Important Element in the Story Essay

In the two short stories, â€Å"Little Things† by Carver and â€Å"The End of Something† by Hemingway, both authors make the title significant to the story’s message. The title â€Å"Little Things† is somewhat ironic in that the word ‘little’ could refer to the baby or could in fact be calling their argument petty, even though the child that they are fighting over is a major issue. This irony is significant to the story because even though the parents appear passionate about their infant, the argument clearly lies deeper. The title â€Å"The End of Something† could also refer to a number of things. In this story many things are coming to an end. The end of the mill and the town at Horton’s Bay, the end of Nick and Marjorie’s relationship, the end of their fishing trips and the end of their day. Both stories are about the end of relationships however, in â€Å"Little Things† the breakup is angry and violent whereas in â€Å"The End of Something† the breakup is calm and brief. The story â€Å"Little Things† is about the violent breakup of two parents. It is implied that they are married but Carver does not explicitly state this. The opening paragraph describes the weather and the time of day, which reflects the mood of the piece, the darkness of the evening mirroring the dark mood inside the house, â€Å"it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too. † This shows that although the mood was dark, it was not completely pitch black outside implying that there may still be a slight glimmer of hope for the young couple that is soon introduced. As the fight and the emotions become more reckless and brutal the light begins to fade, showing that all hope is lost. The characters in the story are not named. This gives their predicament a deeper sense of urgency and immediacy. This is used to great effect as when we first meet the man and women, the absence of names throws us directly into the middle of their quarrel. In this piece there is no need to build up the characters with a descriptive foreplay as it is not important to the story, making it more urgent. However in â€Å"The End of Something† we feel more sympathy for the characters as we have learned about them in more detail. From the line â€Å"he was in the bedroom pushing clothes into a suitcase when she came through the door,† we can deduce from the subtext that these people are in some kind of long-term relationship, and the second line of the same paragraph draws attention to the fact that they are having a heated argument. It is extremely common that in short stories a lot of information is insinuated rather than being clearly stated and so the reader must draw a meaning from the subtext. The woman is the first to speak. Carver does not use speech marks at all during the story in order to draw more immediacy to the article. The first line of speech â€Å"I’m glad you’re leaving! I’m glad you’re leaving! Do you hear? † shows that although the woman appears to be angry at her partner and glad that he is moving out it is easily noted that she in fact feels exactly the opposite. This is illustrated by the repetition of the line â€Å"I’m glad you’re leaving† showing that she is trying to reassure herself that she doesn’t need him. This shows irony. The woman continues to barrage the man with slurs, â€Å"son of a bitch†, obviously in an attempt to provoke his attention and convince him to stay. When she states â€Å"you can’t even look me in the face can you? † it is blatantly obvious that the man has had some kind of affair. The woman fails in catching the man’s attention and therefore when she spies the baby’s picture on the bed she takes it, out of spite. The man follows her; turning off the bedroom light as he leaves symbolising the end of their relationship, â€Å"looked around the bedroom before turning off the light. † The baby is also not named showing that although it is the child that they are fighting over, the battle about more and the baby is merely a pawn in their game of spite or revenge. The man states â€Å"I want the baby. † This immediately provokes maternal instincts from the mother who rushes to keep her child. The infant is continuously referred to as ‘the baby’ or ‘this baby’ showing that their child is solely an object that the couple are focusing their anger on. The man’s request for the baby is not because he necessarily wants the child from love but more because he sees it as a prize that he can win over the woman. Gradually their battle becomes more physical and violent as the man tries to take that baby from the woman, â€Å"in the scuffle they knocked down a flowerpot. † The baby senses the tension in the room and starts to cry which adds to the anxiety and desperation in the mood of the text, â€Å"the baby had begun to cry. † Throughout the rest of the story Carver intensifies the atmosphere by using urgent and effective words such as â€Å"screaming,† â€Å"red faced,† â€Å"gripped† and â€Å"hurting†. Nearing the end of the story the light is involved again, â€Å"the kitchen window gave no light,† this line exemplifies that there was no hope left for the couple and the baby. The lines become shorter to add to the fierce battle that the couple is suffering. The man and the woman both grab the child and pull it in different directions in a hope that one will triumph but we do not know the victor. The last line â€Å"in this manner the issue was decided,† leaves us pondering a number of possible out comes. The man or the woman may have succeeded in snatching the infant for themselves or they may have pulled their baby in two. If so the story appears to be a parody of the biblical story ‘The Two Women and Solomon’, in which a man offers to cut a baby in half to settle a quarrel between two woman as to who the mother of the baby is. In this story we are left with an ambiguous end. It is very common in short stories that the resolution of the story is left undecided, again leaving the reader to make their own conclusion from the clues given. The second short story â€Å"The End of Something† is also about the end of a relationship, however it is handled in a calmer and less violent manner. The first paragraph sets the scene of a calm deserted bay, once a busy lumbering town, now reduced to a citizen-free ghost town. The couple, Nick and Marjorie, are rowing through this bay in a calm fashion â€Å"they were trolling along the edge of the channel bank,† but they soon head towards â€Å"dark water† which shows that they are heading towards trouble. They are rowing soundlessly until Marjorie breaks the silence and begins to talk about the old mill on the shore, describing it as â€Å"our old ruin†; this shows that their relationship stretches back a long way. Nick answers unenthusiastically. Marjorie tries to keep up the conversation describing it as a castle, which shows that she sees ‘their’ ruin in a fairy-tale manner. However Nick is still distant which makes Marjorie have to work hard to keep their conversation alive. Marjorie appears to love everything about their fishing trips. She obviously loves Nick very much and is enjoying spending time with him, â€Å"She loved to fish. She loved to fish with Nick. † Clearly Nick is quite qualified at fishing and Marjorie tries to make him feel good by putting him in charge and asking him questions to boost his ego, â€Å"‘They’re feeding,’ Marjorie said. ‘But they won’t strike,’ Nick said. † By this Nick means that he will not strike that night. The couple carries out their actions of fishing with scarce communication and we can tell that something is clearly upsetting Nick as Marjorie is trying to provoke conversation but to no avail. When Marjorie questions Nick â€Å"What’s the matter Nick? † he replies â€Å"I don’t know. † The couple set out a picnic on the beach but we can tell that Nick is merely going through the motions as he says â€Å"I don’t feel like eating† and all it takes is one line from Marjorie and he agrees. They eat silently until finally Nick breaks the tension. â€Å"There’s going to be a moon tonight,† but when Marjorie agrees Nick becomes angry as if he was waiting for anything to release the pent up emotions held inside. Marjorie tries to divert the conversation from an argument and begins to talk about the moon. As in â€Å"Little Things†, the weather and setting play a part in describing the mood of the piece. The moon could represent chastity, coldness or even the passing of time. Silence follows and they do not touch each other until Marjorie ventures to ask Nick â€Å"What’s really the matter? † Marjorie is desperately trying to make their evening enjoyable and romantic but Nick is making it extremely difficult. Nick tries to avoid the question until he starts to explain that it wasn’t fun any more and that he was mixed up inside. â€Å"I feel as though everything was gone to hell inside of me,† the use of the word ‘was’ instead of ‘is’ shows that he is confused and suffering a confidence crisis. Marjorie is evidently shocked as she barely speaks except to say â€Å"isn’t love any fun? † which is swiftly followed by an answer from Nick, â€Å"No. † Unlike in â€Å"Little Things†, there is no major battle about to be released, instead Marjorie leaves calmly, dignity intact, in the boat. Nick offers to help push the boat out, which shows that he still cares for her, but is refused. When Marjorie leaves Nick lies on the blanket for a long time until mysteriously a new character named Bill emerges from the woods. Bill is a curious character. Obviously he is related to Bill in some way and Hemingway makes his sexuality and Nick’s dubious when we read the line â€Å"Bill didn’t touch him either. † Bill appears as insensitive when he barrages Nick with questions about his extremely recent breakup, provoking Nick to lash out and tell him to leave. This story again is left at a loose end. We are left questioning the sexuality of Bill and Nick. It is implied that Nick and Bill were in a homosexual relationship together. This would explain Bill’s presence hiding in the wood and the fact that it states â€Å"Bill didn’t touch him either. † The last line shows that Bill has replaced Marjorie because Bill walks over to check the fishing rods which was previously Marjorie’s job. However, Nick appears to be insecure about his choice to be gay, as we can see from the fact that he tells Bill to go away. Bill has clearly pressured Nick into breaking up with Marjorie, as we can see from the list of questions he asks and his quick appearance from the wood. Both the short stories are about the breakup of relationships but under different circumstances. As always in a short story the reader is left thinking many things from one brief text. All short stories consist of and introduction, a main conflict, a resolution and a conclusion. In â€Å"Little Things† the conclusion was the questionable death of the child. In â€Å"The End of Something† the conclusion was the appearance of Bill and the question of Nick’s sexuality.

