A Reflective Self Assessment Paper Social Work Essay

A Reflective Self Assessment Paper Social Work Essay According to EPAS competencies, a social worker should engage in self-reflection, self-monitoring, and correction; engage in career-long learning. When starting this self-reflection, I ask myself, which part of social work practice may influence my ability in performance. I think maybe, I will try not to deal with cases involving children living with family violence. In 2003, when I was only 16 years old, I was sent to Portugal for a year as a cultural exchange student. One day, my host mother asked me to pick my 9-year-old host brother home after school. When I entered his school, a little boy just rushed to me and kicked me saying Chinà ªs! Chinà ªs! (Chinese in Portuguese). I thought that I never knew this boy and there was no use to argue with a little boy so I just ignored him. Then while my host brother and I were walking out of the school, the boy appeared again and came to beat me saying again Chinà ªs! Chinà ªs!. I got really angry and went to the principals office to report the situation. The headmaster told me that the boy was a Brazilian and his family background was quite complicated. He grew up in a climate of family violence and he always performed aggressively at school. After that incident, I started to have fear and lost trust in this kind of children. Recently during my part-time job in Centre on Behavioral Health of HKU, we are having a pilot study on abused women and children in Harmony House. My supervisor asked me to be in charge of the part of children, who are of 5 to 12 years old. Later in the formal study, the sample size will be much bigger. I found it difficult in designing questionnaires and conducting interviews properly for children, especially those who are living with trauma and family violence. We used several validated questionnaires, but the kids could not understand the questions, neither could they comprehend expressions like suffering, fear and worries. Moreover, when doing the interview, they would suddenly lose patience in talking with you, thus many questionnaires remained uncompleted at all. For those children, reading peoples faces are sometimes a necessity to survive in the family. In order to pretend as normal as other children and to behave as a goody boy or girl, they tended to give us answers which t hey thought their peers would possibly say and their parents and we interviewers would prefer to hear. Therefore, I tell myself, in social work practice in the future, I will avoid children if at all possible, particularly children living in domestic violence. When I precipitated to write this self-assessment, I reflected and found that my past ideas seemed very immature and they were against social work principles. We believe in the equality of every human-being and we pursuit social justice all the time. But when it comes to the issue of children, I have bias against them and directly avoid them. Children who live with family violence are vulnerable and oppressed and we social workers have our primary mission to pay attention to their needs and empowerment . We social workers respect the dignity and equality of every individual, and we are committed to assist them to solve the problem and get the needed resources. Social workers also strive to make social institutions responsive to human needs so we should also put efforts on the restoration family functioning to meet childrens needs. Therefore, to be a qualified social worker, I should apply these principles and values to guide my professional practice other than personal experience and bias. As we all know, Family is a special social system which performs certain functions and certain responsibilities. It performs the essential function of attending to the social and educational needs, health and well-being, and mutual care of its members. So parents have responsibility to meet childrens needs and provide adequate care, affection, safety, stimulation, guidance, boundaries and stability. Inside the family, parents are significant support systems and attachment figures for childrens socio-emotional development. So when the functions and responsibilities are replaced by verbal, sexual, physical violence and various forms of maltreatment, and when support, care, and harmony no longer exist, family can be very harmful to a child. According to Harmony Houses statistics, the number of children admitted to their shelter has increased by 60% in the past twenty years, from 155 cases in 1985 to 250 cases in 2005. 100% of them witnessed domestic violence at home and 65% were directly abused by their fathers. Over 96% of child witnesses felt scared, while over 70% felt angry, helpless and did not know how to seek help from external resources. Around 30% of them even tried to fight against their abusive fathers to protect their mothers, causing and long lasting scars throughout their lives. In addition, 85% children having witnessed domestic violence will suffer from mild to severe levels of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Experiencing or witnessing a violent event is a very strong stressor to children, especially when it is human designed, long-lasting, and the aggressor and victim are close to them. Children who are abused, neglected and exposure to family violence are more likely to produce problems of emotional and behavioral adjustment, and even PTSD symptoms like withdrawal, regression, aggression, anxiety, helplessness, low self-efficacy, lack of concentration and so on. In Osofskys study, he divided children suffering from domestic violence into three categories by their ages. 1) Very young children are likely to show emotional distress and immature behavior. Sometimes they would also have somatic complaints and regressions in toileting and language. 2) For school-aged children, they will probably exhibit a greater frequency of externalizing and internalizing. Externalizing includes aggressive and delinquent, while internalizing consists of withdrawn and anxious. 3) Adolescents may have a highe r level of aggression but a common acting-out. Moreover, their cases are often accompanied with anxiety, behavior problems, school problems, truancy, and revenge seeking. From the perspective of social learning theory, children will learn and intimate what they experience and see. What can kids learn from domestic violence? 1) Violence is an appropriate way to solve conflicts. 2) Violence is a part of family relationships. 3) The perpetrator of violence in intimate relationships often goes unpunished. 4) Violence is a way to control other people. So intergenerational transmission of violence often occurred and children are likely to become offenders in the future. . In addition, if parents are emotionally unavailable and abusive, children will lose the basic trust to others in their development. When a childs parents are in a state of hostility, they have to somehow make a choice. Such choice of loyalty to one of the parent inevitably will bring about the worsening of the family communication and relations. Growing up under such stressful conditions with unmet childhood developmental needs will affect their view toward themselves as a person, and thei r view toward parents, family, marriage and interpersonal relations. When I start to work with a child from family violence, I should keep my role in mind all the time that I am coming to help and try to establish a professional and helpful image in communication with the child and the family. In problem assessment stage, I need to make clear what is known and what is not yet known, and carefully observe what the family environment the parents are providing for the child, what developmental needs of the child are not met and what are the existing problems and difficulties in restore the functioning. In the part of family and parents, it is necessary to assess the family history