Is it possible to demonstrate that a sociological analysis of the body and its varied states shed ‘light’ on the experiences of embodiment?

In order to evaluate the extent in which sociological analysis sheds light on the experience of embodiment it is essential that we first break down the meanings behind the question. The concept of embodiment is derived from the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty, who argued: â€Å"that to the experience the world, we have to perceive it†¦. the embodiment of the human being is fundamental.† (cited in Reber & Reber 2001. p115). Reber & Reber (2001) go on to explain embodiment as the mode by which human beings practically engage and interact with the world. The experience of having a body alters in relation to the particular condition, or state, of the body at any one time. These varied states can include differences in long or short-term health or, for example, whether the body is in pain or not at a particular time. Other states can include diversity in age, or just altered states such as pregnancy. The sociological analysis of any subject matter involves having the ability to trace links between the wider society and the lives of the individuals within it, having an awareness of social structures. In contrast to sociological theories are those within the biological essentialist paradigm, whose explanations reduce the understanding of the body into terms of the physiological and absolute. This essay will attempt to illustrate the importance of the sociological explanation in understanding the body and its varied states, whilst highlighting the limitations of the more essentialist approach. The health and illness of the human body has traditionally been defined in terms of the biomedical model, which is based upon the reliance of scientific facts. The body is seen as a primarily biological entity thus ignoring external, environment factors, such as the family and the education system, shaping our bodies and minds. The idea that the mind and body are separate entities emanates from Descartes, dating back to the eighteenth century. A time, known as the enlightenment, when societies would come to depend more and more on scientific and rational explanations at the expense of religious explanations. There was an apparent move towards a more physiological and essentialist understanding of everyday life and a dramatic decline in more spiritual and less scientific explanations. Health and illness is traditionally described in a medical way. Pregnancy, for example, although a natural state for the female body, has undergone extreme medical intervention. Martin (1987) suggests that giving birth is in fact so medicalised that it can be described as â€Å"work done by the uterus†. She goes on to create a convincing analogy between the ‘job' of having a baby and the ability of women as workers to resist their conditions. The essentialist argument is argued to be both narrow in its assumptions regarding the body and the individual's ability to have free will. The theorists ignore the impact of external factors, arguing that all human behaviour is innate and fixed. In modern times, largely due to a more sociological understanding of the mind and body, it is understood that they in fact work together much more closely than ever realised before, and thus the concept of mind-body dualism is introduced. White (2002) argues that on the basis of empirical research sociologists demonstrate how the interactions of social class, power, gender and ethnicity enter into the formation of knowledge about the treatment of a sickness or disease. The social production and distribution of diseases and illnesses, illustrate how these varied states could be differently understood, treated and experienced by demonstrating how disease is produced out of social organisation rather than nature, biology or individual lifestyle choices. White (2002) also suggests that our knowledge of health and illness, the organisations of the professions which deal with it and our own responses to our bodily states are shaped and formed by the history of our society and our place in it. He criticises medical explanations, stating that they only serve to obscure, or completely cover, the social shaping and distribution of disease, disease categories and health services. Firstly we must consider more traditional sociological theories such as functionalism, mostly illustrated by Parsons' concept of ‘the sick role', a social role that is shaped by the social restrains of modern society. The focus is on how being ill must take a specific form in human societies in order that the social system's stability and cohesion can be maintained. Parsonian sociology emphasises the role of medicine in maintaining social harmony, pointing to the non-market basis of professional groups. Highlighting the social control of medicine in enforcing compliance with social roles in modern society. Marxist approaches emphasize the causal role of economics in the production and distribution of disease, as well as the role of medical knowledge in sustaining the class structure. Marxists are concerned with the relationship between health and illness and capitalist social organisation. Feminists' key argument is that the way in which we are socialized into masculine and feminine social roles will have a determining effect on our health and illness. They argue that medicine plays a vital role in enforcing conformity because controlling women's ability to reproduce is central to a patriarchal society. Feminists argue that the majority of medical attention paid to women is around their reproductive organs and their life cycle Marxist-feminists identify the ways in which class and patriarchy interact to define the subordinate position of women in society and the central role that medical knowledge plays in defining women. In contrast to these more structural approaches the interactionists would argue the focus should be directed at the way illness is a social accomplishment between actors rather than merely a matter of physiological malfunction (Bilton et al 1997). Self-identity has become more fluid and negotiable, separated from ‘social structures', which are often claimed to be just a figment of the sociological imagination. For some theorists the discovery of the body, linked to these weakened structures, has led to the argument that we construct our bodies as we see fit. White (2002) emphasises the openness of the body, and of the individuals that shape it. More recent notions of the body have examined the cultural meanings placed upon it, desirable body size, weight and shape etc. There has been much sociological research into understanding the ideas behind the individual's concept of ‘the self'. Much of this work is revolving around bodily appearance and individual self-perception, labels given to us by others and ourselves. Tyler (1998) investigated the recruitment and training of female flight attendants, concluding that their work: â€Å"involved adhering to culturally prescribed norms on femininity as well as organisational regulations governing her figure† Feminists' reactions to the way in which medicine ‘medicalises' their bodies have raised crucial issues at the centre of sociological explanations of disease. Illnesses are not simply deviations from the body's normal functioning, being ill can have a number of meanings that extend beyond a simple biomedical one. Sontage (1991) shows how TB and AIDS have attached meanings, so that they become ‘dirty' and ‘unclean' illnesses that ‘invade' the body. People who suffer from such stigmatised illnesses may well change the way they view their bodies and their own self-identity is affected, thus an illustration of mind-body dualism. Goffman, a key interactionist, theory of the body can be summarised by three main features. Firstly, that you can view the body as a material, communicating entity, controlled by individuals in order to facilitate and direct social interaction. Secondly, the meanings attributed to the body are determined by shared vocabularies of non-verbal language, such as facial expression and dress, which are not under the immediate control of individuals but which nevertheless categorise and differentiate between people. Thirdly, the body mediates the relationship between people's self-identity and their social identity, two quite different states. Consequently, these classifications greatly influence how individuals seek to manage their bodies and they way in which their bodies are perceived. In addition to its reflections on economic, social and political changes in society postmodernism is characterised by a mistrust of ‘science' as the truth. Senior (1996) suggests that people are more accepting of their own understanding of the world. Post modernists claim that no single theory can explain such a wide variation of experiences. Power is of crucial concern, not only economic power but also in the form of language, or discourse. Knowledge of the body becomes power, possessors of this knowledge can exercise control over those without, for example the doctor/patient relationship. Foucault, an extreme social constructionist, highlights the social role of medical knowledge in controlling populations. Similarly to Parsons, Foucault emphasises the diverse nature of power relationships in modern society, describing the emergence of a dominant medical discourse, which has constructed definitions of normality and deviance. For Foucault modern societies are systems of organised surveillance with individuals conducting the surveillance themselves, having internalised the ‘professional models' of what is appropriate behaviour. The usefulness of Foucault's position is the way in which he historically locates medical knowledge, especially in allowing for the development of the sociology of the body. By showing how the body is historically constructed, Foucault has been accepted and adapted by feminists, known as Foucauldian-feminisms, who show that it is in fact the construction of gender specific bodies that needs analysis. Okely (1993) writes a subjective account of her time spent at an all-girls boarding school, linking her experiences of class, gender and power inequalities, and the impact of these inequalities on the human body. She also refers to Mauss (1936) in her writings and the way in which it is discussed that different societies, groups and even forms of education make different uses of the body. These uses may and have often been documented to change over time and in individual variations. Mauss (1936) isolates three factors that are involved in understanding the body; those are social, psychological and biological (as cited in Okely 1993. p111). Okely (1993) talks of her constant attempts to convince ‘the authorities', for example teachers, that she had internalised the institutions way of life, of being a ‘lady' however, her body often let her down. She goes on to recall that the â€Å"minutest gesture could betray a lack of conviction, a failure of conversion† (Okely 1993. p112). Children and adolescents are the most vulnerable to these outside influences, which often permanently shape their minds and bodies. Okely cited a former resident that had attempted to train to become an opera singer, but who could not breath deeply enough. She believed this to be due to a constant requirement to stand tall and firm, therefore, leading the chest to become too ‘rigidly encased'. The girl obviously saw a connection with her education and her bodily state. In an attempt to draw attention to the social and individual impact of merely wearing a badge on the left or right side of your uniform, Okely highlights that in many cultures the right and left sides of the body, for example the hands, are used to represent symbolic and social oppositions. â€Å"the right is given pre-eminence and may be associated with order, legitimacy and the male while the left can be associated with disorder, disruptive forces and the female† (Hertz 1960 as cited by Okely 1993. p115.) In an effort to transform society, social constructionists inevitably raise questions about the past and the future, as they call into question prevailing ideological frameworks. Social constructionist approaches call attention to the paradox between the historically variable ways in which culture and society construct seemingly stable reality. Social constructionist theory suggests that sexuality is a fluid and changeable entity, the product of human action and history rather than the result of the body, biology or an innate sex drive, as essentialism would suggest. Vance (1994) in her research into female sexuality, which can also be seen as a varied state, uses the example of female circumcision. She illustrates that social constructionists have not ignored the body, its function and physiology, and still in fact have the ability to incorporate the body with it's theory without returning to essentialism. From a sociological perspective, biology is by no means the overriding factor in the development of a disease. Rather, as White (2002) suggests, it is the prevailing social and economic conditions that allow a disease to develop which must be accounted for. Furthermore; â€Å"given that germs do not speak for themselves, it is our interpretation of events that leads some conditions to be categorised as diseases.† (White 2002. p12) But to what extent has the sociological analysis of the body and its varied states shed ‘light' on the experiences of embodiment? It is clear from the brief evidence summarised above and the reading available on the subject that the essentialist explanation of the body in incomplete. As with any aspect of human society the impact of the relationship between the individual and his/her surroundings must be taken into consideration. There is much work to be undertaken in this area of study and many more links, or dualisms, to be uncovered.

Individual Business Essay

1. To what extent can individual business decisions (as opposed to economic forces) explain deterioration in working conditions for many workers? First, as mentioned in the Case, a concentration on cost reduction to maintain competitiveness has led to offshore job placement, automation, and other decisions to reduce costs to keep products in price competition with foreign imports. The average wage in the U.S. created a tremendous cost addition to American products. Second, an increase in technology to perform repetitive and sometimes original work has reduced the number of jobs, or changed them to technical support, thereby reducing employment. Third, a focus on short-term performance for bonus pay for executives means that some decisions are made for profitability in the short run that may not be appropriate for the organization in the long run. 2. Do business organizations have a responsibility to ensure that employees have secure jobs with good working conditions, or is their primary responsibility to shareholders? This answer will depend on your viewpoint. If you have ethics similar to that proposed by economist Adam Smith, then the responsibility is to the owner or shareholder. The responsibility to the worker is in relation to the profitability and success of the firm. If, on the other hand, you are a proponent of labor unions, then your view will be more in favor of permanent jobs and high wages for employees, no matter what. 3. What alternative measures of organizational performance, besides share prices, do you think might change the focus of business leaders? If management changes its accounting measures from one-year or short-term to long-term performance, then a major shift would occur in decision outcomes. Other measures might include employee rewards for exceptional customer service, supporting innovative ideas from stakeholders, etc.

