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Lecture delivered for the course on Therapeutic Interventions at the Inter University Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia. 18 - 24 June 2006
The purpose of this lecture is to give an overview of the emerging strengths/empowerment perspective in social work. Space would not permit an in-depth analysis of this view on social work intervention, but the most distinguishing characteristics will be touched upon.
The focus on strengths and empowerment has gained considerable prominence over the last couple of decades (Cowger, 1994:262) and represents a major paradigm shift away from the problem-based approach that has been with social work for such a long time. Both approaches will have and keep its supporters for years to come, but the focus on strengths and empowerment has become too strong to be ignored. It constitutes a fascinating and refreshing way to look at clients and their circumstances and is characterized by its positive and optimistic view of people confronted by life's challenges.
Cowger and Snively (2002:106) see the purpose of social work as assisting people in their relationships to one another and with social institutions. For them, practice focuses on developing more positive and promising transactions between people and their environments. They regard the empowerment perspective as central to social work practice and see client strengths as providing the fuel and energy for that empowerment. Miley et al, (2004:91) express the relationship as follows: "strengths-oriented social work practice incorporates empowerment as both a concept and a process."
The first part of the paper will focus on the strengths perspective, while the second part will focus on empowerment as the process aspects of the strengths perspective. Its practice model components are listed below.
In order to understand and appreciate the contrasts between the strengths approach and the problem-based or deficit model, some of the assumptions of the problem-based model should be considered.
Saleebey (2001:3) makes it clear that social work and other professions have not been immune to the contagion of the disease- and disordered-based thinking. He explains that much of social work theory and practice has been developed around the supposition that clients become clients because they have deficits, problems, pathologies, and diseases; that they are in some way weak or flawed. Saleebey points out that more sophisticated terminology prevails today, and he very cynically declares that the metaphors and narratives that guide out thinking and acting which are often penpered over with more salutary language are sometimes negative constructions and fateful for those we are trying to help. Weick et al. (1989:351) agree with this by saying that attention "to people's inability to cope is a central expression of the prevailing perspectives on helping." They argue that approaches differ in the way the problem is defined, but that virtually all schools of therapeutic thought rest on the belief that people need help because they have a problem that in some way sets them aside from people who are thought not to have that problem. It is further explained (Weicks, et al. 1989: 350) that although social work has not been oblivious to the importance of recognizing individual strengths in practice encounters, "a subtle and elusive focus on individual or environmental deficits and personal or social problems remains in recent frameworks".
Cowger (1994:262) observes that much of the social work literature on practice with families "continues to use treatment, dysfunction, and therapy metaphors and ignores work on family strengths developed in other professions." DuBois and Miley (2005:26) also drive the point home stating that the "professional literature abounds with information on functional problems, maladaptation, victimization and powerlessness." They feel that it too often happens that professionals identify deficits, incompetencies, and maladaptive functioning and yet seem unable to notice clients' strengths.
Saleebey (2001:3) came to the conclusion that the words and terms associated with pathology expresses the following assumptions and consequences:
Several authors have documented their reservations about the problem-based approach. Weick et al. (2001:351) who coined the term strength perspective (Smith, 2006: 13) summarized their views about the focus on the problem and the process of defining it as follows:
Saleebey (2001:103) condenses his reservations about a focus on problems as follows:
However, Saleebey (1996: 297) introduces a balance by pointing out that practicing from a strengths perspective does not require social workers to ignore the real troubles that dog individuals and groups. He emphasizes that problems like schizophrenia, child abuse, pancreatic cancer and violence are real. He explains that in the lexicon of strengths it is as wrong to deny the possible as it is to deny the problem. The expression of the dark cloud with the silver lining is a good comparison as is the case of the glass that is half full. He further explains by pointing out that the strength perspective does not deny the grip and thrall of addictions and how they can morally and physically sink the spirit and possibility of any individual. It does, however, deny the overwhelming reign of psychopathology as civic, moral, and medical categorical imperative. It does deny that most people are victims of abuse or of their own rampant appetites. It denies that all people who face trauma and pain in their lives inevitably are wounded or incapacitated or become less than they might. A good example of this perhaps was illustrated by the hijacking experienced by one of my university's previous vice-chancellors. When it was suggested that he gets counseling sessions, he denied that it was necessary and he never needed it. His strengths have been his strong spirituality and belief in himself, and to this day he does not suffer any consequences from the event.
As a practice perspective (Sheafor, et al. 1996:51) the strengths approach takes a different look at the client, his problems and his environment, and it requires a different approach from social workers. This is also echoed when Miley et al. (2004:81) stress that practitioners need to reexamine their orientation to practice, their views of client systems and the issues clients represent if the strength perspective is to be applied. According to them(2004:81), the practice of the strengths perspective will prompt social workers to examine three transitions from problems to challenges, from pathology to strengths and from a preoccupation with the past to an orientation to the future.
The statement was made in the introduction that the strengths approach is a major paradigm shift away from the problem-based approach. Saleebey (2001:1) makes the serious charge that authors of many textbooks, educators and practitioners all regularly acknowledge the importance of the principle of building on client's strengths but that these are "...little more than professional cant." He then states his view very clearly and forcefully:
"The strengths perspective is a dramatic departure from conventional social work practice. Practicing from a strengths orientation means this - everything you do as a social worker
will be predicated, in some way, on helping to discover and embellish, explore and exploit clients' strengths and resources in the service of assisting them to achieve their goals,
realize their dreams, and shed the irons of their own inhibitions and misgivings, and society's domination."
Saleebet (2002:1) elaborates and explains that when social workers adopt the strength approach to practice, they can expect exciting changes in the character of their work and in the tenor of their relationships with their clients. According to him, (2002:1) practice from a strengths perspective demands a different way of seeing clients, their environments, and their current situations. It is thus a practice perspective radically different from the problem-focused approach and it will take time for social work practitioners to change their mindset - moving from the known to the unknown. He (2002:2) also points out to rapidly developing literature, inquiries and practice methods in a variety of fields that bear a striking similarity to the strengths perspective - developmental resilience, healing and wellness, solution-focused therapy, asset-based community development and narrative and story to name a view. Saleebey (2002:2) explains that these elaborations are a reaction to our culture's continued obsession and fascination with psychopathology, abnormality, and moral and interpersonal aberrations.
Saleebey (2002:xvii) in the preface of his book on this topic states that much still has to be done with respect to inquiry and the further development of concepts and principles as well as techniques.
Miley et al. (2004:81) state that to apply the strengths perspective practitioners need to reexamine their orientation to practice, their view of client systems, and the interpretations of the issues clients represent. The same authors (2004: 81) identify what they call three key transitions social workers has to examine in practicing the strengths perspective viz problems or challenges, pathology or strengths, as well as past and future. These transitions serve as important guidelines in the paradigm shifts strengths-focused social workers have to make. Viewing problems as challenges, turning points, or opportunities for growth shifts the perspective and clients. The word 'challenge' has a different meaning than problems and creates a more positive frame of mind in both the client and the social worker. The same applies to the word 'strengths' as opposed to 'pathology' and the word 'future' as opposed to 'past.'
The strengths perspective is to a large extent given its character by its principles and its language. This will be briefly discussed below.
Saleebey (1999:16) points out that strengths-based approaches differ from pathology-based approaches in both their language and the principles that guide and direct practice. He (Saleebey: 2002:13) points out that the principles of the strengths perspective are still tentative and maturing and subject to revision and modulation. He lists the following principles:
The strengths perspective has some typical words associated with it, giving it its character and telling practitioners something about the meaning of its perspective. According to Saleebey, these words are essential and direct us to an appreciation of the assets of individuals, families and communities. Some of them are as follows:
Empowerment. It has already been stated that empowerment is regarded as incorporated in the strengths approach. According to Saleebey (2002:9), empowerment "indicates the intent to, and the process of, assisting individuals, groups, families and communities to discover and expend the resources and tools within and around them." Empowerment is thus a helping process to assist people to use their strengths to overcome their challenges.
Membership. Membership is an important experience in people's lives. Saleebey (2001:10) warns that to be without membership is to be alienated, to be at risk for marginalization and oppression. People need to be citizens, responsible and valued members of a community. The strengths orientation proceeds from the recognition that all of those whom we serve are, like ourselves, members of a species, entitled to the dignity, respect and responsibility that come with such membership. He explains that too often it happens that the people we help have either no place to be (or to be comfortable) or no sense of belonging. He elaborates by stating that the sigh of relief from those who come to be members and citizens and bask in the attendant rights, responsibilities, assurances, and securities, is the first breath of empowerment. Another meaning to membership is that people must often band together to make their voices heard, get their needs met, to redress inequities, and reach their dreams.
