Social Work Observation Report

Social Work Observation Report This essay will demonstrate a clear understanding of what the social work role is by reflecting on my shadowing experience and using this experience to provide a view of the differences between social work and social care. On October the 11th I was able to shadow a social worker on the sensory services team in Gloucestershire, whilst shadowing I was able to observe the social worker on two home visits. The first visit required the gathering of information from a carer to fill out a Carers Emergency Scheme plan. The second visit involved the completion of a Carers Assessment. Explain the role of the social worker observed, the difference in the social work role to that of a care role The role of my social worker was to assess the needs of the service users and also the needs of their carers. She was also able to give them some equipment such as a day light lamp to enhance the ability to read, however, I was informed by the social worker that she was in a different position than most social workers and that the ability to provide specialised equipment is an unusual opportunity for social workers. The role of a carer would contrast from this as a carer would have been able to support them with practical help. Skills for Care (2010) stated that Social care work is about helping people with their lives. People who have physical or psychological problems often require practical help coping with the everyday business of life. Social care provides this practical care. (cited in Trevithick, 2012). IFSW (2006:9) depicts that The term social workers refers to those workers trained to asses and respond to people with complex personal and social needs. It is a protected title and can only be used to refer to those who are qualified and registered and hold a social work qualification recognised by the General Social Care Council (GSCC) †¦Social workers carry out a variety of tasks, including casework, acting as an advocate, risk assessment and working as a care manager. As a profession, social work promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. (cited in Trevithick, 2012). These two definitions show a clear contrast between social care and social work but there is an evident overlap with the two roles, however, the professional accountability and legal requirements of a social worker implies a high importance that these two roles have clear distinctions. Where possible insights gained into service users and carers experience/perceptions of the service provided by the agency At the end of the first visit the lady was unclear on what a she was supposed to do so my social worker sat back down and explained to her that she had nothing to do and that she had nothing to worry about, this comment was repeated by the service user but I believe that this made the service user relax. On my second visit the gentleman that is caring for his wife got his calendar out to fix a date for the social worker to visit again, he told my social worker that he was busy on the day that she wanted to visit but said he would cancel his plans as he would much rather see her, I found this comment heart-warming. On this visit my social worker was able to provide the lady with a day light lamp to aid her sight when reading, I believe this was a good experience for the service user as she seemed very impressed with the lamp and read us her paper without the use of her magnifying glass. The gentleman also comment a few times about my social worker filling in the forms for him and that he would look at the next form but would wait and let her fill it in whilst she read out the questions, I think this showed that he had confidence in the ability of that social worker and that he trusted her. Discussion points raised about the work of the agency, its legislative and policy context When I spoke to the social worker about legislations and policies I was informed that this was a hard question to answer as there are numerous legislations that have to be consider when working for the sensory team, reciting them all would not be possible. I was told that the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 was one that could be remembered and then I was offered a printed copy of their policy that related to assessments. According to Horner (2006) the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 sought to change the balance of care with four key directions which gave the local authorities the responsibility to make plans to meet the needs identified in partnership with user and carers and to assess the needs of those requesting care. Davis (2012) states within the guide to adult assessment in Gloucestershire that people are put at the middle of the decision making with self-directed support, this allows choice and control over services that are received and who provides it. The carers assessment section seems relevant to my shadowing experience as this is what I observed, this section comments on the opportunity for the carer to give their perspective about the service user, approaching the identification and management of risk positively, procedures of safe guarding are explained and followed if this is an issue, establishing if support is available and would be maintained and an encourage discussion for carers to have a Carers Needs Assessment. Outline how the experience links to the Professional Capabilities Framework and Standards of Proficiency The social work reform board developed the professional capabilities framework (PCF) to provide foundations for social work education and to support development after qualification. The PCF sets out the capabilities required, at every stage of career, for social workers in England (The college of social work). Social work knowledge, understanding and abilities are set out within the standards of proficiency, which was developed by the health and care council alongside the professional liaison group. In addition to this the PCF and the standards of proficiency both describe the expectations of social workers when they reach the end of their training and start practising (Health and care professions council). The shadowing experience links to the PCF as it allowed me to gain a better understanding of the social work role it also enhanced my ability to communicate on a professional level with emails and face to face conversations. This experience would also link to the standards of prof iciency due to the knowledge and understanding gained by observing a qualified social worker. Conclusion There are important differences between social work and social care and it is of high importance that these differences are not overlooked. Service users Policies and legislations used within an agency seem complex and numerous however, the policies of a particular area allow these complications to be simplified PCF and standards of proficiency have many immeasurably positive links to the experience and opportunity to shadow a social worker.