I have three topic you can choose anyone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

I have three topic you can choose anyone - Essay Example Involuntary servitude became a federal crime that was punishable and male suffrage became guaranteed, while the US congress became the protector and enforcer of the amendments, as well as sustainer of the national government. Despite congress having the above roles, a number of things saw the rights of the black people being violated on a massive scale; moreover, this congress saw the people being violated. In this light, congress was made up of a majority of people from the north, who were voted into government by a majority. Therefore, for the northern people, the rights of the newly freed African Americans did matter much as their main idea was to have the United States resume their status as a union, as they were before the civil war. With this in mind, the rights of African Americans did little to achieve this goal thus; they were ignored for their bigger goal of restoring the union. This was in spite of having African Americans receive some degree of freedom and rights that the y could practice, but political ambitions crowded the congress and saw them denied of that which they required most, rights. To enjoy the freedoms and rights warranted to them during the reconstruction period, there was the Ku Klux Klan Act that was set against states and individuals that came between freed men and their rights that the federal government enforced with vigor. Some of the limitation to their rights and freedoms during this period included punishments that were a lot stricter than those given to white people for the same crimes were. As such, African Americans were harshly punished for breaking their contracts in that they were beaten, arrested, and forced into labor, in spite there being laws against people who offered higher amounts of money for the African Americans to break their contract. This shows how much they were violated in the labor scene as the law that the people applied only worked on one side, which was against the newly freed African Americans. In add ition, despite African Americans being in a position to testify in a court of law and state their case, African American women were violated and denied the chance to do so. This happened especially in cases where white men raped black women, as the law did not recognize black women as being in a position to attract white men, as they were even viewed by society as being vulgar and drawing attention to themselves. In addition to the issue of work, some employers forced African Americans to work in gangs, which was out rightly against their freedoms and rights, as they could choose where to live and how to work. These violations, based on the analysis of historical facts and occurrences were the result of mass election of northern people into congress, which saw public opinion shift to southerners being viewed as radicals. This is because the southerners spearheaded the reconstruction of African American lives by fighting for their and ensuring that they were protected. The violations also happened due to the presence of terrorist organizations that kept people away from the polls to elect their own candidates, which was further aggravated by the presence of black codes. These codes were in place since democrats did not want African Americans

Compare and contrast research paper about the apocalypse - 1

Compare and contrast about the apocalypse - Research Paper Example As such, varying literature have endeavored to explain about the concept of the apocalypse as they can best imagine. Having seen that, it is important to compare and contrast such different writings about the apocalypse to analyze where there seem to be convergent of opinions. In the event of any similarity in opinions, it will still be hard to make a conclusion. No one has offered any reliable evidence that the apocalypse shall take the exact same way or as described by creative opinion of authors, actors and artist. Even so, such analyses do provide a rich background from which to postulate the possible occurrence. It is also not clear whether the anxiety do with the apocalypse are human being’s realm of fear or extreme creativity of prophesy. Whichever it may be , what then are the various concepts about apocalypse as presented by various authors. The poem Apostrophe To Man by Edna St. Vincent Millay has its version of apocalypse. According to Millay, man’s quest for knowledge is closely tied with the apocalypse. According to her, science and technology has contributed in making the human race very hostile to the extent that they have engaged in unwarranted wars that threaten to bring an end to the very civilizations that they have toiled to build. She observes that science has succeeded in making human life both long and short. While there may be facilities that human beings can use to improve life, they have also developed those that are capable to take away life in great numbers. Millay analyses the apocalypse as time that shall be characterized by the above phenomena. The author also observed that human being’s shall be characterized by an on and off circle of disaster after disaster. She seems to be asserting that the apocalypse shall come to be as a result corrupted human wisdom. Life in the days of apocal ypse, she postulates, shall be an endless chain of ain and suffering (Millay 1). On the other hand, Bradbury’s fiction August 2026:

Home Buying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Home Buying - Essay Example It possesses a momentous inheritance being built in the 1976 but comprise almost every benefit of a modern house. It has been built on a lot of acres as a 1,520 square foot condo with 3 bedrooms and 3 full baths (Weichert, â€Å"Condo for Sale in Northridge, CA†). A) The Area 1) Online Statistics a) Crime: According to the recent crime statistics presented by the Los Angeles Police Department the frequency of crimes have reduced significantly. However, in the current situation the property crimes such as, theft have increased to a certain extent (Lapdonline, â€Å"West Los Angeles Area Profile†; Los Angeles Times, â€Å"Northridge†). b) Sexual Offenders: There were ten sexual offences recorded in recent days in various parts of Northridge which can also be recognized as the neighborhood area of Rinaldi Street (Office of the Attorney General, â€Å"In Violation†). c) Density: According to the Census 2000, the neighborhood area of the selected house/condo is populated with a total number of 28,049 people (U.S. Census Bureau, â€Å"Fact Sheet†). Thus, the area is not densely populated.... According to the regulations prescribed the area is prohibited to be used for commercial purpose. The residents are also not allowed to have equine(s) in a lot area which is less than 20,000 square feet. Moreover, increasing the building over two storeys is also prohibited. However, the selected condo includes itself in the RD2 zone (American Legal Publishing Corporation, â€Å"Municipal Code, Chapter I (Planning And Zoning Code)†.). b) Walkability Ratings: On an average the area ranks 65 out of 100 in terms of Walkability. This depicts that the area is to certain extent walkable (Walk Score, â€Å"19551 Rinaldi Street Northridge CA 91326†). c) Rapid Transportation: The residents in the selected area enjoy rapid transport facilities with the transportation options available in terms of owned cars, rail roads, buses, taxis and others. The residents in the lot area also gain the benefit of various recreation centers in the walkable area (City Data, â€Å"91326 Zip Code D etailed Profile†). B) The House/Condo 1) Selling Price of Neighborhood Houses The houses/condos located in the lot area, i.e. Northridge, 91326 and possessing almost similar characteristics to that of 19551 has been recorded to have an average selling price of $300,000 (Home Insight, â€Å"Historical Sales Results†). The chart represented below shall unambiguously depict the sale prices of the neighborhood condos possessing similar features. Map Address Sale  Price Close  Date Bed Bath Sq.  Ft.    Yr.  Built 1 19547 Rinaldi St $360,000 04/07/2010 3 3 1520 1976 2 19561 Rinaldi St $320,000   03/02/2010 3 2 1404 1976 3 19569 Rinaldi St $445,770   02/04/2010 4 3 1637 1976 4 19527

Tourism in Bulgaria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Tourism in Bulgaria - Essay Example The method of investigation The class had been divided into groups of 3-4 students with diverse languages. The groups came to an agreement that the research be conducted with respect to the international tourism in Bulgaria. As such, three different locations in the country were selected that are likely to be tourist attraction centers. These include Sofia (as the countries capital city), Burgas (one of the large coastal towns), and Sunny Beach (a beach resort at the coast that is likely to attract international tourists). The selection of the geographical locations applied the principles of judgmental sampling, as it was considered that these regions would have the highest number of international tourists. The group designed a questionnaire that was translated into different languages that are applicable in Bulgaria (English, Bulgarian, French, Russian, and German) in order to capture a wide category of the tourists. The use of questionnaire in a face-to-face interview was preferred in order to avoid/minimize cases of non-response and inaccurate data. This is because it would enable a clarification to be made in the event that something was not clear. The questionnaire sought responses like the place of origin of the individual, the reason for visit, demographic information (gender, age, nationality), the size of the visiting group (an individual, a couple, family, or larger group), the previous visits to the country, the opinions on tourism’s effect on developments in Bulgaria, and the activities of the tourists while in the country. The response to the last question in the questionnaire is of particular importance in... The research indicates that the international male tourists and their female counterparts engage/participate in almost similar activities at comparable degrees. In fact, the females appear to be engaged in more different activities than the male tourists are. There is not a single activity included in the study that had male participants and no female participants. The different in the scores that measure the individuals’ engagement in these activities also had close ranges for nearly all the activities. Besides, there is a positive relationship between the degree by which the males engage in a given activity during the vacation and the females’ engagement in those particular activities. This means that if male participants have engaged highly in a given tourist activity, then chances are high that females are also highly engaged in the activity. Thus, our hypothesis that the male international tourists in Bulgaria engage in more different activities than the females is not supported. The cheap cost of transport, different categories of accommodation facilities, and proper accessibility of most of tourist attraction sites in the country encourages more tourists (men and women) into the country. The social centers have a range of activities that loosely fit both males and females. The study was facilitated by the strategic choice of the geographical location in which it was conducted. Even though it was based on judgmental principles, it was likely to provide more relevant information since this project had nothing to do with data on the Bulgarians.

