Environment degradation Essay

This is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources for instance water, soil and even air. In environmental degradation, the ecosystem is destroyed and wildlife undergoes extinction. There are many forms of environmental degradation that are of negative impact to agriculture. For instance, when habitats are destroyed, biodiversity is lost and natural resources are depleted. The environment is most affected as organisms which give it life are no more (Schertenleib, Forster & Belevi, n. d). The earthworms that enrich soil fertility are killed by soil pollution. This means that if earthworms are all eliminated, the soil will not be fertile. The degradation of the environment can occur naturally, or through human processes which includes different kinds of pollution. Areas of concern in the same concept are loss of rain forests, air pollutions and the ozone depletion. The marine environment is also affected. These kinds of pollutions are known to occur all over the world and the blame is on the people themselves for the activities they carry out. This has poisoned the planet’s oceans and even the remote areas. Major disasters like oil spills have ruined the local environment. All these hazards can be curbed by individuals by stopping the constant pollution of the environment. To some extents, different organizations have been formed to help rehabilitate locations that have been affected. One way to do this is urban agriculture. With urban agriculture, the environment can be conserved since the wastes from industries can be converted to be fertilizers in the farms around the cities. Statistical facts It is estimated that 50% of the world’s populations live in cities (UNFPA, 2007). In the cities, most populations settle there for various reasons such as studies and seeking for employment. As economic pressures mount, the urban population engages in urban agriculture as labor is available with large population in urban centers. The growing of crops and rearing of animals in the urban areas has become common. About 800 million people are involved in urban agriculture world wide and this has contributed to the feeding urban residents (Schertenleib, Forster & Belevi, n. d). It is definite that with food production or rather the general production of farm outputs, the city residents can get a plenty supply of food in their respective areas of residence. With large populations in the cities and with plenty food products from urban agriculture, there will not be any instance of food deficiency. Urban residents with low income spend between 40 percent and 60 percent of their income on food every year (RUAF, n. d). The only remedy to this is that these low income residents can start practicing urban agriculture to supplement the expenditures on food. If they participate in urban agriculture, they will be able to save up to 60% of their incomes at the end of each year (Neondo, 2003). The money they would have spent on buying food can be saved and used to develop other areas of the economy. This means a lot of to the growth of the economy of the particular country. It is expected that by 2015, about 26 cities in the world will have a population of 10 million or even more (FAO, n. d). To be able to manage these populations, countries are obliged to concentrate in urban agriculture because they have little choices left. It is therefore encouraged for urban dwellers to practice heavily on urban agriculture, with an objective of keeping the country away from food shortage come 2015(FAO, n. d). 2. The spectrum of urban agriculture and the function of relevant organizations Urban agriculture has some aspects that distinguish it from rural agriculture. One of them is the fact that it is integrated into the urban economic and ecological system. It is evident that urban agriculture is embedded in the urban ecosystem of which it interacts with. Such linkages involve using urban residents as laborers and the use of typical urban resources for instance organic waste as compost and urban waste water for irrigation. In urban agriculture, there is a direct link with urban consumers and direct positive and negative impacts on urban ecology (Amin, 2002). Urban agriculture is also characterized by being part of the urban food system and competing for urban land with other urban functions. It is also influenced by other urban policies and plans. Some of the organizations that influence urban agriculture both directly and indirectly are Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA), and the Resource Centers on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF Foundation)