Father-Child Relationships in Hamlet and Fences Essay

In both William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and August Wilson’s Fences, the emphasis placed on parent-child relationship is vital, as family plays an important role in developing a character’s values as well as his or her upbringing does. While Ophelia, Laertes, and Hamlet show loyalty to their fathers unconditionally, Cory, even though looks up Troy as a figure, eventually exhibits disrespect to him. The relationship that Ophelia shares with her father, Polonius, is rather dogmatic to say the least. Throughout Hamlet, Polonius demonstrates almost absolute control over Ophelia as if she were a tool with the sole purpose of serving Polonius. As a result of a weakness of mind caused by a lack of independent thought, Ophelia does not oppose Polonius; for instance when Polonius challenges Hamlet’s intentions with Ophelia, she can only say â€Å"I do not know, my lord, what I should think. † (I. iii). Ophelia allows herself to be controlled, even rebuffing her love for Hamlet simply because Polonius suggests her not to â€Å"give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet,† (I. v) which illustrates the importance Ophelia place on her familial obligations. The structure and guidance that Polonius provides for Ophelia, leads her to affirm that she â€Å"shall obey† him (I. iv). Ophelia is subservient to her father’s wishes and looks up to his patriarchal position. She listens to Polonius’ counsel. She places her father (and family) above other affairs. Polonius seems to be dominant and almost controlling. However, Ophelia is never rebellious. While Ophelia shows her faithfulness to her father dependently, Laertes consciously respect his father. Though they may not have the best relationship before Polonius is murdered, it was clear that Laertes feels it to be essential that he proves his love for his father after his father has passed. The question is, does Laertes always have a passion for his father, and if not, why does he feel that he has to take revenge for his father’s honor in the second half of the play? Polonius says to King Claudius before Laertes’s departure, â€Å"He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave/ By laboursome petition, and at last/ Upon his will I sealed my hard consent. / I do beseech you give him leave to go. (I. ii). These lines show that Polonius is reluctant to let his son leave. When Laertes finally reaches France, it is discovered by us readers that Polonius still has little faith in his son to take care of himself. However, to keep an eye on his son, Polonius still orders his servant to France to secretly spy on Laertes and to make sure that he is doing alright. Polonius loves his son and daughter in a protective manner. That’s why he gains Laertes and Ophelia’s admiration. Similar to Laertes, Hamlet devotes his later life to an attempt of retribution to his father’s death. Hamlet looks up to his father because he feels that he is a great leader and the bravest man that he has known, as Hamlet mentions, â€Å"so excellent a king† (I. ii). These lines, â€Å"See, what a grace was seated on his brow:/ Hyperions curls, the front of Jove himself;/ An eye like Mars, to threaten or command;/ A station like the herald Mercury,† shows that Hamlet is willing to revenge for his father. His act of taking revenge may not completely come from love, but at least it represents the responsibility from a son to his father. In one of Aichinger’s essays about Hamlet, he points out that â€Å"Hamlet’s rejection of the moral standards of his society is crystallized by the events which follow his father’s death. † Hamlet is even obsessed to the idea of vengeance that remarkably transforms him from an average, responsible, young prince to an apparently mad, raging son intent upon avenging his father’s death. We see responsibility, obedience, and devotion in father-child relationships in Hamlet. But Troy-Cory relationship in Fences is not the case. Whether the cause is generational gap or Troy’s selfishness or Cory’s noncompliance, Troy never completely gains the love from his own son even after his death. Their relationship never blooms. Initially, Cory may innocently display his admiration to Troy because of his athletic ability and because of a simple reason: a love from a normal son to his father. Through Rose’s word, we know that Cory tries to do as best as he can to earn one compliment from his father, â€Å"Everything that boy do†¦ he do for you. He wants you to say â€Å"Good job, son. † That’s all. (I. iii). Unfortunately, there’s always a conflict in that relation. Cory asks his father, â€Å"How come you ain’t never liked me? † and Troy answers, â€Å"Liked you? Who the hell say I got to like you?†¦ / You eat everyday†¦ / Got a roof over your head†¦ / Got clothes on your back†¦ / What you think that is?†¦ / It’s my job. / It’s my responsibility! â€Å"(I. iii). This conversation between Cory and Troy clarifies everything. Troy doesn’t â€Å"like† his son. Troy takes care of his family including Cory because of his duty. Troy thinks he â€Å"owe† Cory. Of course, there must be some love from Troy to Cory, from a father to his son, but the bitter experiences Troy has in the past soon fence himself in to be a selfish, hostile man. In Wade Bradford’s analytical essay, he claims that † These set pieces will provide the literal and metaphoric activity of the play: building a fence around Troy’s property. † So, Cory is not Troy’s â€Å"property? † His selfishness seems large enough to overwhelm his love to the family, especially, to Cory. Troy subconsciously doesn’t want to see Cory’s success in sport which also means Troy is a failure. If there’s no whole-hearted love, duty becomes tiresome to Troy. The last fight between Troy and Cory is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Cory says â€Å"I’m not going to Papa’s funeral,†(II. v). His refusal to participate in Troy’s funeral shows that the wound in their relationship would never be healed. Cory just cannot forgive his father. Their relationship is always bitter and tense. Cory never fulfils his obligation as a son to Troy. Father-child relationship dominates both Hamlet and Fences. It is the scaffold that constructs the storyline in Fences. While Hamlet also deals with other issues, the parental relationship is the cause influencing most of the characters’ actions and behaviors. The contrast in father-child relationship in both plays is obvious. In the theme of post-medieval time in Hamlet, those connections are more rightfully dogmatic and include the devotion of one’s life to another. In the near-modern setting, the relationship among people may contain barriers of egocentric that separate them from one to another even that is the relationship between a father and his child.

MOIGC Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

MOIGC 2 - Assignment Example This helped the firm to achieve competitive edge and creative adaptation for surviving in a turbulent economy. This paper is an extensive review of the leadership, cultural and structural activities implemented by Haier group. Innovation culture followed by Haier is described through its various initiatives such as Win-win model and OEC control groups. The paper also throws light on the various acquisition and expansion strategies which Haier took so as to achieve competitive edge. The company has evolved from being a profit oriented to customer oriented. The study has also analysed the critical relation between its internal innovation strategies and its importance while meeting the changing demands in a knowledge economy. Sufficient facts and information has been providing confirming that Haier has successfully established a fit state with the objective of maximising its opportunities for future innovation and gain sustainable competitive advantage. Marketers and analysts have long realized the importance of innovation. However, it is also true that for long term survival and success in any industry, it is essential to develop a powerful innovation culture. Such culture can be easily recognized within a firm which is known as an authentic and genuine innovator in the external marketplace. The culture is also known to harbour innovation friendly and dynamic environment in its internal workplace. It is also a known fact that innovation culture is very uncommon in the current business environment. A major factor behind this is the inclination towards predictability and stability as they are a readymade path for earning profit. On the contrary, innovation is about change and adaptation where survival and profits can be extremely difficult to achieve, at least during the first few years of implementation. So, innovation has become one of the top priorities for both large

Paula Rego Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paula Rego - Essay Example At this stage, the drawing is linear and stark. The quality of the line is determined by the length of time it stays in the acid, the longer in the acid, the darker the line becomes. This whole process is described by professor Paul Coldwell. Drawing is central to the painter's work, being the way in which her works are born. The Portuguese painter found her source of inspiration in fairy tales like Fantasia, Snow White and Pinocchio. And she made her pictures resemble the children's drawings. But as compared to the representation of beautiful figures, illustrating the good characters of the fairy tale, Paula Rego's characters are far from being described by the adjective "beautiful" in the sense we understand the meaning of the word "beauty". Taking as example the painting entitled "Swallows the poisoned apple" we notice how different the Snow White we are shown here is from the image of the young and delicate charater of Grimm's fairy tale. It's definitely not a beautiful young girl what we see. On the contrary, the female character in the painting looks old and ugly. She doesn't appear as it would in a common drawing, lying artistically on the floor, but she is half on the floor, half on the sofa, in a position that conveys pain realistically. Although dressed like a princess, the background against which she is painted is a modern decorated room and not the fairy tale dwarves' house. There is a combination of myth and reality in this painting that makes us think of the combination myth-reality we find in our own lives. We thus, could see these paintings as symbolical representation of our own lives.Represented in another painting, with a stag's head on her lap, Snow White doesn't look more beautiful than in the other painting described. The painting is called suggestively "Snow white playing with her father's trophies." Seated in an armchair, she has an indelicate and unaesthetic position, with her legs spread. Just like in the previously analyzed painting, Snow White looks older than she is supposed to be and her appearance is not as delicate as we are used to imagine it. There is no trace of happiness or at least serenity to be noticed on the face of the two Snow White figures. If in the previous painting, pain would appear as understandable, the character being shown in a critical situation, in the second the grief is not so explicable. Although traditional by subject, the fairy tales inspired drawings cannot be considered traditional. The way of treating them is startling and this makes their contemplation the source of mixed and confusing feelings. This kind of illustrating fairy tale images can be viewed as a sort of debunk. Myth is given certain realistic features and at the same time, re ality is transformed. Nursery Rhymes (from 1989) show a girl - although we could not really use the word girl for her as she looks aged and three strangely big and frightening mice. The painting looks at the same time funny and horrible. The exaggerated size of the mice as well as the way they look is scaring. Yet, there is something amusing in their behaviour, as they look like whimsical children. We notice a synthesis of opposites that the painter achieves in her paintings, be that a synthesis between comic and scaring, young and old, myth-reality or beautiful and ugly. As frightening or at least confusing

