exposition, â€Å"Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers,† by Deborah Tannen, can also be a seen as a description. A description is known for its logical arrangement, sensory language, and objective or subjective perspective. The logical arrangement in this essay follows the different scenarios with dialogue between two individuals, one male and one female. One example of logical arrangement that Tannen uses would be the scenario where Sylvia and Henry are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary and there is an issue with the cake. Tannens use of sensory language in the fiftieth anniversary scenario is subtle at best. There is just enough there to provide a scene for each scenario that Tannen uses. The essay has an objective perspective, since Tannen analyzes the conversation from the view of a scientist, to whom nothing is personal. From 75 Reading the essays â€Å"The Plague,† â€Å"Once More to the Lake,† and â€Å"Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers,† are more commonly labeled as a narrative, a description, and an exposition. These essays must not be labeled as an exposition, a narrative and a descriptive, respectively. This does not have to be so. Much like a castle made of Legos, everything is interchangeable within the forms of rhetoric. Like how â€Å"The Plague† is not only a narrative but also an exposition while, â€Å"Once More to the Lake† is not simply a description but a narrative, and â€Å"Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers† cannot just be labeled as an exposition but as a description too. Forms of rhetoric are almost always interchangeable, like jewelry to a woman.

Case study of fostering team in nuneaton

Case study of fostering team in nuneaton The background to your involvement I am currently on placement with the fostering team in Nuneaton which has in excess of seventy five carers in and around the Nuneaton/Bedworth area. The fostering team consists of 4 full time social workers, whose role encompasses assessment work along with supervisory responsibility of foster carers in line with the Department for Children, Schools and Families Working Together to Safeguard Children March 2010 which sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to save and promote the welfare of children and young people in accordance with the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004 ( (DCSF, March 2010) and to identify placements for children being accommodated under various sections of the Children Act 1989. While on placement I shadowed a social worker involved in supporting 14 yr old Philips foster carers to deal with particular behavioural issues that had led to his placement breaking down. The foster carers have 3 foster children currently in their care, Phillip 14, James 15 and David 16. The 2 foster carers Mike 49 and Jane 46 live in a 4 bedroom house in Hinckley. Philip had left the house and was refusing to return, stating that his foster carers did not like him and that he wanted to live on his own. Bed and breakfast accommodation was arranged for him for a few days while the situation was re-assessed and a meeting with the foster carers arranged. Fundamental to all relationships and particularly the interaction between Philip and his mother, Philip and his foster carers and social worker and foster carers, communication is a central component. Analysing how effective communication plays a vital part in this clients circumstances will form the basis of this discussion. Good communication skills are a principle component of effective social work practice. They include active, attentive and empathetic listening, recognition of verbal and non verbal communication and general formal and informal interview techniques, as Payne has suggested, the application of communication theory gives practical help in controlling and understanding relationships and interactions with clients and a technology of interviewing and interpersonal skills (Payne, 2005, pg 178). Over recent year the children looked after by foster carers have included an increasing proportion of distressed adolescences along with the disruption rate for these placements as being high (Farmer et al 2003). One of the aims of the fostering social worker is to conduct detailed assessments of parenting approaches and strategies used by the foster carers looking after a teenager in a long term placement and how these strategies can change and develop during the course of the placement. Research has been conducted into fostering task with adolescents by Farmer et al (2004), found that they were concerns about the behaviour and well being of children when they move into a new placements. The findings in this case study highlighted a number of factors that contributed to the breakdown in the relationship with the foster carers and Philip and finally the placement. In this situation I had found out the Philips social worker had not communicated the nature and context of behavioural issues associated with him to the foster carers social worker so that foster carers could have been better informed. Following the placement breakdown the foster carers had reflected on their own lack of knowledge and experience at dealing with young people with behavioural problems had highlighted the need for specific training in this area for foster carers. Part 2 Using the material from part 1, critically analyse the challenges in ensuring good practice in communicating with this service user/s or carer/s What theory underpins your interaction? Modern social work theory incorporates social psychology and social construction theory to understand the way groups in society relate to each other and create and maintain social identities. Social psychology has influenced social work practice specifically with concepts from role theory and communication theory. Role theory offers a viewpoint in sociology and also within social psychology that includes most of everyday activities to be the acted out of socially defined categories such as mother, supervisor, and lecturer. Each defining social role comes with a set of rights, duties, expectations, norms and behaviour a person has to be able to fulfill. Communication theory uses a range of concepts from the scientific to the humanistic, to help us understand how people conduct themselves in creating, exchanging and interpreting messages (Farrell, 1987). These concepts help us to understand patterns of language and identify how people construct their social world.helping them to recon struct the world by using language differently to identify possibilities for change (Payne, 2005, pg 161). Communication theory is concerned with a range of ideas that can explain how individuals, groups and organisations communicate with each other. Linguistically, in the form of the spoken and written word and other mediums, and non verbal forms, such as body language and the way we speak, including tone, pitch, intonation and speed. Communication is more than the mere transmission of facts, as has been suggested information might be facts, or other things that might be learned, such as emotions, memories, bodily sensations or an idea about how someone feels about you (Payne, 2005, pg 171 or 178) and furthermore that language informs the way we think, the