Mutualism of Rhinz Essay -- Biology, Symbiosis

Symbiosis refers to a relationship in nature, between two organisms. It can exist in any of 3 forms. These are mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Each of these are different symbiotic systems in which at least one of the organisms benefits from the relationship. In a mutual relationship, both organisms will benefit in one way or another. In a commensal relationship, one organism will benefit from the partnership, while the other will not be hurt or benefitted. Finally, in a parasitic relationship, one organism will benefit from the partnership while the other organism will be harmed or even killed. The focus of this paper is mutual symbiosis found in nature (Patek, 2011). Symbiotic mutualism is a partnership in which both organisms will benefit from the relationship. This relationship beneficial to both organisms thus is beneficial to the ecosystem, indirectly. An example of this relationship, found in nature, is that of rhizobia and legumes. In this relationship, both the rhizobium and the legume on which it strives, benefit, in that the legume is enriched with nitrogen and amino acids by the rhizobium, while the rhizobium is given the important organic molecules which act as an energy source for the bacteria (Kiers et. Al., 2003). The nitrogen in this reaction is a very important nutrient, as it is a driving force of many photosynthetic processes. This process is carried out by the rhizobium bacteria attaching to a nodule on the root hair of the legume plant, taking nitrogen from the air and converting it to a form usable by plants (NH4) utilizing the enzyme nitrogenase, and in return receive the growth molecules it requires (Denison & Kiers, 2004) . Both organisms do benefit from the partnership they share; however, thi... ...c relationship with legume roots. However, this symbiotic relationship, in specific, can exist in one of two forms, either mutual or parasitic. Although the strand which exhibits mutualism most prominent among rhizobial populations, the parasitic strand does exist, yet is slowly being eradicated by the constantly evolving legumes. Researchers have studied the different strands of the bacteria, and have attempted to conclude on the efficiency of both separate strands. Each has concluded that although the parasitic strands have much less work to do to obtain the essential molecules to aid it in growth, it obtains a significantly smaller amount of the growth molecules, if any. This is because through evolutionary pathways of the legume roots, the parasitic strand is selected against, and the legume favors the more hard-working mutual strand of the rhizobium bacteria.

Educational Philosophy Essay -- Teaching Education

Educational Philosophy Teachers have the role of shaping students for tomorrow. They help them academically, personally, and socially. I cannot think of any other career that would be as rewarding as teaching. A teacher has the opportunity everyday to change a student’s life. One of the reasons I want to become an educator is because I want to have a positive influence on a student’s life. I think in today’s society it’s crucial for students to feel like they have a positive role model. I have seen what a large impact teachers have made on their student’s lives. That has made me to want to strive and do the same. Another reason for choosing this profession is that I simply love working with children. I do not think that there is any greater moment that when a student catches on to what you are teaching them. This makes the student feel better and it makes you feel like you have succeeded at your job. The final reason I want to become a teacher is th at I feel that I have many great ideas, and I would love to communicate these ideas to my students. My classroom will be a very open and bright environment. I think it is crucial to have light colored walls in the classroom. This way the classroom looks very spacious. I also think it helps when a classroom has windows to allow plenty of sunlight to enter into the room. My walls will be covered with bright posters of inspirational sayings. I will also have bulletin boards to display the students’ work and art projects. I think this will be effective because it shows that the teacher really cares about her students and admires the effort they put into their work. I really want my classroom to be a very comfortable setting, but yet I want it ... ..., and leadership are derived from the many different philosophies. I see my role as an educator as one of great importance. I think my primary goal is to teach the students and help them learn. I also think it is my responsibility, though, to help the students with their own personal problems in anyway that I can. I want to help students with their self-esteem early in life so they can continue to work on it as they get older. I will also strive to help each student work harder. I want to be able to see continuous improvement in my students over the entire year. I want my students to feel like they can come and talk to me regardless of their problem. I want them to know that I will try my best to help them through anything that I can. I will take pride in my role as an educator and in helping students. After all, these students are our future. Educational Philosophy Essay -- Teaching Education Educational Philosophy Teachers have the role of shaping students for tomorrow. They help them academically, personally, and socially. I cannot think of any other career that would be as rewarding as teaching. A teacher has the opportunity everyday to change a student’s life. One of the reasons I want to become an educator is because I want to have a positive influence on a student’s life. I think in today’s society it’s crucial for students to feel like they have a positive role model. I have seen what a large impact teachers have made on their student’s lives. That has made me to want to strive and do the same. Another reason for choosing this profession is that I simply love working with children. I do not think that there is any greater moment that when a student catches on to what you are teaching them. This makes the student feel better and it makes you feel like you have succeeded at your job. The final reason I want to become a teacher is th at I feel that I have many great ideas, and I would love to communicate these ideas to my students. My classroom will be a very open and bright environment. I think it is crucial to have light colored walls in the classroom. This way the classroom looks very spacious. I also think it helps when a classroom has windows to allow plenty of sunlight to enter into the room. My walls will be covered with bright posters of inspirational sayings. I will also have bulletin boards to display the students’ work and art projects. I think this will be effective because it shows that the teacher really cares about her students and admires the effort they put into their work. I really want my classroom to be a very comfortable setting, but yet I want it ... ..., and leadership are derived from the many different philosophies. I see my role as an educator as one of great importance. I think my primary goal is to teach the students and help them learn. I also think it is my responsibility, though, to help the students with their own personal problems in anyway that I can. I want to help students with their self-esteem early in life so they can continue to work on it as they get older. I will also strive to help each student work harder. I want to be able to see continuous improvement in my students over the entire year. I want my students to feel like they can come and talk to me regardless of their problem. I want them to know that I will try my best to help them through anything that I can. I will take pride in my role as an educator and in helping students. After all, these students are our future.

