The development of self-awareness and shifts of Locus of self Knowledge

This study examines the theoretical framework of developmental sequences and self descriptions and its proposed idea that children’s sense of self change as they become older and more able to take into account the information about themselves available from other sources such as their social environment. A small-scale investigation into the ways children give self-descriptions and how the characteristics of these change with age was conducted by comparison of short interviews with two participants aged 8 and 16 years following a similar methodology to Rosenberg’s (1979) study of self description. Analysis of the material show that indeed there is evidence that older children tend to give accounts of themselves by using more inner characteristics and emotional traits then younger children providing support to existing research in the subject. Introduction The subject of development of identity has been a topic of intense debate amongst scholars in the field of child development. The multidimensionality of identity imposes that many external aspects are involved in its development like religious, cultural, social ethnic, therefore in order to develop and identity children must be able to take into account such aspects. Maccoby (as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 p. 131) proposes that for that reason, as sense of self happens by degrees. William James (1892 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pp 131) introduced the idea that a sense of self is divided in two stages: the self as a subject of experience and the self as an object of knowledge (Miel and Ding, 2005 pg. 131). This means that as children get older, they become more competent at self-awareness and more realistically involved in perception and responses of others in their lives. According to James, this development occurs during childhood by means of interactions between cognitive aspects and Social experiences where children actively use their incoming knowledge about themselves to make a difference in their environment. Subsequently, as children gain increasing levels of self awareness, a second stage emerges defined as the self as an object or categorical self (James 1961 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pg. 133) where children begin to be categorized by others and themselves in defining roles in society. Cooley and Mead (1935) further underpinned the importance of social influences upon the development of an identity by coining the term â€Å"looking glass self† and the development of the theory of â€Å"symbolic interactionism† where they stress that a sense of identity emerges from reactions of others in the environment to us and the impressions we make internalize of these judgments (Mead 1934, as cited in: Miell and Ding, 2005, pp. 134-136. More recently, developmental Psychologists such as Harter (1983) and Rosenberg (1979) have used methods of semi-structured interviews and self report measures to investigate children’s developmental sequences in the formation of the self. In Her analysis of interviews with children of various ages, Harter (1983, as cited in Miell and Ding, 2005, pp.128-129) framed a developmental sequence where younger children show tendency to describe behavior and objective facts gradually shifting from traits of physical aspects and ultimately to interpersonal traits. Rosenberg’s findings suggest that younger children tend to rely on physical aspects and character traits observable by others to describe their sense of self whereas older children make more use of inner qualities and emotions only known to them. Rosenberg was interested beyond simple aspects of self description and added to his questions, topics that explored the children’s categorical self and what he defines as Locus of self knowledge. This study aims to investigate children’s accounts in their self concept by using pre recorded semi-structured interviews with two participants aged 8 and 16 years and applying Rosenberg’s categories of self description, self evaluation, self and others, Ideal self and Locus of self knowledge in slightly altered forms. With view on the relevant theories to the context of this study, the research question in focus is â€Å"Do children acquire a progressive sense of self as they grow older and interact with their social environment?† Method Design The design of this study consists in a comparison of the self-descriptions given by two young people, during semi-structured interviews. Participants The participants that took place in this study were selected from two schools (one primary and one secondary) in the surrounding areas of Milton Keynes. Anne aged 8 yeas and Adam ages 16 years were randomly selected and given informed consent as well as their parents to participate in this research. Materias and procedure The material for this study was collected by the course team of ED209 Child Development at Open University and every step has been taken to ensure its compliance with the British Psychological Society’s ethical guidelines for research with human participants. In order to record the interviews, a microphone was strategically placed in a non intrusive location near the participant. An A4 sheet of paper was used for the participants to complete their self description (â€Å"I statements†) and a recorder was used to record the interviews. The interviews took place during the day in May 2005. The locations of the interviews were in places familiar to the children. The younger participant (Annie) was interviewed by a member of the module team Kieron Sheehy and Peter Barnes conducted the interview with the older participant (Adam). Both children were informed prior to the start of their right to withdraw from the interview at any time as well as to have any data deleted should they feel something was said that they do not want in recording. None of them did so. Care was taken to ensure the best possible quality to the recordings which required such to be stopped at times when background noise was too inconvenient. Near the beginning of the interview the participants were asked to write down a description of themselves on a sheet of A4 paper. At the top were the words ‘Who am I’ and below that were ten numbered lines, each beginning ‘I†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The recording was paused while the children completed these descriptions. Subsequently, the participants were asked questions based on Rosenberg’s questions of self evaluation, self and others and ideal self as well as on the concept of Locus of self knowledge. Results Self descriptions The research question proposed by this study is that younger children rely on physical and character traits when giving accounts of themselves and this should progressively shift with age as they make more use of inner traits for self description. The categories proposed by Rosenberg and used in this study and the results in percentage of the accounts of the two participants are as seen in table 1 bellow. Percentages were rounded to the nearest null The results above clearly show that the younger participant (Annie) relies solely on physical and character traits to describe herself whereas the older participant (Adam) makes much more use of inner characteristics and relationship connections supporting the hypothesis proposed by this study. Locus of Self Knowledge Annie shows internal and external locus when she suggests that both her and her mother would know better about her Maths, acknowledging that her mother might not know that she is â€Å"getting better every day†. Nevertheless in the question of behavior she placed the locus externally saying that her mom would be correct. Adam, the older participant was clear saying that his mother would be correct if asked what subjects he is better at school and about his behavior at home. Self evaluation When describing her weak and strong points Annie pointed out solely to physical traits of herself â€Å"my ears and legs (11:06)† and observable characteristics â€Å"I’ve got lots of friends (9:13)†. Adam equally relied heavily on character traits to describe his strong and weak points, however with a difference that his accounts were mostly related to internal (not necessarily observable) traits â€Å"I think im approachable b anyone†¦I suppose that my personality like just being a relaxed person (20:02)† Ideal self The older participant (Annie) relied on external factors to describe her ideal self like jobs â€Å"for my job I would like to be an actress (13:42)† making no account of any inner characteristic. Adam (16 years) on the other hand showed a capability to project his future in terms of interpersonal traits â€Å"I’d be like a leader, like a leader or something with power, because I like to think that I’d been really strong as a leader† Self and others Annie made comparisons of herself to others in terms of similar or different she is regarding her physical characteristics â€Å"I’m the same as Naomi as we both like Maths†¦(11:24)†. Nevertheless, she shows an ability to reflect on internal aspects of herself and the importance of her uniqueness as a person â€Å"Because if all the people are the same as me then I wouldn’t feel special (13:23).† Most of Adam’s comparisons to others were described in terms of the quality of inner similarities that enables relationships to form and be maintained â€Å"we’ve more or less got the same viewpoints (23:21)† and his inner drives that differentiates him from others â€Å"I like to think that I’m not going to spend the rest of my life working in a shop like some of my friends (25:00)† Discussion The purpose of this study was to investigate by means of comparison of interviews with two young participants (Annie aged 8 and Adam aged 16), the idea outlined in current research that development of identity occurs progressively from an existential self to a categorical self and children’s self descriptions shift gradually from predominantly physical traits in younger children to more interpersonal characteristics in older ones. Equally it aimed to analyze Rosenberg’s suggestion that a transfer in the locus of self knowledge from external to internal occurs as age progresses. In the self description task, Annie made use exclusively of physical and character traits to provide a description of herself where Adam showed a fluent ability to understand himself as an abstract being and use interpersonal and emotional traits when talking about himself. This is consistent with the idea of James (1892 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pp 131) that a sense of self emerges gradually. In detailed analysis of the questions related to the locus of self knowledge, Both Annie and Adam place emphasis on the other rather than the self contradicting Rosenberg’s findings that a shift occurs to the self as children grow older (Rosenberg 1979 as cited in the Open University 2012 assessment guide). However this could be so for reasons related to the methodology of research itself. For instance both participants did not seem to grasp the meaning of the questions initially, or perhaps confounding variables like power imbalance between researcher and participant could have played a role. On this topic it is therefore impossible to draw a positive or negative conclusion based only on this sample size. Cooley (1902 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pg 134) suggests the idea of the self as a looking glass where the person develops a sense of self by gradually undertaking other’s views and reactions of them. This theory can be supported by the findings of this study regarding the locus of self-knowledge where both children seem to see their own selves through the â€Å"looking glass† of others. The responses given in the other themes (ideal self, self and others and self evaluation) provide a strong support to Harter (1983 as cited in Open University 2012 assessment guide) and Rosenberg’s theory of a reliance on physical activities and aspects by younger children and a shift to more inner traits and relation to others in older participants. It is important to note that this study relies on a sample size too small to allow its results to be universalized. Also the context of the interviews and the participants were selected in a Western society where emphasis is strong on individuality and independence (Tobin et al 1989 as cited in Miell and Ding 2005 pp130). Therefore this study should only be interpreted within the limits of its settings; however it gives interest to the possibility of further research with a broader cross-cultural selection of participants. Briefly, some methodological issues came up in the formulation of questions that could perhaps have had an impact however small on the results of this study; At times, both participants showed confusion regarding the questions asked. Perhaps a different wording would have been more appropriate. Conclusion This study supports ongoing theories of a gradual development of self awareness proving the initial research question suggested and the idea that identity is shaped by an interaction of cognitive factors with various external aspects like social, peer, religion etc†¦ Due to methodological issues and small sample size it is impossible to offer conclusive support to the theory of Locus-of-self –knowledge. In future, the field of developmental psychology could benefit from further research involving larger sample sizes of varied cultures as this study can only account for children based in the scope of western society