Resilience. Reader's Digest Universal Dictionary (1987:1303) defines resilience as "the ability to recover quickly from illness, change or misfortune." Saleebey (2001:11) reports that there is a growing body of inquiry and practice that believes that the rule in human affairs is that people do rebound from serious trouble, that individuals and communities do surmount and overcome serious and troubling adversity. He explains that it does not mean ignoring difficulties and traumatic life experiences and neither is it a discount of life's pains. Resilience is a process - the continuing growth and articulation of capacities, knowledge, insight, and virtues derived through meeting the demands and challenges of one's world, however chastening. The process he refers to is the process of interaction between the person and his environment and it can be explained by the ecosystems approach on which the strengths perspective rests.
Healing and Wholeness. According to Saleebey (2001:11) healing implies both wholeness as well as the inborn facility of the body and the mind to regenerate and resist when faced with disorder, disease and disruption. Healing also requires a beneficent relationship between the individual and the larger social and physical environment. The healing process thus requires a supportive relationship between the individual and his/her environment if healing must take place. Healing and self-regeneration are intrinsic life-support systems, always working, and, for most of us most of the time, on call. This implies that the body and psyche starts responding when faced with a threat or a challenge. In many cases the body and mind succeeds in restoring the balance, but often they need outside intervention.
Dialogue and Collaboration. In the human and social sciences it is an accepted and proven fact that humans need relationships to grow and develop. For that very reason they will always seek to connect with other people. People need these relationships for healing and recovery. As Saleebey (2001:12) expresses it "humans can only come into being through a creative and emergent relationship with others." He points out that there can be no discovery and testing of one's powers, no knowledge, no heightening of one's awareness and internal strengths without outside relationships. He (2001:12) views dialogue as an instrument of confirming the importance of others and the process through which the rifts between self, others and institution are healed. Dialogue can thus be seen as facilitating the transactions between the person and his/her environment. It creates the kind of atmosphere in which the person becomes willing to try out his or her potential and strengths. It creates a horizontal relationship establishing mutual trust and confidence between the involved people.
Saleebey (2001) differentiates dialogue from collaboration by pointing out that the latter has a more specific focus. It requires particular roles of the social worker because s/he becomes agent, consultant and stakeholder with the client in mutually-crafted projects. This also allocates a different role and status to the client, one where s/he does meaningful work to tackle his/her challenges. Miley, et al. (2004:126) stress the importance of partnership between the worker and the client if the strengths perspective is to be actualized and empowerment encouraged. This corresponds with the view of DuBois & Miley (2005:200) pointing out that empowerment "presumes active, collaborative roles for client-partners."
Suspension of Disbelief. Being constructivistic in nature, the strengths/empowerment perspective questions the belief in a concrete and objective reality (Dubois and Miley, 2005:30). This implies that the client's representation of reality cannot be regarded as invalid or inaccurate and that the perception of the worker is the correct one. The client knows his reality the best and the worker must deal with it in the way the client describes it. This means that the social worker needs to shelve his disbelief in order to explore the client's world. Saleebey (200:81) encapsulates the above by stating that we must give credence to the way clients experience and construct their social realities if we want to recognize the strengths in people and their situations. He warns against the imposition from our own versions of the world.
Critical factors and community. Saleebey also lists (1996:300) critical factors and community as part of the lexicon of strengths. By critical factors he refers to the variables that will affect how an individual or group will respond to a series of traumatic, even catastrophic situations. Critical factors include "risk factors" which enhance the likelihood of adaptive struggles and poorer developmental outcomes and "protective factors" - conditions that enhance the likelihood of rebound from trauma and stress. He adds what he calls "generative factors" which are remarkable and revelatory experiences that, taken together, dramatically increase learning, resource acquisition, and development, accentuating resilience and hardiness.
By community Saleebey means community in a positive sense - a community with qualities supporting its members, creating opportunities, having an abundance of support systems, having clear expectations for its members and providing the tools for meeting such expectations.
Just about anything assisting you in dealing with challenges in your life can be regarded as strengths, and this will vary from person to person. Because of this it will be difficult to draw up an exhaustive list of strengths but Saleebey (2001:84) observes that "some capacities, resources, and assets do commonly appear in any roster of strengths." He lists the following strengths which are mostly the results of human developmental processes:
What people have learned about themselves: This refers to life experiences through which people learn a lot during their efforts to cope and survive which is a need in all of us. People learn from their successes as well as their failures. Their behavior is strengthened by their successes and their failures prompt them to look for alternatives.
Personal qualities, traits and virtues that people possess. These may be anything - a sense of humor, caring, creativity, loyalty, insight, independence, spirituality, moral imagination, and patience. Saleebey points out that these qualities are sometimes forged in the fires of trauma and catastrophe, or they may be the products of living, the gifts of temperament, and the fruits of experience. Whatever the qualities might be, they will be the effects of developmental processes in the life of the person.
What people know about the world around them. People get to know about the world around them in different ways and the more they know, the better they will understand and the better informed they will be. So many sources of learning exist in the modern world, of which formal education and informal learning are two of the most important sources. Saleebey (2001:85) mentions the possibility that a person may have developed a skill at spotting incipient interpersonal conflict or at soothing others who are suffering. Perhaps life has given an individual the ability to care and tend for young children or elders, or it could be that a person could use an artistic medium to teach others about themselves.
The talents that people have can surprise us sometimes (as well as surprising the individual as some talents have laid dormant over the years.). At some stage in their lives, people may discover talents they thought they'd never have. Many whites in South Africa lost their jobs as the result of the application of the affirmative action policy and had to look elsewhere for something that would keep bread on the table. Many of them discovered that they were good businessmen and started very successful businesses.
Cultural personal stories and lore. Saleebey (2002: 86) points out that these are often profound sources of strengths, guidance, stability, comfort or transformation and are often overlooked, minimized, or distorted. He describes how the stories of women have been shrouded through domination, but when recounted and celebrated, how these stories are sources of profound strength and wisdom. The South African history books will recount the stories of the very important role women played after the second Anglo Boer War in the upliftment of the so-called Boerevolk when people were poor and demoralized. The first welfare organizations in South Africa were started by women groups. I think many countries' histories bear witness to the strengths that women manifested in times of trouble and hardships. Cultural stories, narratives and myths, accounts of origins, migrations, trauma and survival may provide sources of meaning and inspiration in times of difficulty or confusion. Modern South African history will give accounts of the courage and perseverance of black women in their struggle for political freedom.
The pride of people as a strength cannot be overlooked. It is however buried under an accumulation of blame, shame and labeling, but it is often there to be uncovered.
Cowger & Snively (2001:106) identify strengths-based assessments as a problem area in the strengths perspective. According to them a review of the social work literature on human behavior and the social environment reveals that the typical textbook now makes reference to the strengths perspective, although there is little theoretical or empirical content on this topic, yet to be found in the areas of social work assessment, practice and evaluation. Hepworth, et al., (2002:190) point out that changes in practice have lagged far behind the change in terms from diagnosis to assessment, for social workers persistence in formulating assessments that emphasize the pathology and dysfunction of clients - despite the time-honored social work platitude that social workers work with strengths and not with weaknesses. The authors (2002:190) then proceed by identifying the following three ramifications of the tendency of practitioners to focus on pathology:
A strengths-based assessment will be different from a problem-based assessment due to the nature of the approach. It will be an ecosystemic assessment to consider the context in which the client finds himself or herself. Saleebey (2001:108) draws attention to the growing body of social work practice literature that applies their strengths perspective to individual, family and community assessment.
Saleebey (2001:115-117) views the assessment process as unfolding in two stages or phases: a first component whereby the worker and client define the problem situation or clarify why the client has sought assistance, and the second component, which involves evaluating and giving meaning to those factors that impinge on the problem situation. The first component is a brief summary of the identified problem situation or challenge the client faces while the second component involves analyzing, evaluating and giving meaning to those factors that influence the problem situation. Saleebey (2001:113) stresses the multidimensionality of assessment by distinguishing between the internal and external strengths of the client. The internal strengths come from the client's interpersonal skills, motivation, emotional strengths, and ability to think clearly. The client's external strengths come from family networks, significant others, voluntary organizations, community groups, and public institutions all of which support and provide opportunities for clients to act on their own behalf and institutional services that have the potential to provide resources. Cowger and Snively (2001:118) also propose the use of the following diagram of Cowger as an assessment tool.
Source: Saleebey, 2001
The analysis by Hepworth, et al., (2002:193) of the above framework of Cowger made them come to the conclusion that it alerts us to the fact that a useful assessment is not limited to either deficits or strengths, and that the environmental dimension is important as well as the personal.
According to Miley, et al. (2004:242) social workers and clients assess resource systems to discover gold, not causes or reasons. They point out that resources are relative, identifiable only in context. This is a significant viewpoint which refers to the unique person-environment configuration of the particular client. Miley et al. (2004:243) with the unique realities of clients in mind draw attention to the fact that the actual ways in which clients interact with their social and physical environments determine what functions as resources to the clients. To complete an empowering assessment, the partners explore broadly for resources that may be present in the environment, in the interaction of clients with others, and even in other challenges that clients are facing. DuBois & Miley (2005) refers to competence clarification as part of assessment which means that the social worker should explore what the client is capable of doing. They (2005:209) quote Mallucio's guidelines for competence clarification that includes (1) clarifying the competence of the client system, including capabilities, strengths, resiliency , and resources; (2) clarifying the environment, including the availability of resources and supports, and the presence of barriers, risks and obstacles; and (3) clarifying the goodness-of-fit or balance between the requirements for and the actual availability of resources.
