The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

I am (Author’s Name); currently the president of the California Nurses Association (CNA) and the overseeing head of its umbrella organization, the Arizona new Registered Nurse (RN) Union called the National Nurses Organizing Committee-Arizona (NNOC-Arizona).I am sending you this letter in connection with a significant health issue in the State of California. This pertains to the apparent incorrect and irresponsible nursing staffing ratio in hospitals and other medical or nursing facilities here in California.This specifically concerns the defiance of the authorized safe ratio in the number of RN-to-patient thereby endangering the welfare and eventually the lives of patients while at the same time hinders our profession’s goal of providing quality nursing care for our patients (â€Å"The Ratio Solution,† 2008).Our profession’s positive position to said measure is substantiated by the fact that the bill supports the mandated RN-to-Patient Ratio which works t o the improvement of patient care by having enough number of RNs. Citing the CNA/NNOC’s Report, the results of a series of scientific researches have proven that the RN-to-Patient Ratio indeed work to the advantage of both nurses and patients (â€Å"The Ratio Solution,† 2008).While similar bills already ensure adherence to RN-to-Patient Ratio, it is an utmost goal that HB 2041 heralds the same objectives in all states of the country.In view of this, I respectfully hope for the Speaker’s full support and eventual endorsement of HB 2041 to the Senate once it is approved by the lower Congress. The Prezelski-sponsored bill aims that the mandated RN-to-Patient Staffing Ratio be guaranteed and that nurses are protected when they spill irregularities in the profession and eventually turned witnesses.I show gratitude to you for finding time to regard our position on this issue. I hope that the above problem concerning the nursing field will be addressed through the supp ort/endorsement of HB 2041 that we earnestly pray from your office.ReferenceCalifornia Nurses Association/ National Nurses Organizing Committee-Arizona. (2008). The Ratio Solution: CAN/NNOC’s RN-to-Patient Ratios Work – Better Care, More Nurses. Retrieved January 21, 2009, from http://www.calnurses.org/assets/pdf/ratios/ratios_booklet.pdf

Online Grade Evaluation System Essay

In the absence of internal processes for evaluating instructors’ teaching abilities, most colleges and universities put the responsibility on students. But is this fair to faculty? After all, a whiff of conflict of interest hangs over the whole proceeding. Students might grade a professor poorly as payback for a bad grade, for example. Conversely, students might give great reviews to instructors who dole out A’s like Halloween candy. Or they might not even bother to respond. Now, with more and more institutions moving their course evaluations online, the question is whether technology will compound these concerns or resolve them. Early research suggests that faculty may actually benefit from the move online. Jessica Wode, an academic research analyst with the Office of Evaluation and Assessment at Columbia College Chicago (IL), performed a review of the academic literature on online course-evaluation assessments last spring. Her conclusion: Worries that students with grudges are the most likely to fill out online forms are unfounded. You actually find the opposite,† explains Wode. â€Å"Either there is no effect or the students who did poorly in the class probably aren’t even going to bother evaluating the course. â€Å" Indeed, there are indications that online evaluation systems may actually suppress participation among poor performers. In her unpublished dissertation at James Madison University (VA) in 2009, researcher Cassandra Jones found that class performance played a role in determining which students filled out an online evaluation: Students who received higher grades in a class were more likely to fill out a survey. As a result, noted Jones in her paper, â€Å"course-evaluation ratings could be artificially inflated because students with lower grades are not participating in the online course-evaluation process. † It would not be difficult to find a host of faculty members who would disagree strongly with these findings. And there is some question about the reliability of statistical analysis of online evaluations, given the low participation rates for many online systems. Indeed, anemic participation levels may be the single biggest issue facing online evaluations. At schools that simply ask their students to fill out online class evaluations, a typical response rate is around 50 percent, according to â€Å"Response Rates in Online Teaching Evaluation Systems,† a 2009 report by James Kulik of the Office of Evaluations and Examinations at the University of Michigan. In contrast, the typical response rate for paper-based evaluations is around 66 percent, and often much higher.

The House of Lords decision in Bolitho (Bolitho

The House of Lords decision in Bolitho (Bolitho â€Å"The House of Lords decision in Bolitho (Bolitho v City and Hackney HA [1998] AC 232) is a belated and welcome departure from judicial deference to medical opinion but there is still too much deference and more has to be done†. Critically comment on the above statement. In any negligence claim, in order to succeed the claimant must show that he was owed a duty of care by the defendant, that the duty of care was breached, and that the breach of duty caused the damage complained of. [1] Kennedy and Grubb comment that the duty of care arises ‘from a request for medical services by an individual and a consequent undertaking by a doctor [or other health care professional] to provide these services. [2] Margaret Brazier has observed: ‘[a] patient claiming against his doctor †¦ usually has little difficulty in establishing that the defendant owes him a duty of care’. [3] The second stage of a clinical negligence action is to show that the doctor has br eached his standard of care. In any negligence claim, the standard of care is set by law and is an objective standard. [4] Words such as reasonable or responsible are normally attributed to such a standard. Such adjectives are not normally equated with a practice that is ‘common’ or ‘accepted’. With respect to medical negligence claims however, the law has not taken such a view. The case of Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee [5] has established that ‘a doctor is not guilty of negligence if he has acted in accordance with a practice accepted as proper by a responsible body of medical men skilled in that particular art’. The Bolam case was a decision at first instance, but was later approved by the House of Lords in Whitehouse v Jordan . [6] The courts have continuously taken a protectionist view of the medical profession in clinical negligence claims. Jackson acknowledges that this could be due to the complexity of medical eviden ce, but it could also be explained by a sense of professional solidarity. [7] The medical profession has been highly regarded in society, and the courts have also expressed their respect. In Wilsher v Essex AHA , [8] Mustill LJ comments: â€Å"For all we know, [The doctors in this case] far surpassed on numerous occasions the standard of reasonable care. Yet it is said that for one lapse they (and not just their employers) are to be held liable in damages. Nobody could criticise the mother for doing her best to secure her son’s financial future. But has not the law taken a wrong turning if an action of this kind is to succeed?† It is interesting to note the difference in policy in cases involving medical professionals. In other negligence cases, the courts have commented that the function of the law of negligence (and the law of torts in general), is to compensate injured parties for loss. The judiciary have had no moral objections to awarding damages in cases where they can apply the ‘deepest pocket’ principle. Thus, in Nettleship v Weston , [9] Lord Denning had no problems in asserting that a learner driver would be held to the same standard of a competent driver (competent would be ascertained on an objective basis by the court), as the driver would be insured and thus, the law will award damages from the deepest pocket. Yet, there has been considerable hesitation in holding doctors negligent for public policy reasons, despite the fact that doctors will be also be insured. Furthermore, doctors working in the NHS will generally not be personally held accountable for the negligence – the action is brought against the Trust vicariously and NHS Trusts in England and Wales are part of an ‘insurance like’ scheme, the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) administered by the NHS Litigation Authority.

IOS Development Using Watchkit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IOS Development Using Watchkit - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that in the mobile platform, a large market share is held by the iPhone; this being the reason behind interest in learning about iPhone development. The process of development entails an outline of how to establish the hardware for the applications. Setting of the software requirements and the final system requirements is also part of the process. Apple Inc. has made it easier for people who want to become developers with them. All a person needs is an account charged $99 annually, a mac computer, Xcode platform and a coding experience, such as the Swift and Objective-C coding languages. A developer page is availed that allows for download of the latest software and SDKs. The page also enables a certification for creation of profiles and groups and one has is free to manage the account and report any difficulty or bugs faced.As the study highlights  the apple Inc. created a modern programming language called swift. It is specifically developed to be more precise and flexible that the Objective-C. Swift has LLVM (Low Level Virtual Machine) compiler framework that utilizes the objective-C runtime allowing C, C++, Swift code and Objective-C to run in a single program. The flexibility of Swift is attributed to its capacity to support widespread late binding, dynamic dispatch and extensible programming.  The Swift programming language has several features that indicate some similarities to the Objective-C, though are easier and more flexible.

Real World Example Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real World Example - Coursework Example The primary goal of the show, as designed by the project manager, is not to profit off the products it endorses but to provide a really positive, light, and uplifting experience to the public. Thought the concept of the talk show was much appreciated and liked by the sponsoring team the first time it got introduced by the project manager, but many ambiguities and disagreements surfaced later on. Most of the disagreements were related to the point that the show was not going to sign a licensing agreement with retailers and hence, not going to profit off the products it was going to endorse. Though the project manager emphasized that this action was intended to be taken only for credibility purpose not to mention the distinguished element such an action would impart to the show, the main sponsor still held her opinion and continued the cold war. Later, the project manager finally tried talking sense into the sponsor by giving her example of the highly influential show called The Oprah Winfrey Show which had also adopted the principle of not having licensing agreements with retailers when various things were promoted. Mentioning this thing largely helped in cutting off most of the disagreements and the caravan went on finally. The major interesting aspect of the show which went right on the set was related to the way crude facts were meant to be brought before the public by the host. The project manager intended to do this in such a way that people would be ensured of viewing a vivid reality in every show so that they would stay tuned to the entire show with keen interest. Following the first few episodes of this talk show, the ratings continued getting higher. The secret behind the ratings which kept on increasing was undoubtedly the result of the many tedious efforts taken by the project manager and the confidence he showed in the entire team along with the smartness he took the sponsoring team in confidence. The fact that mostly such subjects were brought on