Portofolio for proffesional development in education Essay

Portofolio for proffesional development in education - Essay Example Accordingly, I have carried out the following assessment of the teaching methodology I used. As per my tutor, there needs to be a greater knowledge base which would have the strong support of evidence throughout the assessment. I have done so by making use of theories that have been supported by various scholars so as to support each of the arguments I have put forth in the process of discussing and assessing the learning approach I have use. These include theory and practice relationship within teaching methodology as well as the learning outcomes of the learning approach used by me. These have been summed up as the evaluation in the conclusion. These elements of assessment have been used an integral part of the assignment rather than separate features, as pointed out by my tutor. To begin with, there has been a substantial amount of learning that I have managed to garner from the classes. Yet, the classes showed me that there is a lot to be desired in terms of definition of areas that signify real worthwhile learning. There also seems to be a confusion of thoughts with a plethora of concepts like globalization flying around. This has shown that there has been a steady merging of lines throughout the world with the convergence of theory and practice. ... With an increase in the phenomenon known as globalization and the wide use of technology as a complementary feature, human society has changed and the needs have increased manifold. This has been used in the teachings regarding acute pain during this class. In the case of healthcare teaching, changes in the political, economical and cultural arena have challenged and effected alterations within various professions. The autonomy of professions has been under challenge because the market has tried to decrease it so to reduce their power and status. Finally, all these changes have affected and put under challenge professional education. This is further evident in the following lines as mentioned by Robert B. Reich, when he says, "In this mercantilist game, one sovereign's advance (was) necessarily at the expense of another, because the whole point of the exercise (was) to gain more power than a potential opponent." (Reich, 1991, p.14). As assessed above, there has been a convergence of theory and practice, yet there are many gaps owing to the basic fact that there is yet to be a clear cut definition of how globalization affects the meeting of theory and practice. (Reich, 1991, p.14). This will create the real platform upon which worthwhile learning may be measured. Worthwhile learning is also getting increasingly difficult to measure and there needs to be better models that can support phenomenon like knowledge management so as to support complementary phenomena like globalization. Many scholars believe that theory and practice are characterized by a clear difference because each one offers a different, not opposite, knowledge field. According to Durkheim, theory refers to the knowledge that we

Palestinian Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Palestinian Conflict - Essay Example The reason attributed towards such behavior has been the 'glorification of raw power, blind subservience to authority, and a frightening hatred of others' (Juetten, 2004). Ethnocentrism was mainly responsible towards the political failure of the Middle East region, and the human rights atrocities committed by the extremist forces of Israel and Palestine aggravated the situation. The terminology of a nation was well-defined, and the ethnocentrism affiliated with the Palestinian population in particular, and the people of Middle East, in general, we're focused and highlighted. Said is considered to be the 'major force in the emerging discourse on the post-colonial', and the principles of the states were rephrased. It was observed that Said reflected a conviction towards 'literary criticism' (Juetten, 2004), and integrated the historical and social circumstances for the characterization in constructive and evident manner, to avoid assertion. The concept of ethnocentrism was carried soon after Said was exiled, and it is believed that the exile was an opportunity for Edward to 'overcoming narrow-mindedness and taking an outside view on the familiar while, at the same time, never being an end in itself and rather always connected with a desire for the return and normalization of the affairs' (Juetten, 2004). The common understanding between the analysts of the Middle East affairs and the critics of Edward Said is that he reflected he dwelled in the pluralistic world, and therefore reflected 'ethical cosmopolitanism, which takes common humanity as its goal'. Said insisted and rephrased that the development of universalism and state governing principles are based on 'continual taking of another's place' (Juetten, 2004), and refuted the concept which linked the development of the universalism with the abstraction. Edward Said was previously considered to be an outstanding Palestinian academic, who emerged as 'Palestinians' most famous and revered spokesman' (Juetten, 20 04). The analysts are of the opinion that the Palestinian situation deeply influenced his 'intellectual capabilities', and then this is to be considered as the core of the 'idea of dispossession', where the direct reference is being towards the 'actual dispossession of Palestinians or the intellectual dispossession of the colonized', where the grieved party was subjected to severe conditions and were traumatized, and their agenda was ignored, which was finally presented through 'prism of oriental-ism' (Juetten, 2004). Said is considered to be the spokesman for the Palestinian Diaspora, but after 1992 his affiliation towards the occupied territories and East Jerusalem was more concentrated, and therefore he introduced different proposals for the settlement of the issuers, but the proposals were not centered on pivotal stand, rather the motive of the proposal with reference to the solution of the affairs of the disputed state was to achieve peace through reconciliation, and sacrificia l spirit rather than geographic and demographic repositioning.

Organization development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organization development - Essay Example In addition, it differs from other change programs because it emphasizes on process instead of problems. It focuses on identifying behavioral patterns and interactions that cause and sustain problems. Change often causes strong feelings of unease when people sense that they have victims to external forces and lost power over their working lives. Leaders should win over other employees to avoid rebelling the change. These major forces are significant in helping a leader to identify necessary course of action to deal with the mixed reactions. They help leaders to turn the opposing forces to their advantage rather than meeting them head on. Purpose is the most important because once it is communicated; people remain steadfast about the change despite the inevitable difficulties. However, success is the least important because it takes time to nurture success and the people can still resist change. In my opinion, the preferable mode for an effective OD program is consensus mode. it creates a climate here feelings are honestly and truly shared the OD program. Decisions are often made through continuous sharing of feelings and perceptions openly on organizational effectiveness and self fulfillment. To some degree, all key partners are involved in the OD program thus ensuring effectiveness and support of the

Financial crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial crisis - Essay Example Here it is important to discuss the causes of market instability i.e. the greedy nature of people which encouraged them to opt for the expensive mortgages. For instance, individuals who required a high standard home could easily get it on credit basis while the brokers used to eliminate their loan responsibilities when selling home (Guina). This ultimately caused people to drown into heavy loans. Consequently the housing market which was previously acting as a major economic participant declined. Investors were then restricted to change their residents in order to gain profits. When investments slowed down then the financial institutions such as banks increased their lending requirements. This subsequently affected the credits functions (Guina). As a result the Economic Bailout was designed so that the government could purchase the securities and mortgages. This was aimed at providing assistance to banks so that they can easily lend money. Author also states that the economy was the undergoing intense instability which might have causes total economic crash down. Analysis Author has made a hypothesis that the financial crisis of 2008 was predominantly caused by credit mismanagement and lack of cash reserves. In order to strengthen his claim he has further discussed the market instability and the peculiar way in which business operations were being performed at that time. Research indicates that the initiation of cheap credits which were extended to the individuals in order to avail maximum life opportunities were actually causing hindrances in the normal market operations. Cheap crediting system increased the demand of certain goods in the market such as the houses and cars which subsequently caused inflation. This was then related with the rising unemployment (Guina). Most of the claims presented in the articles are about the credits which represents that the author has maintained a firm position over the hypothesis. This further illustrates that the primary m otive of author was to evaluate the credit issues in the American society rather than covering the entire financial crisis. Moreover, the discussion over the political influence and prevailing monetary system is has been missed by the author. The article actually reveals entirely new perspectives on money and banking. For instance, it discusses the role of brokers and how they eliminate themselves from the risky mortgages (Guina). This significantly affects the individual buyer as he has to bear the complete responsibility of loan while handling all the risks. Since money and banking are closely related with one another therefore the impact of purchasing mortgages which are not backed by securities also influences the bank’s cash reserves and the overall money management. The Economic Bailout was discussed in the article so as to reflect what government has done in order to deal with the financial crisis. However, the author must have also mentioned the effectiveness and effi ciency of analytical frameworks. For instance, if the government had implemented the fundamental concepts of demand and supply then such intense inflation must have never raised. Additionally, the poor cash reserves must have presented a better economic progress in the contemporary world (Mishkin). The government should eliminate all the cheap credits from the financial institutions. This will actually facilitate in smoothing the