Coca Cola Essay

Historically, many companies and corporations have received recognition for their growth and success over time. However, although praised, discoveries of controversial issues lead consumers to question various companies’ ethics and operations. Coca-Cola, or simple coke, has existed for over a century, originating in Atlanta, Georgia in 1892, and eventually expanding and providing drinks internationally. Today, the company produces concentrate, which then sells to Coke licensed bottlers internationally; and ultimately ending up sold to retail stores and vending machines for consumers to purchase. Along with the regular â€Å"coke†, the company has also been able to produce other cola branded drinks including water, energy drinks and coffee. The most common of all, Diet Coke; others include Caffeine-Free Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coke Cherry, Coke Zero and Coke Vanilla. All of which could be found in over 200 countries within the year 2013, with consumers drinking at the least 1.8 million servings each day, according to the book, Citizen Coke: An Environmental and Political History of the Coke Company (Elmore p. 717). However, while extremely popular and high in demand, the Coke Company has faced much controversial issues from the public in India throughout its years of growth. Out of every country that Coke operates in, India has the fastest growing market (KillerCoke). From the start of production in 1999 to present day, Coke has spent $2 billion and will continue to spend an addition $5 billion in India. According to the article Coke rejigs bottling arm management, Coke has a plan to pursue expansion for the following few years (until 2020) in India with the plan to double their revenues to $200 billion (TOI). India is among the top seven markets globally for Coke, the CEO of Hindustan Coke stated â€Å"we have made significant investments in the marketplace and as we get ready to further accelerate growth, it is very important to develop a high quality talent pipelines. This team will work closely with Coke India to achieve our 2020 vision.† Part of their expansion was focused on a plan t in Mehdiganj, India. The emerging markets with Coke like India and China will result in about 60% of the incremental sales volume growth (TOI). According to the book Business and its Environment, 80 percent of the world’s population lives in emerging markets countries, and 90 percent of the world’s population growth will be in these countries over the next 30 years (Baron p.477) The start of production for a few of their bottlers in India has raised issues because of  Coke’s use of the water supply of nearby villages. Amit Srivastaba, of the India Resource Center, a center that works to support movements against corporate globalization in India said, â€Å"Three communities in India — Plachimada in Kerala, Wada in Maharashtra and Mehdiganj in Uttar Pradesh — are experiencing severe water shortages as a result of Coke’s mining of the majority of the common groundwater resources around its facilities (KillerCoke).† One of their issues comes from its production in Mehdiganj, near Varanasi, India, that has been in operation since 1999, and has been the center of attention in many surrounding villages since 2003 and especially after Coke announced that they are planning to expand by $25 million. In August of 2012, according to the article Coke Abandons Expansion Plans in India Because of Water, the company halted their plans to expand in Mehdiganj because of a delay in a no-objection certificate and locals becoming concerned about environmental dangers (The Wire). Organizations such as the India Resource Center and others who organize protests increase the awareness of issues, and therefore private regulation have been made an alternative to government regulations. As a result, the strategy Coke had all along failed to see through when the locals did not approve of their actions. If Coke does not have an affective nonmarket strategy in place for their activities in other countries, major opportunities can close when issues of any kind arise. A nonmarket strategy is important to avoid government regulations and to keeping the company’s opportunities open. Aside from the government, the company’s opportunities can also be controlled by private politics such as protests, public criticism, interest groups as well as public sentiment towards the company. (Baron p.31). The other factor that can affect opportunities is moral concerns, which Coke seems to be going through this issue right now. Coke should formulate a policy that oversees the use of water in India, which is the major concern of groups in private politics. Interest groups that are in play from the surrounding villages in India include: anti-coke nongovernmental activist groups, Varanasi-based activist, environmentalist, politicians, farmers and the villagers that have created lives in sur rounding areas. Leading from within these interest groups is The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board; a statutory organization entrusted to implement Environmental Laws and rules within the jurisdiction of the state  of Uttar Pradesh, India (UPPCB). The Control Board had found that Coke violated a number of conditions of its license that had to do with the use of water. The company had not yet obtained clearance for the extraction of groundwater from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), a government agency that monitors and regulates the process in water-stressed areas (The economic Times). But Coke had some objections to these accusations. According to Coke, a Central Ground Water Authority report from 2012 stated that the reduction of groundwater in the area was not due to their company. According to the article UP pollution board shuts down Coke’s Varanasi unit, the maker of sprite said in a statement that the plant in Mehdiganj has complied with regulatory approvals and applicable laws in India (The Economic Times). Despite these statements, according to the Central Ground Water Authority, the groundwater in Mehdiganj has gone from â€Å"safe† back in 1999 when Coke got back into operating in India to â€Å"critical† in 2009. The closure order by the Central Ground Water Authority stated that Coke increased its production capacity from 20,000 cases to 36,000 cases a day without the board’s permission. Similar to this problem was one in 2004, when one of the 68 Coke plant in Plachimada, Kerala was shut down over accusations that the operation led to the reduction of groundwater (see Exhibit #1). The company faces legislation holding it liable for $47 million in damages (The Economic Times). Initially, Coke had looked beneficial for the local economy, but then the regulations and protesters hit the company as a result from the critically low levels of water. Although this may have halted the company’s expansion plan of $25 million into Varanasi, Coke is seeking permission from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board to expand into Mehdiganj. With authorization, they will increase productivity by opening a second bottling line. However, the struggle continues as the recent closure has already inspired other protest to start, starting problems down the company’s future operations in their bottling factories. Over 10 years ago, a protest by farmers and anti-globalization activist successfully launched a â€Å"Quit India† campaign in order to stop Coke’s expansion into Varanasi. Many villages are saying big companies like Coke are coming into India and using their drinking water, even when levels are critically low for basic living consumption (see Exhibit #2). According to  the article Coke has a bottler of a headache in India; the level of water for the villagers became even lower as Coke proceeds to operate in India. Amar Signh Rathor, a farmer in the village Mehdiganj, has noticed the continuous decline of water levels by simply observing his own well. Within three years, the water level below his water table has fallen by over 18 meters. Most of the population of Mehdiganj (approximately 10,000 people) blamed Coke for the shocking decrease in their water supply (Sydney Morning Herald P.13). The plant that is to blame is at the edge of the village. A villager named Shakuntala Devi said, â€Å"If the Coke plant isn’t closed it will be impossible to live here (Sydney Morning Herald P.13).† Coke violates human rights for the people of India by taking their water and in the process they damage the environment. According to the article Coke’s Crimes in India, they are draining a vast majority of groundwater from farms and turning farming communities into virtual desserts. These farmers livelihood that have been destroyed have resulted in a increase of suicide, and everyday for many years now, there are protests of some sort, big or small, against Coke’s abuse in India (KillerCoke). On November 24, 2004, a protest outside of the Mehdiganj plant broke out and quickly turned violent. Multiple villagers had attempted to break the barrier of the police in order to reach Coke property, resulting in a defensive attack in return from the police. Organizers stated that there were approximately 2,000 people – mainly woman and youth – who took part in the protest, although Coke reported a much smaller number. This was the first of many protests to start, even though they were at a smaller scale. In this protest alone, two hundred villagers were reportedly arrested during the brawl (Sydney Morning Herald P.13). According to the article Indian villagers want Coke plant shut amid water fears, later in June of 2007, four hundred people marched and rallied at the Varanasi district magistrate’s (DM) office, demanding that the Coke bottling plant in Mehdiganj be shut down effective immediately. Within the four hundred, included people from twenty different villages, all of who submitted a letter to the district magistrate, Vina Kumari Meena, drawing attention to the water shortage and pollution of groundwater and land caused  by Coke’s operation. The letter demanded that the operation be shut down (Monitoring South Asia). Due to the severity of the situation, the director of The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) declared the water issues in India as â€Å"dark zoned†. A â€Å"dark zone† category infers that ground water resources are over-exploited, and more than 85 percent of the total recharging of ground water resources is being extracted, which resulted in all new underground installations being approved by the government (BBC Monitoring South Asia). Accusations of unethical acts against the environment can lead to nongovernmental organizations forming, which affect the organization in question by mobilizing people to work for causes. â€Å"These groups have been instrumental in advancing the causes of environmental protection, health and safety protection for consumers, and civil and human rights (Baron p.75).† The lead of the campaign Lok Semiti (People’s Committee), a nongovernmental organization that is against Coke, Nandlal Master, said â€Å"When people themselves do not have enough water to meet their basic water needs, why should Coke be allowed to siphon hundreds of thousands of liters of water every day (BBC Monitoring South Asia)?† But the issues with Coke go beyond the use of water and its reduction impacting a majority of the villages. Coke provides waste product from their operation to farmers as fertilizers for their crops. A BBC study found that the fertilizer contains toxic chemicals, stating, â€Å"Dangerous levels of the known carcinogen cadmium have been found in the sludge produced from the plant in the southern state of Kerala (BBC news).† Face the Facts, an investigative journalism for BBC, sent presenter, John Waite, to further investigate the allegations. Part of the investigation consisted of sending a sludge sample to the University of Exeter in the UK, and the results were very alarming. The test revealed that the sludge was a useless fertilizer that contained the toxic metals cadmium and lead. David Santillo, a senior scientist at the university’s lab, affirmed that the levels of cadmium and lead have not only contaminated that sludge provided to the farmers, but the entire water supply as well. The levels are  way above those approved by the World Health Organization. Britain’s leading poison expert, professor John Henry, said, â€Å"The results have devastating consequences for those living near the areas where this waste has been dumped and for the thousands who depend on crops produced in these fields (BBC News).