and functioning, basic care, safety, emotional warmth, housing, employment, income, familys social integration, etc. In the section of childrens developmental needs, there are several dimensions to be considered as followed: Health It includes a childs physical and mental well-being as well as his/her medical care, nutritious diet and sport exercise. Education It covers all areas of cognitive development of a child from his/her birth. It involves ones access to school education, books, and other school facilities, interactions with other fellow children, attendance of school activities, and development of skills and interests. Emotional and Behavioral Development It concerns how a child can react to people by feelings and actions, which includes attachment, temperament, adaption, self-control and so on. Identity It means the childs understanding of him/herself has an independent and valued person, relating to self-efficacy, self-image, self-esteem, sense of belonging to the family and the society. Family and Social Relationship It refers to a good relationship with parents, siblings, caregivers, peers and other important people in the childs life. Social Presentation It means how a child presents him/herself in various social situations and how the presentation fits his/her age, gender, culture and religion. Self-care Skills It concerns a childs independence by observing his/her practical, emotional and communication competencies in living and solving problems by him/herself. It should be pointed out that non-verbal cues are very important and useful in assessing the children. The assessment process can be therapeutic itself, so every action we take should be very careful, otherwise the interview can bring further harm to the child. After collecting the information, together with comprehensive analysis and planning, I can move on to the intervention stage. The first step is to prevent the maltreatment, and ensure safety and cares for the child. Coping resources like relatives, schools and communities can be searched and used into the practice. Besides, refugee service is another choice. At the same time, proactive work of target services should be provided to the family and the children. For example, if the violence is because of the parents mental health or drug and alcohol abuse, actions like medical and rehab treatment can be adopted to this salient problem. The second level of intervention is to recover the vulnerable children who have suffered from abuse and neglect. The intervention should fit the characteristic of the age and gender of the child and his/her particular situation and needs. Many approaches from expressive art therapy, play therapy and body-mind theory can be applied to help the child identify and change destructive belief patterns, identify and express emotional residue, exercise personal control, make plans for future and break down the sense of isolation. However, if the trauma is too severe for me to handle, I will refer the child for further clinical treatment. Then comes the third level of the intervention. It aims to ensure the long-term well-being of the child and the family. More target services are followed up to provide a good family environment for the kid. Many integrated therapeutic intervention models can be adopted for the whole family. For example, parent-child interaction therapy suggests that modifying family interactions can diminish the childs behavior problems and improve positive parenting skills, and it effectively reduce likelihood of future abusive actions. Above is my plan of practice with children living in family violence. I found that the whole process seemed not that difficult although many practical problems might appear during each stage. I am very energetic but hot-headed. Sometimes when I encounter a hard nut to crack, I will be worried and anxious all the time doing nothing, and thinking about how to avoid it. As a future social worker, I will cultivate my patience, psychological quality in crisis and difficulty, and try to obtain more professional skills to handle problems properly.

My Father in heaven is Reading out loud Essay

Faith gives us the strength to pursue what we have in our lives. What we perceive in our lives should give us the drive to carry on things which will have an effect in our lifetime in the long run. Essence of love and its intensity would transpire a huge sense of longing at times most especially if we loose a person so dear to us, then the saying which goes like we will just contemplate the importance of a person when he’s gone would truly give weight on this. The poem â€Å"My Father in heaven is Reading out loud† connotes the central theme of death. The realization of a person who is far away circling in the poem, however, being gone does not mean that the love’s gone as well. In view of the poem, it has been epitomize how love can move things and awaken a person to do things efficiently. Though the sad part of the thing called death is at hand, the positive side which would be the element of hope which enable a person to pursue things given the inspiration of his loved one. The character in the poem is simply a loving father who’s gone but his love remains. There is also the child who misses things around as his father’s already gone. A strong character is present in this poem which gives a manly vibe through out the entire deliverance of the poem. The word Father per se exemplifies a huge sincerity of weight to a strong personality. This figurative word that has been used in the entire poem leave a remarkable air of an almighty figure, one which possess strength of power and a role model to everyone. Moreover, this also connote a certain level of consistency of decision – and in this case, a decision to stay around regardless of what faith could give us, â€Å"My Father in Heaven is Reading out loud to himself Psalms or news† (stanza 1, line 1-2, p. 257). The father still makes his role seemingly possible even if he’s away from home and can never have a grip on him in this lifetime. Perhaps, the character has a deep sense of protection power and his views on things contribute a lot to the people sop dear to him. Upon visualizing the varieties of the poem â€Å"My Father in Heaven is Reading out loud†, the setting of a peaceful place is present. A sacred place like that of heaven would be a possible setting for this poem. Heaven which is a good place to oversee things down the earth and monitor what is happening to his loved one, if he is doing the right things in life. Perhaps, this peaceful environment is beneficial in making available the air of tranquillity and peaceful arena. Scrutinizing some main points of the poem will give us a huge sense of understanding towards life and what it entails to realize a lost loved one, or for that matter, a father. â€Å"Now he ponders what he’s read, No. he is listening for the sound of children in the yard. Was that laughing or crying? So much depends upon the answer, for either he will go on reading, or he’ll run to save a child’s day from grief. As it is in heaven, so it was on earth† (stanza 1, line 2-8, p. 257), this goes to say that the father might have some news at hand as he manage to protect his child albeit the fact that he’s gone and so much away. His spirit is still present as he monitors what is happening with his child and maybe he felt the longingness of his child now that he’s gone. Furthermore, he still feels the caress of his child as he plays around. As the father, he enjoys the scenery of his child innocently roaming around tackling his own life. Perhaps, he’s still bothered during those times which he knows that his child misses him and that at the back of what seems to be laughter lays a tears which is continuously flowing. He might have the feeling of longing and parallel to this, there might be some sorrows within as the child looks for a father at a moment. The father was a bit afraid as well