Monday, September 30, 2019

How useful are urban models to the modern geographer and urban planners?

An urban model is a simplification of a real city. They are used to help us understand more about real cities by showing patterns or processes which in real life may be complex and difficult to identify. They are applicable to a large number of cities rather than one particular city. They are based on the idea that there are similarities between cities. Geographers use these models to try and identify and explain urban spatial patterns and variations in their structure. Where as urban planners use the models to deal with real life situations such as deciding where to place a new motorway or deciding where to build a new business park. The first urban model to be produced was by Burgess in 1924 he attempted to explain the outward expansion of the city (Chicago) and the socioeconomic groupings of it inhabitants. He did this by splitting the city into five concentric zones: the central business district, transition zone, low class housing, medium class housing and high class housing. He devised these zones by the theory that individual compete with each other for the most favourable locations within the city. This competition was founded on the market for buildings and land: those who can afford the highest prices will get the best and most favourable land. This model could be useful to modern geographers as it could be used as a good starting point to look at the spatial variations of sections/zones within a town. It could also help to explain why people live where they do and why they live in certain groups. This model could be useful to modern urban planners as it could be used to describe the existing patterns of land use or city morphology and be compared to that of the modern morphology of a city in deciding where to place a certain building etc. due to the density of inhabitants in a certain area. It could also be used to measure land values and density within a city. Hoyt was the second producer of an urban model in 1939. He adapted on the same implicit assumptions that burgess had made but with adaptations. Hoyt's model was based on the mapping of eight housing variables for 142 cities in the USA. He tried to account for changes in, and the distribution of residential patterns. He had the addition of three new factors on the burgess model. He suggested that areas of the highest rent tended to be alongside main lines of communication and that the city grew in a series of wedges. He also said that once an area had developed a land use that it would remain that use as the city extended outwards. This model could be useful to modern geographers as it is a better adaptation of the burgess model. Meaning that extra factors have been taken into consideration such as the wealth and similar land uses. This could be more helpful as it makes more judgements on where and why variations will happen. Such as wealthy people can afford the highest rates so will have the best position and afford to buy cars so will live further from he Central business district. This model could be useful to modern urban planners as it is a better adaptation of the burgees model with extra factors taken into consideration. This could be helpful to a planner as it talks about land value and how similar land uses attract other similar land uses. This is helpful as a planner can locate where certain industries are and where to situate them. Also to know where the wealthy people are will help to know what services and transport routes are best targeted towards them Mann was the third producer of an urban model in 1965. He tried to adapt the Burgess and Hoyt models to three industrial towns in northern England. He made a compromise model that combined ideas of burgess concentric zone model with that of Hoyt's sectors model. He assumed that because of prevailing winds in northern Britain blow from the west, that the high class housing would be in the west and industry with its smoke, would be locate to the east of the central business district. This model could be useful to modern geographers as it combines the two theories of Hoyt and burgees resulting in a more complex and relevant model. It could be useful to see if industry does affect the position and distance of certain types of economic wealth. This model could be useful to modern urban planners as it combines the theories of Hoyt and burgees producing a more complex and applicable model. It could be useful in the location of industry and the construction of houses for different socio economic inhabitants. Ullman and Harris were the fourth producers of an urban model in 1945. They set out to produce a realistic model compared to those of Burgess and Hoyt but consequently they ended up with one that was more complex and this meant that the model was more descriptive then predictive. They said that a multiple nuclei needed to be developed as a response to the need for maximum accessibility to a centre, to keep certain types of land use apart and to show differences of land values, This model could be useful to modern geographers as it is more realistic to the modern world with its complexity. It could be useful to see if a town/city does actually follow the model with several nuclei. It also help to explain the inhabitants that commute to the central business district and see if they add to its density and population. This model could be useful to modern urban planners as it could help to locate bus routes and roads that were needed for the commuters and people who travel to work from the multiple nuclei. It could also help in the planning and placing of new houses for the people leaving the city to commute to work. In conclusion I think that urban models are very useful to modern geographers and planner's .I think that models are a good starting point for analysing the morphology of modern cities. These models were produced in the past so it is obvious that changes will have taken place such as technology, fashions and transport. This does not mean that the models cannot be of use. The principles can still remain with a little adaptation to the real modern world.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Case Study: Captain Edith Strong Essay

Captain Edith Strong is the first woman to be promoted to captain. She has spent 18 years working through the ranks to achieve this high of a position in her agency and she is familiar with the internal problems her agency has a problem with. All the patrol officers believe they have a heavy workload and complain that they go from one incident to the next and spend too much time generating reports. The patrolmen fell that they have to cut corners to get their preliminary investigations completed because the time consumed generating reports. The patrol officers do not interact with each other except during shift change and roll call. A survey shows that the job is viewed as dissatisfying, morale is low, response time is long, the number of citizen-initiated complaints is up, more officers are filing disability claims, and employee turnover is exceeding projections. Captain Edith Strong is now in a position to make a difference to create a solution program that meets the needs of the d epartment and the employees (More, Vito, & Walsh, 2012,). WHAT PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH DO YOU BELIEVE CAPTAIN STRONG SHOULD TAKE IN CARRYING OUT THIS PROJECT Abraham Maslow’s progression theory and hierarchy of needs for police administrators need to identify unfulfilled needs of their subordinates, this will help explain why police officers perform they way that they do. Then the management must create incentives that will make their officers perform better than marginally. Police administrators need to recognize what is needed by subordinates for personal growth such as job self esteem, encouraging self development, and career advancement (More, Vito, & Walsh, 2012,). David McClelland’s Acquired Needs Theory came up with three basic needs in human beings. One that human beings have a need to be successful. Two humans have a need for socialization individually and in social groups. Three human beings also have a need for or strive for power in controlling the behavior of others. These three needs exist in all people all of the time and these three motivate people to act on their jobs (More, Vito, & Walsh, 2012,). Typically most employees who become police officers want to help people, have a high value of community service because they know that being a police officer they will not become rich. The police officer does not dislike the work that they do but the opposite, they like the physical and mental effort it takes to do the job. Police officers excursive self direction and most time self control in order to complete their jobs. In this case study there is no motivation, potential for development, and capacity to assume responsibility in their agency because of the workload each patrolman has to achieve the agency’s goals (More, Vito, & Walsh, 2012,). WHAT SPECIFIC MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT SHE SHOULD CONSIDER Job enrichment is designed to counteract the negative impact of specialization by building motivating factors into job content. Captain Edith Strong should use job enrichment as one process of her tools for motivational factor on the job. The captain can remove some controls the  patrolmen have like allowing patrolmen to work together while still maintaining accountability and responsibility of each person for his/her own work. Grant additional authority to the patrolman in their area of responsibility. Encourage autonomy in decision making as it relate to the job being done. Allow more difficult tasks to be performed by patrolman not normally handled said patrolman when they have the help they need. Last the captain should assign patrol officers into highly specialized tasks to become subject matter experts (More, Vito, & Walsh, 2012,). E.R.G. THEORY IS NOT APPLICABLE IN THIS INSTANCE Clayton Alderfer’s Existence, Relatedness, and Growth needs (ERG) would not work in the instance with Captain Edith Strong problem. ERG theory is built on three principles, need-escalation principle, Satisfaction-progression theory, and frustration-regression principle. The satisfaction-progression principle is when a lower level need has been satisfied the employee will desire for satisfaction for a higher level need and currently with Captain Strong’s agency there is not any time for a patrolmen to go after a higher level need. Since there is not any time to achieve higher level needs, there is no expectation of getting help with their preliminary investigations to stop cutting corners to get their work done then the patrolman have to be satisfied with the lower level needs of just getting their job done and going home (More, Vito, & Walsh, 2012,). HOW JOB ENLARGEMENT OR JOB ENRICHMENT IS APPLICABLE IN THIS CASE When it comes to job enlargement the authors view is that more officers need to be hired if the budget can support it. More officers need to be used to take some of the stress of not being able to communicate with likeminded people on the job. Having someone else to work with will make the paperwork get done more quickly while preliminary investigations can get the necessary time needed to be completed properly without cutting corners. Having a larger pool of patrolman means that Captain Strong can assign some of the patrolmen into more demanding positions to become specialized (More, Vito, & Walsh, 2012,). Job enrichment will only work in this case study when all the patrolmen are working together and not independently. When the patrolmen are able to help each other out on their assignments, report writing, and their preliminary investigations then they will able to get their work done in a less stressful manner giving each patrolman a feeling of satisfaction. Each employee will feel satisfied at the end of the day when they have help to complete their tasks which will give them a feeling of well being which is job enrichment (More, Vito, & Walsh, 2012,). Reference More, H.W., Vito, G.F., & Walsh, W.F. (2012). _Organizational Behavior and Management in_ _Law Enforcement_ (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Business studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business studies - Essay Example Other important applications include informing the details of the company to the sales personnel, suppliers and others so that they become aware of company's goals and achievements. Feasibility study is an important phase in the development process. It enables the developer to have an assessment of the product being developed. It refers to the feasibility study of the product in terms of outcomes of the product, operational use and technical support required for implementing it. Economic Feasibility: It refers to the benefits or outcomes. We are deriving from the product as compared to the total cost we are spending for developing the product. If the benefits are more or less the same as the older system, then it is not feasible to develop the product. The development of the new product should greatly enhance the accuracy of the system and cuts short the delay in the processing of the product. The errors can be greatly reduced and at the same time providing great level of security. Hence, we do not need any additional equipment except memory of required capacity. Operational Feasibility: It refers to the feasibility of the product to be operational. Some products may work very well at design and implementation but may fall in the real time environment.