† The professor is correct to assume these consequences because cadmium is a poison that can accumulate in the kidneys and with repeat exposure it can cause kidney failure. Lead is also dangerous, and more to children than to anyone else. Even at low levels, lead can cause mental retardation and even anemia, a blood deficiency (BBC News). The professor also explains that with the levels of chemicals in the water, pregnant women in the villages in India consuming from the farm’s goods can fall vulnerable to miscarriages, stillbirths and premature births. After these alarming results, more test where conducted on the soft drinks. In the year 2003, the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE), a non-for-profit and nongovernmental organization based in New Delhi, India, tested 12 cold soft drinks (Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Mirinda Orang, Mirinda Lemon, Blue Pepsi, 7-Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Thumbs Up and of course Coke). The article, Pepsi, Coke contain pesticides: CSE, based in India was the one to write about the cold drinks, which included 2 big companies, Pepsi and Coke. Both companies failed health standards when both drinks tested positive for pesticides. The tests from three samples of each of these Pepsi and Coke brand drinks that was conducted by the Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML) of the Centre of Science and Environment showed that the samples contained residues of four very toxic pesticides and insecticides: lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos. These four pesticides are known to cause cancer, damage the nervous and reproductive system, and severely damage the immune system (Rediff) . These tests were conducted in the year 2003 from April to August with samples from across the city. The samples from Coke were found to contain pesticides that exceeded global standards by 30 times the limit at 0.0150 mg/l, with the EEC limit of total pesticides being at 0.0005 mg/l. Coke defended its position by saying their plants use a multiple barrier system to remove potential contaminants and unwanted natural substances including  iron, sulfur, heavy metals as well as pesticides, â€Å"Our products in India are safe and are tested regularly to ensure that they meet the same rigorous standards we maintain across the world (Rediff).† But despite these statements the citizens of India seem to believe the Centre of Science and Environment, as sales have been impacted in the so-called safe and high-quality drink and investors from the company in India have lost confidence (Coke India). Looking at the nonmarket issue cycle, Coke is way past the issue identification, interest group formation, legislation, and has now reached the Administration phase in India (see Exhibit #3). The issues were identified soon after they got back into India in 1999. Villagers, farmers and environmentalist noticed the problem, starting many groups interested in the closure of these factories, sparking the many protests stated above. Legislations already started within the Indian Parliament banning Coke drinks from its cafeterias. Amit Srivastaba, of the India Resource Center, stated that the ban came as a result of tests by the Indian government and private laboratories, which found high concentrations of pesticides and insecticides in the cola drinks (Indian Resource Center). If Coke wants to prevent their company from becoming the next Enron in the ethical sense, they need to take the right action now before they sink too low in unethical actions and laws of the government that are way out of their control start to enforce legislations. Enron was a energy company that was found out to be engaging in unethical marketing malpractices including; misrepresentation of reports regarding the financial position of the organization in order to continue from benefiting from the investments provided by the stakeholders, a false energy crisis to gain more money from investors and finally, executives of the company embezzled money from unsuspecting investors which led to the bankruptcy of the company. Coke’s name is a global brand that can definitely work its way out of the unethical characteristics in the communities of the countries it operates in by simply providing the same quality of goods around the world. So far, Coke’s way of handling the issues in India has been very questionable. Their strategy thus far is to globalize their company no  matter the cost, ethically and environmentally. Protesters from many interest groups have eliminated many opportunities for Coke and have been attacking the company for over exploitation and pollution of water that is already dangerously low. Interestingly, Coke responds with public relations scams, deceptive statements and points out awards of how they are corporate socially responsible (KillerCoke). The article Coke’s crimes in India further expands by saying that Coke stated, â€Å"For four consecutive years, Coke plants in India have won the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for environmental practices from the Institute of Directors, which grants the award in association with the World Environment Foundation.† Similar remarks were made in late 2005 when the company claimed to be recognized for being a ‘Water Efficient Unit’ by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) (KillerCoke). Coke continued on with their misleading information in 2007 at two Canadian college campuses about their activities in India and Colombia. Coke bragged that The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), described as â€Å"an Indian-based nonprofit research organization,† had â€Å"begun an assessment of our company’s water resource management practices in India (KillerCoke).† TERI is a respected Dehli-based nongovernmental organization with deep experience in sustainability issues, and Coke falsely stated they were working closely with them on their water management. However, Coke already began to make social responsibility a top priority by investing in new innovations and plant processes to help make more improvement moving forward. The Coke webpage of the UK indicates that outside of their plants they attempt to replenish more than 100 percent of the water that they use by creating rainwater harvesting structures, restoring ponds, and leading interventions that fo cus on improving water efficiency, among other things. And by 2012 they met their goal and exceeded it to 110 percent of water replenished throughout India (Coke UK). From the article Villagers to Coke: ‘Go away’; In India, foes claim company is depleting water supply, a Coke spokesman stated the shortage of monsoons in India from June to October is to blame for water depletion affecting India’s agriculture. Harry Ott, the director of Coke’s Global Center for Water Excellence said, â€Å"If the monsoons are good, these problems don’t come up.† Today in mehdiganj â€Å"the land around  Coke’s plant looks lush. Fields brim with mustard plants, potatoes, peppers, wheat and rice (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).† But the struggle continues as people focus more on the bad rather than the good. Coke like many other businesses focuses on the profitable side of their operation, without realizing the environmental damages it can cause to surrounding communities. When Coke is looking into the future of the company, it is looking to double their revenues more than working on a nonmarket strategy that will prevent interest groups from the communities they operate in to question the company’s morals. Doubling their revenues further proves that Coke, being the number one beverage company in the world, has some money to play with. In Kala Dera, protests are starting because of the lack in Coke’s corporate social responsibility, leading back to the use of water and the damage being done to the communities around it. In 2010, shareholders at a meeting taking place in Duluth, Georgia, were told by Amit Srivastaba of the India Resource center, â€Å"It is only a matter of time before the Coke company will be held financially and criminally liable for their operations in water-stressed areas in India.† He continued by stating â€Å"The company management is being seriously derelict in its duties by not acknowledging the real exten t of the liabilities Coke has incurred and continues to incur in India (KillerCoke).† By investing a few million dollars a year of the billions of earnings they have reached ever since the late nineteenth century when the company first got started, they will be showing the shareholders that Coke is doing something to get on the right track. Coke could start with compensation of the crops that farmers lost when they initially started to operate in India, and also assure the farmers that Coke is investing in new innovations to solve the water issue so it will not be a problem in the long-run. Also, Coke could invest into the education in India by opening new schools; increase awareness of diseases through nongovernmental programs, as well as investing in the communities in which their bottling factories reside. With the issues out for the public to read about, it should be an incentive for the company to not continue down this horrific path in developing countries. Other things Coke should considering doing for the sake of their image is stepping up in community service, donations focused to help clean up the streets that their distributors travel in, donations to nongovernment organization, show the public that  they are actually working to stop the shortage and contamination of water without spreading lies of what they are actually doing. One way to do is by continuing their activities so far to stop the shortage of water and further help the environment by planting trees. The article Trees Reduce Air Pollution mentions that trees can help with the gas pollutants from the factories by absorbing them through the pours in the leaf surface (DNR). Furthermore, the company can look to work with the nongovernmental organization TERI in efforts to better sustainability of water resources, instead of just talking about doing it because in the end actions speak louder than words. Bibliography â€Å"Coke rejigs bottling arm management.† The Times of India (TOI). (September 24, 2013 Tuesday ): 425 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15.Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board. June 5, 2014 â€Å"UP pollution board shuts down Coke’s Varanasi unit.† The Economic Times. (June 19, 2014 Thursday ): 430 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15. â€Å"Coke has a bottler of a headache in India.† Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). (February 17, 2005 Thursday ): 1181 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15. â€Å"Indian villagers want Coke plant shut amid water fears.† BBC Monitoring South Asia – Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring. (June 7, 2007 Thursday ): 622 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15. June 7, 2007 Thursday â€Å"Villagers to Coke: ‘Go away’; In India, foes claim company is depleting water supply .† The Atlanta Journal-Cons titution. (May 29, 2005 Sunday ): 1908 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2014/12/15. UP Pollution Control Board, Lucknow (UP Pollution Control Board, Lucknow). Was Accessed http://www.uppcb.com/ â€Å"Indian Resource Center. PRESS: Groundwater Levels Continue Downward Spiral Around Coke Plant.† March 11, 2010. Was Accessed http://www.indiaresource.org/news/2010/1001.html India Resource Center. Coke – Mehdiganj – The Issues. March 7, 2013. http://www.indiaresource.org/campaigns/coke/2013/mehdiganjfact.html Ray Rogers. â€Å"Coke’s Crimes in India.† Campaign to Stop Killer Coke | Coke’s Crimes in India. Killer Coke. Was Accessed http://killercoke.org/crimes_india.php Was Accessed http://www.cseindia.org/ â€Å"Pepsi, Coke contain pesticides: CSE.† Was Accessed. http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/aug/05pepsicoke.htm Coke India. Was Accessed http://www.Cokeindia.com/facts&myths/varanasi.html Coke India. Was Accessed http://www.Cokeindia.com â€Å"Easy Guide to Understanding ENRON Scandal Summary.† (Enron Scandal Summary). 2013 Was Accessed http://finance.laws.com/enron-scandal-summary â€Å"Coca‑Cola’s water is used responsibly in its operations in India : FAQ (Coke GB).† 2010. Was Accessed http://www.Coke.co.uk/faq/community/responsible-Coke-water-use-in-operations-in-india.html â€Å"Trees Reduce Air Pollution.† Was Accessed http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/publications/urban2.html Mosendz, Polly. â€Å"Coke Abandons Expansion Plans in India Because of Water.† August 26, 2014. Was Accessed http://www.thewire.com/business/2014/08/Coke-abandons-india-production-expansion/379128/ Elmore, J Bartow. 2013, Citizen Coke: An Environmental and Political History of the Coke Company. P. 717 Baron, David P. Business and Its Environment. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education, 2012. 784. Print.

