Abu Ghraib A Coverage Comparison of Western and Arab Media Essay Example

Abu Ghraib: A Coverage Comparison of Western and Arab Media Essay A Coverage Comparison Analysis CNN (Western Media) vs. al Jazeera On Wednesday, April 28, 2004, a series of pictures broadcast on CBV â€Å"60 Minutes II† prompted an worldwide media frenzy that challenged America’s so-called moral superiority, complicated the fight against terror in the Middle East, crippled U. S. relations with the international community and elicited public demands for high-level accountability. The physical, psychological and sexual abuse, including torture, rape, sodomy and homicide of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq unveiled a sobering hypocrisy when juxtaposed with the American enemy, Saddam Hussein, and the abuses he authorized at the very same prison. The powerful photos were irrefutable evidence of the U. S. military and government contractors’ guilt. In an attempt at damage control, the American government quickly launched major internal investigations into the incident. While two hundred sixty soldiers have faced punishment, only nine individuals in the military have been sentenced to jail time and eight of the nine were below the level of captain. [1] The Abu Ghraib scandal permeated war coverage for months, even taking priority over such atrocities as the attacks in Fallujah that ended with four American contractors dead, left hanging from a bridge. Although equally shocking and appalling to both the West and the Arab nations, their respective media coverage of the scandal reveals a distinct dichotomy in tone and frame. We will write a custom essay sample on Abu Ghraib: A Coverage Comparison of Western and Arab Media specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Abu Ghraib: A Coverage Comparison of Western and Arab Media specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Abu Ghraib: A Coverage Comparison of Western and Arab Media specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These differences are rooted in each media organization’s connection to the history, politics, and culture of their individual region and therefore reinforced by the audiences they depend on. The Abu Ghraib story presented a rare opportunity for the American media to meaningfully direct public discourse regarding the war, torture and accountability, yet these questions went largely unanswered as the press succumbed to an elite-driven frame intended to contain and simplify not investigate. The dual analysis of Western media (CNN) and al Jazeera’s coverage of the scandal indentifies these moments of opportunity and creates a greater understanding of wartime media and its potential to significantly impact foreign policy and public opinion. After September 11th, 2001, an unwritten journalistic standard of patriotism arose which significantly altered news content and media frames, especially regarding war and terrorism. The consequences of this type of reporting are evident in the media’s delayed response and investigation into claims of torture at Abu Ghraib and throughout the region. As early as May 17, 2003, the New York Times reported that detainees in Basra claimed U. S. and British soldiers abused them, an exploitation that Amnesty International believes constitutes torture. A Los Angeles Times article in August of 2003 highlighted four Army reservists charged with beating Iraqi POW’s. During the months (October-December) in 2003 that the alleged abuses took place at Abu Ghraib, the Associated Press distributed a major story in November about three Iraqi POW camps, including Abu Ghraib, based on interviews with former prisoners – no major media picked it up. Then on January 13, the whistleblower, Army Spc. Joseph Darby at Abu Ghraib, reported the abuse to military investigators, prompting an investigation and one paragraph press release about the abuse. Yet again, most media outlets ignored the announcement. CNN finally picked up the story on January 21, 2004, when they reported that U. S. soldiers reportedly posed for photos with partially clothed Iraqi prisoners. Following suit, Salon magazine filed a story in March about allegations of beatings, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation and neglect leading to deaths at Abu Ghraib. By the end of the month, the military announced that six personnel had been charged with criminal offenses. Finally, on April 28th, nearly seven months after the abuses occurred, CBS â€Å"60 Minutes II† aired the graphic photographs of what took place at Abu Ghraib. Two days later, Seymour Hersh’s detailed and damning report in The New Yorker was put on the website, fueling the long overdue media frenzy that would ensue for months. [2] When the story ultimately broke, the reactions from both CNN and al Jazeera were somewhat similar in that they both expressed a universal sense of shock and horror concerning the photographs. On the CNN Evening News April 30, 2004, studio anchor Aaron Brown used words like â€Å"mistreated† and â€Å"humiliated† when describing the photos that were playing on the screen. Brown then featured a short piece about the Arab media’s reaction, claiming they were covering it â€Å"like everyone else†. Similarly, al Jazeera correspondents used terms such as â€Å"inhumane† and â€Å"unethical† to describe the abuse. The cameras showed the streets of Baghdad and the people’s reaction and accusations of â€Å"state torture†. 3] Both stations consistently showed the photos during their packages and â€Å"let the pictures speak for themselves†. However, al Jazeera clearly used them in a more â€Å"round the clock† fashion. The primary reactions of both media outlets reflected an overall sense of shame – Americans embarrassed by soldiers and Arabs humiliated by the dishonor those soldiers inflicted. Despite th e likeness of both CNN and al Jazeera’s first coverage of the Abu Ghraib scandal, it quickly became evident that their respective media frames would diverge. Like much of their past reporting, al Jazeera remained harshly critical of America and their mission in Iraq. The Abu Ghraib photos only fueled that sentiment, allowing al Jazeera to label Americans as torturers. Furthermore, the Arab network approached their coverage with a more human perspective that focused on the victims and their personal stories. In contrast, American mainstream media essentially joined efforts with the government and went into recovery mode. CNN utilized the actions and statements of government officials to substantiate their packages. This reliance on elites enabled a Western frame of the scandal that made it into an â€Å"American story† of â€Å"isolated abuse† and the desire to place blame. Especially after 9/11, al Jazeera’s war coverage has been hotly contested and often criticized by scholars and American officials alike. At first glance, al Jazeera looks like an American cable news network with its cycle of news shows, graphics, running â€Å"breaking news† headlines, talk show analysts, etc. Essentially, al Jazeera has one foot in Western-style journalism and the other in the political and cultural upheaval that has historically defined the Middle East. This unbreakable connection to the region, the war and it’s victims results in media coverage more prone to show violence and death images Arab nations expect to see in times of war. According to a media analysis of war coverage conducted in 2003 by the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University addressing coverage from March to April 9th (before the Abu Ghraib story broke on April 28), al Jazeera is extremely likely to show gruesome images of dead/wounded soldiers and civilians, whereas Western networks’ stories showed these images only 13. % of the time. [4] Al Jazeera’s bias is undeniable yet it is often misunderstood. Even before 9/11, the network consistently airs Osama bin Laden’s tapes, supposedly for increased understanding of his ideology although it could be interpreted as support. Since the start of the Iraq war, al Jazeera â€Å"presented Iraqi civilians as invaded rather than liberated†, a sentiment that pervade s throughout their war coverage. [5] In a more blatant form of bias, the network also omits details in their coverage that may put American troops in a favorable light. Instead, they still refer viewers back to Abu Ghraib and troop wrongdoings. [6] Even in 2009, al Jazeera had the highest number of prisoner abuse stories. [7] Not surprisingly, these biases have invoked bipartisan criticism in America that suggests a relationship between the network and terrorists and accuses them of anti-American hate that â€Å"deliberately fans the flames of Muslim outrage†. [8] It’s been alleged that the Bush administration went so far as to pressure the government of Qatar to shut down or censure al Jazeera. 9] However, these criticisms usually come from those who rarely watch al Jazeera and don’t speak Arabic. Further understanding of the network in this way would reveal that it is biased in ways most Western news organizations are towards their audiences, advertisers or partisan leanings – it presents the news in the Arab context. In light of the preexisting bias of al Jazeera, the photos from Abu Ghraib were less surprising and mor e so evidence of American foreign policy gone wrong that directly compromised the U. S. mission to win â€Å"hearts and minds†. The war was already viewed as an occupation and these photos demonstrated further acts of aggression. Some have classified the images as an â€Å"expression of an innately vicious American society founded on racism, imperialism, and sadism†, which in the Arab world is nothing but a logical continuation of the American way of life as they understand it. [10] Because the abuses at Abu Ghraib happened in their â€Å"backyard†, al Jazeera is undoubtedly more in tune to the human consequences, especially when two of their own reporters were supposedly detained and tortured at the prison. For this reason, the network’s coverage clearly labeled the atrocities as â€Å"torture† and explicitly blamed America for it with headlines like, â€Å"U. S. FORCES BLAMED†. [11] Yet despite this strong media frame, al Jazeera allows the Iraqi people to have an independent voice. For example, in May of 2004, on the first episode since the abuse scandal of the talk show The Opposite Direction, host Faisal al-Qassem opted to discuss torture of Arabs by Arab governments in Arab prisons, clearly implying that this story is not simply about America. 12] Although the prevailing theme throughout al Jazeera’s coverage of Abu Ghraib centers around anti-American views, the fact that the network covered all of the U. S. congressional hearings on Abu Ghraib suggests that there may be a silver lining for Arabs – Americans are finally holding themselves accountable. Meanwhile, sensitive to patriotic requirements, Western media and CNN eliminated the loaded term, â€Å"torture†, in favor of â€Å"abuse†, and failed to capitalize on the opportunity that the Abu Ghraib scandal presented to them. Independent investigative reporting and diversified political analysis could have facilitated a broader cultural reevaluation of issues such as: America’s purpose in Iraq, the treatment of prisoners, torture’s place in American morality, gender roles in the military, the racial complexities associated with our presence in the Middle East, military hierarchies, accountability of leaders, mental and physical circumstances driving soldiers to torture. 13] CNN posed many of these larger questions during their coverage, however government officials were always given the final word in answering them or ignoring them altogether. The story broke and almost immediately, CNN acknowledged the scandal’s threat to the U. S. mission in Iraq and subsequently formulated their coverage into an â€Å"American story† that was mainly concerned with â€Å"the impact of the photos on support for the war effort and with the integrity of American intentions†. 14] The CNN byline that read, â€Å"The Fight for Iraq†, and the dramatic emotional interview with Charles Graner’s family after his sentencing in January of 2006 illustrates this shift in point of view. [15] This frame, coupled with a general lack of information and access, established a problematic dependence on government officials’ actions, statements, opinions and judgments. This suggests, â€Å"Event-driven frames, particularly in matters of high consequence, are seriously constrained by mainstream news organizations’ deference to political power†. 16] While the administration attempted to contain the scandal by making high-profile speeches that dominated the airwaves, the Western media was further substantiating the administration’s narrative by interviewing and including various government officials’ analysis in almost all their packages and eventually limiting coverage to official proceedings and investigations only. [17] The resu lting news product, as reflected in the CNN archives, tells an oversimplified story that draws misguided conclusions. Consistently classified as â€Å"isolated abuse† at the hands of a â€Å"few bad apples†, the press representation of the atrocities committed at Abu Ghraib discourages high-level accountability, denies victims’ humanity and identity, prevents productive cultural discourse, fails to engage in international diplomacy issues and equates dissent with disloyalty. [18] In the same way that al Jazeera incites opposition with reminders of Abu Ghraib, American media tempers public dissent with reminders of 9/11 and the torturous reign of Saddam Hussein. However, perhaps the most effective government strategy in controlling the message at home and abroad was launching, very publically, investigations and criminal prosecutions of military officials involved in the abuse. Although these proceedings and repercussions indicate a form of accountability, â€Å"critical examination has been limited, and the story has largely been focused on the perpetrators and, to a lesser extent, the role of senior military officials and the command structure†. 19] Therefore, as media coverage and newsworthiness declines over time, the occasional story simply reports the status or outcome of those ongoing trials and proceedings, as was the case with CNN and its sparse, abrupt mentions of Abu Ghraib from December of 2004 until today. [20] This creates a false sense of security in that the problems have been solved. Now boasting over 40 million viewers, al Jazeera is in a position of enormous power and influence, especially in the Arab world. As evidenced by the recent proliferation of Arabic language news stations and the American government’s uncharacteristic efforts to reach out to Arab media after the Abu Ghraib scandal, al Jazeera has become crucial in disseminating an American message to the Middle East. For this reason, both President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld addressed the Arab world after the scandal broke. In a speech in May of 2004, Bush noted his â€Å"shock and disgust† and apologized for the â€Å"humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliation uffered by their families† (though never claiming responsibility). [21] Also, in a rare admission, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice admitted that the station’s coverage of the Iraqi elections and Lebanese protests over Rafik Hariri’s murder had aided the cause of reform. [22] Thus, though the bias exhibited by al Jazeera may not make sense in the Western context or help the American cause, it re mains journalism at its core. Al Jazeera’s power is rooted in its ability to spark public debate about political reform in the Arab world, creating what could be â€Å"the most essential underpinning of a liberal democracy: a free and open critical public space, independent of the state, where citizens can speak their piece and expect to be heard†. [23] This revelation is fundamentally linked to the American goal of establishing democracy in Iraq. Therefore, instead of censoring al Jazeera’s content and competing with established Arab networks for viewership, Western media and Arab media should work together in order to shed light on commonly misunderstood biases and to provide a broader understanding of both perspectives. [24] The American brutality exhibited at Abu Ghraib may not constitute this country’s proudest moment, however, the media circus that it provoked constituted a rare opportunity for the United States to directly interact with the people of the Middle East through a medium that didn’t involve the guns, bombs or torture associated with the American occupation. Though clearly not pro-America, al Jazeera publicizes, gives credibility to, and ensures widespread viewership of the open debate over accepting American support in the Arab quest for political change. This unmatched access requires the West to accept al Jazeera as it is now in order to avoid allegations of hypocrisy within the democracy Americans pride themselves on. Instead of taking a position of superiority in attempting to control the American message to the Middle East regarding Abu Ghraib, the administration and CNN should have facilitated a more open dialogue between networks and their audiences. Journalistic hostility only reinforces established biases and prevents any true progress. If the goal is winning hearts and minds, the U. S. needs an established pool of Arabic speaking representatives, stationed in major Arab cities, whose primary responsibility is to appear on Arab news networks whenever possible. Though not executed properly following the Abu Ghraib scandal, the event itself marked the strong potential for more effective dialogue between nations. Impartial American representatives invited to appear on Arab networks would give the American perspective a rational voice, in turn, â€Å"keeping Arabs honest, while at the same time demonstrating to Arab audiences that America takes them seriously and is willing to debate them on equal footing†. [25] This arrangement appears to be the ultimate expression of press freedom and its inherent responsibility to educate its viewers in a comprehensive manner. Yet the complex relationships between media outlets, ownership, the need to profit, government, and the public, in relation to other networks with differing values, creates a more ambiguous picture. With Wikileaks’ most recent release of the â€Å"Iraq War Files† suggesting further abuse of prisoners by U. S. and Iraqi security forces well after Abu Ghraib, all parties are reminded that the lack of high-level accountability and the media’s refusal to publically grapple with core issues concerning torture still inhibits cross-cultural progress in the Middle East. Incidents and injustices in the â€Å"war on terror† like Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo must end and both the U. S. and Arab nations need to function with more transparency before CNN (Western) and al Jazeera (Arab) can truly respect the integrity of one another in a professional capacity. America cannot abandon the core values of democracy when waging war in foreign lands, especially if the intention is to build a new democratic nation in its place. The current era of terrorism and new-age warfare requires a reevaluation of how democratic principles can be effectively upheld in the fight against terrorism, specifically regarding interrogation. In the war of ideas, the media could play a central role in this self-examination so long as it remains independent and inquisitive. However, until a greater cultural understanding is developed and democratic hypocrisy is eliminated, Western and Arab broadcast networks will remain expressions of their respective cultural and political context, influencing public opinion and reinforcing old narratives among their separate audiences. Although the media coverage of Abu Ghraib failed to initiate productive debate within the gray area that is American superiority and morality in wartime, these miscues illustrate the inherent power media commands over policymaking through the inciting, sustaining and defending of democracy in various capacities. Hopefully we don’t need another Abu Ghraib in order to finally revise our approach to media in the Middle East. Otherwise, the ethnic, religious, cultural and political ivides that have defined the region for thousands of years will only be perpetuated by American insensitivities and the exploitation and manipulation of those indiscretions by biased Arab media networks. Therefore, devoid of overarching intrusive restrictions, the international media’s ability to change public opinion and influence foreign policy is solely dependent on its separation from elite-driven frames and its capacity to build cultural and ideological bridges between nations in times of cr isis and war. McKelvey, Tara. Monstering: inside Americas Policy of Secret Interrogations and Torture in the Terror War. New York: Basic, 2008. (p. XI) [2] Ricchiardi, Sherry, and Melissa Cirillo. Missed Signals. American Journalism Review 26. 4 (2004). [3] CNN News Clippings. Television News Archive. Vanderbilt University. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. . (4/30/04) [4] Aday, S. Embedding the Truth: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Objectivity and Television Coverage of the Iraq War. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics 10. 1 (2005): 3-21. [5] Al-Jenaibi, Badreya. The Competition Between Al-Jazeera’s Arab News Diversity and US Channels: Content Analysis of Iraq War. Canadian Social Science 6. 4 (2010): 81-96. (p. 87) [6] Al-Jenaibi, 93. [7] Al-Jenaibi, 92. [8] Lynch, Marc. Watching Al-Jazeera. The Wilson Quarterly 29. 3 (2005): 36-45. (p. 36) [9] Lynch, 45. [10] Anden-Papadopoulos, Kari. The Abu Ghraib Torture Photographs: News Frames, Visual Culture, and the Power of Images. Journalism 9. 1 (2008) (p. 9) [11] Abu Ghraib Headlines. AJE Al Jazeera English. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. . [12] Lynch, 42. [13] Tucker, Bruce, and Sia Triantafyllos. Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib, and the New Imperialism. Canadian Review of American Studies 38. 1 (2008): 83-100. (p. 95) [14] Tucker, 94. [15] CNN News Clippings. (5/2/04) [16] Bennett, W. Lance, Regina G. Lawrence, and Steven Livingston. None Dare Call It Torture: Indexing and the Limits of Press Independence in the Abu Ghraib Scandal. Journal of Communication 56. 3 (2006): 467-85. (p. 481) [17] CNN News Clippings. (4/30/04, 5/2/04, 8/18/04) [18] Aday, S. Embedding the Truth: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Objectivity and Television Coverage of the Iraq War. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics 10. 1 (2005): 3-21. [19] Tucker, 89. [20] CNN News Clippings. [21] Tucker, 86. [22] Lynch, 39. [23] Lynch, 45. [24] Al-Jenaibi, 94. [25] Lynch, 45.