because he may no longer give the protection which his child needed since he’s too far to reach and the only thing which he can do is to make his spirit always available showered with love. By means of his affection, heaven could possibly put on earth. Looking at his child feels like heaven to him and all he wants is to make his child happy even if it takes him to just stare at his child and be that far from him. In view of the child’s perspective, his father does a lot of remarkable things for him that he should be proud of for the rest of his life, â€Å"Because my father walked the earth with a grave, determined rhythm, my shoulders ached from his gaze, because my father’s shoulders ached from pulling of oars, my life now moves with a powerful back-and-forth rhythm† (stanza 2, line 1-5, p. 257). At some point the child’s not as good before neglecting the things which his father did to him and now he regrets the past circumstances in his life and wondering if he could turn back those times that he can be at his best – a good son to his good father who truly loves him, â€Å"A remarkable disappointment to him, I am like anyone who arrives late in the millennium and is unable to stay to the end of days† (stanza 3, line 1-4, p. 257). In consonance to this, the child has become confused at some point towards what life is giving him, the challenges that he has as he starts questioning, is it too late for him to change for the reason that he can no longer grab his father. Now that everything is too late for him and his dad, he wants to go back and show how he loves his father and that he can be a better person most especially to his father, â€Å"the world’s beginnings are obscure to me, its outcomes inaccessible, I don’t understand the source of starlight or starlight’s destination† (stanza 3, line 4-7, p. 257). A two way of presentation has been present in this poem, the father figure and a child who looks at things differently based on his father’s showered love. Clearly, the spirit of hope resembles at the end of the poem as the child aspire to get better grasping what his father has taught him. Life mat give us a certain role in this world and albeit with that role lays a challenge which we can surely surpass at a given time. Reference: My Father, in Heaven, Is Reading out loud, Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers, Fourth Edition page 257

Preventing The Homeless Population From Getting Housed Essay

While homelessness is viewed as people that are drug addicts or bums, there are other barriers that prevent the homeless population from getting housed. Many have no resources to allow them to obtain or maintain housing, let alone their basic needs. Being homeless takes a significant toll on people’s lives overall as well as their ability to feel safe and secure. However, the focus of this paper is to temporary assist those in needs, while residing in the streets. Their current place of home. Hygiene services should be integrated in developing future programs. More agencies should focus on providing toiletry supplies to those that cannot afford them. The disproportionate contribute of toiletries, food and survival clothing from varying sources was not enough to fulfill the goal set. However, a great number of homeless people benefit from some assistance of basic survival needs. Strategies will be implemented to continue to seek contributions to provide an intervention for those sleeping outdoors and disconnected from social service assistance. As poor nutritional status or infection predispose homeless people to health concerns, the need of survival kits can be a means of prolonging such illness. Donations will provide an awareness of the homeless need in the community. With hopes that the items provided will provide a good sense of self worth, build relationship, trust, giving others an opportunity to have a better life. It can build better communities. With hope thatShow MoreRelatedHomelessness : Homeless Population, Origins And Consequences Of Homelessness1373 Words   |  6 Pagesrisk factors for the homeless population, origins and consequences of homelessness, prevention and treatment strategies, and other considerations will be presented. 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Gay Rights A Logical Progression of the Civil Rights...

â€Å"Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed – ‘we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal’.† -Martin Luther King Jr. The Civil Rights movement may have started out as a mission to improve the lives of the large population of African-Americans, but who would have guessed that King’s quest for racial integration would provoke the same quest for individual rights by another group of people, Gays and Lesbians. The quest for equal rights by people, who had unjustifiably been repressed for hundreds of years, would spur and give†¦show more content†¦It seems so inconceivable to even think that such a large group of society would be denied of their natural rights as citizens just because of the color of their skin. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Gay Rights movement that occurred later on in the century shared many things in common with the Civil Rights movement. Most importantly, both movements struggled to gain rights for peoples who had been discriminated against because of something that they themselves cannot help or change and for something that had no relation to the rights that they desired. While the Civil Rights movement sought to bring about rights for African-Americans who were born with a darker skin color, the Gay Rights movement sought to gain rights for people who were born homosexual and could not explain why or how they became so. 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Cosmetic Surgery An Increase Worldwide Trend - 3793 Words

Cosmetic surgery is an increasing worldwide trend amongst a significant number of adults in the 21st century. As technology advances more rapidly than ever, the opportunity for people to undergo surgery enabling them to look younger and healthier becomes more readily accessible to the masses. From the more common Botox treatments to breast augmentation surgeries and rhinoplasties, every year up to 15 million people around the world have opted to undergo certain cosmetic procedures in order to enhance their appearance. This shows how much more increasingly popular and socially accepted it has become for people to undergo cosmetic surgery in the recent years, and it also suggests a change in society’s perception of ‘beauty’ and individuals’†¦show more content†¦There have been early-recorded instances of cosmetic surgery being performed in different ancient cultures and civilizations in the world; to begin with, certain African tribes make it a tradi tion to insert lip plates and plugs in order to stretch their lips (1). Dating back to as far as 3300BCE, one of the oldest natural mummies to be well-preserved kept to this date is Ãâ€"tzi (also known as Ãâ€"tzi the Iceman), and upon close examination, it can be observed that his earlobes are stretched (2) – this is a tradition that has been practiced for thousands of years, and can be classified as cosmetic surgery since it was considered to be an enhancement for an individual’s beauty. This can also be seen in other Egyptian mummies. Traditionally, in China, women’s feet are also bound from a very young age to prevent them from growing; smaller feet was a symbol of beauty in ancient China, and also a status symbol for the privileged and the wealthy (1). These procedures are often done with minimal technology involved and are quite ‘mechanical’ processes. Coming back to the modern times, the technological advances in the past 100 years have sudd enly allowed for a rapid increase in the variety of procedures available and along with that, with marketing strategies and notable individuals (or celebrities) opting to undergo certain surgeries, some of these procedures have become increasingly popular; television shows, such as Nip/Tuck, Botched