Individual Management Consultancy Report Research Paper

Individual Management Consultancy Report - Research Paper Example The important observations and recommendations are with regard to the following aspects. The company needs to establish standards for various operations of the business at various levels of management and introduce Balanced Scorecard system to make the costing and budgetary control system more effective for sustainable growth and development. The company can consider installing CRM for improving the efficacy of customer service. The company has to revamp its HRD and encourage diversity in workforce for catering to the needs of the customers with various cultural, social and religious backgrounds and effective customer service. The company may concentrate on activities relating to Corporate Social Responsibility for enhancing its brand image and brand value for sustainable development. Contents I Reporting on Management Consultancy 3 Introduction 3 Objectives of reporting 3 Approach and Observations 3 Client’s situation and critical comments 5 Breakdown of the Consultancy Proje ct 6 II Observations and Practical Considerations 7 Teamwork 7 Project Management 8 Costing and Budgeting 9 Problem Solving 10 Consultancy Modes 11 Confrontations and Conflicts 12 Ethical Issues 13 Conclusions and Reflections 13 Balanced Scorecard 14 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 14 Restructuring of HRD 14 Outcomes 15 Reflections 15 Bibliography 16 Part I Reporting on Management Consultancy Introduction The performance of Sunshine Enterprises has improved substantially over years both financially and operationally. However, the problems relating to planning and management and control have also been on rise in the recent years. The evaluation of the management processes and practices indicates that the problems are mainly relating to customer service, human resources management and performance evaluation. These three areas relating management are very important and significant as it affects the day-to-day operations, planning and control. In order to ensure measurement and e valuation of performance for operational control, the standards have to be established and Balanced Scorecard system introduced for effectiveness in planning and management control. Objectives of reporting Having identified the broad areas where the management has to focus its attention for sustainable development, specific factors relating to performance in these areas have been analyzed with a view to propose changes in the organization for improving efficiency in the operations. Approach and Observations Wickham and Wickham (2008, p. 5) stated that according to Henri Fayol, management has five basic functions: planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling. The client-consultant relationship under process consultation has been adopted in the project to facilitate using our expertise for directing the organizational behavior. The consulting team has worked along with the executives for observing, analyzing and resolving the issues with a view to implement changes wherev er necessary using the resources already available in the organization. The organization has been able to rediscover its ability under this process effectively to sort out the issues in relation to their needs and introduce changes in the methods for implementing them with the resources available. In consulting process, the

The specific factors of the Turkish culture Dissertation

The specific factors of the Turkish culture - Dissertation Example 1.0 INTRODUCTION Career counselling is a challenging field that has to take in view each and every aspect that may or may not affect the personal abilities, potential and aptitude of subjects’ lives. A Career is a notion that needs much thought and planning before jumping in the arena as the financial and economic health as well as the physical and mental satisfaction of a person highly depends upon it. Thus, when the high time comes, and one is referred to a career counsellor, then the person is actually considering his future seriously. A counsellor can provide with an impartial and objective view of one’s own possibilities as well as some certain profitable ways to utilize them so that one may not plunge into something to regrets later. However, everything is not determined by personal choices and skills. There are other factors, more affective and powerful, that have to be considered before taking such an important decision of one’s life. A career counsellor has the responsibility to point out these factors to the subjects elaborately. These factors include the usual business fields offered in the convenient area, the availability of the needed education and training facilities, the usual trends and the possibility of the availability of vacant posts in future in that particular field, and also an acceptance from the society. The researcher thinks that the last factor affect much as it hold the power of cultural norms, traditions and customs in which the subject has lived for quite a while, and certainly the chosen profession must have to come in terms with the cultural acceptance and proposals. 1.1 BACKGROUND Culture occupies... Culture occupies a central role in a person’s life. It affects a man externally as well as internally as he grows living in it. Thus, when a man reaches his prime he is a walking embodiment of his culture. Therefore it is believed that the culture plays an important role in every important decision of his life, including the career selection. The researcher has selected to apply personal beliefs on Turkish individuals. Turkey is a country with extraordinarily rich culture. Due to it being rapidly developing and consequently continuously changing possibilities, its culture is accepting new and advanced norms. However, the researcher believes that there are still some factors that do not allow the U-turns in the selection of careers. It has been noted that this is the thing particularly in the case of female subjects. Being the symbol of beauty and delicacy, it had always been a predetermined notion that they cannot take part in laborious works. The researcher has also noted that there are some cultural restrictions other than their own will that does not allow them to go for these jobs. Also, there are some indications that male members of the society also face some societal expectations that bound them to select from a particular set of careers. The idea is to investigate these matters more elaborately and objectively so that cultural reasons for these sorts of limited choices can be figured out. Thus, the researcher has aimed this study to the elucidate the problems that a young student faces when he or she passes out of the college.