Are International institutions effective in solving collective Research Paper

Are International institutions effective in solving collective Problems Case study of Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and North Korea's Nuclear crisis - Research Paper Example A plan offered by the United States in 1946 also proposed that all nuclear arms and technology come under international control and ownership. However, the post World War efforts did not seem to work out too well and it was later on that countries started to pledge allegiance to the NPT (Non Proliferation Treaty) which kicked off in 1968 and became effective in 1970. A list of around 190 countries are signatory to the treaty. The NPT rests on the premise that the non-nuclear nations would agree to never pursue any sort of acquisition of nuclear arsenal whereas the nuclear weapon state would share the benefits of it with the non-nuclear states. The treaty is reviewed for changes every 5 years and as of now, stands as being extended till an indefinite period. North Korea had the USSR as its strongest communist ally at the time of the cold war. When the cold war came to a close, Soviet Russia had weakened substantially. North Korea, that looked upon it as a security guarantee began to think that now it should itself do something to curb the situation. Therefore, in 1989 the United States, through its intelligence network, found that North Korea which had signed the NPT is in the early stages of building an atomic bomb. In 1992 North Korea allowed a team from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Commission) to undertake visitors to its nuclear facilities. The inspections seemed to not go as expected and North Korea had blocked the commission from visiting some of its facilities. In 1994 an â€Å"Agreed Framework† was reached between America and North Korea that stated that N. Korea would abandon its nuclear program and the U.S. would provide oil for electricity and better economic ties would be maintained .Also, the atomic plants w ould be replaced with light water nuclear power plants .However, the routine inspections would continue by the IAEA, However in late 2002, George Bush

Management of International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management of International Business - Essay Example The role of private capital cannot be neglected as far as the economic development of a country is concerned. Shell is the most influential or biggest oil company in the world. They are one among the bests as far as the commitments to social responsibility are concerned. Apart from one or two incidents, Shell behaved ethically and demonstrated their social commitments in most of the times. They promise less and deliver more. Germany is one among the most influential countries in the world as far as economic growth and size are concerned. After the unification of the Germanys, the unified Germany is more stable politically and economically. Germans are keener in giving more humanitarian look to their economy and hence they will never allow any companies to function in their soil against the will of the public. Shell can operate or expand in German soil if they are able to implement business strategies suitable to the German culture and tradition. This paper analyses corporate social r esponsibility commitments of Shell Company and their future prospects and growth potentials in Germany. Introduction â€Å"Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies is one of the largest global groups of energy and petrochemicals companies with around 101,000 employees in more than  90 countries and territories† (About Shell, n. d). ... Germany is one of the prominent countries in the Europe. After the unification of West and East Germanys in 1989, unified Germany has attained a significant role in international arena. The Hitler era is over and the current Germans are keener in working for the growth of their nation rather than expanding their nation to different territories. In other words, Germany is a good place for investments at present because of the better political and economical climates. Organizations which are ready to obey their international obligations can select Germany as a safe place for investments at present. Germans value socially committed organizations very much and they consider the track records of organizations with respect to social responsibility, while purchasing something. Corporate social responsibility of Shell Kotler and Lee (2004) have pointed out that CSR is the â€Å"commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of the corpo rate resources† (Kotler &Lee, 2004, p.3). Most of the Shell companies are operating independently in each of the countries, by the people who know the needs of the community and the environment well. They have the authority and autonomy to make all normal business decisions (Nehring, 2002).One of the major success factors of Shell Company is their respect to the community in which they operate. While most of the competitors concentrate only on reaping the profits, Shell is keener in spending a portion of their profit for the wellbeing of the society or community in which it operates. They are giving more emphasize to the environmental protection and hence no major

A critical perspective on branding, concerned with issues in practical Essay

A critical perspective on branding, concerned with issues in practical application of branding practices - Essay Example Lury (2004) also adds that employees form a core part of brand promotion in any company; large businesses use employees as mediums to promote their brands not only to external potential customers but also to the existing and potential internal customers. A reflective analysis on the impact of branding on employees and organizations has been undertaken in the present context. Working with a large and influential brand is usually regarded as an example of prestige and privilege. One such brand is the HSBC bank that will be studied for its efforts to enhance brand image in this analysis. Drawing points from Dr. Brannan’s teachings from the theme titled, ‘Branding: Being 'you' inside and outside the organisation,’ likeliness of impact of branding on employees will be assessed against literature propositions. This analysis will specifically focus on Warhurst and Nickson’s (2009) perspective of employees’ position in branding efforts, which is a mere objec t of brand personification in order to please customers and stakeholders. In this process, an attempt will be made to understand how branding impacts employees’ place and meaning in organizations by relating to personal experiences. Important findings from literature will be evaluated along with identification of some critical reviews of management specialists. These evaluations will be helpful in explaining practical positions held by individuals in organizations with respect to brand promotions based on personal experiences. Important conclusions will be subsequently highlighted. 2. Working at HSBC: About HSBC: HSBC Bank is multinational bank setup in more than 80 countries and has over 7200 offices with more than 287,000 employees. HSBC bank provides the widest range of financial services to over 89 million customers across the globe. Its services are in retail banking, personal financial services, commercial banking and markets, and global private banking (HSBC history, n .d). Working as a back-office executive at HSBC bank is perceived as a prestigious position owing to its brand value besides its size and strength. This brand is considered as one of the greatest success stories in modern marketing, according to the bank’s website. HSBC was ranked number one financial services in 2011 in one of the surveys and its brand value is estimated to be worth $ 27.1 (Advertising, 2012). The HSBC brand: Globally, all HSBC offices and businesses follow certain common practices, which, they believe, reinforce their brand. One such practice that reinforces brand image and corporate reputation through certain regulations is its ‘core standards of behaviour,’ based on integrity, trust and excellent customer service; these standards facilitate building HSBC’s reputation, keeping different units united, in making them unique and earning them the competitive edge in the market. These core standards define certain behavioural components for all employees towards active listening, understanding, freedom to deliver, integrity, straightforwardness, forward thinking, and teamwork (Employee Handbook, 2008). Like many other far-fledged businesses and corporate sector firms, HSBC’s brand image is emphasized in almost every aspect that is visible to its internal and external customers. Its brand image also reflects in its choice of aesthetics in terms of interiors, logo design and color as well as in its rules for employee etiquettes. For instance, its slogan, ‘The World’s Local Bank,’ actually depicts HSBC’s mission of making its presence felt in every country and region by offering diverse and customized

Fixing the immigration system (international student and tourism) Essay

Fixing the immigration system (international student and tourism) - Essay Example In essence, it is an eye opener to the kind of losses that the American government would face in the event that they continue to lose such students to other countries by imposing stringent restrictions on acquisition of visas. This is actually a very critical source since it fits well in the research on fixing the immigration system by providing information on the fiscal relevance of international students. "Nolo.com."Â  Students and Tourists Affected by New Visa Rules and Procedures - Legal Updates - Nolo.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . Nolo.com gives an insight on how tourists and students have been affected by the recent fresh visa procedures and rules. This website claims that if one is a tourist or an international student in need of a visa to study in America, chances are that one will have to undergo through intense questioning and scrutiny, as part of a security measure that the American government has taken to ensure that its airline operations remain secure. Furthermore, it explores on the SEVIS system which is a database which schools normally enter the student information. Through this, the USCIS can access information on a student without the knowledge of the student. This puts a lot of pressure on foreign students. Such stringent measures and delaying tactics of issuing visas to tourists and international students tend to discourage most foreigners from opting to go to the U.S. Thus, the website gives useful information to the research on fixing the immigration system by giving details on how such rest rictions discourage most people from considering going to America to visit the country or conduct their studies. Bedard, Paul. "U.S. Tourisms Lost Decade Cost Some 500,000 Jobs."Â  US News.U.S.News& World Report, 10 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