Hepworth et al. (2002:194) identified in the following list a number of strengths often manifested by clients in the first sessions.
Miley et al. (2004:250 - 258) list the following components arising from an ecosystems perspective on assessment:
Cowger & Snively (2001) propose the following guidelines for a strength assessment
Many of these guidelines apply to any assessment, but some are specifically related to a strengths assessment. What is significant is that several of these guidelines emphasize a focus on the reality of the client, and the view that there should be a dialogue and partnership between the client and the social worker.
I would now like to come back to focus on spirituality as a strength mainly as the result of neglect of this aspect by social workers and the underestimation of its value in supporting the functioning of client systems.
Articles on spirituality in social work journals have become a significant trend over the last two decades after being neglected for quite a long time. Canda (quoted in Saleebey, 2002:63) concurs by pointing out that recognition of spirituality as a source of strength for people facing serious life challenges is growing rapidly amongst social workers. Moore ( 2003: 558) observes that the absence of a discourse on the matter of spirituality is conspicuous and baffling, when it is considered how often social workers confront such issues on a practical basis, and even more so when we remember social work's historical roots in spiritually informed communities. Miley et al. (2004:256) quotes Gotterer as stating that although practitioners historically included spirituality as an important dimension of assessment, it was often considered superfluous to the secular domain of practice. It was however discovered that many clients' innermost thoughts and feelings are rooted in spiritual beliefs which, rather than being a separate issue, serve as the foundation for the seemingly mundane activities of everyday life. Canda (1988:238) also points out that despite "repeated calls for professionals to focus on spiritual issues in practice, researchers agree that this area has been neglected".
Zapf (2005:634) offers a laudable explanation for what he perceives as the reason for ignoring, neglecting and even discouraging spirituality by the mainstream professions. He suggests that as a profession seeking to improve its status as an evidence-based scientific discipline, social work may have avoided spiritual issues that could be perceived as unscientific or difficult to categorize and use in practice. He explains further and pointing out that in the Western helping professions, religious and spiritual factors have often been linked more to pathology and impediments rather than seen as strengths or resources in a client's situation. The very scope of spiritual practice and understanding can be threatening for practitioners seeking to demonstrate professional competence with intervention techniques that are under their control. To this the author wants to add that social workers who are not religious themselves may find it difficult to bring spirituality into their practice, especially if spirituality is confused with a particular religious belief system. Zapf (2005:634) then makes the observation that "in spite of these patterns from the history of social work, there is strong evidence in the recent literature of a renewed interest in spirituality and social work".
Hodge (2001: 204) states that spirituality and religion often are used interchangeably, but they are distinct, although overlapping concepts. He explains that religion flows from spirituality and expresses an internal, subjective reality, corporately, in particular institutionalized forms, rituals, beliefs and practices. Spirituality is defined by him as a relationship with God, or with whatever is held to be the Ultimate that fosters a sense of meaning, purpose and mission in life. In turn, this relationship produces fruit (such as altruism, love, or forgiveness) that has a discernable effect on an individual's relationship to self, nature, others, and the Ultimate.
Miley, et al. (2004:235) entertain the following views on spirituality: "Although specific beliefs and practices vary considerably, religious affiliation and spirituality have resources to offer. Affiliating with a community of faith provides a network of personal relationships and concrete support in times of need. Specifically, spiritual beliefs and practices strengthen the ability to withstand and transcend adversity and are virtual wellsprings for healing and resilience. Common beliefs, stories of the faith, holy days and ritual celebrations forge a sense of communal identity and purpose. Compassion, love and forgiveness - themes in most religions - contribute to personal and interpersonal healing. Commitment to a faith can initiate a sense of meaning, renewal and hope for the future. Religious commitment may encourage concerns for the welfare of others and, for some, foster a zeal for addressing injustices".
Hodge (2001:204) mentions that the most widely used spiritual assessment tools are quantitative measures but he points out that those quantitative measures have been criticized as being incongruent with social work values. The reason for this is that the "subjective, often intangible nature of human existence is not captured" (Hodges, 2001:204). He proposes the use of qualitative approaches in assessing spirituality because they "tend to be holistic, open-ended, individualistic, ideographic, and process oriented". He feels that as such they offer particular strengths in assessing clients' spirituality, where riches of information can be of particular importance. He offers an assessment framework consisting of an Initial Narrative Framework and an Interpretive Anthropological Framework, which is reproduced in full below.
Initial Narrative Framework
Interpretive Anthropological Framework
Source: Hodge, D. 2001.
As Hodge (2001:207) describes and as can be seen from the framework, the first section provides for three categories of questions incorporating increasing levels of personal revelation and allowing time for the therapist to establish trust and rapport before more intimate information is shared.
The Interpretive Anthropological Framework is a multidimensional framework for understanding the personal subjective reality of spirituality in client's lives. The questions are not sequential but are intended as guides to alert practitioners to the various components of each domain and to create an awareness of the potentiality of clients' spirituality (Hodge, 2001:208). According to Hodge (2001:209), the Interpretive Anthropological Framework is designed to evoke the following empirically-based strengths:
As far as assessment of spirituality is concerned, Hodge (2005:316) discusses five spirituality assessment methods viz spiritual histories, spiritual life maps, spiritual genograms, spiritual ecomaps and spiritual ecograms. Amongst these, only the first one is based verbally, while the others are all pictorial. representations. A spiritual history is analogous to conducting a family history. In the spiritual history approach two question sets from the framework above are used to guide the conversation. The Initial Narrative Framework is used to provide practitioners with some tools to help clients tell their stories, moving from childhood to the present. The Interpretive Anthropological Framework is designed to elicit spiritual information as clients relate their stories.
Spiritual life maps represent a diagrammatic alternative to spoken spiritual histories (Hodge, 2005:316). It is a pictorial delineation of a client's spiritual journey. Spiritual life maps are illustrated accounts of clients' relationship with God (or transcendence) over time - a map of their spiritual life. They tell us where the clients have come from, where they are now and where they are going.
Spiritual genograms provide social workers with a tangible graphic representation of spirituality across at least three generations (Hodge, 2005:319). They are blueprints of complex intergenerational spiritual interactions.
Spiritual ecomaps focus on clients' current spiritual relationships. They focus on the portion of clients' spiritual story that exists in present space (Hodge, 2005:320)
Spiritual ecograms are a combination of the assessment strengths of spiritual ecomaps and spiritual genograms. Ecograms tap information that exists in present space, much like a traditional spiritual ecomap, and they also access information that exists across time like a spiritual genogram (Hodge, 2005:321). These tools are exactly the same as the various diagrams picturing the different aspects of family life, but these are with a spiritual overlay and can be helpful in making the client aware of his spiritual world.
Although dealt with differently conceptually, strengths and empowerment cannot be separated in practice. The one without the other is impossible. Empowerment is the practice approach embedded in the strengths perspective and consists of a variety of techniques used by the social worker to stimulate strengths within the client and in his environment. Adams (2003: 8) defines empowerment as "the means by which individuals, groups and/or communities become able to take control of their circumstances and achieve their own goals , thereby being able to work towards helping themselves and others to maximize the quality of their lives."
Lee (1994: 13) uses the following definition of empowerment in his exposition of the concept:
"Empowerment is a process whereby the social worker engages in a set of activities with the client...that aim to reduce the powerlessness that has been created by negative evaluations based on membership of a stigmatized group. It involves identification of the power blocks that contribute to the problem as well as the development and implementation of specific strategies aimed at either the reduction of the effects from indirect power blocks or the reduction of the operation of direct power blocks."
Hepworth & Larsen (2002:438) define empowerment as "enabling groups or communities to gain or regain the capacity to interact with the environment in ways that enhance resources to meet their needs, contribute to their well-being and potential, give their life satisfaction, and provide control over their lives to the extent possible."
Of the three above definitions, the two latter ones seem to refer to groups and communities while the first one does not rule out the individual. Empowerment should include the individual because eventually it is the individual that is disempowered.
Miley et al. (2004:91) point out that oppression, discrimination, injustice, and experiences of powerlessness are the very circumstances that call for the application of empowerment-based social work practice. To address these issues of oppression, injustice, and powerlessness, strengths-oriented social work practice incorporates empowerment as both a concept and a process. According to Miley et al. (2004: 91) a pursuit of the goal of empowerment significantly affects the way social workers practice. It is first characterized by the application of an ecosystems perspective and a strengths orientation in practice. The fact that social workers apply the ecosystems perspective means that they consider client situations in context, search for client strengths and environmental resources, and describe needs in terms of transitionary challenges rather than fixed problems. It secondly means that social workers as generalists draw on skills for resolving many issues at many social system level, and respond to the connections between personal troubles and public issues.