Trauma and Grief in Australian Journalism Essay Example for Free

Trauma and Grief in Australian Journalism Essay Since November 22, 1800, when George Howe arrived in Australia and started production on Australias first newspaper, the Sydney Gazette, much has changed in the nation’s journalism industry (Morris, 2002). The rapid boost of information technology and advances in the Australia’s educational system brought forth a radical and innovative breed of young journalists, all too eager to partake in serving the community by divulging the truth. In present-day Australia, journalism takes course in virtually all aspects of daily living.   It thrives on reporting breaking events such as asbestos poisoning and backyard abortions, to bush fires in South Australia (Morris, 2002). The death and injury toll for journalists sent out to cover armed conflicts has never been higher (Feinstein, 2003) yet many media practitioners flock to the ‘biggest story going’ without wavering. Whether from the front line, embedded with invading forces, or entrenched down in a nuclear fallout shelter, journalists all say they have a sense of duty to their public, to tell the ‘real’ story, often without thinking about the toll getting that story can, does and will take on them personally (Feinstein, 2003). Reporters, especially those assigned in conflicts and disasters are as vulnerable to, and experience stress and trauma similar to that felt by traumatic event professionals, such as firefighters and combat soldiers (Hight, 1999). Foreign reporters often work alone in the field, with limited consular and often no physical support (Feinstein, 2003). The results can be tragic when stress rises to debilitating levels and goes untreated.   Journalists may abuse drugs or alcohol and struggle in their marriages and personal relationships. They may endure, often silently, such recurring problems as lack of sleep, hyper-arousal or emotional numbness (Place, 1992). Media men were always among the first to arrive in accidents and crime scenes, often ahead of the ambulance and lawmakers. They will be greeted with fresh casualties and survivors moaning in intolerable agony. Much more than this, they could witness those left behind, still shocked and stunned, whose agony seems insurmountable than those enduring physical pain. This causes the journalist, especially those who with more sensitive emotions, to feel the victims pain and loss as if it were their own (Hight, 1999). Journalists tend to conjure up isolation and guilt feelings and become anxious, thinking they too could experience such fate in the future.   From this stems loss of sleep and increased feelings of stress. Journalists usually encounter the wall of grief first at the beginning of their careers. With little or no training, they are assigned the police beat. They learn and gain experience by covering one tragedy. Victims coverage becomes a repetitive part of journalists careers that builds into more than just memories. (Hight, 1999). Distress from trauma builds up in a person after they experience an stressful event outside the range of normal every-day human experience, such as a serious threat to his/her life, physical integrity; or serious threat/harm to children, spouse, relatives or friends; more often for journalists, seeing another person seriously injured or killed in an accident or by physical violence (Feinstein, 2003).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The more traumatic experiences a person has the greater and longer lasting their feelings of stress, and anxiety and risk of stress educed mental health disorders (Hight, 1999). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder, or mental illness develops after exposure to a traumatic event or ordeal in which grave physical or mental harm occurred or was threatened (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).   Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include but are not limited to violent assaults, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, vehicle accidents, rape, physical abuse and military combat, all of which are witnessed and/or reported on by journalists regularly (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).    PTSD sufferers have trouble functioning in their jobs and personal relationships and sufferer’s children can also be affected by their condition, reporting difficulty in school, becoming isolated and withdrawn from peers and developing phobias (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001). PTSD affects people with varying degrees of severity, depending on the nature and number of traumatic experiences they have encountered and is diagnosed when symptoms last more than one month (Allen, 2003). Untreated, PTSD is unlikely to disappear (Allen, 2003). In Australia, university students taking up journalism courses are often told that PTSD exists and that they will have to cope up with grief/trauma but are seldom given practical coping skills as part of their degree/studies, with the exception of some top-ranking universities, such as the JSchool in Brisbane, Central Queensland University and University of the Sunshine Coast (Graduate Careers Australia, 2006). The present state of journalism education in Australia is disjointed. Institutions offering this discipline offer an impulsive mixture of practical training and professional concepts, from the realistic ones to the abstractions of mixed disciplines, such as art and theoretical sciences (Duckett, 2004). Large scale tertiary education began in the 1970s with the development of colleges of advanced education, such as the RMIT Advanced College, which sought to develop vocational streams of study. These colleges ultimately became universities, continuing their involvement in journalism education (Duckett, 2004). However, for a journalism student to be easily adaptable to the trauma he/she may experience in the field, university life should prepare him for the real challenge of the industry. Although many courses were established with industry approval and with some degree of industry control or input, the self-accrediting nature of Australian universities has seen a distancing of modern tertiary institutions from the news media industry (Henningham, 2003). This makes University journalism more of theoretical course, where students sit in a large lecture for two hours, and then afterwards, having a 30-minute tutorial where they’re one of 50 students. Reporters often work alone in the field, witnessing death, violence and enduring psychological and physical stresses without the support and security of home.   Unfortunately most Australian university degrees do not provide student journalists with adequate preparation and training for this unavoidable aspect of their jobs (Henningham, 2003). What we see is that many journalism degrees are very theoretical; they do have much academic rigor and critical thought which probably belongs in a degree. But the mistake is to think that will produce a work-ready journalist, because the two things are completely different. One is work training, I suppose, and the other is academic study. Theyre two completely different things. And I think the universities may have lost their way a little in their direction. Are they trying to offer trade courses or degrees? The two things are very different (Duckett, 2004). There is no guarantee that Australian journalists are really prepared and trained to cope with their role as witnesses to trauma and disseminator of information, analysis and opinion about it Journalism is a challenging and interesting career offering variety and diversity in work tasks and roles. In addition to a broad general comprehension and a thorough knowledge of current affairs, successful journalists should also have personal qualities such as determination and emotional resilience, and the ability to cope up with trauma, while preserving the necessary emotions in his/her stories, for most these skills do not come naturally and must be taught and developed (Harrison, 1999). Many journalists work long and irregular hours, with evening and late night work common. An assignment cannot be dropped just because a shift has finished; a journalist must see it through to the end. Often they are called back to work to cover an unexpected development, and they are frequently required to work when other people are not-at night, on weekends, on public holidays etc. The unusual work hours can make social life difficult. Besides the open-ended work hours, there are also pressures to meet tight deadlines and to ensure the facts presented are accurate. Despite scientific knowledge of trauma and PTSD for over twenty years, only in the past several years have major news organizations begun to establish programs to address work related trauma, grief and stress (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).   Progress has been made in the face of skepticism and resistance among many journalists and editors. Still, there are too few scientific studies of trauma and journalists, too few trauma services for journalists, and reluctant and slowly growing recognition of the effects grief and trauma has on journalists by news outlets (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001). In many instances, journalists are unprepared for its impact, and they have limited knowledge and skills to cope with work related trauma. Journalism is far behind other professions, such as educational counselling and fire and police departments, in recognizing trauma as a serious issue that must be addressed. The myth still exists that journalists shouldn’t need trauma programs because journalists are supposed to be â€Å"tough as nails† (Place, 1992). When it comes to trauma, journalism sometimes appears to be one of the last â€Å"macho† professions (Place, 1992). Media companies profit on the talents of their journalists, so they should invest on maintaining their proper mental health and well-being. News companies can quite inexpensively develop effective trauma awareness and preparation programs and should acknowledge trauma as reality and a concern; not as an affliction of the weak or a career â€Å"stopper†.   News conglomerates must also regard trauma services as an essential part of staff well-being, similar to other programs such as workplace health and safety. Information, practical training, confidential counselling and de-briefing services should be made available to journalists by employers free of charge whenever they feel the need to access them.   Developing a policy on reporting crises, such as rotating reporters and peer de-briefing, could also prove helpful and is another strategy media outlets could easily implement with little economic or resource strain (Castle, 1999).   Media outlets must make trauma training part of their ongoing training for all their journalists to ensure they stay in the profession and do not burn out or develop damaging conditions such as PTSD. Peer support programs are not new to people who work in the front line emergency services. Police, ambulance, and other similar professionals who are first to arrive at scenes have received education and training to developed techniques for dealing with trauma and grief they inevitably encounter during their work (Castle, 1999). In the past people were told to make debriefing appointments with psychological professionals, however recent research has shown that peer de-briefing is much more effective, because it takes place in a much less formal, sterile way and has less stigma attached to it (Castle, 1999). Newsrooms are renowned for bravado, with journalist often saying â€Å"Im okay, Im tough, Im not affected†.   Those trained to recognize stress, and PTSD know one of the first signs of being affected is denial, and would see this as the first sign of a need for intervention. Peer support models from emergency services could be adapted and applied to Australian newsrooms to the benefit and success of Australian journalists as they have been to emergency workers (Place, 1992). This would see not only the journalists and camera people, trained to cope with grief and trauma but editors and telephone staff as well.   This way every member of the team can be of assistance in recognizing, and auctioning early interventions where necessary.   Training all members of the news room also means there will always be peer available to help and de-brief whenever the need arises. The first psychological study of war journalists, A Hazardous Profession: War, Journalists, and Psychopathology, was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, September 2002. The study used self-report questionnaires and interviews to gather data from two groups: 140 war journalists and 107 journalists who had never covered war. The study concluded that war journalists have significantly more psychiatric difficulties than journalists who do not report on war. The study also found: Higher rates of alcohol use (14 units of alcohol per week; 7.6 for non-war reporters) †¢ Intrusive thoughts, replay of memories and hyper-arousal were common †¢ Low awareness of trauma †¢ Social difficulties, such as re-adjusting to civil society, reluctance to mix with friends, troubled relationships, and embarrassing startled responses The researchers recommended that these results should alert news organizations that significant psychological distress does occur in many war journalists and has devastating and significant impacts if untreated, as is sadly, often the case. Despite the fact many journalists, particularly war journalists suffer PTSD with similar severity as war veterans, the Australian government does not provide them with treatment programs similar to those established by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DFA) for   War veterans (DVA, www.dva.gov.au). DFA entitlements such as private psychiatric and allied health services, intensive treatment programs for PTSD and a range of individual and group services should be extended to media practitioners directly involved in covering armed conflicts and other disasters (DVA, www.dva.gov.au). Further, all journalists should be provided with free access to professional psychological helping services as part of their employment packages. When examining grief and trauma in journalism, focus should not be confined to the newsrooms and behind cameras. Journalism isn’t always about the journalists, it’s also about stories they write, and the people behind these stories. Unconsciously, a reporter’s intrusion into an event may be untimely, and the respondent may offer several and unexpected reactions. There are ethical issues that a journalist may wish to consider when reporting on traumatic events.   Adhering to the MEAA code of ethics (MEAA, www.alliance.org.au) and maintaining professionalism under pressure will ensure journalists are comfortable with their own actions when reflected upon and will help them deal with personal feelings of guilt, responsibility and doubt. Before interviewing a person who has witnessed trauma, or a victim of violence, it is important to think about whether it is strictly necessary to interview the person immediately.   They may be in shock, disoriented, or frightened.   They may feel either guilty or elated that they have survived if others have not. This means that they may not be thinking clearly when they are asked for an interview, and that undergoing the process may bring up some unexpected feelings, emotions and behaviors offensive or threatening to the journalist, grief and trauma training would prepare journalists for these potential situations and impart practical skills for dealing with such (Place, 1992). As an ethical and professional journalist, check what interviewees would like to achieve by speaking publicly about traumatic experiences. Practicing and student journalists alike need to move away from traditional ‘macho’ thinking regarding trauma and grief, it’s place in their work and the potential affects it can have on their lives.   They need to understand that stress, anxiety and PTSD are real and that no matter how burning their desire to disseminate the truth or the story, they are not superhuman and that it is normal and ok to seek/receive help.   Journalists, as professionals need to be trained and alert to the symptoms and physical and psychological dangers grief and trauma of their work brings into their lives. Ten years ago a lot of veteran war correspondents and editors laughed at the idea that reporters should go for safety training; should go put on flak jackets and practice being shot at and stuff like that, however it has since been proven that such training is not only beneficial, it is lifesaving (Place, 1992). Psychiatry is a healing art, applied to individuals who suffer. There is no common path to healing after enduring human cruelty. But most individuals who do recover enough hope and worth to enjoy existence find meaning in their lives -and meaning in life itself. They escape that literal, factual and shattering treatment of personal reality. Most find the creation of life-enhancing myth a preferable alternative to existential despair. Many employ denial, delusion, and dissociation along the way. Therapists often help victims avoid intolerable memory (Ochberg, 1999). Journalism is not a healing art, but rather our best effort at undistorted perception of reality. It is neither psychiatry nor myth-making. It is the telling of those traumatic events, making a channel for the exit of those emotions, and arranging these stories into tangible aids for the future (Ochberg, 1999). Paradoxically, an energizing element of trauma,   is that can offer   transformative healing for individuals, such as the case with peer debriefing, as it can also offer for society at large (Place, 1992). As the medias role has expanded, its responsibility to media practitioners has expanded.   As academics and business leaders continue to understand and recognize the powerful influence of the mind, the medias responsibility to incorporate new knowledge regarding mental health and journalist wellbeing also expands. This is an invitation to put trauma, its impact, and the ability to be healed and transformed through it on the global agenda and to bring its awareness to the ones who are more frequently subjected to it, whether due to his/her course of living (such as the media men, etc.) or due to some unavoidable circumstances of nature. The media mirrors society and society mirrors the media. This interrelationship takes on a more pointed meaning when related to trauma. Media members, trauma researchers, and clinicians are invited to engage in dialogue on the expanding field of trauma knowledge. The media are the eyes, ears, and voice of our collective body. We must trust them; support them to cope so they can continue their roles as disseminators of truth, information, corporate/government watchdogs, and of course, the fourth estate. References    A Hazardous Profession: War, Journalists, and Psychopathology, American Journal of Psychiatry, September 2002 Anthony Feinstein 2003, Dangerous Lives: War and the Men and Women Who Report It, October 1, 2003 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal 1990, Violence on television, Sydney: ABT Creamer M, Burgess P, McFarlane AC 2001. Post-traumatic stress disorder: findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. Psychol Med 2001; 31: 1237-1247. Di Powell 1990, â€Å"Media Intrusion into Grief†, Media Information Australia, No.57, August, pp.24–29 Frank Morris 2002, â€Å"The birth of the book in Terra Australis†, April 26, 2002 Frank M. Ochberg, MD 1999, â€Å"Three Acts of Trauma News â€Å", Sacred Bearings Journal, April, 1999 Joe Hight 1999, Journalists who cover victims risk hitting The Wall , Daily Oklahoman , (Spring 1999) John Henningham 2003, Journalism sold short in media courses, The Australian (Media section), 23 October 2003 Lucinda Duckett 2004, Journalism Education: Cultures of Journalism/Lifelong Learning series, Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 26 June 2004 MEEA Code of Ethics, http://www.alliance.org.au/tech-support.html Nic Place 1992, â€Å"Journalists and trauma: The need for counselling†, Australian Studies in Journalism, Vol.1, pp.113–158 Phillip Castle 1999, â€Å"Journalism and trauma: Proposals for change†, AsiaPacific MediaEducator, Issue No. 7, July-December Shirley Harrison 1999, Disasters and the Media: Managing Crisis Communications, Macmillan, London .