Impressionism and Post Impressionism Free Essays

Impressionism is the art movement that began in France in the 19th century. Claude Monet’s work, Impression, soleil levant, or Impression, Sunrise, is where the name for the movement was derived. Various styles such as thin, small brush strokes, open composition, accurate depiction of light, ordinary subject matter, movement, and unusual visual angles were used in art during this time period. We will write a custom essay sample on Impressionism and Post Impressionism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Impressionists broke the traditional guidelines of painting which drew a hostile reaction from the public at first. Instead of specific details their art depicted visual effects using various colors, shading, and short strokes leaving out much of the detail and capturing what was being observed at a given moment. (Impressionism, 2013) Impressionist artists were also liberated from painting only indoors by the innovation of storing paint in tubes. This technology allowed artists to pain outside which led them to create pieces that featured landscapes and were more focused on capturing natural light in their work. (MindEdge, 3. 20) In the 1870’s when Impressionism was beginning to grow in popularity, France was undergoing major changes in the political arena. Napoleon III had just been defeated in a war against Prussia. During his rule France saw industrial and economic growth but certain freedoms such as press and assembly had been suppressed. Following his rule, France established the Third Republic. In the beginning there was conflict between royalists and a group referred to as The Commune, a socialist group. After five years of fighting the royalists of the Republic ultimately won by executing hundreds of The Commune in an event now known as The Bloody Week. During this time thousands of France also fled the country to places like England, Spain, and even the United States. Due to all the hostility by the opposing sides France stayed under martial law for five years. There were also religious impacts during this time period. Most notably was the separation of the Church from the state. This legislation made the Church property of the state and required that religion be removed from schools. Additionally churches were only allowed to remain open if they held public political meetings in the evenings. Education reform was also in the works that focused increasing the availability of further education and training in technology. (France in the 19th Century, 2013) Post-Impressionism immediately followed Impressionism beginning in the 1890’s. The actual term was first used by Roger Fry a British artist and art critic in 1910. Post-Impressionism typically refers to the time period since French painter, Edourd Manet. The style of Post-Impressionism continued the use of vivid colors, thick paint application, real-life subject matter, and distinct brush strokes that were all common during Impressionism. Additionally artists also highlighted geometric forms, and used strange or uninformed colors. A foundation for quite a few 20th-century contemporary trends evolved because of the work of Post-Impressionist artists. (Post-Impressionism, 2013) World War II, a paramount world event was happening during the Post-Impression period. Many in France welcomed this war as a way to defeat Germany after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Attitudes soon changed regarding the war. Soldiers grew tired and hesitant to attack. Due to the war the economy in France was devastated during this time by German invasion in major industrial areas. America was a relief for France during the war providing food, money, and raw materials in 1917. Following the war France was in a poor state economically and the government struggled as well. France’s economy continued to struggle even after the war as they were behind in industry. Germany and Great Britain both beat France industrially regardless of the great industry and infrastructure that was in France. (France in the 20th Century, 2013) There are many similarities and a few differences between art during the Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Eras. Both art forms were neither realistic nor abstract, dealt with realistic subject matter a lot of which were landscapes and the artist’s uses of colors to show light sources. Additionally both periods used some of the same techniques in relation to distinct brush strokes, thick application of paint, and use of vivid and sometimes unrealistic paint colors. Even though Post-Impressionist artists carried on several of the Impressionist innovations there were also new things introduced. Post-Impressionist artist used unnatural forms and colors to portray things in the natural world while Impressionists works were more realistic. Also, Impressionist artists had less of a concern for expression and structure than Post-Impressionist artists. (MindEdge, 3. 20) Post-Impressionism continued much of the work of Impressionism. The use of real subject matter, the ability to do art outdoors, and the artists approach to color selections and applications are all examples of how Impressionism had stylistic impacts on Post-Impressionism. These similarities can be better understood by analyzing works from each era. Claude Monet was an Impressionist artist. His work, Houses of Parliament, is an oil painting that he produced in approximately 1901. In this work Monet portrays his view of the houses of Parliament across the Thames River in London from his room in the Savoy Hotel. As in most works of this time period Monet used abstract shapes, muted colors, and a distinct light source that shows the exact time of day, late afternoon, in which he completed this work. (The Houses of Parliament, 2013) In contrast to this work is Vincent van Gogh’s Post-Impressionist work, Irises. Van Gogh completed this and many of his works from within the confines of Stain Paul-de-Mausole, an asylum in France. Van Gogh spent many of his days painting the gardens that surrounded the clinic. As seen in Irises, van Gogh uses bright vibrant colors, lighting sources that resemble a bright, sunny day, and much more realistic techniques than in Monet’s Houses of Parliament. (Vincent van Gogh, 2013) Houses of Parliament relates to Irises because they represent the differences between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism art styles and techniques. You can see in Irises a lot of the techniques that started during the Impressionist period but that were refined during Post-Impressionism, specifically in the detail of the brush strokes, more realistic feel, and brighter colors used in the piece. Post Impressionism influenced the art world by bringing painting into a more realistic phase and by introducing new techniques that are still used in painting today. The use of various colors to portray light sources, while beginning during Impressionism, was highly elevated during Post-Impressionism. Additionally the radical approach and independent styles used by post-impressionist artist and their resolve of pursuing exclusive artistic expression intensely influenced future groups of artists. (The Met Post-Impressionism, 2013). How to cite Impressionism and Post Impressionism, Papers Impressionism and Post Impressionism Free Essays Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Eras Impressionism is the art movement that began in France in the 19th century. Claude Motet’s work, Impression, sole eleven, or Impression, Sunrise, is where the name for the movement was derived. Various styles such as thin, small brush strokes, open composition, accurate depiction of light, ordinary subject matter, movement, and unusual visual angles were used in art during this time period. We will write a custom essay sample on Impressionism and Post Impressionism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Impressionists broke the traditional guidelines of painting which drew a hostile reaction from the public at first. Instead of specific details their art depicted visual effects using various lord, shading, and short strokes leaving out much of the detail and capturing what was being observed at a given moment. (Impressionism, 2013) Impressionist artists were also liberated from painting only indoors by the innovation of storing paint in tubes. This technology allowed artists to pain outside which led them to create pieces that featured landscapes and were more focused on capturing natural light in their work. (Minded, 3. 