Guide to registration on the childcare register Essay

The parents of Anjum a little girl who is new to your setting moved to England only 3 months ago. Yours is the first setting that they have used for 18 month old Anjum. They have very little understanding of the legislation covering home based childcare or the role of the regulatory body. QUESTION 1 †¢Consider 4 pieces of legislation that are important for home based childcarers and how you would outline these to Anjum’s parents? There are over 20 pieces legislation currently used to protect children and their parents whilst using home based care settings. I have outlined 4 pieces of legislation that I believe are important to home –based childcarers. Children Act 2004 This act sets out the processes for integrating services to children in England and Wales, requiring local authorities and their partners to co-operate in promoting the welfare and wellbeing of children. It created the post of Children’s Commissioner for England and introduced the requirement for local authorities to have a director of children’s services. The Introduction of The Children Act was the first time that a UK law had acknowledged that children had rights. It Places responsibility on home based child carers to help a child meet the following five priority outcomes: Be healthy Stay safe – Enjoy and achieve – Make a positive contribution – Achieve economic wellbeing – Childcare Act 2006 The Childcare Act 2006 is a pioneering piece of legislation. It is the first ever act to be exclusively concerned with early years and childcare. The act has helped to transform childcare and early years services in England. Measures in the act formalise the important strategic role local authorities play through a set of new duties. These duties will require authorities to: †¢Improve the five Every Child Matters outcomes for all pre-school children and reduce inequalities in these outcomes †¢Secure sufficient childcare for working parents †¢Provide a better parental information service †¢The act also reforms and simplifies early years regulation and inspection arrangements, providing for a new integrated education and care quality framework for pre-school children and also for the new Ofsted Childcare Register. The Childcare 2006 Act has four parts: 1. Provision of Childcare This requires local authorities to assess the need for child care and ensure sufficient provisions are made for working parents. The child care must meet the needs of all types of families especially those with lower income and disabled and those with special needs. 2. Information, Advice and Training Local authorities must also provide training and advice to persons who wish to be providers of child care. 3. Introduction of The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) This is an education framework introduced to all providers of care for 0 -8 years. Its aims are to support and teach providers in delivery of early education to babies and children. This act also introduced free nursery hours for children aged 3 and upwards. 4. Reform of the Regulation and Inspection of Childcare This part focuses on raising quality and standards of pre-school care and education and requires all providers of childcare aged 0 -8 years to be registered on the Early Years register and be monitored by the regulatory  body (UK regulatory body) OFSTED (unless exceptionally exempt). Evidence must be shown that these child care providers are continually working in line with the EYFS. The Childcare Act is of vital importance as it requires by law, those providing care to babies and children 0-8 to maintain constant high standards and that sufficient safe guards are in place and also education and development opportunities are easily obtainable for both the children being cared for, but also for the child care provider. This Childcare act has had a highly positive effect on the childcare offered throughout communities, ensuring that suitable care is within everyone’s reach regardless of their socially economic situation, the depth of their child’s needs or their cultural and racial backgrounds. The act has successfully endeavoured to eradicate childcare providers offering substandard care and learning opportunities to those they are accountable for. This of course has had an excellent impact on all children who have care provided for them outside of the family unit. Equality Act 2010 This is a relatively new legislation which replaces various discrimination acts and puts them under one heading and makes them easier to understand. The Equality Act legally protects people from discrimination in the work place and wider society. Legally people are protected if they are discriminated for their gender, race, religion, disability, breastfeeding mothers are now also covered by the law and women who are being paid less than a man doing the same job. These are just a small example of the people and situations that are covered by this law since 2010 as there are many more illustrations, the list is non exhaustive as practically anyone can be discriminated against for a multitude of reasons. The Equality Act is there to protect everyone whether in employment or not. It is there to ensure we are all on an equal footing and that everyone regardless of their social status, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, mental