Literacy is key to success at work - Emphasis

Literacy is key to success at work Literacy is key to success at work Poor literacy at work is still a major problem, new research has found. The report, Literacy: State of the Nation, examined the UKs literacy levels both in schools and in the workplace. While a quarter of young people see no connection between reading and success, the research results made the link clear. Two-thirds of men and three-quarters of women with low literacy levels had never received a promotion. The knock-on effect could be costing the rest of the country too, according to the National Literacy Trust, which published the report. The findings are extremely worrying, says Jonathan Douglas, the Trusts director. It is estimated that poor literacy costs the economy 2.5bn a year. Worrying indeed.

Basic Rhetorical Analysis of Science Fair Project Booklet Essay

Basic Rhetorical Analysis of Science Fair Project Booklet - Essay Example creating a document that was both engaging, interesting, and presented the core weighty issues that should be considered and employed by the targeted stakeholders in middle school/elementary school. As a function of this analysis, it is the hope of this student that the reader can come to a more informed understanding concerning the rhetorical best practices that are utilized within the EPA handbook and seek to appreciate the mechanisms through which they are employed and the way in which they are presented. One of the most effective rhetorical strategies that is employed is with respect to the direct and nearly immediate representation of what the booklet is for, who, and why. This helps to provide the stakeholder with an understanding both for the overall importance of environmental protection, science, learning, and the role that the EPA plays in helping to secure and safeguard the viability of the future environment. Along with this representation of underlying rubric, the booklet does not stray very far from the core goal that the teacher within middle school is attempting to engage the student with; that both science, inquiry, and learning are all â€Å"fun†. As such, the booklet begins by stating this and giving some of the ways in which inquiry based learning provides a level of inference into the way the world works and gives the student a level of satisfaction with respect to discovering the answers for themselves. The greatest difficulty in presented the rubric that has thus far been alluded to is the fact that it is directed towards two distinct groups; the teachers and administrators of middle schools as well as the students themselves. In such a manner, the rhetoric and approach is split and needs to provide interest and ideas on both the part of the students and their teachers; a somewhat difficult task for a single booklet of such brevity. Regardless of this, the step by step approach and â€Å"keys to success† that are represented within the

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Julius Ceasar and william shakespear - Essay Example Mark Antony, who was Caesar’s friend, offered an interment oration that remained famous to date. It is fundamental to explore the role of fallacy, omen and divination as demonstrated, and their relationship with the Roman culture and religions, by Brutus, Mark Antony and Julia Caesar. The paper will explore the dynamics among the various characters to establish the role of Shakespeare. Brutus Brutus, being the tragic hero of the play, portrays immense complexity in the character and motivations. Apart from being a powerful figure, he comes out as a loving husband and a good master of his servants. He is also a loving pal and a noble military leader. This character has a rather rigid ideology that doubles up as both his strength and weakness. His quest to put his ambitions on top of everything makes him fit the description of being â€Å"the noblest of the Romans.† Besides, he is also committed to principle, and this works against him always as he consistently makes misc alculations. For instance, when Cassius suggested to him that the conspirators would kill Caesar and Antony, he blatantly ignored. He again showed the naivety of his idealism during Caesar’s funeral when he allowed Antony to make the famous oration over the remains of Caesar. Consequently, he forfeited the authority about the last word of the murder, and this ensured that Antony succeeded in inciting the plebeians to protest against his compatriots (Bowen, Shakespeare, and Garcia 47). Julius Caesar He lived and portrayed an overly ambitious character determined to acquire and wield absolute power over Rome. He strongly comes out as a figure that only lived on the minds of other men. He strongly believed that his hold on Rome was permanent and, therefore, committed his loyalty to principles besides regarding himself as a public institution. Unfortunately, this later proved to be his utmost undoing. When Calpurnia, his wife, shared with him her nightmares, he stubbornly dismiss es them and fails to heed. He also ignores the supernatural omen circulating in the atmosphere. With the prospects of coronation, Caesar allowed his big ambitions to get on top of him. He lived a life of conflation whereby his public image and private self conjure. This led him to embrace a mistaken belief that he is immortal and that his mortal body protects his public self. However, his mortality later comes into play in Act V, Scene iii, when Brutus attributed the misfortunes befalling Cassius to Caesar’s power coming beyond the grave (Bowen, Shakespeare, and Garcia 18). Antony Antony plays a role in disapproving Brutus’ supposed strength. He is naturally improvisatory and impulsive and this perfectly helps him prove that Brutus is weak. He does this by first persuading the conspirators of his support to gain leniency from them. He then persuades the plebeians of the injustices committed by the conspirators against them and subsequently acquires support of the masse s. This makes him a consummate politician who ably could use skilled rhetoric and gestures to his advantage. Besides, he wisely responds to delicate cues from both his friends and enemies to determine his correct mode of conduct in each distinct situation. This always ensured that he gained the biggest advantage among his political peers. When he got an opportunity to eulogize Caesar’s death, he strategically designs his speech and words to please the audience and attract their desires. Interestingly, he ensured