Miley et al. (2004: 85) distinguishes between personal, interpersonal and socio-political dimensions of empowerment. Personal empowerment embodies a person's sense of competence, mastery, strength and ability to affect change while interpersonal empowerment refers to person's ability to influence others. According to Miley at al. interpersonal power comes from two sources. The first source of power is based on social status - for example power based on race, gender and class. The second is power achieved through learning new skills and securing new positions, which are key features of empowerment. The socio-political (structural) dimensions of empowerment involve person's relationships to social and political structures.
Empowerment is a political concept because it deals with power relationships but Adams (2003:8) explains that the political dimensions of the concept is not party political because "its activist tone transcends party politics" Cowger and Snively. Saleebey (2001:108) stresses that practice that recognizes issues of social and economic justice requires methods that explicitly deal with power and power relationships. This implies that empowerment strategies should be used to intervene in power relationships and should be effective in changing power positions.
Adams (2003:28) states that there is "no one agreed set of concepts and approaches to empowerment. The diversity of theories and models of empowerment reflects the lack of a single definition of the concept."
Lee (1994:300) regards the central processes of empowerment as developing a critical consciousness in the context of relationship through consciousness-raising and praxis: strengthening individual capacities, potentialities, and problem-solving skills; building group, collectivity and community; and taking action to change oppressive conditions. Basic helping processes and skills are divided into the following categories by Lee (1994:31):
Lee (1994) distinguishes between empowerment of individuals, groups, and communities. Lee (1994) and Miley et al. (2004:86) distinguish further between the personal, interpersonal and political layers of empowerment which will cut across the lives of individuals, groups and communities. For Miley et al. (2004:85) empowerment on the personal level refers to a subjective state of mind, feeling competent and experiencing a sense of control. They explain that people who experience personal power perceive themselves as competent. Competence is regarded as the ability of any human system to fulfill its function of taking care of itself, drawing resources from effective interaction with others, and contributing to the resource pool of the social and physical environment.
On the interpersonal level (Miley, et al., 2004:87) it refers to person's ability to influence others. Successful interventions with others and the regard others hold for us contribute to our sense of interpersonal empowerment. The social power of position, roles, communication skills, knowledge and appearance contribute to a person's feelings of interpersonal empowerment. Interpersonal power comes firstly from social status like race, gender and class, and secondly from learning new skills and securing new positions which are regarded as key features of empowerment.
The sociopolitical dimensions of empowerment (Miley, et al., 2004:88) refer to structural elements and involve person's relationships to social and political structures. It has to do with the fact that all human systems require an ongoing, expansive set of resource options to keep pace with constantly changing conditions. The more options, the more likely systems can manage their challenges. The fewer the options, the greater the vulnerability of systems.
Miley et al. (2004:311) provide one of the most comprehensive classifications of empowering strategies. They divide empowerment strategies into three categories viz the activation of resources, the creation of alliances and the expansion of opportunities. In each of these categories are a variety of techniques that could be used to achieve the goals of empowerment. Space does not allow the discussion of these strategies in detail, and only a summary of these strategies will be provided.
8.1 The activation of resources
Generalist Skills for Activating Resources
Maintaining Progress
Developing Power
Changing Perspectives
Managing Resources
Source: Miley, et al., 2004
8.2 The creation of alliances
Miley et al. (2004:343) emphasize the importance of social workers in creating and facilitating alliances for clients and themselves for the generation of resources for service delivery and the construction of supportive environments for practice. The strength of alliances is to be found in the establishing and improving of relationships and in mutual understandings between role-players in order to form a network of relationships which will empower the client systems. The following types of alliances are distinguished by them:
Client group alliances
Natural support alliances
Client-services alliances through case management
Organizational alliances
Professional support networks
The various alliances are presented by means of the diagram below.
Miley et al. (2004:344) stress that social work groups are vehicles for personal growth, skill development, and environmental change. Through group work, members may acquire new perspectives, be a support for one another, and also join forces for collective action.
Natural support alliances (Miley, et al. 2004:351) consist of relationship networks with family members, friends, colleagues and their associations with churches, schools or clubs. Miley et al. distinguish between informal systems such as spouses, partners, children, parents etc., and membership systems like churches and synagogues, informal social clubs and civic organizations, for example. The last category includes professional people like social workers, educators, clergy, lawyers and the like.
The next type of alliance described by Miley et al. (2004:354) is client service alliances. Case management consists of actions by the social worker to see to it that clients get the services they need and are entitled to. It is used when clients need access to a variety of services.
Organizational alliances (Miley, et al. 2004:367) are created when social workers connect with other service organizations to increase the effectiveness of services to the clients. Ways of connecting include building interagency coalitions, developing effective working relationships with other professionals, working on teams and leading meetings.
The last type of alliance, described by Miley et al. (2004: 371) is professional support networks found within organizations and built by affiliations with professional associations.
8.3 Expanding opportunities
The last category of empowering strategies discussed by Miley et al., (2004:377) is expanding opportunities and are strategies focused on environmental change. It thus means that some aspect or other, of the environment should be changed to make room for expanding opportunities. Strategies of expanding opportunities are comprised of resource expansion, community change, policy development, social activism and social advocacy and legislative advocacy. Many of these strategies are focused on structural change in the macro environment in order to open opportunities for people to become empowered. Miley et al. (2004:379) sums it up by explaining that expanding opportunities means creating new resources for client systems in their social and physical environments. They point out that responsive environments enrich social functioning with access to health care, adequate education, technical training, child care, civil rights, jobs, transportation and comprehensive community-based services. The opposite of environmental opportunities are environmental risks like shortages and barriers in resource provision and social inequities which create problems and pose environmental risks.
Resource expansion occurs when needed resources are not there. Strategies of resource expansion (Miley, et al., (2004:385) are firstly to identify shortages, then to mobilize resources, educate the public, and write grants.
Community change becomes a need when the community does not support its members. Community change strategies involve community organizing and community development. (Miley, et al., 2004:386)
Policy development involves policy analysis and change with Miley et al., (2004:391) stressing the importance of involving consumers in the process.
The last two groups of strategies to expand opportunities are social activism, social advocacy and legislative advocacy. According to Miley et al., (2004:393) social activism and social advocacy is a strategy to redress the inequities that result from different social status, resource distribution and power. Legislative advocacy occurs when social workers and consumers negotiate positions that will empower them to provide input into the legislative process. That includes actions like legislative analysis, lobbying and legislative testimony.
From the above it is clear that the action strategies described by Miley et al., (2004) are wide ranging and focused on the total ecological configuration. It provides for individual, interact ional and environmental change to improve the adaptive relationship between the person and his environment. This brings this lecture to a close with the hope that it contributed to an understanding of the strengths perspective in social work and its related practice model of empowerment. This overview has been generic and not specifically focused on only the therapeutic process.
ADAMS, R. 2003. Social work and empowerment. 3rd ed. Palgrave: Macmillan
COMPTON, B. R. & GALAWAY, B. 1999. Social work processes. 6th ed. Pacific Grove:
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Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Pp.63 -78.)
COWGER, C.D. 1994. Assessing client strengths: clinical assessment for client empowerment.
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DuBOIS, B. & MILEY, K.K.2005. Social work: an empowering profession.5th ed. Boston: Pearson
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skills. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole
HODGE, D.R. 2001. Spiritual assessment: a review of major qualitative methods and a new
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John and Sue welcome you to their 3 Star Plus Guest Accommodation. Focused on Quality and Service. Recently voted One of the best in Southport by The Southport Visitor and currently No 3 on Trip Adviser.
Just Received A converted Breakfast Award By Visit Britain.The Warwick is centrally located between Southport's famous Lord Street and the lakeside promenades 2 minute walk from Southport Theatre and Conference center and other attractions The Warwick is Ideal for the business and recreation visitor a like.PLEASE CHECK WITH THE WAWICK REGARDING THEIR TERMS AND CONDITIONS Credit Cards are charged at �5 per �100 and per transaction Debit cards are FREE of admin charges Card used will be asked to be presented and validated at registration. PLEASE NOTE ALL ROOMS ARE NON SMOKING - Smokers may smoke outside on the patio Our rooms are of a good size and well presented accommodating 1-4 people. Rooms have en-suite private facilities or separate shower room televisions with freeview radio alarms with MP3 docking hair dryers a hospitality tray an information pack and complementary toiletries and they are serviced every day.The accommodation covers 3 floors - no need to fumble with light switches en route to the bedrooms as the stairs and landings have automatic lighting.
Electronic locks throughout for ease of access and disability friendly. The large dining room can be used by guests who may wish to bring in a take away along with a spacious lounge that you can relax in with its numerous leather couches although we are not licensed we do offer a chiller for guests to bring in their own drinks to cool down and we provide glasses and openers free of charge. Outside at the front there are two adjacent patio areas with tables and chairs to relax in which can be used by those who need to smoke.