Friday, September 27, 2019

God is Just Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

God is Just - Essay Example The adverts of the latter view tend to believe in fun and joy as the main essence of life (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). Thus, conventionally, four chief arguments related to the existence of God emerged: 1) the cosmological argument; 2) the teleological argument; 3) the ontological argument; and 4) the moral law argument. The present article deals with teleological argument. It is popularly known as "the argument from design" (Greek meaning of telos is design). According to this argument, the universe confirms the presence of complex life forms, from tiniest creatures to the biggest animals and plants; everything is in a perfect order being inter-linked; moreover, no one modulates these living beings but they are self-modulated in a perfectly controlled manner. The designer or creator has created life forms in a simplistic manner and, therefore, He must be a perfect and well co-ordinated planner to make this world run so smoothly maintaining the harmoniz ation, dexterity and a perfect balance of complex life forms. Thus, there must be a premeditated and decree brainpower behind these synchronizations, here emerges a belief that a force is certain beyond the nature and it is something supernatural! (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). ... According to William Paley, heavenly bodies wander with perfect accuracy in their fixed paths and orbits. Every living organism possesses a complex life form structure meeting various metabolic processes and their requirements every fraction of second. These intricacies just happen and it is solely the creation of God (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). Besides, there are individuals called Agnostic who raise the next question: "If God is all-powerful and all-forgiving, why must he send his son to die for his sins. Couldn't God just forgive the sins without sending his son down in human form to die? So what, so God dies for a few hours, how does that in any way forgive a sin...?† God has made us follow the path of truth. There’s a fear of punishment that is deep seated in minds of those who practice truth in every aspect of life, who are honest and do what is right, do justice and stay away from committing sinful acts, such as robbery, theft, murd er or abuse of any kind (â€Å"Good Question...Why Can't God Just Forgive Sin, Instead of Demanding Justice?†) . Although these arguments could convince millions, in the present scenario of rapid science development (with the conception of the evolution of life and various life forms, evolution of planets and the universe, forces behind each movement, theories, interpretations and explanations about the happenings taking place in the universe) teleological arguments are taken to some different path. According to the present arguments, spotlight lies on the fact of "fine-tuning" of the universe to support life. This is an objection to the Paley’s view as the present opposition is based on the theory of evolution and, hence, the aforementioned arguments are less

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Consequences of Neoliberalism. Economic Consequences of Neoliberalism Essay

Consequences of Neoliberalism. Economic Consequences of Neoliberalism - Essay Example Neoliberalism supports maximum role of the private sector in determining the dimensions of the political and economic policies and priorities of a country (Klak, 1998, p76). Neoliberalism stresses upon the shift of control from the public to the private sector because it is based upon the belief that the greater involvement of public sector will allow efficient government and eventually the overall economic condition will also be improved by giving more control to the private sector. Neoliberalism proposes some crucial principles and policy proposals for transforming the traditional economic system (Touraine, 2001, p11). Neoliberal approach asserts that deficits should be avoided and used only for occasional stabilization purpose because large deficits little effect upon the employment level of the country whereas constant deficits generate high inflation and lower productivity. Similarly, this approach also demands transformation in the taxation system, floating exchange rate, redir ection of public spending towards infrastructure development, education and healthcare etc. Privatization of the state enterprises is an important proposition of neoliberal approach because it is demonstrated by the neoliberal theorists that privatization will promote competition and increase the choices available to the people in several sectors like banking and telecommunication etc. Trade liberalization is proposed by suspending the regulations that act as barrier in market entry and restrict competition in the sector. These basic principles draw some very important and transformational impacts upon the societies and economies and after the implementation of neoliberal policies the world community has experiences some significant and critical impacts of this approach within their political and social system. The global spread of neoliberalism indicates its wide acceptance and popularity across the world however, despite this approbation there is consistent increase in the questio ns raised against neoliberal policies and the claimed benefits of this ideology have also frequently been challenged. There is mixed support for the neoliberal policies among the developed nations of the world and their economies and societies also reflect its benefits whereas the developing countries are not as open towards the neoliberalism as developed ones. The neoliberal policies are often challenged and questioned at global level. It is widely argues that neoliberalism has brought several positive and negative consequences to the economic, political and social systems of the countries. These consequences differ from country to country depending upon the level of enactment of the neoliberal policies. The consequences of neoliberalism could be examines from social, political and economic point of views because the systems of different countries have been responded towards neoliberal policies in distinct manner (Chomsky, 1999, p32). In the modern economic system the neoliberal po licies are often challenged by the new institutional economics and evolving concepts of economies of information, risk and uncertainty. In developed countries like U.S and U.K. neoliberalism is often blamed for damaging the social safety nets whereas the developing nations including some African countries complain that adopting neoliberalism policies provide little benefit to their economies and there is inclusive or significant contribution made by these policies to the economic, social and political growth of these countries. In fact, it is also claimed that neoliberal policies have negatively affected the development policies and growth process initiated before the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Critical analysis of five articles related to finance Essay

Critical analysis of five articles related to finance - Essay Example The inflation in Asia, corresponding to the worldwide phenomenon, is also surmounting. This is evident, in the rise of fuel prices and other infrastructural bottlenecks. In fact, the inflation in India has touched 11.91% already! Due to this, international projects and other internal economic activity, have been affected. In my opinion, inflationary tendencies are often high in the Asian continent. The continent particularly comprises Developing economies. These economies are often at the mercy of the developed world and their dominance in the international arena. Due to this, when the OPEC countries have benefitted from the rise in fuel prices, the Asian continent seems to be worst hit. However, with countries in the G-8 Summit talking about alternative sources of energy. Due to this, the inflation has lowered slightly! The second article is on Presidential candidate, Barack Obama's speech. The article talks about Obama's visit to Europe. He has asked the European countries to share the burden of the United States. This, he urged, was in an attempt to countering a threat to world peace-Terrorism. This was to urge greater military support and to garner all forces to fight against the menace. Terrorism is especially prevalent in Afghanistan and other places.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

International Marketing ..Rococo Chocolates Research Paper - 3

International Marketing ..Rococo Chocolates - Research Paper Example The primary objective of this study is to find out the value of the concept of expanding the business of Rococo Chocolates in France. The other objectives are to find out the market potential of the Rococo Chocolates in France and the way of promoting the product to achieve a sustainable position in the French market. The integrated marketing communications and branding strategies are discussed to find out the optimum path of success in the new market. The international marketing aspects have become a great opportunity for many companies. The Rococo Chocolates which is originated from London is now looking for great business opportunities in France. It is always very much challenging for any business entity to go global or to setup new business in other country. However, in this case the market is very much challenging as the growth level of the chocolate sales is not too high in the projected market, but with the help of out of the box thinking process the hidden path of the success can be achieved. To have a sustainable position in the French chocolate market, Rococo has to go through many changes accordingly. The strength and weakness from the inside and the opportunity and threat from the market must be analyzed properly to put step into the new market. Rococo Chocolates was founded in March 1983 by its owner Chantal Coady (Rococo Chocolates). For the last two decades the company has grown steadily. It has the great product line of different flavors of chocolates, and it also has different accessories related to chocolates. However, after catering the London with the flagship store in Motcomb St, in the center of Belgravia in London and with other two in London the Rococo has gain a great reputation within the London for selling rich and high quality chocolates. The founder and owner Coady is also the head of the chocolate society in London (Coe & Coe, 2007). With the vast experience of

Monday, September 23, 2019

The European Union company law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The European Union company law - Essay Example The treaty of the European Union was signed in Maastrich on the in the year 1992. On the other hand, the treaty on the European Union functioning was signed in Rome in the year 1958. The function of the two treaties is to lay out the way in which the European Union operates. There are other satellite treaties interrelated to the two treaties. These treaties have undergone repeated amendments since the first signing. The European Commission usually issues the combined version of the two main treaties. In accordance with the Treaty of European Union, article 5 offers the limitations of the competences administered by the principle of conferral. The principle of subsidiary and proportionality governs the use of its competences. The principle of conferral, on the other hand, states that the union should act inside the limits of the capabilities bestowed upon by its Member States in the Treaties in order to accomplish the purposes intended. The competencies bestowed upon the members in the treaties remain as part of the member states. The principle of subsidiary states that in the areas which are not under the union’s exclusive competence, the Union acts only if the roles of the action in consideration cannot be achieved adequately by the Member states. This can be either at a central level or a regional and local level. The Union only comes in if the outcomes of the proposed action can be achieved better at the Union level. The foundations of the Union apply the principle of subsidiary as illustrated in the Protocol on the appliance of the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Road Safety Essay Example for Free

Road Safety Essay Road incidents are a major problem in every society. Many lives are taken due to careless driving or misuse of public roads. Road incidents, also known as traffic collision, traffic accidents, motor vehicle collision, road traffic collision, wreck (USA) and car crash (Australia), can be defined as an unexpected and undesirable event , that occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian and other stationary obstruction. Road incidents are not only a rising concern in Fiji but also in every country in the whole world. Increase in the number of road incidents is a matter of concern in Fiji and also other countries in the world. Usually road incidents have very high impact on the people, that is, on the life, mind and family. People who are the victim of accidents normally regret for the rest of their lives because of the suffering they endure due to their carelessness in not following the simple road safety rules. Approximately hundred to two hundred people die each year due to road incidents. An escalation in the number of road incidents is not only a problem in Fiji but in every country in the whole world. Developed and leading countries like Australia and the United States of America also face the problem of road incidents and its impact on the people. In the recent years, the number has increased rapidly and many people are affected due to road incidents in one way or another. Many people lost their lives, family members or loved ones, suffer physical damage and damage to their properties due to not following the simple and easy road safety rules. Due to carelessness of people and failing to follow the road safety rules, this is turning out to be a great concern for Fiji Government and its time that action is taken. Many people are dying everyday. The Government and concerned authorities such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and police, are showing their concern by organizing operations to monitor the drivers activities and holding awareness programs to educate people.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Keeping kosher in a contemporary world Essay Example for Free