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Strategic ability of Hong Leong Bank Hong Leong Bank Berhad was found by Ji Chiew. The bank starts operations in 1905 in Kuching, Sarawak. In 1 January 1982, the Head Office relocated from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur. The consolidation of banking institution to meet the requirement of Bank Negara Malaysia marks another milestone for Hong Leong Bank Berhad. Hong Leong Bank Berhad was listed on Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange on 17 October 1994. The market capitalization as of recent days is RM 470 million, according to bank website. Hong Leong Bank has diversified the businesses into financial services, manufacturing, and property and infrastructure development. The services available are personal financial services such as credit cards, investment, loan, deposits, insurance, priority banking, personal banking and Hong Leong Club Rewards for customer loyalty (Hong Leong Bank, 2009). Industry Analysis 2.1 Why Porters 5 models Porters model determines the competitiveness of an organization using the five different forces and shows how the forces are related. To develop business strategies effectively, organizations must understand and act in response to those forces. (Porter, 1985) (Fornell and Wernerfelt, 1987) Rivalry Among Existing Competitors There are 37 banks, which are recognized and licensed to operate in Malaysia and more financial institution are opening soon. The trend of increment of the number of banks within the industry is fast and there are great challenges for HLB to create and maintain a good market share. Other banks are seems to be more aggressive to get and retain customers. This force is not in favor of Hong Leong Bank. (BNM, 2009) Threat of Substitute Products and Services Even though there are many financial institutions available, some unique facilities can only be obtained from the bank only. American Express facilities, co-branded products (e.g. MTV), higher interest rate, club rewards, junior/senior savings, overdraft are the few products which only available to this bank. Thus this force is in favor to the bank. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) (BNM, 2009) Bargaining Power of Buyers Having the whole range of financial players apart from the retail banks, it is evident that customers can move within the 40 operators and can also decide to switch to the other non-banking institutions. Their choice can even extend to the insurance companies, depending on the nature of the product. For instance if a customer is looking for a small amount of loan, he/she can even get the said product from organizations like AEON, etc. The close location of various banks is also giving customer a very high bargaining power too. For instance in a location of Puchong Jaya, along the street of Jalan Kenari it is easy to find at least 9 banks within 100 meters Maybank, Public Bank, Eon Bank, CIMB Bank, HSBC, Alliance Bank, Bank Simpanan Nasional, UOB. With this concentration the bargaining of customers always goes high before customers start looking on a differentiated service. For the said bank, this is absolutely a negative favor since the potential customers can shift easily to differ ent point. (BNM, 2009) Bargaining Power of Suppliers The core business of the Hong Leong Bank is product and services which mainly focuses on safety of monetary management. The suppliers provide some tangibles like checkbooks, lockers, private banking, priority banking. The impact of these in HLB is not much significant since they are not really like the raw material. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) Threat of New Entrants The Bank Negara Malaysia has set a minimum capital requirement of RM5 billion for a bank to be registered. The conditions set for registering a bank are not difficult to obtain, hence entry barriers become low. Thus more foreign owned financial firms are keen to open their business in Malaysia. Certainly these institutions will pose threat on existing banking business as theyll have unique products and services. This force is not in favor of Hong Leong Bank. . (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) From the above analysis of HLB 5 forces analysis, the diagram below will provide a summary of the banks overall industry analysis. Threat of New Entrants (-) Threat of Substitute Products and Services (+) Bargaining Power of Buyers (-) Rivalry among existing competitors (-) Bargaining Power of Buyers (+) 2.2 Limitations of the Porters Model Porters 5 force analysis talks about the external forces applicable to the outside of business. Todays business is much more vast and robust requiring dynamic approaches which should be an integration of different approaches rather than depends on a single analysis. Internal factor analysis requires much analysis as external. Designing, visioning and learning approaches should be considered when an industry analysis is done. Proters 5 forces are lack of these factors. (Porter, 1985) (Gronroos, 1997) Strategic Capability Analysis 3.1 Stakeholders Stakeholder Analysis identifies important groups of people or individuals that can have an influence on the Project. These Stakeholders can have their own objectives and views, which may differ and conflict with other Stakeholders. A Stakeholder Analysis is required to identify all the parties who are directly or indirectly affected by the enterprises operations. This includes not only the traditional shareholders, but also some new groups that the insights of sustainable development tell us must be consulted in decisions that affect them. (Roberts, Varki, and Brodie, 2003) (Fombrun and Shanley, 1990) In an organization, internal stakeholder is the employees or people who work inside the organization. External stakeholders exist outside the organization but have a direct interest in what it does (e.g. shareholders, governments, customers) etc. (Roberts, Varki, and Brodie, 2003) 3.2 SWOT Analysis 3.2.1 Why SWOT Analysis? SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are external factors. (Spreng and Chiou, 2002) In SWOT, strengths and weaknesses are internal factors and opportunities and threats are external factors. 3.2.2 Hong Leong Bank SWOT Analysis Strength Hong Leong Bank Berhad (HLB) principal activity is providing consumer-banking services including credit cards, investment, mortgage, deposits, insurance and priority banking. Other activities include business banking, trade financing, working capital facilities, treasury, foreign exchange, money market operations, capital market securities trading, investment, and takaful business. It has been recognized as one of the most profitable bank in Malaysia. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) It has 186 branches, 17 business centers with talented and motivated employees throughout Malaysia making it one of the most widened banking sectors in Malaysia. Their first award year 2004, an acknowledgement for their active participation in spurring the growth of the SMEs in the country. This award certainly spur Hong Leongs strength to bring more value added financial services to customers and the SMI community and to help them face the extremely challenging and competitive business environment both locally and globally. Launched in October 2005; the Hong Leong Mobile Credit Card is the first of its kind, allowing customers who are provided with a six-digit personal identification number (PIN) to pay for goods and services using mobile phones via short messaging service (SMS). This offering is the result of Hong Leong Bank tie-up with technology provider Mobile Money International Sdn. Bhd. This unique method of payment, known as Mobile Money is speedy, convenient and cost effective. Using only the mobile phone for approval of transactions and payments, there is no longer a need for the physical plastic card, merchant terminals or Internet terminals. Payment requests are delivered via SMS. There is no need for card members to be present at the point of sales or at the merchant outlets. Payments can therefore be made from wherever card members are, at whichever place where there are mobile phone signals. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) In 2007, Hong Leong Bank bagged the Asian Bankers Best e-Banking Project 2007 with its Internet banking offering, Hong Leong Online. The award recognizes the best emerging technology practices and benchmarks in Asia Pacific banks. Apart from the Asian Banker award, Hong Leong has also been ranked as the third most popular Malaysian online banking site. Online banking transactions helped the bank save about RM24mil from March to October 2007 as each online transaction cost about 20% compared with about RM3.50 for every over-the-counter transaction. Weakness In line with its strong customer service culture, the HLB continues to maintain its superior delivery standards which have been behind against international ISO standards. HLB is yet attained bank-wide ISO 9001:2000 certifications for customer service at the front office of its branches and bank-wide loan delivery service. This is a major drawback for the HLB to have a better customer base. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) As to compete in the industry of banking, interest rate is a major challenge as customer will choose for a higher interest rate for savings account and for the lowest interest rate for the loans that the customers are seeking for their financial assistances and better service for the customer. Hong Leong Bank needs to change according to the environment as to compete and remain as the market leader. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) As Hong Leong Bank has moved ahead to the Electronic banking or transaction there is greater risk or security threats circulated to the users of online banking or transaction. There are non technical threats such as phising whereby it is the act of tricking someone into giving them confidential information or tricking them into doing something that they normally wouldnt do. The common applications of this approach is to send fake emails (email spoofing) to a victim purporting to come from a legitimate source and requesting information (such as the bank account number and the password) or directing the victim to a fake internet website where this information can be captured. Opportunities The bank may recruit young and talented staffs and provide them proper training to create a talent base as well as provide job to those who are in need. This may also reduces the unemployment rates in Malaysia. This talent base is able to adopt with internal formation and usually stay with the bank until the end. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) As the banking industry grows and provides opportunities for the local customers indirectly it also given an opportunity to the foreigners who stays in Malaysia. They tend to use banking services more frequently to have different types of account. This additional customer base will bring more money inside the bank and of course banks will gain profit from various types of transactions. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) Bringing the bank closer to the consumer could be the vital opportunity. Providing a payment gateway where ATM card could be used as like a credit card for everyday usages. Since these customers will use won money, bank may encourage them to save more to get more benefits. Establishing more ATM and branches and electronic features (e.g Western Union money transfer) will definitely bring more customers in. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) Threats Ease of distributing credit card could be a disturbing role the bank is playing. While credit card repayments are depends fully on customer payment, if it is not paid, bank has to go long way. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) The bank is not really in forefront position to introduce new products and service as market demand changes. It if often seen that the bank introduces the products in different name when the service is already available in the market by other bank. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) 3.2.3 Limitations of SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis usually very subjective. It simply looks at the negative factors first in order to turn them into positive factors. So it is advisable to use SWOT as guide and not as prescription. (Spreng and Chiou, 2002) Strategic Choices 4.1 Generic Strategy 4.1.1 Why Porters Generic Strategy Generic strategies are widely used today even though it was invented in 1980s. Three options are available for organizations to adopt to achieve sustainability which are cost leadership, differentiation and focus. Each of the three options are considered in two aspects of the competitive environment: (i) Competitive advantage talks about the prices (high or low) of the products, (ii) Competitive scope talks about the market size (narrow or broad). (Porter, 1985) (Chen, 1999) (Sanzo et al, 2003) Overall Cost Leadership The low cost products are the product leader in the market. It may also included the time required to built and delivery the products to customers. As it is mentioned earlier, using online banking, it would help the bank as well as customers to save more. Developing and maintaining online business is not low-priced itself. Yet it could provide vital thumbs-up to banks generic strategy. If more customers opt for online transactions, bank wouldnt have to spent time on serving customer physically thus itll requires less resources (e.g. less branch, less employees). These less resources will push ahead the bank with extra finance to improve other services. (Harris and Goode, 2004) (Sanzo et al, 2003) Differentiation Differentiated goods and services are designed to satisfy the customers with the lowest price/cost available for similar kind of products. HLB Flexi FD is a fixed deposit product which gives higher interest rate to the customer. Thus the bank will be in risk of loosing money. So it has to bring and retain much customer to cover the loss. The loss must be cover to be competitive. Since banking industry changes rapidly, HLB will have to customize the products and services over times to hold ensure customer satisfaction. (Dannenberg and Kellner, 1998) (Jones, Mothersbaugh, and Beatty, 2000) Focus In focus an organization can afford neither a wide scope cost leadership nor does a wide scope differentiation strategy, Here an organization focus effort and resources on a narrow segment of a market. Competitive advantage is generated specifically for the niche. A company has two options to choose: use either a cost focus or a differentiation focus. Taken example of HLB structured investments. Invested amounts are 3rd-party transactions and bank itself doesnt provide any guarantee of returns of money to the customer. In this segment, HLB is a low profile character. Even though bank is charging some commission on the investments, customers who are willing to invest are to do so at own risk. (Jarvelin and Lehtinen, 1996) (Evans and Beltramini, 1987) 4.2 Strategic Directions 4.2.1 Why Ansoff Matrix The Ansoff Growth matrix is a strategic direction tool that helps businesses decides their strategies for growth. Ansoffs product/market growth matrix discuss about the strategies on which the business deliver new or current products in new or current markets. Overall output of Ansoff product/market matrix is sets of strategies that set the direction for the business growth. (Auh et al, 2007) (Sanzo et al, 2003) These are described below: Market penetration Market penetration is a general name of selling current products into current markets. The bank continuously introduces loan and credit products to customers to leap ahead. Since the banks most incomes come from loan and credit facility, reshape of current products will ensure market growth and increase of usages by existing customers. Market penetration for HLB will be focused on the central markets that it is very familiar with, competitors are known, customer needs are defined and returns are potential. (Gustafsson, Johnson, and Roos, 2005) (Agrawal, 2001) http://strategyiseverywhere.