Political Philosophy and National Integration Essay

1. Central Quotation â€Å"National integration is partly a by-product of other social and economic developments, partly the result of deliberate government policies.† (Birch, 36) 2. Argument In this text Birch gives a historical overview of national integration process. He discusses different attitudes towards assimilation of minorities that existed in North America and Europe. Before 1960s that it was current believe that national integration could be challenged by the existence of different ethnic groups within the borders of the country and assimilation was desirable. After 1960 however, this attitudes has changed in favour of social pluralism. Birch also presents patterns, which describes common practices of national integration. 3. Question The question raised in this text is â€Å"Whether the process of national integration must be accompanied by wholly or partial assimilation of minorities?† Birch describes both negative and positive effects, which social, economic and political integration of minor ethnic and cultural groups could have on building a sense of nationhood. His argumentation is based on contradictory assertions. One argument is in favour of social homogeneity i.e. stresses the importance of common language and feeling of unity among people for development of democratic institutions. In the same time author mention several scientific works that question the assumption that further integration is required for establishment of representative democracy. 4. Experiential Connection Even thou I grew up in Sweden, I have a lot of friends with different ethnic origin who lives there, mostly 1st or 2nd generation immigrants. All of them had a chance, upon their own will to learn Swedish free of charge as soon as they arrived. That was the part of integration programme established by government in order to facilitate immigration process. That makes it easier for immigrants to interact with local citizens, get the jobs and thus contribute to social, political and economic development of the country. 5. Textual Connection. Birch’s argumentation is quite similar to Will Kymlicka’sagrument in the text â€Å"Western political theory and ethnic relations in eastern Europe†. As well as Birch, Kymlicka stresses that attitudes toward ethnic minorities among democratic liberals in West had changed since 1960 and multiculturalism become more acceptable (Kymlicka, s. 33). Kymlicka focuses on different ethnic groups and describes assimilation attempts made by governments towards these groups. He also emphasizes the importance of different governmental policies that determines integration process (Kymlicka, s. 42). 6. Implications. This text analyses the different ways in which minor groups can be merged into national societies and poses the question of whether national integration is a positive or a negative process. This question must be answered by citizens and representative governments in every country before there will be taken any further action toward national integration or disintegration. I think government have to consider prior experience of integration of minorities in different countries to choose appropriated policies for the particular county. This can be done throughout case studies and with help of patterns of integration drawn up by theorists and scientists.

Alfred Adler: Personality Theories Essay

I learned a lot regarding personality psychology during my helping plan project that involved the offering of psychological assistance to a teen in foster care that was laden with several psychological problems emanating from separation and loss of loved ones. The experience gave me a deeper insight into the theory of self and others as part of personality identity. For instance, the client (Y) had all the reasons to portray the behavior traits that she exhibited before the intervention program, simply because her perception of self relative to others led her into forming an inferior perception on herself (inferiority complex). [Ansbacher & Ansbacher (Eds. ) (1956)] A quick summary of the client life indicates that, despite being young (15 years) and from a minority group (Hispanics) she had lived in foster care system for more than six years, her other time was spend with family members and extended family since she was six years. She and her brother have about one year without seeing their mother since she (mother) has been in and out of jail due to drug related cases. Her aunt placed her and her brother in foster care because she could not afford to take care of them. She has been into four foster care homes and three different schools in a period of two years; she has also been living in four different demographic areas. Generally, the client was experiencing a lot of difficulties in coping to her new placement: she showed defiant behaviors to the foster care workers, she has severally expressed her resentment for being in a foster home, and she cannot explain the reason as to why she cannot live with her family members instead of other people’s family. Based on the self and others perspective, there may have existed the hope that the client would one day grow out of her aggressive behavior as she was still young, however, my helping plan was guided by Adlerian theory of personality that holds that idealistic plans for adulthood are often formed early in one’s life: powerful positive or negative experiences [at a young age impacts one future life, for example he (Adler) loosed his young brother aged three years, as a result he vowed to overcome death, he became a doctor in later years. My assessment of the clients’ problems revealed that they were serious and therefore demanded a holistic approach that would fix them once and for all and give the client a reason to smile and be happy by helping her, create, nurture, and exhibit positive attitude towards life. The ABC model that was used to solve the clients problems can be said to be holistic: it investigated the causal agents to the clients’ problems (separation and losses), it helped her to build a strong believe about the behavior that leads to the problems, and it enabled her to see the consequent of such behaviors were environmentally entrenched. Holistic approach was one of the calling cards that defined Adlerian theories of personality psychology. The helping plan objectives were measurable and achievable and prototype to Adlerian theory of Individual Psychology. In developing the theory Adler, was deeply intrigued by the early life of Theodore Roosevelt, which was characterized by several bouts of sicknesses such as diarrhea, nausea, coughs, fever, thinness, nearsightedness, and other sorts of severe illnesses. Again, Adler early life at home and in school was full of setbacks, he had to spend four years before learning how to walk due an attack of rickets, in school he was a below average student: nevertheless he became a medical doctor in his future life. My client was young and faced with deprivation of close family members, as a result she loosed interest in life: she did not conceptualize the reason as why other children of her age were enjoying their parental love while did not. Therefore, my helping plan created what Adler refereed to as motivational force the striving for perfection: the desire we all have to fulfill our potentials, to come closer and closer to our ideal – the idea of self-actualization, self-actualization because it was designed to teach the client new strategies of dealing and overcoming hurt and anger. The clients, problem can be interpreted as emanating from the uniqueness with which every individual has in respect to others. According to Adler’s Individual Psychology, four aspects define the personality growth of individuals. These aspects are: the development of personality, striving towards superiority, psychological health, and unity of personality. In efforts to strive for perfection, sometimes people are haunted by the feeling that they are inferior to others (inferiority complex): the lack of self-worth. This feelings gets into an individuals mind when he or she perceives his environment to be inadequate to help in striving to reach a goal by attainment of which will make us feel strong, superior, and complete. This is the exact situation that the client Y seemed to be in, she wanted to be accorded parental love just as other children, she wanted to live with her members of family just as other children did, but being in a foster care home made realize that she was more inferior to those other children as her efforts to behave indifferently only worsened her situation – moving from one foster care home to another. The intervention program was meant to help the client to move from this inferiority to complex to a better place that would enable her to build a positive attitude in life: the superiority complex. According to Adler, people are always trying to overcome the feelings of inferiority and replace them with superiority complex feelings. The intervention program’s model and tactics used in inputting and outputting important information from the client led to what Adler claimed to be fictional finalism. It tried to induce a clear sense of direction to making decisions that concerns the client wellbeing as a foster care home member. The client knew very well that her mother was in jail and that her aunt could not afford to take care of her and her brother, but she continued agonizing and making her life in the foster care homes more difficult. The intervention helped to create what Adler termed as mental phenomenon that helps an individual in discovering new characteristic pursuits of goals, powers, faculties, experiences, wishes and fears, defects and capacities. Both conscious and unconscious faculties of the client were utilized throughout the intervention program, in the stages of information extraction and coping strategy teaching, this steered the client into the final fictional finalism stage. Adler declared that each individual has an incomparable way of life, some people are negative while others are positive, this was fulfilled in the intervention’s careful measures of evaluation (both formative and summative) were aimed at accommodating and modifying the intervention where necessary in order to suit the individual uniqueness of the client. Again, the rigorous information extraction and coping strategy imparting is a prototype to Alderian methods of individual psychology. Alderians are known to excavate the clients past in view of altering his or her future by increasing the integration into community in the ‘here-and-now. ’ This approach leads to the creation of holistic individuals who boasts of having healthy personalities free from dysfunctions. According to Adler, human psychology is psychodynamic in nature, yet it is guided by goals and fuelled by yet to be known creative forces. These goals have a â€Å"teleological† function, in that, they are fictional. The inferiority/superiority dynamic is constantly at work during the process of shaping human psychology. This is achieved through numerous compensation and over-compensation which comes in varying forms. This is exactly what I learned during my roles as a helper in the intervention program. For instance, the intervention program’s core goal was to help the client develop and practice worthwhile strategies of coping with anger and anxiety in their stay in foster care homes. In his work, Adler argued that human personality can be explained in a teleological manner: the separate strands that are characterized by dominance in the urge to invoke individuals’ unconscious self ideal to convert the feelings of inferiority to superiority and ultimately to fictional finalism. The intervention program provided the teleological space to understand the client personality and hence strive to induce the conscience ideal for the conversion of inferiority feelings to superiority feelings and ultimately the fictional finalism. The three foot tosses (what matters to the client now? Where the client is as it relate to what matters? What the client is willing to do to move forward the indented direction? ), used in the study helped to come up with the correct strategies for coping in foster care home life, and in offering the appropriate dose of compensation that was able to induce the conscience to convert the feelings of inferiority to those of superiority. Just as Adler contended, if corrective factors were disregarded and the individual over-compensated, then an inferiority complex would occur that would foster the danger of the individual becoming power-hungry, egocentric, aggressive or even worse than he or she was before the intervention program, and hence, the notion that the fictive final goal of an intervention program can serve as a persecutory tool. The intervention results indicated that, the client benefited greatly: she could carry out with her normal chores, she related well with the foster care home’s helpers, she loosened up, and above all she was now ready to explore areas of life that she was in denial and distorted. This confirmed what Adler termed as social feeling or community feeling. It also further displayed the importance of holism in personality psychology, as no one can achieve perfection without putting into active consideration his or her social environment. Again, his arguments on social interest were that it is neither inborn nor learned but it is a combination of both. In an innate perspective one can display social interest when he or she smiles when others do so, or a baby showing sympathy for others even without having been taught so. The self and other phenomenon is displayed through the styles of life adopted by individuals. As social beings, human do not exist, they much less thrive, without others, and even the most resolute people-hater formed that hatred in a social context. Adler clarified that the process of compensation, correction, and conversion of inferiority feelings to superiority ones is more than just talking about a persons personality, rather, it entails the style of life of that particular individual. The style of life or just lifestyle is how one live his or her life, how he or she handle problems and interpersonal relations. For instance, the lifestyle of a tree is the individuality of the tree expressing itself and molding itself in an environment. We recognize a tree when we see it against a background of an environment different from what we expect, for then we realize that every tree has a life pattern and is not merely a mechanical reaction to the environment. † Through what can be termed as beautiful methods of relating between a counselor and client, I was able to impart the client with strategies that helped her to respond to the inferiorities that were inherent in her life. This what Adler referred to as compensation: to make up for ones deficiencies in some way. The client learned that the environment that she was leaving in was responsible for her problems, and that her predicaments had nothing to do with foster care homes, her family or other people. This client understood her environment was responsible for her predicaments, this helped her learn to put at watch her anger and anxiety. From a self and others perspective, I gained an insight into Adler’s birth order theory by relating with client Y in the intervention. According to the theory, firstborns are usually pampered before the arrival of second born who ‘dethrones’ them of that status. The young born tend to be overindulged leading to poor social empathy. In a family of three children, the first born tend to suffer a lot as he take scare of the other siblings despite losing the pampered status they once enjoyed, the middle born are not affected by either pampering or overindulgence and therefore they end up being successful in life. Being the first born and having only one sibling, a younger brother, speaks volumes of her problems. The fact that she started living with her aunt at the age of six years and that, her mother has been in and out of jails and has been on drugs most of her life, indicates that she hardly experienced enough parental love. Being the first born means that she was once loved and pampered before the arrival of her brother who according to Adler dethroned her. Again, the fact that she has lived in four demographic areas, shows that, her young life was full of inconsistencies. Her behavior could be explained by the fact that the responsibilities of looking after her brother rests in her shoulders. A combination of factors explains this: the absence of her mother (in jail) and family members and her being the firstborn with a younger brother that lives with her in the foster care home. This knowledge helped me to facilitate the correct doses for compensation, and hence the success of the intervention, just as Adler once asserted that, â€Å"It is easier to fight for one’s principles than live up to them. † The success of the intervention program was as a result of my assuming the traits of a buddy, confidant, showing genuine interest, respecting her, accepting her, supporting her, etc. The tactics that is employed in the interventions are a prototype to Adler’s mode of offering therapy was that of two chairs rather a couch, whereby the client and the counselor sat facing one another. His was democratic affair unlike autocratic, he contended that, therapists should never allow their patients to force them into assuming the role of an authoritarian figure, since this will allow the patient to play games that he or she might have played before such as setting the therapist as a savior only to pounce on him when he starts revealing his humanness. He viewed the failing to turn up for appointments, becoming stubborn or demanding special favors by patients as lack of courage to give up their neurotic behaviors. Patients should not be forced into understanding their lifestyles but rather should be brought into a state of feeling that they are listening and hence they can understand. The therapist should also encourage the patient, by developing a genuine human relationship. [pp. 335] References: Adler, A. (1956). The Individual Psychology, of Alfred Adler. H. L. Ansbacher & R. R. Ansbacher (Eds. ) New York: Harper Torchbooks, accessed on April 4, 2009