The Methodology of Female Slavery: Jezebel and Mammy

The Methodology of Female Slavery: Jezebel and Mammy Talking about blacks slavery we have to admit, that female slaves had to cope with and face both: the myth of a woman and the myth of the Negro. It was a difficult situation for women as they were standing at the crossroads of two ideologies, which affected them. Whereas men could escape only the stereotype of the Negro, woman had to escape both stereotype of the Negro and stereotype of the woman at all. As a result both blacks and women were characterized as infantile, irresponsible, submissive and promiscuous. Moreover, in political and economical aspect they were dependent on white men. What more they have in common is that both groups were subservient, powerless in relations with white males. They were also considered to be a kind of outsiders and inferiors. Looking at the era of slavery we can point out two types of African-American women: Jezebel and Mammy. As far as the Mammys is concerned, we can think about Hattie McDaniel, the Mammy in â€Å"Gone with the Wind†. What we see is overweight black woman dressed in a long robe, a head kerchief and a big smile which follows her all the time. In the American history, Mammy was a woman who took care of whites family, especially looking for their children. She was in charge of domestic management and a house servant. She has a strength, experience and willing to do her duties. She was the main house servant and other people were subordinated to her. Mammy was a woman who could do almost everything, and did it even better than anyone else could do. She was often indispensable. What is also important about Mammy, is that she was also a in-home psychologist who often had to serve as a friend and advisor. She was where white women could not be, including playing with children, cooking and cleaning. Most of us think of a Mammy as a maid, who had to work because of her slave status, but the truth is that she was more than that. Of course, she was doing all the things which maid usually does, but also she was like a family member, taking care of white familys personal issues. She was very protective, giving her care and love towards the white children. She was totally devoted to the family because she often did not have her own family and children. Also her interactions were limited due to her obligations. What is more Mammy normally was on the call at all hours, she almost did not have private time, she was often tired and exhausted, being under the scrutiny of the white family. There were some advantages for Mammy like leaving the plantation as waiting maid for their traveling mistresses, or learning to read and write by family members. Nowadays we can see the stereotype of Mammy in the movies or in the pictures, which show us fat, middle-aged, nonsexual and smiling black woman, but it is not how we should imagine and perceive Mammy. According to historical facts, they were not fat, because they did not eat a lot. They were rather young, they rarely passed the 50 limit. Furthermore, not always they were totally black, because they were very often daughters of women raped by white men. The sexual exploitation of black women by white men was unfortunately frequent situation during the antebellum period. In other words, black women were sexually exploited by rich whites, middle class whites, and poor whites. Sexual relations between blacks and whites whether consensual or rapes were taboo. However they occurred often. All black women and girls, regardless of their physical appearances, were vulnerable to being sexually assaulted by white men. Summing up, Mammy was really taking care of the children she was raising them and she was very important member of family. But we still have to point out that she was a slave and did not have much choice, so somehow she had to accept her fate. However if we compare Mammys duties with these of the field worker, we can admit that her situation was far way better. It was also less physically demanding. Comparing to the field worker Mammy could expect better treatment in terms of providing her with food, clothing, medical treatment and sometimes education. The Second type of black woman in times of slavery was Jezebel, who stood in the opposition of the Mammys image. Talking about Jezebel we should imagine young beautiful, sexual free, promiscuous woman, who was often governed by her libido. The perfect example of Jezebel was shown by actress Nina Mae McKinney in a movie â€Å"Hallelujah!†. In those days Jezebel completely stood in opposition not only to Mammy, but also to all white women who were portrayed as self respected with sexual purity. Jezebel was a woman who knew what she wanted, very seductive with lots of emotions and not ashamed of her sexuality. Black men after raping white women were castrated or hanged, whereas white men had no problems with law after raping black slave. Legally they could not do it so easily, because slave women were properties. White men often encouraged the slave women to have a sexual relation by giving them gifts. But also Jezabel made agreements with white men. Sometimes they had a choice to work on the field or to be a sexual attraction for a white male, what made her more independent than her hard working friends. Also black women agreed voluntarily for having sex with white men, because they knew that if they refused they could be forced to it and raped, beaten or even sold. By giving themselves to white masters they gained the chance for some advantages. If they were liked by them they were often awarded. This is one of the reasons why black women were called lust and promiscuous. Jezebel was the object of disdain, hate and envy from the side of white women. During those times white women were co vering all of they bodies with lots of clothes, because nudity was perceived as a lack of civility, morality and sexual restrain. They considered them to be immodest and sexually aberrant. As I have mentioned before, being Jezebel had many disadvantages, one of them was possibility of rape. As a result she often got pregnant. The owner benefited from this situation, because he had supply of next slaves. Sometimes slaves even got a prize for being pregnant, for example they were given a pig. Then according to those facts, we could call a Jezebel as a 18th and 19th century prostitute. Actually the truth is that this image continues till today. The half naked, pretty and hot image now looks good and contemporary African-American women very often want to be a Jezebel. However this image shows us not a slave and prostitute but an independent woman who is confident about her sexuality, her race and look. I think that nowadays the Jezebels image has replaced Mammys as the dominant image of black woman in pop culture. We can observe it in movies, video clips, even on the streets. Black women want to be Jezebel nowadays. They like to show sexual purity, talking about womens needs and sexual abilities. However some of them may even do not know about the origins of the Jezebel image. On the other hand I think that we can also find lots of Mammys images among black women. Except of what had been said above, Mammys were also presented in commercials. Mammy image was very often used to sell household items, food, detergents or beverages. She was presented as the overweight black woman, cooking or doing house-works and of course smiling. To sum up, there is no denying that the images and stereotypes of the slave women during the times of slavery definitely had an impact of the look and behavior of the contemporary African- American woman.