way we experience, and the way we interact with each other. Language provides the basis of community, but also the grounds for division (Thompson 2003:36) This suggests that communication networks are inextricably linked to social identity, ethnicity, culture and class. As Payne suggests, networks of communication build up and how we communicate and with whom, becomes part of our culture and social relations, for example, ethnic and class division are marked by separation in communication networks and patterns of communication often express power, domination and subordination. Communication may, therefore, help us to identify oppression and inequality (Payne, 2005, pg 171). If we use language, along with the capacity to communicate, to form our lives and to relate to others, then social workers need to be sensitively aware how their choice of words and mode of communication in intensely personal and emotional charged situations, can increase and decrease oppression in their interactions with young people. For example, use of professional jargon without explanation may alienate a client by creating a language barrier between social work er and the service user or carer. Where a child is suspected of being in need of protection the social worker must balance the needs of the young persons safety along with the potential of breaking up the family. The social worker that I shadowed believed that the needs of young people in foster care could be met through meaningful, consistent and positive relationships with the foster carer whilst on the other hand you have child care policy which is primarily about safeguarding, outcomes and accountability. A crucial time for young people spans 12-19 years, this is when they ask themselves: Who am I? Where do I want to be? During this period they are also concerned with how they appear to others and what groups and networks they identify with. Erikson terms this psychosocial stage as the Identity versus Role Confusion period (Beckett, 2002 ). Attachment theory Attachment theory offers an understanding of personality development and behaviour in close relationships and provides an account of the difference in peoples emotional and relationship styles. (Howe, 2000).  John Bowlby is considered to the psychiatrist that developed the attachment theory. Bolwby suggests that when children are separated from their parents or care giver they suffer loss because of the attachment between them. I can see how Philip may have felt when he thought the he had to leave his home for a second time having already lost the home of his birth mother, it is thought by the social worker and the foster carers that one of the reason that Philip does not want to return is because he does not want to suffer loss again. This has had an obvious affect of Philips behaviour, the tenets of this theory is that close relationships or attachments have a direct effect on the emotional and social development across a lifespan (Howe 2000). Avoidant Attachments Howe (2009) describes avoidant attachments as children and young people whom display avoidant attachments as having parent(s) that are either indifferent whom have their own trauma going on or are emotionally rigid or completely rejecting of their childs needs. Although parents will react well when their child is happy and content that soon changes when the child needs change for instance when their child is in distress and is need of comfort. Howe suggest that attempts at intimacy only seem to increase parental distance, even rebuff, this communicating to the child that they are not wanted. Attachment to home and a safe place is a primary ways in which people preserve self-identity. the way in which people identify and become attached to places, buildings, objects, and how this attachment can contribute to personal well-being or how we feel about ourselves (Low et al 1992). To look at why these places, building and objects become important provides us with insight into what happens when people have to move and the dilemmas that they may face. Attachment is an emotional relationship that provides reliability, continuity, care and comfort. John Bowlby writes in his research relating to the concept of attachment, describing it as a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). Bowlby held the psychoanalytic view that early years experiences of a child has an important propensity toward development and behaviour later in life, most attachment styles are formed in the early years of childhood developed through the relationship with the care -giver. Mary Ainsworth during the 1970s built on the work of Bowlbys work in her study called Strange situations which looked at children where they were left alone for a short period of time then quickly comforted by the care giver/mother (Ainsworth, 1978). These help her to formulate the attachment classification system, which examine specific differences in a childs use of attachment figures as a constant and reliable base from which they can then explore the environment. Change requires personal adjustment, and some change can be more stressful than others. When facing a move fears of adjustment and a change in familiar environment and living conditions can be seen as a major problem for young people. Philip was reluctant to move out of the area that he lived at with his foster carers, he felt that if he had to move to supported lodging that it would be in an are where he has had problems in the past. Care Management involves assessing needs and keeping a watchful eye over a number of services that are provided by workers other than the social worker, the role of care manager is not new to social work and has existed for many years, historically the social worker would arrange a package of care, seek the views of the service user, engage with other professionals when collecting information relevant to the care package following that there would be an assessment then the social worker would engage appropriate services that met the need of the service user. Discrimination ,Inequality and oppression, Separation and Loss Solution focused (brief) theory Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)is based on solution-building rather than problem-solving. SFBT explores the here and now and planned aspirations opposed to solving the current problems this method of working with young people can be practiced as well as other interventions. The theoretical underpinnings of solution-focused brief therapy have been developed out of philosophy as well as an appreciation of communicating positive outcomes through a creative process. Primary because the focus of this intervention is on future goals set by the young person, more importantly because with this method of intervention shows that problems are not limited by boundaries therefore neither the social worker (and other professionals) cannot be wrong the tends to lead to agreements being forged. This had been found to help build the relationship with David so that he felt that he was being heard through his verbal and non verbal communication. However whilst there is not a grounded understanding that identify the nature of the problem SFBT it creates problems in being able to measure efficacy. In this instance SFBT was used to build