Film Analysis Paper Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film Analysis Paper - Movie Review Example Some of the key characters of the film are Maximus the gladiator or warrior, portrayed by Russell Crowe. Commodus the young Roman Emperor is well played by Joaquin Phoenix. Apart from them, Connie Nielson did the role of Lucilla a capable daughter of the Emperor. And Oliver Reed and Richard Harris are the other significant actors in the film. The film Gladiator is interconnected with the Roman power and ruling strategies and the life style of the people placed and different categories. Marcus Aurelius who an aged emperor of Rome decides to entrust the power of his kingdom to Maximus who is an efficient and respected General of Rome. But Commodus kills his father Marcus with a suffocating hug and further wants to execute Maximus. Whereas, Commodus fails to kill Maximus who flees from the land while latter’s wife and child are mercilessly killed. While escaping Maximus is captured and taken into slavery where he is trained as gladiator and finally moves to Rome with the motive of defeating all even the emperor. In spite of difficulties and hurdles he accomplishes his dream and dies after becoming victorious. This adventures movie is the fruit and result of the Excellency acting too. The actors remarkably contributed, especially Maximus while portraying the character of general undertook many adventures fights. While on the other end, marvelous performance of Commodus playing a negative role also gained the attention of the viewers. Lucilla and Aurelius and the little kid too demonstrated their talent in making the film a unique in every sense. Movie is widely appreciated for its filming techniques. The remarkable areas of this technique go to the image or camera techniques and the sound effects. Shots from different angles and positions made the film eye catching such as close up, medium, long, parallel, high angle, ground and reverse shots. According to Barsam and Monahan, ‘editing juxtaposes individual shots, orders them into scenes, and

Underage Females Working in Brothels via Sex Trafficking Research Paper

Underage Females Working in Brothels via Sex Trafficking - Research Paper Example Underage Females Working in Brothels via Sex Trafficking The results are tragic because in most cases, the underage females that are working in brothels are victims of sex trafficking. They feel frustrated and worthless, seeing no prospect of escaping their wretched lives. Sad to say that even parents that are supposed to show love and protect their children, often contribute to the climate of permissiveness, because they claim that poverty led them to sell their children into prostitution. Widespread depravity and rampant barbarous pedophile cannot be controlled by law enforcement. However, influential personalities recognize the devastating effects of child prostitution by sex trafficking. In fact, nation leaders considered this as a barbarous crime. Thus, working alongside with government agencies, officials and legislative bodies, they are doing their earnest efforts to stop the problem. Yet, despite their noble intentions, sex trafficking of minors is still growing. How extensive is the problem of sex trafficking today? What leads to this horrific situation? According to Sex trafficking Fact Sheet, â€Å"sex trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years†. The Fact Sheet declares that considering sex trafficking as a serious violation of Federal law, Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, or TVPA, is being ratified. TVPA defines ‘commercial sex act’ as any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person. It also recognizes that sex traffickers customarily use psychological and physical coercion, such as making threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person, using any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the victim to believe that failure to do the command action would result in serious harm. The Fact sheet enumerates the various types of sex trafficking. The victims are forced into different forms of commercial sexual exploitation such as prostitution, pornography, stripping, live-sex shows, mail-order brides, military prostitution and sex tourism. Sex trafficking operation usually takes place in a more underground systems such as closed-brothels that operate out of residential areas. It also can be found in a variety of public and private locations such as massage parlors, spas, and strip clubs. Additionally, Fact sheet specifies the common patterns of traffickers for luring the victims, such as, a promise of good job in other country, a false marriage proposal which turned into a bondage situation, parents willful intent of selling their children into sex trade, and others being kidnapped by the traffickers. Frequently, traffickers subject their victims to debt-bondage, the expenses incurred by their travel which include food and transport, thus they must pay the debt by their sex services. Traffickers will use various methods to condition their victims to perform sex acts, such as starvation, confinement, physical abuse as beatings, rape, gang rape, threats of violence to the victims and to their families, forced drug use, and the threat of staining their reputation by revealing to their friends and families friends their nature of work. What an awful situation these underage victims are facing! So far, trafficking is considered to be one of the leading

Is enterprise risk management (ERM) an effective form of risk Dissertation

Is enterprise risk management (ERM) an effective form of risk management and value creation in the oil and gas industry and to w - Dissertation Example In effect, the major strengths and weaknesses that have been associated with BP Oil’s risk management policies shall be outlined and compared to risk management practices at Tullow Oil Ghana. This comparison will be done so that in later chapters, particularly the discussion chapter, the researcher will draw inferences on how Tullow Oil Ghana can learn from the strengths and weaknesses of risk management policies from BP Oil perspective. In relation to the general aim of the study, particular attention shall be paid to how BP Oil have both benefited and failed to benefit from the use of Enterprise Risk Management practices at different times of risk situations that the company faced. In order to follow the qualitative philosophies of the research, the researcher is going to dwell on the analysis of secondary data instead of the use of primary data. This will be done because of the impact that secondary data has on qualitative data, making it more subjective, but backed by empi rical evidence from related literature (PSA, 2007). 4.1 Analysis of Secondary Data on Risk Management Practices at BP 4.11 Risk Management Options at BP As far as risk management practices are concerned, there are a number of options that can be found throughout of existing data for oil and gas companies, of which BP Oil is one. Generally, BP Oil has been identified to have used three major risk management practices at different times of its operations. These options have been avoidance, knowledge and research, and controlling. Avoidance has been used in very high risk situations to ensure that there exist alternative approaches that do not bear any risks at all (Vinnem et al, 2007). The effectiveness of avoidance has however been found to be vested in a risk management environment where risk managers can be proactive enough to identify alternative options (Bly, 2011). Knowledge and research has been pointed out in some existing research data as not being an independent risk managem ent option but an effective tool for equipping the functionality of other risk management options. At BP Oil therefore, knowledge and research is not used in dealing with initial risks but is used as mop up risk management option to consolidate the efficacy of other options on practice. Commonly, research and knowledge is used in relation to the final risk management option at BP, which is controlling. Controlling has been found to be the commonest risk management option at BP for day to day risk situations (PSA, 2007). It has been found to involve the creations of a risk reduction plan made up of parallel development programmes (Vinnem et al, 2007). From the graph above, it can be observed that BP Oil chooses different risk management options depending on the level of risk that the company is presented with at any point in time. Where there is high risk, the company employs the use of avoidance; where there is medium risk, the company employs the use of controlling; and where there is low risk, the company employs the use of knowledge and research (K & R). 4.12 Risk management failures in the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill In several sectors of risk management application, BP Oil was sharply criticised in the academic and professional cycles for some levels of inefficiencies that accompanied the handling of the Gulf of Mexic

The importance of corporate responsibility communication, strategies Research Paper