Analysis of the Retail Industry in India

Analysis of the Retail Industry in India Many changes have occurred in the marketing environment in recent years. Undoubtedly, the marketing environment will continue to evolve and change, often in very significant ways, in the coming years. Shifts in consumer behavior, competitive strategies, government regulations or other aspects of the marketing environment can profoundly affect the fortunes of a retail sector. Besides these external forces, the industries may engage in a variety of activities and changes in strategic focus or direction that may necessitate minor or major adjustments. The research aim is to highlight the current situation of the Indian Retail Industry as well as to provide facts and figures regarding the probable loopholes and the scope for augmentation. During the recent years of globalization, economies in Asia and the Pacific grew rapidly until the current global economic and financial crisis appeared in mid-2007. This acceleration of growth, in which international trade has played an important role, has helped Asian and Pacific countries to make impressive strides in economic development (ESCAP, 2009). At the same time, empirical evidence suggests that in some supply-constrained larger economies in Asia and the Pacific, such as China, India and Indonesia, wealth through trade has been accompanied by rise in inequality. The basic aim of the paper would be to analyze the retail industry in India and to understand the issues prevailing in this industry and the future prospective of the retail industry. The aim of the paper would be to answer the following research questions; Is Indian retail industry sustainable? How does the Indian retail industry compete with the industries all around the World? Is the retail industry more beneficial than other industries in India? Does the involvement of government in this industry is satisfactory? What improvements could be made in the Indian retail industry ? The Literature Review Like some other retail industries the Indian industry is divided in two sectors i.e. organised and unorganized one. The organised portion deals with the trading activities practiced while possessing licenses and having registrations for sales and income tax. This division includes corporate backed hypermarkets and retail chains and the privately owned large retail businesses. Secondly, the unorganized one who practices traditional style of low-cost retailing like grocery stores named as Kiriana Stores, general stores, Paan / Beedi shops, convince stores, hand carts and pavement, vendors, etc. Moreover, the traditional markets are preparing to adopt new designs like departmental stores, specialty stores and supermarkets. The Indian retail sector is greatly split with 97 % of its being executed by the unorganized retailers like the traditional family run stores and corner stores. The organized retail however is at a very embryonic stage although efforts are being made to boost its share. The sector is the largest source of employment after agriculture, and has deep penetration into rural India generating more than 10 % of Indias GDP. The fact of Chinas retail sector becoming saturated, international retailers considers India as the last retailing frontier left. Though, the Indian Government restrictions on the FDI are creating uncertainties among the international players like Walmart, Tesco and many other retail giants struggling to enter Indian markets. As of now the Government has allowed only 51 per cent FDI in the sector to one-brand shops like Nike, Reebok etc. Therefore, other international players are taking alternative ways to pierce the Indian retail market indirectly via strategic licensing agreement, franchisee agreement and cash and carry wholesale trading (since 100 per cent FDI is allowed in wholesale trading). The structure of Indian retail is emerging swiftly with shopping malls becoming increasingly common in the large cities and development plans being projected at 150 new shopping malls by 2008. However, the traditional formats like hawkers, grocers and tobacconist shops continue to co-exist with the modern formats of retailing. Modern retailing has helped the companies to increase the consumption of their products for example: Indian consumers would normally consume the rice sold at the nearby kiranas viz. Kolam for daily use. With the introduction of organized retail, it has been noticed that the sale of Basmati rice has gone up by four times than it was a few years back; as a superior quality rice (Basmati) is now available at almost the same price as the normal rice at a local kirana. Thus, the way a product is displayed and promoted influences its sales. If the consumption continues to grow this way it can be said that the local market would go through a metamorphoses of a change and the local stores would soon become the things of the past or restricted to last minute unplanned buying. Research Methodology Introduction This section spells out the procedures and the methods that the researcher can employ in achieving the objectives of the project so highlighted in the abstract of this paper. It defines location of the study, research procedures and analysis plan that would be put in consideration when carrying out this particular research. The research is supposed to start with the clear understanding of the research objectives as well as the hypothesis. Success of the project will depend on the provision of satisfying information in line with the objectives and hypothesis (Myers, 2002). The objective of the research just as a recap is to identify the effective mechanisms risk exposure and fÑ–nà Ã‚ °ncÑ–Ã Ã‚ °l policy considering the à Ã‚ °nà Ã‚ °lysÑ–s of à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets used in order to gain the competitive. It is important to note here that this research was mainly based on the questionnaire even though other research methodologies were briefly discussed. Sample questionnaire used is as shown in the appendices. Research methodology is a master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the data. It is a strategy or blueprint that plans the action for carrying through the research project data. A research design involves a series of rational decision-making choices depending upon the various options available to the researchers. Broadly it is composed of different elements like: the purpose of the study, the unit of analysis, time dimension, mode of observation, sampling design, observation tools, data processing, and data analysis. Mainly two techniques of research, Qualitative and quantitative are utilized. Though both of the methods have their own significance, the use of exploratory quantitative research design for this study appears to be appropriate. Research Design Research is an endless effort for truth. It certainly bring to light new knowledge or corrects previous errors and misconceptions and adds to the existing body of knowledge in an orderly manner. The research was aimed at highlighting the significance of branding for an organization and to evaluate the importance being given at pizza hut setup. This part deals with procedure adopted to conduct the study. The researcher had to depend on the related literature and structured questionnaires. Descriptive data were typically collected through a questionnaire survey, an interview or observation. Primary research. Primary research is the collection of data that does not exist. This can be through numerous forms: including questionnaires, telephone conversations, surveys, etc. As pertained to this project, the primary sources would likely be the risk exposure and fÑ–nà Ã‚ °ncÑ–Ã Ã‚ °l policy considering the à Ã‚ °nà Ã‚ °lysÑ–s of à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets. The major merit with conducting primary research is that it accurate. However, the disadvantage of primary research is that it may be time consuming, as it involves dealing with people from various regions, the human sources may only become resourceful out of their own willingness, and this may take them quit sometimes before making up their minds to tell you what they know or give you their side stories about your questions (Focardi Fabozzi, 1998). Secondary research on the other hand is the collection of existing data, that is, in contrast to primary research. For example: research on experiments or specific subjects. The merit of secondary research is that its not time consuming however a disadvantage is that the information retrieved may not be relevant. Data Collection In research studies, the source of data is two-fold. Data comes from the inner world of libraries as well as from the outer world of human being. It is either the shelved data or it is the data acquired live from the people involved in the study. This research being in the marketing, and the prime subject of the study is retail sector, the researcher aims to collect data mainly from the respondents. After considering the various methods of data collection such as ethnographic style, survey, experimental style, and narrative enquiry, a questionnaire survey was chosen as it allows the collection of highest opinions within the time span of the project as well as the fact that the results could be accurately mapped and correlated to provide quantitative information. Choice of research philosophy Another aspect that is of great significance in this research would be the research strategy. Its the research strategy shows which methods a researcher adapts to answer the research objectives or questions. There are types of research strategies that can be employed in conducting a research study. These include experiments, case studies, survey, theoretical perspectives, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. It is imperative to examine some of these strategies while paying particular attention to the case study method which will be applied in this particular research. Survey is another important research strategy that has was popular in conducting this research. Surveys allow the collection of a large amount of data from a large population .This implies that the researcher can conduct surveys and question specific groups of people to obtain large amount of information relevant to the subject of the survey. The data is usually collected from the people either via questionnaire or orally. The purpose of the survey was to establish and analyze views of respondents in order to find what they think about particular situation, case or statement. However, despite the fact that the views from a large number of respondents can be gathered through the survey strategy, the data obtained may not all reflect to the objective of the research at depth (Kendrick, 2009). Case study is a research strategy which involves investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon in the real life situation using multiple sources of evidence. More elaborate explanation on the nature of the case study as a research strategy was given by Frenkel, Hommel, Dufey Markus, (2005). in whose view case study represents a specific way of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data. Grounded theory represents a strategy which posits that the data is collected through observations and compared to various theoretical frameworks in order to discover which of the data is the most appropriate. This leads the researcher into making predictions about the studied phenomena prior to putting the findings into test. However, the aim of grounded theory is to make studied data records well-developed and understood and to verify relationships between the findings and the case study in question (Frenkel, Hommel, Dufey Markus, 2005). Questionnaires This research was mainly carried out by the use of a questionnaire. The questionnaire enabled the information to be gathered from many respondents who were directly involved in risk exposure and fÑ–nà Ã‚ °ncÑ–Ã Ã‚ °l policy considering the à Ã‚ °nà Ã‚ °lysÑ–s of à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets. Use of a questionnaire as a quantitative method for collecting data from the sources is the most appropriate method of collecting mass responses and as such, providing a good method of comparative analysis. The questionnaire will cover a number of data sources to find out opinions and views regarding the planning strategies required in risk exposure and fÑ–nà Ã‚ °ncÑ–Ã Ã‚ °l policy considering the à Ã‚ °nà Ã‚ °lysÑ–s of à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets. Designing good questionnaires requires significant skills and experience. The researcher embarks on the study by setting up survey questionna ires that address issues relevant to the interviews conducted. It is important to pilot or test the questionnaire as fully as possible before distributing them to the interviewees to fill them. A sample questionnaire is like the one shown in the appendices below. This questionnaire enabled elaborate information to be obtained from the players in the restaurant industry (Lam, 2003). Interviews In order to achieve the purpose of the investigation, the key focus lies on finding out which techniques should be applied. Interviews were the best method for understanding this research. A respondent interview is one where the interviewer directs the interview and the interviewer responds to the questions of the researcher. And to add more weight on this observation, Borodzicz, (2004). added that the standard survey interview is itself essentially faulted and that it therefore cannot serve as the ideal ideological model against which to assess other approaches. He Borodzicz, (2004).also elaborates by describing interviews as the verbal exchange of information between two or more people for the principal purpose of one person or group gathering information from the other. And that Semi structured interviews enable one to fix and control circumstances in order to collect appropriate data while remaining flexible and responsive (Borodzicz, 2004). In order to analyze the psychological and behavioral reasons for decisions of the sources, the collected primary data should be collected through the distribution of questionnaires. They however emphasized it is very important to note that questionnaires should reach the right people, to allow for an appropriate amount of information to be collected. Different types of interviews that the researchers may opt to apply to their studies. The three are inclusive of structured interviews, semi-structured interviews, and unstructured interviews. (Pritchard, 2005). Structured interviews consist of closed-ended questions, where the structure of the questions, responses and the interview itself is decided prior to the interview. The interviewer has more control over the responses, and can lead the interview into the direction they want. However, the responses received are limited. Semi-structured interviews consist of closed and/or open-ended questions, allowing the interviewer to have some control over the responses and the interview. Although the open-ended questions allow the interviewee to express themselves and encourage them to present their views and opinions. Unstructured interviews consist of open-ended questions that do not restrict the interviewees responses, therefore collecting a wide range of information. This kind of interview is more supple in-terms of the questions being asked and their ordering, all depending upon the interviewees responses. After considering these different types of interviews, Questionnaires are considered mor e useful for this study. This is necessary, as it allows gaining a deeper understanding of the participants views. In the usage of the interview the management of organizations in à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets were interviewed to get there view on how they operate (Silva, 1995). Data Analysis Process The process involves the researched applying reasoning in order to understand and interpret the data collected. In simple descriptive research, analysis may involve determining consistent patterns and summarizing the appropriate details revealed in the investigation (Zikmund, 2003, P. 73). Sectors of the market chosen to research and why you chose these sectors Use of research tools such as questionnaires, interviews, relevant journals, periodicals and data sampling and machines would be utilized in the process conducting the interview. Experts would be needed to conduct the research. In implementing the activities, both the quantitative and qualitative approaches was considered, where by qualitative data are those that would be based on the spoken words while the quantitative data would be generated from the overall data collected based of accuracy and efficiency The research project was scheduled to run for a period of one year and a few Months within which industries in à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets would be put under scrutiny and rigorous investigations to ascertain the objectives of the research. Research validity and reliability A debate about the findings of the preceding literatures on retail industry considering the à Ã‚ °nà Ã‚ °lysÑ–s of à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets inevitably includes a discussion of research, normally referring to the way in which the data were collected. This research being a phenomenological, all questions are related to theoretical characteristics discussed in literature preview. The process would therefore be accurate in collecting, analyzing and sampling data; hence the validity of result would be quite high. Considering that there are many different aspects of validity, which influence the validity of the research in general. Relationship between your research aim, research questions, research objectives and research methods. The methodology which was exploited here mainly through the questionnaires and the interviews were most appropriate as they enabled the most information to be obtained. Many respondents could be reached within a short period of time while sampling enabled a comparison to be carried out on the different organizations in à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets. They helped in the real understanding on retail industry considering the à Ã‚ °nà Ã‚ °lysÑ–s of à Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µrgÑ–ng markets has actually been carrying out its activities which have actually helped it in realizing a competitive in the market (Borodzicz, 2004). Anticipated Outcomes The retail industry in India is currently growing at a great pace and is expected to go up to US$ 833 billion by the year 2013. It is further expected to reach US$ 1.3 trillion by the year 2018. As the country has got a high growth rates, the consumer spending has also gone up and is also expected to go up further in the future. In the last four years, the consumer spending in India climbed up to 75%. As a result, the India retail industry is expected to grow further in the future days. Despite the fact that the Indian retail market is expected to grow but some challenges are still required to be addressed. These challenges include the deficiency of sufficient infrastructure amenities, elevated prices of real estate, divergence in consumer groups, tax structure, limitations in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), shortage of trained manpower and low retail management skills. The research will focus to highlight all the challenges being faced to the Indian retail market and to suggest the strategies and methodologies to cater these challenges. The effective management of above said challenges will not only enable to achieve the projected growth in the retail sector but will also enable to enhance the factor of consistency in growth. Appropriateness of triangulation to research The essence of applying triangulation is for the sake of indications of applicability of several methods (excess of two) in the course of the study in consideration of checking double or even triples results checking otherwise known as cross examination. The idea behind the concept is for the researcher to express a high degree of confidence in consideration of the results of diverse methods that give similar results. In case a single method was applied by the researcher, there is a higher tendency of believing that the results are valid. The application of more that a single method may result to a clash of the results. The application of about three methods attempting to derive an answer may lead to a similarity of answers from two out of the three methods used. In case of an occurrence of a crash there is then a need of reframing the question (HSE, 2006). Limitations of the research Limitations are usually present in every research and these limitations actually tarnish the results of the research. Certain limitations are also associated with this research. One of the biggest limitations of this research is lack of budget and lack of time. Besides that there are certain other limitations like the non-serious attitude of the respondents might tamper the entire results of the research. The interviews that will be conducted and the questionnaire cannot be fully utilized in this scenario because the respondents are not serious in their attitude when they are filling out the questionnaires or when they are giving the responses to the researcher. The lack of time given by the respondents can also be another limitation of this research. If the respondents have lesser time than it is highly probable that they might not take the research properly and ultimately the final results of the research would be affected in this scenario. Finally, it can be said that certain chun ks or sources of secondary research can also be treated as a limitation of the research. This is because of the fact that these sources are not valid or they are not updated therefore the data that is attained from these sources might affect the entire results of the research. Therefore, the researcher should take utmost care about all these constraints and try to minimize it.