All in all you will be glad that you chose The Warwick and we are confident that you would book a return visit as many others do.
From: £50.00
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Meols Hall - 1.8 miles (Historic House)
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Becconsall Old Church - 7.7 miles (Historic Church)
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Rufford Hall - 7.9 miles (Historic Building)
Liverpool, Christ Church Waterloo - 12.5 miles (Historic Church)
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Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Playing with paper
Today I created a mini book out of empty toilet rolls. The idea came from my friend Roc. You can see her work here. I used 4 rolls for this mini. The paper I used is "Once upon a springtime", probably one of my favourites at the moment, I guess because I can't wait for spring to come.
This is the cover, and here are some of the pages:
And this is the back cover:
12 comments:
- MOLLYE said...
Hi Sweetness, I am so touched by your work and for some reason it brings out the "weepiness" in me. It just speaks to a place in my heart that I can't name. So soft and yet so strong. Hugs, Mollye
- 15 February 2011 at 18:41
- Silvia(Barnie) said...
That's a wonderful booklet.
- 15 February 2011 at 20:32
- Meggymay said...
It is a beautiful, inspirational book that seems to say, spring is just round the corner.
- 15 February 2011 at 21:10
- Netty said...
Such a wonderful use of toilet rolls. Truly is a beautiful book Astrid. Annette x
- 15 February 2011 at 23:10
- Heather J. said...
OOOOHHH !!! Astrid this is sooo awesome and I also love graphic 45 one of my very faves....along with 7Gypsies .... your work is full of magic and a treat to see.. love your work .. hugz all the way from Adelaide Australia xo
- 16 February 2011 at 00:27
- Suzanne Brookfield said...
This is just so beautiful...you do amazing things. I dont always comment but I always drool lol :) x
- 16 February 2011 at 06:18
- Artfully Musing said...
It's lovely. Laura
- 16 February 2011 at 13:34
- indybev said...
Ahhh, the lowly toilet roll elevated to a gorgeous little booklet. I had seen Roc's and tucked the idea away in my mind. You have inspired me doubly! Beautiful work, Astrid .... but then all your work takes my breath away!
- 16 February 2011 at 14:56
- Terri Kahrs said...
Bravo, Astrid! Who knew that such a beautiful treasure could be created from something so lowly!!! Awesome work! Hugs, Terri xoxo
- 16 February 2011 at 17:22
- A Gypsy Angel/Stamperbee said...
Just beautiful! Have a lovely day, Kim
- 16 February 2011 at 20:03
- Lori Saul said...
Fantastic book- I have these papers too and I love what you have created here!
- 17 February 2011 at 01:19
- Ozstuff said...
What is the measure of a true artist? I will tell you. A true artist is a person who can find beauty in empty toilet roll holders! Your book is so beautiful. The papers are gorgeous. Perfection.
- 18 February 2011 at 00:09


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Make money with your smartphone
Make money with your smartphone, that used to be just an idea, something that just didn't register with the inside the box crowd. Well that idea is now a reality, a trend moving steadily in an upward direction in the popularity ranks of young adults to senior citizens and the modern 9-5 grinders. Smartphone apps have figured out that the more people they have using their app to play games, watch videos, and even shop with and of course taking selfies, the more opportunities they have to generate some serious cash.
So in an effort to create a snowball effect on the buzz and popularity of their app or product, they have started rewarding their smartphone pp users with cash, mostly in the form of gift cards but some still payout cold hard PayPal cash! It's almost like they are buying members by the boatloads by luring them in with rewards, but the viral effect seems to benefit both parties. Prizes are another offering from apps that pay you to use them. We have seen iPads even Louis Vuitton handbags given away in either raffle, lottery or top rank form in the the mobile applications and they aren't the only way to make money with your smartphone either.
We have seen studies show that less than 5% of the social media crowd is actually using business like tactics directly from their smartphones but as we stated earlier there is a huge shift underway via the mobile platforms. Google's "mobilegeddon" took place this April, 2015 dropping the page ranking of any site that was deemed not mobile friendly. We are seeing startups being propelled and even launched via social media primed to make money with your smartphone. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the top platforms used by mobile-prenuers daily. Everything from t-shirt design and sales to seo services are promoted by two thumbs hacking away at a 5 inch screen.
At our website http://www.makesmartphonemoney.com we are dedicated to helping everyone from large companies to basement dreamers make money using their smartphone. We are proud to be the number one resource for all things influenced to make money with your smartphone. Be a part of history and watch as people create, share and earn while on the go as smartphones become smarter, faster and more productive and secure. And definately swing by the website and pay us a visit. Have and idea or something you'd like to share, drop us a line, or hit us on on social media. We look forward to an awesome future for all smartphone users, let us help you make money with your smartphone.


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Got The Ball Of Foot Pain Blues?
The most severe type of sprain is a third degree sprain because it is the result of a complete rupture of one or more ligaments. It would take a significant force to completely rupture one or more ligaments in the wrist, but it can occur with a fall from a height greater than the athlete (upended basketball player after jumping into the air or a "flyer" falling on an outstretched arm after being tossed into the air). A sprained wrist (play video) is common in athletes competing in sports in which diving, sliding, and falling are a natural part of the sport (baseball, softball, football). Although ball of foot pain is more common in women, it may also affect men. Inflammation and ball of foot pain (metatarsalgia) is a symptom of other conditions – often overuse injuries from high-impact sports or problems from poorly fitting shoes or high heels. Other possible contributors are excess weight, certain toe shapes, and hammertoes and bunions. Aging, being overweight and many other systemic diseases such as diabetes, gout, arthritis all increase the likelihood of foot problems. Generally these systemic (whole body) diseases affect the function and structure (depending on the disease) of the foot This changes the function of the foot and often leads to foot pain Tendons are tissue bands connecting muscle to bones. One such tendon is the Achilles tendon (largest tendon in the body) which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. This tendon also known as the 'heel cord' that supports the entire body weight and helps raise the heel off the ground, thus facilitating walking. When the Achilles tendon gets inflamed, the condition is called Achillis tendonitis. The person experiences heel pain with every step he or she takes. This condition is commonly observed in runners. When scarring and fibrosis restricts the movement of the Achilles tendon sheath, then the condition is called Achilles tenosynovitis. Symptoms. Most people with flat feet simply feel a general discomfort. Foot pain often begins on the foot 's inner border. Foot misalignment can cause pain in the ankles, back and knees. Bones may collapse over time. The ligaments and tendons that support the foot and ankle must be strong to prevent bone collapse. Otherwise, people may develop ankle sprains and heel spurs. Weakness in ligaments and tendons also contribute to the development of arthritis. Over time, wear and tear affects the tendons in the foot, specifically the Achilles tendon. Those who suffer from Achilles tendonitis liken the foot pain to a sharp smack to the back of the heel. Plantar Fasciitis is a very common condition caused by over-pronation. As the feet flatten, the Plantar Fascia (fibrous band of ligaments under the foot) is being overly stretched, leading to inflammation in the heel, where the fascia attach to the heel bone. Plantar Fasciitis causes chronic heel pain and sometimes a heel spur develops (bony growth at the heel bone). Injection therapy with combination of steroids and local anesthetics may be used to relieve the pain and symptoms caused by the neuroma. Since frequent steroid injection may cause damage to the fat pad found on the bottom of the foot, these injections can only be used in limited quantities. If Boston victims are generally healthy and motivated, and their legs are amputated below the knees, or perhaps even above the knees, "it's possible they could run the marathon a year from now," he said. "It would take a lot of effort, but it's indeed possible with today's technology." The bionic legs he uses cost $60,000 apiece, are hydraulically operated and equipped with microchips and a gyroscope that sense when to relax and stiffen to help him walk. Walter Reed was involved in developing the legs, said Zach Harvey, former prosthetics chief at Walter Reed. I 'd need to say that the anti-inflammatory gel wasn't much help - no matter just how much and exactly how frequently I lathered it on. The orthotics, however, did make an obvious (and welcomed) enhancement to my walk. I then had a sensation that I was on the sluggish but specific road to redemption. Your feet will usually swell the most as you enter and progress through the third trimester because that is when you will weigh the most. Different women will deal with different amounts of swelling, but it can be very uncomfortable at times.


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Her Choice Not to Heal After Abortion
Abortion's emotional and spiritual pain is likely one of worst forms of self-torture that exists in our world today. It binds our hearts to the anxiety and shame that someone could discover this awful truth about us and cast us out.read more
How Will Post-Abortive Women Vote?