Socially Just Conditions for Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Socially Just Conditions for Learning - Essay Example In the sphere of education it is especially important to focus on social aspects, because teachers are responsible for upbringing and educating of new globalized citizens. Therefore, sociological implications of pedagogical practices should be correlated with political and cultural regulations of the country. Socially just pedagogies are focused on education of students with disabilities, from socially unfavorable families and environment. As far as we know it: â€Å"Educators †¦ should reject forms of schooling that marginalize students who are poor, black and least advantaged. This, points to the necessity for developing school practices that recognize how issues related to gender, class, race and sexual orientation can be used as a resource for learning rather than being contained in schools through a systemic pattern of exclusion, punishment and failure (Rossi, 2004). Consequently, we can see that now it is time to change social aspects of pedagogies for tolerant and multi- faceted educational practices. Teachers should take into account a student’s will for knowledge, improve and advance it and not to oppress him because of social stereotypes or perverted social patterns (Ukpokodu, 2007). Children impairments Children with physical or cognitive impairments are often criticized by classmates and in this case a teacher should be a â€Å"trigger† of tolerant and correct behavior in relation to a child. There is a marginalized disposition of students with disabilities and modern researches and studies are focused on reconceptualization of the students’ â€Å"inclusion† in the educational process (Chubbuck, 2009). A fundamental nature of impairment and disability should be promoted as a form of social artifacts. Another important measure to be taken by the modern teachers is to interpret pedagogical doctrines within social and globalized contexts. To begin with, teachers should realize the fact that their students, which are gen erally positioned as skilled and productive individuals, may be not â€Å"able†. Moreover, concerning students with disabilities, it should be noted that they require more help, patience and tolerance from their teachers. In accordance with the study conducted by Christensen, Young, & Marchant (2007): â€Å"An inclusive society, therefore, is not a society of equals in a principled way, but a society in which everyone has the qualities to meet her needs in an entrepreneurial way† (p. 82). Modern approaches of teachers to education A people-centered approach is the most relevant step to be taken by teachers in the beginning of educational practices change. A teacher should be positioned as a mentor, helping to bridge an inner emotional gap within a student with special needs. There are two important questions for each teacher: â€Å"what do my students see?†, â€Å"what are their real ideas in the educational process?† Consequently, education in the modern globalized context is moving from telling students what is true to asking students what it true. Children have their own opinion. They have their own voice and it should not be suppressed in the educational process. A socially just teacher is a mentor, who has an ability to listen to his students and take into account their ideas (Keeffee and Carrington, 1996). I can further claim that a teacher’s socially just practices are being developed under the influence of childhood impressions. In my

Wal-Marts Sustainability Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Wal-Marts Sustainability Strategy - Essay Example However, this proves to be more complex, considering that continuous supply of the seafood is the greatest challenge faced by Wal-Mart, according to Peter Redmond, who is its vice President (Wal-Mart, n.d. p1). Since some of the fish are found seasonally, for example the Salmons, which are only available between May and September of every year, maintaining their coViceuous supply is a big challenge. Additionally, the availability of these types of fish is, still low even during their season, and thus Fishin’ Company, based in the US has been contracted to supply Wal-Mart with frozen fish fillets. Commercial fishing of the Salmons is also regulated by the law, where it is allowed only to operators with permits, and during specified seasons. Thus, Wal-Mart has to seek a strategy for obtaining the certification of its boat operators from the Marine Stewardship Council, to enhance a sustainable channel of maintaining regular supply of the Salmons, and thus meet the growing seafood demand. The major challenge that Wal-Mart is facing is the shortage of supply of the seafood. The output of the world’s fisheries es had declined by 3% since 1900, yet the demand for the seafood from Wal-Mart is constantly growing at the rate of 25% every year (Wal-Mart, n.d. p1). Therefore, the looming scenario in this case is that; while the demand for the products seem to be continuously growing, its supply seems to be consistently reducing, which raises the concern of how Wal-Mart will be able to meet the needs of its customers, while at the same time taking advantage of the growing seafood business. Several alternatives are available through which this gap can be minimized, considering that Wal-Mart can liaise with the boat operators and the suppliers to ensure increased supply of the seafood.

Public speaking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public speaking - Essay Example The two goals contradicted each other, as Vietnams had threatened to attack US if their troops were not to be withdrawn from South Vietnams. For that reason, Nixon addressed the issue with a two sided mind. Paradoxically, Nixon imparts a withdrawal mode to his audience, a strategy that makes them feel like he cares so much for the Americans, and especially the American men in Vietnam. He acknowledges that American troops stand a higher risk in the attacked zones but concludes the sentence by mentioning that withdrawing implies a greater risk to the natives of the attached zones. Nixon considers it wise to analyse the situation in two ways to make the audience understand that withdrawal, as the solution suggested earlier, is a controversial action that worsens the situation. As matter of fact, the Nixon understands that his audience are Americans, who would want their men protected but keeps in mind that the outside world is also watching his action. Therefore, the speech is planned n ot only to please the immediate audience but ensure that the problem is effectively addressed. Nixon confidently convinces the audience that his speech is well advised, by mentioning that the decision being presented wasn’t his own opinion but an informed discussion with national Security Council, other crucial personnel as well as the president’s advisers. To ensure this confidence, the speech creates some sense of inductive reasoning, by first defining the problem, analysing the available solutions and drawing a generalised conclusion later on. Nixon explains the problem by describing the actions and motives of the enemy. According to Nixon, America has no enmity whatsoever with North Vietnam, in the past there had been no troops moving to attack Vietnam, neither had the south Vietnams attacked their opponents before . He at the same time mentions the existence of alliance with South Vietnams. These create some sense of reasoning to the audience that

Organizational Resource Management and Business Strategy at Staples Case Study

Organizational Resource Management and Business Strategy at Staples Organization - Case Study Example In regard to Staples organization customers, it is important to note that it serves its customers under its original name in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, India, Germany, Portugal, Austria, France, Norway, China, and Italy, while it operates subsidiaries in Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, and Argentina. Staples organization’s customers have comprised of large global and national organizations as well as the wholesale and retail customers (Staples, 2012). The organization has highly customized services and products that are aimed at addressing the unique needs of large global and national organizations. For example, Staples Advantage that operates in most European countries is designed to provide customized services and products to both global and national customers in countries they are operating in (Staples Advantage, 2012). ... However, in order to ensure that a widened customer base receives their purchases conveniently and to facilitate convenience and accessibility of its products and services, Staples organization has involved a number of suppliers in its business (Staples, 2012). It is important to point out that there are criteria that have been set by the organization for a company to become its supplier, as well as legal requirements that must be complied with before a company becomes a supplier. Selection of suppliers is usually based on merit. As already been noted, the Staples organization deals with a wide range of products and services. This is very important considering that it is a listed company and therefore has to enhance its profitability. Staples products include the following: promotional products, technology, office machines, technology, furniture, and business services. These products are available online as well as in Staples stores. In order to boost its sales and enhance profitabil ity, the Staples organization recently launched a new line of products that are designed by Martha Stewart Living Omnnimedia Inc (Dow Jones Newswires, 2012). Competition in the retail industry dealing with office supply is usually immense because of changing customers’ expectations and increasing demands. The main competitors of the Staples organization are Office Depot Inc. (ODP) and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY). Bloomberg Businessweek (2012) notes that Staples’ capital structure relies on debt level that is comparable to the retail industry norm, that is, at 12.68%, which represents a decline from the previous fiscal year.

Film "Fight Club" Analyze Research Paper

Film "Fight Club" Analyze - Research Paper Example stead, of shedding light on these critical issues in the society, events in these films often trivialize them, with certain stylized aesthetics that brings out the cynisms, irony as well as excessive violence. In most cases, the kinds of films exhibited in these films often turns to senseless pathology, brutality as well as a certain kind of indifference to the sufferings that people face (Wartenberg 42). This kind of violent representations ends up becoming the starting point of political commentary. This paper examines the aspects of violence and how it is represented differently in the film, focusing on how masculinity influences various occurrences in the society represented. The theme of violence represented in â€Å"fight Club† indicates the most crucial role played by most of films at the Hollywood. Besides playing the entertainment role, films composed in this kind of approach act as important public pedagogues through articulation of knowledge to its particular effects. In this case, it purposely attempts to influence the manner in which knowledge and other forms of social identities are established within limited ranges of effective social relations (Ndalianis 51). It is important to realize that these forms of violence and masculinity are described as being radically indeterminate according to their particular meaning. Any kind of meanings that are determined by the respecting factors are supposed to be prescribed by the text itself and not any other ways. â€Å"Fight Club† attempts to bridge the gap existing between public and the private discourses while at the same time bringing about values and ideologies that effectively resonates within the private conversations (Wartenberg 43). Reading or watching a film like â€Å"fight club† in specific terminologies indicates how it establishes particular notions relating to urgency where members of the white working and middle class are given the opportunity to view themselves as being oppressed and without

Circadian Rhythms and Their Importance to Humanise and other Animals Essay

Circadian Rhythms and Their Importance to Humanise and other Animals - Essay Example 649). It was significant to note that in this study 25% of the subjects presented arrhythmic Circadian Rhythm patterns and had a shorter life span by 50% compared to the animal subjects with normal circadian cycles. Kumar, Mohan and Kumar-Sharma (2005) in their study further found that the arrhythmic patterns found in the test group also had a correlation to the reproductive success of the mature species with 40% less than their rhythmic counterparts successfully producing viable offspring. The authors noted that although the study did not investigate the causal effects of this it does indicate that further study is necessary. It does, however, demonstrate that the circadian rhythm plays an integral, if not fully understood, role in the viability of the species - not only on an individual basis but also species wide. Doljansky, Kannety and Dagan (2005) note that circadian rhythm typically produced by period s of day and night are manifested in mammals in many of the physiological functions including "appetite, core body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and various endocrine and metabolic variables" (p. 598). Much of the cycle is based upon the natural timing of daylight and night. As our study encompassed a full day, examples of the circadian cycle will be demonstrated readily thought each phase of the study with visible, predictable cyclic patterns emerging. Results of the study conducted confirm the findings of researchers that the blood pressure and pulse rate follow a Circadian Cycle. As seen in Appendix A which is the class study findings there is a distinct circadian cycle demonstrated for the pulse rate of the subjects with the peak pulse rate period falling in the 1800 reading systematically reducing to the low pulse rate period at 0600 before again gradually rising. These findings are supported by a study conducted by Moroni, et al (1998) which evaluated both severe cardiac impaired subjects and healthy control subjects. Results of their study found no significant difference in the blood pressure or pulse rate of either group. Rather, both groups exhibited a normal circadian cycle of both pulse rate and blood pressure which was contrary to their hypothesis. The second portion of the class study measured the cognitive functioning at two hour intervals during the day. As surmised in the hypothesis there should have been a distinct circadian cycle manifested. However, this was not the case with distinct functional differences noted by individuals across distinct time periods. What the findings did demonstrate are supported by Pardee, et al (2005) which examined the cognitive functioning to determine whether a universal circadian cycle was noted. Their findings showed that cognitive functioning ability is not solely evidenced by a universal circadian rhythm. Rather cognitive functioning ability is based on a combination of the circadian rhythm, personal preference (simply put day or night people) and the ability to compensate for 'down-time' periods in the circadian cycle through cognitive reserve. The motor skill portion of the study consisted of an eye hand coordination test. As hypothesized there were be a general pattern emerge indicative of a circadian cycle. Mean results showed that with only minimal variation the