health or intellectual acuity is treated with due respect and presented with equal opportunities. Data Protection Act (1998) The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998) is an act defining the ways in which  information about people may be legally used and handled. The main intent is to protect individuals against misuse or abuse of information about them. There are six main parts that outline the basic rights of individuals and how information about them is handled. The law states that all information written or spoken must be processed fairly and lawfully, be obtained for lawful purposes and in a manner compatible with the given purpose, it must be relevant and not excessive, current and accurate, not be shared with any other party unless written permission is given and be protected against loss or damage. This is a fact/Info sheet to be given and discussed to with Anjum’s parents to go through the 4 legislations that I have highlighted as important to home base childcarer’s service. LEGISLATION There are over 20 pieces of legislation I follow as a childminder. Below I have listed 4 that underpin and important for home based childcarers. 1. Children Act 2004 – identifies the needs of the child is paramount. Here are the 5 EVERY CHILD MATTERS priority outcomes. Be healthy – Stay safe – Enjoy and achieve – Make a positive contribution – Achieve economic wellbeing – 2. Children Act 2006 – Measures in the act formalise the important strategic role local authorities play through a set of new duties. These duties require authorities to: †¢Improve the five Every Child Matters outcomes for all pre-school children and reduce inequalities in these outcomes †¢Secure sufficient childcare for working parents †¢Provide a better parental information service †¢The act also reforms and simplifies early years regulation and inspection arrangements, providing for a new integrated education and care quality  framework for pre-school children and also for the new Ofsted Childcare Register 3. EQUALITY ACT 2010 .The Equality Act legally protects people from discrimination in the work place and wider society. Legally people are protected if they are discriminated for their gender, race, religion or disability. 4. DATA PROTECTION 1998 .The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998) is an act defining the ways in which information about people may be legally used and handled. QUESTION 2 †¢How would you go about outlining the 4 different roles of the regulatory body to Anjum’s parents? As a childminder it is important that all new parents considering placing their child in my care have a clear understanding of the regulatory body Ofsted and their roles. I would provide this information by the production and display an information sheet outlining Ofsted’s roles. In addition I would provide new parents with my recent OFSTED report and website address for OFSTED. It is important to be able to provide varying types of media to enable all new parents with all level of communication and language or cultural needs to understand the information provided. This may be in the form of different media formats including information sheets in different languages if required. OFSTED As a childminder I am registered and monitored by the regulatory body OFSTED. There are four main roles that the regulatory body OFSTED have to carry out to regulate child carer’s in order to ensure that all children receive the  best possible care away from their homes. childcare providers. ï  ®register the childcare provider, or suspend or cancel their registration ï  ®inspect the childcare, usually without arranging this beforehand (an unannounced visit) Investgation  take enforcement action against the provider in serious cases. REGISTRATION All carers MUST be registered by OFSTED, it is an offence to work with children and not be registered. (Carers exempt from being registered are those who care for children for less than two hours a day and under six separate occasions a year) A provider registered by OFSTED has to ensure all staff or people over 16 living with you at the premises or a regular visitor must obtain an enhanced CRB check, so that any criminal convictions are disclosed that make the person unsuitable to work with children. INSPECTION Inspection by an officer from OFSTED provides an evaluation of how you run your child care setting and is designed to help improve its quality and standards in the care, safety, learning and developmental progress of the children and their learning goals set out by EYFS. INVESTIGATION An investigation is carried out in cases where negative information is received regarding a particular setting to establish whether a registered provider is still meeting and complying with requirements of OFSTED registration. ENFORCEMENT If OFSTED registration standards are not met or severe misconduct is practiced OFSTED can take action against you and your business concluding in being struck off the register preventing them from legally working with children. In severe cases legal action can be taken. Bibliography I used information from the following sources: Websites 1. www.ofsted.gov.uk 2. www.legislation.gov.uk 3. Guide to registration on the childcare register, OFSTED word document 4. Children Act 2004 , Wikipedia.org 5. Childcare Act 2006. Wikipedia.org