But what about the one third of American voting women who have chosen abortion? How will they vote? The answer often depends on the time that has passed since their abortion experience.read more
A Pastor's Compassion for the Post-Abortive
She walked into my office. I could tell she was nervous. When I heard her story I could tell why. She was post-abortive, she had a new boyfriend and was afraid to tell him her story.read more
4 Male Mindsets that Affect Abortion Decisions
While men may not possess any legal rights in the abortion decision, they have more influence than they sometimes realize. That power typically depends on the strength of their relationship with the child's mother.read more
Respecting an Abortion Secret
The consequences for an abortion confessor can be difficult for the non-post-abortive to imagine. This level of rejection is not for the faint of heart.read more
10 Comforts When Family Members are Aborted
Aborted children don't show up on a missing person's list. Their remains aren't in mortuaries or funeral homes. They are often unacknowledged by their parents which means the secret of their brief lives is rarely shared with others. That doesn't mean there isn't related grief when this truth is discovered.read more
Does God Approve of Abortion?
Many faith-based hearts prayed before they aborted, asking for God to intervene if this wasn't His will for them. These ambiguous prayers are often answered, just not in the way we expect.read more
Oprah's #ShoutYourAbortion Fallout
This abortion proud hashtag has now been tweeted over 300,000 times. Whatever the reasons for participating in this promotion, the use of this hashtag can have massive implications for the American family whose members have been lost to abortion.read more
Message of Hope to Abortion's Wounded
Our team is here to help anyone struggling after an abortion decision. Please know that there is no sin that God cannot forgive, even abortion. The problem maybe you don't forgive yourself and may need help. The HerChoicetoHeal.com website can help you discover God's peace and mercy so that you can process this pain in a healthy manner. Visit HerChoicetoHeal.com today!read more
The Return of Abortion's Exiled Women
At some point, God reaches through the darkness of a woman's self-imposed exile to call His children back into His fellowship. It is then that God rolls away the clouds from our sub-conscious and truth is presented. Memories that God resurrects cannot be pushed away easily. If they aren't faced, God will continue to propel them into your heart.read more
Ramah International Pregnancy Center Training Seminar Jackson, Michigan 2012 Sydna Massé
Sydna Massé shares the story of how God led her to join an abortion recovery class and the impact that healing had on her ministry life. Her Choice to Heal Finding Spiritual and Emotional Peace After Abortion Sydna Massé compassionately leads you...read more
The Revenant of an Aborted Child
Revenant is defined as one that returns after death or a long absence. For many post-abortive people, being haunted by their "blob of tissue" is often unexpected.read more
Her Choice to Heal Finding Spiritual and Emotional Peace After Abortion
Her Choice to Heal is designed to help women find a way to God's healing after making the devastating choice of abortion. Written by a post-abortive woman, Sydna Massé, it includes testimonies of strength, healing and hope.
Sydna Massé compassionately leads you on the difficult journey through denial, anger, and grief, to forgiveness, redemption, and letting go. Her Choice to Heal offers a road map to healing – practical suggestions, resources for help, space to journal, with the encouragement and hope.
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Cary News
Cary approves plans for 24th building on SAS campus
Software giant SAS is following a record-breaking year by preparing its 22-building Cary campus for future growth.
The Cary Town Council on Thursday unanimously approved a request by SAS to build a 247,000-square-foot office on 27 of its 300 acres near the intercharge of Interstate 40 and Harrison Avenue.
Building P, as the proposal is known, will be located at the corner of SAS Campus Drive and Trenton Road. It will have a cafe, a large common area and about 208,000 square feet of office space.
This is the latest of the company's expansion plans. SAS plans to open Building Q this fall, while Building P will open in 2016.
SAS revenue rose 5.2 percent last year, propelling the company past the $3 billion mark for the first time.
That enabled the company to boost employment by 3.5 percent worldwide to 13,800 employees and by 1 percent in Cary to more than 5,100 employees.
Senior Vice President Jim Davis has said he expects SAS revenues to grow by double digits this year.
SAS spokeswoman Desiree Adkins declined to say whether Building P is a reaction to a growing need for more employees.
"Like any business we look ahead to make sure we're prepared for future growth," she said. "Employee growth projections in Cary are dependent upon market demands and customer needs."
SAS needed permission from Cary to build because its construction plan doesn't comply with some town rules.
For example, SAS plans to remove eight trees that are 30 inches or larger in diameter. Cary rules prohibit removing healthy trees of that size because the town considers them to be especially valuable.
The construction plan submitted to Cary is the most environmentally friendly of 18 variations studied by developers, said George Finch, a landscape architect hired by SAS.
Town Council members said they didn't mind exempting the plan from Cary's tree rules because the company is preserving 45 percent of existing vegetation and plans to replace the large trees elsewhere on its property.
Councilman Don Frantz said the plan "speaks volumes" about the company's respect for nature.
"With a site of this size and magnitude, I don't know how you couldn't impact some (large) trees," he said.
The SAS plan also calls for 575 parking spots, 30 percent fewer than required by Cary rules.
Town rules require one parking spot per 300 square feet of commercial building space, which equates to 826 parking spots for Building P.
The building doesn't need that many parking spots, SAS representatives said, because part of the building isn't office space and because its employees work flexible hours.
"I don't think anyone knows SAS's parking requirements better than SAS," Councilman Ed Yerha said.
He said he worried, though, that exempting SAS from parking requirements might set a precedent.
"You've justified (the parking reduction) beautifully, but others may not," Yerha said.
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, who works for SAS as a computer programmer, said the company's newer buildings have "ample" parking.
He and councilwoman Gale Adcock – SAS's chief health officer – didn't recuse themselves from the vote. They said they wouldn't directly benefit from the plan.


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Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: chronic leukemia characterized by morphologically mature but immunologically less mature lymphocytes; manifested by an abnormal accumulation of these cells in blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic tissue.
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Grammy viewership was up slightly over last year with about 29.7 million viewers tuning in. According to Variety, that's the second-largest audience for the show since 1993. Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert all performed on the Grammy Awards Sunday. Taylor was also one of the most Tweeted-about stars of the night.
The 2012 broadcast brought in 39.91 million viewers in the wake of Whitney Houston's death the day before.
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HYUNDAI is working on a top secret supercar as a flagship to its new Genesis luxury range and upcoming N performance models.
Wheels has learnt the yet to be announced Genesis supercar will have Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz in its crosshairs when it finally breaks cover as a halo machine for the fast-growing Korean carmaker.
Speaking at the 2016 Detroit Motor Show, Hyundai vice-president of product planning Mike O'Brien all but confirmed a supercar was in the wings.
When asked if a halo car could be used to shine a spotlight on the Hyundai brand, in much the same way as Lexus used the LFA and Honda the US-branded Acura NSX, O'Brien was forthright.
"Absolutely," he said. "And [newly appointed Hyundai performance chief] Albert Biermann, who we hired from BMW M, is actively working on that right now."
When asked specifically if Hyundai could produce a supercar – to be sold under its recently announced Genesis luxury brand – O'Brien was more cautious.
"Well, you've heard discussion about the N brand … it'll be what you expect, let me say that.
"It'll be a coupe-like body with great performance. That's all I can say at this point. I think you'll be very pleased," he said before a PR minder shut down the line of questioning.
Albert Biermann, the former BMW M division boss, is one of a number of engineers and designers the ambitious Korean carmaker has poached over more than two years as part of a top secret plan to make its high performance supercar come true.
When quizzed about all-wheel-drive performance cars the respected German engineer gave a tantalising clue to the upcoming supercar.
"Are there really so many all-wheel-drive cars out there that are fun to drive?" he questioned. "I think one can, but it's not out there yet. You need to wait until then…"
As for what would power the Hyundai/Genesis supercar, Biermann was guarded.
He confirmed emissions regulations would likely force the shift to a turbocharged V8 for some N models.
"I cannot comment on that today. But for the future … if you go to performance area it might be you need to go to turbo."
He also hinted Hyundai was considering hybrid propulsion but he would not detail how and where it could be used. Given the push towards hybrid drivetrains from Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren, some form of electrification would seem logical, especially considering the Genesis supercar will likely be on the road by 2020 at the earliest.
Biermann said there were other models ahead of any supercar.
"We have a nice roadmap for the next five years working so there will be [a] Genesis car included," said Biermann, suggesting early 2018 as a likely start for the N sub-brand.
"The first N car will be on the road in two years from now."
That car is expected to be a Volkswagen Golf GTI-rivalling version of the next-generation Hyundai i30.
"[The first N car] is a car more focused on Europe, and then the next car will be focused on the US and so we take an easy start," said Biermann. "We don't go to full blast on the first car but the philosophy, the jobs, how we approach a high-performance car, how we develop it, the thinking – it's all full high-performance."
Biermann said any Hyundai or Genesis high performance N car would be about driving enjoyment – and stretching that all the way to the race track.
He said N cars would be "the full package" … "real race track-going high performance cars."
"There's for our company some new technology but it's much more the way we are working on the project and it's all about the driving fun. That's on top of everything else – fun to drive."
Hyundai has already shown how far it can push its N brand with the Vision N 2025 concept car from the 2015 Frankfurt motor show. While the hydrogen fuel cell-powered virtual racer has no prospect of production, it demonstrates the car maker's radical thinking.