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/ansoff_matrix.png Market development Market development tells about the distribution of current products in new market. With its existing banking facilities, the bank introduces private banking for the customers who loves personal banking. For everyday needs of banking, investment, loan, protection a dedicated personal banker is always there to serve the individual customer to fill their needs. These personal banking is nothing different than existing policies; focus goes to its loyal customers which puts big amount inside the bank. (Dannenberg and Kellner, 1998) (Filotto, Tanzi, and Saita, 1997) Product development Product development is the name given to a growth strategy where a business aims to introduce new products into existing markets. Saving multiplier plans is recently introduced by the bank. Hong Leong Savings Multiplier Plan is a unique investment tool that utilizes the powerful concept of Dollar-Cost-Averaging and offers a customized solution to tackle the distinct financial challenges throughout different life stages be it to secure a comfortable retirement or to ensure a steady flow of pension-like funds or for putting aside adequate funds even for childrens education. Islamic banking is another example of product development. (Metawa and Almossawi, 1998) (Haron, Ahmad and Planisek, 1994). Diversification Diversification is the growth strategy where new products are to be delivered in new market. This strategy is more risky for business growth as often business takes longer time to survive in a new market. HLB recently spread their business in Vietnam. Since Vietnamese culture differs from Malaysia, the bank has to adopt the culture as well as compete with well established Vietnamese banks. (Shankar, Smith, and Rangaswamy, 2003) (Evans and Beltramini, 1987) 4.3 Method for Pursuing Strategic Direction Forward Looking Policy Monetary policy management needs a forward-looking policy due to the time gap between policy actions and their intended effects on output and inflation. HLB built a macro model which would determine the impact of policy actions. Understanding the microeconomic factors are important too determine the inter-linkage of monetary policy mechanism. (Fornell and Wernerfelt, 1987) Deepening of Financial Markets New financial products are traded in the Money/Bonds market by the introduction of Hong Leong Banks Debt Capital Markets Structured Finance (DCM/Structured Finance) unit within Wholesale Banking provides innovative tailor-made solutions to financial institutions, corporate, agencies and high net-worth individuals through comprehensive offerings in the debt capital markets. (Dannenberg and Kellner, 1998) Strong Foreign Currency Reserve Foreign exchange reserves form part of the national assets and these needs to be deployed rationally keeping in mind the principles of safety, liquidity, and return. The reserves, which are currently deployed by the HLBs in-house reserve management treasury dealers, are in short-term high quality bank deposits. (Naser, Jamal, and Al-Khatib, 1999) Reliable and Secured Payment Systems To reduce the settlement time significantly and increase cost effectiveness the bank plans to establish an electronic clearinghouse to do almost every transactions online with tighten security and handy usability. Opening an account, apply for credit cards are already in place. The bank further steps in mobile banking for dedicated user. Recently the bank introduces e-broker services (HLeBroking). HLeBroking allows the flexibility of placing orders either through a phone call to our trading hub or via the internet. Professional dealers centralized in the hub are always on hand to execute transactions and monitor shares investment portfolio. (Shankar, Smith, and Rangaswamy, 2003) (Harris and Goode, 2004) 4.4 Implication and Evaluation of Analysis During this analysis it was assumed that strategies are reasonably orderly and knowable and, in turn, that evidence can help to evaluate theories that claim to explain these strategic positions. Data and information often founded confusing and imperfect. It seems almost certain that no single study can validate or invalidate a theory. Besides, there is a good chance that a large number of studies will not generate consistent results. (Agrawal, 2001) The methodology were used in analysis is not about developing a foolproof system; it is at least partly an art. There is no mechanical system that will escape judgment, sense, and intelligence. But this does not eliminate the need for techniques and standards. Product delivery approaches, geography, demography does plays role in strategic position which were missing in the analysis done. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) The strategic planning process adopted by HLB was participative, consultative and result oriented. But the takes time to achieve results. While some important factors the bank missed out during strategic choices, individual departments must do their respective environmental scans through a SWOT analysis whereby they identified their internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external opportunities and threats. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) Business trends changes randomly. Todays product may not be available tomorrow. Thus no strategic plan could be exactly fit into business strategy. However, HLB could consider a more diversified strategy which would be more beneficial to determine strategic stand. Justification of a Strategy As the strategic position and strategic choices are different from the matrix analysis, a better strategic growth model is optimal solution. 5.1 McKinsey Growth Pyramid McKinsey growth pyramid is an upgraded version of Ansoff Matrix with broader discussing of important strategic factors. With every possible action there are certain alternatives (e.g. acquisition, joint ventures, alliances etc) with risk measurement from low to high. Existing products to existing customers This is considered lowest risk options go on businesses with current asset and current customer. But itll not be much beneficial for bank in long terms. Existing products to new customers Introduce existing products to new customer which may help them meet their daily financial needs so that they dont look for other financial choices. Consumers always look for much return while bank always looks for low give-away. New customers can be a turning point for any bank. Demographical (e.g. adult, children, senior) products would be vital products to attract new customers. (Harris and Goode, 2004) New products and services Over time, new products must be channeled into banking business. Broader distribution if Islamic banking could be a important factor. It is seen that many nom-Muslims adopted for Islamic banking. Since there is trend of Islamic banking growth, the bank should not take the risk to risk the potential customers due to lack of proper preparation. Some of the products may be delivered to existing customers. Risk may incur if the products doesnt appeal the customers. (El-Bdour and Erol, 1989) (Gerrad and Cunningham, 1997) New delivery approaches Todays consumer seek more convenient service provider. Banks are not exempted indeed. Many banks had adopted special facilities for different customers. Priority banking could be one solution. In priority banking everyone is unique and therefore has very specific financial needs. Thats why bank will offer a comprehensive range of privileges for convenience. Setting up special services only for young generation can be another important product delivery approaches. Dedicated services will invite more young generation to adopt the services. However, it could cost the bank some extra amount and if the products are not selling well, bank will face loss of resources. (Yoon, Guffey, and Kijewski, 1993) (Mols, 2001) http://www.filecluster.com/screenshots/61893.gif New geographies Geographical expansion is one of the most powerful options for growth but also one of the most difficult. The bank already went global opening branches in Singapore and Vietnam. This strategy is proven fine for well reputed bank (e.g. Citibank) but it has to be cautious in business. Geographical movement may bring new customers with solid financial needs but the bank has narrow down the scope of services due to high risk. (Sanzo et al, 2003) New industry structure The bank may re-assert the liquidity franchise and continue to address the yield challenge. While economics of the business have changed, unlike other countries, pricing and credit spreads did not adjust in tandem in the Malaysia. The quality of strategic asset-liability management, liquidity and capital management differentiates. Re-asserting core businesses with efficiency, unit cost management, operating leverage, dynamic pricing as well as customer value or returns on each customer relationship. Cross-selling and customer service are key success factors. (Agrawal, 2001) New competitive arenas Using competitive arena, business may transfer their resources and knowledge to new industry using vertical integration. This may pose immense risk to bank itself. Bank may loose it all investment. Despite the risk, this will help the bank grows rapidly and spread their products throw many distribution channels. (Gronroos, 1997) Conclusion The pre- and post-crisis strategic postures are a tale of worldwide economic fall down. The postures are characterized by the scaling up of the business, refining value propositions in each business, responding to competition and price war, building new capabilities and strengthening the risk and IT infrastructure as the bank sought to incrementally improve our market share and positioning. (Hong Leong Bank, 2009) (Gustafsson, Johnson, and Roos, 2005) The era ahead is more opportunistic in nature, with a rapidly changing eco-system and higher regulatory and prudential requirements. The shadow of the state on the sector globally is more pronounced. (Auh et al, 2007) Overall, the banks competitive strategy has to pivot on a competitive delivery, consisting of quality people, knowledge base and result oriented capability, market intelligence and local community embedment, entrepreneurialism and how it organize itself to scale and build new names. As it emerges from the crisis, it needs to re-segment the customers to market changes and re-build a compelling proposition on how to scale sustainability while staying opportunistic tactically. (Auh et al, 2007) References Auh, S., Bell, S.J., McLeod, C.S., Shih, E. (2007), Co-production and customer loyalty in financial services, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 88 No.3, pp.359-70. Fombrun, C., Shanley, M. (1990), Whats in a name? Reputation building and corporate strategy, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 33 No.2, pp.233-48. Gustafsson, A., Johnson, M., Roos, I. (2005), The effects of consumer satisfaction, relationship commitment dimensions, and triggers on consumer retention, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 69 No.4, pp.210-18. Harris, L.C., Goode, M.M.H. (2004), The four levels of loyalty and the pivotal role of trust: a study of online services dynamics, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 80 pp.139-58 Roberts, K., Varki, S., Brodie, R. (2003), Measuring the quality of relationships in consumer services: an empirical study, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 37 No.1-2, pp.169-96. Sanzo, M.J., Santos, M.L., Và ¡zquez, R., à lvarez, L.I. (2003), The effect of market orientation on buyer-seller relationship satisfaction, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 32 No.4, pp.327-45. Shankar, V., Smith, A., Rangaswamy, A. (2003), Customer satisfaction and loyalty in online and offline environments, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 20 pp.153-75. Spreng, R.A., Chiou, J. (2002), A cross-cultural assessment of the satisfaction formation process, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 36 No.7-8, pp.829-39. Yoon, E., Guffey, H.G., Kijewski, V. (1993), The effects of information and company reputation on intentions to buy a business service, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 27 pp.215-28. Porter, M E. (1985) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, New York: The Free Press. Gronroos, C., (1997) Value-driven Relations Marketing: From Products to Resources and Competencies. Journal of Marketing Management, Volume 13, Number 5, p. 407-419. Agrawal, P. (2001), The relation between savings and growth: co-integration and causality evidence from Asia, Applied Economics, Vol. 33, pp. 499-513. Chen, T.Y. (1999), Critical success factors for various strategies in the banking industry, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 83-91. Dannenberg, M. and Kellner, D. (1998), The bank of tomorrow with todays technology, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 90-7. Filotto, U., Tanzi, P.M. and Saita, F. (1997), Consumer needs and front-office technology adoption, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 13-21. Mols, N.P. (2001), Organising for the effective introduction of new distribution channels in retail banking, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 No. 5/6, pp. 661-86. Fornell, C. and Wernerfelt, B. (1987), Defensive marketing strategy by customer complaint management: a theoretical analysis, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 24, November, pp. 337-46. Jones, M.A., Mothersbaugh, D.L. and Beatty, S.E. (2000), Switching barriers and repurchase intentions in services, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 76 No. 2, pp. 259-74. Evans, K.R. and Beltramini, R.F. (1987), A theoretical model of consumer negotiated pricing: an orientation perspective, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, pp. 58-73. Jarvelin, A. and Lehtinen, U. (1996), Strategic integration in industrial distribution channels: managing the interfirm relationship as a strategic asset, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 4-18. Hong Leong Bank (2009), last accessed on 10th Dec 2009, Available at El-Bdour, R. and Erol, C. (1989), Attitudes, behaviour and patronage factors of bank customers towards Islamic banks, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 7 No. 6, pp. 31-7. Gerrad, P. and Cunningham, J.B. (1997), Islamic banking: a study in Singapore, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 204-16. Haron, S., Ahmad, N. and Planisek, S. (1994), Bank patronage factors of Muslim and non-Muslim customers, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 12 No.1, pp. 32-40. Metawa, S.A. and Almossawi, M. (1998), Banking behaviour of Islamic bank customers: perspectives and implications, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 16 No. 7, pp. 299-313. Naser, K., Jamal, A. and Al-Khatib, K. (1999), Islamic banking: a study of customer satisfaction and preferences in Jordan, International Journal of Bank Mark