confidence, trust and capacity with David so that he would be prepared for his future with the current foster carers. Task centred practice Task Centred social work provides a clear framework for professional intervention, it deal with current (here and now) problems. It focuses on the problem and tries to negotiate and agree a method of dealing with the problem by identifying goals and setting timescales. There are 2 primary components of this approach which are Task Crisis intervention theories Outcomes Led Approach Child development Children do not have the same language skills or the emotional development of adults and therefore their attachment anxieties are triggered stopping them expressing themselves verbally and producing dysfunctional or attachment behaviours. Attachment behaviours can include minimising expressions of distress, that is the child knows that when their parent is shouting at them and the child is distressed this results in further parental rejection, so the child learns to minimise expressions of distress. The child acts happy even when frighten. In contrast the child express graet distress, especially when a parent is about to leave a type of attention seeking behaviour is communicating but not saying verbally show me you love me. Parenting a teenager in foster care can be vastly different from the ordinary parenting a birth child that is now a teenager. With the foster child there need to be a recognition and understanding of the young person background along with any previous placement breakdowns whether there are any disturbed and difficult behaviours. Foster carers must assist in adjusting the young persons defence mechanisms, developing attachments with the foster family whilst wherever possible maintaining links with the birth family. The foster carers felt that due to a recent argument with Philips birth mother he felt that no one liked him as his birth mother had chastised him for his language toward her. What skills are necessary? Report writing in accordance to the BAAF standards, work load and time management. Correspondence and record keeping Empathy is a dominant concept within social work. Recieving empathy enhances a clients feeling of self worth by communicating to them that they are understandable and are worth understanding. A social workers verbal and non verbal responses are crucial to communicating to the client they are being understood and entails skills to filter out and feedback themes and core messages in the client communication( ) Communications skills are essential in effectictive social work practice throughout the stages of assessment, planning, intervention and review. Questioning skills need to be employed to gain greater clarification concerning extremely personal issues and to constructively challemge client to recognised their responsibilities. For example, in the assessment process the accuracy of information is vital. However, the nature of this information is often sensitive and loaded with emotion and feeling from the past. If foster carers and young people are able to share this type of information they need to be convinced that there are being understood. What knowledge is required? In my interaction with service users and specifically in this case service providers (foster carers) human development theory influences my approach and form of communication. What techniques are appropriate? Interview formal and informal Assessment Reflection From my learning perspective, this case study highlights the complexities associated with working with children with behavioural issues. It was an opportunity to examine how social work can and does address thiese issues through the legislative and policy frameworks, along with our own knowledge and experience as well as the values and ethics set out in the National Occupational Standards. Your analysis should also include reflection on your skills and learning needs (500 words including 500 word description of an interaction with a service user) References Department of Children, Schools and Families (2010) Working Together to Safeguard Children: A Guide to Interagency Working ToSafeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children Nottingham: DCSF Publications. Thompson, N. (2003) Communication and Language: A Handbook of Theory and Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Low, S, Altman, I. (1992) Place attachment: a conceptual inquiry in Altman, I. and Low, S.M. (eds) Place Attachment, New York: Plenum Press. Thompson, N. (2005) Understanding Social Work, Preparation for Practice- Second edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Department of Health (1991). Care Management and Assessment: a Practioners Guide. London: HMSO. Howe, D. (2000) Attachment Theory. In Davies, M. (ed). The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Social Work. Oxford: Blackwell (pp 25-27). Howe, D. (1995) Attachment Theory for Social Work Practice. New York: Palgrave. Farmer,E.,Moyes,S.,Lipscombe,J, (2004) Fostering Adolescents Jessica Kingsley: London Farmer,E,. Moyers,M,(2003) Parenting skills adolescents: Skills and starategies, London School for policy Studies, University of Bristol: Bristol Care Management Care management is gathering information and seeking out how needs can be best met whilst enabling the service user to access services required, it also monitors service delivery ensuring that their services are continuing to meet the identified needs. The relationship between social worker and carer is a continually developing one whereby the negotiating with other professionals and giving and receiving information, this is all done in a non judgemental way enabling the carer to also develop their own skills of negotiating. I this case the carer was concerned with achieving a form of agreement or understanding as to the amount of foster children she could have at her home. It is important not to make the carer feel that care management is all about ticking boxes and ensuring that the correct piece of paper have been completed, if this where the case then there would not be the need for social work skills when manage care packages. Characteristics of Attachment Bowlby held that there were four characteristics of attachment: Proximity Maintenance The desire to be near the people we are attached to. Safe Haven Returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety in the face of a fear or threat. Secure Base The attachment figure acts as a base of security from which the child can explore the surrounding environment. Separation Distress Anxiety that occurs in the absence of the attachment figure. (Bowlby, 1969). Care Management, involves overseeing the provision of a package of care services geared toward maintaining someone in the community who would otherwise need to rely on institutional provision (Thompson 2005 p69). Good care management encompasses a macro overview when completing the assessment, it should be completed in partnership with the service user and family paying regard to the strength and weaknesses as well as their ability to look at their life history and communicate the reason they find themselves in the current situation. Care Management is defined in government guidance as the process of tailoring services to individual needs (DOH, 1991:b).