Hyundai America president and chief executive Dave Zuchowski said the N sub-brand was a big spend and that the end result would be cars that "are going to be outstanding".
"If you think about it, we have a completely separate R&D function in our group now to focus on," said Zuchowski. "We have a completely separate design function to focus on. This isn't just something we're talking about – this is something we're throwing considerable resources, people and dollars, against."
As well as Biermann, late last year Hyundai also snared former Lamborghini design chief Luc Donckerwolke, a man who also headed Bentley design. And only weeks ago Hyundai tempted former Lamborghini design and brand director Manfred Fitzgerald to join its expanding performance team.
Adding to the supercar speculation is activity at the brand's Namyang proving ground in Korea. Hyundai has spent up big on cars as diverse as a BMW M3, Porsche 911 and Porsche 911 Turbo as benchmarks for its upcoming supercar assault.


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By Brendan Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former New York state lawmaker pleaded guilty on Tuesday to defrauding a federal disaster relief agency out of aid money meant for victims of Hurricane Sandy and pressuring witnesses to lie to authorities, prosecutors said.
Former Assemblywoman Pamela Harris, 57, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and one count of witness tampering, the office of U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue in Brooklyn said in a statement.
The most serious charge, making false statements to FEMA, carries a maximum sentence of 30 years, according to prosecutors. Harris is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein in Brooklyn federal court on Sept. 26.
Harris was elected to the Assembly in November 2015. She was criminally charged in January, and resigned from her position in April.
"Pamela Harris, no longer an assemblywoman, has today admitted her guilt in an effort to move on with her life," Harris's lawyers Joel Cohen and Jerry Goldfeder of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan said in a statement.
"We are hopeful that Judge Weinstein, particularly after reviewing her years-long contributions to her community, exercises leniency at the sentence." They said Harris's crimes were not related to her assemblywoman role.
Prosecutors said that between 2012 and 2014, Harris defrauded FEMA out of nearly $25,000 by falsely claiming that she had been forced out of her Coney Island home by Hurricane Sandy and was living in a temporary residence. In fact, they said, she was living at home and pocketed the money.
They said that in 2014 and 2015, Harris defrauded the New York City Council out of $22,800 by falsely claiming the money would be used for a non-profit where she was executive director while keeping it for her own use. They said she defrauded the council out of another $22,800 from 2015 to 2017 while serving as an assemblywoman.
Prosecutors said Harris also admitted to pressuring people to lie to FBI agents who were investigating her.
(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York)


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And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.
Showing 1 results from Joshua CH05


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Travis back with more Tampa Bay entertainment news...again from the Florida Orchestra.
With hits spanning from George M. Cohan to Andrew Lloyd Webber, it's a celebration of a century of Broadway's best from Desert Song, Naughty Marietta, Showboat, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd and more.
It all takes place on Sat, Apr 10 at 8 pm at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts - Mahaffey Theater. And there's a repeat performance on Sun, Apr 11 at 7:30 pm at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Tickets are $20, $30, $43, $53, $67...and if you want more info, just go to: http://www.floridaorchestra.org/event_info.asp?id=44&utm_medium=email&utm_source=peer360&utm_campaign=AprilMediaCalendar&utm_content=0910OfNoteEmailHeader
have a great time and we'll see you back here for more great things to do in Tampa Bay.


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'It's taking over my life' Mother addicted to Diet Coke spends £150,000 on soft drink
A MOTHER who has blown £150,000 on Diet Coke and drinks up to 10 litres per day of the soft drink has turned to a hypnotherapist to cure her addiction.
At the height of her habit Jakki Ballan drank almost 50 cans of Coke each day and spent £500 per month in an addiction that has lasted almost 30 years.
The mother of five, who claims to have now cut back on her fizzy drink cravings, first tasted Diet Coke when 14 and has been addicted ever since.
She suffers anxiety attacks when she does not have enough bottles at home and claims to have experienced hallucinations from drinking too much.
The 42-year-old, from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, is now seeking medical help to conquer her demons as her addiction is "taking over" her life.
She said: "This addiction is taking over my life. I can't even go out of the house without making sure I've got enough Coke on me.
"I won't do the school run unless I have at least two 500ml bottles in my handbag.
"I am scared for my health. I want to be around to see my kids grow up. I dread to think what my insides look like."
This addiction is taking over my life. I can't even go out of the house without making sure I've got enough Coke on me
Ms Ballan said her addiction became serious 16 years ago when she gave up full time work at a dry cleaners to look after her children.
She said she suffers from constant headaches and has started to see "strange things" which she has put down to her addiction to Diet Coke.
She said: "It was really scary as at first I didn't know what was going on. I see strange things like oranges flying across the room. Then I have to sit down and calm myself before carrying on.
"I am constantly tired, but all the caffeine I consume means I have trouble sleeping. So I end up sitting awake at night and drinking even more Coke. It's a vicious cycle I can't seem to get out of."
During the past year alone Ms Ballan has spent as much as £6,000 and that she rarely goes out shopping for herself and does not socialise.
However, she said her addiction has not affected her children.
Ms Ballan said: "I won't let my kids go without, but when it comes to my own needs Diet Coke comes first. It's as important as paying the electricity bills."
She switched to Diet Coke after she first started drinking the regular red cans but was advised by her doctor to change after putting on weight.
She added: "The GP told me that it's a soft drink: just stop. If I could stop I would have already.
"Alcoholics get help, people addicted to cigarettes get patches and drug addicts get weaned off slowly. This is a real addiction but no one will help me.
"I've tried doing it on my own and going cold turkey, but it hasn't worked."
Dr Sarah Schenker, a dietician for the British Dietetic Association, insisted Jakki's habit is likely to cause "worrying damage" to her bones.
She said: "Although we made not technically describe her condition as an addiction, it's obvious that this woman is suffering very real cravings that are influencing her life.
"Drinking Diet Coke has become part of her routine and the reward system in her brain may be responding to it.
"Fizzy drinks contain phosphorous, which is not harmful in small doses. But if it's consumed in very large doses it can be bad for bone health. It's this lasting damage that is worrying."


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Chapel - February 19, 2013 - 12:00am
Dr. Doyle Holbird
Music leader(s)
Organist: Elizabeth Urtel
Order of Service
* Prelude
* Hymn, 252, vv. 1 & 2, I Walk in Danger All the Way
* Reading: I Peter 5:6-9
* Homily
* Prayer
* Hymn, 252, vv. 5 & 6, I walk with Jesus all …
* Benediction
* Postlude
I Peter 5:6-9 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.


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Those little imperfections add to the appeal of the typeface. Have a happy xmas. Keep on typing. :)
I firmly believe in typewriter therapy. If I could, I'd have one for every purpose. A message taking typer beside the phone, one for writing thoughts while watching TV, another at the breakfast table. But I don't think my wife would approve!Stay well and keep typing.~Joe


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Khan Wars
Many nations are fighting for power in this incredible game based in the middle ages. Test your skills as a strategist and declare war against players from all around the world.
Khan Wars is a free online game, based on the strategy genre that will transport you straight to the middle ages, where diverse nations are fighting for complete control. In this game you take the role of a leader and take charge of one of the twelve different nations that form part of the Khans. Germans, Russians, Mongols, Arabs and Persians, are just some of the nations that fight in search of power. After selecting the nation you want to defend throughout this adventure, you must choose where it will be located on the map.
Resources are the key to the development of your people, so it will be the first thing you have to take care of in your city. By constructing different production buildings, you get gold, food, wood and iron, which will help you to build different buildings and to produce weapons.
You can also delegate responsibilities to gentlemen who are looking to improve their reputation. They can perform different tasks, such as organizing an army for you, direct constructions carried out in your city, or do spy missions and inform you of what your enemies are plotting.
Once you have your army, you can invade other players and steal their resources. Create a clan or join an existing one and fight alongside other players in Khan Wars. You can also declare war on any other group, or sign peace agreements.


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One thing that all security software ought to have but where I have never found any software that actually has it, is a revert button.
A revert button is an essential part of any security program and it is difficult to see why none of them have it. The problem is that security programs are updated far more frequently than any other program on your computer. The programs themselves do not necessarily change any more frequently than other programs but there are files belonging to the security programs that get updated very frequently. As an example, consider the signature file for your antivirus that possibly gets updated with new signatures every few hours.
It is these frequently updated files that require a revert button in order to be able to undo the very last change that was applied and to quickly and easily revert back to the immediate prior version. The button wouldn't be needed very often but in the situations where it is needed the fact that your security software doesn't have it will create a security hole in your system.
The problem is that no one is perfect and just occasionally one of these updates is going to create problems for your system eg. mistakenly identifying that every email that you receive contains a virus or that every web page on the web is a security threat. These sorts of mistakes can and do happen.
If the security program had a revert button then you'd be able to use it to revert your security program back to the prior version of the files - the ones you know work. That bad update could then be specifically ignored by the program and another attempt to update only be made once a new version after the one you discarded is released (which you could again revert back to the last working version if it turned out that they hadn't fixed the problem properly). The revert button would ensure that you could keep the security program running with the latest updates that actually work.