Audience Reading Popular Cultural Text Research Paper

Audience Reading Popular Cultural Text - Research Paper Example The team is comprised of two Air Force officers, an archaeologist and an alien that joined them on one of their travels. The US Air Force coordinates their travels, and that of other teams, to make friends with 'people' of other planets, and to procure technology that will aid in the defence of Earth from the threat of the alien race, the Goa'uld, who are a parasitic species who take human bodies as hosts, set themselves up as gods, and enslave the people of the planets they invade. Earth's Stargate was found within Egyptian ruins, and it took the Air Force 50 years to work out how to use it, drawing on the knowledge of our best archaeologists, physicist and engineers. I will investigate an audience reading of this text by using a focus group. The aim of this paper is to present the results of an audience analysis of Stargate SG1. Firstly, I will present my own reading of the text. Secondly, my investigation method will be explained. Thirdly, I will provide the results of the focus group discussion in regards to humour; stereotypes; and the ideology of Stargate SG1. Fourthly, I will apply different theoretical approaches to the text in regards to the key themes. Fourthly, I will highlight the implications of this text. Finally I shall present a conclusion that will synthesise the main points of the paper, and makes recommendations for future audience analysis of the Stargate series. I will now present my own reading of the text. ... especially in the USA and other Western nations, such as defending ourselves, interactions with those who are 'other' than ourselves, and the moral dilemmas involved in intervening or not intervening when another group of 'people' are at war or oppressed on their own planets. The show is very reliant on hard science to provide explanations for how the Stargate works, as well as the workings of extra-terrestrial weaponry, healing devices, and other cultural artefacts. This provides a clear mediation of the text with our present knowledge in quantum physics and human psychology, making the show more believable as I am not disengaged from my viewing through incongruent information. The series also delves into spirituality, particularly Buddhism, to provide an overall meaning to the universe, and a purpose to the lives of all who dwell within it. I find this interesting and of value to myself as a viewer, as Buddhism is a philosophy that provides many answers to me in my life.Especially, the humour within the series is salient. One of the lead actors, and he is also one of the producers, being Richard Dean Anderson from the 1970s series Amcgyver. His flip attitude is particularly amusing, given his character's role as a colonel in the Air Force, I expected the stereotypical behaviour of discipline, restraint, and authoritarianism. I admire that the series attempts to break down stereotypes, as the physicist/engineer on the team is a woman, who spends her leave time working on her motorbike, and is an excellent lock-picker, although she remains feminine.The ideology of the series is 'respect for others, and what's potentially out there'. A primary mission of SG1 is to peacefully seek out other life-forms to establish diplomatic ties. This engages me to

In this assignment you will draw two primary sources and two secondary Research Paper

In this assignment you will draw two primary sources and two secondary sources written after 1990 to explore a topic addressed i - Research Paper Example There are several factors that played a key role in the collapse of one of the greatest empires in the world. According to Bauer (84), several factors that occurred within a span of approximately 500 years were instrumental in the collapse of a strong empire, the Roman Empire. Expansion of the Rome Empire can be referred to as one of the major causes of its collapse. Rome kept conquering many nations and therefore there was rapid growth in the land they owned. Consequently, there was great need to defend the borders and the territories of Rome. As they struggle to keep this under their control, emperors increased taxes on non-Romans and these created more enmity where frequent rebellions arose. Lack of enough solders to safeguard their territories forced them to employ foreigners who were against them resulting in the collapse of the empire. Since the empire was growing at a rapid rate, it needed more soldiers for it to remain a great conqueror. As such, militarism was adopted as a m ean of the emperor and his compatriots remaining in full control. In this case, constant fighting needed heavy military spending. This demand for the military was high since the Roman Empire became over stretched, and the need for more solders was proportional to its needs for expansion and protection of their overstretched territories. Due to this, there was overspending in the military body, hence other fundamental activities were left with few resources. Vital issues such as provision of houses to the public, quality roads and channel were left untouched. This also resulted in emperors raising taxes repeatedly resulting in increased levels of inflation. Roman Empire faced a failing economy and increased levels of inflation. Inflation is a state where prices increase and the purchasing power of currency declines. The Rome Empire was in this situation and the government was threatened of impoverishment as it did not have sufficient cash to cater for its needs. Overexpansion and eff orts to protect their territories resulted in this. For instance, the increased population required more militaries and the demand forced them to recruit and train more people. This process was demanding and more money was used in paying the large numbers of military personnel .The other factor is that after they diminished new lands conquering, the flow of gold to their economy decreased. This resulted to less use of coins and the coin become less valuable. Due to over-expansion of the territories, there were more merchants from the conquered places who raised the prices of the goods that they sold. Several persons changed their way of trading and butter trade erupted eventually. People stopped using coins and they began to undertake barter trade in order to get what they wanted from others. This went to as far as paying salaries in the form of food and clothing while tax collection also changed and vegetables and fruits were used to pay taxes. In this case, the expansion of territ ories shows how the economy was affected resulting to its decline. According to Goldsworthy(72) Over expanded Roman Empire territory had people from different ethnic groups and was over populated. As a result, the labor force was composed of slavery resulting in unemployment. Plebs in

Mood disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mood disorders - Essay Example In addition there was also a complete loss of interest to do work unlike the normal days. Hobbies that were exiting earlier did not kindle any interest when under depression. Concentrating and decision making became extremely difficult. There was also a decrease in communication with people in the family as well as among friends. The normal routine processes such as sleeping and eating were also affected as there was no sound sleep and loss of appetite was also present. These also contributed to general body and mind weakness. All these led to suicidal tendencies as there was a constant fear in the mind and also a very pessimistic approach to life. Thus given my experiences, I would also expect similar symptoms in a client reportedly suffering from depression and hypomania. He/she should exhibit lack of interest in routine work to begin with as this would be the first noticeable symptom in these individuals as things that were exiting to perform earlier on would not mean anything during times of depression. These could be noticed and reported by the family. Other signs that could be overlooked by family members such as difficulty in remembering and concentrating, weight loss due to appetite loss and other physical changes due to erratic sleeping patterns would also have to be studied. In some cases the person might exhibit irritability and fear. They might break down suddenly without any reason or could burst out in anger. They might speak to themselves assuming they are addressing some other person. They could show decreased interest in sexual activities and other enjoyments. They would not care for their physical appearance and changes in their personal hygiene could also be present. A feeling of low-self esteem and unworthiness generally induces suicidal thoughts and the person might have attempted to suicide in one or more instances or might constantly talk about their

Adverse Impact & Business Necessity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adverse Impact & Business Necessity - Essay Example This impact is more inclined on the job side, may be through selection for a job, promotion, hiring amongst others. Landy (2005) indicates that adverse treatment is different from adverse impact. Adverse treatment refers to a form of discrimination that takes place when a particular group of individuals are actually treated in a different way, as opposed to another group (Mathis & Jackson, 2008). One group in the workplace is favored. At times, the form of discrimination is intentional, at times it is not, but all in all the discrimination is palpable. Landy (2005) gives an example of adverse treatment whereby the Blacks’ rules and rights are violated, but the same does not take place in the case of the whites. The Blacks, in this case, are a discriminated lot. This, in essence can be discussed negatively in an illegal point of view. According to Mathis & Jackson (2008), business necessity refers to a move by the organizations to come up with safe and effectual operations in the organization that are geared to ensuring that the organization is run in a reasonable and free way. It is of essential nature that the employers have the required requirements to be in a position to impart the same on the employees, with a lot of legal inferences on this conception. Business necessity allows for safe and successful operations by the employers, in the case of application to equal employment prospects. With the obligatory educational credentials by the employers, Mathis & Jackson (2008) indicate that they are able to carry out the required tasks that are correlated to the job. It is probable, in this case, to make sure that there are just employment opportunities for all employees, with the emphasis of non-retaliatory job practices, and other bona fide job credentials. Business necessities and job relatedness are highly correlated. In this case, employers work in line with the stipulated rules and regulations that govern employee

Voting Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Voting Right - Essay Example The main issues which define the direction of the poll are thus largely clear. Nonetheless, on the one hand, it is not clear whether the increasing non-white population, the younger generation, experts, unmarried persons, and secular population segments that voted Obama, almost to a man in 2008, which enabled him to secure a victory, will stick by him come next year, in order to secure him a second term (Teixeira and Halpin 2-6). On the other hand, the likelihood of the rival Republicans concentrating their campaign on poor economic situation in the country might hurt Obama’s reelection campaign. Also significant is the campaigns by conservatives, who are critical of the Obama administration; they might pull a surprise to the incumbent candidate. Teixeira and Halpin (1-14) note that the outcome of the poll notwithstanding, it is probable that American policies will remain immensely polarized for many years, even after the forthcoming elections end. The political volatility wit nessed in the past five years indicates that the fundamental issues influencing the American political debates, which include the protection of the society by the government, the weighing of social and economic issues such as taxation rates and social welfare programs, remain contentious. In view the financial meltdown and other economic problems, which take the toll on Americans, have deeply infiltrated the electoral debates. This implies that the previous presidential poll marked just the likelihood for a fresh quest for change in American policies as opposed to the preservation of the status quo. Obama’s latest public approvals at 46%, and brighter economic prospects in a number of states in the country might result in a tough duel reminiscent of the 2000 elections. Virginia According to Teixeira and Halpin (53-56), in 2008, Virginia vote was bagged by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama by a margin of more than six percent. In the run up to the poll, analysts c onsidered this an Obama state, or otherwise believed to be as a blue state in the southern region. Previously, the state was viewed as composed of swing vote that both key contenders camped in during the 2008 campaigns. The financial crisis, the shifting demographics such as the population rises in thickly populated northern region gave Democrats the advantage. The white liberals in the region undeniably resulted in substantial influx of voters into the Democratic Party’s basket. Florida The strongest Republican influence in Florida originates from the upper region, which is home to about 25 percent of the entire vote in the state. Teixeira and Halpin (46-50) indicate that, although, his area has registered a remarkable increase in population, with figures of hitting 19 percent increase during the last decade, the statistics are inferior to the south. In the region, Republicans emerged as winners by 14 percentage points, nonetheless, the outcome translated into a seven-point increase for the Democrats within four years. And in the area’s sprawling metro region referred to as the Jacksonville, the Democratic swing vote increased by 11 percentage points in