Biography of Primo Levi: Vanadium

Biography of Primo Levi: Vanadium ‘Vanadium’ – The Periodic Table (Primo Levi) Annerita Ng Primo Levi was a Jewish chemist and author born in Italy. The majority of his writings revolved around his experience surviving the Holocaust of World War II, some with a heavy subtext of chemistry. One of his books entitled ‘The Periodic Table’ is a memoir of his life collated in 21 chapters, each of which is given the title of an element that is somehow woven intrinsically into the story. In chapter 20, called ‘Vanadium’, Levi does a seamless job of tying in the chemistry he learns with past personal experiences that plague his mind. In 1941, after Italy had entered World War II as an ally of Germany, Levi accepted a job at a mine in which he was to extract nickel to aid the production of weaponry for the Germans2. He then worked in Milan with a former acquaintance from university, before returning to Turin in 1943. He became involved with an Italian partisan group when he returned to Turin after Italy became occupied by the Germans. Levi was captured and sent to a transit camp before being deported to a Monowitz-Auschwitz camp. The Buna Werke plant nearby the camp, run by German chemical industry corporation I.G. Farben, focused on the production of synthetic rubber and made use of slave labour from the concentration camp. Thanks to his professional abilities, Levi secured a position in the Buna Werke laboratory, which ultimately led to his survival in the camp. He was freed in 1945, eleven months after he was deported to the concentration camp. He began working different chemistry related jobs not long after his liberation and eventually obtained a job in a paint business as a chemist and technical director2. It was in this job that Levi based his short story ‘Vanadium’ from his book ‘The Periodic Table’. While working for the company a shipment of resin for varnishes is received, which Levi then learns does not dry properly when mixed with the required chemical agent. He then discovered that the supplier is a descendant of I.G. Farben, who operated the Buna Werke plant during his stay at the concentration camp. After a series of letters sent to their representative, Levi realizes that the representative, Doctor Muller, was an acquaintance of his from the Buna Werke laboratory. This connection was set off after a misspelling of the name of a chemical, the same word which Muller often mispronounced while working at the Burna Werke laboratory. Memories of his experience working in the laboratory were triggered. Levi explains that Muller, along with other men, would often visit the laboratory he worked at to give himself and two other prisoners strict instructions. Muller only spoke to him a few times, but during one of those times he had continuously mispronounced ‘naphthenate’ as ‘naptenate’. Levi also remembered Muller giving him permission to shave twice a week (as opposed to the rule of prisoners shaving once a week), and also provided him with a pair of leather shoes. He also noted that Muller was rather ignorant to the events occurring at the concentration camp nearby the laboratory, as he asked Levi why he looked so anxious working at the factory. As Levi sent letters to Muller regarding the flawed shipment, he had also sent him a private letter in order to confirm if he was the same Muller he met at the Buna Werke Laboratory. While he waited for Muller’s confirmation he begun testing the instructions given to him in order to cure the shipment of resin. Levi had been directed by Muller to add 0.1% of vanadium naphthenate to the resin in order for it to dry properly. Vanadium naphthenate acts to accelerate the drying process of the resin3,4. It is able to protect the inner material and keep it undamaged from oxidation by forming oxide layers. This occurs as the hydrocarbon ring of the vanadium compound reacts with the oxygen in air3. He discovered that the Italian version of the vanadium naphthenate was not as effective as the German kind, and accordingly he requested for a shipment of German naphthenate. Muller had replied to his private letter a while later, confirming that he was the ‘Muller of Buna’ and requested to meet with Levi in order to rise above the past between them. Levi, however, was not so keen for this meeting, stating that he had no past that needed resolving. He avoided this topic altogether and, instead, Muller spoke of their ‘friendship’ as they worked together in the laboratory of the camp. Levi recalled no friendship between the two men, but realised that the other had saved his life by selecting him in to work at the laboratory. He assumed that Muller had perchance fabricated a convenient past for himself. In a sense, the variable effectiveness of the Italian and German versions of the vanadium naphthenate can be associated with the different versions of Levi and Muller’s memories of the camp. A few days later, Levi had received a letter from the supplier apologising for the inconvenience he, and the company he worked for, had suffered. However from this disruption they had realised it would be more appropriate and convenient if they themselves integrated the vanadium naphthenate into the resin before delivering them. Here, we see the success that prevails from the deductive processes of chemists and the elements of small-scale industrial chemistry. After the problem was encountered with the shipment of resin, Levi’s immediate action was to contact the source/supplier. The buyer-supplier connection is necessary for the industrial chemistry department, especially in when issues arise. These connections can be somewhat difficult when the buyer and supplier are located for apart, such as in Levi’s case. He was then given instructions in which he would test the effect of a required chemical and observe and confirm if it was the solution to the problem. In other words, trials were to be conducted to narrow down the cause of the issue. In this instance, materials monitoring is helpful for quality control and to review the materials and the processes they endure. In Levi’s case, a positive outcome was reached as the supplying company recognised a more convenient route to take with th eir resin product in order to avoid