Cosque Cave Essay -- Place Essays

Cosque Cave Many, many years ago, a cave was in use, and many paintings, drawings, and engravings were put on the walls of the cave. About ten years ago, a man was diving in the Mediterranean and came across something that no one would ever think about finding. It was a prehistoric painted cave with an underwater entrance. It is known today as the Cosquer cave. Jean Cosquer, a professional diver, discovered the cave. He was diving for no particular reason, and found a wealth of prehistoric art in the cave. He made this discovery in July 1991, and ever since more and more research is being done on the Cosquer cave. It is firmly dated one of the Paleolithic painted caves in the world. The entrance to this cave is thirty-seven meters under sea level in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located by Cape Morgiou, in the Calanques, about twelve kilometers southeast of Marseilles. It is possible to enter the cave by slithering through water on the stomach through a one hundred and seventy five meter tunnel, after diving to the entrance. Though access to the Cosquer cave is now difficult because of the rise in the sea level when Ice Age glaciers thawed, they’re still thinking that the cave has never had an easy entrance. It is thought that the cave was probably ten kilometers from the coast during the Magdalenian period. The rise in the sea level-over one hundred meters by the end of the Ice Age-covered its normal entrance. This is why there hasn’t been any environmental damage to the Cosquer cave (Davis). The cave is open to researchers. There are researchers down there finding out more and more information. Jean Courtin mainly leads the research on the cave, along wi... ...there in. The Cosquer cave is also a very unique cave. It is unique because of its entrance from underwater and because of the various markings on the cave walls. There are still many unanswered questions about Cosquer cave, but since its discovery in 1991 researchers have made huge progress in answering the questions. There is a controversy over the entrance of the cave. Some people want to drill an opening for an entrance to the cave. Others want the cave to remain as it was found. As of now, the cave is remaining, as it was when it was found. There is still a way to enter the cave; it is just not as convenient as many would like it to be. Researchers are still the only ones who are allowed in the cave, so there won’t be a change in the entrance of the cave until the research is finished and people are allowed to enter the cave on their own.

Interpersonal Communication Problems Essay -- Communication Communicat

Interpersonal Communication Problems Over the telephone my boss gives me an instruction. I hear it, give my recognition, hang up then realize that I am not clear on exactly what it is that I am to do. Something about the proper way to add up my hours is the basic message, but the way she has explained it is not clear to me. Yet. As far as she is concerned, every word she spoke, that is, the way she described her instructions, was perfectly spelled out. She sits in her office confident that her explanation is clear, while I sit behind my desk like some detective trying to solve this great mystery. Although I understood every word she spoke, what she spoke does not register. No eureka bells are setting off. I have trouble decoding her words. I cannot apply the words she's "transmitted." I am experiencing communication problems. This happens all the time. As in the case just described, somewhere between her message and my reception of it, the meaning got lost. To the best of her knowledge, she has gone over a procedure that I have successfully grasped. But it remains unclear to me because I do not understand the way in which she is presenting it. To my boss, it is of course direct and sound, as it is from her mind that the words and thoughts are being emitted. However, as soon as they collided with my own thinking processes they lost complete lucidity. My faculties tell me she is talking but saying nothing sensible. Her faculties tell her her circular sentences are making sense. I periodically acknowledge what she is relaying. She keeps relaying. We are communicating. But are we really? Given this situation, one is led to consider whether it is possible that, that is, can it be that, true communication is impossible? After a... ...y did her presentation of the information pose a problem? Considering we should have understood each other by the virtue of the fact that we speak the same language, this should not have been the case. As a matter of fact, this case shows that even though we were using the same language I could not decipher her meaning. Her mind works in ways that mine does not. And if it is through our minds that we formulate information, then how can it be that what we are communicating will be received in its true form? No two minds work alike nor are their two beings which feel alike. Therefore, how can anyone know exactly what is being communicated? Each of us has a one-of-a-kind make-up. And though, yes, we do understand the use of words and their semantic properties, the fact that we even have to use words to effectively communicate alone makes true communication questionable.

Our Grandmothers By Maya Angel Essay -- essays research papers

Imagery In The Poem “Our Grandmothers'; by Maya Angelou Image (Imagery) – Descriptive poetry flourished. One basic meaning for ‘image’ is provided by that context, but other, looser and more treacherous, meanings have accreted: any sensuous effect provoked by literary language; any striking language; metaphor; symbol; any figure. Maya Angelou’s poem, “Our Grandmother’s,'; vividly exemplifies a sense of imagery that is brought to life. The most effective way that, Maya Angelou presents imagery to the readers is through the setting. Firstly, at the beginning of the poem the narrator describes the current state of the main character and gives a brief description of the setting through imagery. “She lay, skin down on the moist dirt, / … the whispers of leaves…/ the longing of hounds…'; (“Our Grandmothers';, 1-4). These lines are very effective to the readers because the imagery behind these lines allows the readers to feel the cool breeze blowing, hear the leaves rustling and even sense the smell of fear; everything that one could think of to enhance the setting of a plantation. Reading this poem is an escape from modern day life. As readers, we observe everything that the narrator and the main character experience. To fulfill the imagination of the readers, Maya An gelou concentrates primarily as to how the readers are going to interpret certain events. S...

Live Without TV Essay

When my family’s only television set went to the repair shop the other day, my parents, my sister, and I thought we would have a terrible week. How could we get through the long evenings in such a quiet house? What would it be like without all the shows to keep us company? We soon realized, though, that living without television for a while was a stroke of good fortune. It became easy for each of us to enjoy some activities alone, to complete some postponed chores, and to spend rewarding time with each other and friends. First of all, with no television to compete for our time, we found plenty of hours for personal interests. We all read more that week than we had read during the six months before. My father seemed to be addicted to newspapers during his free time at home. My sister and I had time to complete the book â€Å"Top 100 romance novels† that I had borrowed for three months and we had also shared our feeling together. We each also enjoyed some hobbies we had ignored for ages. My family went swimming every weekend and we found more interesting than ever before. In addition, my sister and I both stopped procrastinating with our homework. We realized that without television’s attraction, we could finish our homework faster and more effective. Second, we did chores that had been hanging over our heads for too long. There were many jobs around the house that had needed attraction for some time. The things we had to do were cleaning up our rooms, and then renewing them with paper-hangings. My father did laundry while my mother arranged the kitchen, and my sister and I took care of plants in the garden. We also had a chance to do some long-postponed shopping. Go shopping with family was my hobby and my mother had chances to buy some essential items. I bought some new English books and of course, some new short stories. And each of us also caught up with e-mail and did paperwork that was long overdue. Dad and mom finished their reports and our two sisters completed our presentations sooner than planned. Finally, and probably most important, we spent time with each other. Instead of just being in the same room together while we stared at a screen, we actually talked for many pleasant hours. My sister had an opportunity to tell about her short vacation with her friends to Nha Trang. We also shared our feelings about our daily work. Moreover, for the first time in years, my family played some games together. We reminded our memories with several games of chess with our own funny rules. And because we did not have to worry about missing this or that show, we had some family friends over on a couple of evenings and spent an enjoyable time with them. My parents had chances to chat for hours with their close friends and they found very glad. They were all proud of their children, their jobs and their happy life. Once our television returned, we were not prepared to put in the attic. But we had some sense of how it can take over our lives if we are not careful. We are not more selective. We turn on the set for our favorite shows, certain sports events, and the news, but we do not leave it running all evening. As a result, we find we can enjoy television and still have time left for other activities and interests.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment: the Death Penalty