Brittney Spears Is a Dumb Media Loving Whore :: essays research papers

â€Å"Holy Shit I was so drunk that I did not even know I was married† Those exact words were uttered by Mrs. Spears just hours after she was joined in matrimony to her child hood friend. What the fuck, who in gods name gets married, especially when there drunk. At what point would the normal person say Wha, Wha, What the god-damn shit loving hell, what am I doing? No you ass hole priest I don’t, you hear me? I fucking don’t. Her spokes woman came out and said they were two kids who were having a fun time in Las Vegas. That’s NOT a reasonable reason, that’s not even close to reasonable! Nobody and I mean NOBODY gets married for fun; I don’t care how drunk you are. The truth is that there are two possibilities as to why this would happen. The first is that Miss. Spears may not fucking normal. Don’t even dare ask me who normal is. Anyway this would be a stretch for anyone other than her and Madonna, so it’s obviously not the reas on that she was wed. The other and more probable reason is that she was looking for a quick pick-me-up for her career. Ok she was hot in seventh grade, before she was rammed by Justin. Once we learned she lost her virginity her career was over. Every guy in this country said â€Å"son of a bitch† when they learned she had her cherry popped. With her latest release of â€Å"toxic† she has effectively stuck the stake in to the coffin of her career. You know the backlash that would have occurred if she and Janet Jackson had switched places during the Super Bowl. It would have been great for her media whorie-ness she could have grabbed everyone’s attention for at least 5 minuets which is longer than anyone in there right mind would listen to one of her albums.