Ebooks Are Inferior to Real Books Essay Example for Free

Ebooks Are Inferior to Real Books Essay Good evening chairperson, ladies and gentleman. It is one thing to down load an eBooks and read it at your convenience but is this experience the same as lying out on the beach reading the latest publication from your favourite novelist with the worry of the device failing | 2. Your expensive device may be stolen while you’re in the surf or sand could enter your devices interface. Ladies and Gentlemen reading from an eBook is simply not the same as reading from a physical printed book as all electronic devices are subject to failures. 3. The topic before us this evening is that â€Å"eBooks are inferior to real books† Not one member of the affirmative team will deny that eBooks have been a great innovation however there are many disadvantages associated with the use of eBooks which would support our team’s argument that traditional books are superior and therefore by definition eBooks are inferior. | 4. We as the Affirmative team define eBooks as electronic copies of books, usually read through an e-reader or computer and real books as physical printed paper copies of books. Tonight we will be discussing this on two key levels: I will discuss the social aspects and my second speaker Tom will address the disadvantages of eBooks from an economic perspective. | 5. Firstly I will address the inferior qualities of eBooks with regard to them denigrating the culture of reading and secondly the notion that print books promote a more holistic and equitable circumstance for people to have a greater access to literature both contemporary and traditional. | 6. Now to my first point, addressing print books and their significant contribution towards promoting a culture of reading. E-Readers are far less capable of presenting artistic illustrations in the same capacity as real books. | 7. Very complex, design-heavy books such as comics do not translate well into eBook format, and in many cases people in possession of older e-reader devices, fail to support all of the technologically advanced features that are included within newly released eBooks and e-readers. | 8. Ladies and Gentleman how are we to cultivate a love for books with future generations if all we have access to is unexciting and uninteresting, dull, black and white text. Think of the long held reading traditions which families employ when raising their children. | 9. Young children will always be interested in beautiful three dimensional illustrations adorned in colour and exciting imagery, not walls of text. The artistic value and interactivity of the children’s books we grew up with is something you certainly cannot replicate with an e-reader. | 10. This is a crucial part of the culture of reading that can and will engage our youth in reading from an early age. For centuries book lovers have enjoyed browsing the shelves in a book store, reading the blurbs and thumbing through the illustrations. This is an important part of the culture of reading, a culture promoted by print books and a culture degraded by eBooks. | 11. This is further vindicated as statistics from over 250 000 surveys conducted by Amazon have revealed that 55% precent of e-books purchased from the kindle or amazon online catalogue have been planned purchases and only 5% of buyers have actually browsed the online catalogue like you would in a real bookstore. | 12. Print books are often utilised for decorative purposes in a home. They can define ones interests’ and even a person’s profession, for example doctors and lawyers often have large libraries of books in their homes. Furthermore print books are often culturally and historically significant for various reasons, can form part of collections, or represent sentimental significance. Ebooks do not have that same utility. | 13. According to Jan Noyes and Kate Garland’s scientific report released in 2008 addressing the cognitive advantages and disadvantages of eBooks; it was discovered that screen reading was found to increase stress and exhaustion levels. Finally, the technology of an e-book can also prove to be a disincentive for prospective readers. | 14. Add to these, the health issues of eye strain, the anxiety of worrying about battery life, damaging the screen of a reading device, its lack of portability in extreme or remote environments, problems of viruses and software bugs and the incompatibility of formats across devices are not issues that the reader of traditional books encounter. | 15. RSI and long periods looking at a screen, plus the possibility that an e-book can be hacked and edited so that the original text could be censored or lack authenticity thus creating several more reasons why e-books can turn people off reading. | 16. All of these significant points refer to the culture of reading which is vital to society as we know it. This now brings me to my second argument that print books promote a more holistic and equitable circumstance for people to have a greater access to literature both contemporary and traditional. | 17. EBooks are often a non-inclusive medium as it is a significant financial investment for individuals to purchase an E-reader. It is difficult for people without substantial financial means to make that investment when their primary focus is directed at providing for their families and their needs. | 18. Traditional books are always more accessible to the general public, in many cases through a library. Libraries provide a free and easy way for people of all socio-economic backgrounds to access books of all varieties and in addition libraries can be accessed locally as there is one in most suburbs. 19. Also, opportunities to read are enhanced because books are a tangible asset that can be easily exchanged, passed on from generation to generation and discarded for other people to pick up cheaply at fetes, book fairs and second hand bookshops. | 20. They are also a valuable resource to be collected and donated to institutions, waiting rooms, schools and third world countries. In other wo rds making them accessible to the general population. Ladies and Gentleman you cannot do this with an eBook! | 21. The reliance of e-books on technology conjures the frightening prospect of a world without literature, recorded historical data, in fact, all of the knowledge and entertainment that is currently held in the traditional manuscript of books and digital media. | 22. What happens if the gadgets and software we need to decode e-books malfunctions, there is a lack of electricity or our digital world collapses? We need traditional books to protect future access to reading for everyone. | 23. Tonight Ladies and gentleman I have argued the social aspects of why eBooks are most definitely inferior to real books. 24. My first point tonight detailed how print books significantly contribute towards promoting a culture of reading whereas eBooks damage that culture and my second point addressed how print books, through libraries promote a more holistic and unified circumstance where it is much easier for people who have less, to gain a greater access to more. | 25. Ladies and gentleman when DVDâ₠¬â„¢s came out people thought that would be the end of cinema. There will always be a place for real books and if eBooks are such remarkable products why are we still publishing books? Comparing e-readers to books is similar to comparing a modern contemporary rock song to a cover, which is never as good as the original. | 26. Every now and again you might get a cover version of a song that is perceived as better than the original but generally speaking more often than not the cover is never as good as the original. You can manipulate it and improve it but when it all comes down to the crunch it is the original that stands the test of time. The same is true for the traditional book which will pass the test of time. |