Cruel and Unusual Punishment: The Death Penalty I remember watching the movie Dead Man Walking; it was about this man named Matthew Poncelet who allegedly raped a girl and killed a teenage boy. Poncelet pleaded not guilty, but was convicted as a murderer and put on death row. He asked for several appeals stating that Carl Vitello, the man he was with at the time, was the one that should be at fault. Poncelet seems very convincing that it wasn’t him, but at the end, the courts had enough evidence to grant Poncelet the retribution of execution.The movie has me questioning America’s justice system; what if someone was actually innocent? Is it right to kill someone as a consequence for their wrong doing? To some, it seems like the right thing to do. If someone breaks the rules you simply punish them. But how should we carry out these punishments? When eight-year-old Billy steals a candy bar from Seven Eleven, you can bet that one of the parents will deliver some whippings. In Texas, when I was in elementary school, I started a fight, and as a result I got sent to the principal’s office and received three licks with a paddle.So where do we draw the line? At a higher level, what happens to me if I kill someone? Since the beginning of time, societies in almost every culture and background have used capital punishment or physical chastisement as a consequence for the killing of others. But, we shouldn’t be doing this anymore; life is too valuable. Even though some people have made mistakes in their lives, its time for the United States to free the judicial systems from their power to take peoples life’s as a consequence for people taking the life of another. In 1972, with the Furman v.Georgia case, the Supreme Court recognized that capital punishment was indeed a roll of the dice, and as a consequence held that as practiced it violated the Cruel and Unusual Punishment clause of the Constitution's Eighth Amendment. Justice Stewart decl ared that the death penalty was cruel because it is â€Å"wantonly and freakishly imposed,† and it was like â€Å"being struck by lightning† (Hull). Justice Douglas, agreed and stated that the death penalty was unusual because â€Å"it discriminates against someone by reason of his race, wealth, social position, or class† (Hull).Justice Byron White, a man who favored more executions, agreed that he noticed, that among the hundreds of federal and state criminal cases that could have resulted in the death penalty, â€Å"only a handful of defendants were actually selected for execution† — making the system â€Å"so totally irrational as to be based on luck† (Hull). The decision removed power from the states to enforce the death penalty, and moved the 629 inmates off death row.For a few years, the death penalty remained illegal because the Justices that were on the Supreme Court at the time concluded that executions violated the Eight and Fourte en Amendments, citing cruel and unusual punishment. However, with different terms, in 1976, the Supreme Court reversed itself with Gregg v. Georgia and reinstated the death penalty to state hands. Nevertheless, this is a prime example of how the Supreme Court can change laws and set precedents by the way they interpret our Amendments.The Supreme Court is in place to dissect, and analyze the Constitution to decide what the Framers meant, and in 1972, the perspicacity of the Justices resulted in the most humane decision ever made; people where being deprived from life by serving life imprisonments instead of being executed. Since 1976, the United States has executed 1,295 people, and there are currently 3,189 people on death row (DPIC). But all murderers haven’t had the same fortune, because of Gregg v. Georgia, some states enforce the death penalty and others don’t. There are currently 33 states in the U. S. ho currently support and implement capital punishment, and 17 states who oppose. (DPIC). Murderers in non-capital punishment states can kill with the highest punishment being life in prison; but if that same murderer resided in another state, he would have the opportunity, depending on the case, to be sentenced to execution, via lethal injection. The problem here lies, that there is no consistency when it come to punishing the murderers. If a murderer lives in the U. S. the reprimands should remain the same for everyone; the penalties shouldn’t differ because what climate a killer prefers living in.The laws that we have in place now, means that if I wanted to go on a killing spree, and I didn’t want to die because of it, I would simply move from a death penalty state to a free death penalty state and make my moves there. It’s not right to pick and choose something of this magnitude. Everyone in this nation should be treated equally when it comes to a life or death situation. In 2007 at the State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Con vention in Milwaukee, pro- and anti-death penalty activists gathered to debate over the death penalty. During this debate, James P. McKay Jr. an assistant state's attorney with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, and a pro-death penalty supporter, stated in defense that he â€Å"absolutely believes that the death penalty brings justice to a murder victim's family† (Pribek), and that he has â€Å"never called for the death penalty in a case for political purposes† (Pribek). Professor John C. McAdams, a political science professor of Marquette University in Milwaukee, and an anti-death penalty supporter, fired back with, â€Å"The state should not implement the death penalty because of its irrevocability.Whether the state is literally taking a prisoner's life, versus locking him or her up for life, the state has taken that person's life by vanquishing his or her freedom† (Pribek). Moments after, McAdams closed out the debate with the crowd on his side, stating, â€Å"If I were on the Supreme Court, I'd say that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment† (Pribek). Although some death penalty advocates consider themselves the voice of the innocent victims and their families, McAdams made a very notable point.Penitentiaries don’t have to eradicate the murderer to serve justice. But you can end a life; sentence the murderer to serve permanent incarceration, and you will deprive them from freedom, or in other words, life; which in return satisfies the amendments. Yet, â€Å"we the people†, continue to put the power of life or death into the hands of fallible, sometimes prejudiced, narrow-minded people and ask them to play God and determine who’s worthy to live a life that we did not bestow upon them.Sentencing someone to life is the most reasonable solution in more ways then one. There have been 140 exonerations since 1972, and from 2000 to 2007 there has been an average of 5 exonerations per year — innocent people suffering for no reason (Woodford). The average time between the sentencing to death of the once sought guilty, to their proven innocence, is 10 years. If U. S. citizens could find it in their hearts to come together and drop down to the humanitarian level, there could be change in the system with awareness, and spread of word.There has to be other people who share the same feelings, and cringe at the thought of possible government killings toward non-guilty — it’s unsupportable. Its mind boggling to note that there has been 140 non-guilty offenders put in prison with the presumption that they are going to die, and then some years later, they are freed. The probable innocent killing can easily be solved by sentencing presumable murderers to life without parole. The death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole because the Constitution requires a long and complex judicial process for capital cases.If the death penalty was re placed with life without parole, an immense amount of money would be saved. According to a California Commission report in 2008, California could save $1 billion over five years by replacing the death penalty with permanent imprisonment (Woodford). The report stated — with reforms to ensure a fair trail to the current system in place, the death penalty would cost California an estimate of $232 million a year and the cost for a system that imposed lifetime incarnation instead of the death penalty would only cost $11. 5 million a year (Woodford). Two birds with one stone.The evidence for capital punishment as an uniquely effective deterrent to murder is especially important, since deterrence is the only major pragmatic argument on the pro-death penalty side. The theory is, if murderers are sentenced to death and executed, potential murderers will think twice before killing for fear of losing their own life; what is feared most, deters most. In 1973, Isaac Ehrlich, statistician who, after looking at national homicide rates between 1930 and 1970, established an analysis which produced results showing that for every inmate who was executed, 7 lives were spared because others were deterred from committing murder.But this however, has been proven inconclusive, and results cannot be duplicated by other researchers. Then in 1997, George Pataki, the Governor of New York state at the time, stated during the anniversary of reinstating death penalty, â€Å"To fight and deter crime effectively, individuals must have every tool government can afford them, including the death penalty† (Paraki). The governor made strong relations with the death penalty and the potential of installing fear in other potential murders.Pataki continued with strong regards to the deterrence theory after mentioning that the death penalty was a key contributor to the recent dramatic drop in violent crimes — â€Å"In New York, the death penalty has turned the tables on fear and p ut it back where it belongs-in the hearts of criminals. I know, as do most New Yorkers, that by restoring the death penalty, we have saved lives† (Pataki). I do not feel that execution best punishes criminals for their acts.Instead, in my opinion, the administration of the death penalty should end because it does not deter crime, it risks the death of an innocent person, it costs millions of dollars, it inflicts unreasonable pain, and most importantly it violates moral principles. The inconsistency doesn’t make sense either, according to Nearly everyone that has been summoned to death row, is spurred from to According to our Bill of Rights, I cannot be deprived of life without due process of law (US Const. , amend. V). So if the process of law is carried out, the courts can decide to kill me if my crime is severe enough to correspond with capital punishment.But, according to the eighth amendment, I’m protected from cruel and unusual punishment ? isn’t kill ing someone cruel and unusual? Did our Framers mean that the death penalty has to be humane, or did they mean the person has to be imprisoned for life? Is it right for someone you have never met to define these so called â€Å"rights† and never be consistent with their definitions? So here we are with a lot of questions and no right answers! Yes, Poncelet did commit a crime and he should pay; but how can someone that didn’t put you in this world, take you out?The death penalty is cruel and unusual. Why can’t the court system just sentence someone to life in prison? I believe if you take the life of another, it is a form of cruel punishment. In my eyes, it could be a violation of the eighth amendment. Our fifth amendment states, that with the processes of due law, they can deprive us of life. But how can someone construe that as killing us and taking our life? The judicial courts should have interpreted this as putting someone in prison until they die. If youâ₠¬â„¢re imprisoned for the rest of your life, then you have been deprived of life.This should be enough justice. It’s not like someone will be enjoying their time. I don’t see how the people that operate the death penalties can sleep at night; killing someone because they killed just isn’t right. They should actually make a certain prison for those who have been deprived of life, the ones who have killed. The prison should have the inmates locked up in a small dark room for 24 hours a day with no contact with anyone, no bed, no blanket, just a toilet and pictures of the victims engraved into the walls of their cell.At least this way, the killer could regret what he/she did and maybe feel some sort of remorse. It would drive the person insane. It’s also messed up for the court system to appoint a state lawyer to defend you and call that a fair trail. No lawyer really cares if you win or lose the case all they care about is the money. If one is well off when it comes to money, then of course one can afford a nice experienced lawyer that would probably bust his ass and do anything to win the case, for the reason that he would probably get more money. But if you can’t afford a lawyer, they will be happy to appoint you one.He is probably making salary and his pay isn’t justified if you win or not. If your pay doesn’t fluctuate, then there is no drive; he’s not going to work as hard and not give the case as much thought. When it’s all said and done, the appointed lawyer has nothing to lose. Maybe it’s just your luck and he is a newbie and doesn’t have any business in a case involving a murder. If they want to make it a fair trail, why can’t they pay for a top notch individual lawyer who excels in that position? We should be able to pick our own, so then at least the poor person can have a chance.I mean when you’re talking about someone’s life you don’t want any Jo e Blow defending your case. Here is a statistic for you; according to American Civil Liberties Union â€Å"Approximately 90 percent of those on death row could not afford to hire a lawyer when they were tried† (Tabak). Is it okay that only some states have the death penalty? I don’t think so. If I live in Washington State and go to Alaska to kill a man, under Alaska law I will not receive capital punishment (DPIC); the worst I would get is life in prison. But if I would have stayed and did my killings in Washington, I would be put on death row (DPIC).If the United States isn’t consistent with who dies and who doesn’t, then obviously there’s something wrong. It just doesn’t seem right to pick and choose something of this magnitude. Everyone in this nation should be treated equally when it comes to a life or death situation. Here’s yet another problem that I have found: weren’t we all suppose to have unalienable rights– ri ghts that can never be taken away from us; the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness? But wait; in some states they can take away our life if the crime seems bad enough.I’m no law expert, but this doesn’t seem to mesh together either. I thought the government could only suppress these rights by dictators and tyrants under oppressive regimes. The most controversial subject when talking about capital punishment is that the executioners are actually committing a crime that should put them on death row too. It’s probably the most obvious debate, but seriously, how can the same group of people who just told you that killing is illegal, turn around and kill people? That doesn’t sound fair, does it? Shouldn’t the law be equal for everyone?If murdering is illegal, then how in the hell are these people getting away with this? There’s no reason why they should get exempt from this law. They are just as bad as the criminal who committed crim e. There’s another example of how inconsistent this â€Å"act of justice† (Volpe) is being used. Two wrongs don’t make a right I don’t care how fucked up the situation may be. This law simply contradicts itself. I know I stated that it was hard to choose a side, but while writing this paper, I am confident that I oppose the whole capital punishment bullshit.Yeah, I get where people are coming from, but the reasons to not believe in the death penalty overweigh the reasons to believe in the death penalty. The only way to solve this disagreement is to actually go in and define the wording in the fifth and eighth amendments. The Framers left the Constitution open, leaving the interpretations flexible to the generations of justice to come. Once our judicial government can come to an agreement on the wording in the Constitution, then maybe we can decide if we want to continue killing people by stooping down to the criminal level.Kartha, Deepa. â€Å"10 Pros an d Cons of Capital Punishment. † Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. 5 Dec. 2009. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. . Tabak. â€Å"Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. † American Civil Liberties Union. 1984. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. . http://www. jmu. edu/evision/archive/volume2/Volpe. pdf Works Cited DPIC. â€Å"Introduction to the Death Penalty. † Death Penalty Information Center. 2012. Web. 1 June 2012. Hull, Elizabeth. â€Å"Guilty On All Counts. † Social Policy 39. 4 (2010): 11-25. Academic Search Complete. Print.Pataki, George E. â€Å"Death Penalty Is a Deterrent. † Ed. John Hillkirk. USA Today [McLean] 1 Mar. 1997. Print. Pribek, Jane. â€Å"Pro- And Anti-Death Penalty Advocates Square Off At State Bar Of Wisconsin Annual Convention. † Wisconsin Law Journal (Milwaukee, WI) (n. d. ): Regional Business News. Print. Volpe, Tara. â€Å"Capital Punishment: Does Death Equal Justice? † Jmu. edu. 2002. E-vision. Web. 10 June 2012. Woodford, Jeanne. â€Å"10 Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty. † Death Penalty. Death Penalty Focus, 2012. Web. 11 June 2012.