American Home Product Essay

1. How much business risk does American Home Product face? How much financial risk would American Home Product face at each of the proposed levels of debt shown in case Exhibit 3? (Hint: Calculate impact on net income of 10% reduction in EBIT). How much potential value, if any, can AHP create for its shareholders at each of the proposed levels of debt? 2.Construct a simple EBIT-EPS Analysis chart for AHP for each of the proposed levels of debt shown in case Exhibit 3. Give your analysis based upon this chart. 3.What capital structure would you recommend as appropriate for AHP? What are the advantages of leveraging this company? The Disadvantages? How would leveraging up affect the company taxes? How would the capital markets react to a decision by the company to increase the use of debt in its capital structure? 4.How might AHP implement a more aggressive capital structure policy? What are the alternative methods for leveraging up? (Short answer will be OK, no calculation). 5.In view of AHP’s unique corporate culture, what arguments would you advance to persuade Mr. Laporte or his successor to adopt your recommendation? Note: Make sure that you do understand how to find the numbers on Exhibit 3 and Exhibit 4, number 8. Answer: 1.Business risk: Stable annual growth (10~15%) and profit margin (11~12%). Overall low-risk investments; ‘proven’ formulas instead of R&D. AAA Bond Rating. (EBIT 1981 / EBIT 1980) / % increase in sales (EBIT 1981 / (Net Income 1980 / (1 – Tax Rate))) / % increase in sales (EBIT 1981 / (Net Income 1980 / (1 – 48%))) / % increase in sales (954,8 / (445,9 / 52%)) / (4.131,2 / 3.798,5) = 1,02. (954,8 / 857,5) / 108,8% = 1,02. Financial risk: DFL = % change EPS / % change EBIT = (1 + ((3,18 – 2,84) / 2,84)) / (1 + ((954,8 – 857,5) / 857,5)) = 1,120 / 1,113 = 1,006. Higher DFL means higher EPS variability. 0%   1,006 30% 1,090 50%   1,116 70%   1,143 Debt to Capital = total debt / net worth. Higher DtC ratio means higher risk. 0% ïÆ'  0,009 30% 0,429 50% 1,000 70% 2,333 Potential value: EPS goes up as % of debt goes up ($3.18 – $3.49). 0% $3.18 30% $3.33 50% $3.41 70% $3.49 Dividends rise. 0% $1.90 30% $2.00 50% $2.04 70% $2.10 2.EBIT-EPS Analysis Chart Although leveraging decrease the company’s EBIT, it gives more value per share to its shareholders. 3.Recommended capital structure: Most appropriate capital structure for American Home Products is 30% debt to total capital. Several reasons will explain the reason why this structure gives advantage to AHP. The first, as using 30% debt ratio, the company  would be able to be recapitalized; hence, common shares outstanding of 19.8 million can be repurchased. The second, AHP would have advantage to save taxes of 37.8 million dollars and its shareholders benefit by getting more values. Exhibit 2 shows that Warner Lambert company’s debt ratio is approximately 32% and its bond rating is AAA or AA. It means that if AHP uses 30% debt and 70% equity, its bond rating will be same as Warner Lambert; consequently, bond interest to pay will not increase much due to bond rating. Addition to these reasons, AHP would face less risk to compare heavier capital structures. The advantages of leveraging this company: a.Higher value for shareholders. b.Reduction in tax through interest. c.Access to additional capital. The disadvantages of leveraging this company: a.Higher risk to shareholders. b.Lower net income. Leveraging effect: As debt increases, tax decreases. Market reaction: Market will expect higher return and stock price will rise. 4.AHP should use heavier capital structure which means increasing to use more debt instead of relying wholly on shareholders’ capital, which has its limitation as far as the shareholders’ wealth. So, by using debt to finance AHP’s growth (leveraging up), AHP’s capital structure might be more effective and aggressive. Leveraging up may enable AHP in innovating new products, using better technology, and motivating labor. While during Mr. Laporte’s era, the company can only conduct the â€Å"me too† strategy, relying heavily on its marketing prowess. 5.Mr. Laporte stated that his company works in order to increase  shareholders’ wealth. However, using 30% debt to capital would give possibility to save 37.8 million dollars from taxes; thus, its shareholders would benefit from getting higher dividends per share. Also, if the company uses more debt to its operations, it will be possible to repurchase common stocks of 19.8 millions of shares from market, increasing its EPS, thus affecting in rise in stock price.