As these security programs don't have a revert button, your options when they make one of these mistakes is greatly reduced. As these programs insist on updating to the latest version of these files, you can't reinstall the program with an earlier version of the file because it will just update itself back to the broken version. About the only option that you have is to turn off the particular security feature that has the problem. Unfortunately that not only bypasses the rogue file given to you by the software provider who is supposed to be protecting you from rogue files, it also disables all of the other functionality of that option that was working before the security program got corrupted. You then have to both manually check for any threats that the security software was intended to detect (assuming that you have any idea as to how to do that) and also to monitor for subsequent releases of files for the security software so that you can turn the security back on once the provider fixes their system.
These sorts of problems don't happen very often but they do happen and when they do they create issues just as bad as some of the software that they are designed to block. All because they lack a simple revert button.
This article written by Stephen Chapman, Felgall Pty Ltd.


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Modern Combat 5: Blackout Review
- Rarely a dull moment
- Violence is explosive and satisfying
- Shared XP pool means every multiplayer scuffle counts
- Controls still a compromise
- More of the same with no real innovation
- Always online requirement is a pain
Even with the control issues, DRM nonsense, and lack of real innovation, Modern Combat 5 is probably the best example of the genre on mobile. The fun may be loud and dumb, but fans will doubtless fall victim to its explosive charms.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
Modern Combat 5: Blackout is an orgy of simulated violence - short bursts of brutal, amoral slaying set to a soundtrack of bombastic Zimmer-esque strings and the metallic trill of shell casings on concrete.
Like it's predecessor Zero Hour, it throws set piece after set piece at you, switching between urban shootouts, gunship massacres, sniper challenges, and aquatic escapes with the excitement of an impatient child opening Christmas presents.
The controls are the familiar mixed bag of accommodation and compromise. Though the continuing refinement of the virtual stick system over the course of the Modern Combat series can be felt, it's still easy to accidentally open fire or cook a grenade when you simply meant to turn your head. However, bringing up the iron sights to zero in for headshots not only nets you double XP it is reliably satisfying, rewarding your accuracy with arterial sprays and slumping ragdolls.
This time around, the six-chapter story campaign has been padded by spec-ops missions - micro challenges involving breaching rooms or deleting a single target, all of which of which must be completed before advancing to the next location on the map. The necessity to jump through these incidental hoops before moving to a new city extends the game's running time, but does interrupt the flow of the single-player experience.
The other interruption comes in the form of the game's always-online stipulation. Even playing in a location with a strong wifi connection, you may find your gunplay put on hiatus now and then because you've lost contact with Gameloft's servers, something which becomes an even greater problem if you're playing on the move.
Multiplayer returns with a healthy selection of decently-sized maps and modes, including team battles, capture the flag, and classic free-for-all. Party play for up to 5 friends is supported, and with experience points carrying over into the single-player campaign there's even more incentive to get stuck in.
Though Gameloft keeps the action moving at a breakneck pace, with chapters now divided into even smaller sub-missions, you can't escape the fact that we've all been here numerous times before. While the set pieces are more bombastic than ever, Modern Combat 5 is trudging up a well-worn path flanked by familiar sights. The obligatory helicopter sections and boat chases are reliably ticked off the checklist, the game echoing countless other military shooters without really adding its own voice.
However, even with the control issues, DRM nonsense, and lack of real innovation, Modern Combat 5 is probably the best example of the genre on mobile. The fun may be loud and dumb, but fans will doubtless fall victim to its explosive charms.
Description> "It plays as good as it looks." – IGN
> "Amps everything up to the next level." – 148Apps
> "Sharp controls, impressive graphics." – Pocket Gamer
Proud to be "App Store's Best of 2014" in 28 countries!
Step into the action as the latest installment in the best FPS series raises the bar for shooters once more! Create a squad, add your friends and test your individual and team skills against other squads!
Is single player your thing? Then step into a world on the brink of anarchy and shoot your way out of one dire situation after another to expose a lunatic who's trying to tear the world to shreds.
> 9 customizable classes that you can level up across single- and multiplayer
> Find the playstyle that suits you: Assault, Heavy, Recon, Sniper, Support, Bounty Hunter, Sapper, X1-Morph or Kommander
> Activate class-specific skills by earning and spending Skill Points
> Watch players in battle with the new Spectator mode
> Epic team clashes in Squad vs. Squad matches
> Talk to other players in Global and Squad Chat
> Individual and Squad leaderboards
> Win cool rewards in the limited-time events
> Equip advanced tactical suits with powerful abilities
> Attach trinkets to your weapons for a personal touch
> Apply camos to the advanced tactical suits and weapons to mark your presence on the battlefield
> Accumulate XP and level up by playing both single-player missions and multiplayer matches
> Unlock higher-tier weapons by mastering lower-tier ones
> Customize the perfect weapon using a host of attachments
> Fast-paced story missions with various challenges taking you from Tokyo to Venice
> Play the new Spec-Ops missions for a real adrenaline rush
> Flawless graphics, music and voice performances with seamlessly integrated cutscenes
> Intuitive, highly customizable controls so you can play just the way you want
*IMPORTANT* Modern Combat 5 requires an iPad 2 (or newer), iPhone 4s (or newer), or iPod touch 5th Generation. An Internet connection is required to play.
Visit our official site at http://gmlft.co/website_EN
Check out the new blog at http://gmlft.co/central
Don't forget to follow us on social media:
Facebook: http://gmlft.co/SNS_FB_EN
Twitter: http://gmlft.co/SNS_TW_EN
Instagram: http://gmlft.co/GL_SNS_IG
YouTube: http://gmlft.co/GL_SNS_YT
This app allows you to purchase virtual items within the app and may contain third party advertisements that may redirect you to a third party site.
Terms of Use: http://www.gameloft.com/en/conditions-of-use
Privacy Policy: http://www.gameloft.com/en/privacy-notice
End-User License Agreement: http://www.gameloft.com/en/eula
What's New in Version 2.8.5- Added support for iPhone X
- Rebalancing of various weapons and armors
- Various bug fixes
For a complete list of changes, see our Modern Combat 5 Facebook page.
• NEW Class – Kommander. The ultimate force is in town. Equipped with a wide variety of shields, the Kommander can either storm the frontline or make sure no one breaches your defenses. How will you play him?
• League System Revamped – A new ladder system with weekly seasons and rewards.
• Duel Tournaments – Compete in this new 50-player special event. Best them in Duel to win the big prize!
• eSports and Rebalancing – Many tweaks were made to weapons and armors for an even more awesome gameplay experience. Check out our social networks for a full list of changes.
• Rental rewards obtained from level-ups are now received in your inbox.
See you on the field of battle!
If they could figure out a way to bring the online-always feature off and make it so the campaign/spec-ops can be done offline, then I'd consider buying this.
As it is, I'm not inclined predominantly because of the need to be online at all times. ;-;
I agree completely, I should not have to be online to play single player campaign mode.


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Lenze Ltd, Priory Business Park, Bedford, MK44 3WH.
Lenze Ltd is one of the few providers in the market who are alongside you for the entire development process of your machine – from initial ideas all the way to after-sales, from the control system all the way to the drive shaft. This is what we call Motion Centric Automation. This partnership brings in the latest drive & automation technology, makes your projects run faster and gives you more time for your particular design expertise.
Lenze support is there when you need it for configuration, software, panels, commissioning and training. The Lenze 'Rightsized' engineering philosophy gives you lower costs, high performance and reduced energy consumption.
"As Sales Director of Lenze Ltd, I would like to welcome you to this short overview of our UK operations....." read full text
Lenze is a reliable partner. We have been in Bedford for 50 years, as Simplatroll Ltd up to 2000. Today we have 50 employees with a quarter of those based in the field to be close to our customers.
Lenze Ltd is a wholly owned part of Lenze SE, an international group with 3700 employees worldwide and offices in 60 counties. The product range of Lenze Ltd is extensive allowing many of our customers to make Lenze the single source of drive and automation.
We are committed to a high level of quality in our products. Lenze group quality and environmental certificates are available here. Lenze Ltd is a member of the GAMBICA organisation, both for variable speed drives and automation products. Their website www.gambica.org.uk is a source of useful guides and technical reports.
Our teams are mostly Bedford based and you can reach them by our general contact numbers:
+44 1234 7532-00
In addition there are Accounts, Purchasing and Marketing Departments. Distributors and End-Users have their own dedicated line +44 1234 7532-06.
Once you have established a regular contact, we recommend that you note their direct line and email to speed communication and by-pass our automated switchboard.
We welcome comments on our products and service whether they are positive or negative. We undertake to evaluate all comments promptly and to involve senior staff as appropriate. You can give feedback by telephone or email email@example.com.
Sian Canzano
+44 1234 75 32-00
Sian Canzano
Human Resources Manager
+44 1234 7532-00