The importance of corporate responsibility communication, strategies for communication - Research Paper Example Introduction Over the years, corporate responsibility (CR) has gained increasing attention from practitioners and scholars alike. The programs intended to demonstrate corporate responsibility have led to significant findings, such as the belief that commitment towards CR activities and communication can improve the perceptions of various stakeholders. Thus, lack of social responsibility may lead to the weakening of stakeholder relationships. CR efforts that are characterized by global themes as well as execution tactics have emerged in the marketplace. Communication of CR in Europe and non-Western countries has reportedly becoming similar to activities in the United States with which reporting and communication are frequently articulated. This suggests that CR efforts, which proactively plan and implement programs that integrate social value with business activities and address problems perceived as part of an organization’s social responsibility, have considerably improved. T herefore, the current trends and evidence highly support the communication of CR activities and programs. Corporate Responsibility: An Overview Primarily, the social responsibility of organizations is to produce goods and services that are socially desirable (Becker-Olsen, Taylor, Hill, and Yalcinkaya. 2010). Furthermore, these companies have the social responsibility of adhering to ethical and legal standards that are viewed by the society as appropriate. This has been presented through a more comprehensive definition that described corporate citizenship as the extent to which firms take on the legal, ethical, economic, and discretionary responsibilities that their stakeholders oblige them to assume. One of the most noteworthy aspects of CR’s definition is the relevance attached to discretionary responsibilities that express the desire of the society to see companies become actively involved in the development and betterment of communities and perform beyond the expected sta ndards. Through previous studies, a number of CR practices have been identified that were categorized as moral or ethical practices, discretionary practices, and relational practices. Diversity, community support, employee support, involvement with the environment, and product manufacturing were considered. Fair treatment of employees, taking into consideration the rights of employees from foreign countries, fair competition with others, responsible actions toward the environment, and exemplifying of truth are all considered as moral or ethical practices in relation to corporate responsibility. Meanwhile, under discretionary practices, a number of procedures have been identified as well, such as the contribution of resources to increase social awareness regarding current issues, support for issues on family and children, support for public health programs, and contribution of cultural programs for the community. Finally, relational practices involve the attempts for establishing lon g-term relationships with consumers as well as the willingness to consider the views and constructive criticisms of stakeholders regarding business practices (Shum and Yam, 2010). The business benefits of corporate responsibility have been comprehensively examined and results have indicated that CR can generate moral capital among workers

Visual space in street art and graffiti Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual space in street art and graffiti - Essay Example According to Dickenson, New York city was one of the cities where graffiti art first emerged. These visual artworks were made in as a representation of the â€Å"race, class, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion etc.† of the artist or group of artists. During this time, the public visual space used for the graffiti in New York was considered as nuances to business establishments. Nonetheless, by the time that New York experienced financial crisis, the poor became poorer. To voice out their sentiments about the social gap, artists went beyond using public walls and utilized the spaces in public transits or subways. In this way, graffiti became â€Å"message-oriented† as it was able to reach a wider audience and allowed others to join in sending a message. More importantly, it became a collective process that encourages creativity wherein artists, or anyone can add, alter, or reestablish the message of the art they see on the streets and the different mobile media. As ide from this, considering that art is a revolutionary process that does not keep still and idle, art medium also evolved with it. In particular, in Brazil, portable forms of graffiti were made, which is known as the lambe-lambes. The most common themes of theses mobile medium and artworks are anchored on the drawings made by children or with â€Å"pop culture icons merged with religious ones†. Another public space used for graffiti in Brazil was the billboards and signage for advertisements and real-estate. These public spaces became visual spaces.

Death is not an event in life, death is not lived through Coursework

Death is not an event in life, death is not lived through - Coursework Example When the subject turns to death, there is a gloom all around. How should we understand the relation between death and human life Is death meaningful or is it the representative of a meaningless destruction Does death in reality render life as absurd These are some of the frequently asked questions by people gathered to pay their respect for a departed1. In The Human Province by Elias Canetti (Winner of the Noble Prize for Literature in 1981), he confessed that he found more adversaries to the question of death: "'People always ask you what you mean when you rail against death. They want the cheap hopes from you that are droned about in religion and nauseam. But I know nothing. I have nothing to say about it. My character, my pride consists in my never having flattered death. Like everyone else, I have sometimes, very seldom, wished for it, but no man has ever heard me praising death, no one can say that I have bowed to it; I have acknowledged or whitewashed death. I find it as useless and as ever as ever, the basic ill of all existence the unresolved and the incomprehensible, the knot in which everything has always been tied and caught and that no one has ever dared to chop up"2 "When man is alive, he does not feel the pain of death because he is not experiencing death. When a man dies, he does not feel the pain of death because he is dead and, since death is annihilation, he feels nothing."3 In Antiquity the idea of death was contemplated by many philosophers whose opinion was widely diverging. The nihilist Epicurus thought that death was the ultimate end of all things. In contrary, Plato believed in life after death. Seneca, the stoics was of the opinion that death has to be practised by people still alive: Meditare mortem. With Christianity a fundamental change in the perception of death took part. The religion gave new answers to questions regarding death and life after death. People in the medieval times were confronted with death in many aspects of life: the average life expectancy was low (less than 30 years), the child death rate was high-only few children reached adult years. A large part of the populations was extinguished due to frequent epidemics. During the 14th century the European population was decimated by one third due to the plague (The Black Death). The cemeteries surrounding the churches were not only places for the dead, but also for the living. They were also used for celebrations, court agendas, and public congregations. In medieval times the body of the deceased was more or less sacrosanct. During the following 16th-17th centuries this changed dramatically. Due to anatomical autopsies the sacrosanct view of the corpse diminished. In the 18th century the state or the government had major influence on the rituals of burial and funerals. Burial within the church was prohibited and the cemeteries were dislocated from the central part of the cities to more peripheral locations. This led to a decrease of the "presence" of death in everyday life. During the 19th century the secularisation of death progressed further. The burial rites did not celebrate the deceased, but demonstrated the power and importance of the family of the dead. This is evident, also today, in many cemeteries with abundance of monuments from this time. At the same

World Beer Consumption Essay Example for Free

World Beer Consumption Essay Approximately, 100 billion liters of beer are consumed around the world every year (Olfir, 2007). The worldwide growth rate of beer consumption has been recorded for the past 19 years (Kirin Holdings, 2005). This, however, is not to say that the beer consumption around the world is alike. The alcoholic beverage consumption levels around the world and the rates at which these increase vary from one country to another. For example, in India the annual consumption of beer is . 5 litters per capita (Gupta, 2007), where as in Czech Republic, the consumption of beer is 156. 9 liters per capita per year (Olfir, 2007). There are many factors that contribute to the difference in beer consumption levels amongst different countries. Some of these factors include the stability of the country’s economy, laws and regulations, religion, and culture. Economy I believe that the economy of a nation plays an important role in the levels of beer consumption in different parts of the world. The demand for beer is rapidly increasing in nations whose economy is on the rise. Some of these economies include Asia, particularly China, Eastern Europe, and Africa (Access Capital, 2010). For example, In 1966 China only consumed about half a bottle of beer. As the average per capita income has increased so has the consumption of beer, reaching 103 beers per person in 2007 (Appebaum, 2011). Laws and Regulations Laws and regulations on alcoholic beverages also have an effect on the consumption of beer. In most cases, if not all, laws have the ability to hinder the increasing rates consumption of alcohol. For example, the principle of prohibition is intensely recommended by the Indian constitution and Indian law prohibits the advertisement of alcoholic beverage (Ranganathan, 1994). This is one of the reasons why their per capita consumption is so low. On the other hand, legislation may cause for consumption levels to increase. For example, in Czech Republic, Ireland and Germany, the top three nations with the highest beer consumption (Olfir, 2007), the minimum legal drinking age is between 16 and 18 years of age. Because people can start drinking at an earlier age legally, the amount of drinkers is higher in these countries. Religion As previously mentioned, India consumes approximately . 5 litters per capita on a yearly basis. Although this number might seem insignificant compared to other countries, such as Czech Republic, it is important to note that the consumption over the last few years has increased at a rate of about seven percent annually (Gupta, 2007). An important factor to such low rate is religion (Ranganathan, 1994). As Shanthi Ranganathan mentions in the article, The Most Sensible Thing is Not to Drink, Hinduism, the largest religion followed in India, the consumption of alcohol is known as one of the five heinous crimes. It is compared to adultery and murder (Ranganathan, 1994), making it a horrible act. Christianity, on the contrary, has more open-minded beliefs in regards with the consumption of alcohol (Wig, 1994). Culture Another country that can be used as an example to explain the difference in beer consumption levels among different countries is France whose beer consumption level per capita is 35. 5 liters per year (Lansdell, 2006). Compared to other countries, France may be considered to have a lower level of alcoholic consumption. The biggest contributor to this countries consumption level, I believe, is the culture of the country. When drinking, in most cases, French prefer wine instead of beer and they take their time to consume their beverages, unlike Americans, who are always in a rush to do everything. Worldwide Brewers and Increased Beer Consumption Each year, 2. 5 million people worldwide die do to alcohol or beer consumption. Alcohol is attributed to being the third greatest factor for diseases (W. , 2011). I believe that due to the great risk factor that comes with the consumption of alcohol, worldwide brewers should not have the ability to grow at such a fast rate all around the world. Although the industry could possibly help the economic stability of a country, I believe it does a greater harm to the different nations. I believe that one possibly solution that would allow the beer industry to prosper without causing much harm, is if as they enter a nation to introduce their product, they help create programs that educate people on the consumption of alcohol. I believe that if people are educated on the subject matter and know the consequences of drinking this product, they will continue to consume the beverage but being more responsible. This, in my opinion, will not have a negative affect on the beer industry. Another way that a nation can prevent the consequences of alcohol consumption caused by worldwide brewers is by creating greater taxation or other barriers that would hinder the production and selling of beer in their nation. This scenario, however, might be one that the beer industry might one to avoid. Unlike my first suggestion, this would have a greater negative impact on the industry. Such situation would lower sales in the given country affecting the revenue of the company. I also believe that although the rate of alcohol consumption in many developing countries is increasing, these rates will begin to slow down. Although, as mentioned earlier, economy prosperity may help increase the levels of alcohol consumption, it is also true that after a certain level of prosperity, people tend to consider quality when purchasing a product. For example, Ethiopians may start consuming low-end beer, however, as their financial stability begins to prosper they might continue to upgrade until they convert to wine-drinkers. Works Cited W. , C. (2011, February 12). W. H. O. Report on Worldwide Alcohol Abuse. Retrieved October 03, 2011, from lifering. org: http://lifering. org/2011/02/w-h-o-report-on-worldwide-alcohol-abuse/ Wig, N. (1994, September). Alcohol in the Third World. (D. p. Knight, Ed. ) Retrieved September 30, 2009, from unhooked. com: http://www. unhooked. com/sep/thirdworl. html Access Capital. (2010). Investing in Ethiopia. Access Capital. Appebaum, B. (2011, April 25). Beer Drinking and What It Says About China’s Economy. Retrieved October 03, 2011, from Economix: http://economix. blogs. nytimes. com/2011/04/23/beer-drinking-and-what-it-says-about-chinas-economy/ Gupta, V. K. (2007, February 15). The Beer industry in India in context of Consumer Buying Behavior. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from inidiamaba. com: http://www. indianmba. com/Faculty_Column/FC519/fc519. html Kirin Holdings. (2005, December 15). Kirin Research Institute of Drinking and Lifestyle . Retrieved Ocotober 3, 2011, from Kirin Holdings: http://www. kirinholdings. co.jp/english/ir/news_release051215_1. html Lansdell, G. (2006). Top 10: Drinking Countries. Retrieved October 03, 2011, from askmen. com: http://www. askmen. com/feeder/askmenRSS_article_print_2006. php? ID=949422 Olfir, E. (2007). Volume of World Beer Consumption. (G. Elert, Editor) Retrieved 0ctober 3, 2011, from http://hypertextbook. com: http://hypertextbook. com/facts/2001/JohnnyAlicea. shtml Ranganathan, S. (1994, September ). Alcohol in the Third World. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from unhooked. com: http://www. unhooked. com/sep/thirdworl. html.