future issues. At first, Levi refused to forgive Muller despite his high respect for the man. He could not fathom the idea of meeting Muller with open arms after all he had to suffer through. He did not hate Muller, rather he harboured an abhorrence toward the Germans in general, and assumed Muller a substitute for those who harmed the Jews. But after further contemplation he became sympathetic to Muller’s plight as he tried to clear his conscience of any wrong doing. Levi then began drafting a letter to thank Muller for selecting him and even mentioned a readiness for forgiveness. On the same evening he received a phone call from Muller asking to meet with him in the near future. The language barrier helps prevent him from making his feelings of distaste known. He carelessly agreed to the meeting as he was caught off guard. However, the meeting would not occur as only a week later Levi discovered that Muller has passed away unexpectedly. This chapter provided an insight of the relationship between his chemical career and other aspects of his life, such as his writing career. Chemistry seems to be quintessential to his life. Levi finds a brilliant way of linking his chemical profession to his personal and social experiences, showing that he was deeply invested in his profession. Even in the Auschwitz concentration camp, he couldn’t escape it, and it most probably saved his life. He continued working as a chemical professional after he was freed from Auschwitz despite the obvious psychological trauma he suffered. From this chapter of his book, it is seen that Levi correlates the characteristics of vanadium naphthenate to the important features of his story. And although this unique chapter is mainly about his personal experience and his reflection on the injustices handed to him, it does contain factual information on the chemical it is named after. Levi also provides an understanding of the logical manner in which chemists must think within the industry and the elements involved in the processes of industrial chemistry – proving how communication is key within the world of industrial chemistry. Without a doubt Levi has a very powerful way with words, intertwining his personal tale with scientific principles. References Levi, P., (1986). Vanadium. In: The Periodic Table, 1st ed. Abacus: Sphere Books Ltd, pp.211 223. Patruno, N. (n.d.). Primo Levi: Surviving the Haulocast. [online] Bryn Mawr College. Available at: http://www.brynmawr.edu/italian/holoc/essays/surv_hol.htm [Accessed 12 Dec. 2014]. Chemical Land 21, (n.d.). Vanadyl Naphthenate. [online] Available at: http://www.chemicalland21.com/industrialchem/organic/VANADYL NAPHTHENATE.htm [Accessed 15 Dec. 2014]. Kemi Swedish Chemicals Agency, (n.d.). Metal Naphthenates. [online] Available at: http://apps.kemi.se/flodessok/floden/kemamne_eng/metallnaftenater_eng.htm [Accessed 15 Dec. 2014]. Sumatran Orangutan: Threats and Rehabilitation Strategies Sumatran Orangutan: Threats and Rehabilitation Strategies The Sumatran orangutan is widely considered as the most threatened species of great ape Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust 2006. It is estimated that there are approximately 6,500 individuals remaining in Sumatra (Wich et al, 2008), and the species is listed as Critically Endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (Singleton et al, 2008). This is due not only to the small remaining population, but to the fact that the population has declined by over 80% in the last 75 years (3 generations) (Wich et al, 2008). The Sumatran orangutan is endemic to Sumatra (considered a separate species from the Bornean orangutan (Mittermeier et al, 2009)), with its range restricted to a small area of fragmented habitat in the North of the island. Historically, the species had a much larger range across Sumatra, but the majority of the population is now constrained to the province of Aceh (Singleton et al, 2008). This condensed population means that we can expec t the population to show more intense competition within the species for food and resources, causing an increase in mortality over time (Marshall et al, 2009). The orangutan is an arboreal species, it is highly adapted to spend all of its time above the ground, and primarily inhabits lowland tropical forest and peat-swamp forest ecosystems (DWCT, 2006). These traits have left them extremely vulnerable to habitat destruction, the major threat to orangutans in Sumatra. Heavy logging of the orangutans natural habitat means that only less suitable habitat remains for them (Wich et al 2008). In addition, the majority of the orangutan population in Sumatra were found outside of protected areas, and many within potential logging areas (Singleton et al, 2008). It is clear that the Sumatran orangutan is under severe pressure, and many threats need to be addressed in order to attempt to restore the population. Threats Deforestation and fragmentation Both legal and illegal logging are a major threat to the Sumatran orangutan. The species main habitat, primary lowland forest, has been devastated in the last 30 years due to large scale forest conversion to agricultural land and oil palm plantations (Singleton et al, 2008). One study between 1990 and 2000 recorded a 13% loss of orangutan habitat forest (Gaveau et al, 2007). Another study by van Schaik et al (2001) found that during the late 1990s habitat supporting 100 orangutans was lost each year in the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra. This habitat loss was largely due to legal logging concessions from the Indonesian government for oil palm conversion (van Schaik et al, 2001). The orangutans habitat of lowland forest has been targeted due to the fact that it is easily and cheaply accessible for logging (Campbell-Smith et al, 2011). The forest is being destroyed in order to provide hardwood to developed nations, providing income to boost Indonesias economy, as well as to clear land for agricultural conversion and expanding human populations (DWCT, 2006). Within the last decade the scale of logging in Sumatra has continued to expand. This was partly due to the surge in demand for timber since the 2004 tsunami (Singleton et al, 2008), as well as a peace agreement in the Aceh province. A