Date Rape and Date Rape Drugs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Date Rape and Date Rape Drugs - Assignment Example The UCR statistic on rape collects information on the number of female victims involved in forcible rape incidences ((Doerner & Lab, 2012). The NCVS, an abbreviation for National Crime Victimization Survey, is a survey which interviews victims of crime about their experiences. The NCVS was introduced in the 1960s to complement the UCR. NVCS surveys gather crime specific information such as when and where the crime happened, the weapon used and victim-offender relationship. NVCS covers 7 counts of crime in two categories namely personal crimes and household crimes. Personal crimes include rape, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault. The NVCS statistics on rape covers both male and female victims (Doerner & Lab, 2012). The UCR greatest strength is that it is easily available as it is a primary source of crime estimates. The UCR statistics report is a summary of all reported cases of crime to law enforcement agencies. The UCR captures a lot of information on index crimes, both in terms of arrest and reports. Secondly, the UCR introduces a common metric for measuring crime in the US states. The FBI division of crime as personal and property offenses does not apply to states statutes and codes. The UCR offers a uniform measure for the 50 US states. Lastly, the UCR is continuous as new crimes are collected all the time through law enforcement offices, unlike the NVCS which requires support systems. However, the UCR has serious shortcomings. First of all, it only accounts for police reported crimes. This is a major setback as there are a lot of crimes that go unreported. Consequently, UCR suffers from ‘the dark figure of crime’. Secondly, UCR fails to collect all the relevant data. The UCR only collects data on the offender, victim’s crime details, but only details the circumstance for homicide cases. It fails to capture the weapon used ion forcible rape, and captures only data for female victims, as rape on

Mass Media and Its Influence on Public Opinion Essay

Mass Media and Its Influence on Public Opinion - Essay Example This project analyzes how mass media manages to both observe and influence public opinion as it relates to consumer-based and politically-based advertising. Mass Media Industry Social changes occurring across the world have radically changed how information sources are utilized for learning, entertainment, and knowledge-sharing. Social-based technologies, such as MySpace, YouTube and Facebook are now considered to be moving into the social mainstream, thus providing an excellent opportunity for opinion leaders to spread their personalized messages. â€Å"Wherever people are online, they are actively engaged in a wide variety of social media platforms, from blogs to social networking to video sharing† (Smith, 2009, p.559). Social media over the Internet is a significant revolution from traditional information sources such as newspaper and television as it relates to lifestyle and allows for evolution of thought from a variety of demographics. This is why this form of media is b ecoming more and more valuable to opinion leaders as it maintains the ability to reach a wide variety of consumers to present different advertising schemes and concepts. The content of messages now have changed with the use of mass media when considering social media outlets as it no longer has to be targeted to just one specific demographic, such as newspapers like the Wall Street Journal which is targeted to those who invest in stocks and bonds. It can be directed toward a global community, as a means to influence and persuade others to accept a particular advertising message. The electronic format of this type of media also allows for rapid changing of the message by the opinion leaders as a means to shift delivery in the event of changing social needs or beliefs across the world. In order to explore the issue more effectively, one should take into consideration the concepts of advertising in order to better understand the observational methods of those delivering the advertising content over mass media sources and how it manages to influence opinion of the community. Marketers have a strategy to ensure competitiveness of their products and also to maintain a competitive edge over other businesses that sell similar products or concepts and services. This strategy is referred to as positioning, which is â€Å"owning a place in the mind of a consumer. By understanding how a mind works, marketers can use it to their advantage and successfully drive demand for their products† (Trout, 2008, p.2). Marketers understand that there must be some element about their products or advertising strategy that is unique to all other competition and they rely on the ability to persuade consumers to accept and adopt their intended messaging. They do this by relating information to the individual’s lifestyle and then select a particular, very biased message that will be delivered to their specific target group. Now that the fundamentals of advertising messaging ha ve been understand as it relates to changing the mind-set of buyers, it can be explored how observation and influence occur as a product of this advertising strategy. In earlier years, marketers used traditional forms of mass media to deliver a singular, streamlined message that was not easily transformed or updated as it was generally in print. Today, with concentrated growth in the Internet, public opinion leaders can now create new,