Keeping kosher in a contemporary world Essay Every religion found under the face of the earth where human beings live has its practical dimension. This is allowed because this practical dimension of a religion majority defines this religion, providing a bit of uniqueness hence distinguishing this religion from others. One of the aspects found in the practical dimension is the diet. Some religious like Judaism have dietary laws that govern consumption of nutrients of human that happen to be embraces of the religion. Kosher if viewed as a dietary practice of the Judaism religion, this is the proper choices and preparation of foods as pertains to the ancient Jewish ritual and dietary regulations. Kosher is food that is conformed to strictly-stated Jewish biblical laws which involve not only to the variety of food consumed but to the types of food that combinable at a single meal (e. g. daily and meat products re not miscible) alternatively, it would be rightly noted that Kesher is food that would be considered fit for consumption as pertains to the biblical and rabbinic dietary regulations which are electively known as Kashnet (Shternshis, Anna, 2006). Kosher has its origin traced back during exodus of the Jews from Egypt after 400 years of slavery. Kosher, a basic content requirement in traced bank during exodus of the Jews from Egypt after 400 years of slavery. Kosher, a basic content requirement in kashnut is among the laws derived from the torah books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus with their details given in the oral law. The reason for adoption of such a king of regulation s not clearly stated in the torah and therefore there are various reasons sourced from different perspectives. These perspectives range from ritualistic and philosophical to practical and hygienic. Religions like Islam also have different but related systems like herbal. Kosher food, having firm principles and requirements depicting the value and worth of being properly preserved to be passed even form one generation to the other, has great attraction to many people. Whether a conservative Jew or a reformed Jew there is an utter need and essence to main kosher as a dietary precise. It should be strictly adhered to on the basis that it’s a mater of religious obligation though modernly, this is no longer binding. The contemporary Jews have portrayed a different way of observance to dietary practices as pertains to keshnut. However, these contemporary folds of Jews maintain and follow some sections of the laws. Some subset of laws maintained by this folk are: abstinence from pork/shellfish, avoiding taking milk with meat as a dish. Likewise many observe some bit of kashnut on kosher at have whole no objections taking meals in a restaurant that does not observe kosher values. Another group of these contemporary Jews will strictly adhere to these dietary laws when eating out yet when at home. They would observe none On the perseverance of the kosher, the Jewish family who the examinant members are embracing the utterly adhering to the judicial religion is divided into two major groups. These groups all agree and admit the fact that kosher should be kept alive and burning in their culture and day to day religious norms. However the conflict arises whereby one group believes that kosher should be kelp just as it is, a whole of it and continue in practices. While the other group feels kosher should only be kept considering some specific aspects. The traditional learning function that really advocates for the perseverance and observance of the utter kosher practices does so with their main reasons being: the desire to absolutely maintain this dietary practice in an authentic way with no modernizations whatsoever. Subsequently the faction advocating for the perseverance of particular parts of base their view on an opinion that there are various technological advancements hence some parts of this practice and food are made in these newly introduced and adopted forms. This faction argues that observance of kosher should be done in a non-binding way. This faction argues that observance of kosher should be done in non-binding way. This wing introduces ethical kosher as it is even patched in different part of the world. The faction therefore embraces as opinion that fitness of food is wholly dependent on how it is ethically; produced especially in relation to its impact on the people and the world as a whole. This faction is for the view that maintenance of kosher is basically for the companion and contrast to other cultures on dietary basis.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Impact of Job Stress on Employee Performance