The Struggle between Social Classes

Rich girl marrying a poor boy or vice versa—this is a very recurrent theme in love stories of all times. In the film genre, this theme also serves as a topic of interest as it reveals the conflict between the upper and the lower classes in society. In Jack Clayton’s (1959) film, Room at the Top, the director shows how the struggle between the two classes operates in the British society after the World War II. Depicting a poor man’s struggle as he tries to alter his place in society, the film attempts to mirror the reality that the poor will likely give in to the intention of the rich in view of economic struggle.Analysis of the characterisation, plot, theme, and motifs used in the film provides viewers a better knowledge of the two social classes. Characterisation The beginning of the film strongly suggests representations of the lower class. The main character, Joe Lampton (played by Laurence Harvey) is depicted sitting comfortably on a train, with his feet rais ed on the opposite seat, thus showing his mended socks. The introduction alone shows the man’s class standing, as he cannot afford to buy a new pair of socks, and resorts instead to wearing an old and tottered pair.This attitude of settling with the second best or whatever is available is reflected in his choice of women. Realising the difficulty of having Susan Brown as his girl due to the conflict in their social standing, Joe resorts to Alice Aisgill (played by Simone Signoret), his colleague, despite their big age difference. A number of juxtapositions are presented in the film. For instance, in spite of Joe’s financial incapability as symbolised by the socks, he wears the usual coat and tie as he reports for work.Whilst the first denotes poverty, the other suggests decency. Note that the coat and tie is customary in the British society especially in business affairs. As such, he and his colleagues wear the same type of clothing, which somehow levels off their stat us with that of the rich. Nevertheless, this does not change Joe’s social standing, and the way Susan’s family and friends view him. Based on his position as an accountant in Borough’s Treasurer’s Department, Joe is unquestionably educated.However, this does not necessarily help raise his social status as one belonging to the working class. This implies that it is not enough for a person to obtain education and a white-collared job in order to rise in the social hierarchy. Rather, marriage to a rich girl such as Susan, the daughter of a factory owner, could change one’s fortune as proposed later in the film. Juxtaposition is likewise established between the characters. For instance, Joe’s character is presented in opposition with Susan’s suitor, who is influential and sociable.Joe, being a newcomer in the Dufton, seldom socialises with his colleagues, and instead relates closely with a few of them, including Alice, whom he falls in lo ve with later. He is also seen in contrast with Susan, the girl who attracts him a lot. Their social standing primarily draws the line between them. Whilst Joe needs to work hard and establish connection with his colleagues, Susan does not need to work, and instead spends her time acting in local theatre. Also, whilst Joe transfers to Dufton to obtain employment, Susan is free to go on vacation as she pleases.Moreover, juxtaposition is also established between the two female characters, Alice and Susan. Aside from the women’s ages and marital status, they also differ in social status, in that Alice is an average office worker, whilst Susan is the daughter of an owner of a factory. This social difference between the two results in a struggle between them as Susan gets pregnant. Although Joe loves Alice more, and has planned to marry her, Mr. Brown’s (Susan’s father) proposition convinces Joe to change his mind, thus making way for the bourgeois to win over the pr oletarian.In addition, Alice’s former marriage to their colleague also makes less favourable, especially since her former husband would not agree to divorce. Considering this, the film does not only present struggles between social classes; it also demonstrates struggles based on gender as the women’s fate depends on Joe’s final decision. Further to the contrast between Alice and Susan, the former demonstrates more freedom of will, as she does things she likes, ie, shifts career, separates from her husband, and establishes relationship with Joe.Her habit of cigarette smoking throughout the film shows Alice’s easy-going and independent character; although it reflects her tensions in life at the same time. In contrast, Susan is pictured as a fresh and young girl, healthy-looking and innocent. Her social status prevents her from associating with the lower class, such as Joe, but it does not ultimately defeats her will to be independent. Plot The plot of the film supports the idea of struggle between the social classes. It shows a single unified structure, with the conflict appearing near the end, as Joe decides to marry Susan due to the latter’s pregnant condition.His decision conflicts with his wish to marry Alice. Thus, when the latter finds out, she gets totally devastated, and drowns in her sorrow and alcohol, which later leads to her death by car accident. Earlier in the story, Susan’s parents try to separate her from Joe by making her take a vacation. This motive demonstrates the struggle between social classes, in that the bourgeois discriminates the other, by preventing marriage between them. Later on, as Mr. Brown realises his daughter’s condition, he tries to buy off Joe, and offers to make him rich if Joe does what he commands.Initially, Joe exercises his pride and rejects the offer, but realising that Alice cannot be married with him, and that life with Susan would make his life comfortable, he agrees t o the proposition and marries Susan. As such, the class struggle is evident. Mr. Brown uses his money and power to buy off Joe. For his part, Joe cannot disagree with Mr. Brown for he sees this opportunity to escape his current social status. Being Susan’s husband, Joe does not need to work anymore, and all else will go smoothly because Susan is very wealthy.However, just as Joe attempts to escape his own social structure, he is haunted by it, with the death of Alice. Along with the proposition of Mr. Brown to make Joe a rich man is the defeat of the proletarian class. As Joe accepts the offer, he disremembers Alice’s sacrifices and love for him. What is sadder about it is knowing how little time it takes Joe to decide about leaving Alice. As shown in the film, everything happens over one dinner, too short a time to change plans or think things over; thus implying the power of money to further establish social injustice and discrimination, and in turn disregard social equality.Theme The main theme of the film, which is the struggle between social structures, relates to Marxist perspectives. Specifically, the presence of the two opposing structures, the bourgeois (as presented by Susan and her family) and the proletarian (Joe, Alice, and the other employees) implies the conflict in the film. As Marx & Engels (1848) claim, there is a social struggle that exists between the bourgeois or the middle class, â€Å"that sprouted from the ruins of feudal society,† and â€Å"established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones.† In the film, as Mr. Brown gives Joe the marriage proposal, he implies designing Joe’s entire life—his marriage and career, in order to make sure it fits the structure that Susan is born with. Such plan illustrates â€Å"a new condition of oppression,† a new form of struggle for the proletarian. Physical attraction is what leads to the theme of socia l struggle. Everything starts as Joe becomes attracted to Susan and vice versa. Indeed, the two social classes would not conflict with each other if not for Joe’s feelings for Susan.In this consideration, one may see that the effort to reach or blend with another social class may result in a much worse conflict between them. However, such conflict could later lead to â€Å"permanently changing social relations within the system† (Strasser and Randall, 1981, p. 44). Thus, Susan’s pregnancy leads to â€Å"the development of new patterns of social relations,† between him and the Browns. Suddenly, Susan’s parents accept Joe as their daughter’s husband, owing to the reputation that they try to maintain in society.Motifs As mentioned above, the proletarian or working class is given focus in the film. Clayton uses realistic setting and motifs to depict the lives of the working class of the 50s. Amongst these include the dark, small houses where Ali ce and Joe spend their love affair, the male boarding house where Joe resides with her friend Soames, the local train which characterises the transportation means of the common people, and Joe’s seemingly abandoned house where he brings Susan the night they elope.The use of realistic setting thus emphasises the life lived by the proletarians. Juxtaposition is likewise applied to the setting. When Joe visits Susan, he is amazed by the huge house, which consists of the long halls, partitioned rooms, and the big lawn. Servants are available any moment they are needed. This is in full contrast with Alice’s place, which is dark and small. Aside from setting, the behaviour of the characters likewise mimics the ways of the working class.For instance, cigarette smoking is used vehemently throughout the film, giving impression of the start of the â€Å"new wave† era (Wickham, n. d. ), although such practices may be deemed destructive of the image of the working class. Li kewise, the affair between workers despite being committed is also hinted on, which reveals the low regard for morality of the said social class. Furthermore, the Alice’s fate at the end also reveals the proletarian’s lack of strength to face reality, the tendency to be alcoholic, and the low self-esteem amongst them.In contrast, the ways of the bourgeois are seen in better light. They are dressed neatly on each occasion; specifically, Susan’s mother shows modesty by the way she behaves and carries herself even whilst at home, whilst Susan shows coyness towards Joe. However, the proletarians are pictured with more social dynamics than their counterpart. This is seen as Soemes introduces Joe to their officemates. Everyone, despite their positions in the company, welcomes Joe with glee, whilst Susan’s suitor intimidates him.During the party where Joe and Susan meet again, the guests seated with the Browns look at Joe with contempt, after finding out that he does not belong to their social circle. In sum, whilst the proletarians are depicted as misguided and weak, the bourgeois are seen as virulent and vile. The monotonous music that the director employs does not entirely affect the whole of the film, yet it helps highlight important scenes such as the introduction, the falling in love and break up between Joe and Alice, the news about Alice’s death, the wedding, etc.Likewise, the actors’ costumes, which are limited to office and home settings, depict the simplicity of the people in the 50s. The director’s effort to make everything look realistic, from the setting, the costumes, the love scenes, the dialogues to the props, allows the viewers to see the film in a realistic perspective. Moreover, the plot structure, which shows the dilemma of a man in choosing between the woman he loves but cannot possess and the woman who merely attracts her but is prepared to be his wife, adds to the realism of the film.The only el ement that seems irrelevant yet not impossible is the time when Joe encounters the mob just before his wedding. This scene is irrelevant to the plot, but may have been added to achieve catharsis. Since Joe is the cause of Alice’s accidental death, he is made to pay for what he does before he marries Susan. Despite the irrelevance of the mob scene to the plot, it nevertheless presents other aspects of the proletarians.As depicted in the film, the men that beat Joe are not scavengers; rather, they are working men, considering the way they are dressed up. Based on this scene, the proletarians in the British society are pictured as ruthless just like the bourgeois who would buy off people’s freedom in order to make their daughter happy. As Joe decides to leave Alice for Susan, the film once again shows that in the face of struggle between the two classes, it is usually those in the upper class that emerge as the winner, leaving behind the poor at the losing end.References Marx, K. & Engels, F. (1848) The manifesto, Available at [Accessed on 23rd July 2009]. Room at the Top (1959) Directed by Jack Clayton, London, British Lion Films [video:DVD]. Strasser, H. & Randall, S. (1981) An introduction to theories of social change. London, Routledge. Wickham, P. (N. d. ). Room at the Top (1958). Available at [Accessed on 23rd July 2009].