Theories of Therapeutic Alliance

Theories of Therapeutic Alliance QUOTE:- The therapeutic alliance is a key concept and quintessential variable whose importance is commonly accepted. It is seen as a multi-dimensional concept, emerging trends indicate four dimensions, namely: the patients affective relationship to the therapist; the patients capacity to purposefully work in therapy; the therapists empathic understanding and involvement; the client/therapist agreement on the goals and tasks of treatment. B. JUST 1997 Essay The concept of the Therapeutic Alliance has its roots in the seminal works of Freud when he began formulating his theories in respect of the various concepts relating to the phenomenon and dynamics of transference. (Freud S 1912). Freud began to refer to the concept in his early writings in different terms as a the therapeutic, working, or helping alliance which encapsulated the idea that a relationship between therapist and patient was important for therapeutic success. We note, in the context of this essay, that Freud’s opinion was that such a working arrangement was important but not essential for a therapeutic outcome. His early comments tended to refer to the â€Å"positive feelings that develop between doctor and patient â€Å" although, as his theories evolved, these concepts developed into more concrete forms. As is the case with most evolving concepts it was developed and expanded by a number of other notable figures. Zetzel looked at a number of different types of alliance formation (Zetzel E R 1956) and Greenson conceptualised this in a fuller form drawing a distinction between the real and adaptive forms of this type of relationship and drawing attention to the transferential properties and the possibility of the transference of fantasy in the adaptive elements of the alliance. (Greenson R R 1967) Working at about the same time as Greenson in the USA, Rogers characterised the Therapeutic Alliance in the terminology of â€Å"Client-centered therapy† and, for the first time in the literature, we find a reference to such an alliance being considered â€Å"essential† rather than â€Å"desirable† for the possibility of a positive outcome. (Rogers C R 1965). Rodgers referred to the Therapeutic Alliance as an â€Å"empathetic bond† which had to be actively developed by both doctor and patient and was an essential precursor to any form of exploration of the patient’s problems. Bordin expanded and generalised this concept further still and sought to increase its usefulness by adapting it to psychotherapy in all of its various forms. (Bordin E S 1979) and, in a seminal move towards Just’s analysis, proposed three elemental components of the Therapeutic Alliance, namely the identification of the goal, the identification of the task in hand and the formation of the doctor / patient bond of trust and empathy. In consideration of the title of this essay we should consider this analysis more fully. Bordin conceived of the Therapeutic Alliance as a totally bipartisan construction which required an equal (but different) input from both therapist and patient. This construction required the mutual identification and recognition of the shared goals that were going to be achieved together with an agreed and accepted delineation and acknowledgement of the various tasks necessary to achieve these goals and the bond which he saw as and â€Å"attachment bond generated primarily from mutual respect and empathyâ€Å". (Bordin E S 1979). It follows from this analysis, that Bordin conceived the Therapeutic Alliance not as something which arose spontaneously form the efforts and interaction of therapist and patient, but as the actual vehicle and mechanism by which psychotherapy worked. His attempts to apply this concept to the various contemporary forms of psychotherapy culminated with the realisation a nd articulation that the different forms of psychotherapy focussed in on, and exploited different aspects of the Therapeutic Alliance at different stages of the treatment. This finding is echoed in other writings. As we have outlined, the concept of the Therapeutic Alliance has its origins in the psychodynamic traditions of psychotherapy but has been embraced by the other traditions as well. Those theorists who are grounded in the cognitive school also acknowledge the establishment of a collaborative relationship between therapist and patient as an essential prerequisite to effective therapy. (Beck A T et al. 1979) More recent work as sought to quantify the nature and depth of the Therapeutic Alliance in the various disciplines. Martin’s tour de force on the subject is an impressive meta-analysis which sought to quantify the relationship between the strength of the Therapeutic Alliance and the eventual outcome of treatment. (Martin D J et al. 2000).His findings suggest that it depends how one quantifies the Therapeutic Alliance as to how strong the relationship is found to be. This is an area that we shall return to shortly. Horvath takes this point further with a similar meta-analysis across various forms of psychotherapy and comes to the conclusion that the impact of the Therapeutic Alliance is roughly similar in the different forms and the efficacy of outcome is directly related to the strength of the Therapeutic Alliance bond, irrespective of which particular mode of measurement is used. (Horvath A O et al. 1991). These issues, and indeed the thrust behind Just’s terminology of the Therapeutic Alliance as being the â€Å"quintessential variable are all totally dependent on just how one defines or measures the concept. It is clear from the discussions presented already that it is a â€Å"multidimensional concept†. One is certainly tempted to observe, from a brief overview of the literature, that it has at least as many dimensions as there are authorities writing on the issue. Although such a comment is superficially clearly bordering on the flippant, is can be taken at a much deeper level as a reflection of the fact that the Therapeutic Alliance is defined and measured by different authors in different ways. Historically the evolution of the ability to measure the strength of the alliance has evolved in much the same was (and to some extent in parallel) as the actual formulation of the concepts of the Therapeutic Alliance itself. (Luborsky L et al. 1983). In essence, a judgement of the extent to which one considers the Therapeutic Alliance essential rather than simply desirable, is dependent on the way that one either quantifies or measures it. If we consider the implications of this statement further we can cite comments by two authorities that we have quoted earlier in a different context. In their critical analysis of the role of the Therapeutic Alliance in the field of general psychotherapy, Horvath and Luborsky suggest that research is unlikely to provide guidance to clinical practice unless the relations between clearly defined therapist actions in specific contexts and the effect of these interventions on process or outcome can be demonstrated (Horvath A O, Luborsky L 1993 Pg. 568 ) The effectiveness of the Therapeutic Alliance is also demonstrably effected by other factors. In his book the Heart and Soul of Change, Miller (et al. 1999) puts forward the suggestion that what is of fundamental importance in establishing the alliance is not the persuasion, or theoretical background of the therapist, nor even how empathetic the therapist actually is to the problems of the patient (even if the criteria that one uses is how empathetic the therapist believes that they are being) but is actually the degree to which the patient believe that the therapist understands their own perceptions of reality. To quote Miller â€Å"It the client’s theory of change not the therapist’s that is important.† This thread of argument is taken further with Gabbard’s analysis (Gabbard G O et al. 1994) that the efficacy of the eventual therapeutic intervention, if measured in terms of transference interpretations, defence interpretations, and supportive interventions is ultimately dependent on factors that are therapist independent such as the strength of the patient’s ego, the state of readiness that the patient has reached in terms of their own self-exploration or elaboration, the current phase of the therapeutic process and even the timing within any particular session. Which implies that it is both dynamic and variable. If we consider the third of Just’s four dimensions, that being that the therapists empathic understanding and involvement is an essential prerequisite for the formation of the Therapeutic Alliance, then we can see that Gabbard’s analysis is clearly at odds with Just’s. It is fair to observe that Gabbard is not alone in his assertions as Sexton’s slightly later and incredibly detailed assessment of the status of the Therapeutic Alliance, came to essentially the same conclusions. (Sexton H C et al. 1996). A rather more controversial view is expressed by Kernberg who was admittedly considering the phenomenon of Therapeutic Alliance in the specific context of severe personality disorder (Kernberg O F 1994) and came to the conclusion that the Therapeutic Alliance has to be initially very strong to allow the possibility of negative transference in order for the therapist to sometimes avoid the possibility of either premature termination of therapeutic stalemates. To an extent, he vicariously supports Miller’s contentions by pointing out that the practical strength of the Therapeutic Alliance is largely independent of the therapist’s wishes if one is dealing with a patient who is angrily attacking or even overtly manipulating the frame and goals of treatment. He adds the comment that in these circumstances the strength of the Therapeutic Alliance is largely determined by the level of the patient’s intrinsic anxiety state. Perhaps this can be interpreted as an extension or perhaps a paraphrasing of Miller’s later suggestion. It therefore follows that if we are to agree or to disagree with Just’s original statement, we need to consider just how we can quantify the strength of the various parameters of the Therapeutic Alliance. This is no easy topic and the literature on the subject is vast. One of the first significant and serious attempts to produce some form of measuring tool came in the form of the Luborskys Penn Helping Alliance scales (Luborsky L et al. 1983). This had a number of serious shortcomings and was modified many times in the years immediately after its publication. The Penn Helping Alliance questionnaire was an offshoot of this collaboration and this evolved further into a 19 item scale. Many difficulties arose in the original tools because, to a degree they were dependent on the degree of benefit that the patient had already received from any previous attempts at therapy. A number of commentators made the suggestion that the tools, in order to maximise their applicability and usefulness, should be as independent as possible from the degree of benefit that the patient had already received. (Marmar C R et al. 1989). If we return to our consideration of Bordin’s tripartite assessment of the Therapeutic Alliance which can be considered a fundamental progenitor of Just’s model, then we can cite Horvath and Greenbergs Working Alliance Inventory (Horvath H O et al. 1989) as a useful tool to measure the Therapeutic Alliance in terms of the three subsections of the Bordin definition mentioned earlier. This is perhaps the best direct justification and support of Just’s hypothesis that we can find as Bordin’s threefold thrust of assessment is essentially the same as three of the four elements of Just’s and the fourth element that Just included of the therapist’s empathetic understanding and involvement as being an â€Å"essential prerequisite† of the Therapeutic Alliance, is largely dismissed by authorities such as Gabbard and Sexton who we have cited earlier. Clearly we do not presume to make a judgement as to which authority is essentially correct as we have to observe that the evidence base to support either view is not particularly strong. To return to the original thrust of the concept of measurement, we can state that authorities have regarded Horvath and Greenbergs Working Alliance Inventory as being highly reproducible and as having high levels of interrater reliability in both the 36 item and the shorter 12 item version. (Horvath H O et al. 1989) A degree of vindication for Just’s analysis of the Therapeutic Alliance can be found in the California Psychotherapy Alliance Scales (CALPAS) , which essentially measures the strength of the therapist / patient alliance as a multidimensional construct. It uses four subscales to assess the strength of the bond namely: (i) the patients capacity to work purposefully in therapy, (ii) the affective bond with the therapist, (iii) the therapists empathic understanding and involvement (iv) the agreement between patient and therapist on the goals and tasks of treatment. Which, in essence, cover the four basic premises of Just’s hypothesis. Like the other scales already referred to, the CALPAS scale utilises a 6 point Likert scale for each item. This particular scale has achieved wide acceptance in research literature with a good predictive ability which appears to be valid across the majority of psychotherapeutic disciplines including cognitive behavioural therapy (Fenton L R et al. 2001), psychodynamic psychotherapy (Barber J P et al. 2000) and across several other different treatment areas (Gaston L et al. 1991). It has been found to be especially useful among neurotic patients, but it does appear to be only a weak predictor of outcome with cocaine-dependent patients (Barber J P et al. 1999). In terms of the arguments set out earlier, we note that all of the scales that we have already cited have both a therapist rated and patient rated version as well as an independent observer version. If one considers the literature we can see that the patient self-reported versions tend to give better predictions of outcome than those reports that are therapist based (particularly when assessed early in treatment trajectory). This gives credence to Miller’s view that it is the patient ‘s perception of the Therapeutic Alliance which is the single most important prediction measure of outcome in the psychotherapeutic field. Thus far in this essay we have largely considered the presence of the Therapeutic Alliance as being a comparatively static modality which is either present or not. Although we have acknowledged some views that refer to its dynamic state, we should perhaps examine this in more detail. We have referred to the evolution of the strength of the Therapeutic Alliance as therapy progresses, but we should point to the fact that a number of authorities refer to the relationship of either the variability of the fundamental stability of the Therapeutic Alliance to a number of both clinical and empirical implications. (Hatcher R L et al. 1996). As long as three decades ago Luborsky wrote about the dynamic nature of the Therapeutic Alliance which was actively responsive to the dynamic and changing demands of the evolution of the various phases of therapy. (Luborsky L 1976). A further aspect of this dynamism is to be found in the writings of Bordin who, while acknowledging that the role of the therapist is generally one of support, noted that the role of the therapist tends to be the dominant factor at the beginning of the therapeutic relationship and this evolves into a more shared responsibility as goals and treatment plans are both articulated and defined. He writes that it is the inevitable cycle of the Therapeutic Alliance bond being strained, ruptured and then repaired that is central to the therapeutic process. (Bordin E 1980) Writers such as Gelso and Carter (Gelso C J et al. 1994) formalised (some would say stylised) the evolution of the alliance over the therapeutic interaction as involving â€Å"a weakening after an initial development, followed in successful therapy by an increase to earlier, high levels.† Other authorities have taken a more idiosyncratic view, which may reflect their own personal experience rather than necessarily an informed overview. Horvath characterises the typical trajectory as â€Å"an initial phase of development for the alliance, held to occur within the first five therapy sessions (and probably peaking during the third session), followed by a second, more critical phase, during which the therapist challenges maladaptive patterns, the effect of which is a weakening or rupturing of the alliance that must be repaired if therapy is to continue successfully†. (Horvath A O et al. 1994). In order to provide a balanced picture of the literature, one could also cite the opinion of Greenberg who appears to have a more philanthropic outlook when he describes the process of evolution of the Therapeutic Alliance in successful therapies as â€Å"either rising or holding a steady value over time†. (Greenberg L S 1994) In consideration of the evidence that we have assembled thus far we can state that the Therapeutic Alliance, in Just’s words, is clearly a key concept. We would suggest that the evidence points to the fact that not only is it a key concept but that it is both crucial and fundamental to the whole discipline of psychotherapeutic intervention. References Barber J P, Luborsky L, Crits-Christoph P, Thase M, Weiss R, Frank A, Onken L, Gallop R: 1999 Therapeutic alliance as a predictor of outcome in treatment of cocaine dependence. Psychotherapy Research, 1999 ; 9 (1) : 54 – 73 Barber J P, Connolly M B, Crits-Christoph P, Gladis L, Siqueland L: 2000  Alliance predicts patients outcome beyond in-treatment change in symptoms.  J Consul Clin Psychol 2000 ; 68 (6) : 1027 – 1032 Beck A T, Rush A J, Shaw B F, Emery G: 1979  Cognitive Therapy of Depression.  New York : Guilford Press, 1979 Bordin E S: 1979  The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance.  Psychotherapy : Theory, Research and Practice 1979 ; 16 (3) : 252 – 260 Bordin E: 1980  A psychodynamic view of counseling psychology.  The Counseling Psychologist 1980 ; 9 : 62 – 66 Fenton L R, Cecero J J, Nich C, Fankforter T L, Carroll K M: 2001  Perspective is everything: the predictive validity working alliance instruments.  Journal of Psychotherapy Practice Research 2001 ; 10 (4) : 262 – 268 Freud S: 1912  The dynamics of transference.  Standard Edition 1912 ; 12 : 97 – 108 Gabbard G O, Horwitz L, Allen J G, et al: 1994  Transference interpretation in the psychotherapy of borderline patients: a high-risk, high-gain phenomenon.  Harv Rev Psychiatry 1994 ; 4 : 59 – 69 Gaston L, Marmar C R, Gallagher D, Thompson L W: 1991  Alliance prediction of outcome beyond in-treatment symptomatic change as psychotherapy processes.  Psychotherapy Research, 1991 ; 1 (2) : 104 – 113 Gelso C J, Carter J A: 1994 Components of the psychotherapy relationship: their interaction and unfolding during treatment.  Journal of Counseling Psychology 1994 ; 41 : 296 – 306 Greenberg L S: 1994  What is real in the relationship? Comment on Gelso and Carter (1994).  Journal of Counselling Psychology 1994 ; 41 : 307 – 310 Greenson R R: 1967  The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis.  New York : International Universities Press, 1967 Hatcher R L, Barends A W: 1996  Patients view of the alliance in psychotherapy: exploratory factor analysis of three alliance measures.  J Consult Clin Psychol 1996 ; 64 : 1326 – 1336 Horvath H O, Greenberg L S: 1989  Development and validation of the Working Alliance Inventory.  J Couns Psychol 1989 ; 36 (2) : 223 – 233 Horvath A O, Symonds B D: 1991  Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychotherapy: a meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology 1991 ; 38 : 139 – 149 Horvath A O, Luborsky L: 1993  The role of the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy.  J Consult Clin Psychol 1993 ; 61 : 561 – 573 Horvath A O, Gaston L, Luborsky L: 1994  The therapeutic alliance and its measures, in Psychodynamic Treatment and Research, edited by Miller L, Luborsky L, Barber J et al.  New York, Basic Books, 1994, pp 247 – 273 Kernberg O F: 1994  Severe Personality Disorders: Psychotherapeutic Strategies.  New Haven, CT, Yale University Press, 1994 Luborsky L, Crits-Christoph P, Alexander L, Margolis M, Cohen M: T 1983  Two helping alliance methods for predicting outcomes of psychotherapy: a counting signs versus a global rating method.  Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 1983 ; 171 : 480 – 492 Luborsky L: 1976  Helping alliance in psychotherapy, in Successful Psychotherapy, edited by Cleghhorn JL. New York; Brunner / Mazel, 1976, pp 92–116 Marmar C R, Gaston L, Gallagher D, Thompson L W: 1989  Towards the validation of the California Therapeutic Alliance Rating System. Psychological Assessment:  J Consul Clin Psychol 1989 ; 1 : 46 – 52 Martin D J, Garske J P, Davis M K: 2000  Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables: a meta-analytic review.  J Consulting and Clin Psych 2000 ; 68 : 438 – 450 Miller E A et al. 1999  The Heart and Soul of Change  APA : Detroit 1999 Rogers C R: 1965  Client-Centered Therapy.  Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1965 Sexton H C, Hembrek K, Kvarme G: 1996  The interaction of the alliance and therapy microprocess: a sequential analysis.  J Consult Clin Psychol 1996 ; 64 : 471 – 480 Zetzel E R: 1956  Current concepts of transference.  Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 1956 ; 53 : 16 – 18 ################################################################ 11/01/07 Word count 3,493 PDG