Prevention Suicide People Mental Health Health And Social Care Essay

Prevention Suicide People Mental Health Health And Social Care Essay Suicide is defined as the process involving one ending his/her own life. There are various types of suicide which can make it rather difficult to help define the term. Traditional suicide is referred to those individuals who plan or act upon self-destructive thoughts and feelings whilst under immense stress. Assisted suicide is another term where a physician may help a terminally ill person to die, avoiding an imminent, inevitable and potentially painful decline. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her own community (Organization, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs220/en/, 2010). The rate of suicide in the UK is continuing to fall where figures reached their lowest in 2007 for both men and women. Suicide rates in 2008 were slightly higher than those seen in 2007 where 5,706 suicides were recorded however in 2009 there was a slight decrease were 5,675 suicides were recorded in the UK (Statistics O. f., Suicide rates in the United Kingdom, 2011). Although suicide rates are seen as rather low when compared to the early years such as the period between 1990- 2000, there is still a major concern in the number of suicides committed each year. The prevalence of suicide in the UK is still rather high and remains a major concern due to the number of people going to hospital after having attempted suicide. The rate of men committing suicide is estimated to be about three quarters of the men in the UK, where men aged 25-34 are at highest risk of suicide, followed by men aged 35-44. Suicide is considered as the second most frequent cause of death within men aged between 15-44, after accidental death (NHS Choices , 2009). Suicide and young people is also common within people aged 15-24, where accidental death is generally the cause of death followed by suicide. Figures state about 7-14% of young people will self-harm at one point in their life (NHS Choices , 2009). Suicide is major problem when it comes to the elderly because figures in 2006 showed that 217 people aged 80 or over took their own lives which equated to 5.2% of overall deaths from suicides (NHS Choices , 2009). Comparing the suicide rates in 2008 between men and women, there were 17.7 suicides per 100,000 population in men and 5.4 per 100,000 in women, thus showing men were three times more likely to commit suicide than women (Statistics O. f., Suicide rates in the United Kingdom, 2010). Statistics are currently as they stand where women are less likely to commit suicide than men, as women are more likely to report symptoms of common mental health problems instead of men therefore they receive appropriate treatment be it drugs and/or therapy (Statistics N. , 2003). Possible risk factors for suicide: A previous attempt at suicide Possible exposure to suicidal behaviour of others (friends, family or media figures) Family history of suicide Family history of substance abuse Substance abuse Incarceration Violence within the household (physical or sexual) Family history of mental disorder Depression or other mental disorders When dealing with suicide many individuals who have lost a loved one sometimes wonder if they could have possibly prevented it or some individuals may even blame themselves for the main cause of suicide in others. Therefore this self blaming may lead to behavioural changes which could represent itself as a decrease in the persons ability to express emotions. Those who experience grieving go through a series of emotions which could render them rather emotionally unstable, those who do experience these emotions sometimes become fixated upon the fact that they may be involved in the death in some manner thus feeling suicide may be the only option to make up for what they believe is all their fault. Observing suicide rates and the possible risk factors behind suicide, research has shown that majority of people who do commit suicide or attempt to commit suicide actually do have a mental illness where the common cause is depression. Following depression, 10-15% of people affected by bipolar disorder will commit suicide followed by 4% of people with schizophrenia committing suicide soon after their illness begins (NHS Choices , 2009). The most common types of mental health problems currently in the UK are: (Organization, mhGAP Intervention Guide, 2010) Anxiety Mood disorders Eating disorders Psychotic disorders Impulse control and addiction disorders Mental illness has shown to play a crucial role and is possibly the main precipitating factor in preventing suicides. Research studies (stated earlier) have shown to form a relationship between suicide rates and mental disorders which leads to suggest that if the appropriate help and support is provided to those with mental illnesses then possible there could be a decline or prevention in the number of suicides seen each year. Depression is the leading cause of suicide in people with mental health problems thus people in this mind of frame are usually of low mood and may occasionally have thoughts of suicide. Therefore if we treat the mental disorder then it can stand to reason that thoughts of suicide may also disappear. Preventing suicide isnt simple and people who do experience episodes of depression or reoccurring thoughts of suicide should be dealt with efficiently and as soon as possible to prevent harm to them but also to others. It is important to emphasise that people are reminded that help is always available wherever and whenever they need it and many health care professional such as GPs or Pharmacists are there at their disposal. Although GPs and Pharmacists are qualified health care professionals they still may not be fully competent in providing advice in situations involving people with mental health disorders. Practitioners that are unsure whether an individual actually is mentally ill and may also be suicidal can still play a part by providing help and support and referring them to more qualified personal for diagnosis. Suicide prevention can be carried out through many procedures such as using drugs (antidepressants) or talking therapies (counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy). Those who are described as having a mental disorder, have the hidden burden of stigma and discrimination often faced by those with mental disorders. The term mental illness can be rather misleading as although these problems can arise from biological or medical contributions they can also result from a series of complex interactions of biological, psychological or social factors. Also many illnesses experienced by individuals may differ slightly from normal categories used to describe mental illnesses therefore sometimes a true diagnosis cannot be determined or may be misleading. Furthermore, when diagnosing people as having a mental health problem there is no universal agreed cut off point between normal behaviour and that which is associated with mental illness. Therefore if it is hard to diagnose people with a mental illness then it does also make it rather difficult to prevent suicides from occurring aswell (foundation, 2010). Mental illness can lead to improper thoughts such as suicide as many individuals may feel its not worth living if they have to go through feelings which make their quality of life rather unsatisfactory. Measures which can be taken to help fight such thoughts and help cope with feelings of sadness, loneliness or just general low self of esteem can involve: Focusing on certain things which help shift your mind from negative thoughts such as socialising with people who you generally have fun with, spoiling yourself with new cloths/food, or doing deep breathing exercises. Stimulating the mind and body through performing light exercises, going for a walk outside of the house to get some fresh air and to get a change of atmosphere, planning the day to ensure productivity and try to maintain your usual sleeping pattern. Avoid depressants such as alcohol or illegal drugs which may feel beneficial at first but long term effects can cause depression and sometimes anxiety, furthermore you may make decisions that you normally would regard as dangerous/pointless. Socialising to stay connected to the world can help prevent feelings of entrapment, also talking to people about any feelings you may be experiencing can help and spending time with friends to fight against loneliness. Focusing on positive things in your life rather than regretting what could or should have been. Go to support/self-help groups and share similar experiences with people in the same situation as yourself and see how they manage their day. Comparing the likelihood of who is more likely to develop mental health problems, it was reported that women receive more treatment for mental health problems than men, however studies determined this was mainly due to women being more likely to report their symptoms rather than suffer in silence which many men tend do. Depression is also thought to play a vital role in the development of suicide, where 1 in 4 women will require treatment for depression, whereas only 1 in 10 men will require treatment. Diagnosing depression in men and women is somewhat a difficult process and can sometimes be under diagnosed because they may present to their GP with different symptoms or possibly due to social or biological factors, thus possibly showing men more likely to become diagnosed with depression. A common mental health problem that also occurs more in women than men is anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and increased chances of developing phobias. On the other hand, men are more likely to develop an alcohol or drug addiction compared to women. It is also thought that mental health problems may be greater in minority ethnic groups than in the white population; however they are less likely to be diagnosed by the GP. Although it is not clear to what extent mental health care and primary care providers can prevent suicide in those individuals who die due to their mental health problem(s) it is believed they can play a significant role in the prevention. Also for those who do make contact with mental health care providers, majority of these people are adults thus suggesting the youth segment may need to be targeted more to ensure everything was done to prevent their death. When we look at prevention techniques to minimise or even deplete the frequency of suicides committed by those individuals who are not thinking clearly or those with mental health problems, we firstly think what can be done to reduce the chances of this person committing suicide, and then hopefully aiming to remove all thoughts about suicide and what he or she hopes to achieve by carrying out this act. Mental health professionals as stated early can play a crucial role in preventing suicide through the means of providing support and help whenever the person may require it, be it day or night. The term health professional is rather a vague term which can be used to describe a broad range of qualified group of individuals each trained in their specific field to offer their unique services to ensure the can do their role in the prevention of suicide. Many people with mental health problems who think suicide is the only way they will be free from what they may be going through, can be treated not only through the means of supplying various drugs to manage their condition but also by using techniques which provide support to those who may need it the most. There are many mental health professionals which can provide their services to help those which are not in the correct state of mind by making sure to identify the most suitable plan of action which will be of benefit to the patient, which could entail recommending patients to other mental health professionals (such as a GP recommending a patient to see psychotherapist) to ensure their needs are fully met and overall to ensure the most beneficial therapy or treatment has been considered. Mental health professionals: (care, 2010) General Practitioners Psychiatrists Clinical psychologists Nurses in psychiatric hospitals Community psychiatric nurses Keyworkers Occupational therapists (OTs) Social workers Support workers Community support workers Psychotherapists Counsellors Befrienders Carrying out a history of past suicide attempts is one of the most accurate predictors of possible future risk attempts.  It has been estimated that about 10-15% of people who make contact with a healthcare service due to a first suicide attempt eventually die by suicide, the risk being greatest during the first year after an attempt. The White Paper  The Health of the Nation (1992) outlined the health strategy for England, and recognised mental health as one of the five main areas in which targets were set for ensuring improvements in peoples health. The aims/targets focused on decreasing the total rate of suicide by at about 15% by 2000 and declining suicides of people with severe mental disorders by at least 33%. Those people, who have previously attempted to commit suicide, are mainly at risk as they are more likely to repeat their actions until they are successful. Furthermore a good indicator could be those who have a history of suicide attempts within the family. Suicidal thoughts do play any important part in depression and those individuals who have symptoms of depression are therefore more likely to be at risk, in particular if they express a sense of despair about the future or see no point in life. Research studies have shown good indication that both people with mental illnesses and some people with medical disorders, for example heart disease and cancer, are associated with an increased risk of suicide. Functional mental disorders such as depression and bipolar disorders are associated with the highest risk overall; substance misuse and organic disorders are associated with a lesser degree of risk. On average, people with reoccurring depression have a 15-20% increased risk of suicide; people living with schizophrenia have a 10-15% increased risk. These figures may be rough estimates but, as many who die by suicide may have been experiencing undiagnosed depressive illness. The most common mental illnesses which cause suicide are depression and schizophrenia where in depression the mental health foundation estimates that about 70% of suicides are due to those in a depressive state (Foundation, 1997). Depression is known to result in suicidal thoughts and indeed suicidal ideation is an important element in the diagnosis of depression. There is link made where the risk of committing suicide does increase with deeper the depression. However suicidal rates do increase when a individual comes out of a depressive state and energy levels and motivation become greater. Schizophrenia was the also one of the most leading causes of death a study which was shown by the World Health Organization (WHO). Depression is generally the main factor leading to suicide in schizophrenia; however it is the hopelessness about ones future that actually leads to suicide. Therefore certain strategies to help prevent suicides in people with mental health problems can involve: (Health D. o., 2002) Using a Care Programme Approach for those who have severe mental illnesses and a history of self-harm Have local arrangements for information sharing between criminal justice agencies Carry out follow-up sessions within a week of discharge for people with severe mental illnesses or a known history of self-harm Use of atypical antipsychotic medication to be made available for all patients with severe mental illness who are non-compliant with typical drugs due to side effects Promotion of access to services for people in crisis and their families Adequate staff training in the management of risk, every three years Prompt access to services for people in crisis and their families Strategies for dual diagnosis entailing management of substance misuse services Specialised care plans specifying actions to take if a patient is non-compliant or fails to attend Assertive outreach teams to prevent loss of contact with vulnerable and high-risk patients The prevention of suicide in patients with mental health problems is not an easy task, as we have seen there is no single route to achieving these targets for reducing deaths by suicide, since the factors associated with suicide are many and varied.