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Consumer Behaviour Essay Art consumers in the modern world have increased their buying capacity of art as paradigms shifts to knowledge and information based concepts. Cultural diversity and technology are developing new forms of art and ways to market these art pieces to a wider range of art consumers. However, there is no room for complacency in art managers of art galleries. It is still best to incorporate sound motivational theories that guide marketing efforts towards being robust, effective and efficient. Three motivational theories had been highlighted forming a well-rounded strategy to approach art gallery marketing. Maslow’s heirarchy of needs gives a step-by-step escalation of man’s satisfaction levels. It was noted that although art cannot satisfy physiological needs, consumers can still be motivated to buy art as objects to satisfy their needs of self-esteem, belongingness and need to self-actualize. McGuire’s advice on motivating people offers looking into the cognitive and affective factors of man’s thinking process. The more art gallery marketing efforts cater to affective faculties of their consumers, the more selling will take place. And lastly, the theory of Freud has been chosen as another guidepost in defining what makes the consumer buy. Innate biological elements found in man such as sexual desires is the most commonly known Freudian motivation that is closely related to selling art. Construction of marketing strategies to sell art does not end in incorporating concepts from these motivation theories. These motivations must further zoom in on the consumer eventually. The way to fine tune the marketing strategy is to incorporate concepts found in the five-step decision making process that all consumers go through.   As the art buyer goes from recognizing his need to gathering information that will lead him to a possible purchase, to evaluating criteria affecting his possible purchase, to his actual purchase and to coming up with insights that happens during his post purchase, the marketing strategy of the art gallery is put into a test. INTRODUCTION The art market is slowly evolving. Art has evolved into many forms and galleries have transformed to accommodate a wide range of consumers. With the entrance of innovative technology, cultural diversity and faster access to information, art galleries been challenged to study and understand consumer behavior of this widening niche. â€Å"For the last few years, the media have trumpeted contemporary art as the hottest new investment. At fairs, auction houses and galleries, an influx of new buyersmany of them from the world of financehave entered the fray. Lifted by this tidal wave of new money, the number of thriving artists, galleries and consultants has rocketed upwards.† (Spiegler, 2006) But amidst all this buying frenzy, sellers have remained steadfast to the consumer behavior theories that guide the markets. Buying behavior theories have not changed and remained formidable in figuring out what buyers want, why they want, how they avail of these wants and the factors that affect these decisions. Consumers of art hold special focused studies. Consumers who buy art also buy gas, groceries, basic services and insurance. Though there is culture in gas, groceries, basic services and insurance, these commodities does not directly fall under art. Art products and services are born out of a cultural industry. These consumers have their own consumer behaviors. â€Å"Consumer behavior is the process involved when individual or groups select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires. It is important that marketers understand consumer behavior because wants and needs are satisfied best when marketers understand the behaviors of consumers.† (Hawkins, 1998) Therefore, appropriate buyer behavior theories must be employed to so that marketing strategies to sell products in art galleries will be most appropriate, effective, efficient and economical. THE PRODUCT AND SERVICE Marketing strategies start with knowing the product or service. Characteristics of these items for sale will be essential in finding the consumers who would want to buy them. Art encompass a wide variety of products and services. Art galleries themselves have evolved into stores that sell different art genres depending on how one beholds something as art, from the flea markets selling antiques to the fine art galleries bidding by the millions. Applied and decorative art are products found in advertising, architecture and urban design. Crafts, jewelry, fashion, industrial, product and interior design fall under this art category. Entertainment art provides enjoyment services such as film, recording and TV programs. â€Å"Fine art is motivated by art-for-arts-sake. It is the primary research and development segment of the arts industry. It generates enlightenment, i.e. it sheds light on the nature of the human condition on the individual and society. â€Å"It is primarily in the fine arts that new talent and technique are developed; new scripts and scores created; and, new images and styles set. Results of fine art RD, like the results of scientific research, are sometimes adopted by for-profit enterprises in and out of the arts industry. And, as in pure science, fine art is not financially self-supporting. The right to fail is an essential artistic and scientific freedom a freedom that requires patience and risk-taking on the part of patrons, investors and audiences.† (Chartrand, 2000) Heritage art subsumes all kind of art. It feeds contemporary art and is the one that sets standards of the following generations. This art inspires creators and enriches artists through its integration of scarcity and aesthetic value while employing a sense of social relevance and cohesion.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Between 1969 and 1989, heritage art yielded the highest return of all financial investment opportunities (The Economist July 1, 1989). Furthermore, theft of antiquities is the most lucrative international crime. Ounce for ounce, an antiquity can be more valuable than drugs. It can yield a higher return, at lower risk of being caught, and generally produces less jail time if one is convicted† (Chartrand 1992a). MOTIVATIONS OF THE ART CONSUMER A person who walks into an art gallery is differently motivated compared to a person who walks into a McDonald’s burger store. A company who buys a 10 million art work does so with objectives different from its putting up a building worth about the same cost. Consumers of art are motivated differently and theories defining these motivations can help marketing strategist clear marketing goals and activities. Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) has been one of the century’s great inspiration in personality theories. The Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as illustrated in Figure 1 has helped both researchers, scholars, scientists and most specially marketing executives on how to motivate clients and consumers. Maslow believes that man is motivated based on the level of satisfaction he can achieve at a particular time when the product or service is offered him. And the levels of satisfaction starts from getting his physiological needs, then his safety needs and subsequently his belonging needs, esteem needs until he arrives at his self-actualization. Figure 1. Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs (Boeree, 1998) â€Å"Maslow suggested the intuitively appealing notion that humans must satisfy the most basic objectives before they can move onto higher level ones. Thus, an individual must satisfy physiological needs (such as food and liquid) before he or she will be able to expend energy on less fundamental objectives such as safety. Only when basic objectives have been met will a person move on to seek such objectives as love and belonging, and only a small minority of people make it as far as seeking self-actualization.† (Boeree, 1998) Art consumers at the art galleries are motivated to satisfy a certain level of need as illustrated in Maslow’s diagram. Art definitely cannot be eaten and cannot quench physical thirst. Consumers who are still struggling to satisfy their physiological needs in the normal circumstances will not buy Art. Art buyers are usually motivated to consume art to satisfy safety, belongingness, need for self-esteem and to perform their self-actualization. A person will buy art to safeguard savings. Certain works of art appreciate in value as the artist becomes more popular or when he dies. More than once, the cultural scene has witnessed these value increases and rich people have coveted owning these masterpieces not for their artistic magnificence but more for their financial value.   A person will buy art to satisfy belongingness especially if he or she finds himself trying to get into company of art buyers. Belongingness would sometimes overpower physical hunger especially in these modern days when people have gone towards the limits of individualism isolating themselves from social groups that provide comfort in belongingness. In the early years of high art, kings and queens would have their portraits painted by in house artists such as Michael Angelo and Da Vinci. These portraits help a person increase his self-esteem. Coffee shops, banks and other commercial establishment hang works of art in their walls not so much for decorative purposes but these products increase the company’s self-esteem. Their clients are able to admire the company knowing that the company they chose is of the cultured type and can afford these works of art. Based on the Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs, the marketing strategy must realize that in order for art galleries to sell their products, it has to appeal to the motivations of the people walking into the gallery. These gallery visitors are basically interested in art and the curator must work on satisfying needs. Marketing campaigns must cater to satisfying client’s need to raise his self-esteem or need to satisfy his belongingness. Strategies such as knowing the client’s kind of groupie or the client’s thoughts of himself will be a few effective tactics towards forging a sale. FREUDIAN THEORY Though highly controversial and continuously debated upon by psychoanalysts, Sigmund Freud has been the most popular theorist of the century due to the sexual nature of his findings. Basically, he suggests that â€Å"(1) much behavior has a biological basis which is (2) often sexual in nature, and (3) that early experiences in childhood will have a profound, but unconscious effect on later lifee.g., people who are rejected in an early, oral phase of development may become oral retentive and end up as wine connoisseurs later in life.† (Hawkins, 1998) For Freud, people are motivated by their sex drives. Though some sectors of the scientific communities do not believe this, advertising, film and marketing have used the Freudian theories and have remained successful in the promotion and selling of their products. Cars, cigarette, alcohol and other vices have used sex at one point or another in their commercials, posters or corporate IDs. MTV’s have evolved into using pretty boys and sexy girls to get the maximum buying power of teenagers and young adults. Even new generation anime features voluptuous heroes, heroines and villains. Wonder Woman has never been as seductive and Superman has been redrawn to sport more muscles that spell musk. Though Freud never really thought sexuality in the new millennium context, evolutionists understands this kind of sexual motivation due to the inherent nature of human beings to help the species survive and sustain power over the natural kingdom. The only way to keep from extinction is to continue procreation. In Darwinian logic, motivation to procreation is as sensible as breathing. Sex has always helped sell art. Art from ancient Greece such as sculptures Adonis or Venus were sometimes seen as pornographic. Though these artworks of nudity became monuments of great cities and tourist destinations that earn millions of dollars, parent of little children still become uneasy explaining nudity in these kinds of art works. Marketing art with tactics from the Freudian theories that sex sells would make marketing of art forms planned in a way that it attracts sexual motivations from the buyers. Art galleries, when opening an exhibit usually employs wine, beautiful ladies in little black dresses and music that appeals to the possible clients. This type of marketing style that is guided by Freudian motivation theories supports art works that have sexual undertones already in them. Bar owner Schrager narrates the reason for buying an artwork. â€Å"According to Schrager, the decision to commission Clemente for the ceiling mural and lamps was an easy one. I love Clementes work, and I thought a ceiling mural would be appropriate for the place and location. For me, a lot of Clementes work has sexual undertones, and I thought it would fit in perfectly in the bar. (Silberman, 2001) MCGUIRE THEORY OF MOTIVATION McGuire’s psychology of motivation stems from his cognitive and affective experimentations. Thinkers are seen to carry out directed-thinking tasks. These thought systems in people illustrate their motivations.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Five dimensions that together provide an inclusive description of thought systems were identified. Two dimensions are cognitive: (1) size; and (2) cognitive-affirmational bias. Two others are affective: (3) affective desirability bias; and (4) people-favorability bias. The fifth dimension is (5) cognitive-affective congruence.† (McGuire, 2006) McGuire believes that affective stimulus influence the cognitive aspect of human motivations more. Men and women have different thought patterns since they react differently to stimulus. Knowing this, it is important for art galleries to note who has the buying power when couples walk into the gallery to purchase the artwork. At culturally diverse markets, art managers need to address what could stimulate affective motivations in their clients. Sometimes, talking to an art manager who understands the client’s affective stimulus like race or culture is effective. â€Å"More buying power translates into more art-buying ability. Art dealers and publishers are keenly aware of this. But what they also need to understand is that while African Americans are looking to buy more high-quality art, theyre also looking to buy from dealers and publishers who understand them and will cater to them.† (Hagan, 2004) 5 STAGES OF DECISION MAKING PROCESS Equipped with the three motivational theories above, the next important part of the marketing strategy is integrating the promotional or advertising activities to the five stages of the decision making process that each art buyers goes through whenever they are in making a decision whether to buy, to buy later, or not to buy. Source: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~renglish/370/notes/chapt05/ Problem recognition is the stage where the buyer becomes aware of his need. Awareness of needs does not happen like magic. Need is stimulated. The client must be aware of his need from its unconscious state to the conscious and articulate status. Commercials that stimulate problem recognition are effective because they can visually show what the client does not have and therefore, just by looking at advertisement, the client realizes his lack of that product thereby moving towards the process of coveting the product for himself. A blank wall will stimulate a need to buy art. An empty corner can stimulate a person to acquire a statue. Occasions and celebrations from birthdays to monthly anniversaries to grandmom or grandpop days and other more outlandish occasions can also create the rationale to make the consumers think of buying art. The second phase is where the client begins to look for information that will lead him into being able to find the product or the service that can quench his need. In the case of art galleries, a person must be able to find the art gallery. This ease of art gallery access will be attained with proper promotions and advertising. Art gallery accessibility geographically will also be essential in attracting buyers who are currently looking for information so satisfy their needs. The Internet is the latest virtual shop where buyers from around the world can be tuned in at the same time. With the Internet platform as marketing tool, selling is definitely without borders and without pressure of time. The buyer from spread of mouth information can also acquire details on how to locate the art gallery. Employers had always stressed good service because positive feedback is the gateway of businesses. With the information at hand, the consumer goes to the third stage of the decision making process which is the evaluation stage where alternatives are ranked. â€Å"This stage establishes the criteria for evaluation, features the buyer wants or does not want. Rank/weight alternatives or resume search. May decide that you want to eat something spicy, indian gets highest rank. If not satisfied with your choice then return to the search phase. Can you think of another restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information from different sources may be treated differently. Marketers try to influence by framing alternatives.† (classnotes, 2006) Art galleries’ marketing strategy must make sure that the criteria set by its consumers are achieved. After product characteristics, price is usually the next criteria that the client considers. For art, the prices depend on a flexible standard. Other pieces are â€Å"priceless† while other art products are set by how the community valuates the artist. This is where the talent of the art manager or the curator comes in. Framing the art product, literally and figuratively spells putting on more weight on the piece or turning the off the client’s needs which will surely fail selling the product when the fifth decision making process starts. The fourth stage is the purchase stage. The buying value is affected by three possibilities as the client decides from whom to buy, when to buy or if the client decides not to buy. Purchase from art galleries will be affected by the terms of sale, credibility of the establishment and return policies. Tax information on artwork is an important information that will tip the scales towards the sales. A news clipping shows reaction of buyers and galleries on impositions of added tax to art pieces. â€Å"Paying an 8.8 percent tax on art doesnt discourage him or his wife, Virginia, from buying, but he said he could imagine it would slow some people down.† Thats what worries the Seattle Art Museum.† (Hackett, 2005) The atmosphere of the art gallery, and happiness of the shopping experience influences the time of sale. Some galleries maintain calmness in the gallery depicting unstressful experience for the buyer. Especially with purchases of millions of dollars, the atmosphere must be as much stress free as possible. The last stage of the process is the post purchase stage where the client reflects on the purchase that he did. The buyer usually compares the purchase with his expectations based on the need he originally formed. In the post purchase stage, either the art consumer is satisfied or unsatisfied with the purchase. Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction is affected by his value perceptions. Art buyers know there is inherent value in art works. Physically, art is just a piece of paper or canvass with pigment but the images and visualization that the artwork shares to the consumer is what is of value that have been purchased. For artwork, one piece may create more value to another person depending on the level of beauty value he gets from the work of art. His satisfaction therefore depends on the value that the art product or experience in buying the artwork communicates to the buyer. Art galleries are cultural venues where patrons are soon established. The repeat-purchase behavior found in the art galleries must be high and excellent because these repeat buyers are also automatic promotional agents of the art gallery. Appreciating an art piece in a hotel lobby, an interested consumer would normally ask where the piece was bought. And that is first lead of the art gallery that happens outside the gallery. Patrons of the art help in lessening the cognitive dissonance of art consumers. When there is a feeling of anxiety after purchase, the consumer looks for elements outside his decision that would help him be assured of his purchase and publicity of the art gallery’s success or social responsibility or how famous people patronize the gallery helps in relieving cognitive dissonance in post purchase stages of consumer decision making process. CONCLUSION Everyone buys art at one time or another. The time and cost of art that an individual buys depends on his motivations as incorporated in many studies in consumer behavior backed by psychological discourse and experimentations. With the need for the art industry to profit and keep the industry afloat, marketing strategies benefit from these motivational theories. It is safe to note that whenever a painting or a piece of art lands in a hotel lobby, or a financial establishment, a museum or simply in a living room wall, much human activity has been put into it that basically further increases it s social and cultural value. References Boeree, George. 1998. Abraham Maslow. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/maslow.html Chartrand, Harry Hillman. 2000. The Public Life of the Arts in America†¨Joni Cherbo and M. Wyszomirski (eds),†¨Rutgers University Press, April 2000 Classnotes. 2006. Consumer Buying Behavior. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.udel.edu/alex/chapt6.html Silberman, Vanessa. 2000. Results of Consumer Survey Shed Light on Art Buying Behavior. Art Business News, Nov, 2000 Hagan, Debbie. 2004. Black buying power shows strength in art: growing incomes and more national exposure of African-American art translates into a widening base of art buyers – news. Art Business News, Jan, 2004 Hackett, Regina and Michelle Nicolosi. 2005. Art collectors fault state agency on tax issue. Seattle Post – Intelligencer Reporters. Friday May 27, 2005. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/226106_reactart26.html?source=rss Hawkins, Del I., Roger J. Best, and Kenneth A. Coney (1998), Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy, 7th ed., Boston: McGraw Hill. McGuire, William J. Claire V. McGuire, Yale University. 2006. Cognitive versus affective aspects of phenomenal thought systems focused on persons. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.sydneysymposium.unsw.edu.au/1999/abstracts.htm Spiegler, Marc. 2006. Time to Reform the Art Market? The Art Newpaper. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.forbes.com/collecting/2005/05/30/cx_0530conn_ls.html