Impact of Job Stress on Employee Performance CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND People at work worry about all sorts of things like increasing competition for jobs, change in culture, globalization, terrorism, new technology looking after aging parent and relatives, annual performance appraisals, outsourcing of jobs along with increased demand of employer for higher productivity. At times, these and some other different factors make the employees to go through certain pressures when they have to meet deadlines, cope up with some kind of strange but critical situations. They need to become accustomed to the cultural changes of the organization, learn new procedures and timely attend meetings along with being innovative. Looking at these situations, at first hand, appear to be the integral part of any job but when we look deeper and closer at all these, they are nothing but stressors which cause hindrance to the performance thus causing damage to the productivity and performance of the organization on the whole. All the good organizations take necessary concern an d exerciseextreme care and foresightwith reference to job stress. So they, in their own larger interest, take very good care of their employees, value them, invest in them and work extra mile to cope their problems and fulfill their needs. Work place pressure is growing day by day, people face changing economic and business situations, changing customer expectations and changing expectations from their own role and position in the organization (Moten, 2009). Therefore, there are three issues that arise in considering effect of job-related stress on individual organizations and the economy in general which are: how should work-related stress be specified, what determines its presence at the workplace and what is its importance as a predictor of individuals behavior? Nearly everyone agrees that job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views differ, however, on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job stress. These differing viewpoints are important because they suggest different ways to prevent stress at work. Performance is defined as the results and accomplishments cherished by the organization or system that one works in. It is natural that the working environment of the system where people work directly affects performance of human beings. People need work that motivates them with healthy working conditions, and the chance to play a part in social surroundings of work and to feel valued. Stressful working situations and conditions, arising from any of above mentioned factors, can directly or indirectly effect on job performance of the employee. Work place pressure affects the performance at a greater extent and it need to be dealt with carefully. Stress at a greater level on the other hand is harmful and has a negative effect on performance of employees over the long term as it wears down an individual and underutilizes his or her energy resources. High levels of stress can cause, low morale at work, fatigue, late comings, absenteeism and trouble in getting along with other team members or co-workers. Recently many organizations are becoming responsive towards increasing cost of occupational stress, not only in human and financial terms but also to the national economy in general. The cost of replacing an employee who is underperforming owing to stress is between 50 to 90 % of his salary (Personnel Management, Factsheet 7, July 1998). Job stress is as much a corporate business issue as it is a health issue for organizations. Job stress charge American businesses billions of dollars a year in employee burnout, low morale, turnover, higher absenteeism, lower performance and increased health care costs. The American Psychological Association estimates that 60 percent of all absences and late comings are because of issues related to stress, costing American companies about $57 billion in a year. Thus the study aims to find the impact of job stress on employees performance. As it is obvious that no one can work to its optimum level when s/he is under stress. Under severe stress, an individual fails to take clear-cut decisions, reevaluate and reassess the priorities and lifestyles, and ultimately, tend to fall into unproductive distractions. This can be described as a classic case of burnout. The burnouts often engage in reckless or risk-taking behaviors. Starting from glamour and sport celebrities to common men, burnouts are found everywhere. Often burnout will manifest itself in a reduction in motivation, volume and quality of performance, or in dissatisfaction with or departure from the activity altogether. PROBLEM STATEMENT Moten suggested that employee performance is declining due to the on the job activities and managerial policies. On the basis of her findings we are researching that Work activities and culture effect the work performance and behavioral performance in positive or negative way. RATIONAL FOR THE STUDY The framework of this project is inspired by the work of Motens research conducted in 2009. Her work consisted of several variables and its effect on employees. Our aim to conduct the research is to verify the effect of work activities and culture on the work and behavioral performance of employees. These variables have several dimensions. Thus it will help PTCL, in particular, and other organization to find the reasons of the difference in actual performance and the expected performance. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The macro objectives of this study are: To determine the causes of job stress in a workplace. To find out the effect of job stress on the performance of the employees. To determine the factors that can reduce the job stress at PTCL. How Stress at work can be prevented or reduced? The micro objectives are: To determine the effect of work activities on the work performance and behavioral performance of employees of PTCL To determine the effect of culture on work performance and behavioral performance of employees at PTCL. THEORATICAL FRAME WORK Independent Variables Work activities and culture were the independent variable of the study. All the job conditions that may lead to stress are the result of stressors and can be used to measure the stress. Work activities Includes multi-tasking, strict deadlines and work load on employees Culture It includes support from Boss/ Supervisor and Management style of Boss/ Supervisor. Dependent Variables Dependent variable for the study is Work Performance and Behavioral Performance of the employees. Performance is the outcomes and accomplishments of the employees that are valued by the organization. It determines the success of the organization or we can say that success of any organization depends on the performance of its employees. The different dimensions of work performance are: Completion of given tasks Sense of Responsibility And the dimensions of Behavioral Performance are: Satisfaction level Low Morale For more clarity see the model (1.5.1) given below. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Type of Study The study being conducted is descriptive in nature. Using this mode of analysis is favored to smooth the progress of study, establish and be able to describe the characteristics of a group in a situation. Descriptive study used helped to present and analyze the data in significant form. It also helped to understand the effects of job stress on the employee performance at PTCL. Type of Investigation The study is co-relational. The researcher identified the factors that cause stress among employees in PTCL and in turn how the performance of these stressed employees gets effect. Many factors were known as vital reason of the stress depending on the host as well. Any of these factors can cause stress but at times they all act as stressors. Sampling Method and Type of data collected Non-Probability sampling method was selected to collect the data from the population and the data gathered was qualitative in nature. Population and Sample size The study is about the performance of employees under job stress. The population for this study will be employees of PTCL. The sample size for this study is 100 employees of PTCL. Research Instrument Research approach was basically qualitative. But data was analyzed by both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Research topic was related to the Employee Performance under Job Stress. The research type was quantitative because after getting the response from sample through questionnaire the results extended from data were in numerical form and presented in the form of charts and graph. The research type was qualitative since it included literature review industrial and organizational analysis along with survey analysis. Data collection Data for this research was collected in two phases. Firstly data was collected for the use of literature review. For this purpose all the secondary sources like books, Internet, magazines, articles etc were consulted. Previous researches of many researchers regarding stress and performance were studied. Data was gathered from several journals, books, articles, reviews and Internet. Then a questionnaire was prepared to collect the data from the sample regarding the impact of these stress factors/variables on employee performance. The primary data was gathered from the sample personally. The permission from the organization was sought with reference to university. Questionnaire was distributed among the employees and was requested to fill it in within 3 days. Participants were free to inquire anything regarding the material on questionnaire or the research. This helped to trim down their doubts. LIMITATTIONS Regarding the limitations of the study, it may be reiterate due to scarcity of the resources and time constraints. A nationally representative sample could not be used. The study must cover the nation to obtain finding, which can be generalized with confidence. The study is designed to focus on the employee performance under job stress in one organization it cannot be generalized on the whole industry. Due to the significance of the topic, research carried out should be on national level. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW This part of the study provides the literature available on the research topic. It includes the citation from the previous works and theories done by different researchers. This helps to assist the research process and gains insight and in-depth knowledge about the subject and problems that are considered critical to this whole work. The sources of literature, studies, information, surveys and reports through articles have indeed enlighten and given us as a researcher proper direction to work and move into. By the help of the review the most important fact that came to researchers knowledge is that very little has been done in regard to cope with Job/workplace stress in Pakistan. To the researchers best knowledge, the current research is the first detailed and comprehensive study that shows the effect of job stress on employee performance in the business field of Pakistan. Occupational stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or need of the worker (Sauter and Murphy. 1999). Porter and Streers, (1973) presented the study of occupational stress and its health consequences. It constitutes a major area of research in the behavioral sciences. Studies of specific stress-related illnesses feature prominently in the medical literature, while in occupational psychology work-related stress has been linked to both physical and psychological health problems across a broad section of the working population. Individuals under stress are reported to suffer adverse personal health, including ulcers, high blood pressure, heart attacks or even death and studies in the behavioral sciences have shown that poor employee performance, absenteeism and high labor market turnover are all linked to worker stress. According to James Tighe (June 2000) in his article Stress affecting mental health and physical health contributes that when people experience and feel under impossible pressure at work, meeting dead lines, unsupportive boss, being undervalued and lack of control over the work they lean to work harder and harder to try to close the gap between what theyre achieving and what they think they should be achieving. They stop taking breaks and lose touch with their own needs which creates stress not only in the organization but also disturbs their personal lives. Due to the increased popularity of Call centers Ruyter, K. et al. (2001) examined the causes and outcomes of role stress in a call center setting as a result of the conflicting demands of the company, supervisors, and customers. The participants of the study were 1200 employees of Insurance industry of Netherlands. The findings were that role stress is an originator of job satisfaction that, in turn, is an originator of poor job performance and turnover intention. Both empowerment/autonomy and competence were found to be antecedent conditions for role stress. They also found that while autonomy leads to role stress that leads to job satisfaction, competence has no direct impact on role stress. Another finding was that leadership had less impact in the model. So the researchers suggest that empowerment autonomy seems to have a relatively strong impact in terms of role stress reduction. Thus the employees should be given the freedom to influence pace, working method, and sequence of t asks in dealing with customers. In stressful work environments, it has been emphasized that job rotation and reinforcement of employees faith in their own competencies and skills are particularly useful in increasing job satisfaction. Employee recognition by management as well as strengthening employees confidence in their competence through task-related training programs may be the key to keeping high-performance call center employees. Another research by Lambert, Alysa D. et al. (2008) suggest that employees are so much strained due to different stressors that they readily give up some part of their salary even job. The study was conducted by taking 211 employees of two different organizations as sample. It was a two part on-line survey. Data was analyzed with the help of regression analysis. End results were that many work related factors induce employees to imitate the behavior of their co-workers to seek ways that can make the work schedule a bit flexible. The idea that people who are using flexible working arrangements were more productive is supported by this research also. Mubashir T. and Ghazal, S. (NA) conducted a research identify role of different contributing factors of job stress and to investigate level of stress on those factors among different departments of Walls Unilever Pakistan. And also to find that how job performance is affected by job stress. The sample for the study consisted of 65 employees having different levels of job in five different departments of Walls ICF. The data from the sample was collected through questionnaires. They concluded that Workload, co-workers and repetitive work are the major factors causing stress however a strange finding was that there was no affect of stress on job performance in the selected organization. Moten (2009) is of the view that workplace pressure comes from various factors and is expressed by employees in various behaviors. According to her, job stress is shaped through a range of ways such like interpersonal demands, role demands. Though the sources of these aforementioned types are different, their impacts are the same i.e. Low level of performance. She found out that employees are often thought to complete certain tasks which normally are not their job requirement. Most organizations impose multitasking upon their employees to cope with the recession and cut costs but unintentionally they are doing vice versa. Posing strict deadlines, requiring them attend meetings in very short notice, forcing them work late hours and making them prone to cut-throat competition and mounted work can lead to stress and anxiety. Workers may show signs of fatigue, absenteeism, and low morale. So at workplaces, friendly relations are very much important. Bosses should give their employees som e space to help them cope with the pressure and determining success at work. Stranks (2005) states in his book that stress is a pressure placed on a person beyond his ability to handle. It has a major hidden cost to employers. There are many direct and indirect causes of stress. Anxiety and depression is manifestations of stress so employer should be aware of the fact that employees experience certain types of stress in their lives. Particularly female workers can be subject to many stressors that male colleagues are not prone to. Changes in the organization can be a major reason for stress. There are techniques available for the measurement and evaluation of stress in organizations. So employers must give attention to various forms of human errors and violation at workplace and must find way to identify the traces of stress among their employees. This could be done by analyzing the standards of performance, staff attitude and behavior, relationships at work and sickness absence levels. His investigations in this line area brought out the fact that there is a direct relationship between stress-related human failure and accidents occurring at work. Strategies must be designed and considered at both individual and organizational level. Stress management programs and trainings should be introduced. Glazer Gyurak (2008) carried out a cross-cultural study to find the sources of stress among the nurses of various countries with respect to and free of the cultural influence. They filled a questionnaire regarding stress sources. Results were obtained by performing Chi-square analyses and t-tests. They found that quantitative workload might be a source of stress or anxiety in each country. Similarly leadership, lack of resources, low salary, negative rewards, certain patients and performing certain tasks can lead to stress. So there is a need to tailor occupational stress interventions to deal with the needs of nurses in a specific country, by addressing the specific stressors. Stress management includes taking care of organizational issues like leadership, peer support, organizational culture and policies, work design and reporting arrangements as well as job analysis, staff selection and training to enhance role clarity such that there is a balance between the individual and his work environment. Effective systems for motivation and performance management are essential (Jennifer et al, 2006). Kim (2002) conducted a research to show that participative management has positive effects on the job satisfaction and better communication can improve the performance of employees. The questionnaire was circulated among 4,097 employees of local government agencies. After running the regression analysis on the data collected, researcher found that employees who believe that their managers use participative style of management were more satisfied with their jobs. Also those mangers who applied strategic planning process found their employees to be more productive and easy to deal with. At the end, the researcher relates his findings with job stress and says that if employees are more satisfied they will eventually be less stressed and more productive. Zahavy Freund (2007) examined team effectiveness under stress. The author says that in case of stress team can lose cohesion, members may become dependent on others to avoid faults or lay off their burden or that they may become less effective. In order to avoid these troubles, team structure must be considered a vital aspect. For this purpose, data were collected from 643 members of 73 primary healthcare teams randomly selected from 1200 primary care clinics of the largest health maintenance organization in Israel. Participants filled the questionnaires as advised by the researcher. As a result this study differentiated among qualitative and quantitative stress, suggested that quantitative stress holds back team effectiveness, it also indicated that qualitative stress can enhance team effectiveness. In addition, the results also prove the fact that structure of the team really matters. Researcher suggests that organizations must support standardized routines to block the negative i mpact of quantitative stress on team commitment and effectiveness, and put into practice the ways that encourage self-sufficiency and a systems approach to enhance the positive effects of qualitative stress on team effectiveness. Glazer Beehr (2005) conducted a research to find out the correlation between stressors and how it leads to absenteeism or induce an individual to leave the job. These stressors can include workplace conditions, role ambiguity, role overload and role conflicts or any other issues that can cause anxiousness and strain among employees at workplace. The purpose of study was to observe the effect of these stressors from cultural aspect. So nurses working at hospitals of various countries were the population. Researchers distributed questionnaire among the sample through mail. After filling, nurses mailed back the questionnaires. The results supported the hypothesis that turnover is related to stress at some extent. However culture affects the tolerance level of the stress. Researcher is of the view that some cultures are more prone to stress but people take it for granted and as part of their job. But at some places stress has a great influence over employee and it affects their performa nce as well as expectations from their workplace. Whatever the reason may be to this fact, researcher suggests more investigation in this line. Anxiety Disorders Association of America (2006) conducted a survey research and observed the effect of anxiety disorders and the level of everyday stress in the workplace also. Findings of survey showed that majority of Americans experience stress and anxiety on a daily basis. And this stress is not without impact. For the four in five working persons who say they experience it daily, job stress often takes a toll on performance, quality of work, relationships with bosses and interactions with coworkers. A number of factors were indicated by employees that cause stress. These include deadlines, interpersonal relationships (i.e., interacting with superiors, coworkers, subordinates), staff management and dealing with problems. They also explained that stress affects their performance, relationship with co-workers/peers, quality of work and relationships with immediate superiors. Survey results suggested that people found sleeping a common relief practice for stress. Others are eating, talking to friends, or/and taking drugs. The only thing that people avoid is talking and asking their bosses. This is due to fear of being perceived as incompetent person, poor performer. Pearsall, M. J. et al. (May 2009) investigated the situations where both challenge and hindrance stressors coexist. They took interest in this topic because on the grounds that the positive motivational effects of challenge stressors might to some extent balances the harmful effects of interruption stressors on team outcomes. In an extremely stressful situation, team members will be incapable to split a range of stressors into positive and negative facets, and take into account multiple methods of coping. They are also of the view that in the presence of challenge and hindrance at the same time, team members will appraise the situation as strongly threatening and withdraw to accomplish their task and team responsibilities, reducing their motivation, effort and emotional connection to the team. This response will further hamper the recognition and exchange of expertise- specific information within the team as communication channels shut down and team members struggle to manage their own responsibilities and demands. 332 students from Southwestern University participated in the research and were grouped into 83 four-person teams. Teams had to operate an integrated, computerized, multi-person Distributed Dynamic Decision-making (DDD) simulation task. The results supported the use of the challenge hindrance framework at the team level as well as the central role of transactional theories of stress. That challenge stressors and hindrance stressors stimulate different forms of coping. The results also imply that team members adoption of a collective coping response signifies the team-level techniques underlying the differential effects of challenge and hindrance stressors on behavioral, cognitive, and affective outcomes. The aforementioned line of investigation supported the study conducted by Umiker (1992) which illustrated that Individuals who feel that they are in control of their jobs and their futures, are better able to handle stress. Also that these empowered workers become more productive out of being in control. Results of another study presented by Bushe et al. (1996) authenticate the positive and encouraging affects of employee empowerment which were congregated from increased customer satisfaction and innovation regardless of occupational grouping. Further he says that stress was reduced when a person did no longer have to report to someone daily. When employees are empowered, they take the control over their work which gives them a higher sense of accomplishment. The purpose of empowered work teams in Bushe et al. (1996) research was to reduce costs through fewer overheads and to speed up problem resolution. The organizational outcomes were increased productivity and efficiencies mainly because of quicker response rates through empowerment and removal of organizational barriers. The research also concluded that automation has left workers virtually on call 24 hours a day and has shortened the turnaround time from project conception to completion. Many workers work ten hours a day and co rporate restructuring makes them anxious about their job security. Symptoms of these stressed workers included drops in productivity, changes in work attitude, low morale and increased absenteeism. Reese (1997) Stress is a mental and physical condition, which have an effect on an individuals productivity, effectiveness, personal health and quality of work. Job stresss victims go through lowered quality of work life and job satisfaction. The harmful and costly consequences of stress demonstrate the need of strategies to limit stressors within the organization. Organizations that do not adopt strategies to alleviate stress may find their employees looking elsewhere for better opportunities. The impact of stress from overwork, long hours at work and work intensification has had a major and often devastating effect on organizations of developed nations. In America job stress alone costs American business an estimated $200 billion annually, the UK Â £63 billion and Australia $15 billion. This is the cost for compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, added health insurance costs and direct medical expenses for stress related illnesses. A recent American Management Asso ciation survey of 292 member firms revealed that per capita disability claims tend to increase when positions are eliminated. The survey, which dealt with layoffs between 1990 and 1995, found that the illnesses disabled workers sought treatment for gastrointestinal problems, mental disorders and substance abuse, hypertension and the like were stress related. Shahu Gole, (2008) have conducted a study to examine the effect of job stress and job satisfaction on performance. The participants for this study were those managers who either currently or previously held a managers post at different manufacturing companies. In total 100 managers from 15 private manufacturing companies completed assessments. The tools for this study were two different assessments. The first tool is job satisfaction instrument (developed by Mishra, R.S., Tiwari, and Manorama). The second tool is occupational stress index. The scale consists of 46 items with 5 alternative responses. The other instrument was a current (2005) performance evaluation that was completed by the executives of the each company. The participants were asked to fill the questionnaire and performance evaluation form. The analysis was conducted through multiple regression analysis and ANOVA. Results showed that job stress is negatively correlated to performance. He found working conditions and r ole overload to be major agreed upon stressors in various organizations and business sectors and low stressed employees tend to give maximum output as compared to high stressed groups. He laid great stress on organizations to seek remedies and work in this particular area in order to improve productivity. According to Melissa Bushman (2007) the common causes of low morale include stress, negativity and gossip within the workplace along with lack of incentive programs. The projected solutions to deal with low morale is increasing employee attitudes and improving attendance. Stress is the most frequent cause of low employee morale. Numerous factors may increase the stress levels of employees, but the major reason that employees experience stress is their relationship with their manager, and it has been proved that highly authoritarian managers are likely to cause an increase in level of absenteeism. Therefore, when absenteeism rates are high in a certain department of company, poor employee relationships with the manager or bosses should be considered. For this purpose management training could be used resolve the issue and avoid problems. Jamal (2005) observed the relationship of job stress and Type-A behavior pattern with employees personal and organizational outcomes in Canada and mainland China. It indicated that job stress is significantly related to burnout, low morale, health problems, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover motivation. Findings also replicated the findings that job stress is related to personal and organizational outcomes. The results also indicated that job stress factors such as work overload, ambiguity and conflict were significantly related to overall burnout. The economic aspect of job stress was studied by Leontaridi Ward (2002). They discussed the factors that can have impact on the performance of employees in an economics context by bringing together all the relevant personal and socio-economic variables while working environment and employment conditions were considered to be contributing to work-related stress resulting in absenteeism, intentions of quitting behavior and turnover. Particularly, the stressful impact of occupation, hours of work and workplace relations on worker with focus on the labor market costs of stress by estimating the importance of work-related stress as a predictor of individuals quitting behavior and rate of absenteeism. The respondents were from 15 OECD countries. Results identify that certain physical and psychologica