20) In the sass’s when Impressionism was beginning to grow in popularity, France was undergoing major changes in the political arena. Napoleon Ill had Just been defeated n a war against Prussia. During his rule France saw industrial and economic growth but certain freedoms such as press and assembly had been suppressed. Following his rule, France established the Third Republic. In the beginning there was conflict between royalists and a group referred to as The Commune, a socialist group. After five years of fighting the royalists of the Republic ultimately won by executing hundreds of The Commune in an event now known as The Bloody Week. During this time thousands of France also fled the country to places like England, Spain, and even he United States. Due to all the hostility by the opposing sides France stayed under martial law for five years. There were also religious impacts during this time period. Most notably was the separation of the Church from the state. This legislation made the Church property of the state and required that religion be removed from schools. Additionally churches were only allowed to remain open if they held public political meetings in the evenings. Education reform was also in the works that focused increasing the availability of further education and training in technology. France in the 19th Century, 2013) Post-Impressionism immediately followed Impressionism beginning in the sass’s. The actual term was first used by Roger Fry a British artist and art critic in 1910. Post-Impressionism typically refers to the time period since French painter, Dour Meant. The style of Post-Impressionism continued the use of vivid colors, thick paint application, real-life subject matter, and distinct brush strokes that were all common during Impressionism. Additionally artists also highlighted geometric forms, and used strange or uninformed colors. A foundation for quite a few 20th-century contemporary trends evolved because of the work of Post- Impressionist artists. (Post-Impressionism, 2013) World War II, a paramount world event was happening during the Post-Impression period. Many in France welcomed this war as a way to defeat Germany after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Attitudes soon changed regarding the war. Soldiers grew tired and hesitant to attack. Due to the war the economy in France was devastated during this time by German invasion in major industrial areas. America was a relief for France during the war providing DOD, money, and raw materials in 1917. Following the war France was in a poor state economically and the government struggled as well. France’s economy continued to struggle even after the war as they were behind in industry. Germany and Great Britain both beat France industrially regardless of the great industry and infrastructure that was in France. (France in the 20th Century, 2013) There are many similarities and a few differences between art during the Impressionism and Post- Impressionism Eras. Both art forms were neither realistic nor abstract, dealt with legalistic subject matter a lot of which were landscapes and the artist’s uses of colors to show light sources. Additionally both periods used some of the same techniques in relation to distinct brush strokes, thick application of paint, and use of vivid and sometimes unrealistic paint colors. Even though Post-Impressionist artists carried on several of the Impressionist innovations there were also new things introduced. Post- Impressionist artist used unnatural forms and colors to portray things in the natural world while Impressionists works were more realistic. Also, Impressionist artists had sees of a concern for expression and structure than Post-Impressionist artists. (Minded, 3. 20) Post-Impressionism continued much of the work of Impressionism. The use of real subject matter, the ability to do art outdoors, and the artists approach to color selections and applications are all examples of how Impressionism had stylistic impacts on Post-Impressionism. These similarities can be better understood by analyzing works from each era. Claude Monet was an Impressionist artist. His work, Houses of Parliament, is an oil painting that he produced in approximately 1901. In this work Monet portrays his view of the houses of Parliament across the Thames River in London from his room in the Savoy Hotel. As in most works of this time period Monet used abstract shapes, muted colors, and a distinct light source that shows the exact time of day, late afternoon, in which he completed this work. (The Houses of Parliament, 2013) In contrast to this work is Vincent van Sago’s Post- Impressionist work, Irises. Van Gogh completed this and many of his works from within the confines of Stain Paul-De-Mausoleum, an asylum in France. Van Gogh spent any of his days painting the gardens that surrounded the clinic. As seen in Irises, van Gogh uses bright vibrant colors, lighting sources that resemble a bright, sunny day, and much more realistic techniques than in Motet’s Houses of Parliament. (Vincent van Gogh, 2013) Houses of Parliament relates to Irises because they represent the differences between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism art styles and techniques. You can see in Irises a lot of the techniques that started during the Impressionist period but that were refined during Post-Impressionism, specifically in he detail of the brush strokes, more realistic feel, and brighter colors used in the piece. Post Impressionism influenced the art world by bringing painting into a more realistic phase and by introducing new techniques that are still used in painting today. The use of various colors to portray light sources, while beginning during Impressionism, was highly elevated during Post-Impressionism. Additionally the radical approach and independent styles used by post-impressionist artist and their resolve of pursuing exclusive artistic expression intensely influenced future groups of artists. The Met Post-Impressionism, 2013). References Impressionism. (2013). How to cite Impressionism and Post Impressionism, Papers

The OPEC Oil Cartel