International Business Management - Eastern Europe Essay

International Business Management - Eastern Europe - Essay Example 2. The maximum rate of Income tax that could be levied after the tax holiday period of 10 years should be fixed at not more than 20 percent of the taxable earnings: In addition to benefit of the tax holiday period the developing countries normally offer concessional rates income tax for any joint venture arrangements. 3. Free conversion and free transferability of funds from and to Hungary to European or US destinations2: Though these facilities were available at the time of negotiation the Hungarian government should make a commitment for the uninterrupted continuance of these facilities, which is very important for the profitable functioning of the join venture arrangement. 4. Concessional duty rates on the import of engines and reduction in the VAT (Value Added Tax) being charged by the Hungarian Government: The import duty on engines depending on the size of the vehicle varied from 10 to 40 percent and there was an additional VAT of 25 percent charged by the Hungarian government. Though Hungary is a signatory to the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) the country was free to vary the duty and VAT structures as it may deem fit in the case of automobiles. Hence there is the need to get the government committed on the basic duty structures which is advantageous to GM Europe. In addition to the tax incentives it is also important that the Hungarian government should provide basic infrastructural facilities to fac... Hence there is the need to get the government committed on the basic duty structures which is advantageous to GM Europe. (ii) Provision of Infrastructural Facilities: In addition to the tax incentives it is also important that the Hungarian government should provide basic infrastructural facilities to facilitate the successful operation of the project. Such infrastructural facilities may include the provision of natural gas to the site in addition to the provision of water, electrical power as may be required, well maintained roads for easy transportation and hassle-free physical movement of engines, components and cars during import and export. (iii) Protection from Competition: In order to gain a distinct competitive advantage there should be a commitment from the Hungarian government that at least for an initial period of 5 years or so the import of cars needs to be banned. Since the Hungarian market was small and the affordability of Hungarian population was also less there is the need for this condition. The country could get other advantages in the form of generation of additional employment and development of local suppliers which need to be traded against the protection needed by the GM Europe for its joint venture in Hungary. Though at the start, the GM plant would be small the facility could be enlarged with modernizing and restructuring of the economy. This is usually the case with any developing economy where there are going to be economic reforms the local industry would naturally develop along with the measures for economic reforms. b. Issues to be raised with RABA: The following issues are to be discussed with RABA for possible acceptance as

International Business To Business Marketing Essay

International Business To Business Marketing - Essay Example This may be summarised by the observation that the behaviour of a complex system cannot be understood completely by the segregated analysis of its constituent parts. However, Beverland (2002) suggested the use of this idea in regard to supply chains is neither consistent nor straightforward. New also argued that the supply chain metaphor is used in many ways, but three meanings dominate discussion: "supply chain" from the perspective of an individual firm; "supply chain" related to a particular product or item (such as the supply chain for beef, or cocaine, or oil); and "supply chain" used as a handy synonym for purchasing, distribution, and materials management (Larson, 1998). Supply chain management can mean any one of these things, but one aspect is certain: Purchasing and/or outsourcing activity is being undertaken (Barkema, 1997). Beverland (2002) suggested that supply chain management is an integrative philosophy used to manage the total flow through a distribution channel from the supplier to the ultimate user. Another definition is the management of a chain or of operations and centres through which supplies move from the source of supply to the final customer or point of use (Chng, 2000). In essence, the supply chain starts with the extraction of raw material (or origination of raw concepts for services), and each link in the chain processes the material or the concept in some way or supports this processing. The supply chain thus extends from the raw material extraction or raw concept origination through many processes to the ultimate sale of the final product, whether goods or services, to the consumer. Internet and Supply Chain Management Many organizations, often too late, are now realizing that they should have paid as much attention to their internal business processes, their orderfulfilment resources and systems, and the integration of those processes and systems with those of their suppliers of goods and order-fulfilment services, as they did to their customer-facing Web site. The need is for a seamless end-toend 'order to cash' process incorporating the Web site, the business' accounting systems and the delivery mechanism. The accounting needs should embrace, as a minimum, accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory, purchase orders, invoicing and credit control. (Johnson, 2002) The delivery mechanisms in many organizations cannot cope, when Internet trading is added to the traditional market offering, with the requirement for a large number of small orders requiring, to all intents and purposes, instant shipping. They may have historically been shipping relatively large orders to a few intermediate supply chain points on a two to three day lead time basis. (Chopra, 2003)The

Hills Like White Elephants Essay Example for Free

Hills Like White Elephants Essay In ‘‘Hills Like White Elephants,’’ Ernest Hemingway reformulates and reassesses his own experiences in terms of male-female relationships and decisions about childbearing. The story bears clear marks of autobiographical inspiration, and Hemingway chose a rather odd time to write it: his honeymoon with his second wife Pauline. The author would marry four times in total during his sixty-one years, and ‘‘Hills With White Elephants’’ reveals some of his inner conflicts about intimacy. Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway is a short story that provokes not only the readers intellect but also his/ her moral stand. There were critical moral issues addressed in this story; abortion, teenage pregnancy, and morality to name a few. hemingway also used symbols to enrich the text. The color-white, elephants and hills basically emphasized the PREGNANCY issue in the story. Also, we can say that the setting and the conversations added the beauty of the work. It may sound so simple but Hemingway has his way of simplicity. Keep in mind the era in which the story was written: the 1920s. Social mores were much more conservative then, and there was little public or private aid for unwed pregnant women or single mothers. Spain in the 1920s was strictly Roman Catholic, and the only acceptable options for Jig would have been marriage or adoption. Another issue is abandonment. The man is an American, but is Jig? Does Hemingway tell us? Even if she persuades him to marry her, there is the possibility that he may just leave her. What kind of life would the child have if the couple did marry and have the baby? Would the parents drink too much? Would they argue and fight? Would the man resent the child and make his feelings obvious? I hope these musings help you! (cited in e-notes. com) In typical Hemingway fashion, this short story leaves much room for interpretation and most critical details regarding character and plot unstated. Clearly, through the dialogue (the one messenger the reader has to this couples relationship) we realize that they are at odds over the issue of an impending abortion. As for other social issues, the language speaks to the unrestricted life of the hedonistic, ex-patriot era that many Americans enjoyed in Europe. Jig, the female, mentions that none of this is ours anymore, referring to the easy life of traveling without responsibilities or restrictions. For her, things will change; for the boyfriend, who is rationalizing the procedure as something simple and easy (nothing at all) theyll go right back to their vagabond ways and everything will be fine. On a more basic level, the stereotypical view that some men have (especially young, selfish men) about abortion being a quick fix, while women see it as a brief, yet permanently life changing decision could be another social issue. Again, Hemingway suggests, but never outright states. (cited in e-notes. com) The subject the man and the girl are discussing is that of an abortion. The fact that they discuss the operation without calling it an abortion relays a lot about the couple and their relationship. By not naming the operation, they are attempting to trivialize the seriousness of the situation. Clearly, the relationship has many flaws, seen in the way they are dealing with the subject. It is not a straightforward or honest conversation, especially on the part of the man. The man clearly wants the girl to have the abortion. He makes light of the seriousness and psychological impact it would have for the girl. He attempts to sway her by telling her it would damage their relationship. The girl is torn in trying to make a decision. She realizes that it is not nearly as simple a decision as her lover is making it out to be. A part of her wants her baby, and another part of her wants to hang on to her lover. The end of the story does not give a resolution to the decision that is finally made. It is up to the reader to draw a conclusion. The man also attempts to trivialize the abortion by making it sound simple, but abortion in Spain was not legal at the time. It wasnt made legal in Spain until 1985, and sometimes women died. Many doctors were not willing to risk their careers on being caught performing illegal abortions. Many times, the only doctors who performed them were doctors who werent very good or whose offices were less than sanitary. The man wants Jig to have the abortion, but she looks at the situation realistically. The man might leave her anyway, and she might be physically and psychologically scarred from the abortion, even if nothing goes wrong. The subject of the abortion isnt specifically named, but is alluded to. An elephant in the room is when you have a situation or topic of major importance that no one wants to talk about, but the topic is there nonetheless. It cant be ignored, but no one wants to deal with it because they dont know how. Jig tries to deal with it, but the man refuses to. He just wants her to have it, so his responsibility is ended. This is the allusion that leads to the title. The elephant in the room is the abortion. (cited in e-notes. com) The story was first published in 1927, so another issue besides abortion is societal attitudes toward unwed mothers. There was no such thing as government aid back then, so Jig would have had a tough time raising a child without a father. Unless she was independently wealthy, she would have had a hard time finding a job. The issue of illegitimacy would have arisen as well. Her child would have been branded a bastard in 1927. If the father refuses to fulfill his responsibility, the only choices open to her were abortion, adoption, or illegitimacy. (cited in e-notes. com) WORK CITED ALLEN-LINDA,CRITICAL ISSUES-HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANT,University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill AMY-LEPORE,Freelance author ,University of Central Florida BMADNICK,Belen, NM