A Medieval Love Story

A Medieval Love Story He was a brilliant scholar at the University of Paris, charismatic, engaging, and handsome. He drew students like moths to his flame, challenging his masters as well as his peers with scintillating displays of logic. His seemingly unshakable core of self-confidence was justified by his talents for dialectic, teaching, and poetry. His name was Pierre Abelard. She was a rare apparition in the cloister of the Paris cathedral: a young woman, still in her teens, pursuing philosophical studies with no evident desire to take the veil.  Though undoubtedly lovely, she was renowned more for her keen mind and her thirst for knowledge than for her beauty. Her name was Heloise. That two such extraordinary individuals in the same academic world should find one another seems inevitable. That their eloquent expressions of love should have survived for us in their own words is a rare gift of history. That tragedy should await them makes their story all the more poignant.1 The Pursuit of Love While Abelard surely caught sight of Heloise at some time in the busy academic scene of Paris, there were no social occasions on which they were likely to meet. He was occupied with his studies and university life; she was under the protection of her Uncle Fulbert, a canon at the cathedral. Both turned away from frivolous social pastimes in favor of a happy absorption with philosophy, theology, and literature. But Abelard, having reached his thirties without ever knowing the joys of romantic or physical love, had decided he wanted such an experience. He approached this course with his usual logic: It was this young girl whom I, after carefully considering all those qualities which are wont to attract lovers, determined to unite with myself in the bonds of love... 2 Canon Fulbert was known to care deeply for his niece; he recognized her academic ability and wanted the best education that could be provided for her. This was Abelards route into his house and confidence. Claiming the upkeep of a home of his own was too expensive and interfered with his studies, the scholar sought to board with Fulbert in exchange for a small fee and, more significantly, for providing instruction to Heloise. Such was Abelards reputation not only as a brilliant teacher but as a trustworthy individual that Fulbert eagerly welcomed him into his home and entrusted him with the education and care of his niece. I should not have been more smitten with wonder if he had entrusted a tender lamb to the care of a ravenous wolf... Learning of Love We were united first in the dwelling that sheltered our love, and then in the hearts that burned with it. There is no way to know what entreaties or wiles Abelard used to seduce his student. Heloise may very well have loved him from the moment they met. The force of his personality, his razor-sharp mind, and his handsome demeanor undoubtedly resulted in an irresistible combination for a young woman. Not yet twenty, she had no hint of how she and her uncle had been manipulated, and she was at just the right age to see Abelards presence in her life as ordained by Fate or by God. Moreover, rarely have two lovers been so suited to each other as Abelard and Heloise. Both attractive, both extremely intelligent, both enraptured with the arts of learning, they shared an intellectual energy that few couples of any age or era have been fortunate enough to know. Yet in these early days of intense desire, learning was secondary. Under the pretext of study we spent our hours in the happiness of love, and learning held out to us the secret opportunities that our passion craved. Our speech was more of love than of the books which lay open before us; our kisses far outnumbered our reasoned words. However base Abelards original intentions had been, he was soon overwhelmed by his feelings for Heloise. Finding his once-beloved studies burdensome, his energy for learning flagged, he delivered uninspired lectures, and his poems now focused on love. It wasnt long before his students deduced what had come over him, and rumors swept Paris of the heated affair. Only Canon Fulbert seemed unaware of the romance that was taking place under his own roof. His ignorance was fostered by his trust in the niece he loved and the scholar he admired. Whispers may have reached his ears, but if so they did not reach his heart. Oh, how great was the uncles grief when he learned the truth, and how bitter was the sorrow of the lovers when we were forced to part! How it happened is not entirely clear, but its reasonable to assume that Fulbert walked in on his niece and his boarder in an extremely private moment. He had ignored the rumors and believed in their good conduct; perhaps it was a direct confrontation with the truth that so drastically affected him. Now, the extent of his fury at the very least matched the extent of the trust he had placed in them both. But physically separating the couple did not quench the flame of their love for one another; on the contrary: The very sundering of our bodies served but to link our souls closer together; the plentitude of the love which was denied to us inflamed us more than ever. And not long after they were parted, Heloise got a message to Abelard: she was pregnant. At the next opportunity, when Fulbert was away from home, the couple fled to Abelards family, where Heloise was to remain until their son was born. Her lover returned to Paris, but fear or awkwardness kept him from attempting to heal the breach with her uncle for several months. The solution seems simple to us now, and would have been simple to most young couples then: marriage. But, although it was not unknown for scholars at the university to wed, a wife and family could be a serious impediment to an academic career. Universities were relatively new systems that had sprung from Cathedral schools, and the one at Paris was renowned for its theological teachings.  The brightest prospects that awaited Abelard resided in the Church; he would be forfeiting the highest possible career by taking a bride. Though he never admits such thoughts kept him from proposing marriage, that they were included among his considerations seem clear when he describes his offer to Fulbert: ... in order to make amends even beyond his extremest hope, I offered to marry her whom I had seduced, provided only the thing could be kept secret, so that I might suffer no loss of reputation thereby. To this he gladly assented... But Heloise was another matter. Love Protests That a young woman in love should balk at marrying the father of her child may seem perplexing, but Heloise had compelling reasons. She was well aware of the opportunities Abelard would be passing up if he tied himself to a family. She argued for his career; she argued for his studies; she argued that such a measure would not truly appease her uncle. She even argued for honor: ... it would be far sweeter for her to be called my mistress than to be known as my wife; nay, too, that this would be more honourable for me as well. In such case, she said, love alone would hold me to her, and the strength of the marriage chain would not constrain us. But her lover would not be dissuaded. Shortly after their son Astrolabe was born, they left him in the care of Abelards family and returned to Paris to be married secretly, with Fulbert among the few witnesses. They parted immediately thereafter, seeing each other only in rare private moments, in order to maintain the fiction that they were no longer involved. Love Denied Heloise had been correct when she had argued that her uncle would not be satisfied by a secret marriage. Though he had promised his discretion, his damaged pride would not let him keep quiet about events. The injury had been a public one; its reparation should also be public. He let word of the couples union get about. When his niece denied the marriage, he beat her. To keep Heloise safe, her husband spirited her away to the convent at Argenteuil, where she had been educated as a child. This alone may have been enough to keep her from her uncles wrath, but Abelard went one step further: he asked that she wear the vestments of the nuns, except for the veil that indicated the taking of vows. This turned out to be a grave error. When her uncle and his kinsmen heard of this, they were convinced that now I had completely played them false and had rid myself forever of Heloise by forcing her to become a nun. Fulbert became incensed, and prepared to take his revenge. It happened in the early morning hours when the scholar lay sleeping, unawares. Two of his servants accepted bribes to let attackers into his home. The punishment they visited upon their enemy was as horrifying and shameful as it was excruciating: ... for they cut off those parts of my body with which I had done that which was the cause of their sorrow. By morning, it seemed all of Paris had congregated to hear the news. Two of Abelards attackers were apprehended and made to suffer a similar fate, but no reparation could restore to the scholar what he had lost. The brilliant philosopher, poet, and teacher who had begun to be renowned for his talents now had fame of an altogether different sort thrust upon him. How could I ever again hold up my head among men, when every finger should be pointed at me in scorn, every tongue speak my blistering shame, and when I should be a monstrous spectacle to all eyes? Though he had never considered becoming a monk, Abelard turned to the cloister now. A life of seclusion, devoted to God, was the only alternative his pride would allow him. He turned to the Dominican order and entered the abbey of St. Denis. But before he did so, he convinced his wife to take the veil. Her friends entreated her to consider ending her marriage and returning to the outside world: after all, he could no longer be her husband in the physical sense, and an annulment would have been relatively easy to obtain. She was still quite young, still beautiful, and as brilliant as ever; the secular world offered a future the convent could never match. But Heloise did as Abelard bid her not for any love of convent life, or even for love of God, but for love of Abelard. Love Endures It would be difficult to imagine that their love for one another could survive separation and Abelards tragic injury. In fact, having seen to his wifes entry into the convent, the philosopher appears to have placed the entire affair behind him and devoted himself to writing and teaching. For Abelard, and indeed for all who studied philosophy in his time, the love story was but a sideline to his career, the impetus that triggered a change in his focus from logic to theology. But for Heloise, the affair was a seminal event in her life, and Pierre Abelard was forever in her thoughts. The philosopher did continue to care for his wife and see to her security. When Argenteuil was overtaken by one of his many rivals and Heloise, now the prioress, was turned out with the other nuns, Abelard arranged for the displaced women to occupy the abbey of the Paraclete, which he had established. And after some time had passed, and wounds both physical and emotional had begun to heal, they resumed a relationship, albeit far different than the one they had known in the secular world. For her part, Heloise would not let herself or her feelings for Abelard be overlooked. She was ever open and honest about her enduring love for the man who could no longer be her husband. She pestered him for hymns, sermons, guidance, and a rule for her order, and in so doing kept him active in the work of the abbey and kept her own presence constant in his mind. As for Abelard, he had the support and encouragement of one of the most brilliant women of his times to help him navigate the treacherous course of 12th-century theological politics. His talents for logic, his continued interest in secular philosophy, and his absolute confidence in his own interpretation of Scripture had not won him friends in the Church, and his entire career was marked by controversy with other theologians. It was Heloise, one might argue, who helped him come to terms with his own spiritual outlook; and it was Heloise to whom he addressed his significant profession of faith, which begins: Heloise, my sister, once so dear to me in the world, today even dearer to me in Jesus Christ...3 Though their bodies could no longer be united, their souls continued to share an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual journey. Upon his death Heloise had Abelards body brought to the Paraclete, where she was later buried beside him. They lie together still, in what could only be the end of a medieval love story. Your letter written to a friend for his comfort, beloved, was lately brought to me by chance. Seeing at once from the title that it was yours, I began the more ardently to read it in that the writer was so dear to me, that I might at least be refreshed by his words as by a picture of him whose presence I have lost...4 The story of Abelard and Heloise might have been lost to future generations were it not for the letters that survived them. The course of events that their romance followed was described unstintingly in a letter Abelard wrote, known to us as the  Historia Calamitatum,  or the Story of My Misfortunes. His intent in writing the letter was ostensibly to console his friend by telling him, essentially, You think youve got problems? Listen to this... The  Historia Calamitatum  was widely circulated and copied, as letters sometimes were in those days. There is a school of thought that Abelard had an ulterior motive in its composition: to call attention to himself and keep his work and his genius from slipping into oblivion. If that was indeed the case, the philosopher, though still confident in his abilities to the point of arrogance, showed a remarkably brutal honesty and a willingness to accept responsibility for the disastrous results brought on by his vanity and pride. Whatever his motives for writing the letter, a copy eventually fell into Heloises hands. It was at this point that she took the opportunity to contact Abelard directly, and an extensive correspondence ensued from which the nature of their later relationship can be gleaned. The authenticity of the letters supposedly written by Heloise has been called into question. For more on this matter, see the  Mediev-l  Discussion of Heloises  Letters to Abelard, collected from the Mediev-l mailing list and presented online by Paul Halsall at the Medieval Sourcebook. For books examining their authenticity, see  Sources and Suggested Reading,  below. Notes Guides Note: This feature was originally posted in February of 2000, and was updated in February of 2007.Notes 1 As with most names from the Middle Ages, you will find both Abelard and Heloise rendered in a variety of ways, including, but by no means limited to: Abà ©lard, Abeillard, Abailard, Abaelardus, Abelardus; Hà ©loise, Hà ©lose, Heloisa, Helouisa. The forms used in this feature were chosen for their recognizability and their ease of presentation within the limits of HTML. 2 The excerpted material on these pages is all from Abelards Historia Calamitatum unless otherwise noted. 3  From Abelards  Apologia. 4  From Heloises first letter. Additional Resources Abelards autobiography is online here at the Medieval History site: Historia Calamitatum,  or, The Story of My Misfortunesby Peter AbelardTranslated by Henry Adams Bellows, with an introduction by Ralph Adams Cram. Presented in fifteen chapters, an introduction, a foreword and an appendix. Sources and Suggested Reading The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the books page at one of the online merchants. translated by Betty RadiceA Penguin classics collection of their correspondence. by Etienne GilsonLiterate analysis of the letters of Abelard and Heloise focuses on individual topics and themes rather than a chronological presentation. by John MarenbonA re-examination of Abelards work as a logician and theologian. by Marion MeadeThis fictionalized account is well-written and fairly accurate, and has been made into a well-received film.   A Medieval Love Story  is copyright  © 2000-08 Melissa Snell and About.com. Permission is granted to reproduce this article for personal or classroom use only, provided that the URL below is included. For reprint permission, please contact Melissa Snell. The URL for this feature is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/peterabelard/a/love_story.htmGuides Note:  This feature was originally posted in February of 2000, and was updated in February of 2007.