William Wordsworths Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey Ess

William Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" Whereas most individuals tend to see nature as a playhouse that should alter and self-destruct to their every need, William Wordsworth had a very different view. Wordsworth perceived nature as a sanctuary where his views of life, love, and his creator were eventually altered forever. The intensity of Wordsworth's passion for nature elevated him from a boy into the inspiring man and poet in which he is recognized to be today. One of the most compelling works Wordsworth ever devised was that of "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey." The poem enlightens the reader on the awesome power and depth of nature, which Wordsworth has discovered in his trials and tribulations upon the earth. Thus, to fully understand the significance of nature in all lives told through "Lines Composed A few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" one must understand the setting and mood, as well as comprehend the rhyme scheme, and use of many diverse poetic devices that interact within the poem. One is able to gain insight into "Lines Composed a Few Lines Above Tintern Abbey" by first trying to understand the mood and setting of the poem. Although it "is a miniature of the long poem Wordsworth never quite wrote" (Robyn Young p.409) it lacked nothing as far as depth and intensity goes. Wordsworth was very skilled in such areas, although his writing may be come very complex it is said that it was a result of "the spontaneous overflow of emotion" (Gale Net). Wordsworth wrote this poem, as cited by Wordsworth without "any part of it was written down till I reached Bristol" (F.W. Bateson p.191). Wordsworth was a firm believer that man should ?find an immanent force that unites them with their physical and spiritual environments? (Jan Shoemaker p.1). As Wordsworth revisits this beloved place of his (Tintern Abbey) he is reminded of how he once perceived this sanctuary. Wordsworth attempts to compare and contrast two worlds, Brian Barbour states ?Wordsworth?s basic strategy is to a ppeal to the spiritual while remaining entirely within the natural order?(Barbour p.154). When he was a young child he came to this valley using it as his own personal playground. He never gave nature the respect and praise that it so deserved. He just saw nature through a young child?s eyes; he saw a tree in which to climb, grass in which wa... ...pt. The reader viewpoint of nature in a sense is altered, as Wordsworth is erudite about the wonders of our mother nature. One must learn to live in harmony with nature to fully understand our true character and to enjoy the gracious gifts of natural world that have so graciously bestowed upon us all. Works Cited Barbour, Brian. "Between Two Worlds." Nineteenth-Century Literature. California Press (1993): 14 7-168 Bateson, F.W. Wordsworth a Re-Interpretation. London: Lowe and Brydone (Printers) Limited, 1956. Bloom, Harold. Bloom's Major Poets. Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Gill, Stephen. A Life. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Hartman, Geoffery H. The Unremarkable Wordsworth. Vol. 34. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 1987. Shoemaker, Jan. Bill and Gus. [Online] http://FirstSearch.oclc.org. Jan 27, 2000. Wordsworth, William. Detroit: Gale Company, 1999. [Online] Exploring Poetry. Feb 22, 2000. Wordsworth, William. Lines Composed. [Online] http://www.library.com/poems, Feb 29, 2000 Young, Robyn V. Poetry Criticism. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale Company, 1992

Erik Erikson’s Adolescent Theory and James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Ar

Each experience and interaction has an effect on the development of the person as an adult and shapes them into the personality and even physical appearance they will take on as they mature. Those with the strongest influence, namely family, religious figures, and others whom one comes in frequent contact with will have the greatest effect on a developing being. It is between the stage of childhood and adulthood that the most change takes place. This position, called adolescence, is the state of a person coming of age yet not completely independent, it is this state that the psychologist Erik Erikson’s adolescent theory becomes prominent. â€Å"Erikson was an ego psychologist. He emphasized the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within the ego itself.†(McLeod) It is Erikson’s theory that brought about the thought of an identity crisis that occurs in this stage of life. According to Erikson’s thought of identity diffusion ther e are four major components; intimacy, diffusion of time perspective, diffusion of industry, and negative identity. These can each be found in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as each of these factors are clearly represented in the novel. The first component mentioned by Erikson is the notion of intimacy which is shown through the relations taking place between the main character of Artist and his sexual partners in his adolescence. In the novel the main character, Stephen, begins as a young catholic boy who is then put through school and as his family begins to lose money he must be removed to a less expressive school so his father can continue to pay the tuition fees for his education. Stephen becomes increasingly embarrassed by his family situation and the ... ...my identity, who I want to be, and what my values are. Works Cited Cherry, Kendra. "Intimacy Versus Isolation." About. N.p., 2014. Web. 4 May 2014. . second Jones, Cheryl. "Identity and Adolescents: How Adults Can Help." NCYL. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. . fifth Luyckx, Koen, et al. "Time Perspective and Identity Formation: Short-Term Longitudinal Dynamics in College Students." N.d. MS. Third McLeod, Saul. "Erik Erikson." Simply Psychology. N.p., 2008. Web. 4 May 2014. . first Sen, Suvarna. "ADOLESCENCE: A PERIOD OF STRESS AND STRAIN." Mental Health Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. . Fourth Erik Erikson’s Adolescent Theory and James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Ar Each experience and interaction has an effect on the development of the person as an adult and shapes them into the personality and even physical appearance they will take on as they mature. Those with the strongest influence, namely family, religious figures, and others whom one comes in frequent contact with will have the greatest effect on a developing being. It is between the stage of childhood and adulthood that the most change takes place. This position, called adolescence, is the state of a person coming of age yet not completely independent, it is this state that the psychologist Erik Erikson’s adolescent theory becomes prominent. â€Å"Erikson was an ego psychologist. He emphasized the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within the ego itself.†(McLeod) It is Erikson’s theory that brought about the thought of an identity crisis that occurs in this stage of life. According to Erikson’s thought of identity diffusion ther e are four major components; intimacy, diffusion of time perspective, diffusion of industry, and negative identity. These can each be found in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as each of these factors are clearly represented in the novel. The first component mentioned by Erikson is the notion of intimacy which is shown through the relations taking place between the main character of Artist and his sexual partners in his adolescence. In the novel the main character, Stephen, begins as a young catholic boy who is then put through school and as his family begins to lose money he must be removed to a less expressive school so his father can continue to pay the tuition fees for his education. Stephen becomes increasingly embarrassed by his family situation and the ... ...my identity, who I want to be, and what my values are. Works Cited Cherry, Kendra. "Intimacy Versus Isolation." About. N.p., 2014. Web. 4 May 2014. . second Jones, Cheryl. "Identity and Adolescents: How Adults Can Help." NCYL. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. . fifth Luyckx, Koen, et al. "Time Perspective and Identity Formation: Short-Term Longitudinal Dynamics in College Students." N.d. MS. Third McLeod, Saul. "Erik Erikson." Simply Psychology. N.p., 2008. Web. 4 May 2014. . first Sen, Suvarna. "ADOLESCENCE: A PERIOD OF STRESS AND STRAIN." Mental Health Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. . Fourth