Memoirs of a Geshia and Andrea Del Sarto Essay Example for Free

Memoirs of a Geshia and Andrea Del Sarto Essay The film adaptation of Memoirs of a Geshia faithfully depict the context in which it was taken. Woman are portaryed strong feminists in todays society. Sayuris blue eyes symbolise the Japanese culture, as the element of water is often associated with adoption and change, as it can be both a relaxing and a desructive force. Sayuris growth from a young servant to one of the most sought after geshia in her district water is a good guard against fire. Sayuri is portrayed as being a worthy protective for the equally formidable element of fire which can be associated with the beautiful but highly dangerous Hutsumomo. Both woman of fire and the girl of water illustrate the dominance and power of women in todays society. as both characters were associated with the element of earth, emphasising the power of women in todays society as they have gained power over time. On the other hand, in Andrea del Sarto, Browning rejects the tendency rejects the tendancy of romantics to project all their desires onto a female object . His dramatic monolouge in the poem is a variation on the theme of men processing women as objects, You beatiful Lucrezia that are mine! reveals the artists desire to assert his male dominance over her female passivity. Browning showcases the role of women during the Victorian era and the time as men only refer to them as objects as they were only desired by men for their perfect eyes perfect mouth over time women have become more powerful as portrayed in Memoirs of a Geshia as the society has recognised and potential of women.