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Theodor Geisel Essay -- Literary Analysis, Dr. Seuss

THESIS Theodor Geisel’s political activism during World War II, especially in the form of his political cartoons, heavily influenced his work as a children’s author, and impacted the messages of Horton Hears a Who and Yertle the Turtle. INTRODUCTION Dr. Seuss is known for his phenomenal creatures, invented words, and rhymes that surpassed absurdity and became something beautiful. Before that, though, Theodor Geisel was nationally noted for his political cartoons during World War II that enticed the mind to do more than think, but to ask questions and crave knowledge and justice. Dr. Seuss was not just a whimsical alter-ego of Mr. Geisel by any means, however. Dr. Seuss allowed Geisel to communicate his message to a new audience, in a unique way. Before his death, he left the world with a simple plea- â€Å"We need to do better† (Nell 294). The legacy he left behind paves the trail for society to do just that. THE BIRTH OF MR. GEISEL, THE CREATION OF DR. SEUSS On March 2nd, 1904, the world got its first glimpse of the man who would forever change the world of children’s literature. Theodor Seuss Geisel was born to Henrietta and Theodor Robert Geisel on this day in Springfield, Massachusetts. He had one older sister, Marnie, who was his hero and best friend. She was the basis of many of his stories. Later, his parents would have another daughter, Henrietta, but the family was struck by tragedy when she died of pneumonia. Henrietta Sr. and Theodor Robert reacted to this disaster by investing all of their love and focus into their remaining two children (Levine, 9). The Geisels, though they were not wealthy, lived a comfortable life. They were of German descent, and took great pride in their heritage until th... ...course, are the turtles are free, as turtles, and maybe all creatures, should be† (10). CONCLUSION Theodor Seuss Geisel died a hero among children and adults alike. He accomplished a task that would be impossible to most- he was able to incorporate not only the simple difference between good and bad, but the realities of social injustice and the power of the oppressed, into children’s books. Clifton Fadiman, writer for The New Yorker, may have most accurately described Dr. Seuss in an article following his death- â€Å"[He is] the most useful children’s author of our time. He has helped dispel a lot of the nonsense that children are taught and†¦ his books always maintained their universal cry for wonder, fairness, and love (Morgan 291).† Geisel used his political knowledge and passion to open the eyes of all people, no matter how young, and no matter how small.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

How My Actions Affect Other People :: essays research papers

The biggest way that my actions affect other people is that of betrayal. Other people trust me with responsibilities, and when I take a negative action towards that trust it decreases. On the other hand, if I have a positive reaction towards the trust that awarded to my behalf, then I am trusted with more and bigger responsibilities. Trust comes in many shapes and forms, and there are too many people in the world today for us to not go a day without someone relying on us in some way. There are many things that we are obliged to do on a daily basis. Everything from me starting the car in the morning and not taking off, to me going to school everyday and so on. There are also irregularities in our daily responsibilities such as me having an English assignment on occasion or me having to get to guitar lessons. Every one of those things is a responsibility that if neglected will have a negative impact on all parties involved. If I don’t go to school, then my parents feel like they are neglecting me as a child and I am doomed for the streets, or they are given the headache of trying to discipline me, which despite all teenagers beliefs – discipline is not something that parents have fun giving out. Also, should I ever start the car in the morning and take off, my mother now has to walk to work, or call Dad. They now don’t trust me enough to know if I went to school or not, and a 1000 lb. Monster has now taken off with a very irresponsible and untrustworthy person controlling. Also, should I ever not do that English assignment that I was asked to complete, then Mr. Cobbe is now given the headache of punching in a zero to a kid who he honestly believes, "is one of the top students, if not the top student in the class; who is sitting at a 60-65%, and should be mid-to-top nineties" Causing him not only a little bit

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Building an Ethical Organization Essay