Free Essays on Through The Darkness.

Aggression is a critical part of animal existence, which is an inherent driving force to humans, as we, too, are animals. The source of aggression within humans is a long summative list, but before trying to understand its source one must apply a working definition of aggression. Encyclopedia Britannica as any action of an animal that serves to injure an opponent or prey animal or to cause an opponent to retreat defines aggressive behavior. (7) David G. Myers states that aggression is any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy. (9) There are many types of aggressive behaviors, which can be differentiated from the factual act to the hidden motives. For example, an aggressive behavior can be negative or positive, accidental or intended, and physical or mental. Aggression can take numerous forms, the act of hitting a wall to release aggression has some of the same roots as playing football and enjoying hitting the quarterback. A child yelling at his parents could be equ ated, in its aggressiveness, with hitting one’s horn when one is cut off on 495. Aggression is also a relative construct. What might seem like a terribly aggressive act to one person, most often the victim, might seem like an induced response to the perpetrator. (3) Psychologist Arlene Stillwell performed an experiment where she assigned ordinary college students at random to play the role of a victim or a perpetrator in a small incident. Then she asked the students to describe the situation that had just transpired. What she found was that both victims and perpetrators deformed the truth equally to present their sides in a better light. Victims would dwell on their lasting traumas from the incident while the perpetrator might make the act seem like a one-time action provoked by insurmountable circumstances. The resulting implication is that aggression is in the eye of the beholder. (3) Due to its relative nature aggression is extremely hard to isolate and... Free Essays on Through The Darkness. Free Essays on Through The Darkness. Aggression is a critical part of animal existence, which is an inherent driving force to humans, as we, too, are animals. The source of aggression within humans is a long summative list, but before trying to understand its source one must apply a working definition of aggression. Encyclopedia Britannica as any action of an animal that serves to injure an opponent or prey animal or to cause an opponent to retreat defines aggressive behavior. (7) David G. Myers states that aggression is any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy. (9) There are many types of aggressive behaviors, which can be differentiated from the factual act to the hidden motives. For example, an aggressive behavior can be negative or positive, accidental or intended, and physical or mental. Aggression can take numerous forms, the act of hitting a wall to release aggression has some of the same roots as playing football and enjoying hitting the quarterback. A child yelling at his parents could be equ ated, in its aggressiveness, with hitting one’s horn when one is cut off on 495. Aggression is also a relative construct. What might seem like a terribly aggressive act to one person, most often the victim, might seem like an induced response to the perpetrator. (3) Psychologist Arlene Stillwell performed an experiment where she assigned ordinary college students at random to play the role of a victim or a perpetrator in a small incident. Then she asked the students to describe the situation that had just transpired. What she found was that both victims and perpetrators deformed the truth equally to present their sides in a better light. Victims would dwell on their lasting traumas from the incident while the perpetrator might make the act seem like a one-time action provoked by insurmountable circumstances. The resulting implication is that aggression is in the eye of the beholder. (3) Due to its relative nature aggression is extremely hard to isolate and...

The role of the IMF in helping poor and debt-troubled countries Assignment

The role of the IMF in helping poor and debt-troubled countries - Assignment Example This role was cemented by the fall of the Soviet Union, where sovereign countries who were under the Soviet umbrella looked up to the IMF to reconstruct their battered economies. In 1999, the IMF remodeled its role from providing financial assistance to countries with low levels of income to reducing the rates of poverty and growing their economies (Bird 2). The IMF has established itself as a balance of payment institution. Many developing countries experience a persistent current account balance of payment deficit. It is important to note that not all countries with this problem turn to the institution for help. When a county cannot access external financing or private capital market, they turn to the IMF to settle the balance of payment deficit. Low reserve holdings have also been explained as the reason behind the use of IMF resources by low income countries. Poor countries have accounted for the largest proportion of the institution`s assistance between 1991 and 2002. They have additionally been described as having prolonged use of IMF resources (Bird 8). The institution`s role of lending to poor countries also helps to unlock external financing or rather serving as a catalyst for other institutions to lend to the countries concerned. By lending to a country, the IMF sends a signal indicating that the country has sound economic pol icies, investor confidence and a conducive environment for investment. With reference to the IMF, the conditions imposed are policies which should be met before a country can receive any funds. These conditions aim to guarantee that the member country will eventually be able to settle its balance of payment problems and at the same time repay the loan. The fund has two types of conditions with regard to lending to developing countries. It imposes quantitative and structural conditions. Quantitative conditions include macroeconomic goals which must be