Tourism And Economic Development In The Caribbean Tourism Essay

Tourism And Economic Development In The Caribbean Tourism Essay The Caribbean is known for its beautiful islands and breath-taking shores. There are numerous sites in this region of thousands of diverse islands. To list a few reasons as to why its a huge attraction to tourists from all over the world, then the coral reefs, colorful fruits, golf courses, sailboats and the wonderful sunsets at the beach are just the tip of the ice burg. Its the perfect place to relax with the family and a Caribbean holiday is the best place if anyone is seeking for a little adventure. The Caribbean seems to have everything for a great vacation from horse riding to hiking, wildlife tourism and much more. Everything from exploring the beautiful waterfalls, going kayaking upriver and even canoeing gives the Caribbean the top most position in tourism category. The Caribbean has both extinct and live volcanoes. It gives a definite adrenaline rush for tourists seeking it. Its tropical rainforests consists of rare and exotic animal species. It is by all means, absolutely beautiful. The Caribbean region consists of thousands of islands and to name a few that are of great tourists interest and as stated in http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_names_of_the_Caribbean_islands: Anguilla UK, Antigua Barbuda, Aruba ~ Netherlands, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe ~ France, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Martinique ~ France, Montserrat ~ UK, Netherland Antilles, Puerto Rico ~ US, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent Grenadines, Trinidad Tobago, Turks Caicos ~ UK and US Virgin Island. Its not only about the adventures but the Caribbean features cites of its rich heritage and unique architecture. If we were to take a look into the most popular tourist attraction in the Caribbean then this would definitely include the Barbados; a small island also called as little England during the British era. It is called so, because it still contains a part of the thriving British legacy, cricket, Anglo Saxon activity and high tea. We have Antigua Barbuda that has more than 356 beaches (representing one for every year). This too is another popular tourist attraction. Then there is Guyana which is a one of the independent members in the Caribbean. It is also known for its beaches and countless rivers and lakes. The best side to it is that gold deposits and diamonds can be found at the river bottoms and hillsides. This place is popular for yachting and sailing. Another beautiful island is ST Lucida. This island is known for its mountains that are covered with forests and the wildlife in it. Such other marvelous sites in the Caribbeans are St Martin, Trinidad, Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and much more. Situated in the Caribbean Sea is the Roatan Honduras Island that has brought the economy a constant dramatic increase due to the scuba diving fans. This place offers its visitors everything, ranging from marine wildlife to scuba lessons and even certification. It is know for its coral which is very diverse and can be seen easily. Here, tourism is well developed, hotels are well equipped and the resorts are numerous. This place is even called the Caribbeans best kept secret. It is no doubt one of the most beautiful sites and experiences to have. According to Gmelch, George (Behind the Smile: the Working Lives of Caribbean Tourism. Bloomington, IN: Indiana UP, 2003), the Caribbean governments welcome tourists with warm hearts because they realized that the Caribbean economy is completely dependant on tourism, also being referred to as the engine of their growth. Economic development in the Caribbean has benefited merchants, farmers, fishermen and many more. According to Pattullo, Polly. (Last Resorts: the Cost of Tourism in the Caribbean. London: Cassell, 1996), Tourism is a huge contributor to the economies of all Caribbean countries and the biggest contributor to many of them such as Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and the Virgin Islands Yolande Wilson MBA 08 In the Caribbean Tourism Fueled by Hotel Development: The Good and the Bad, explains that the success of Caribbean tourism is probably because people have the thoughts of aqua blue waters, warm sand beaches and luxury images on their minds. It is these precise thoughts that play a large role in the tourism business in the Caribbean. This puts all the focus on the tourism companies, services industries and real estate development. Tourism in the Caribbean is as early as 1862 where Jamaica had health spas and cruises that ran to the island but now, the tourism industries in the Caribbean estimates an anticipated contribution of over 18.7 billion dollars by 2011. Another author named C. James Hospedales wrote about the importance of tourism to Caribbean development in (Healthy Tourism in the Caribbean) Saturday, 22nd September 2007. He explained that 25 billion dollars were the gross output in the Caribbean tourism with more than 12 million tourists arriving for stay in the Caribbean and more than 6 million cruise ships. Hotels were completely booked and tourism became very important to the Caribbean economy. Tourism in the Caribbean is even compared to oil in the Middle East. They have also made it a motto Caribbean development through quality tourism which made it clear that the economy will be completely dependant on tourism for the coming years. With the arrival of the internet on 1995 which made it possible to spread the word of all the good and bad news. It was an effective tool in informing the world about this ravishing country. There was also the European tour operators whom made it easy for the tourists to get to the Caribbean from the European countries. However, with the success of increasing arrivals of tourists that helped boost the countrys economy, it also brought in the possibility of diseases being imported from different parts of the world. Yet this did not stop the Caribbean tourism organization from making sure that such issues along with injuries are minimized to its lowest. Their vision was that the Caribbean to be the safest, happiest, and healthiest of comparable destinations in the world Its obvious that tourism has affected the economy of the Caribbean region. These effects are mainly due to the travel and tourism industries. Through Paul McDaniels point of view, an eHow contributing writer in The effects of Tourism in the Caribbean, the economy was affected both positively and negatively. From these effects, wed notice that it includes the Caribbeans utmost and complete reliance on tourism and travel industries. But because, most of these tourism companies are never usually based in a particular Caribbean island, much of the money made does not stay on the Caribbean. This may also appear as a disadvantage for the Caribbean. However, without the competing companies, the economy could also be highly affected. However, David Jessop wrote about Grasping the full economic impact of Caribbean tourism Sunday | September 23, 2007 and questioned if the governments truly understood the importance of tourism, which in his words is the industry that now underwrites the regional economy. He provided reports that were produced over the last 2 years that explained the positive impact tourism had on the economy. These reports were based on the studies produced, supported and encouraged by the Caribbean tourism organization and Caribbean hotel association. It was a clear demonstration to the government that tourism has become the dominant force in the Caribbean. In these reports, the Caribbean tourism is expected to get over 56.1 billion dollars economically with about 15% increase in tourism employment from 2007 to 2017. Basically these earnings are expected to grow over 3 percent per year. Therefore, from these readings its pretty clear that the Caribbean region is economically dependent on the touris m industry. However, if these industries do not remain competitive, then the economic boost could come to an end. The problems that face the Caribbean tourism industry are those of globalization as well as interdependence. Therefore the beauty and nature of the country will not be enough to make the regions case. It requires the government to play a role in supporting it to the fullest. Whether its decreasing the taxes, providing public health education or even changing the policies to fit the countrys increasing economy. In a pacific islands report written by Sir Ronald Sanders in the Benefits of Caribbean tourism must be shared, he wrote about another problem that could affect the tourism industry in the Caribbean which is surprisingly the racial division notion in the island. This existing problem causes constant discomfort among many hotel owners that are expatriates, managers and the citizens yet they dare not deal with it. These problems are being left depressed like the racial division between the ownership on one side and the workers on the other. This problem is expected to worsen in the future if not dealt with now. Given the growing size of tourists coming into the country every year, it would keep requiring a large size of financial investments for the resorts and hotels in the Caribbean. These investments are primarily funded by the white expatriates that own tourism companies and can build or own resorts and any other tourism aspects in the business. This may seem as a problem because th e profits in this case are sent abroad. The country does not benefit and the balance is disturbed. In an abstract written by Harry G. Matthews, 6 May 2009 Radicals and third world tourism: A Caribbean focus, he talks about the metropolitan tourism in third world countries that have brought to question the tourist industries in a more political and social way. He talks about how it could affect the country and in this case, the Caribbean. He believes that tourism is an intrusion which is of metropolitan type, developed by the white people into the world of non-white. He also believes that these are merely fantasies sold to the tourists, causing the rise of cultures in countries like the Caribbean. Therefore the solution lies with the government of these countries where they are trying to bring forth an increase in sophistication. However, it is uncertain of how this action would actually take place. A critique; Tom Womeldorff analyzes the Caribbean tourism in an interesting way in Caribbean tourism: A Critical analysis 10/14/2009. He writes about the western mentality of escaping to tropical islands with exotic animals, plants and warm sunsets. This fantasy is offered by the Caribbean tourism resorts and travel agencies that aim to fulfill the western dream. And recently, the market has included the catering of tourists whom want to experience the exotic island to the fullest. These tourism agencies are expanding to provide whatever desires that could have tourist dollars following it. Therefore these tourist industries carefully construct the hotels and resorts to meet the conceptions and needs of tourists. This perception to perfection however comes with a cost. Although it provides as a source of income to the Caribbean people, it has made them completely commoditized because it requires that they put all their focus in the tourism programme, to make every thing possible. In The state and tourism: a Caribbean perspective by Hilton McDavid, Diaram Ramajeesingh, the abstract mentions an important something to think about and its how the tourism industries are now the center of attention. This is because the country is now tourism dependant. But does the government do what it takes to make sure that the social and environmental needs are taken care off? In this journal, the writers believe that the government have to work harder in order to shape the tourism industries in a way that every sector in the Caribbean benefits. The Stabroek staff  | February 5, 2010 in  Business the Caribbean tourism industry raise an important question Will the 2009 nightmare push regional tourist destinations towards diversification. It is true that the Caribbean got caught up in the economic crisis that took away jobs, homes, savings and much more. The Caribbean people were beginning to wonder if they have to shift towards diversification for their economic incomes. The number of tourists drastically changed and Caribbean development bank activities showed a significant decline. Sharply declining tourist arrivals according to the CDB with other investments, the main transmission channels of the crisis to regional economies. However it appears that the Caribbean has settled down from all the economic problems and found its comfort zone where its reassured that the tourists will keep coming in. the CDG even reports that the growth is expected to return and is likely to become the same by 2011. Although the whole economy of the country, peoples jobs and welfare cannot wait till the crises associated with the whole world is recovered, diversification for a better economy should be considered. In Caribbean tourism looking toward an improvement in 2010 by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar, Jan 28, 2010, after the economic crises that effected the countrys economy due to the decline in tourists rate, the Caribbean tourism industry began improving despite criminal and tax problems in some of the islands. And the earthquake that hit Haiti did not affect the islands economy much. Chastanet said, during and annual event in the Caribbean We will probably end the year 5.6 percent down but were looking for a strong rebound in 2010 And a hotel owner Rene Seepersadsingh The economic situation globally impacted negatively on Tobago. Hotels reported as much as a 40 percent decline in stayover, particularly from the British and the German markets As for Jamaica, it was seeing a 4% increase in arrivals while the other islands were reporting a decline in 2009. This is probably because it was running ads on television across North America, tempting them to join the warm summers. They were very successful with their ads as Barlett who works at the airlines said For this winter season now beginning, we have a record 1 million (airline) seats which is the largest number we ever had. The unusual part is that Jamaica continues to attract tourists even though it is categorized as one of the most violent countries in the world. The murder and crimes rates were 1,680 last year alone. Barlett believes that Its a contradiction. The most iconic attraction in Jamaica is the people. It belies the crime statistics Finally the most spoke about topic in the Caribbean tourism is HARPOONING CARIBBEAN TOURISM: SWALLOWING A DEAD RAT by Sir Ronald Sanders Sunday, March 14, 2010. The new attractions that require full support by the Caribbean governments are the whale watching activities. There was an international meeting held in Martinique from February 18 to 21 on what they call Sustainable Blue tourism in the Caribbean, specifically urging the Caribbean government to not only support this attraction but to protect the marine wildlife and mammal population by providing sustainable jobs to the fishermen. This new attraction is bound too boost the economy situation and the exotic fantasies keep getting better. Thus the Caribbean keeps finding ways to attract tourists and its economy although highly dependant on tourism yet, very rich.