Question: The OPEC oil cartel no longer exists in any meaningful sense and crude prices will slump to $50 a barrel over coming months as market forces shake out the weakest producers. What does this mean for the future of OPEC? Is this a final rear-guard defensive action to preserve their power over oil prices they have enjoyed for 40 years? Answer: Introduction Few people would have thought that the oil prices will reach $50 a barrel in the future, but this has happened and things look bleak even now. The shale oil boom followed by the decisions taken by OPEC has completely changed the dynamics of the oil industry. The technology in shale oil extraction has completely changed in the last 5-10 years and the results are now visible. The market has been giving sustainable output for long to price to take nose dive. Coupled with this excess supply there has been slowdown in global growth which is hurting the demand. China being the largest importer of oil has been facing slowdown and now India has surpassed growth rate of China. This is where the demand has considerably reduced and market is well supplied. European region is also facing a slowdown and the same has also hurt the demand prospects. The oil refineries which see good demand during Oct-April, has seen sharp slowdown. The reason for the same is the fact that markets are well supplied. As per a conspiracy theory it has been suggested that ISIS is keeping the black market well supplied. This is also one of the reasons why the problem exists in the market. In the last 40 years OPEC has been controlling the market at large as it is the one which has the largest market share. However in recent times, shale oil supply has tightened the market and good pressure is witnessed in maintaining market share. OPEC countries have been providing its prime client in Asia a good discount. This is where the prices started sliding and the oil prices came from the high of $115 a barrel to $50 a barrel. In past whenever markets have been well supplied and the prices have come down, that is when OPEC has decided to reduce supply in the market and the prices have rose up. This is where OPEC has been able to control the price in the market for half a century. However in the recent meeting held in November, 2015 the OPEC decided to maintain the output. The main reason has been to maintain the market share in the business. Some of the critical factors that need to be answered is, how long the prices are sustainable? What is the price level which OPEC is still comfortable with? What is the price level when the shale explorer will cut investments and also close shale supply? These are some of the critical factors that need to be answered and the dynamics have completely changed over the last year. Current Performance The biggest factor controlling the world production of oil is the world price of oil. A higher price encourages production increases to take advantage of the available profits, while a lower price forces extraction companies to cut back on the production capacity they can no longer afford. Also, when the price of oil is relatively stagnant, as in 2006 and 2007, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) often lowers the production quotas of its member nations to force the price up again. When it does so, as in 2006 and 2007, production from non-OPEC nations increases to compensate. As a result, the world production of oil remained virtually unchanged between 2005 and 2007. However, the dramatic oil price spike in 2008 caused production to jump for the reasons described above. The global recession followed, and the lowered oil demand it caused the price of oil to fall considerably, which ultimately forced the worlds oil producers to cut their daily production back 0.9% in 2009. As prices recovered rapidly in 2010, so did production, growing by 3.0% to pass the 2008 average. The price of oil resumed growth in 2011, and with it the global supply of oil. In 2013, the price of oil declined, hampering strong growth in the production of oil during the year. Production is anticipated to rebound in 2014, despite a significant decline in the price of oil. In the latter part of the five years to 2015, the world price of oil plummeted due to weak demand and a supply gut. This can largely be attributed to OPEC maintaining production levels, despite falling oil prices. Moreover, the United States is increasingly ramping up domestic production of oil, which is also c ontributing to the supply glut and weighing on prices. Over the five years to 2015, world production of oil is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 1.2%. Outlook The world production of oil will continue growing in the five years to 2020 to match oils ever-growing demand. However, the rate of growth is expected to slow as the price of oil reaches a point to significantly slow demand growth. As a result, annual production growth is expected to average just 0.6% over the five years to 2020. However, the timing and nature of OPEC production quota changes are difficult to forecast, and any dramatic changes by the organization would alter world production totals significantly. The world price of crude oil represents the equally weighted average of oil on three different markets of light crude oil around the world in terms of US dollars per barrel. These markets are for Dated Brent petroleum (38 American Petroleum Institute) in the United Kingdom, Fateh petroleum (32 API) in Dubai and West Texas Intermediate petroleum (40 API) in Midland, TX, United States. Annual figures are presented as the equally weighted average of monthly averages. Historical figures and projections are sourced from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the US Energy Information Administration. Current Performance Oil prices are highly volatile. A wide range of external factors influence price fluctuations, and these factors include foreign exchange movements, foreign policy decisions, production levels and demand from emerging markets. The most influential development over the past five years has been the increasing emphasis on hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques. While upstream oil and gas producers have used these techniques for decades, technological developments have made both hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling more efficient and more profitable than ever before. In the United States, the shift towards these techniques has drastically increased production levels, which has in turn pressured domestic prices for both oil and natural gas. Environmental concerns have increased over the five-year period, and as a result, calls for additional investment in alternative fuel sources have impacted oil and gas producers ability to expand operations, especially in offshore arenas. Crude oil prices are largely determined by market conditions, and falling demand can pressure crude oil prices. Though demand for crude oil is projected to remain strong, as it is an input for a wide range of products, high levels of supply, pressure to develop alternative fuel sources and restrictions on crude oil exports in the United States have weighed on crude oils price performance over the past five years. For example, as the United States increasingly has supplied itself with petroleum, exporting nations, such as Nigeria and Venezuela, have had to seek other markets for their petroleum output. If the US government continues to reduce export restrictions, US oil will enter global markets, which will further increase supply and pressure prices . Although overall economic conditions have improved from recessionary lows in 2009, demand from emerging markets, most notably China, has eased in recent quarters. Though rapid industrialization of countries like China and India has boosted demand for petroleum products, high levels of production have pressured prices for crude oil around the globe. In the United States, for example, the inability of producers to export crude oil limits producers ability to seek the highest available price for their output. As a result, prices have been falling steadily in the United States since the second half of 2014, as production has continued and surpluses have developed. Moreover, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in addition to US drilling operators have continued to produce at steady levels despite the recent decline in price. This has exacerbated the build-up in supply and put additional pressure on prices. Consequently, the world price of crude oil is anticipated to fall at an annualized rate of 6.6% to $56.7 per barrel over the five years to 2015. The world price of oil is expected to trend higher over the next five years; however, it will continue to face downward pressure. US production levels will continue to be strong, and the potential for the US government to reduce export restrictions could further encourage upstream companies to produce at strong levels in the United States. Furthermore, OPECs production levels will likely continue at