Crazy Horse :: essays research papers fc

Crazy Horse When I think back of the stories that I have heard about howthe Native American Indians were driven from their land andforced to live on the reservations one particular event comes tomy mind. That event is the Battle of the Little Big Horn. It isone of the few times that the Oglala Sioux made history with thembeing the ones who left the battlefield as winners. When storiesare told, or when the media dares to tamper with history, it isusually the American Indians who are looked upon as the bad guys.They are portrayed as savages who spent their time raiding wagontrains and scalping the white settlers just for fun. The mediahas lead us to believe that the American government was forced totake the land from these savage Indians. We should put the blamewhere it belongs, on the U.S. Government who lied, cheated, andstole from the Oglala forcing Crazy Horse, the great war chief,and many other leaders to surrender their nation in order to savethe lives of their people. In the nin eteenth century the most dominant nation in thewestern plains was the Sioux Nation. This nation was divided intoseven tribes: Oglala's, Brule', Minneconjou, Hunkpapa, No Bow,Two Kettle, and the Blackfoot. Of these tribes they had differentband. The Hunkpatila was one band of the Oglala's . One of the greatest war chiefs of all times came from thisband. His name was Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was not given this name, on his birth date inthe fall of 1841. He was born of his father, Crazy Horse anOglala holy man, and his mother a sister of a Brule' warrior,Spotted Tail. As the boy grew older his hair was wavy so his people gave him the nickname of Curly . He was togo by Curly until the summer of 1858, after a battle with theArapaho's. Curly's brave charged against the Arapaho's led hisfather to give Curly the name Crazy Horse. This was the name ofhis father and of many fathers before him . In the 1850's, the country where the Sioux Nation lived, wasbeing invaded by the white settlers. Th is was upsetting for manyof the tribes. They did not understand the ways of the whites.When the whites tore into the land with plows and hunted thesacred buffalo just for the hides this went against the moraleand religious beliefs of the Sioux. The white government began tobuild forts. In 1851, Fort Laramie was built along the NorthPlatte river in Sioux territory .

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 8

â€Å"It was seriously creepy,† said Bonnie. They had al bundled into Matt's car, Elena hopping onto Stefan's lap and Meredith onto Alaric's (which, Bonnie had noted, Dr. Celia had seemed less than thril ed by). Then they'd hurried back to the boardinghouse, looking for counsel. Once there, they'd al crowded into the parlor and spil ed out the story to Mrs. Flowers, talking over one another in their excitement. â€Å"First Celia's name – in my blood – appearing out of nowhere,† Bonnie went on, â€Å"and then there's this weird accident that could have killed her, and then Meredith's name appears, too. It was al just real y, real y creepy.† â€Å"I'd put it a bit more strongly than that,† Meredith said. Then she arched an elegant eyebrow. â€Å"Bonnie, this is no doubt the first time I've ever complained you weren't being dramatic enough.† â€Å"Hey!† Bonnie objected. â€Å"There you go,† Elena joked. â€Å"Keep looking on the bright side. The latest insanity is making Bonnie low-key.† Matt shook his head. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers, do you know what's happening?† Mrs. Flowers, seated in a cozy corner chair of the parlor, smiled and patted him on the shoulder. She'd been knitting when they came in, but had laid the pink bundle of yarn aside and had fixed her calm blue eyes on them with her ful attention as they told their story. â€Å"Dear Matt,† she said. â€Å"Always straight to the point.† Poor Celia had been sitting on the couch by Alaric and Meredith, looking stunned since they'd arrived. It was one thing to study the supernatural, but the reality of a vampire, mysteriously appearing names, and a brush with death must have been a shock to her system. Alaric had a reassuring arm around her shoulders. Bonnie thought maybe the arm should have been around Meredith's shoulders. After al , Meredith's name had just shown up in the scarf's folds. But Meredith was just sitting there, watching Alaric and Celia, her face composed, her eyes unreadable. Now Celia leaned forward and spoke for the first time. â€Å"Pardon me,† she said politely, her voice shaking a bit, â€Å"but I don't understand why we've brought this†¦ this issue to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off as her eyes flickered to Mrs. Flowers. Bonnie knew what she meant. Mrs. Flowers looked like the epitome of a sweet, dotty elderly lady: soft flyaway gray hair drawn back in a bun, a politely vague expression, a wardrobe that leaned toward pastels or shabby blacks, and a habit of muttering quietly, apparently to herself. A year ago, Bonnie herself had thought Mrs. Flowers was just the crazy old woman who ran the boardinghouse where Stefan lived. But appearances could be deceptive. Mrs. Flowers had earned the respect and admiration of every one of them by the way she had protected the town with her magic, Power, and good sense. There was a lot more to this little old lady than met the eye. â€Å"My dear,† said Mrs. Flowers firmly, â€Å"you've had a very traumatic experience. Drink your tea. It's a special calming blend that's been passed down in my family for generations. We wil do everything we can for you.† Which, Bonnie observed, was a very sweet and ladylike way of putting Dr. Celia Connor in her place. She was to drink her tea and recuperate, and they would figure out how to solve the problem. Celia's eyes flashed, but she sipped her tea obediently. â€Å"Now,† Mrs. Flowers said, looking around at the others, â€Å"it seems to me that the first thing to do is to figure out what the intention is behind the appearance of the names. Once we do that, perhaps we wil have a better idea of who might be behind their appearance.† â€Å"Maybe to warn us?† Bonnie said hesitantly. â€Å"I mean, Celia's name appeared, and then she almost died, and now Meredith†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off and she looked at Meredith apologetical y. â€Å"I'm worried you might be in danger.† Meredith squared her shoulders. â€Å"It certainly wouldn't be the first time,† she said. Mrs. Flowers nodded briskly. â€Å"Yes, it's possible that the appearance of the names has a benevolent intention. Let's explore that theory. Someone may be trying to get a warning to you. If so, who? And why do they have to do it in this way?† Bonnie's voice was even softer and more hesitant now. But if no one else was going to say it, she would. â€Å"Could it be Damon?† â€Å"Damon's dead,† Stefan said flatly. â€Å"But when Elena was dead, she warned me about Klaus,† Bonnie argued. Stefan massaged his temples. He looked tired. â€Å"Bonnie, when Elena died, Klaus trapped her spirit between dimensions. She hadn't ful y passed away. And even then, she could only visit you in your dreams – not anyone else, just you, because you can sense things other people can't. She couldn't make anything happen in the physical world.† Elena's voice trembled. â€Å"Bonnie, the Guardians told us that vampires don't live on after death. In any sense of the word. Damon's gone.† Stefan reached out and took her hand, his eyes troubled. Bonnie felt a sharp stab of sympathy for them both. She was sorry she'd brought Damon up, but she hadn't been able to stop herself. The thought that he might be watching over them, irascible and mocking but ultimately kind, had briefly lifted the weight from her heart. Now that weight came crashing back down. â€Å"Wel ,† she said dul y, â€Å"then I don't have any idea who might be warning us. Does anybody else?† They al shook their heads, baffled. â€Å"Who even knows about us now that has this kind of power?† Matt asked. â€Å"The Guardians?† said Bonnie doubtful y. But Elena shook her head with a quick decisive motion, blond hair swinging. â€Å"It's not them,† she said. â€Å"The last thing they'd do is send a message in blood. Visions would be more their style. And I'm pretty sure the Guardians washed their hands of us when they sent us back here.† Mrs. Flowers interlocked her fingers in her lap. â€Å"So perhaps there is some as yet unknown person or being looking after you, warning you of danger ahead.† Matt had been sitting ramrod straight in one of Mrs. Flowers's daintier chairs, and it creaked alarmingly as he leaned forward. â€Å"Um,† he said. â€Å"I think the better question is, what's causing that danger?† Mrs. Flowers spread her smal , wrinkled hands. â€Å"You're perfectly right. Let's consider the options. On the one hand, it could be a warning for something that was natural y going to happen. Celia's – you don't mind if I cal you Celia, do you, dear?† Celia, stil looking shel -shocked, shook her head. â€Å"Good. Celia's scarf getting caught in the train doors could have been a natural accident. Forgive me for saying so, but those long, dramatic scarves can be very dangerous. The dancer Isadora Duncan was kil ed in just that way when her scarf caught in the wheel of a car many years ago. Perhaps whoever sent the message was simply raising a flag for Celia to be careful, or for the rest of you to take care of her. Perhaps Meredith merely needs to be cautious over the next few days.† â€Å"You don't think so, though, do you?† asked Meredith sharply. Mrs. Flowers sighed. â€Å"This al feels rather malevolent to me. I think if someone wanted to warn you about the possibility of accidents, they could find a better way than names written in blood. Both of these names appeared as the results of rather violent incidents, correct? Bonnie cutting herself and Stefan ripping the scarf from Celia's neck?† Meredith nodded. Looking troubled, Mrs. Flowers continued. â€Å"And, of course, the other possibility is that the appearance of the names is itself malicious. Perhaps the names' appearance is an essential ingredient in or targeting method for some spel that is causing the danger.† Stefan frowned. â€Å"You're talking about dark magic, aren't you?† Mrs. Flowers met his eyes squarely. â€Å"I'm afraid so. Stefan, you're the oldest and most experienced of us by far. I've never heard of anything like this, have you?† Bonnie felt a bit surprised. Of course, she knew that Stefan was much older than even Mrs. Flowers – after al , he'd been alive before electricity, or running water, or cars, or anything they took for granted in the modern world, while Mrs. Flowers was probably only in her seventies. But stil , it was easy to forget how long Stefan had lived. He looked just like any other eighteen-year-old, except that he was exceptional y handsome. A traitorous thought flickered at the back of her mind, one she'd had before: How was it that Elena always got al the best-looking guys? Stefan was shaking his head. â€Å"Nothing like this, no. But I think you're right that it may be dark magic. Perhaps, if you spoke to your mother about it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Celia, who was starting to take more of an interest in what was going on, looked at Alaric quizzical y. Then she cast a glance toward the door, as if expecting a hundredyear-old woman to wander in. Bonnie grinned to herself, despite the seriousness of the situation. They had al gotten so matter-of-fact about Mrs. Flowers's frequent conversations with the ghost of her mother that none of them blinked when Mrs. Flowers gazed off into space and started muttering rapidly, eyebrows lifting, eyes scanning unoccupied space as if someone unseen were speaking to her. But to Celia it must have seemed pretty strange. â€Å"Yes,† said Mrs. Flowers, returning her attention to them. â€Å"Mama says there is indeed something dark stirring in Fel ‘s Church. But† – her hands lifted, palms empty – â€Å"she cannot tel what form it takes. She simply warns us to be careful. Whatever it is, she can sense that it's deadly.† Stefan and Meredith frowned, taking this in. Alaric was murmuring to Celia, probably explaining what was going on. Matt bowed his head. Elena pushed on, already working on the next angle. â€Å"Bonnie, what about you?† she asked. â€Å"Huh?† Bonnie asked. Then she realized what Elena meant. â€Å"No. Nuh-uh. I'm not going to know anything Mrs. Flowers's mother doesn't.† Elena just looked at her, and Bonnie sighed. This was important, after al . Meredith's name was next, and if there was one thing that was true, it was that she and Meredith and Elena had one another's backs. Always. â€Å"Al right,† she said reluctantly. â€Å"I'l see if I can find out anything else. Can you light me a candle?† â€Å"What now?† Celia asked in confusion. â€Å"Bonnie's psychic,† Elena explained simply. â€Å"Fascinating,† Celia said brightly, but her eyes slid, cool and disbelieving, across Bonnie. Wel , whatever. Bonnie didn't care what she thought. She could assume that Bonnie was pretending or crazy if she wanted to, but she'd see what happened eventual y. Elena brought a candle over from its spot on the mantel, lit it, and placed it on the coffee table. Bonnie swal owed, licked her lips, which were suddenly dry, and tried to focus on the candle flame. Although she'd had plenty of practice, she didn't like doing this, didn't like the sensation of losing herself, as if she were sliding underwater. The flame flickered and grew brighter. It seemed to swel and fil Bonnie's field of vision. Al she could see was flame. I know who you are, a cold, rough voice suddenly growled in her ear, and Bonnie twitched. She hated the voices, sometimes as soft as if they were coming from a distant television, sometimes right beside her, like this one. She somehow always managed to forget them until the next time she began to fal into a trance. A faraway child's voice began a wordless off-key humming, and Bonnie focused on making her breathing slow and steady. She could feel her eyes slipping out of focus. A sour taste, wet and nasty, fil ed her mouth. Envy twisted, sharp and bitter, inside her. It's not fair, not fair, something muttered sul enly in her skul . And then blackness took over. Elena watched apprehensively as Bonnie's pupils widened, reflecting the candle flame. Bonnie was able to sink into trances much more quickly now than when she had begun having them, which worried Elena. â€Å"Darkness rises.† A flat, hol ow voice that didn't sound anything like Bonnie's came from her friend's mouth. â€Å"It's not here yet, but it wants to be. It's cold. It's been cold for a long time. It wants to be near us, out of the darkness and as warm as our hearts. It hates.† â€Å"Is it a vampire?† asked Meredith quickly. The not-Bonnie voice gave a harsh, choking laugh. â€Å"It's much stronger than any vampire. It can find a home in any of you. Watch one another. Watch yourselves.† â€Å"What is it?† asked Matt. Whatever it was that spoke through Bonnie hesitated. â€Å"She doesn't know,† said Stefan. â€Å"Or she can't tel us. Bonnie,† he said intently, â€Å"is someone bringing this thing to us? Who's causing it?† No hesitation this time. â€Å"Elena,† it said. â€Å"Elena brought it.†