Importance Of A View From The Bridge Film

Importance Of A View From The Bridge Film A View from the Bridge is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1955 when he was living in New York. In the 1950s New York was a very showbiz and glamorous place back in the days and was known as the centre of the world, it attracted thousands of illegal immigrants from all over the world, especially from countries like Italy. The people who came to America were looking for a better quality of life which is the case for two of the characters within this play. Miller uses various techniques and storylines to create tension for the audience such as the threat of the discovery of the two illegal immigrants, Marco and Rodolpho. The unusual tension in-between brings terror to a tragic protagonist. Miller wrote this play as a Modern Greek tragedy. Arthur Miller uses a true story he previously heard to grab the audience. Re-written in his own words, Arthur Miller bought the controversial ideas of incest, culture and masculinity. Based on Arthur Millers play, I am going to analyse the dramatic tension built up in Act 1 and it follows on to Act 2. I will be looking at uses the characters, stage directions, props, lighting, language, and setting as these dramatic devices help to build up the dramatic tension for the audience. The play is set in a ghetto community of Sicilian Italians. It is known as the Red Hook Community. Most Italians at that time lived in poor areas rather than regular Americans who lived in richer areas or upstate. During the 1950s the Italians that lived in America had working class jobs. They had work such as being dockworkers and longshoremen in Brooklyn harbour. The characters in the play also work as dockworkers. However the women stayed at home cooked, cleaned and raised the children while the men worked and they would take lead of the family like a patriarchal figure. The idea of women ruling was frowned upon in the Italian culture. Alfieri an old wise lawyer is the main narrator of this play. He tells the play as a review from the very beginning and informs it is not what but how means that even though we know the end result its how the end result happens in such an unexpected but inevitable way that it grips us and leaves us in shock even after the end. Alfieri speaks mostly fact, so the audience automatically believes his sown opinion. The playwright presents him in the role of a chorus, from an ancient Greek play. The chorus was a figure who watched the action and commented on it, addressing the audience directly. Alfieri is a vital part of the play. He adds grandeur to the play and sets it in a wider context and broadens the subjects of people, humanity, and our society. Alfieri clarifies the real meaning of events for the audience. He raises the many issues of the play. Alfieri does this by delivering a speech after a dramatic event and makes the audience reflect on this episode. He also prepares the audie nce with a speech for an upcoming incident. Alfieri also symbolises God. He looks down on the carelessness of others but he is powerless to stop any events in the play. The play is divided into two acts. The first act establishes the tensions between Eddie, Catherine, Rodolfo and Beatrice. The second act activates these tensions and gradually builds until the altercated climax. Alfieri breaks up these acts into short episodes and does this by providing a commentary on events. The characters are a vital element in the play, and are the basis of the drama. Eddie is portrayed as a well-respected, hardworking, ordinary man. He is loyal to his family and is presented as a kind character. He was as good a man as he had to be in a life that was hard and even. Alfieri explains this at the beginning of the play, and this emphasizes that Eddie is an honorable, decent person. However, as soon as a catalyst is introduced, another side to Eddie is revealed, and his true feelings for Catherine exposed. What are the high heels for Garbo? Eddie says this to Catherine, in front of the cousins, to deliberately humiliate her. Eddie sees Catherines attention towards Rodolfo and becomes jealous. This sexual jealousy grows throughout the play and the audiences realize that what did seem like over-protectiveness is in fact romantic obsession for Catherine. This disgusts the audience and so they begin to turn against Eddie. Eddies connection to Catherine is his flaw. Eddies acti ons for Catherine become too obvious. His eyes were like tunnels. Alfieri says this to describe Eddie. It suggests that Eddie only focuses on one thing which is Catherine. This is obvious when Eddie calls Immigration to snitch on Marco and Rodolfo. It highlights Eddies desperation and loss of rational thinking as he acts on the contrary of his own strong beliefs, which he outlined at the beginning of the play with the consequences of Vinnie Banzalos betrayal. The characters are all involved in very tangled relationships and this brings a lot of confusion. Beatrice is jealous of Eddies love for Catherine. When am I gonna be a wife again Eddie? She is very frustrated with her husband, but he will not face the reality of the situation. Eddie expects Beatrice to support him, as wives were supposed at that time. So when Beatrice defends Catherine Eddie cannot understand why his wife is deliberately defying him as he believes he is being perfectly reasonable. The characters all have different personalities and lifestyles. The biggest contrasts are the two brothers. Rodolfo represents a fun, carefree, ambitious, entertainer. However, Marco is a serious and hardworking person who is in America to earn money for his family. This variety of characters adds depth to the play and allows the audience to relate to each of them. Eddie hints that Rodolfo is homosexual due to his feminine characteristics. He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses. Eddie says this as a bitter response to hurt Rodolfo. The reason he mentions this is because, he feels threatened and thinks Rodolfo is stealing Catherine from him. The set, properties, and lighting also increase the dramatic tension in the play. The set is not real, although it does need to show some reality. The set arrangement enables the inside of the apartment, the street outside, and Alfieris office all to be represented without any scene changes. This arrangement means that the lighting is essential as it indicates which part of the set is in use. The lighting is also important as it is used to draw focus to a particular character or event. A phone booth begins to glow on the opposite side of the stage; a faint, lonely blue. This is an example of when light is used to symbolise a characters thoughts. As the light grows brighter, it represents Eddies determination to call the immigration office. This lighting effect acts as a viewpoint for the audience and emphasises the phone, making the whole event more dramatic. The lights have gone down, leaving him in a glow. This stage direction occurs after Eddies death. The darkness signifies and e nd, and also the sorrow felt by Eddies loved ones. The lighting creates a very intense atmosphere. The props on set add realism and interest to the play. The characters can interact with the props so there is more action and a greater impression of everyday life. They add texture to the scene and give the characters something to react with. Beatrice is taking down Christmas decorations and packing them in a box. The props in this scene are much explicated as they inform the audience of the time of year. This could be interpreted as if the joy and excitement of Christmas is over and this so is the end of the happiness in the family as the immigration officers are about to arrive. The language in the play allows the audience to know the characters relationships, emotions and thoughts. It is the most obvious feature of drama. The dialogue in the play also separates the characters. Alfieri is the only clear, powerful speaker in the play as the other entire characters converse in slang. They use the wrong tenses and shorten words, for example; sumpm and talkin'. Miller uses this language to create a working-class, poor environment. Pauses are a very effective way to create dramatic tension. The audience is not used to silence, so when the characters are quiet it has great impact. The silence is usually due to a dramatic event and it allows the audience to absorb the full impact of the situation. These pauses create suspense and the audience wants to know what will happen next. Eddie uses language to distance Rodolfo as he is jealous of him. He is coming more and more to address Marco only. This shows how Eddie disregards Rodolfo and tries to exclude him from the conversation. Eddie uses language to subtly show his contempt for Rodolfo. How the character performs the dialogue is an important factor as devices such as sarcasm can change the meaning of the speech. Eddie often says things, concerning Rodolfo, which have a different meaning. He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses. Eddie says this to humiliate Rodolfo, implying that he is homosexual, even though it is in fact a compliment as these are his talents. The actors tone of voice also has a great effect on the meaning of the speech. The language of a character gives the audience an insight into their personality. Marco seldom speaks. This could be due to his poor English, but it could also show that he is a man of action, not words and he spends most of his time deep in thought. Each part of the set suggests particular themes in the play. Alfieris office represents the law. The apartment symbolises family links, and the apartment above is not seen and therefore it means the unpredictable events. The street is where feelings are released, the fight occurs in the street and Beatrices conflict with Eddie. The stage directions are the most essential dramatic device in the play. They bring the play to life and show how the characters interact Eddie is pleased and therefore shy about it. This stage direction displays Eddies true feeling which there is no dialogue to express. Some matters cannot be openly discussed, so are shown in gesture and action. When Catherine serves Eddies food, or lights a cigar for him, this illustrates the relationship they have. For a 1950s audience, the lighting of a cigar would be a very symbolic action. Stage directions can also show a buildup of tension. For example when Lois and Mike talk to Eddie about Rodolfo, Eddie tries to infer that Rodolfo is homosexual and he wants them to support his accusation. However, Lois and Mike do not submit to this. They try and disguise Eddies suggestion with gradual laughter until they finally explode in laughter, showing the release of tension as they leave. In the scene where Eddie kisses both Rodolfo and Catherine, the kisses are a very effective way of generating drama. For an audience in 1955, the double kiss would have been scandalous. Eddie kissing Catherine proposes incest and Eddies kiss with Rodolfo is demonstrating his supposed homosexuality. Both kisses repel the audience and Eddie loses the audiences sympathy further when he calls immigration. Miller maintains these dramatic techniques to build up tension to keep the audience stimulated in such way that they would into the play. The devices work together to form an exciting, effective, enjoyable play.

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay example -- GCSE Eng

Hamlet and Insanity      Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s creation of the character of Hamlet within the tragedy of that name left open the question of whether the madness of the protagonist is entirely feigned or not. This essay will treat this aspect of the drama.    George Lyman Kittredge in the Introduction to The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, explains the lack of success with Hamlet’s pretended insanity, and in so doing he implies that the madness is entirely feigned and not real:    The necessity for some device like the play within the play is due to the failure of Hamlet’s assumed madness to achieve its purpose. [. . .] In Shakespeare’s drama, however, Hamlet’s motive for acting the madman is obvious. We speak unguardedly in the presence of children and madmen, for we take it for granted that they will not listen or will not understand; and so the King or the Queen (for Hamlet does not know that his mother is ignorant of her husband’s crime) may say something that will afford the evidence needed to confirm the testimony of the Ghost. The device is adopted on the spur of the moment (i.5, 169ff.), and, once adopted, it must be maintained. But it is unsuccessful. The King is always on his guard, and the Queen is not an accomplice. (xii)    The question arises: Is it truly possible to have a noble tragic hero who is indeed bereft of the proper use of his mental faculties? Doesn’t this â€Å"lack† compromise the very essence of a â€Å"noble† protagonist who is worthy of the tragic ending? A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy staunchly adheres to the belief that Hamlet would cease to be a tragic character if he were really mad at any time in the play (30). On the other hand, W. Thomas MacCary in Hamlet: A Guide ... ....: Cambridge Univ. P., 1956.    Kittredge, George Lyman. Introduction. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. In Five Plays of Shakespeare. Ed. George Lyman Kittredge. New York: Ginn and Company, 1941.    MacCary, W. Thomas. Hamlet: A Guide to the Play. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1998.    Mack, Maynard. â€Å"The World of Hamlet.† Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet. Ed. David Bevington. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.    Rosenberg, Marvin. â€Å"Laertes: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware P., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.

Essays --

Night Comparison Paper Rough Draft The Italian Jews were among the luckiest Jews during their time. The Italian Jewish community, one of the oldest in Europe, numbered about 50,000 in 1933. They were accepted as important members of the society and were successful in the military, politics, and many more skill professions. Everything went downhill when Benito Mussolini’s government asked the non-Jewish community to turn on their Jewish neighbors, but most of the population said no. As a result, a higher percentage of Italian Jews were saved than in very country except for Denmark. The Italians turned there back on the government, as Italy was allies with Germany but the citizens opposed the Nazi party. This resulted in many Italian-Jews being rescued. Throughout Night and Survival in Auschwitz, both Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi both experienced harsh living conditions under the Nazis. When Elie first arrived at Auschwitz, he witnessed something unforgettable, which was the burning of live infants, which resulted in huge amounts of smoke. He described this day as, "Never shall I forget that night . . ." This was only the beginning as Elie experienced the dehumanization, by being fed a little a day, being forced to work long hours and being crammed in small beds and trains. Throughout his time in camp, Elie had no luxury of showering or taking breaks but on the other hand he was forced to work as a slave. This was no difference for Primo, who experienced a little too. At Fossoli, he was given nothing to drink for four days. Which is torture! Things get worse when he arrives in Auschwitz, as he gets his head shaved, forced to take showers whit no room, and tattooed with numbers. He described it, as â€Å"everything around us speaks of a ... ... of personality but obviously this was not present. Elie and the prisoners struggled to maintain human character traits. Both Levi and Elie experienced the struggle to remain human. Primo Levi’s perspective of the Holocaust really went into detail about the tragic events. I really got a better knowledge of the treatment of the prisoners. Words such as â€Å"terrible† and â€Å"inhumane† were mentioned a lot to describe the treatment by the Nazis. In addition, Primo Levi also touches on how morals and values were thrown aside for survival. This is an interesting topic, which caught my attention. Prisoners during the Holocaust threw their religion aside, which was present in Elie and Primo. They started doubting the existence of a God and started doing things for their own good. Primo Levi really went in depth about the Holocaust and gave me a different perspective.