strong levels, further ensuring strong levels of oil supply on global markets. According to the Energy Information Administrations (EIA) January 2015 Short-Term Energy Outlook, global demand for petroleum and other liquids will average 92.4 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2015, and global liquid fuels supply will average 93.0 million bbl/d in 2015. Nevertheless, the world price of crude oil is anticipated to grow at an annualized rate of 5.1% to $72.6 per barrel over the five years to 2020. Although the price is expected to appreciate over the five-year period, this is primarily due to coming off a low base in 2015. Developments in shale deposits in the United States will continue to encourage growth in production, and the pending approval of the Keystone XL pipeline has the potential to bolster supply levels in the United States. Production in the United States will continue to stress foreign producers of oil and gas, as US appetite for petroleum will be satiated by domestic production, limiting the ability of foreign producers to export to the United States. As emerging markets continue to import petroleum, competition will intensify for exporting nations to supply these growth markets. Volatility Volatility will be persistent over the next five years, as many exogenous factors can drastically impact overall market conditions. Several oil producing countries face political instability that will continue over the next five years, most notably Iraq and Libya. Additionally, central banks around the world will continue to focus on oil price movements, as low oil prices can benefit a wide range of industries and encourage economic growth. Nonetheless, the potential for sudden price fluctuations will remain constant. Over the next five years, Russian production of petroleum resources will play an important role in European markets for natural gas and crude oil. Countries that are rich in shale resources, such as China and Russia, will challenge the US competitive advantage in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling production over the next five years. However, the US will maintain its advantage in shale resource development due to its developed infrastructure and its access to technology and expertise. The Global Oil and Gas Exploration and Production industry seeks valuable, natural resources from beneath the earth's surface. Due to the scale of the industry, market concentration is low on a global scale, though regional operators can heavily influence their operational regions. The largest companies are vertically integrated, multinational conglomerates, and when the initial drilling, extraction and transport stages are completed, these companies typically perform refining and manufacturing activities. These activities are excluded from this mature industry. Movements in oil and natural gas prices relative to production volumes play key roles in determining the industry's performance. Key markets include the developing nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China, also known as the BRIC nations. The emerging industrial capacities of the BRIC nations have driven up the cost for raw energy commodities, as a wide range of manufacturing pursuits require oil and natural gas as key inputs or energy sources for factory equipment. In the five years to 2015, IBISWorld expects industry revenue to grow strongly at an annualized rate of 5.0% to $4.3 trillion, largely reflecting the recovery from lows experienced during the global recession, when plummeting oil and gas prices brought down industry revenue. In 2015, revenue is expected to fall 8.7%, due to weak crude oil prices. Volatile prices prevail Aside from a steep drop during the economic crisis, when global economic activity slowed significantly, oil prices have remained high over the five years to 2015 for several reasons. First, the rapid industrialization of China and India spurred a significant increase in demand as a result of the growing use of automobiles among these countries' sizeable, emerging middle classes. Second, the easiest oil to extract has already been extracted; therefore, every barrel taken from the ground costs more than the one before it. Finally, the rising political instability in many of the leading countries in petroleum production, which are also emerging countries, has caused prices to rise. The Middle East, a main petroleum-producing region, has been in a state of constant tension; consequently, oil prices rose sharply in 2011 as political unrest in Syria, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt threatened to constrain supply. Meanwhile, continued strong demand for natural gas, especially from Asia, is expected to keep gas prices high, despite skyrocketing production in North America. New pipelines, pipeline extensions and continued growth in demand for liquefied natural gas have underpinned growth in gas output. Gas has also benefited from its status as a relatively clean fuel, particularly when compared with coal. However, the US market has generated a surplus of natural gas that has pressured prices. Nevertheless, the world price of natural gas is anticipated to increase at an average annual rate of 6.9% in the five years to 2015, largely reflecting the recovery from recessionary lows. Industry profit is expected to grow in line with oil and natural gas prices over the five years to 2015. This climate of rising demand and production has led to increases in industry employment; however, productivity gains have held employment growth down to an average annual rate of 1.2% to 1.3 million employees over the five years to 2015. Meanwhile, enterprise numbers are expected to marginally increase at an average annual rate of 0.7% to 10,011, as existing companies have consolidated to better absorb volatile petroleum price shocks. Indeed, merger and acquisition (MA) activity was robust in the oil and gas sector in recent years. According to research from Deloitte's transaction advisory business, oil and gas MA transactions totaled $349.0 billion in 2012 and $205.0 billion in 2013. The majority of new companies are likely focused on developing unconventional resources in the United States, as hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling are currently most prominent in North A merica. BRIC demand While advanced economies, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and those in the European Union, are responsible for much of the total value of the world's GDP, they only contribute small growth to its expansion. Major demand growth worldwide comes from the BRIC nations, all of which are rapidly industrializing countries with massive populations. Other emerging economies have also increasingly ramped up petroleum consumption. Before the global financial crisis, the BRIC economies experienced strong growth from 2004 to 2007, with the European Union and United States leading demand for their manufactured goods. Therefore, companies in each region have rapidly expanded their infrastructures and services to support the booming trade sectors over the past five years. This rapid development has increased worldwide demand for resources, which has led to soaring commodity prices for oil and natural gas, benefiting exporting countries, especially Russia. In 2015, the BRIC nations' GDP is expected to continue growing, but at a slower pace than in previous years, as international trade slowed down following the global economic downturn. The United States is the largest energy consumer in the world, and increasing US petroleum production lowered the country's demand for imported fuel. Nevertheless, due to the recovery from recessionary lows, international oil and gas trade is anticipated to grow an average of 4.1% pe r year to $2.1 trillion in the five years to 2015. Prices recover The price of oil is forecast to increase over the next five years, largely because oil is continuously becoming more