Ethics Essay – Fourth Estate

Media spotlight has the ability to change people’s lives dramatically, in some cases it is accidental, every day people minding their own business and as a consequence of being involved in an incident which resulted in either an inspiring or devastating outcome which resulted the private lives being thrust into the media spotlight. Whilst other people who have obtained media attention due to their public appointment have had the same experience, their lives altered dramatically due to media’s invasion of their privacy in the name of public interest. The Fourth Estate, a name given to the media who traditionally have been charged as the custodian for public interest, the publics watch dog, their responsibility to the public sphere is to warn us, some times educate us and they have the ability to entertain us, they also ensure that people exercising power are kept in check and held accountable. However, there is a debate looming, is it possible that today’s Media, are the one’s who now need to kept in check and made accountable. The Australian Law Reform Commission, have put the Unfair Publication Defamation and Privacy legislation back on the agenda, as they believe the public are having their privacy scrutinized not for interest of the public, but for public interest. Having the legislation back on the agenda has caused much angst of the media industry, who strongly believe any more statute regulations will threaten to undermine the viability of the Fourth Estate. Overall, this essay will argue that, any new legislation will only benefit the Law profession, if the media truly believe that the Fourth Estate, whilst not constitutional, it has played an important role in our democracy over time, is worth fighting for so, it does not become invalid due to new regulation, they must admit to themselves that because of their fascination with the private behavior of public figures, the public are voicing their concern with this fascination and the methods used by the media industry, the current reporting methods seem to have actually started to undermine the ideals of the highly regarded custom of The Fourth Estate. However, the media industry now have a great opportunity, if they want stay free of any new regulation, they need to regain public trust and be true to their democratic role as the guardian of public interest, they will need to start accepting the responsibility for the current practices and become more accountable to the self regulation systems currently in place. Since some work practices employed by media outlets have over time damaged the industry’s image, especially in the eyes of the public who no longer have trust in both Journalists and media industry, the lack of trust causes a problem as the media are supposed to act as a protector in the public interest. When did the attitude of the public change? And what role does a Journalist now play in our democratic society? What is more important is how can journalists end the conflicting obligations when it comes to ethical behavior. Fundamentally the role of a Journalist has not changed, their role is to warn us, inform us, educate and entertain us. (Conley, D & Lamble, S. 2006 The Daily Miracle an introduction to Journalism. P3). Journalists have an obligation to seek and defend and even extend the public sphere, (Stockwell,S. Beyond the fourth estate,1999 Democracy, deliberation and Journalism Theory, Australian Journalism Review 21(1), pp. 37-49). The phrase Public Sphere is a term which describes an area in social life where people can get together and freely discuss and identify problems in society and through that discussion influence political action. (Hartley, J. Communication, Cultural and Media Studies (2007), The Key Concepts. P191). In the latter part of the 20th Century, Journalists fulfilled their role as protector of the public sphere, The Fourth Estate played an important role as Catharine Lumby explains, the reason why the Fourth Estate played an import role was that issues which had lain dormant for years surfaced, partly because a host of political movements expanded during this period, the scope of issues that were once considered purely private matters such as domestic violence and sexual harassment were being voiced in the public sphere, (Lumby, C 1998, Twisted Tales, Private lives caught in the eyes of the public storm, AG, Sept-Oct). However, this was not sustained, Julianne Schultz warned in 1998 that a backlash was building, the publics opinion was changing, The Fourth Estate type of investigative stories that was so popular in the 1980’s were not appealing to the public as they once were, people were drawn to the appeal of big personalities, glamour, the good guys and bad guys, the types of stories that you would normally have seen only in soap operas. The fourth Estate Type of stories were easier to by pass, media anagements grew tired of the costs involved in substantial investigative stories, the temptation was to go with the entertainment type stories, this made money, making money made it easier to forgo challenging and demanding Fourth Estate stories. (Schultz, J Reviving the Fourth Estate, 1998. P230-31). According to Catharine Lumby, lower standards of news reporting is the coming age of the media, However, these sources of news and gossip have an increasing impact on what makes it to the mainstream media. The issues that were brought out into the public sphere like sexual harassment and domestic violence are now the reason why media can not separate the private and the public. (Lumby. C, Twisted Private Lives caught in the eye of the public storm, AG. September-October. P35). With the emergence of the new media a principle dilemma now existed in the media industry, which is more important, stories of public interest or stories that interest the public over a decade stories such as a Princess driven to her death by Maniacal paparazzi, Reality TV shows, radio hosts showered with vats of cash for editoral comment, ethics were hardly out of the media (Probyn, E. & Lumby, C. Remote Control New Media, New Ethics. P1). The public have been losing faith in the Journalist profession for some time, because of unethical behavior of some reporter’s the public consider them untrustworthy. This untrusting of this profession has been gaining momentum for some time, as far back as January 2004 Roy Morgan released the results of an annual survey to establish which profession is considered to be the most ethical and honest, the findings are based on the results of surveying over 600 people. The findings found Journalists are ranked the third lowest on the list. Morgan, G Roy Morgan Research, finding no 3701, 2004. www. roymorgan. com/news/pols/2004/3701). Ethics are important, they help raise standards and are used in different professions, ethics reinforces respect for others Michael Anderson conducted a survey to find our how Journalism ethics rate in the quest of news. David Conley believes, Journalists face three sometimes conflicting obligations when considering privacy: getting the news out, showing compassion and educating society (Cronley,D & Lambie, S 2006,p386). Reading the MEAA code of ethics, clause 11 states clearly, Journalists should respect private grief and personal privacy. Journalists have the right to resist compulsion to intrude. According to Ralph Potter, Journalists should ensure that their first alliance is always the public when making a decision if faced with an ethical dilemma. (Potter, R. Potter Box. Pg2 ) Their role is to help ensure the health of the democratic processes, Journalism, properly understood is a necessary part of holding power to account (Chadwick,P. Fame, Media, Privacy , ACP public forum. P,6)