Tesco Rapidly Changing Environment Business Essay

Tesco Rapidly Changing Environment Business Essay Todays world is a rapidly changing place. Part of rapidly changing environment that managers face is the globalization of business. Management is no longer constrained by national borders. In order to function and to survive, organization has to interact constantly with the world outside. Developments across a range of factors will have an impact on your business or industry. Business environment is a set of political, economic, social and technological (PEST) forces that are largely outside the control and influence of a business and that can potentially have both a positive and a negative impact on the business. You need to understand how the external environment affects and influences the organization structure. In this situation for achieving high performance manager need to adapt an organization. In this report TESCOs business environment is describe here. Using SWOT and PESTLE analysis tool TESCOs business strategy clearly define. Introduction of TESCO Tesco was founded by Sir Jack Cohen in 1924. In 1919 Jack Cohen started to selling groceries in Londons markets. The Tea is the first product in which the brand name of Tesco appeared in 1920. So the name Tesco comes from the initials of TE Stockwell who was a partner in the firm of tea suppliers. The first store of Tesco was opened in 1929 in Burnt oak, Edgware. Today TESCO is one of the top three international retailers with 366,000 worldwide staff, more than 2500 stores in twelve countries which sales  £41.8 billion. The vision and philosophy of TESCO is that Every Little Helps is behind everything we do. The Corporate Social Responsibility policy objective is to earn the trust of customers by acting good services and good relation between customers and suppliers and by building goodwill. They doing this only for earn customers loyalty and it is core purpose of Tesco. Tesco has four types of store formats for instance, Tesco Metro, Tesco Express, Tesco superstore and Tesco Extra (24 hour) all of them provide different shopping experience but same outstanding value. Tesco sells both food and non-food items. The leading market position improves its brand image and it provides a platform to start private label brands. The items include food, CDs, Books, medicine, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, alcohol, clothes, toys and electrical goods. Tesco has an exciting brand name. It is related with the good quality, honest goods and services that characterize excellent value. A strong brand name and moreover the attractive customer preservation rates are helps the group to introduce more products under its own labels and allocate it to enter new markets. Tesco.com is one of the leading online grocery shopping services in the world and the fourth biggest online retailer in the UK. Amazon, Dell and Argos are placed in the first three positions. Tesco.com serves m ore than one million regular customers in the UK including households from both urban and rural areas. The group has developed tesco.com-only store, an online service, for the customer in the UK with limited accessibility to physical stores. Tesco operates three types of operations: The First one is UK operations; it is categorized by five formats which are different from size, location and products. The largest operation of UK is in new cast. In addition to food, it also operates in the non food fragment items including clothing, electrical goods, home entertainment, stationery, kitchen items and furnitures. The Second operation is outside UK. The other British retailers who tried to expand international business have failed but Tesco has been succeeding to build an international business. It started this operation in 2004. The Third one is Internet operations. In 1994 Tesco also started to operate internet and it is the first retailer in the world who offered home shopping service since 1996. It expanded online ranges as books, wine, movies and electrical goods. From the above information it is clear that although the performance of TESCO has been affected in some areas but it has still value in the market due to reput ation and name of TESCO in the market. However TESCO achieved its target in food sector. TESCO ltd has been survived through competition over the last four years in the market but still it is one of the largest retailer companies in the UK. SWOT ANALYSIS: SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It is the first stage of planning and helps managers to focus on key issues. SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and Threats are external factors. Strengths In global market place TESCO have secured commercial standing because of winning World Retail Awards in Year 2008. This can be used for marketing campaigns to drive advantage towards the demographic base for future growth and sustainability. In an environment where global retail sales are showing decline TESCO Group has published sales gain of 13% for UK markets and 26% growth in international markets. Tesco.com is the worlds biggest online supermarket. Tesco online now operates in over 270 stores around the country, covering 96% of the UK. With over a million households nationwide having used the companys online services, the company has a strong platform to further develop this revenue stream. Profits for Tescos operations in Europe, Asia and Ireland increased by 78% during the last fiscal year. The company has a strong brand image, and is associated with good quality, trustworthy goods that represent excellent value. Since acquiring number one ranking in 1996, Tesco has developed a successful multi format strategy that has accelerated its advantage. Its UK sales are now 71% larger than Sainsburys. Weaknesses: TESCOs position as a price leader in UK markets can lead to reduced profit margins in order to retain the key price points on must have commercial items. TESCO Finance profit levels were impacted through credit card arrears, bad debt and household insurance claims. One of Tescos weaknesses has been its failure to dominate the city centre marketplace. Although it has some prominent city centre stores, e.g. the Carlisle store in the North of England, it has failed to make them universal. Grocer outlets are not set up to operate as specialist retailers in specific areas of product which can be capitalized on by other smaller bespoke retailers. Opportunities: Statistics suggest TESCO is the third largest global grocer which indicates a level of buying power to ensure mainstream economies of scale. The acquisition of whoever provides the opportunity to develop the brand through Asia, specifically South Korea and further grow International markets for the group. The development of Tesco Direct through online and catalogue shopping will grow the use of technology. Providing non food based products with moderate to high margin returns and less focus on sales and margin per foot return to space. TESCO mobile have grown 0.25 million customers in 2008 and moved into profitable status suggesting further growth and development within this technological area can be developed. Threats: Food and non food items raw material cost is rising, will impact profit margins overall. In far East locations exporting restrictions on some non food product areas will reduce margin rates on products with already low margins. American and UK markets have been affected by economic concerns through the credit crunch. Lower available income will impact and strategic focus may need to change to lower priced basic products with less focus on higher priced brands suggesting a switch in price architecture. For TESCO, there is a persistent threat of takeover from the market leader Wal-Mart who has both means and motive to pursue such action. PESTLE analysis: In analyzing the macro-environment, it is important to identify the factors that might in turn affect a number of vital variables that are likely to influence the organizations supply and demand levels and its costs (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1991; Johnson and Scholes, 1993). Because of ongoing changes that impact the whole organization. PESTLE analysis categorizes environmental influences as Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal forces. The analysis examines the impact of each of these factors (and their interplay with each other) on the business. Using these results take advantage of opportunities and to make contingency plans for threats when preparing Business and Strategic plans. Political Factors: Tesco now operates in six countries in Europe in addition to the UK. Tescos performance is highly influenced by the political and legislative conditions of these countries, including the European Union (EU). For employment legislations, the government encourages retailers to provide a mix of job opportunities from flexible, lower-paid and locally-based jobs to highly-skilled, higher-paid and centrally-located jobs (Balchin, 1994). Also to meet the demand from population categories such as students, working parents and senior citizens. Tesco understands that retailing has a great impact on jobs and people factors, being an inherently local and labour-intensive sector. Tesco employs large numbers of student, disabled and elderly workers, often paying them lower rates. In an industry with a typically high staff turnover, these workers offer a higher level of loyalty and therefore represent desirable employees. Economical Factors: Economic factors are of concern to Tesco, because they are likely to influence demand, costs, prices and profits. One of the most influential factors on the economy is high unemployment levels, which decreases the effective demand for many goods, adversely affecting the demand required to produce such goods. These economic factors are largely outside the control of the company, but their effects on performance and the marketing mix can be profound. Although international business is still growing and is expected to contribute greater amounts to Tescos profits over the next few years, the company is still highly dependent on the UK market. Hence, Tesco would be badly affected by any slowdown in the UK food market and are exposed to market concentration risks. Social Factors: Current trends indicate that British customers have moved towards one-stop and bulk shopping, which is due to a variety of social changes. Tesco have, therefore, increased the amount of non-food items available for sale. UK retailers are also focusing on added-value products and services. In addition, the focus is now towards; the supply chain, the own-label share of the business mix and other operational improvements, which can drive costs out of the business. National retailers are increasingly reticent to take on new suppliers (Clarke, Bennison and Guy,1994; Datamonitor Report, 2003). The type of goods and services demanded by consumers is a function of their social conditioning. Consumers are becoming more and more aware of health issues, and their attitudes towards food are constantly changing. One example of Tesco adapting its product mix is to accommodate an increased demand for organic products. The company was also the first to allow customers to pay in cheques and cash at the checkout. Technological Factors: Technology is a major macro-environmental variable which has influenced the development of many of the Tesco products. The new technologies benefit both customers and the company: customer satisfaction rises because goods are readily available, services can become more personalized and shopping more convenient. Tesco stores utilize the following technologies: Wireless devices Intelligent scale Electronic shelf labeling Self check-out machine Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The adoption of Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS), Electronic Funds Transfer Systems (EFTPoS) and electronic scanners have greatly improved the efficiency of distribution and stocking activities, with needs being communicated almost in real time to the supplier (Finch, 2004). Environmental Factors: In 2003, there has been increased pressure on many companies and managers to acknowledge their responsibility to society, and act in a way which benefits society overall (Lindgreen and Hingley, 2003). The major societal issue threatening food retailers has been environmental issues, a key area for companies to act in a socially responsible way. Hence, by recognizing this trend within the broad ethical stance. Tescos corporate social responsibility is concerned with the ways in which an organization exceeds the minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation and corporate governance. (Johnson and Scholes, 2003) Graiser and Scott (2004) state that in 2003 the government has intended to launch a new strategy for sustainable consumption and production to cut waste, reduce consumption of resources and minimize environmental damage. The latest legislation created a new tax on advertising highly processed and fatty foods. The so-called fat tax directly affected the Tesco product ranges that have subsequently been adapted, affecting relationships with both suppliers and customers. Legal Factors: Various government policies and legislations have a direct impact on the performance of Tesco. For instance, the Food Retailing Commission (FRC) suggested an enforceable Code of Practice should be set up banning many of the current practices, such as demanding payments from suppliers and changing agreed prices retrospectively or without notice (Mintel Report, 2004). The presence of powerful competitors with established brands creates a threat of intense price wars and strong requirements for product differentiation. The governments policies for monopoly controls and reduction of buyers power can limit entry to this sector with such controls as license requirements and limits on access to raw materials (Mintel Report, 2004; Myers, 2004). In order to implement politically correct pricing policies, Tesco offers consumers a price reduction on fuel purchases based on the amount spent on groceries at its stores. While prices are lowered on promoted goods, prices elsewhere in the store are raised to compensate. Organizational Business Strategy: To produce great business performance it is necessary to turn strategies and plan into individual actions but it is not easy. Many companies repeatedly fail to truly motivate their people to work with enthusiasm, all together towards the corporate aim. Most companies and organizations know their businesses and strategies required for success. However many corporations especially large ones struggle to translate the theory into action plans that will enable the strategy to be successfully implemented and sustained. Formalization: Formalization is the extent to which rules and procedures are followed in an organization. This element varies across organizations. For example in some organization arrival and departure times to and from work are specified. In other organizations employees will spend sufficient time on the job to get the work done. In some organizations many rules are codified in huge manuals but no one pays attention to them. In others little is written down but rules are informally understood and followed. The most useful definition of formalization is that it represents the use of rules in an organization. The degree to which rules are followed not the degree to which they are codified. In Tesco shift type working system is there. Time punctuation is most important in Tesco. Each and every staff wears particular uniform. Specialization: Work specializations to describe the degree to which activities in the organization are subdivided into separate jobs. The essence of work specialization is that rather than an entire job being done by one individual it is broken down into a number of steps with each step being completed by a separate individual. In essence individuals specialize in doing part of an activity rather to the entire activity. In Tesco according to different positions different roles are there like general manager, purchasing manager, technical manager, finance manager, HR manager, customer service assistance etc. Hierarchy: In a hierarchical organization employees are ranked at various levels within the organization, each level is one above the other. At each stage in the chain, one person has a number of workers directly under them, within their span of control. The chain of command is a typical pyramid shape. A tall hierarchical organisation has many levels and a flat hierarchical organisation will only have a few. Tesco has a flat hierarchical structure with just six levels between checkout staff and chief executive. Each store manager is responsible for their store. External Environment: In retail Tesco is top of supermarket in UK. There are many competitors like Asda, Sainsbury. In current market position Tescos share is more than other retail company. Every year growth of Tesco is increase. In market position Tesco is stable. Culture: Tesco is now in international market. In Tesco many different culture people are working together not any obligation for culture and peoples value is same. In Tesco clear norms and value are there. Professionalism: Training is most important for every company. In some companies training is given by professional way while in small companies training is formal. Tesco gives high professional training. Goals and Strategy: Top management is to determine an organizations goals, strategy and design. Organizations mission is the official goal whereas in organization actually pursues, specific outcomes like resources, overall performance, market, employ development, innovation, productivity are operative goals. Strategy means plan for achieving organizational goals in competitive environment. Goals define where the organization wants to go, strategy how it will get there. Tescos main goal is to create value for customer to earn their lifetime loyalty. For achieving this goal Tesco do something new for customer. Tesco will remove plastic and paper bags. Size: Size of company is determined by number of stores it has and number of employees it has. It is also determined by revenue of company. It had revenue of 47.3 billion pounds for the year 2008. This made Tesco the fourth largest retailer of the world. Tesco is operating as 2318 stores and more than 326000 employees. Conclusion:

Analysing Negative Attitudes Towards Mental Illness

Analysing Negative Attitudes Towards Mental Illness This chapter will examine the term stigma and discuss the negative attitudes that the public hold towards mental health and mental illness and suggest why they may have adopted these views and attitudes. It will also address the medias role in portraying these views and sustaining these attitudes towards mental illness. An enormous number of individuals are affected by mental illness worldwide: the World Health Organization (WHO) (2001) has estimated that 1 in 5 persons will suffer from a mental illness each year. A question that could be asked if mental illness is a dominant and prevalent issue within society today why do people still hold these negative views and attitudes within society? Finally the chapter will conclude by making some recommendations for practice, ways that stigma can be reduced and how mental health and mental illness can be portrayed in a more positive light. To fully appreciate the views and attitudes towards mental illness it is important to understand the concept of stigma. Stigma is derived from the Greek for a mark branded on a slave or criminal (White, 1998). Goffmans (1963) seminal work on stigmatization has, over the years, stimulated a great variety of educational discussion on the nature, sources, and effects of stigma (Link and Phelan, 2001). According to Goffman (1963) stigma is a physical or psychological mark of disgrace that makes an individual stand out from society. Three types of stigmatizing marks identified by Goffman include, Abominations of the body, tribal stigma, and blemishes of individual character (Goffman, 1963, pg 14). People who encompass these physical or psychological marks are often devalued and dehumanised which consequently leads to their position within society being corrupted by the distressing effects of stigmatization (Goffman, 1963). A definition that can be seen to encompass all aspects alongside Goffman is offered by Miles (1981) cited in Brunton (1997) who says, Societal reaction which singles out certain attributes evaluates them as an undesirable and devalues the persons who possess them. (p. 892) The suffering and loss of opportunities that seems to always come hand in hand with a diagnosis of mental illness can be seen to be connected to the psychiatric symptoms that can be observed e.g. talking to voices, the decrease in daily functioning, and the dip in a persons social functioning in society (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). However, the loss of opportunities and the person with a mental illness devaluing their own self worth take place for the reason of the stigma that surrounds mental illness (Corrigan and Kleinlein, 2005). For the purposes of this dissertation negative attitudes refers to discriminatory attitudes that are based on prejudice, stereotypes or inaccurate information. Stereotypes are firmly set judgements that are learnt throughout life and held firmly in our mind (Stier and Hinshaw, 2007). They are discriminating views or images related to members of particular groups (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). Prejudice effects individuals in an emotional manner (Stier and Hinshaw, 2007) and occurs when people within society have the same opinion about a particular stereotype and affix this to a group of people making negative connotations towards that particular group (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). Then again, Corrigan and Wassel (2008) state that discriminative behaviour can be seen as a direct result of prejudice. This involves a specific group being treated in a dissimilar way leading to that group not being able to access opportunities available to them or their rights being restricted (Stier and Hin shaw, 2007). Negative attitudes towards people with mental distress may be manifested by physical and verbal abuse, problems in the workplace or discrimination from people who provide services to people with a mental illness (Mind, 2010). Negative attitudes are partly constructed in the language we use to describe mental illness. People with mental distress are often being described in derogatory terms. For example, perpetrators of acts of violence are often described as Lunatics, mad person (Tudor, 1996), schizos, nutters, psychos, fiends, monsters and maniacs (Twomley, 2007). This makes a clear link between violence and mental distress, it must be acknowledged though that not everyone who is violent necessarily has a mental illness. Angermeyer and Schulze (2001) suggest the general public view people with mental illness as bizarre, fear-provoking, impulsive, violent and lack self-discipline. From this, therefore, it could be suggested that people who have a mental illness are deviants or have deviant behaviour. Becker (1963) defines deviance as any trait or behaviour that was abnormal when compared to the average population (pg. ). If mental illness is classed as deviant then how bad does someone have to act or behave to be classed as deviant. This demonstrates that social rules that are made allow people to judge others as different or in this case deviant (Becker, 1963). This is further supported by Baumann (2007) who suggest that the individuals picture of the world is created by comparatively constant norms, principles and expectations. Angermeyer and Matschinger (2005) suggests a diagnosis of schizophrenia has, particularly, been found to be stigmatizing and linked with negative stereotypes such as violence and dangerousness. This shows that by mental health being medicalised it is profoundly unhelpful due to the diagnostic terms such as psychosis which can shackle people to the mental health system (Watkins, 2007). In contrast Shepherd et al (2008) describe the recovery model as taking ownership and responsibility for an illness and what can and cant be done, focusing on the strengths and issues rather than a diagnosis. This is a reliable source provided by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. The recovery model will be discussed more in-depth in chapter three. There is no doubt that the media plays a part in reinforcing the attitudes towards mental health and mental illness. In everyday life the public come into contact with the media by newspapers, TV and radio on a daily basis. The way people with a mental illness are viewed as dangerous can be seen to be fuelled by tabloid media publicity about psycho-killers (Tudor, 1996). Examples of this are included in the appendix. The report, Screening for madness, by Byrne (2009) reveals that films representations of people with experience of mental health problems have become more harmful, he suggests that, Mental health stereotypes have not changed over a century of cinema. If anything, the comedy is crueler and the deranged psycho killer even more demonic. (pg. 4) One flew over the Cuckoos Nest can be seen as the film most remembered for depicting someone with a mental illness acting strangely or violently (reference). Even though this was released 35 years ago it shows the influence of movie stereotypes on attitudes and how these can last generations. This is also demonstrated with the recent film Batman-the Dark Knight depicting mental illness with violence which more or less is based around the mental illness schizophrenia (Byrne, 2009). This would suggest that ignorance and lack of understanding of mental illness are still very prominent in society today. It must be acknowledged there are some exceptions to this, of more recent films that have portrayed a less sensational and more insightful picture of mental illness. For instance, A Beautiful Mind, in 2002, depicted the true story of a maths genius who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, while Shine, in 1996, was the story of a brilliant pianist who had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, the more positive portrayals can represent mental distress as exotic, dramatic or romantic in ways that bear little resemblance to real-life experiences (Lott, 2006). Likewise, media portrayals of mental health have been far from flattering and largely sensationalized. A survey undertaken in 2000 by MIND found that 73% of people with mental health problems felt that the reporting of mental health issues were unjust, biased and pessimistic (MIND, 2000 cited in Rethink, 2006). In addition a study by Chopra and Doody (1997) looked at 98 newspaper articles and found there was no significant difference in the portrayal of schizophrenia. They did find overall that 36.1% of articles were negative in tone, 56.7% were neutral and 7.2% were positive. The word schizophrenic is often used in tabloid stories in conjunction with violent events, somehow suggesting that the diagnosis can justify why the violence happened in the first place (Twomey, 2007). In reality, the person who happens to have a diagnosis of schizophrenia may have acted in such a way due to taking illegal drugs or may have a violent personality, we need to look at all aspect of what led to a violent situation happening and not just that someone was mentally ill. The media can often be seen to be responsible for stigmatizing stereotypes of mental illness (Byrne, 1997),however, if the media was used to its potential it can challenge prejudice, enlighten and instigate discussions, helping to reduce the stigma that is so often experienced by people with a mental illness (Salter and Byrne, 2000). It is still evident through reporting on mental health that a diagnosis of a mental illness is linked to violence. There is however, some evidence of positive change where The Sun newspaper was made to remove a headline of Bonkers Bruno locked up which was reporting on the sectioning of the boxer frank Bruno under the Mental Health Act (MIND, 2010). In 2006, the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) published a code of practice, which banned the use of stigmatising language around mental illness which reduced the use of the terms such as schizo and nutter (PCC, 2006). This gives an example of just how much the media has moved on over the years and that there are some strategies to prevent harm being done to people with mental health problems. Becker (1963) concludes that people who are mentally ill are blamed for things that happen in society therefore you would think they would be punished or persecuted. It must be acknowledged that there are extensive resources devoted to the benevolent care and support of those with an enduring mental illness. Even though this is an old source it is relevant even today and apparent how services are developing for people with mental health problems. Nevertheless, people suffering from a mental illness are still feared and excluded from society (Becker, 1963 and Watkins, 2007). When people have acute mental health problems they can appear to the public to be frightening and exhibit odd behaviours which can often lead to police involvement (Taylor, 2008). At such times they can commit criminal acts, often escaping prosecution due to their mental illness at the time (Bowers, 1998; Taylor, 2008). Therefore, it could be argued that the public hold these views due to such examples where peopl e are excused from their actions on the basis of some supposed illness. It could be suggested that they should be held accountable for their actions as anyone else would be (Bowers, 1998). It can be argued that these attitudes towards mental illness can be seen in a direct parallel to racism (Bowers, 1998). So why do people continue showing negative attitudes and views towards mental health as much work has been done in helping to combat racism, can the same not be done for people with mental illness. Negative attitudes towards individuals with mental illness is widespread and can be capable of creating a significant barrier to treatment (Piner and Kahle, 1984). It has been established that negative attitudes can be individually the most significant obstruction to integration of people with a mental illness in to society (Piner and Kahle, 1984). Negative attitudes towards mental health can influence the path and result of their mental illness (Bowers, 1998). This can also lead to self-stigma which occurs when an individual with a mental health illness internalizes the stigma and believes they are of less value (Halter, 2004; Corrigan, 2007). This may result in low self-worth, loss of dignity, and lead to feelings of hopelessness (Campbell and Deacon, 2006). People who experience a mental illness often see no potential for them to undertake full time employment due to internalizing these negative attitudes that are held about the psychiatric system (Watkins, 2007). If we dont help people recover from mental illnesses it is inevitable that it may become an enduring illness. An analogy given compares it to having a broken leg; if you dont rest it then it wont heal properly, the same could be said for the mind. Maybe if people were more positive towards mental health and mental illness then people with mental health problems would be encouraged to flourish in the community and not be seen as deviant. This is supported by Sayce (2000) who suggests that being part of the social foundations of the community is necessary for our psychological well being. Generally most people would like to think they are compassionate and have inclusive attitudes towards people who experience a breakdown in their mental health (Ross and Read, 2004). Except, discrimination is still communicated in everyday social situations in subtly distancing, condescending exchanges, flippant outlooks or obvious hostility leaving people feeling socially isolated (Watkins, 2007). This could be due to the fact that mental illness shows how fragile human nature is therefore peoples/societies anxieties and fears about mental health may be due to seeing the potential that any one of us could develop a mental health disorder (Becker, 1963). From my practice to date the following example really brought home to me the level of stigma and negative attitudes people have towards mental illness. When listening to an account from a service user it made me realise how public attitudes towards people with mental health difficulties is still a big issue and a real challenge for health care professionals. Mary explained that when taking a taxi to give a talk to students about living with mental illness she got talking to the taxi driver. At first he thought she was a lecturer but when she explained what she was going to do he became very quiet and stopped conversation with her. She found this a very ignorant and closed way of dealing with the situation and became quite upset about it. Having examined the concepts of stigma, discussed the negative attitudes that the public hold towards mental health and mental illness, suggested why they may have adopted these views and attitudes and addressed the medias role in portraying these views and sustaining these attitudes towards mental illness. It is now important to draw some recommendations and challenges that can help reduce the stigma of mental illness and promote a more positive picture to members of the public. These recommendations include education and public contact. Firstly, education of the public both at school and after (Murphy et al 1993; Penn et al 1994) about mental health and its prevalence among every one of us is really important. Education is widely approved for influencing prejudice and discrimination (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). Corrigan and Wassel (2008) ask the important question, If people had the correct knowledge or effective problem solving skills, would they be able to give up public stigma and handle associated concerns more directly? (pg. 45) Education can generate small effects on attitudes; unfortunately, this kind of change in attitude is seen to not be maintained over time (Corrigan et al, 2001). This demonstrates the need to continually re-educate people to reinforce the message. Challenging the public is most effective when it targets people who frequently interact with individuals with mental illness: landlords, employers, GPs, police officers etc (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). Secondly, most importantly the media needs to comply with their code of practice (2006). If something does appear in the media that appears stigmatising people should protest against it not accept it and reiterate that it wont be tolerated. As nurses we need to encourage that positive things surrounding mental health of mental health are promoted in the media. Lastly, the public need more contact with people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. This type of contact can provide the most healthy and positive findings toward changing public stigma (Penn et al,1994; Pettigrew and Tropp, 2000). It can be something as small as someone speaking about their mental illness in a group situation to co-workers learning of someone coping with a mental illness. The effectiveness of utilising contact can be improved when the person with a mental illness is seen by society as in the same social class as them (Gaertner et al, 1996). In Link and Cullens (1986) study they found people who had contact with someone who had a mental illness showed much lower anxiety around danger compared to those who had no contact. Murphy et als (1993) study contradicted this as they found having contact with someone with a mental illness did not impact on their attitude. However, they did establish that people who spoke of having knowledge of mental illness showe d a reduced anxiety and fear of mental illness. Finally, the prevalence of mental illness in society cannot be underestimated. As previously alluded to with 1 in 5 people suffering from a mental illness (WHO, 2001) we cannot afford to ignore the impact of stigma, all health care professionals especially nurses need to advocate for clients and work with others to promote and protect the health and wellbeing of those in their care, their families and carers, and the wider community (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008). Having discussed the views and attitudes that the public hold towards mental illness and those experiencing mental health difficulties it is now important, in the next chapter, to examine the views and attitudes of general nurses. Many will come into contact with people with mental health problems particularly in accident and emergency (a and e) and a medical setting.

Social inequality in 1820s Essay examples -- essays papers

Social inequality in 1820s Social equality has been a goal of America since its very beginning. However, it was only an intention to be socially equal, but not a goal. Social equality or the fact that all men were created equal only applied to the white man. There was no intention in meaning that the blacks and Indians or even the women were equal. In the eyes of the delegates, and the common white majority, blacks, indians, and women were not an issue. To them, it was apparent that blacks were kids, Indians were savages, and women were homemakers. From the late 18th century to the mid 19th century was the greatest era of social and racial inequality in all American history. The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This infamous passage written by Thomas Jefferson on July 4th, 1776, states that ALL men are created equal and are entitled to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Although this statement has been argued about its actual meaning hundreds of times by students, philosophers, historians, etc., it still is relevant in discussing the true intentions of the new nation. If all men were created equal then why were there slaves? Why did the government deny the Indians of their rights? Why was there so much injustice? That phrase simply meant that all free citizens were politically equal. This did not apply to blacks or women under the eyes of the signers. As time went by, the meaning "All Men are created equal" took a meaning different t han that of the common people in 1776. The years following the establishment of the new nation were times of refining and tuning of the new government. The question of the true meaning of "All Men are Created Equal" arised again and again until it influenced the minds of Americans that is was time for social equality. In order to understand the reasons why blacks were treated so cruelly and socially unequal is to understand the perspective of whites in the era from the late 18th century to the late 19th century. "It (the south) must pettify the institution and its own reactions, must begin to boast at its own Great Heart. To have heard them talk, indeed, you would have thought the sole reason ... ...m to move in the dead of winter. In other words, the Indians were said to have had rights, but never really had any because the American Government constantly changed the rules because of their lack of respect towards the Indians and their belief that they were inferior. In Conclusion, the period between the late 18th century to the mid 19th century was one of the most socially and racially unequal times in all of AMerican History. The rights described in our Declaration of Independence were irrelevant to minorities, the assumption that "All Men Are Created Equal" was only applied to white men and not minorities like Blacks and Indians. Blacks were treated like children in this period, thought to be inferior and uncivilized and therefore not even rights. Even worse, Indians were promised rights and land, only to have both stripped from them by the American government through means of "treaties", agreements, and war. This period was truly one of the most wrong and unequal periods of American History, however, it was a landmark in the creation of a new nation. While all these social inequalities existed, America flourished and grew to be one of the greatest nations in the world.