In April 2010, the newly formed The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery will open their doors. According to the U. S. Department of Justice (2009), a sexual assault happens once every two minutes. The victims of these assaults need a safe place to turn for assistance. Currently there is no centrally located center for these victims. As the director of the Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery, I believe we will be able to fill the current void in the community, by offering various services currently scattered throughout the community under one roof. The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery will be operated by a non-profit organization and will have the capability to offer clients counseling, legal advice, educational programs, and much more. The Center for Sexual/Assault Recovery will serve any victim of sexual assault as well as those close to the victim that may also be affected by the assault, or can aid the victim in recovery. By offering additional programs to the entire family we are able to establish a support system for the victim, while also assisting those who may need a better understanding of what the victim may be going through before, during, and after treatment. It is the center’s goal to provide the best care to those who enter our center; treating all clients confidentially, fairly and with respect; allowing access for everyone to all programs offered. According to Campbell (2008), â€Å"Rape victims encounter significant difficulties obtaining help from the legal, medical, and mental health systems, and what help they do receive can leave them feeling blamed, doubted, and re-victimized. As a result, survivors’ post-rape distress may be due not only to the rape itself but also to how they are treated by social systems after the assault. (para. 40) The Center for Sexual Assault/ Abuse Recovery will provide the services needed to assist victims at every step of recovery as well as any possible legal proceedings. This is something that I do have firsthand knowledge of. I was raped from the tender age of six through the age of fourteen when I married my husband to get away from home. Back then there was no help for victims. When I went to the Chattanooga, Tennessee Police Department with my accusations my parents were brought in and told to take me to a psychiatrist. I was then taken home and beaten so bad I could not attend school for a month because of the bruises. Increased risk of sexual revictimization in women previously sexually assaulted in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood is a phenomenon now well-documented in the literature (Classen, Palesh, & Aggarwal, 2005; Collins, 1998; Gidycz, Hanson, & Layman, 1995; Krahe, Scheinberger-Olwig, Waizenhofer, & Kolpin, 1999; Messman-Moore & Long, 2000), yet limited research has examined mechanisms underlying increased risk. Both child sexual abuse (CSA) and adult sexual assault (ASA) are related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Briere & Runtz, 1987; Seedat & Stein, 2000), and researchers have also found a strong relationship between PTSD and sexual revictimization (Arata, 2000; Bolstad & Zinbarg, 1997;Boney-McCoy & Finkelhor, 1995; Ullman & Brecklin, 2002). Substance use (problem drinking and/or illicit drug use) is also associated with risk of sexual revictimization (Abbey, Zawacki, Buck, Clinton, & McAuslan, 2003; Greene & Navarro, 1998; Koss & Dinero, 1989; Rich, Combs-Lane, Resnick, & Kilpatrick, 2004; Ullman, 2003). PTSD and substance use may be outcomes of revictimization, although this is unclear from past research, most of which is cross sectional. Therefore, women who experienced sexual victimization both as a child and as an adult may experience more PTSD symptoms and more substance use compared to women who experienced only adult sexual victimization. To resolve the ambiguity of these relations, CSA, PTSD, and substance use (problem drinking, illicit drug use) were examined as possible predictors of sexual revictimization in female ASA survivors over the course of one year. Some research suggests that CSA leads to revictimization, which in turn leads to PTSD symptoms (Arata, 2000; Nishith, Mechanic, & Resick, 2000; Schumm, Hobfoll, & Keogh, 2004). Thus, revictimization as an adult might reignite the squeal of earlier assault experiences. Most studies on which his hypothesis is based were cross-sectional, however, and PTSD could have been both a consequence of and a risk factor for revictimization. Thus, longitudinal research is required to shed light on this issue. In fact, two longitudinal studies have identified PTSD as a risk factor for sexual victimization. Acierno, Resnick, Kilpatrick, Saunders, and Best (1999) found that a diagnosis of PTSD increased women’s risk for ASA, while Noll, Horowitz, Bonanno, Trickett, and Putnam (2003) found that PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between CSA and subsequent revictimization. However, these studies examined only predictors of revictimization and not predictors of PTSD. The relationship between sexual victimization (either as a child or adult), PTSD, and revictimization may form a feedback loop such that sexual victimization leads to PTSD, which in turn increases the risk of revictimization and subsequent increased PTSD symptoms, etc. Thus, the present study utilized a longitudinal design to explore the relationships between CSA, PTSD, and revictimization in a large community sample of female ASA survivors. It is predicted that CSA would be related to more PTSD symptoms and that more PTSD symptoms would be associated with greater rates of revictimization. In spite of the growing volume of research on rape (Koss, 1985, Russell, 1983), there have been several reasons why psychologists do not know more about the effects rape has on its victims. Many of the experiences do not meet the criteria for societies’ typical rape that is assumed to occur (Burt, 1980, Koss and Burkhart, 1989). Victims will not disclose their assault experiences until years later (Williams, 1984, Williams and Holmes, 1982). Societal attitudes are more negative towards victims of acquaintance rape and view stranger rape as the more serious assault (Tetreault and Barnett, 1987). Most research indicates that both acquaintance and stranger rape have a similar impact upon the victims (Koss, et al, 1988). The center will be open 24 hours a day for emergency services with regular counseling services Monday through Friday, 9:00 a. m. – 7:00 p. m. A toll-free hotline will be operated by professional counselors, 24 hours a day for anyone seeking guidance, reporting abuse, or just needing a counselor to talk with. If an incident is reported, the victim will be offered the services of a victim’s advocate. If they choose to have an advocate, the advocate will escort the victim to the hospital, police department, and any court appearances if the case warrants it. A rape victim is also sensitive to the advocates’ attitude. One has to have the courage to listen to the patient’s story. The person giving care has to be calm and compassionate and in a pertinent manner have an opinion on the situation, as well as to tell the victim that he/she is innocent of the incident. The patient can be calmed and comforted by saying that seeking help and care was the right path to take. Being an advocate for rape victims is not an easy task. The person has to have empathy, a caring heart, and a strong will. In addition to general counseling to victims and their families, The Center of Sexual Assault/Abuse Recovery will offer confidential pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection testing to anyone who wishes to receive it in the days and months after an attack. Additional counseling services will be offered, if needed, once the testing is complete. There is a group of qualified staff to offer the client legal advice and support in the event they are not able to obtain legal services. Individuals who are victims of this type of crime are susceptible to post traumatic stress disorder (Tolin & Foa, 2006). These individuals need to be shown they do not have to go through this fight alone. From counseling to prosecuting, someone will be standing with them providing the support system needed. For this reason the center will recommend victims receive immediate and regular counseling. Another important support service we will offer is weekly support groups. Participation will be voluntary, and different groups will be offered to match different levels of support needed. Getting the community educated and involved will lower the number of sexual abuse instances. The center will organize awareness events and platforms, concentrating on educating residents on the evidence of abuse as well as presentations on ways to prevent abuse and provide self-defense classes. The entire staff at The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery believe by educating, empowering and creating awareness of sexual abuse/assault in the community we will not only reduce the number of victims, but the center will also be a success. The mission of The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery is to provide a peaceful and fostering setting for the recovery of sexual assault victims, their families, friends, or any significant other of the abuse/assault survivor; while promoting awareness of the problem within the community. Specially trained staff will defend, instruct, and counsel, clients and their friends, families, or significant others. Providing equal treatment, with respect to the individuality of each case; and safeguarding the privacy of victims will be the highest importance. The staff will reflect the director’s caring, compassionate, and ethical nature; This emphasizing to clients and the community that the center will operate in an ethical manner with zero acceptance for any behavior that can be seen as unethical, or dishonest. The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery and its staff will do everything within their authority to provide clients with a safe and supportive environment. The center will be staffed by well-educated and experienced professionals in their respected field of counseling, educating, or event planning; all working together in assisting victims to overcome the abuse. The community will be kept aware of the center’s motive through the use of a well published mission statement, media articles, and community awareness events. Lee and Bourdage (2009) states â€Å"that an organization that puts in place a value statement will have more ethical and moral behavior from its employees; staff members will line up personal values with organizational values if those organizational values are made known and visible for all employees to see†. The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery has worked with all staff members, volunteers, and a diverse group of community leader to develop the following values statement: â€Å"All staff and volunteers of The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery shall abide by practices that are in agreement with appropriate laws and with ethical values that reflect a high level of proficiency. The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery will serve the community with integrity, respect, and dignity. Clients will be encouraged and empowered by the staff’s positive, empathetic, and compassionate behavior. This values statement will motivate ethical behavior and allow the entire staff to take ownership of it because; every staff member had a part in its creation. In addition, behaviors that are in accordance with the value statement will have a positive influence on others. In an effort to encourage positive behaviors that line up with the value statement, and remind staff members of the significance of values, one staff member will be recognized for his or her values behavior at the monthly staff meeting. In the event the values statement is not followed disciplinary actions will be in place. The values statement, along with the mission statement, emphasizes high moral ideals within the organization. Inspiring a transformation, fostering hope, uniting professionals, and assisting those whose paths we cross become stronger, more empowered individuals will be accomplished by the center’s professional staff. These individuals will become stronger and be able to lead a more productive life instead of having the experience rule their lives. They will be able to hold their heads up high.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Ap Us History Chapter 39 Terms