Influence of Greek Culture :: essays research papers

Influence of Greek Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Back in the days of Homer’s Writings, Greek culture had a huge influence on the way of life and the style of writing. In this epic Greek culture also played a huge roll in the outcome of the story. The three traits of Greek culture that are evident in this story are, marriage is permanent, gods are revered and intelligence is valued.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first one of these traits that stands out in this epic is marriage is permanent. Penelope is faced with many suitors who wish to marry her and rule Ithica, yet she remained loyal and had faith that her husband, Odysseus would return to her side. In one instance, the suitors pressured her into choosing one of them to marry. To trick the men she said â€Å"Young men, my suitors, now my lord is dead, let me finish my weaving before I marry.† (p. 726, l. 100-101). Then every night she would undo her progress of the day. Odysseus too, had been desired by others and he too avoided them. Circe and Calypso both wanted to be with Odysseus, but he knew he had sworn to love Penelope. Telemachus also played a part in keeping his parents’ marriage together. He set out to find his father despise what others had told him. The olive tree bed was also a symbol of the couple’s permanent marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next trait that played a role in Greek culture was that gods are revered. Gods played a very significant role in the Greek’s way of life. Gods controlled everything from the sky to the underworld. Gods could either be your best friend, or your worst enemy. Odysseus learned that the hard way. After blinding Polyphemus he boasted his name to the beast whose father was the sea god Poseidon. â€Å"Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of the cities took your eye: Laertes’ son whose home’s on Ithica!† (p.756 l. 970-974). From that point on he would be punisher by the great sea god. A god also played an important role in Telemachus’ journey. Athena gave the young mortal much help and advice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The last trait that played an important role in Greek culture is that intelligence is valued. Odysseus, Telemachus and Penelope all showed great intelligence in the epic. Odysseus main strength was his intelligence. He had tricked the Cyclops many times and saved himself and his crew’s lives many times.

Managing Diversity Essay -- Ethnicity Racial Races Papers

Managing Diversity As we enter the new millenium, diversity in the workforce is rapidly increasing. Businesses and organizations are living up to the great melting pot image the United States has always been popular for. Employees now reflect a diversity of cultural perspectives, ethnic backgrounds, ages, genders, physical abilities, and levels of education. This wave of multiculturalism is here to stay and cannot be ignored. It is in need of attention in order to uphold the well-being and success of businesses and organizations all over the country. One way to face this wave of diversity is to learn to accept and value it (http://www.online.wbc.org/Docs/starting/diversity.html). What is diversity? Why does it matter? Once this is accomplished, the next step would be to learn how to manage diversity in the workplace. What kind of environment would managers have to create to educate employees about cultural diversity (http://mason.gmu.edu/~Isamuel/diverse.htm). In addition, an efficient manager would assess how well the environment that he/she has created is working (http://www.communitypolicing.org/exchange/e16_97/e16glosr.htm) What makes a good trainer? What are some common mistakes that a trainer could make? What is diversity? There are several definitions of diversity that exists in literature. Some definitions range from narrow to very broad. Those that are narrow tend to reflect the laws of affirmative action and equal employment opportunities such as race, gender, ethnicity, age, national origin, religion, and disability. Broad definitions tend to include sexual preference and orientation, values, education, language, economic status, marital status, lifestyle, and beliefs (7). One example defines diversity as a... ... of Managing Diversity," The Best of the Bureaucrat (Winter 1991- 2) : 41-44. 2. Andy Ferguson, "A White Man's View on Diversity," The Public Manager (Spring 1997) : 52-54. 3. Matti Dobbs and Oliver Brown, "A Vital Link: The Supervisor's Role in Managing Diversity," The Public Manager (Summer 1997) : 53-56. 4. Audrey Mathews, "Diversity: A Principle of Human Resource Management," Public Personnel Management (Summer 1998) 27 vols. No. 2 : 175-184. 5. Matti F. Dobbs, "Managing Diversity: The Department of Energy Initiative," PublicPersonnel Management (Summer 1998) 27 vols. No. 2 : 161-173. 6. James D. Slack., "From Affirmative Action to Full Spectrum Diversity in the American Workplace," Rev. of Public Personnel Administration (Fall 1997) : 75- 87. 7. Rosemary Wentling, "Diversity Training in the Workplace," http://nerve.berkeley.edu/CW73/WIPIL.html Managing Diversity Essay -- Ethnicity Racial Races Papers Managing Diversity As we enter the new millenium, diversity in the workforce is rapidly increasing. Businesses and organizations are living up to the great melting pot image the United States has always been popular for. Employees now reflect a diversity of cultural perspectives, ethnic backgrounds, ages, genders, physical abilities, and levels of education. This wave of multiculturalism is here to stay and cannot be ignored. It is in need of attention in order to uphold the well-being and success of businesses and organizations all over the country. One way to face this wave of diversity is to learn to accept and value it (http://www.online.wbc.org/Docs/starting/diversity.html). What is diversity? Why does it matter? Once this is accomplished, the next step would be to learn how to manage diversity in the workplace. What kind of environment would managers have to create to educate employees about cultural diversity (http://mason.gmu.edu/~Isamuel/diverse.htm). In addition, an efficient manager would assess how well the environment that he/she has created is working (http://www.communitypolicing.org/exchange/e16_97/e16glosr.htm) What makes a good trainer? What are some common mistakes that a trainer could make? What is diversity? There are several definitions of diversity that exists in literature. Some definitions range from narrow to very broad. Those that are narrow tend to reflect the laws of affirmative action and equal employment opportunities such as race, gender, ethnicity, age, national origin, religion, and disability. Broad definitions tend to include sexual preference and orientation, values, education, language, economic status, marital status, lifestyle, and beliefs (7). One example defines diversity as a... ... of Managing Diversity," The Best of the Bureaucrat (Winter 1991- 2) : 41-44. 2. Andy Ferguson, "A White Man's View on Diversity," The Public Manager (Spring 1997) : 52-54. 3. Matti Dobbs and Oliver Brown, "A Vital Link: The Supervisor's Role in Managing Diversity," The Public Manager (Summer 1997) : 53-56. 4. Audrey Mathews, "Diversity: A Principle of Human Resource Management," Public Personnel Management (Summer 1998) 27 vols. No. 2 : 175-184. 5. Matti F. Dobbs, "Managing Diversity: The Department of Energy Initiative," PublicPersonnel Management (Summer 1998) 27 vols. No. 2 : 161-173. 6. James D. Slack., "From Affirmative Action to Full Spectrum Diversity in the American Workplace," Rev. of Public Personnel Administration (Fall 1997) : 75- 87. 7. Rosemary Wentling, "Diversity Training in the Workplace," http://nerve.berkeley.edu/CW73/WIPIL.html

Characteristics of a Good Leader Essay -- Leadership

A good leader needs to have many particular characteristics. Some of these are obvious, such as that they care about what you are doing and always puts you before themselves. Also another trait of a good leader is that they always keep promises they make. Some of the subtle attributes of a good leader are that they do not hide behind bad news. Moreover, they are easy people to talk to and they have a good if not excellent sense of humor. In my opinion, the best leader would be one that enjoys being the leader, is anyways there when I need him or her, sets tangible milestones, always believes that I can do everything, is optimistic, gets everyone involved, wants everyone to be successful, and lastly is courageous and brave. All these characteristics describe the best leader in the world...