Quest For Love in J.D. Salingers The Catcher In the Rye :: Catcher Rye Essays

The Quest For Love in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher In the Rye In many novels written by J.D. Salinger, there is a recurring theme of love that arises and that indicates the character of the individual in the novel. Salinger uses love in the context of being a device that is used to protect and to care for people who need protecting and caring. In Salinger's novel, Catcher in the Rye, love is used by a character, Holden Caulfield, who struggles desperately to find a certain somebody or anyone to allocate his love to, but realizes finally, that this love is not necessarily expressed through saving " the children in the rye" from the time of trial, but actually caring for them and being their friends, during the time of trial.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The quest of finding the true love of people is an ongoing dilemma in the lives of many people all throughout the world. The constant need for love is overwhelming, and the tragedy of this great world is the fact that some people do not find the proper love that they deserve. Holden Caulfield is a perfect example of the striving to acquire a love sought all throughout his life. According to this quote, "He is simply expressing an innocence incapable of genuine hatred. Holden does not suffer from the inability to love, but does despair of finding a place to bestow his love" (Heiserman and Miller 30), Holden Caulfield has the need for allocating his cornucopia of love for people. His quest is very simple. He wants to do good. As compared to tragic heroes in the past,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Holden seeks Virtue second to Love. He wants to be good. When   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the little children are playing in the rye-field on the cliff   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   top, Holden wants to be the one who catches them before they   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   fall off the cliff.   He is not driven toward honor or courage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He is not driven toward the love of woman. Holden is driven   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   toward love of his fellowman...." (Heiserman and Miller 25).   In other words, he is not a tragic hero, but rather a misfortuned hero that struggles to find a person to give his love to. There is nothing tragic about his life.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Holden also seeks circularity in his life.

Somalia Essay -- Somalian History, Imperialism

From Tranquility to Turmoil: Imperialism in Somalia No force has had a greater impact on modern nations and their cultures than imperialism. Imperialism is a policy of extending a nation’s rule over foreign areas by acquiring and holding colonies. During the nineteenth century in particular, imperialism became a trend among wealthy European nations such as Great Britain, France, and Italy, as countries competed to gain resources and expand their empires. In enforcing these policies, imperial powers spread numerous effects over the span of the globe. The question is, were the effects of imperialism beneficial or detrimental to the colonized nations? For the nation of Somalia, it is clear that imperialism was nothing but a perversion of justice, as their bloody post-independence history in particular shows when compared with the peace that existed pre-imperialism. The British and Italian imperial policies proved destructive to the nation of Somalia, as shown by the current absence of governmental stability, lack of economic prosp erity, and increasing ethnic conflict. Governmental stability is a key component of evidence that imperialism was detrimental to Somalia. Before imperialism, Somalia operated as an Arab sultanate. Society was divided into clans, each ruled by a sultan. The government was not unified under one body but it was functional and there has been no history of dissatisfaction prior to imperialism. In 1886, Britain made a treaty with the Sultan of Tajura and captured northern Somalia while Italy gained control of the southern portion by making a treaty with the Sultan of Hobyo (â€Å"Background Note† 1). Both British and Italian Somaliland, the resulting colonies, were protectorates (â€Å"Italian Somaliland† 2). The protect... ...o be extinguished. So from the perspective of ethnic conflict, too, it is clear that imperialism brought Somalia from better to worse. Historians will, until the end of time, continue to debate over whether imperialism caused more benefit or harm to the world as a whole. In the case of Somalia, though, there is no question as to the immense harm imperialism caused. Imperialism resulted in governmental instability and corruption, an equally unstable economy thrown off balance by imperial rule, and incessant ethnic conflict with Ethiopia and Kenya. Britain and Italy took advantage of a weaker country for their own economic and nationalistic benefits, and then left it under the pretense of preparing it to be more modern politically and economically, when really all they did was derail an innocent nation, and leave it alone to glue its shattered remains together.

Lead and Manage a Team Within a Health and Social Care Setting

The features of effective team performance are set out in Brian Tuckman’s phases of team development theory, ‘Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing. ’ This outlines the phases that a team will go through in order to become effective and reach maturity. At the ‘Forming’ stage of team development individual roles and responsibilities are unclear and each member of the team is concerned to avoid conflict with each other. From this point the team will go through the ‘Storming’ phase which is when they start to conflict as individuals put forward ideas which will be challenged by others in a bid to gain power and position over others. After this the ‘Norming’ phase follows and it is at this point that individual roles are defined and accepted and ground rules and conduct are agreed. After each of these stages the team then reaches the ‘Performing’ stage which is where they are all working towards the same shared goal. This theory shows that for all teams to be effective each individual needs to be clear on their role, responsibilities and shared end goal. This is achieved through positive leadership, utilising the skills of the team and addressing weaknesses to make the team more effective. The challenges experienced by developing teams are often due to organisational change. Staff may be resistant to change such as moving to join a new team or working with people they do not know. A health and social care organisation needs to identify the skills and knowledge that are required for the service plan and recruit staff according to this to ensure that the diversity and skill mix needed is met to fulfil the service outcome. Newly appointed staff should complete an induction that ensures they understand and comply with the organisations values and objectives and their role and support systems should be clarified as quickly as possible to ensure they can contribute as quickly and effectively as possible to the team. An established team experiences different challenges to a developing team. They may have more difficulty maintaining staff enthusiasm and momentum. To overcome these challenges the organisation needs to be aware of changes to workload and conflict between individuals to resolve issues quickly before they impact on other staff and then service users. Also feedback should be given to staff in order for them to maintain or improve performance levels and recognition should be expressed for good work to maintain a high level of staff morale. Once momentum is built then it is easier to maintain and helps staff to remain enthusiastic and continue o communicate and trust their colleagues and manage their time efficiently and keeps them orientated to the important work tasks. Challenges to effective team performance can be overcome by the organisation being clear about the values and objectives in relation to staff and service users and communicating these and the time frame in which these are expected to be achieved. Support should be given to those who are capable of sharing the organisations objectives so they can become committed to ensuring that the service outcomes are met. If this is not done then it can be difficult to maintain effective team working. Dawes and Handscomb performed a review on team leadership in 2005 and suggested that these difficulties stemmed from competing professional interests. In different settings they reviewed the relationship between team working and care outcomes and it was found that within a long term care setting the care outcomes required effective team working to be met. It is considered that management styles can be divided into three categories. * Autocratic- characterised by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. Paternalistic- a type of fatherly managerial style typically employed by dominant males where their organizational power is used to control and protect subordinate staff that are expected to be loyal and obedient. * Democratic- a style in which members of the group take a more participative role in the decision making process. A leader can be anyone who has the ability to influence other members of a team. It is considered that a manager and a leader are different but they are complementary to tasks being carried out. Management styles will change to reflect the stage of development the workforce’s stage of development. When starting a new team a manager will have to be clear about setting goals, establishing rules and assigning responsibility and then taking on the more troublesome tasks of organising resources, motivating and creating a cooperative team. As the team develops then roles can be delegated and appropriate support provided. Doing this enables the team to become more confident and the style of management and leadership changes so team members begin to take on more leadership functions. The primary focus of a leader is to develop and maintain trust between the service user and the staff. The service user will look at the staff to establish with them character and competence. If these two characteristics are met then this develops trust with the service user. Character relates to motive and intent, whether the staff are working towards the same objectives. Competence relates to skills and results, whether the staff are able to care for the service user and meet the objective set by the organisation. Staff that are registered with professional bodies have accountability and are answerable for their actions. They are accountable by law for meeting the standards and objectives that are set out for them. Even when staff are working towards a common goal, conflict can still arise. This can be due to different personalities, communication styles, sense of priorities and changes to workload. Trying to prevent conflict is best practice so a manager should try to build an environment that is supportive, positive and stable to try and reduce the likelihood of conflict developing. If conflict does develop then a manager should try to: * Address it at the earliest opportunity. * Keep the discussions positive. Look at what can be done to resolve the conflict. * Encourage the team to focus on the problem, not the person. Encourage honest dialogue between the team, welcoming different points of view that do not create blame. Each individual should be allowed to voice their point of view and also listen to and respect each other’s views. * Ask each individual to accept ownership of their part of the problem. * Discuss a variety of options before settling on an agreement that is based on o bjective criteria that will resolve the conflict. Conflict does not always necessarily have to be a bad thing, as if it is dealt with constructively, can lead to increased productivity, development of new ideas and personal development of team members.