expensive to extract. Areas like the Middle East, which contain major world oil reserves, will continue to remain under constant tension. In addition, increased regulation remains a threat for offshore drilling in the United States following the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. IBISWorld forecasts a relatively gradual rise in the price of oil over the next five years as the world economy and, therefore, world demand for oil, recovers from the recession. However, downward forces on the price of oil will continue. As oil becomes more expensive, the incentive to invest in research for alternatives will also rise. While cars are becoming increasingly fuel efficient, new models are expensive and only widely available in North America and Europe; the global focus on developing fuel-efficient vehicles will likely increase, with countries like China actively seeking to expand their electric vehicle fleet. In addition, substitutes for oil, such as natural gas and biofuels, are increasingly being used as companies try to diversify and decrease their reliance on oil. Lastly, global demand for oil is threatened by a slowdown in emerging economies. In particular, China's GDP growth is anticipated to moderate in the coming years, which can potentially hinder demand for, and the price of, crude oil. Nevertheless, the world price of crude oil is anticipated to grow at an average annual rate of 5.1% in the five years to 2020. The Global Oil and Gas Exploration and Production industry is subject to a high level of competition. In general, the industry faces competition on two levels: internal and external. Internal competition regards competitive factors common to all or most companies within the industry, while external competition represents threats based in other industries, substitute products or from imports. Internal competition Global oil and gas companies compete on the basis of price, although other factors, such as crude oil grades, impurity levels and the costs of extraction also play a role. Competition between oil and gas as fuels is very limited because the two products serve different markets. In the case of oil, the main end-market is that for transport fuels, while for gas, the major markets are electricity generation and gas supply. In addition, a cartel comprising major oil producers known as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, aims to have a leveling effect on competition levels. OPEC's goal is to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among member countries. Prior to the rise of OPEC, large oil companies that possessed the necessary technology and skills for exploration and production dominated the oil sector. At least in part, OPEC was formed to reduce the influence of oil multinationals that had a monopoly on technology. OPEC does not set oil prices, but because the OPEC countries produce about 40.0% of the world's oil supply and their exports account for about 60.0% of the total export in oil, their decisions influence price movements. The purpose of OPEC is to agree on the quantity and price of the oil that member countries export, which lowers competition. External competition The industry faces limited but growing competition from other fuels. Oil faces competition from biodiesel (a corn- or soy-based substitute for automotive distillate) and ethanol (typically blended with gasoline, rather than used as a replacement fuel) as the basis for transport fuels. Meanwhile, natural gas faces competition from other fuels, primarily coal, in electricity generation, although it has the advantage of being cleaner burning and producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions. In some applications, notably space heating and cooking, natural gas faces competition from electricity. Renewable and alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power also give natural gas competition as the source of electricity generation. References: Alkhathlan, K., Gately, D., Javid, M. (2014). Analysis of Saudi Arabia's behavior within OPEC and the world oil market.Energy Policy,64, 209-225 Almoguera, P. A., Douglas, C. C., Herrera, A. M. (2011). Testing for the cartel in OPEC: non-cooperative collusion or just non-cooperative?.Oxford Review of Economic Policy,27(1), 144-168 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Rashed, Y., Len, J. (2015). Energy efficiency in OPEC member countries: analysis of historical trends through the energy coefficient approach.OPEC Energy Review,39(1), 77-102 Barros, C. P., Gil-Alana, L. A., Payne, J. E. (2011). An analysis of oil production by OPEC countries: Persistence, breaks, and outliers.Energy Policy,39(1), 442-453 Belke, A., Gros, D. (2014). A simple model of an oil based global savings glutthe China factor and the OPEC cartel.International Economics and Economic Policy,11(3), 413-430 Brmond, V., Hache, E., Mignon, V. (2012). Does OPEC still exist as a cartel? An empirical investigation.Energy Economics,34(1), 125-131 Brunetti, C., Buyuksahin, B., Robe, M. A., Soneson, K. R. (2013). OPEC'Fair Price'Pronouncements and the Market Price of Crude Oil.Energy Journal,34(4) Cairns, R. D., Calfucura, E. (2012). OPEC: Market failure or power failure?.Energy Policy,50, 570-580 Calabrese, J. (2012). have been major changes on the global supply side as well. Oil production in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries is in decline. By 2030, produc-tion in the USA and other industrialized countries is expected to decrease from current pro-duction levels, while OPEC countries are expected to provide most of the increase in world oil output. 8.Handbook of Oil Politics, 401 Colgan, J. D. (2014). The emperor has no clothes: The limits of OPEC in the global oil market.International Organization,68(03), 599-632 Creti, A., Ftiti, Z., Guesmi, K. (2014). Oil price and financial markets in the main OPEC countries.Energy Studies Review,20(3) Ftiti, Z., Guesmi, K., Teulon, F. (2014).Oil shocks and Economic Growth in OPEC countries(No. 2014-064) Gabriel, S. A., Rosendahl, K. E., Egging, R., Avetisyan, H. G., Siddiqui, S. (2012). Cartelization in gas markets: Studying the potential for a Gas OPEC.Energy Economics,34(1), 137-152 Gately, D., Al-Yousef, N., Al-Sheikh, H. M. (2013). The rapid growth of OPEC s domestic oil consumption.Energy Policy,62, 844-859 Hanabusa, K. (2012). The effect of 107th OPEC Ordinary Meeting on oil prices and economic performances in Japan.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,16(3), 1666-1672 Hancock, K. J., Vivoda, V. (2014). International political economy: a field born of the OPEC crisis returns to its energy roots.Energy Research Social Science,1, 206-216 Knittel, C. R. (2013). Transportation fuels policy since the OPEC embargo: Paved with good intentions.The American Economic Review,103(3), 344-349 Matsumoto, K. I., Voudouris, V., Stasinopoulos, D., Rigby, R., Di Maio, C. (2012). Exploring crude oil production and export capacity of the OPEC Middle East countries.Energy Policy,48, 820-828 Mensi, W., Hammoudeh, S., Yoon, S. M. (2014). How do OPEC news and structural breaks impact returns and volatility in crude oil markets? Further evidence from a long memory process.Energy Economics,42, 343-354 Mirchi, A., Hadian, S., Madani, K., Rouhani, O. M., Rouhani, A. M. (2012). World energy balance outlook and OPEC production capacity: implications for global oil security.Energies,5(8), 2626-2651 Rabe, S. G. (2014).The road to OPEC: United States relations with Venezuela, 1919-1976. University of Texas Press Radetzki, M. (2012). Politicsnot OPEC interventionsexplain oil's extraordinary price history.Energy policy,46, 382-385 Schmidbauer, H., Rsch, A. (2012). OPEC news announcements: Effects on oil price expectation and volatility.Energy Economics,34(5), 1656-1663 Suleiman, S. A., Muhammad, S. (2012). Price and Income Elasticities of Demand for Oil Products in African Member Countries of OPEC: A Cointegration Analysis