moratorium on logging during the conflict meant a lower rate of forest loss, however a peace accord in 2005 led to a lift of the moratorium and re-issuing of logging permits in Aceh (Singleton et al, 2008). In addition, the history of political unrest in the province has greatly impacted past conservation efforts (Marshall et al, 2009). This recorded habitat loss is the main contributor to the species declining population. orangutans are particularly vulnerable due to the fact that they are an arboreal species. They spend the majority of their lives in the canopy to avoid the threat of tigers, meaning the species is restricted to areas untouched by deforestation. However, the spread of human settlements and development of new road systems has caused severe fragmentation of their remaining habitat. In addition, a proposal for the Ladia Galaska road network in Aceh has been put forward, and if allowed will quickly fragment the last remnants of habitat (Singleton et al, 2008). The remaining forest within the orangutans range cannot support its prior ecosystems, and further deforestation and fragmentation could lead to multiple extinctions. Indonesia has converted over 3 million hectares of land to oil palm plantations, with plans to convert a further 4 million (Brown and Jacobson, 2005). However areas of oil palm monoculture only supports 20% of its previous diversity (Marchal and Hill, 2009). Even small scale selective logging can reduce local orangutan densities by as much as 60% (Rao and van Schaik, 1997), which shows how sensitive the species are to the destruction of habitat. The threats to orangutans from deforestation are made greater by the fact that the Indonesian government supports development (orangutan National Action Plan, 2007), and are therefore willing to issue large numbers of logging permits. Furthermore, the decentralisation of forest management in 2001 has aided the rise in forest destruction, as it means that regional land use plans are made without any though for conservation (The Ministry of Forestry, 2009). The increase in human population also increases pressure, as greater resource degradation occurs to meet an ever increasing demand for timber and agricultural land. A paper by Robertson and van Schaik (2001) suggests that ultimate causal factor of deforestation is corruption, as well as feeble compliance with legislation and poor law enforcement. Corrupti on is the most difficult threat to overcome, but law enforcement and compliance need to be improved in order to have a chance of protecting the remaining orangutan population. Other threats As well as being severely threatened by habitat destruction, orangutans are also in high demand for the pet trade across Indonesia. The central demand is for infant orangutans, considered as good pets as they do not reach full size until the age of 7, and are known for their trait of human imitation. Currently around 200-500 infants are taken from the wild for the pet trade each year in Kalimantan (Nijman, 2005). No data is available for the Sumatran orangutan, but demand for pets is high in both Borneo and Sumatra, and the number of infants being removed from the wild is unsustainable. Wild orangutans are also threatened by their conflict with humans, and they are at times killed as pests. They are forced to encroach upon agricultural land as a result of habitat destruction, but are considered pests by farmers and often killed when found raiding crops at forest edges. In a study interviewing farmers in northern Sumatra, 28% of those interviewed feared orangutans. They also on averag e believed orangutans to be the third most frequent, and the fourth most destructive pest (Campbell-Smith et al, 2010). This shows that a high proportion of orangutans are being forced to raid crops due to destruction of habitat and food sources, but also that the human-orangutan conflict may not easily be reconciled as it is largely driven by fear. Finally, the current small nature of the remaining orangutan population means it is highly vulnerable to stochastic events such as natural disasters, random genetic fluctuations and disease outbreak (Caughley, 1994). The species relatively slow reproductive rate (25 years per generation) and the ongoing vulnerability to habitat reduction means it is at constant risk of extinction. Past and current recovery strategies Rehabilitation centres During the 1970s the Indonesian government began to establish reserves for orangutans, which are now seen across Sumatra. The reserves act as rehabilitation centres where orphans are taught how to live in the wild and then returned, but also as sanctuaries for individuals unable to be reintroduced. Individuals found in logging areas, as well as orphans and orangutans confiscated by the forestry department, are moved to these sanctuaries (DWCT, 2006). It is estimates that around 63-97% of intakes by orangutan centres are under 7 years old (Russon, 2009). The orangutans are treated medically until their health is regained, as they are often in bad condition. For example many have gunshot and machete wounds, scars from tight chains, and internal damage, as well as behavioural and psychological damage as a result of prolonged isolation, abuse, and abnormal associations with humans (Russon, 2009). In addition many orangutans arrive carrying human diseases such as Tuberculosis, as well as significantly high parasite loads (Russon, 2009) after living in close proximity with humans. Once treated, the orangutans are taught ecological and social skills, and gradually weaned from human contact in order for them to be able to live independently in the wild once released (Beck et al, 2007). When the rehabilitation centres were initially established, uncertainty over orangutan numbers meant that rehabilitation programmes concentrated on releasing individuals into areas with existing wild populations to supplement those that were too small (Russon, 2009). Between 1973 and 2000, 218 orangutans were released at Bohorok in Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra, to supplement the rapidly declining population. The Sumatran orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) is one of the orangutan rehabilitation centres in Sumatra, but it