Exploring the essence of self in the western context Essay

Statement of authorship I certify that this literature review is my own work and contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma in any institute, college or university. Moreover, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the dissertation. Name Signed _________________________________________________ Date ___________________________________________________ The most fundamental of the questions man asks himself in his lifetime are, â€Å"what/who am I ?†and â€Å"what is my purpose?† The curiosity over this issue of ‘the self’ has spanned human thought for millennia rooting from societal notion that â€Å"life cannot be just bricks and cement†. Due to the inherent nature of these fundamental curiosities mankind has struggled from ancient times to uncover these mysteries. In the western-context, this brief essay will try to explore the dimensions of the â€Å"essence of self† ranging from medieval to the modern conception of self. It will review the theories of self starting with Aristotelian science and Christian doctrines and their eventual marriage by St. Thomas Acquinas’ moral theory. In effect, it then explores critical viewpoints and traces the development of Scientific Rationalization. Progressively, it debates Rene Descartes’ rationalist views  shaping his dualistic conception of the self. Furthermore, it poses the contrasting empiricist views of John Locke where he places self-consciousness and memory as the variables to comprehend self. In addition, it contests David Hume’s proclamation of the self as fiction (Robinson, H., 2012). The theories of self and identity gradually developed over a historical timeline resulting in modern thought on the subject. In this regard, it is important to understand its development initiation from religious conception in the west. Curiosity on these issues can be traced back to accounts of Aristotle, where he is of the view that everything in nature has a purpose and everything can be rationalized based on its intent and the purpose it served (Greetham, B. 2006, p.213). This is referred to as the ‘teleological’ view, which contributed to the formation of medieval world view formed by Christian dogma and the Catholic church (Cavalier, G.,1989). This Christian conception viewed the world as being God’s creation and expression of his will which was cosmologically meaningful and structured. The purpose of things under this theology is God given and is a part of the ‘grand plan’ (Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy). This categorises the medieval belief of self, where humans have a certain place and purpose and the self is understood in terms of the role it plays in the grand plan of things. The medieval Christian conception of self was greatly inspired by the work of 13th century theologian St. Thomas Acquinas. In his opus he bridged the gap between faith and reason by linking Christian dogma and Aristotelian thought (O’Callaghan, R., 2010). In essence, he lived in a crucial juncture of western culture when the Latin translation of Aristotelian corpus was made available which in effect reignited the debate on relating faith and reason. His theories borrowed from Aristotle and Christian dogma and ethi cs which were consistently reaffirmed by the church over the centuries (auquinas from stanford). The aforementioned medieval religious conception of self forms the basis Acquinas’ ethical premise on how we ought to act (Greetham, B., 2006). Right and wrong actions based on their compliance with human nature and its place â€Å"God-given natural order†, categorized as natural or unnatural. Hence, the self bounded and confined to serving a purpose. However, this religious world-view came under intense criticism  with the advent of scientific advancement and rationality in the 16th and 17th centuries. Scientific thinking developed under the likes of Descartes and Locke and was reasoned based on the accomplishments of Galileo and Newton(Zalta, E., 2011). They disregarded the place of divine-will in their conception of self, basing it on mere experience, empirical evidence and mathematical formulations. This shift of conception is termed ‘demythologization’, where everything works without a purpose and results from mechanical interaction of particles regulated by universal laws which can be mathematically formulated (Greetham, B., 2006). Consequently, began the search of the self by looking within for purpose and meaning. The modern view of self is articulated in the works of 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes. He pioneered the dualistic understanding of the human being, which is made up of the â€Å"mental substance (mind) and the physical substance (body)† (Warburton, N., 1992). Here, the body has physical properties like having weight and using space, whereas the mind is a non-material substance, responsible for thought and experience and hence is the abode of consciousness. In his view, the self is a spiritual â€Å"subject of experience† which is fundamentally different from the body and nature, where the body inessential and the mind can exist independently. His radical scepticism led to the formation of the â€Å"Illusion argument†, where the bodily senses are deemed unreliable and thus the existence of the external world and body is uncertain. The only thing one can be certain of is that ‘I exist’. This is categorized under his famous proclamation -â€Å"Cogito ergo sum†, meaning â€Å"I think, therefore I am† (Cavalier, G., 1989). In essence, â€Å"the self is essentially mental† and the search for purpose and meaning should be searched within ourselves instead of classifying it under totality of nature. In his endeavours, Descartes used the â€Å"rationalist approach† to knowledge, which solely relies on logic and scepticism . In contrast, his contemporary, English philosopher John Locke relies on the â€Å"empiricist approach†, where knowledge is acquired by the means of watchfulness and experience. His theology of self underlines the role of reason, consciousness and self-consciousness. As for Locke, he sees self-consciousness as a  inseparable element in the conduct of any conscious action, like thinking and observing. The perception of the world by the senses, awareness of personal identity, actions performed and its retention (memory) over time is what constitutes self-consciousness (Robinson, H., 2012). Personal identity here is quintessentially the self, in which memory is decisive variable as the consciousness of past actions is critical to being the same person; and selfhood is reliant on the consciousness and not the body. For instance, if a person has memories from a past life as Salvador Dali, then he is the same person in the current life with a different body. These arguments however appear ambiguous upon correlation with Descartes’ accounts. However, Locke’s accounts differ where cites that it is not necessary that thinking, observation etc. to be the products of a non-material substance and leaves a prospect open that they could be of material origin. The self, Locke argues, is resultant from â€Å"continuity of consciousness† and not a ‘substance’ as proposed by Descartes (Greetham, B., 2006). Then again, there is a fallacy in these arguments; if the self is continuity of consciousness and memory retention then without the memory of past actions accountability for the actions is cannot be held (Cavalier, g., 1989). For instance, it could be hypothesized in Locke’s view, that a person who committed murder as a child, who grew up to become a doctor and then as an old man he cannot remember his crime as a child, hence in effect, he cannot be held responsible for the murder. Eighteenth century philosopher David Hume continued in the empirical approach, maintaining that authentic knowledge is solely acquired on the basis of direct experience (Robinson H., 2012). He borrows from Locke, however, he reaches drastic conception where he conceives the self as fiction. Thereafter, he entirely disregards the â€Å"substance view of the mind†. He bases his conception strictly on experience or ‘perception’ and maintains that the existential claim for the inner substance should be discoverable by experience (Greetham, B., 2006). Through his experience, Hume, found no such substance but instead only a variety of perceptions where there is no identity or self binding them. Academics refer to this view as the â€Å"bundle theory of substance†, where different perceptions are in eternal flux (Robinson H., 2012). However, Hume fails to identify a unifying  factor and puts forth a vague understanding of the mind just being a bundle of perceptions. Consequently, the Cartesian theory of self gained an upper hand as it offers the unifying substance of mind in the conception of the self (Greetham, B., 2006). The aforementioned theories of self significantly influence the post-modern conception of the self, as the subject has a tendency to develop over time (Cahoone, L., 2003). These western theories have borrowed from Eastern conceptions of self, which indicates ancient interaction between the west and the east. (Cavalier, G., 1989). In the contemporary world, the twentieth century has been the fore-bringer of brisk industrialization in the western world, begetting fast-paced consumer societies, where the people have little or no time for personal fulfilment (Cahoone, L. 2003). This along with advent of cultural pluralism, scientific rationalization and secularization of notions of religion has led to burgeoning interest in the conception of self (Olsen and Timothy, 2006, p.139). On a personal basis, the theories of self explored here provided a clearer picture on the gradual development of understanding of self with a historical context and an insight into how these theories have shaped post-modern notions on the same (Collinson, P. et al, 2000). Descartes’ accounts and his emphasis on the soul substance worked as a bride between my eastern thought origin and modern western conception on the subject. However, Locke’s and Hume’s empirical approach and their emphasis on discovering self through experience is also profound to my conception of self. Their conclusions however appeared radical and absurd especially in the case of Hume where proclaims the self as being fictional. References: Cahoone, L. (2003). From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology. Carlton: Blackwell. Cavalier, G. &. (1989). Ethics in the History of Western Philosophy. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Collinson, P. &. (2000). Fifty Eastern Tihnkers. London: Routledge. Greetham, B. (2006). Philosophy. Norwich: Palgrave Macmillan. Jamal, T. a. (2009). The Sage Handbook of Tourism Studies. London: Sage. O’Callaghan, R. et al. (2010, December 21). Saint Thomas Aquinas. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://plato.stanford.edu/: Olsen, D.H. and Timothy, D.J. (2006). Tourism, Religion and Spiritual Journeys. Oxford: Routledge. Robinson, H. (2012, Demember 21). Dualism. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://plato.stanford.edu/: Warburton, N. (1992). Philosophy. Abingdon: Routledge. Zalta, E. (2011, September 21). Aquinas’ Moral, Political, and Legal Philosophy. Retrieved May 1, 2011, from www.http://plato.stanford.edu/:

Anti-Discrimination legislation Essay

In hospitals and your local GP people come in each day with health problems asking how the doctors or nurses can help them. With this, the government needs to find a way to protect the workers and patients from any discrimination being made towards them. This is why the government ha made something called legislation where as no one is allowed to discriminate anyone based on the genre, sex, race or disability. There are different types of legislations made based on the different types of discrimination they are. The two legislations that mare made are: The sex discrimination Act 1975: This legislation means that no one, no care worker doctor or nurse is allowed to discriminate anyone based on their gender even if they are female or male no one is to discriminate anyone inside or outside the health and social cafe industry. The race relations NI order 1997/Act 2005: This Is another legislation which means that no person is allowed to discriminate a person based on their skin colour. This is a very common discrimination as people are judging others based on their skin colour and this is why there is a legislation being made against this. This does often happen in the health and social care industry so here are a few examples to explain the legislations in a bit more detail.   For example: The sex discrimination Act 1975: A nurse is giving medication to a patient, but the patient is refusing the medication from the nurse. By now the nurse is getting annoyed with the patient and is now asking why the patient is refusing the medication and the patient replies by saying ‘I do not respect women as I believe men are the stronger sex and women should be our slaves’ by now the nurse is feeling judged and discrimination. For example: The race relations NI order 1997/Act 2005: A care worker has brought in a new person in the care home. This person is new and he wants to get to know the people but every time he/she tries to he/she is ignored and pushed to the side by now he/she is wondering what he/she did wrong. Then one person comes up him/her and says ‘we do not tolerate coloured people and we certainly do not want to be friend’s with you. ’ By now he/she is feeling depressed and upset about hi/her colour. Code of practice: This is the same as legislations, rules being made but however these are rules being made by the organisation like bullying rules and etc. There are laws made by the government to help protect patients and clients from any harm. Despite the fact that these are rules made by the workers themselves and what they think would help the work base. Despite the fact that there are two main types of code of practice in the health and social care industry and those are.   The general social care council (GSCC) / Northern Ireland Social care Code of Practice:   Nursing Midwifery Council(NMC) Code of practice: There are different types of codes of practice made in the health and social care industry and the workers need to make sure that these rules are to benefit the patients and clients. Here is an example of how a code of practice can help the way a nurse may work with her patients. For example: A nurse is going to dress her elderly patient in a residential care home. She is now barking at the elderly lady to get up and now she is bullying her and telling her she is to slow. By now the elderly lady starts to cry and become upset and now the nurse is telling her to shut up and to listen what the nurse has to say. Charter: This is when a patient or client expects something from a care worker. Like a local GP says that each patient will wait 15 minutes each for their appointment. By saying this, this is what the patients/clients will expect from the local GP. There are different policies made by this and here here are a couple of them: For example: A patient has come to the doctors and she is pregnant 7 months. Because she is pregnant she sees a sign that says ‘pregnant women can wait 10 minutes limited for their appointment with their doctor. ’ She expects to be waiting 10n minutes limited for the doctor. She does not intend on waiting any longer. Policies: This is when an organisation works with a individual to ensure that this individual is getting the support he/she is required and his/her health is good. Different organisations make different policies to help make sure that each individual is treated with respect and honour. There is a bullying policy and there is also a sexual harassment policy and a lot more to help make sure that each patient is treated with respect and no one is being treated differently. For example: A patient is in a office making a complaint about the work in the health and social care industry. Whilst picking up his/her medication he had to wait over 20 minutes to pick up his medication. Whilst waiting he told the workers to hurry up, he was getting late for work, but the worker shouted at him and told him to shut up. Now he is speaking to someone. The lady now understands and is making sue that the patient meets his needs and ensures him that she will speak to the workers and something would be done. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Health and Social Care section.