Productivity: Slumped after the economic boom 25 years after WWI Inflation: Fed by rising oil prices and Great Society/Vietnam funding w/o tax increases Vietnamization: Withdrawing 540k troops from South Vietnam, while training Vietnamese to fight Nixon Doctrine: A doctrine that stated that the United States would stay true to all of their existing defense commitments but Asian and other countries would not be able to rely on large bodies of American troops for support in the future. Vietnam moratorium (1969): American â€Å"doves† and antiwar protestor were not satisfied with â€Å"vietnamization† and preferred a prompt withdral.Antiwar protesters did a Vietnam moratorium in October 1969 where 100,000 people went into the Boston Common and 50,000 people went by the white house with lighted candles. My Lai: Deepened disgust w/ war, a village full of innocents was massacred by American troops Cambodia: Nixon ordered troops to help SV to clear out troops in NV and VC majo r base Kent State University : Where Natl Gaurd fired into crowd protesting Cambodian invasion Tonkin Gulf Resolution repeal (1970): The Senate repealed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution that was originally given to Johnson and it restrained spending in the war and it reduced the draft. 6th Amendment: Lowered voting age to 18, pleased youth Daniel Ellsberg: a former American military analyst employed by the RAND Corporation who precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of government decision-making about the Vietnam War, to The New York Times and other newspapers.Pentagon Papers: Leaked to NYT, Pentagon study over failures of Kennedy/Johnson Henry Kissinger: Natl Security Adviser; met with Nixon in Paris to negotiate end of war, prepared path to Beijing, Moscow China opening (1971): Nixon went to China in Feburary 1972 and improved relations with the U. S. and China. Nixon then used this new relation with China i n order to win trade with the Soviets. Detente: Period of relaxed tension between RU/CHAMB treaty/ SALT I: Anti-ballistic missile treaty which set the limit of two clusters of defensive missiles per nation. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks stopped the numbers of long-range nuclear missiles for 5 years. Earl Warren: Chief Justice during the 1950's and 1960's who used a loose interpretation to expand rights for both African-Americans and those accused of crimes. Liberal Warren Court decisions: The Warren Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States between 1953 and 1969, when Earl Warren served as Chief Justice.Warren led a liberal majority that used judicial power in dramatic fashion, to the consternation of conservative opponents. The Warren Court expanded civil rights, civil liberties, judicial power, and the federal power in dramatic ways. Griswold v. Connecticut (1965): Supreme Court decision in which the Court ruled that the Constitution implicitly guarantees citizens' right to privacy. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Extends to the defendant the right of counsel in all state and federal criminal trials regardless of their ability to pay.Miranda (1966): The court ruled that those subjected to in-custody interrogation be advised of their constitutional right to an attorney and their right to remain silent. Warren E. Berger (1969): Chief Justice that replaced Earl Warren in 1969. The Burger Court was supposed to reverse the liberal rulings of the Warren court, but it produced the most controversial judicial decision in Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC): Federal funds for children in families that fall below state standards of need.In 1996, Congress abolished AFDC, the largest federal cash transfer program, and replaced it with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant Supplemental Security Income (SSI): A program established in 1972 and controlled by the Social Security Administrati on that provides federally funded cash assistance to qualifying elderly and disabled poor. Philadelphia plan (1969): Program established by Richard Nixon to require construction trade unions to work toward hiring more black apprentices.The plan altered Lyndon Johnson's concept of â€Å"affirmative action† to focus on groups rather than individuals. (1009) â€Å"Reverse discrimination†: The assertion that affirmative action programs that require preferential treatment for minorities discriminate against those who have no minority status. Environmental Protection Agency (1970): developments, logging, etc. must take environmental impact into account Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA): the federal regulatory compliance agency that develops, publishes, and enforces guidelines concerning safety in the orkplace Rachel Carson/Silent Spring (1962): She investigated the harmful effects of pesticides, such as DDT, on the environment and other animals. Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts (1970): social, 1970 notable progress reduce auto emissions and cleaning up water and waste sites Nixon's â€Å"southern strategy† : His attempt to woo conservative white voters from the democratic party by promising not to support new civil rights legislation. Sen. George McGovern (1972): George Stanley McGovern (born July 19, 1922) is a historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U. S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election. Vietnam pullout (1973): In 1973 the U. S. withdrew the 27,000 troops and would reclaim 560 prisoners of war and South Vietnam would receive limited amount of U. S. support. North Vietnam would have troops in South Vietnam and an election was used to determine the future government of South Vietnam. CREEP: Richard Nixon's committee for re-electing the president. Found to have been engaged in a â€Å"dirty tricks† campaign against the democrats in 1972.They raised tens of milli ons of dollars in campaign funds using unethical means. They were involved in the infamous Watergate cover-up. Watergate break-in (June 1972): Led by Liddy and Hunt of the White House plumbers, the Repub. undercover team received approval to wiretap telephones at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington. Early one morning, a security guard foiled the break-in to install the bugs, and he arrested James McCord, the security coordinator of CREEP, and several other Liddy and Hunt associates.White House â€Å"plumbers unit†: The White House Plumbers, sometimes simply called the Plumbers, were a covert White House Special Investigations Unit established July 24, 1971 during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Its task was to stop the leaking of classified information to the news media. Its members branched into illegal activities working for the Committee to Re-elect the President, including the Watergate break-in and the ensuing Watergate scandal. Sen. Sam Ervin: He was head of the Senate committee that conducted a long and televised series of hearings in 1973 to 1974.John Dean III: He was a former white house lawyer that testified about the involvement of the top levels of the White House. He talked of the president, the Watergate cover-up and accused the president of violating justice. His claims were later supported by Nixon's tape recordings. Spiro Agnew: Nixon's vice-president resigned and pleaded â€Å"no contest† to charges of tax evasion on payments made to him when he was governor of Maryland. He was replaced by Gerald R. Ford.Gerald Ford: president 1974-77, Nixon's Vice president, only person not voted into the White House, appointed vice president by Nixon: became president after Nixon resigned Archibald Cox: A professor of Harvard law school who also worked with the Department of Labor. He was the appointed Special Prosecutor over the Watergate case. â€Å"Saturday night massacre† (1973): Name given to the series of events in 1973 that included the firing of a special prosecutor investigating Watergate and the resignations of the attorney general and his next in command for refusing to fire the prosecutor.Cambodian bombings (1973): Occurred when President Nixon expanded the Vietnam War into it's neighboring country and attempted to destroy suspected supply lines. Pol Pot: Leader of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, who terrorized the people of Cambodia throughout the 1970's War Powers Act (1973): Gave any president the power to go to war under certain circumstances, but required that he could only do so for 90 days before being required to officially bring the matter before Congress. October War (1973): It was a war between the Arabs and Israel.Its motive was for the Arabs to regain the territory lost to Israel in the Six-Day War. Kissinger went to Moscow to restrain the Soviets while Nixon placed America's nuclear forces on alert and gave the Israelis $2 billion dollars worth of war supplies. This helped the Israelis and brought a cease fire. Arab Oil Embargo (1974): After the U. S. backed Israel in its war against Syria and Egypt, which had been trying to regain territory lost in the Six-Day War, the Arab nations imposed an oil embargo, which strictly limited oil in the U. S. and caused a crisis. Energy crisis†: when Carter entered office inflation soared, due to toe the increases in energy prices by OPEC. In the summer of 1979, instability in the Middle East produced a major fuel shortage in the US, and OPEC announced a major price increase. Facing pressure to act, Carter retreated to Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Maryland Mountains. Ten days later, Carter emerged with a speech including a series of proposals for resolving the energy crisis. Alaska pipeline: Built in 1975 along the pipeline to Valdez, it was an above-ground pipe 4 feet in diameter used to pump oil from the vast oil ields of northern Alaska to the tanke r station in Valdez Bay where the oil was put aboard ships for transport to refineries in the continental U. S.. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): an economic organization consisting primarily of Arab nations that controls the price of oil and the amount of oil its members produce and sell to other nations. Articles of impeachment: It was passed by the House Judiciary Committee and its key vote came in July 1974 when Nixon was accused of obstruction of justice with Watergate.Other articles talked of Nixon's abuse as president and his contempt for congress. Nixon resignation (August 8, 1974): When Nixon resigned, 3 tapes were released with one of them containing orders for the Watergate Break in and he confessed to his Watergate involvement on television. These events ruined Nixon's creditability and he was able to keep his retirement benefits. Nixon pardon (1974): Within his first month of Presidency, Gerald Ford gave full pardon to Nixon. Which aroused fierce cr iticism, and soon his approval ratings went from 71% to 50%.Helsinki accords (1975): Political and human rights agreement signed in Helsinki, Finland, by the Soviet Union and western European countries. Vietnam defeat (1975): Vietnam collapsed with out American aid as the last Americans were taken out of Vietnam in 1975. It made America look bad in front of other foreign countries and caused America to lose confidence in its military. The War also took a toll on America's economy and its people with $118 billion spent, 56,000 dead, and 300,000 wounded.Title IX (1972): Major civil rights legislation that banned discrimination in education. It appears in this chapter as an example of ineffective policy implementation; unclear goals open to inconsistent interpretation. Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): Proposed the 27th Amendment, calling for equal rights for both sexes. Defeated in the House in 1972. Roe v. Wade (1973): The court legalized abortion by ruling that state laws could not rest rict it during the first three months of pregnancy. Based on 4th Amendment rights of a person to be secure in their persons.Phyllis Schlafly: 1970s; a new right activist that protested the women's rights acts and movements as defying tradition and natural gender division of labor; demonstrated conservative backlash against the 60s Betty Freidan: wrote The Feminine Mystique credited with starting the second wave of woman's liberation movement, question domestic fulfillment, founded NOW National Organization for Women (NOW): Founded in 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) called for equal employment opportunity and equal pay for women.NOW also championed the legalization of abortion and passage of an equal rights amendment to the Constitution. Milliken v. Bradley (1974): This Supreme Court decision responded in some ways to the backlash against integration via busing by stating that busing was only legal where schools were deliberately using racist tactics to segregate scho ols. It also said that the goal of Swann was not to create racially balanced schools with certain numbers of each race but to stop wilful segregation. Reverse discrimination†: The assertion that affirmative action programs that require preferential treatment for minorities discriminate against those who have no minority status. Bakke case (1978): saw the Supreme Court barely rule that Allan Bakke had not been admitted into U. C. Davis because the university preferred minority races only and ordered the college to admit Bakke. United States v. Wheeler (1978): -facts: Indian is convicted in tribal court and later charged with same offense from same act (a rape) in federal court. HELD: SCOTUS won't apply double jeopardy bar to litigation, because under the 5th Amendment, it is not the same offense when two SOVEREIGNS prosecute the same person. Jimmy Carter (1976): James Earl â€Å"Jimmy† Carter, Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th Pr esident of the United States (1977-1981) and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U. S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office. Before he became President, Carter served as a U. S.Naval officer, was a peanut farmer, served two terms as a Georgia State Senator and one as Governor of Georgia (1971-1975) Department of Energy: the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States â€Å"Human rights†: the basic rights to which all people are entitled as human beings Camp David accords (1978): Peace treaty between Egypt and Israel; hosted by US President Jimmy Carter; caused Egypt to be expelled from the Arab league; created a power vacuum that Saddam hoped to fill; first treaty of its kind between Israel and an Arab state Return of Panama Canal: Carter proposed two treaties that would give ownership and control of the Panama Canal back to Panamanians by the year 2000. The return of the Panama Canal was one of Carter's accomplishments in foreign policy. Mohammed Reza Pahlevi: Shah of Iran who was deposed in 1979 by Islamic fundamentalists (1919-1980) Brezhnev and SALT II negotiations (1979): Carter and Brezhev met in Vienna to sign the SALT agreements which were meant limit the number of lethal strategic weapons in both U. S. and Russia. U. S. conservatives were against the agreement and suspicious against Russia. The conservative stance was strengthened against the agreements when it was discovered that there was a Soviet â€Å"combat brigade† in Cuba.Iranian hostage crisis (1979-1980): On November 4, 1979 anti-American Muslim militants went to the United States' embassy in Teheran and took everyone inside hostage. Their demand was to restore the exiled shah who went to the U. S. for medical treatment. Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini: Islamic religious leader who led a revolution to overthrow Iran's government in 1979; he ruled the country for the next ten years on a strongl y anti-American platform Afghanistan invasion and Olympic boycott (1980): The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott of the Moscow Olympics was a part of a package of actions initiated by the United States to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan. [1] It preceded the 1984 Summer Olympics boycott carried out by the Soviet Union and other Communist friendly countries.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Monster Verses Monster