also concentrates on other aspects of orangutan conservation. The SOCP rehabilitation centre and quarantine site is in the Medan region, and individuals are released in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. Over ten years, 190 orangutans have been through quarantine, with 125 individuals released into Bukit Tigapuluh, and 3 wild births by reintroduced females (DWCT, 2006). In addition the programme is helping to improve law enforcement through providing facilities for confiscated or unwanted orangutans. The availability of sanctuaries means that illegally kept individuals are more readily reported (DWCT, 2006). A mobile education unit from SOCP is used as an educational tool to teach conservation and the importance of orangutan tolerance, particularly in human-orangutan conflict areas. This provides a vital part of the orangutan conservation effort, as building understanding within local communities will help to reduce threats. Additionally, the programmes links with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust means they also have access to the latest research in orangutan medicine, husbandry and captive care (DWCT, 2006). Protected Areas There are many protected areas across Sumatra, however illegal logging still occurs within the majority of them. The Leuser Ecosystem Conservation area, established in 1998, is considered a conservation stronghold for orangutan populations (Singleton et al, 2008). It is a 2.6 million hectare area consisting of two National parks and containing around 5,800 (over 85%) of the remaining Sumatran orangutan population (Mittermeier et al 2009). It is the only conservation area within Sumatra with viable populations of the Sumatran orangutan, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran Rhinoceros and the Sumatran elephant. This shows that the Leuser Ecosystem Conservation area is highly important in the conservation and protection of the Sumatran orangutan. However, the national park is predominantly a mountainous region, which is highly unsuitable for the lowland orangutan species. This means that most of the orangutan population is found outside of park boundaries, leaving them even more vulnerable to habit at destruction. It is estimated that only around 30% of the orangutan population in Sumatra are found within park boundaries (Mittermeier et al, 2009), causing more problems and difficulties for their conservation. Legislation The Sumatran orangutan was listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) in 1975 (DWCT, 2006). This means that no trade is allowed in live orangutans or orangutan products. The ban was put in place due to the expanding pet trade in Indonesia, and by 1980 over 30,000 orangutans had been killed as result of this trade across Sumatra and Borneo (DWCT, 2006). In addition the species has been protected under Indonesian domestic law (Singleton et al, 2008). Act no.5, which was made law in 1990, legally protects the orangutan from hunting throughout its range. The Act also aims to protect environmental support structures and preserve biodiversity in Indonesia. However, a ban on hunting is extremely difficult to enforce, and current law enforcement of legislation appears to be very weak. Foreign support Many foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have invested an interest in the future survival of the Sumatran orangutan. For example, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust based in Jersey joined the effort to conserve Sumatran orangutans in 1968. Durrell has contributed greatly to the survival of the species, breeding 7 babies in Jersey for the international Sumatran orangutan breeding programme (DWCT, 2006). The trust also helps by sharing information with orangutan rehabilitation centres, as well as sending experts to the field in Sumatra to help in the rehabilitation process. Some governmental support for the protection of the Sumatran orangutan has also been shown. Through the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD), the Norwegian government pledged US$1 billion to Indonesia to reduce deforestation rates (Butler et al, 2009). Success of species recovery to date The Sumatran orangutan has been listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN since 2000 when it was first categorised (Singleton et al, 2008). The species data was re-examined in both 2007 and 2008, and in both cases it was found to still be Critically Endangered (Singleton et al, 2008). The population in Sumatra has been decreasing since the 1900s, with the most recent decline from 7,300 individuals in 2004 (Singleton et al, 2004), to around 6,500 in 2008 (Wich et al, 2008). It appears that, despite efforts to restore orangutan populations over the last 40 years, the species recovery has been unsuccessful to date. The predominant reason behind the continued decline of orangutan populations is the sustained level of deforestation, allowed by legal logging permits, illegal logging, poor law enforcement and ultimately corruption. Legislation is ineffective and reserves are not sufficiently policed, allowing commercial forestry to continue to occur even within protected areas. The rate o f illegal logging to legal logging is 4:1 (DWCT, 2006), meaning that without drastic improvements in law enforcement orangutans will remain at constant threat of extinction. Furthermore, despite the illegalisation of trade in orangutans, the pet trade for the species is still booming throughout Indonesia. Although the forestry department are responsible for confiscating many illegally owned orangutans for reintroduction, a huge proportion of individuals remain in human possession. The current level of protection for orangutans is not enough to combat the threats to the species. The most successful recovery attempt has been through the rehabilitation centres, but even they have a limited capacity. The rehabilitation process is only able to reintroduce a relatively small number of individuals, with one centre returning 125 orangutans to the wild over a ten years period. Over the same 10 year period only 3 wild births from ex-captive mothers occurred, and a high infant mortality was found at many release sites (Russon, 2009). Several observations of released orangutans