Usmle Step 2 Ck Review Notes

J 1 J Premenopausal Pelvic mass ?-hCG test + Sono: simple cyst + Sono: complex/solid + Acute severe pain  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH J J (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 2 CV disease & Hormone Therapy J Recommendations: HT (E+P) 2003 Critique of WHI study  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 3 Menopause WHI â€Å"WINDOW of OPPORTUNITY† Critical period for maximum response to HT 10 yrs too Late!! Start HT here  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH Nonoral Options in Hormone Therapy, OBG Management supplement to November 2004 Not Here Natural HistoryTreatment Non-contraceptive Benefits Steroid Contraception Progestin Progestin Progestin Hysterectomy v Dysmenorrhea v DUB v PID v Ectopic preg suppress PG release stabilizes endometrium thickens cervical mucus thickens cervical mucus TAH, BSO  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 4 Metabolic Effects Steroid contraception He althy lipid profile (^ HDL, v LDL) Oral Contraceptives Risk of CANCER Estrogen mediated THROMBOSIS ^ venous & arterial v Endometrial ^ Cervical = ^ Breast Ovarian Unhealthy lipid profile (v HDL, ^ LDL)Progestin mediated  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH Contraception Review Intrauterine Contraception Steroid Contraception  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH (August, 2011)  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 5 Contraceptive Failure Rates Reversible Methods Basic Principles of Contraception Avoid contraindications  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH Basic Principles of Contraception Avoid contraindications FEW Complic Completed childbearing Sterlization  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 6 FEMALE – Next step in management? -hCG ? -hCG ? -hCG ? -hCG PREGNANCY – Next step in management? OB sono OB Sono OB Sono OB SONO J J (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 7 Pathophysiology J F E T U S Vol of RBC need ed: varies from 0. 1mL to 450 mL M O M J Mechanism of FHR Decelerations HEAD Compression Compression CORD PLACENTAL Insufficiency  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 8 Fetal Fibronectin â€Å"Trophoblast Glue† Matrix that bonds Trophoblast to Decidua Predictor of Preterm Delivery  © Elmar P. Sakala, MD, MPH Cervical Length Vaginal Sonogram Saggital Image Normal: > 25 mm 1 3 4 (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 9 Described in notes p. 44 Agent TOCOLYTIC agents Side Effects Contraindications J MgSO4 ? -Adrenergic Agonists Ca++ channel blockers PG synthetase inhibitors Muscle weakness Renal insuffic Respiratory depression Myasthenia gravis Pulmonary edema v? BP, tachycardia, ^ glucose, v K+, Pulmonary edema Tachycardia, v BP Myocardial depression Cardiac disease Diabetes Uncontrolled ^T4 Cardiac disease Hypotension Oligohydram, Gestational age IU closure PDA, Necrotiz enterocolitis > 32 weeks J (c) Elmar P. Sakala, MD MPH (2011) 10

Research and critical reflection †Money doesn’t buy you happiness. Essay

Money doesn’t buy you happiness. Everyone has heard the statement before and most studies of happiness and well-being generally agree on it. However, even though money does not buy you happiness it is largely agreed that money can be a means to an end. Hence, money cannot buy you happiness, but it can provide you with financial security and well-being. If you asked a poor person if they were happy most will tell you they are not due to living in poor conditions and having poor health. Their need for safety and security outweighs their need for nice things and possessions. So if money does not buy you happiness what does buy you happiness? What are the factors in life that make you happy? One way to address this question could be looking at ones well-being. As such a deeper interpretation of well-being is necessary. When considering the concept of well-being, there are two major approaches, objective well-being, and subjective well-being. Objective well-being looks at how healt hy a person is and the access he has to resources. Subjective well-being on the other hand looks at the overall happiness of a person. In the same breath it is also argued that material well-being, that is the things we buy and want, does not lead to our overall happiness. Hence, money doesn’t buy you happiness. (Williams, 2014). Considering this notion that money does not buy you happiness (Myers & Diener, 1995), Kawachi and Kennedy (2002, p.30 -31) sought out to summarise the main ingredients to happiness in one’s life. They noted sex, ethnicity and age scarcely make you happy. Rather it is the relationships and community you have around you that generates levels of happiness. Furthermore, enjoying one’s work and leisure is highly correlated with happiness. On the other hand, one’s wealth and income does not have a straight correlation with happiness. Some poor people are happy, some rich people are unhappy and vice versa. Nonetheless, millions of people across the globe spend large amount of money consuming things they do not need. I myself fall victim to marketing ploys and consume materialistic things that I do not always need, but want because I believe it will make me fit in more in my community, or make me happier. People follow fashionable trends and want all the new toys that come out thinking it will make them happy. This need of people to have nice fancy things has previously been coined the â€Å"new consumerism†. Back in the day, it meant keeping up with others in your community, if your neighbour got a new flash car, you had to go get one. However, with the popularisation of television,  and later on the rise of mass media, â€Å"new consumerism† meant people were now competing all over the globe. Furthermore, as we live in a world of inequality in terms of income and wealth, the gap between what we want and what we have largely depends on our income. Schor (1998), referred to this as â€Å"the aspirational gap†. If one cannot afford something, he can either be â€Å"unhappy† dealing with not having that product/want, or he chooses to take on debt in order to afford it and have it then and there; thus having to work more to cover the debt and the cycle conti nues. So if we look at happiness as the â€Å"difference between what we have and what we want we suddenly become unhappy† (Williams, 2014, p.5). Largely, I agree with the statement the money does not buy you happiness. By society’s standards I am definitely not a rich man but I consider myself to live a moderately happy life; largely due to the fact that I am healthy, I have good friends and a loving family. According to several scholars (Benin & Nierstedt, 1985, Inglehart, 1990, Myers, 2000) it is indeed our social relationships that generate the highest levels of happiness. With that said, I still consume certain things, materialistic things, and go to certain places in order to construct my social identity. I want things in order to fit in or get praise from my peers. According to many scholars however this does not lead to my well-being but rather to unhappiness. This draws back to the â€Å"aspirational gap†, if I cannot afford to look a certain way or buy certain things and keep up with the times do I ultimately become unhappy? Personally I would like to say it does not apply to me, but reflecting back to Schor’s (1998) study, it appears to point in that direction. As such, I do agree with the concept more so as a lot of people around me become unhappy when they cannot afford something they want. Or become unhappy because they got themselves into debt due to their unnecessary consumptions. Maslow (1943) devised a theory of motivation which attempted to explain the hierarchical nature of people’s well-being. Firstly it is our basic psychological needs like hunger and thirst that we have to satisfy. Next, it is our needs for security and protection, followed by our need for social bonds and love. The last two steps are ones self-esteem and self-actualisation. This is a very hierarchical view which means once a certain level has been satisfied one seeks to satisfy the next until you reach to the top – self actualisation. This will explain why people become unhappy when they cannot afford  something – reach self-actualisation. Moreover, identities are fluid. I constantly consume new trends, go to new places, and change my habits to fit society’s norms. Social psychology attributes this to people’s nature to conform. One study by Asch (1952, ci ted in Bond & Smith, 1996) shows the tendency of people to conform to the majority even when the outcome is clearly wrong. I agree with this as I buy certain clothes and go to certain places because I want to fit in with my surroundings. Zaichkowsky (1994) claims that peoples involvement with a product depends on a person apparent relevance of a product based on his inherent needs and values. Hence my values stem from my surroundings and my need for a product comes from my need to fit in to my surroundings. A lot of the above-mentioned concepts discussed were first investigated after WWII and throughout the 20th century. However, as the world is constantly evolving and changing do these outlooks on happiness and well-being still apply today? Have they gotten any better or worse? Early studies showed an increase in mental disorders and divorces throughout the late 20th century, as well as the increase need of people for bigger and better things. A study by Helliwell, Layard, and Sachs (2012) found that on average rich people are happier than poor people. However, they found that a country’s economic growth does not indicate an increase in the overall happiness of its people. This is simply due to the fact that once people reach a comfortable/secure level of income; further increase of it does not generate higher levels of happiness. Moreover, they found unemployment is highly correlated with low levels of well-being, whilst being employed – and satisfied with your job – was correlated with higher levels of well-being. Finally, they noted in Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, love and belonging come just after basic physiological and safety needs. Clearly, the sources of individual happiness include the set of social interactions through which individuals are interconnected.† (p.70). The aforementioned trends discussed appear to be in line with the current state of New Zealand. Helliwell et. al. (2012) found New Zealand ranked as the 13th happiest country in the world. This was attributed due to a low unemployment rate (6.2%), divorce number down (stats.govt.nz), and ranking high on education as well as freedom. (Helman, 2013). However, when looking at the top 50 richest countries in the world (aneki.com) New Zealand does not even make an appearance. However, it is safe to assume that new  consumerism and the â€Å"aspirational gap† still apply to New Zealand as the countries spending ($2,578 million) is higher than its GDP ($211,678 million). (stats.govt.nz). It certainly appears that money does not buy you happiness. Rather being poor is correlated with low levels of well-being. Money in itself can provide a person with security, but increased income does not appear to have an effect on overall happiness. Looking at Maslow’s theory, a person could have all the money in the world but if they are alone and do not have a loving community of friends and family to share it with they are almost always going to be unhappy. Rather, happiness is determined by a large number of factors with an emphasis on basic needs such as food and water, as well as friendships and belonging to a loving community. Consumption of materialistic objects and the aspiration for more money negatively affects our well-being. References Benin, M.H. and B.C. Nierstedt: 1985, ‘Happiness in single- and dual- earner families: The effects of marital happiness’, job satisfaction and life cycle, Journal of Marriage and the Family 47, pp. 975–984. Bond, R. & Smith, P. B. (1996). Culture and conformity: a meta-analysis of studies using asch’s (1952b, 1956) line judgment task. Psychological Bulletin, 119(1), 111–137. Maslow, Abraham H. 1943 â€Å"A theory of human motivation.† Psychological Review, 50: 370-396. Helliwell, J., Layard, R., & Sachs, J. (2012). World Happiness Report. Centre for Economic Performance. The Earth Institute Columbia University. Helman, C. (2013). The world’s happiest (And Saddest) countries. – http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/10/29/the-worlds-happiest-and-saddest-countries-2013/ Inglehart, R.: 1990, Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ). Myers, D.G.: 2000, ‘The funds, frie nds and faith of happy people’, American Psychologist 55(1), pp. 56–67. Myers, D. G. & Diener, E. (1995). Who is happy? Psychological Science, 6(1), 10–19. Offer, A. (2006). The challenge of affluence: self-control and well-being in the United States. Williams, J. (2014) Consumption and Well-being. Chapter 12. P. 104 – 127. Zaichkowsky, J. L. (1994). The personal involvement inventory: reduction, revision, and application to advertising. Journal of Advertising, 23(4), 59–69.