Today, people still recognize the ghastly, atrocious Frankenstein as a monster, but according to Deems Taylor’s Monster, Richard Wagner is the monstrous beast. Monsters are expected to be frightening like Frankenstein, but some monsters are real humans like Richard Wagner. Oddly, when comparing Frankenstein and Wagner–they certainly share some of the same grim features. Frankenstein and Wagners’ faces manifest a gloomy expression of black death. Their spirit for life lacks warmth in their eyes. Frankenstein’s eyes are hollow and dreary covered with drooping, eyelids, and underneath his eyes are massive sandbags. Similarly, Wagner’s vengeful gaze leers inertly like a frozen statue. Taylor says, â€Å"[he has] a genius for making enemies† (695). The pasty bags (sagging above his cheekbones) are blown up like air pockets. Moreover, they share similar shriveled lips. Frankenstein’s colorless lips are dimly distorted like the mouth of a ruined, porcelain doll. While Wagner’s, sickly, pale lips evoke a spine-chilling eeriness causing most people to shutter; it’s the kind that makes the skin crawl with goose bumps. Undoubtedly, their cold expressions are lifeless, and wicked; however, the size and shape of their heads are equally dreadful. Their large, peculiar, heads resemble a heavy mass wobbling like a bobble head. Their foreheads dominate their gigantic skulls. Frankenstein’s forehead is like a stretched-canvas awning for protection over his eyes. It protrudes along his brow like a piece of metal rod lodged underneath his skin. Likewise, Wagner’s receding hairline emphasizes the size of his enormous skull. According to Taylor, he states, â€Å"[his] head is too big for his body† (693). Furthermore, the structure of their chins is abnormally malformed. Frankenstein’s square chin bulks like a block of wood wedged into his bottom jaw. Its size is the dimension of a small building. On the other hand, Wagner’s narrow, pointy chin extends like an arrow heading for its target. Indeed, the likeness of Frankenstein and Wagners’ massive skulls are laughably creepy. Nonetheless, the magnitude of resemblance is uncanny. All the same, the fearsome expressions on a face or the bizarre proportions of a body can depict a vision of a monster. Frankenstein is a character, created, monster, but Wagner is a real person; a monster in the eyes of Taylor. As attested by Taylor, â€Å"the name of [his] monster [is] Richard Wagner† (695).

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Commentary on ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Essay

In the novel ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams, a scene that often catches the attention of readers is the poker scene. It begins when Blanche and Stella return from seeing a show too early, not wanting to have been a distraction or a nuisance while the men played poker. Stanley rudely dismisses the ladies making sure they know they aren’t welcome to join in, the tension escalates as does the banter and Stanley whacks Stella’s thigh to end the discussion. Mitch and Blanche then meet for the first time as he exits the bathroom and they are both immediately taken with each other. The poker games continues to progress and the ladies listen to the radio and gossip about the men, Stanley becomes unnecessarily agitated by the music and insists that they turn it off. Mitch then deals a hand and leaves to talk to Blanche, he offers a cigarette from a silver case, which he then continues on to explain the significance behind it, being from a girl whom he was once involved with that passed away. They continue to talk and Blanche explains how she was an English teacher and enjoyed her job even though the majority of her students didn’t retain much interest in the English curriculum. Then, the real action begins to unfold; Blanche turns the radio back on, not aware of what her actions will lead up to. Stanley was already at his wits end by the first time he ordered the radio turned off and a second provocation would only lead to trouble. The music begins to play ‘Wein, Wein, nur du allein’ which translates to ‘Wine, Wine, and you alone’ giving the reader auditory imagery. I find this ironic, as I believe Blanche is an in denial alcoholic, perhaps the song suggests that the only think she can really rely on for comfort is alcohol. She then begins to dance, waltzing ‘with romantic hand gestures’, this gives proof of her aristocratic and privileged upbringing for few of lower standing would know how to waltz. As for the romantic hand gestures, Blanche is utilizing her means of coquettish seduction on Mitch (who seems all too happy to be at the receiving end to her tryst) as she desperately clings to the idea of a stable and supportive relationship with a husband (as well as a source of income and roof over her head). This course of action has Stanley very riled up, even more so then before. The first time I read this passage I believed his anger to be unwarranted and simply unnecessary, but by putting yourself in his shoes it is possible to visualize where he’s coming from. Stanley sees himself as a ‘manly man’ completely sure of himself and filled to the brim with testosterone. Now combine that with whiskey, more testosterone, a little friendly competition and the fact that he’s losing, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Stanley prides himself on his authority and control of his friends, so when his winnings start to go south and he begins to loose face among them; something he prides himself upon. Its logical to say that his reaction will be harsh to any form of provocation using it as an outlet to his frustration and anger, no matter how unconscionable it was. As Stanley reacts to the radio being played the visual imagery and his disposition becomes wild, animalistic and primal. He ‘stalks fiercely’ to the radio, snatches it up, shouts an oath and then throws it out the window. In my opinion Stanley gives off a strong sense of Neanderthal attitudes because his actions are so primal and savage. In the next line Stella even accuses him of being such stating ‘Drunk – drunk – animal thing, you!’ I think it is this accusation from Stella that makes Stanley snap, taking his anger and need for violence past the point of no return. Stella was the last string in his anger coming to be so severe, because after his friends winning more then he, taking some authority and control away form him, his wife then blatantly insulting him in front of his friends on top of that had to do it. Even in his approach he is like an animal ‘Stanley charges after Stella’ as if he is predator and she is prey (which in this scenario it is safe to say was the case). His friends make feeble attempts at calming Stanley down, trying not to anger him further and at the same time avoiding his wrath being directed towards them. At this point I think Stella knows what’s going to happen and her threats of retaliation are empty as she warns ‘You lay your hands on me and I’ll – ’ as she backs out of the scene with Stanley in pursuit. A cacophony of noises is then heard as Stanley hits Stella and then as if the limelight has been off Blanche for too long she begins to scream and run around. Bringing attention back to herself, it also has to do with the fact that she has never been put in conditions as such and is useless, thus she must find some way to give herself the importance she craves so badly. Stanley’s men finally step up to restrain him in the throes of the crazed mist of rage he has succumbed to. Even in a condition as his ‘he nearly throws them off’ giving the reader a reminder of the brute force and strength that is Stanley. Then as if hit with an epiphany of great importance, realization hits, he surfaces from his delusions ‘all at once he subsides and is limp in their grasp’. Stella, presumably still in shock and fear from what has occurred claims that ‘[in a high, unnatural voice, out of sight] I want to go away, I want to go away!’ what’s interesting about this line is that her tone brings us back to Stanley’s demeanour before he attacked her, inhuman, very much like an animal which brings one to wonder that if Stella can react as such that maybe they aren’t so different from each other in that they can be both very animalistic at times. Mitch is one of the quieter characters in this play, much more reserved and miles more civilised then any of the other male characters. And after all these things have occurred he finally speaks up, simply stating that ‘Poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women’ Now, what I see he’s trying to get across is that all of the previous conflict and violence is solely to blame upon the fact that women were in the same building in which poker was being played, Surely this combination cannot be so dangerous as to inspire domestic abuse? Mitch is wrong on this matter because it is obviously not a dangerous combination; it is Stanley’s overbearing and easily angered personality that makes the situation so volatile. As I said before, Stanley was just a time bomb waiting to go off it was just a matter of someone setting him off (in this case, Stella). After all of this has come to pass, Blanche hastily takes Stella upstairs to the neighbours, Stanley realizes what has happened, that Stella is gone and becomes frantic. Becoming violent and telling his men to ‘Let go of me, you sons of bitches!’ it is unsure whether he is going to become mad with anger once again. His friends see this and hastily make their way out, not forgetting to reclaim their winnings. Tennessee Williams then uses repetition to enforce Mitch’s sexist opinion on the matter by having him state, again, that ‘Poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women’ as if the outcome was unavoidable due to this. Our attention is then taken back to Stanley as he continues through this almost heartfelt and emotional realization that Stella has left him, sobbing and crying out for her, this period is brief though and he soon becomes demanding and stubborn with Eunice (the neighbour) in wanting Stella back. When his plight proves useless, it’s as if he’s relapsed back into the desperate, sobbing man he was a moment before, maybe in thinking that this is the best course of action to manipulate Stella into returning. An animalistic reference is made again to Stanley in the description of his actions in that ‘he throws back his head like a baying hound and bellows his wife’s name: ‘Stella! Stella, sweetheart, Stella!’ This continues along with more banter with the neighbour until with one last attempt, as if he is back to his normal self, he cries out ‘[with heaven-splitting violence]: STELLL – AHHHHH!’ After a moment, Stella emerges and the two come together with an unspoken amount of emotion. This passage is extremely intimate and tender, not something that is often witnessed on stage or in books because it takes on such a personal and real feeling. Even as they come together there is still this animosity in the line ‘they came together with low, animal moans’. Stanley is a strong symbol of virility, manhood and all that is masculine but as he kneels half-naked and exposed on the pavement outside their house desperately crying out for his wife it makes you wonder if there is more to him then what the reader thinks. It is a difficult scene to act out in my opinion because the actor must be enticing and terrifying at the same time. Hence, Stella’s unhealthy attraction towards him, even when shouting her name in desperation on the pavement he still remains a dominating force that pulled her towards him. Their reunion at the bottom of the steps is without words – purely physical with a hint of tenderness as Stanley carries her back into their flat. What I think Tennessee Williams was trying to make the reader/audience feel when writing this passage was fear and curiosity at the same time. Fear from what would happen to the characters, namely Stella from Stanley and curiosity for the same reason. What makes this scene so interesting is the conflicting emotions coming from all of the characters, Blanche’s seduction of Mitch and need to feel useful, Stella’s embarrassment and fear of Stanley’s actions, Mitch’s defensiveness of Stanley’s actions, the other friends wariness if not fear of Stanley and Stanley’s anger and frustration at needing to be in control of the situation at all times. Needless to say, it is an incredibly complex situation, which at the same time remains extremely ironic.