at Bohorok release site showed individuals returning ill, underweight or wounded by wild counterparts (Dellatore, 2009). It is clear that there are still some problems with the rehabilitation and reintroduction process, and room to expand projects to a larger scale. However, it is also evident that these projects are the most successful aspect of the species recovery to date. The centres carry out highly important medical and genetic screening of individuals. orangutans are susceptible to human diseases, and the risk of spreading disease is great, so medical screenings help prevent disease from entering wild populations. Genetic screening is also highly valuable, as it helps monitor genetic diversity and maintain a healthy population. Rehabilitation centres also play an important role in orangutan welfare, allowing the confiscation of poorly kept individuals and providing safe places to go (Russon, 2009). In this aspect, they are an important part of the limited law enforcement available. Finally, the centres provide vital infrastructure and logistical support in the translocation of wild orangutans away from deforested areas (Beck et al, 2007). Recommendations for future management practices It is estimated that if the current rate of orangutan decline is sustained, we could see a further 50% loss of the population within ten years (Mittermeier et al, 2009). In order to ensure the Sumatran orangutans future, drastic action needs to be taken. Conservation of the species relies on immediate improvement of forest and wildlife laws, an increase in consideration for biodiversity in land use planning, and greater law enforcement effectiveness. The implementation of patrols to prevent illegal activity is vital as the first step to stopping illegal logging (Mittermeier et al 2009). In order to do this regular funding is required to put operations in place, and a forum for monitoring the enforcement of current legislation needs to be established. It is also important to implement anti-hunting patrols, as even very low hunting levels have strong deleterious effects (1% annual hunting rate sustainable) (Marshall et al, 2009). Patrols will also stem some of the supply to the pet trade, and attempt to reduce levels of illegal logging. In addition it is advised to temporarily halt legal logging and forest conversion, as well as road development plans (Mittermeier et al, 2009) in order to establish a more viable orangutan population. However, it is unlikely that the Indonesian government would halt development plans as it is essential for the countrys economic growth. A final step in the improvement of law enforcement would be the establishment of more patrols to confiscate illegally owned and poorly kept individuals to be taken to rehabilitation centres. This means that it is also vital to ensure the future expansion of rehabilitation centres across Sumatra. It is important to build capacity within current centres, as well as establishing new release sites across the island to restore populations in areas outside the Aceh province. Funding and volunteers would be required to expand the reintroduction projects across Sumatra. The future of orangutans also relies on the provision of protected areas and reserves with strict controls to prevent illegal activity from still occurring. Again, this would involve the supply of regular reserve patrols and stringent regulation. National park perimeters should also be increased to enhance the conservation areas. It is important to include large areas of forest below 1000 metres above sea level within the protected areas (Singleton et al, 2008), as this is the orangutans primary habitat. Habitat restoration is also needed within the protected areas in order to make it suitable for orangutan reintroduction. In addition, the re-establishment of habitat corridors is greatly needed (Robertson and van Schaik, 2001) to improve genetic flow between fragmented populations. Improving habitat connectivity will increase genetic diversity and therefore make the species more adaptable to its constantly changing environment. The conversion of any remaining orangutan habitat to oth er uses should be strictly prohibited immediately, as only a very small fraction remains. In order to do this, alternative livelihoods will need to be provided to many local communities which may have relied on the land. This should be done by employing locals in orangutan conservation projects, helping with rehabilitation, habitat restoration and law enforcement. Not only will this provide an income for communities, it will provide an economic incentive to protect orangutans, and may potentially start to change local opinion of the species. Building tolerance of the species and changing attitudes towards them is an important part of their conservation. It is important to address the human-orangutan conflict, especially as in the future more orangutans are likely to be living in close proximity to humans. In Batang Serangan in Northern Sumatra, a small group of orangutans were found to live in peaceful co-existence with farmers. The landscape is made up of degraded natural forest, s mallholder farms and oil palm monoculture plantations (Campbell-Smith et al, 2011). Although not an ideal habitat for orangutans, the mixed landscape was still suitable for the small group to live. Once tolerance of the species has grown, it would be possible to begin establishing small populations in these mixed agro-forest systems which occur across Sumatra. The ultimate aim is to create a landscape of primary lowland forest within protected areas, joined by corridors through major agricultural land. With the addition of further release sites, a connected habitat and better law enforcement, it is possible to establish viable populations across the island of Sumatra. Conclusion In order to reduce the current threats to the Sumatran orangutan immediate action needs to be taken. The species critically endangered status and its vulnerability to habitat destruction mean it is at great risk of extinction if further protection measures are not put in place. By following some of the recommendations laid out above, and increasing the level of support for orangutan projects, the species may yet have a future.